December 2022/January 2023
STYLE + SHOP
ON THE COVER
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI
TOP, SKIRT, BELT, AND TRAINERS,
ALL LOUIS VUITTON.
BRACELET, CARTIER.
PHOTOGRAPHS: PETROS.
STYLING: AURELIA DONALDSON.
PHOTOGRAPH: LULU McARDLE
HAIR: SEB BASCLE.
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THE WALL GROUP, USING SUQQU.
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ON-SET PRODUCTION: KATIE
HOLMES AT THE.CURATED.
STYLIST’S ASSISTANT:
3BICD1<<5é3?H martinis; 2023’s party people
ELLE
72
NEW IN
It’s time to hit the slopes: skiwear
has never looked so chic
80
THE EDIT
When it comes to statement
jewellery, more is always more
87
THE PIECE
Move with fashion’s upper crust
and carry Fendi’s Baguette bag
88
DRESS CODE
Let one standout piece and
versatile basics see you through
90
THE CRUISE REPORT
We spotlight this season’s
not-to-be missed resortwear
PAGE 72 READS
114
OMG SO CRINGE
EVERY MONTH Ever feel like life has
become one big ick? ELLE’s
45 Hannah Nathanson considers
EDITOR’S LETTER why, in the midst of political
Kenya Hunt considers the era and social turmoil, we now live
of multi-dimensional women in an age of embarrassment
49
THE MOMENT
118
THE POWER OF REST
Pandora Sykes on why she is From an Olympic swimmer
opting out of the Y2K revival to a magazine founder, four
women consider how stepping
53 back from our day-to-day
AGENDA obligations is a revolutionary act
Our top picks – from bold boots
to an inspiring exhibition 124
THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
178
BACK PAGE
Since when did we become so
afraid to take ownership of our
Pat Cleveland reflects on her sexual happiness? Danielle Pender
extraordinary life in fashion investigates why our erotic
desire has the ability to empower
FIRST LOOK
59 128
WORK THERAPY
In our style and culture Post-pandemic, our ways of
round-up: glitter has a glow up; working have changed – or so
an interview with the rising star we thought. Meet the career
Kosar Ali; raising a glass to coaches helping women take
back control of their 9-to-5
27
contents
FASHION
102
THE AUDACITY OF
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI
In conversation with the
acclaimed writer Lisa Taddeo,
the boundary-breaking author
discusses her battles with
sexism, her evolution as
a mother and bestselling book
132
DOING THE MOST
Party season has arrived, so
bring life and soul to your
look with luxurious fabrics,
dramatic prints and details
that command attention
BEAUTY + WELLNESS
144
A STRONG FINISH
Combining next-gen
products with never-fail
tips, let ELLE’s favourite
industry experts and
beauty icons revitalise
your make-up and
skincare routines
150
RADAR
Our curated pick of
the trends to follow,
brands to try and key
launches to take note of
this festive season
ELLE
PAGE 132
152
THE EDITORS ON…
Five ELLE beauty
gurus share their advice
and insider knowledge
on how they are able to
achieve a state of unmatched
relaxation – and how you
can get there too
157
10 OF THE BEST…
Winter scents are so much
more than frankincense
and spiced cinnamon. Raise
your fragrance game with
these offerings…
30
PAGE 90
IN + OUT
160
THE INTERIOR LIFE OF…
Buchanan Studio, who have
perfected pragmatism in their
inventive Harlesden home
167
INTERIOR TRENDS
PHOTOGRAPHS: TOM SCHIRMACHER, COURTESY OF CHANEL AND GUCCI, GETTY IMAGES
The new yule rules – who said
greens and reds can only go
together at Christmas?
168
IT’S OH SO QUIET
You’re thinking: Games of
Thrones, northern lights and
the Blue Lagoon. We’re saying:
waterfalls, fine dining and
adventure hotels. See Iceland
like never before…
172
POSTCARD FROM...
The make-up artist to the stars
Isamaya Ffrench takes ELLE
on a tour of her LA hotspots
174
SECOND CHANCES
Escape the bustling capitals
in favour of these second cities
 Editor-in-Chief, ELLE and ELLE.com/uk
KENYA HUNT

Luxury Creative Director TOM USHER

Executive Editor ALICE WIGNALL
Executive Editor (Digital) NATASHA BIRD
Editorial Business Director CONNIE OSBORNE
Workflow Director CARLY LEVY
FASHION
Group Luxury Fashion Director AVRIL MAIR
Bookings Director CHLOË RIDLEY
Acting Bookings Director KIM TURNEY
Bookings Assistant TOM CASEY
Fashion Editors ROSIE ARKELL-PALMER,
GEORGIA MEDLEY, TILLY WHEATING
Digital Fashion Editor DAISY MURRAY
Acting Digital Fashion Editor CLEMENTINA JACKSON
Senior Fashion Co-ordinator NATALIE ZANNIKOS
Senior Fashion Assistant HOLLY GORST
Fashion Cupboard Manager HANNAH AKANDE
Fashion Assistants GRACE CLARKE, CRYSTALLE COX, GAL KLEIN
FEATURES
Associate Editor/Culture Director LENA DE CASPARIS
Features Director HANNAH NATHANSON
Talent Director LOTTIE LUMSDEN
Deputy Digital Editor KATIE O’MALLEY
Fashion News Editor ENI SUBAIR
Digital News Editor SAKAYNAH HUNTER
Talent Editor OLIVIA BLAIR
Head of Social Media, Luxury AMY BREWSTER
BEAUTY
Group Luxury Beauty Director KATY YOUNG
Beauty Editor JENNIFER GEORGE Digital Beauty Editor GEORGE DRIVER
Senior Beauty Assistant MEDINA AZALDIN
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION
Group Luxury Chief Sub-Editor/Production Editor DOM PRICE
Deputy Chief Sub-Editors JOSH BOLTON, CAMILLA REDMOND
Sub-Editors CAITLIN BUTLER, DINA NAGAPETYANTS, CYNTHIA PENG
ART AND PICTURES
Art Directors LISA BARLOW-WRIGHT, ZOYA KALEEVA
Acting Art Director LAUREN JONES
Art Editor LEANNE ROBSON
Acting Art Editor AMY BLACKER
Acting Senior Designer EMILY LORD
Designers LILY PICHON FLANNERY, SONIA RUPRAH
Acting Designer LISIANE DRESSLER
Picture Director SIÂN PARRY
Picture Editor LIZ PEARN
Picture Production Editor GEMMA ROBERTS
CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS
AURELIA DONALDSON, BETH FENTON, SOLANGE FRANKLIN,
JENNY KENNEDY

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
JESSICA ANDREWS, AJA BARBER, IXTA BELFRAGE, CAMILLE CHARRIÈRE,
EMMA DABIRI, AINDREA EMELIFE, LYNETTE NYLANDER, SHARMADEAN REID,
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For all event enquiries, call 020 7312 4105
For all general enquiries, call 020 7439 5000
 Chief Luxury Officer
JACQUELINE EUWE

Executive Assistant to the Chief Luxury Officer NATASHA MANN

Group Brand Director, Luxury SHARON DAVIES-RIDGEWAY
Head of Luxury Fashion CHARLOTTE HOLLANDS
Acting Director of Watches and Jewellery ANNA O’SULLIVAN
Watches and Jewellery Client Manager OLIVIA HORROCKS-BURNS
Watches and Jewellery Manager SHREYAAL HIRANI SHAH
Head of Luxury, Agency LOUISA PATEY

Head of Fashion, Beauty and Luxury SARAH TSIRKAS

Director of Beauty LEE BAILEY
Director of Health and Wellness CHRIS HEALY
Director of Travel DENISE DEGROOT
Head of Finance and Motors MICHELLE PAGLIARULO
Head of Agency Sales, UK and Global BEN CHESTERS
Head of Regional LISA BHATTI
Regional Group Business Director DANIELLE SEWELL
Head of Classified LEE RIMMER
Head of Digital RYAN BUCKLEY
Executive Creative Director MARK McCAFFERTY
Senior Connect Director BETHANY SUTTON
Senior Connect Manager CONNIE FFITCH
Live Project Manager, Luxury KATRINA SEN Director of Commercial Production WILL VILLE
Branded Content Lead JAMIE CARSON
Art Director, Branded Content MAIREAD GLEESON
Head of Media Planning LUCY PORTER
Senior Media Planning Manager KATHRYN FAIRBAIRN
Production Director JOHN HUGHES Production Manager STEPHEN OSBORNE
Chief Consumer Revenue Officer REID HOLLAND
Circulation and Subscriptions Director JAMES HILL
Digital Marketing and CRM Director SEEMA KUMARI
Head of Product and Promotions AOIBHEANN FOLEY
Head of Subscriptions JUSTINE BOUCHER
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PR and Communications Manager CRISTINA WYATT
HEARST UK
Interim Chief Executive Officer, Hearst UK/President, Hearst Europe SIMON HORNE
Chief International Brand Officer MATT HAYES Chief Commercial Officer JANE WOLFSON
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President, Hearst Magazines International JONATHAN WRIGHT
Senior Vice-President/Editorial and Brand Director KIM ST CLAIR BODDEN
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hearstmagazines.co.uk/contact-us or call 01858 438796. Lines open weekdays, 8am-9.30pm; Saturdays, 8am-4pm. Magazine printed by Walstead Roche, St Austell. Distribution by Frontline Ltd, Peterborough (01733 555161)
 her as ‘Emrata’ – the often-fetishised
model I had seen in the tabloids and on
the runway. But during our chat, I dis-
covered a multidimensional woman in
control of her power to speak about
issues that matter, lacing her addictive
TikToks with sharp social commentary.
She seamlessly straddles two worlds:
walking JW Anderson and Versace
runways one moment, then establishing
herself as an opinionator to be reckoned
with the next. Because why not?
When I saw her after the cover shoot
for this issue, which is accompanied by
a fascinating conversation with Taddeo
on p102, Emily had made headlines for
a TikTok clip announcing she’s entering
her ‘Bitch Era’ and plans to embrace her
anger, an emotion I think we have all felt
in one way or another this year.
To say that ‘era’ has been the word
of the era would be an understatement.
It has taken over the cultural conversation
– Liz Truss’s Flop Era, Gen Z’s Villain
Era, or what ELLE’s Hannah Nathanson
calls our Cringe Era (p114), that collec-
tive sense of embarrassment we all feel
SHE’S GOT IT ALL
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI,
in these often surreal times.
OUR COVER STAR, IS But there’s also power in stepping
FORGING HER OWN
PATH WITH HER
back and taking stock of what brings us
WRITING, MODELLING release, relief and joy. To help you do
AND PODCASTING
that, we’ve commissioned some of our
IDYRXULWHZULWHUVWRUHÁHFWRQWKHSXUVXLW
of rest (p118), sexual pleasure (p124) and
AT ELLE, WE’VE ALWAYS CELEBRATED
women who defy expectations of what
they should be. This is what struck me
DERXW(PLO\5DWDMNRZVNLZKR,ÀUVWPHW
last year when we were promoting our
books, shortly after the release of her
essays collection, My Body. We bonded
over our shared taste in reading,
comparing thoughts on everything from
Alice Walker’s prescient commentary to
/LVD7DGGHR·VVSUDZOLQJQRQÀFWLRQ
We spoke about the motherhood
juggle, writer’s block, sexism and the
PHOTOGRAPHS: PETROS, EDD HORDER
battle to maintain ownership of our
bodies. Before that, I had only known
ELLE
DPRUHIXOÀOOLQJZRUNLQJOLIHS²
and how each of these can positively
impact our lives in general.
On our fashion pages, we look at
the art of mastering festive dressing,
2020s style (Dress Code, p88, and Doing
the Most, p132), and in the spirit of the
season, we’ve made a gift guide full
of things to spark joy. Perfect for your
Me Era.
KENYA HUNT Editor-in-Chief
45

LIV LITTLE
For the writer Liv, music
Ycé[Ui*éz5fUbiSXQbQSdUb_b
cSU^Ué9égbYdUXQcYdcfYRUc_9SQ^
be found blaring music out of my
_VSUgXU^9{]dbiY^Wd_WUdY^
the zone.’ She’s currently got
Jazmine Sullivan’s Pick Up Your
Feelings on loop. Her debut novel
Rosewater, out in spring, is set
Y^éXUbRU\_fUTc_edX<_^T_^
although the writer and curator
has recently moved to the Kent
coast. She writes about settling
into a new community, slowing
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dXUécUQ_^`!!(
GRACE CLARKE
Growing up, Grace always knew
she wanted to work in fashion,
covering her bedroom walls
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magazines. With previous roles
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Selfridges and The Sunday Times
Style7bQSUYc^_g_ebW_d_
shopping expert at ELLE. This
season, she compiled the ELLE
Gift Guide. ‘My advice for
buying presents is that everyday
luxury is the best gift. Get
something someone wouldn’t
buy themselves,’ she says.

PANDORA
SYKES
Whenever Pandora Sykes feels
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‘You don’t have writer’s block,
i_eéXQfUQZ_Rd_T_{DXU
journalist and author, who
recently compiled What Writers
Read: 35 Writers on Their Favourite
Book, keeps a jar of humbugs
PETROS
Artist and photographer Petros
lives in east London and has shot
for everyone from Vogue Italia
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Emily Ratajkowski shining
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and we had a lot of fun shooting
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across in the story,’ he says.
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PHOTOGRAPHS: PETROS, STEPH WILSON

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my children they are “spicy
working tablets”. “Spicy” is the
_^\igQiéd_cd_`dXU]`eb\_Y^Y^W
them.’ She writes about being
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revival on p49.

ELLE 46
 What
happened
to the
classicists?
In the midst of a loud,
brash, midriff-baring
Y2K revival, one writer
finds herself returning
to the basics and
seeking a look that CLASS ACT
CELINE’S HEDI
SLIMANE IS ONE

is, above all, timeless ?6éD8545C97>5BC

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WORDS BY PANDORA SYKES

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PHOTOGRAPH: IMAXTREE
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ELLE 49
the moment

LASTING IMPRESSION
FROM LEFT: ZOË KRAVITZ IN MINIMAL BASICS; GILLIAN ANDERSON
SPORTING THE ‘WHALE TAIL’ IN 2001; LEE MATHEWS AW22; CHLOÉ AW22

celebrated women in their literal absence: the revered size

of the early Noughties was an impossible double-zero. Miss
Sixty jeans that sat under your pubic bone and bra tops that
allowed for no bra were not exactly clothes hospitable to the
female form. While the women embracing the revival are
markedly more diverse now, 2000s fashion reminds me of
a time when my clothes existed to showcase my body, rather
than to offer any comfort.
The thing to make clear about what I call ‘the classics’ is
that I don’t mean minimalism. I admire those fashion editors
and art directors who refuse pattern, colour and anything
waisted. But I classify a classic as something that stands the test
of time, that can’t be pinned to an exact season and that gen-
erally allows for underwear. Plenty of patterns are classics:
OHRSDUGSULQW]HEUDWDUWDQVWULSHVÁRUDOV,W·VQRWMXVWDERXW
The classicists need not worry, because while there may be
a Y2K revival, there is always plenty going on at the other end
of the sartorial scale. The Frankie Shop’s well-priced waistcoats
and slouchy suits sell like hot cakes, while some of the most ex-
citing designers right now are those known for their classical hits:
Khaite, The Row, Celine and Chloé. I can’t afford any of them,
but I can occasionally treat myself to Totême, Lee Mathews
and Rejina Pyo, which all put playful, contemporary twists on
a timeless wardrobe. On the high street, I love Mango (my best
tailoring either (although I do love a suit). As a short-arse,
a silhouette I’ve loved for the last 15 years is a mini skirt with
DÀWWHGVZHDWHURUIULOO\VKLUWDQGNQHHKLJKERRWV0\¶FODVVLF·
leans heavily on the 1970s and 90s.) A pair of Levi’s with
a silk shirt and a wool blazer is ageless, as are black dresses
with a suede jacket, high-waisted trousers and a Breton T-shirt,
VOLSVNLUWVZLWK$GLGDV*D]HOOHVVLON\ÁXLGGUHVVHVZLWKVOHHYHV
SXUFKDVHLVDSDLURIZRROFDPHOWURXVHUVÀYH\HDUVDJR8QLTOR
(for collarless shirts) and & Other Stories (for plissé pieces à la
Issey Miyake). My pin-ups include the stylist Alexandra Carl in
double denim and a camel coat; Rejina Pyo clad in her own brand;
Zoë Kravitz in a tank and slip skirt; French Vogue editor Eugénie
7URFKXLQDÁLSS\'LRUVNLUWVXLWDQG6LHQQD0LOOHULQEDE\EOXH
PHOTOGRAPHS: © ALEX POMMIER, GETTY IMAGES, JAMES GILES
Self-Portrait, one of my favourite affordable brands for what
SUHIHUDEO\DQGERLOHUVXLWVSDLUHGZLWKÁDW0DU\-DQHV
What I’m really looking for now is the feeling of longevity.
I don’t eschew decoration – last night, I wore a sequinned silver
VKLUWZLWKEODFNWURXVHUVDQGEODFNSDWHQW0DU\-DQHVDQGIHOW
extremely comfortable. My MO is simple: I want to be fancy,
not fussy. I still love colour, particularly monochromatic looks
(a recent favourite was a lemon-hued Stine Goya suit with
a butter-yellow shirt from WNU underneath). I don’t resist
ÁDPER\DQW FORWKHV VR PXFK DV DVN P\VHOI ¶$P , EX\LQJ
this because it looks good on me, or because it looks good
on someone else?’
ELLE
I think of as ‘grown-up sexy’. The truest testament to classical
style is when you can’t tell what year the picture has been taken.
I have no idea where the future of my wardrobe lies. But I
hope it stays rooted in what feels like a slower, more edited
approach. Thinking carefully about what suits me means that
I now rent clothes a lot more, which allows me to think carefully
about buying something that I may later regret. In that sense, as
our planet demands change within the fashion industry, it feels like
less of a classical approach – and more of a contemporary one.
‘What Writers Read: 35 Writers on Their Favourite Book’, edited by
Pandora Sykes and published by Bloomsbury is out on 10 November.
50
 BOOT CAMP
FROM LEFT:
STYLES BY,
ISABEL
MARANT, ETRO,
FENDI, ISABEL
MARANT,
COPERNI AND
CONNER IVES

Hemlines might be all over the map,

shop: but boots are moving in one direction:

The high life skyward (thigh ward?) Try patent

versions like those at Courrèges,
or go for Jimmy Choo’s crystal
numbers for added festive oomph.

wear:
Moncler by Me
Fashion’s love of
personalisation reaches
new heights with the new
PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE, LAURA RADFORD/NETFLIX © 2022

bespoke service, Moncler

by Me, launched to
mark the company’s 70th
anniversary. Choose your
shape, colourway and
decorative extras for
a unique way to do
outerwear this winter.
watch:
The Swimmers
Inspired by the extraordinary true story of sisters Yusra and
Sarah Mardini’s journey as refugees from war-torn Syria to
WKH5LR2O\PSLFVWKLVÀOPGLUHFWHGE\6DOO\(O
Hosaini, celebrates the power of resilience and sisterhood.
It will have you sobbing and cheering from your sofa.

ELLE 53
agenda
listen:
Born
N Bread

BETWEEN ART AND FASHION, ORGANISED BY APERTURE, OPENS FROM 28 OCTOBER TO 22 JANUARY 2023
BLACK VANGUARD (APERTURE, 2019). © JAMAL NXEDLANA. ‘THE NEW BLACK VANGUARD: PHOTOGRAPHY
WORDS: LENA DE CASPARIS. PHOTOGRAPHS: JAMAL NXEDLANA, JOHANNESBURG, 2019, FROM THE NEW

AT SAATCHI GALLERY. THE EXHIBITION IS CURATED BY ANTWAUN SARGENT. BETH MORRISON.

Having played for everyone
from Adwoa Aboah’s
Gurls Talk to Nike, Born
go see: N Bread are the new
favourite DJs on the British

The New fashion circuit. Consider

them the names to follow
this party season, and the
Black Vanguard women to look to for your
ultimate festive mixtape.

Following on from the book, this exhibition at

the Saatchi Gallery celebrates the work of 15
Black photographers, including Ruth Ossai,
Campbell Addy and Jamal Nxedlana.
‘This show explores this generation’s Black
image makers, who are bringing fresh
perspectives,’ says curator Antwaun Sargent.

read:
Looking to Sea
Oh, we do like to be beside the
seaside… This new book by the
art critic Lily Le Brun considers
10 pivotal maritime artworks, from
Vanessa Bell’s Studland Beach to
Martin Parr’s photogaphs of
British beach resorts in the 1980s.
Each meditation opens a window SPINNING DECKS
BORN N BREAD DJS STEPHSEEKS AND
onto big ideas, offering readers a ABIGAIL (ABIGURL) JACKSON PERFORM
new way of seeing our home island. 1Dé5<<5{CB5<1E>38@1BDI" ""
 FIRST LOOK
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RAZZLE DAZZLE
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SHINE! THIS YEAR, SHIMMER IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS. FOR AUTUMN,
16ARLINGTON SHOWED SPARKLING, ANKLE-GRAZING GOWNS, WHILE
MIU MIU TURNED UP THE BEJEWELLED BRIGHTNESS TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH.
A
M
KO

AT DAVID KOMA, PROOF THAT EVEN KNITWEAR CAN WEAR GLITTER.

D
VI
DA

THE GOAL? TO WILL — AND WEAR — A BRIGHTER NEW YEAR INTO EXISTENCE.
N
TO
NG
RLI
PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE

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16
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BALMAIN

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ELLE 59
 ELLE FIRST LOOK

Introducing: VIBRANT, EXPERIMENTAL AND, AS THE FOUNDER ALICIA

Robinson puts it, ‘a little bit nuts’, AGR is the London-based
label, founded in 2018, giving knitwear the scene-stealing

AGR
moment it deserves. With a signature style that ranges from
acid-bright dresses to rainbow brushed-mohair jumpers, the
label has already won a celebrity fanbase that includes IAMDDB,
Pa Salieuand even Rihanna.
For Croydon-born Robinson, the plan was never to start
From working with Nike a brand. ‘A few of my friends asked me to make some clothes
for them to wear to Notting Hill Carnival,’ she explains. ‘Before

to being worn by Rihanna, I knew it, I was designing for 15 people and Nike had asked to
be involved.’

meet the designer putting
knits on the map
WORDS BY CLEMENTINA JACKSON
PHOTOGRAPHS:COURTESY OF AGR
When some photos of the group partying in their new knits
and box-fresh trainers hit the internet, things blew up. ‘[Retail
SODWIRUP@6VHQVHJRWLQWRXFKKHOSHGPHPDNHP\ÀUVWFDSVXOH
and essentially put me on the map,’ says Robinson.
‘It all happened completely organically.’
Robinson had already made a name for herself on the
London nightlife scene after graduating from Chelsea College
of Art. In her early twenties, she made clothes from her bedroom
in Dalston in between shifts as a door girl at trailblazing night-
club Visions. ‘It was such an inspiring place,’ she says. ‘Skepta,
BBK and A$AP Rocky used to come in, and then at 4am I’d go
home and knit until the morning.’
She began freelancing for brands such as A-Cold-Wall*
and – her personal favourite – Missoni. ‘I was the person to go
to for one-off knitwear,’ she says.
1RZ5RELQVRQLVD/90+3UL]HVHPLÀQDOLVWZLWK
33 stockists, an acclaimed SS23 collection and a ‘crazy
colourful’ vision that goes far beyond fashion. ‘We have a huge
warehouse in Deptford now, and we’re trying to make the most
of all the space by opening it up to the community,’ she says.
Most recently, that included a series of workshops for school-
kids with Nike, to keep them busy during the summer holidays
by inspiring them into creative industries. ‘AGR might be
a luxury brand,’ says Robinson, ‘but we won’t forget where we’ve
come from.’

IN RAINBOWS
AGR CREATES EYE-POPPING,
ACID-BRIGHT KNITTED
PIECES IN MATERIALS
SUCH AS BRUSHED MOHAIR

ELLE 61
ELLE FIRST LOOK

GEORGIA KEMBALL
After training in medieval wax-
casting techniques, this self-taught
jeweller and GUT magazine
co-founder started making pieces
inspired by her interest in mythology
and mysticism, and now counts
Chopova Lowena and Dilara
)LQGLNRùOXDVFROODERUDWRUV

JEWELLERY

New jewels
From the gemstones Dua Lipa
loves to the pearls Hunter MUDD PEARL
Yasmin Moon and Mary Anderson’s
Schafer can’t get enough of, brand has earned a starry fanbase
including Euphoria’s Hunter
meet the brands that are 6FKDIHU7KHLUFRQWHPSRUDU\VSLQ
on delicate freshwater-pearl
making their way into all jewellery includes handmade heart
charms and jagged pink-and-white
the coolest jewellery boxes SHDUOVWHDPHGZLWKFUXFLÀ[HV

WORDS BY ENI SUBAIR

SHANA CAVE EMMA WALTON

Loved by Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, Each one of Walton’s custom gold-
this New York-based designer’s or silver-plated rings is adorned with
RQHRIIÁRUDOSLHFHV²WKLQN precious gemstones and engraved
romantic rings, necklaces and earrings with playful, personalised text – it’s
ÁDQNHGE\RQ\[SHULGRWDQGFLWULQH easy to see why fashion editors,
²DUHDKLWRQFRRONLGHWDLOHU6VHQVH $OLVWHUVDQGLQÁXHQFHUVORYHWKHP

VASILIKI STUDIO
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inspired by Ancient Greek mythology
and its ancient jewellery-making
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unisex bracelets and necklaces have
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MELTED POTATO
JÉBLANC This unorthodox Taipei-based
Started by the stylist-turned-jeweller line, the brainchild of Amber
Jeniece Blanchet, this LA brand has Yang, is making maximalist
earned cult status with pieces such MHZHOOHU\ELJDJDLQ,WVFKURPH
as its Spinal Cord hoops (worn by hairclips, earrings and necklaces
Tracee Ellis Ross) and multi-strand have been seen on Doja Cat and
QHFNODFHVVSRWWHGRQ*ZHQ6WHIDQL WKHPRGHO.LNR0L]XKDUD

ELLE 62
ELLE FIRST LOOK

In conversation:
Kosar Ali
After a breakout role
in the award-winning
British film ‘Rocks’,
the actor is back on
the small screen in
a prelude to the classic
‘Dangerous Liaisons’
WORDS BY ENI SUBAIR

TO SAY THAT PERIOD DRAMAS HAVE HAD

a renaissance would be an understate-
ment. Shonda Rhimes’s small-screen
1HWÁL[KLWBridgerton proved a corseted,
slow-burning love story could shatter TV
ratings records – and others are following
suit. Enter Dangerous Liaisons, a prequel
to Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s 1872
novel, starring the Bafta-nominated
Somali-British actor Kosar Ali.
You may already be aware of the 1988
adaptation, which featured Hollywood
heavyweights including Glenn Close,
John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer.
DANGEROUS TIMES
THE ACTOR KOSAR ALI
TAKES A PIVOTAL ROLE
IN A NEW DRAMA
But the 2022 prologue, shot in Prague,
has taken the literary tale of lovers to
a sensual new level. Starring Alice Eng-
lert as Camille and Nicholas Denton as
the Vicomte de Valmont, the show cen-
tres around the pair and their turbulent,
seductive romance. For Ali, who plays
Victoire, a perceptive chambermaid with
epilepsy, it was an opportunity for the
\HDUROGWRGHI\H[SHFWDWLRQV
‘[Creating] the character of Victoire
ZDVDFROODERUDWLYHH[SHULHQFH·VKHVD\V
‘Victoire wasn’t [the same] before I came
along. She wasn’t Muslim, and she wasn’t
a Black woman.’ Ali did not take the task
OLJKWO\¶,UHÁHFWDORWRISHRSOHVR,ZDQW

ELLE 64
 NEXT GENERATION
ABOVE: KOSAR ALI WITH
HER CASTMATES IN 2019’S
ROCKS. FROM RIGHT: WITH
ELLE COVER STARS LETITIA
WRIGHT AND BUKKAY
BURRAY; ALI AS VICTOIRE
9>éDANGEROUS LIAISONS.
BELOW RIGHT: SITTING
ALONGSIDE LARA STONE AT
THE ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
SS22 SHOW IN 2021
to ensure I’m doing it in the right way.
The most satisfying part about playing
a role such as Victoire was being given
WKHIUHHGRPWRUHÁHFWWKHHPRWLRQVRI
a disabled character in 17th-century
France, who is also a Black Muslim wom-
an. She’s a humorous, generous, brave,
ambitious human with a lot of politics.’
Winner of two British Independent
Film Awards (one for Best Supporting
Actress and the other for Most Promising
Newcomer) and a rising favourite among
fashion houses (she’s a front-row regular
PHOTOGRAPHS: JOSEPH SINCLAIR/CAMERA PRESS, CAPITAL PICTURES, ZEINAB BATCHELOR,
at Alexander McQueen), Ali commands
so much attention it’s hard to believe
it has been just three years since she
was thrust into the limelight for her
critically acclaimed performance as
JASON BELL/© 2021 STARZ ENTERTAINMENT, LLC, GETTY IMAGES
Sumaya in Rocks, the Sarah Gavron
coming-of-age drama.
Ali has had no formal training, but
growing up in Forest Gate, east London,
she would often entertain herself and
her four siblings by re-enacting Disney
ÀOPV¶,ZDVLQWRWKHDUWVIURPD\RXQJ
DJH·VKHVD\V¶:HKDYHYLGHRVRIPH
making my entire family sit in the living
room to watch me act out Pocahontas.’
Navigating fame is still surreal, says
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and hairstylist came up with the name
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I’m on photoshoots or red carpets. It’s
not how I am in my day-to-day; I’m a shy,
DZNZDUGSHUVRQDQGWKDW·VÀQHWRR·
Her rise in the industry coincided
with the Black Lives Matter movement,
which held a magnifying glass to society
and the injustices faced by Black people.
Two years later, has she noticed any
FKDQJHVLQWKH79DQGÀOPLQGXVWU\
IROORZLQJWKHUHFNRQLQJ"¶,·PQHZWRWKH
industry, but I do feel like we’ve made
VRPH SURJUHVV· VKH VD\V ¶2I FRXUVH
we’re not 100% there yet. There’s always
more work to be done. I’d like to see
more Black women, people of colour and
religions represented onscreen.’
And she has ambitions beyond acting,
WR KHOS PDNH WKDW KDSSHQ ¶7KHUH·V
something so powerful about writing,’
VKHVD\V¶)LUVWO\EHFDXVHLW·V\RXUYRLFH
it’s your narrative, it’s your story, and you
have full autonomy over that. I’d like to
experience more behind the camera, and
one day open my own production com-
pany, bringing more people into the
space to create more stories.’
ELLE 65
ELLE FIRST LOOK
WITH A
TWIST
LOOKING FOR THE MOST
LUXURIOUS WAY TO ENTERTAIN
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?
MARTINIS ARE BACK, SAYS
ELLE’S ALICE WIGNALL
CAN YOU DEFINE AN ERA BY ITS DRINKS? THE NINETIES LADETTES
had pints. The such-a-Carries of the Noughties sipped on Cosmos.
Chardonnay, merlot and rosé have all had their moment. But in the
anxiety-riddled early Twenties, we need something a bit stronger.
A friend recently back from New York reported the return
RIWKHJUXEE\GHFDGHQFHWKDWRQFHGHÀQHGWKHFLW\¶(YHU\RQH·V
VPRNLQJDJDLQ·VKHVDLG¶DQGeveryoneLVGULQNLQJPDUWLQLV·
The martini – essentially a glass of neat gin, slightly diluted
ZLWKYHUPRXWKDQGÀQLVKHGZLWKOHPRQROLYHVRUSLFNOHGRQLRQ
COCKTAIL DRESSING
Top, around £175, and
jeans, around £249,
both MILKWHITE.
Heels, £375, RUSSELL &
BROMLEY. Earrings,
£79, THOMAS SABO
so is the fashion to match. Look at the rise of straightforwardly
VH[\FORWKHVDVSRSXODULVHGE\1HQVL'RMDND$UOLQJWRQDQG
&KULVWRSKHU(VEHUDQGWHOOPH\RXFDQ·WLPDJLQHDPDUWLQLJODVV
LQWKHPRGHOV·KDQGVDVWKH\ORXQJHEDUVLGH
$QGWKHVSLULWXDOKRPHRIWKHPDUWLQLLVWKHEDUWKLVLVQRW
a drink for domestic consumption. At Dukes in London, you can
have a maximum of two, but you get a side order of fashion-
heyday gossip from head bartender Alessandro Palazzi. At the
&RQQDXJKWDPDUWLQLLVDSHUIRUPDQFHDVSHFLDOWUROOH\DUULYHV
DQGGHÀQLWHO\VWLUUHGQRWVKDNHQZKDWHYHU-DPHV%RQGWKLQNV at your table, with a range of intriguing bitters (such as tonka or
²LVDQDGXOWGULQNIRUDQDGXOWPRPHQWEUDFLQJO\GLUHFWDQG
reassuringly effective, it will knock the edges off your worries
ZKLOHGRLQJDZD\ZLWKVXSHUÁXRXVIULSSHU\,W·VDOVRGHOLFLRXVDQG
DGDSWDEOHHTXDOO\DWKRPHLQDKLSVWHUMRLQWDVDYHOYHWURSH
establishment. Not on the menu? Order it anyway, because every
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ODYHQGHUWRFKRRVHIURPEHIRUHWKHGULQNLVSUHSDUHGLQIURQWRI
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WKHJLQLVH[WUDVSHFLDO²GLVWLOOHGRQVLWHWRWKHVSHFLÀFDWLRQVRI
Agostino Perrone, the director of mixology.
%XWWKDW·VWKHPHDQLQJRIDPDUWLQLLWUHYHDOVKRZHVVHQWLDO
ritual, display and fun are to our evenings out, because without
OHDYHEHFDXVHQRQHRIWKHUHVWRIZKDWWKH\RIIHUZLOOEHDQ\JRRG WKHPZHOOLW·VMXVWDELJJODVVRIVWURQJERR]H:LWKWKHPWKRXJK
<RXFDQVHHWKH¶MXVWJLYHLWWRPHVWUDLJKW·VSLULWHYHU\ZKHUH \RX·YHFDVWDVSHOOZKHUHFRQYHUVDWLRQPHOORZVOLJKWVWZLQNOH
-XVWDVSURSHUNQRFN\RXUKHDGRIIFRFNWDLOVDUHURDULQJEDFN hours dissolve and anything can happen. Until the morning, at least…

BEST IN GLASS
PHOTOGRAPH: LARRY FINKE / TRUNK ARCHIVE

BEAVERBROOK, SURREY EVE BAR, LONDON DUKES BAR, LONDON BAR TERMINI, LONDON
ENJOY A CLASSIC HEY PALU, EDINBURGH MAKE A MEAL OF THE VESPER MARTINI THE MARSALA
VERSION IN THE THIS HIP HIDEAWAY A MARTINI WITH A WAS CREATED BY MARTINI IS AS
HOTEL WHERE SERVES FLAWLESS BRUSKETTA, WHICH IAN FLEMING FOR STYLISH AND
MARTINI SUPERFAN COCKTAILS: THE CONTAINS NOTES OF CASINO ROYALE, SEDUCTIVE AS THE
WINSTON CHURCHILL GIN MARTINI IS TOMATO, ROSEMARY JAMES BOND’S TINY SOHO SPOT
ONCE STAYED A HIGH POINT AND BRINE FIRST OUTING THAT SERVES IT

ELLE 66
 ELLE FIRST LOOK

FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
FASHION-WEEK
ATTENDEES LET
TEXTURE DO THE
TALKING IN
COLOURFUL COATS,
FANCY FLEECES AND
FRINGED TAILORING

STREET STYLE

ALL THE
TRIMMINGS
MAYBE IT’S THANKS TO A FEW YEARS OF BEING CHRONICALLY
WRXFKGHSULYHGEXWWKLVZLQWHUWKHVWUHHWVDUHÀOOHGZLWKORRNV
that we TXLWHOLWHUDOO\want to wrap our arms around. From
WHGG\EHDUVKHDUOLQJDQGÁDPER\DQWIDX[IXUWRDQDEXQGDQFH
RIDOOWKLQJVELJEULJKWDQGVXSHUVRIWJHWUHDG\WRKXJLWRXW
PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE

ELLE 67
 PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK

MIA REGAN
LORI HARVEY
NORMANI
PALOMA
ELSESSER

DETO BLACK
CAMILLE
CHARRIÈRE
GEORGIA PALMER
KAI-ISAIAH JAMAL AND GEORGIA MOOT

JEREMY O HARRIS,
HUNTER SCHAFER
AND DOMINIC FIKE
KEKE PALMER AND
DANIEL KALUUYA
KELELA

BIMINI BON BOULASH

AND OLLY ALEXANDER

MONA TOUGAARD

IRIS LAW
YASMIN FINNEY
DOJA CAT

ELLE
BREE NCUTI GATWA

69
RUNWAY
ASHLEY RADJARAME ERYKAH BADU

CELESTE

LILA MOSS AND LOLA LOLITA

STELLA JONES
PARTY PEOPLE COSIMA

THE HOTTEST DANCEFLOORS THIS SEASON

BELLA HADID
SUPERMODELS, MOVIE STARS AND THE CREAM
OF THE FASHION-RATI – HERE’S WHO’S FILLING UP

DEVON ROSS RICHIE

PA SALIEU AND EARL CAVE SHAZAM

AINDREA EMELIFE

SHYGIRL

CHLOË SEVIGNY AND DUA LIPA

MAUDE APATOW AUREL SCHMIDT
ELLE FIRST LOOK
 STYLE + SHOP

ON THE HORIZON
WORDS: ENI SUBAIR. PHOTOGRAPH: LULU MCARDLE

AS TEMPERATURES DROP, WE BRING YOU THE BEST SKI-CHIC TO

BUNDLE UP IN, THE ANSWER TO EVERY DRESS-CODE DILEMMA OF THE
PARTY SEASON, AND YOUR GUIDE TO THE CRUISE COLLECTIONS
– BECAUSE NEXT SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER…

White suit, £3,450, black suit, £3,850, and hat, £500, all GIORGIO ARMANI NEVE

ELLE 71
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

NEW IN

ALPINE
ADVENTURES
WHETHER YOU’RE HOLIDAYING IN ASPEN OR SIMPLY PREPARING FOR
GLACIAL WEATHER, UP THE ANTE AND EXPERIMENT WITH MONOGRAMMED
CATSUITS, STYLISH PADDED TROUSERS AND HEAD-TURNING EYEWEAR

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LULU McARDLE WORDS BY ENI SUBAIR STYLING BY GEORGIA MEDLEY

ELLE 72
Puffer coat, £4,200,
jumpsuit, £3,200,
balaclava, £520, scarf,
£780, gloves, £620, and
ski goggles, £870, all
DIOR. Bodysuit, £285,
MISCREANTS. OPPOSITE
White suit, £3,450, black
suit, £3,850, hat, £500,
and boots, £1,200, all
GIORGIO ARMANI NEVE

GLOVES OFF
FILL YOUR OFF-PISTE WARDROBE WITH STANDOUT
MONOGRAM ACCESSORIES THAT IMPLY A SPORTY VIBE
(EVEN IF ALL YOU’RE DOING IS SITTING IN THE CABIN BY THE FIRE)
 CREAM OF THE CROP
HEAD-TO-TOE WHITE ISN’T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, BUT WHEN
SKILFULLY EXECUTED, THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. MIX AND MATCH
COOL OUTERWEAR AND LOFTY HEELS FOR THE APRÈS-SKI SOIRÉE
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP
Coat, £2,540, crossbody
bag, £1,810, ski goggles,
£590, sunglasses, both
£460, and sandals, £1,310,
all GUCCI. Socks, stylist’s
own. OPPOSITE Jacket,
£1,570, top, price on
request, skirt, £295,
slingbacks, £720, and
gloves, price on request,
all MAX MARA. White
bodysuit, £285,
MISCREANTS

GO BIG
SKI GOGGLES HAVE UNDERGONE A RENAISSANCE, AND THEY’RE MORE
OUTSIZED THAN EVER. THE OTHER THING YOU’LL WANT TO WEAR LARGE?
THE COAT, OF COURSE. PLUSH QUILTING KEEPS THINGS COSY

ELLE 75
Jumpsuit, price on request,
jersey, £3,945, heels,
£1,290, white backpack,
£4,200, metallic handbag,
£4,030, earrings, £730, and
scarf (around skis), £235,
all CHANEL. Bikini, stylist’s
own. OPPOSITE Coat,
£7,800, and bag, £3,800,
both PRADA. Leg warmers,
about £265, RASHHIIID. Ski
goggles, from £140, CHIMI

ALL-IN-ONE
DROP THE UTILITARIAN JUMPSUITS IN
FAVOUR OF A DIALLED-UP ALTERNATIVE
FOR THE PARTY SEASON. FINISH WITH
A SMATTERING OF SHINY ACCENTS
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

LUXE LAYERS
GOLD OR SILVER, MONOCHROME OR MULTICOLOUR – WHO SAYS
YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE? TAKE METALLIC HUES AND FURRY
TEXTURES FOR A SPIN THIS SEASON

ELLE 77
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

MORE IS MORE
GIVE THE CLASSIC PRINT-AND-COLOUR
CLASH A 2020S SPIN BY MIXING NEUTRAL
PATTERNS WITH THE BOLDEST BRIGHTS
 Jacket, £1,350, T-shirt, £480,
skirt, £1,430, bag (worn
around waist), £2,750, and
mules, £850, all CELINE BY
HEDI SLIMANE. Leg warmers,
about £265, RASHHIIID. Ski
goggles, from £140, CHIMI.
OPPOSITE Unitard (worn
under), £700, swimsuit,
£1,160, handbag, £1,790, and
ski goggles, £900, all LOUIS
VUITTON. Hat, about £200,
RASHHIIID. MAKE-UP: Sogol
Razi, using Charlotte
Tilbury. HAIR: Johanna Cree
Brown at Gary Represents,
using Schwarzkopf
Professional Session Label.
NAILS: Maddy Ayers. MODEL:
Karolina at Kult. STYLIST’S
ASSISTANT: Gal Klein

DEFYING GRAVITY
LEG WARMERS HAVE RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE. EMBRACE THE
REEMERGENCE OF THE TOASTY, FUZZY ACCESSORY AND PAIR THEM WITH
A NOUGHTIES-ESQUE TRACKSUIT JACKET AND ANIMAL PRINT

ELLE 79
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

THE EDIT

RAY OF LIGHT
MAKE A SINGLE-COLOUR STORY YOUR JEWELLERY STYLING TRICK BY PILING ON
SHIMMERING WHITE STONES. MAXIMALISTS, IT’S YOUR TIME TO SHINE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY YIS KID WORDS BY ENI SUBAIR STYLING BY GEORGIA MEDLEY

ELLE 80
All jewellery throughout, price
on request, except where stated.
THIS PAGE Gold, platinum and
diamond earrings, matching ear
cuffs, platinum and diamond
necklace, and gold, platinum and
diamond ring, all TIFFANY & CO.
Swarovski crystal mesh top,
£13,050, LUDOVIC DE SAINT
SERNIN. OPPOSITE Rings (right
hand): white gold, pearl and
diamond, TASAKI, white gold and
diamond, DE BEERS, white gold
and diamond, £14,750, CHANEL
FINE JEWELLERY. Rings (left hand):
white gold and diamond, DE
BEERS, white gold and diamond,
£11,000, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY,
platinum and diamond, TASAKI.
White gold, diamond and pearl
bangle, TASAKI. Dress, £875,
ANNIE’S IBIZA

THE BLING RING

LET YOUR RINGS AND THINGS DO THE TALKING AT
THE BAR. EIGHTIES-STYLE PAVÉ IS HAVING A MOMENT
 THE SHAPE OF IT
LAYERING HAS NEVER LOOKED MORE
GLAMOROUS. GO FOR SCULPTURAL BRACELETS
AND RINGS – THEN WEAR THEM ALL AT ONCE

THIS PAGE Belt (worn over

shoulders), £165, NUESTUDIO.
Bangles, from left: £7,650, DMR
JEWELLERY, £1,090, PANDORA,
£520, and £290, both GIOVANNI
RASPINI. Rings, from top:
white-gold and diamond,
MESSIKA, and from £250 each,
both PANDORA. OPPOSITE White
gold and diamond earrings, from
left: DIOR JOAILLERIE and
BOUCHERON. White gold and
diamond necklace, BVLGARI
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

A VINTAGE STATEMENT
WHY CHOOSE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE BOTH? SUPER-SIZED EARRINGS COUPLED
WITH A LOOK-AT-ME NECKLACE WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOOD KIND OF DRAMA

ELLE 83
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

ELLE
84
IN THE DETAIL
WHITE DIAMOND LOOK INFINITELY COOLER
THE MIDI RING’S POPULARITY SHOWS NO SIGNS
OF SLOWING DOWN, MAKING A CLASSIC
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: LUKE REGAN. HAIR: LAURAINE BAILEY AT EVOLVED ARTISTS, USING GHD & ORIBE. MAKE-UP: ARIEL YEH AT SAINT LUKE,
USING VALENTINO. BEAUTY. NAILS: CHERRIE SNOW. MODEL: OLIVIA BELGRAVE-RUSE AT MILK MANAGEMENT. FASHION ASSISTANT: GAL KLEIN
THIS PAGE White gold and
diamond earrings, and white
gold and diamond necklaces,
all CARTIER. Dress, £2,575, AREA
at ANNIE’S IBIZA. OPPOSITE
White gold and diamond
earrings, £1,860, and white gold
and diamond rings (from left),
£2,740 and £4,080, all GUCCI
FINE JEWELLERY. Metal earring
and lip piercing, both £785, and
top, £3,800, all GUCCI

SO EXTRA
END THE VERY SERIOUS YEAR ON A LIGHT AND
PLAYFUL ESCAPIST NOTE WITH ATTENTION-GRABBING
STRANDS THAT SCREAM ‘ONE NIGHT ONLY’
 THE PERFECT GIFT

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ELLE 86
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

Sweater, price on
request, skirt, £3,050,
gloves, £470, silver
baguette bag, £3,200,
black beaded bag,
£4,200, all FENDI

THE PIECE

Fresh and hot

MAKE-UP: SOGOL RAZI. HAIR: LAURAINE BAILEY AT EVOLVED ARTISTS. NAILS: MADDY AYERS

An iconic bag in a shimmering

metallic finish big enough to
house your essentials is the only
plus-one you need this festive
season. Expect to see the Fendi
Baguette everywhere you look…
PHOTOGRAPH BY LULU McARDLE STYLING BY GEORGIA MEDLEY

ELLE 87
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

1 2
DRESS CODE

HIGH LOW,
READY TO GO
DON’T STRESS YOUR PARTY PREP – CHOOSE A
VERSATILE LOOK THAT WILL SUIT ALL OCCASIONS

YOU’VE GOT 30 MINUTES BEFORE YOU’RE MEANT TO BE OUT 3

the door and off to a festive night. And yet you still have
a pile of clothes and accessories at your feet. Eliminate
wardrobe dilemmas by picking one or two standout pieces
that will do all the work – a lustrous miniskirt, arresting
footwear or twinkling jewels. Add your basics (a simple tee,
distressed denim or classic tailoring), and you’re all set.
4

1 Trousers, £995, ANINE BING 2 Earrings, £395,

ISABEL MARANT at COGGLES 3 Top, £420, TOTEME
4 Shoes, £670, CELINE

1
1

2
2

WORDS: ENI SUBAIR. SHOPPING: GRACE CLARKE. PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE

1 Dress, £2,199, SACAI at NET-A-PORTER 1 Skirt, £1,490, PACO RABANNE 2 Bag,

2 Earrings, £17.99, MANGO 3 Bag, £3,150, £2,100, LOEWE 3 Top, £75, THE FRANKIE
DIOR 4 Boots, £345, RUSSELL & BROMLEY SHOP 4 Shoes, £1,720, LOUIS VUITTON

ELLE 88
1 2

1 Top, £750, VICTORIA BECKHAM

2 Earrings, £285, VERSACE at MYTHERESA
3 Jeans, £170, MAX MARA 4 Shoes, £170,
MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS

1 Skirt, £25.99, ZARA 2 Earring, £947,

ANITA KO 3 Top, £420, MM6 MAISON
MARGIELA 4 Shoes, £970, PRADA
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

THE

REPORT
AFTER TWO YEARS OF
DIGITAL SHOWS AND
INTIMATE GATHERINGS,
THE CRUISE SEASON HAS
RETURNED IN ALL ITS
GLORY, WITH DESIGNERS
SHOWCASING THE FULL
SCOPE OF THEIR VISION
IN SOME OF THE MOST
EPIC SURROUNDINGS ON
THE PLANET. PASSPORTS
AT THE READY…
EDITED BY AVRIL MAIR

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF DIOR, GETTY IMAGES

ELLE 90
 CRUISE REPORT

DIOR
THE PASSION OF FLAMENCO AND THE DRAMA OF TRADITIONAL SPANISH DRESS INSPIRED MARIA GRAZIA
CHIURI’S SPRAWLING CRUISE COLLECTION FOR DIOR – 110 LOOKS IN BLACK, WHITE AND CRIMSON,
DISPLAYED AGAINST THE EXTRAORDINARY BACKDROP OF SEVILLE’S PLAZA DE ESPAÑA . INSPIRED BY
CARMEN AMAYA, THE FIRST FEMALE DANCER TO WEAR MEN’S CLOTHES BACK IN THE 1950S, CHIURI
SKILLFULLY BLENDED THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE WITH MATADOR AND EQUESTRIAN LOOKS: CHIC
AND RESTRAINED IN MONOCHROME, BEFORE GIVING WAY TO FLOOR-SWEEPING SKIRTS

ELLE 91
 THE RUNWAY HAD A RACY FEEL AT VIRGINIE VIARD’S CHANEL CRUISE SHOW, SHOWN IN THE GILDED
SETTING OF MONTE CARLO. THE COLLECTION TOOK THE SPEED AND GLAMOUR OF THE FAMOUS MONACO
GRAND PRIX AS ITS INSPIRATION: FORMULA 1-STYLE JUMPSUITS IN TWEED, CHEQUERED FINISH-LINE-FLAG
PRINT DRESSES, BASEBALL CAPS, AND NO 5 LOGO RACING-HELMET BAGS… IT WAS FASHION IN THE FAST LANE

ELLE 92
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

NO BRAND IS BETTER AT THE WITTY ACCESSORY THAN CHANEL: A MINAUDIÈRE FASHIONED AS A SLOT MACHINE, ANYONE?
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF CHANEL, GETTY IMAGES

ELLE 93
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

GUCCI REVEALED
A CORNUCOPIA OF
UNEXPECTED ACCESSORIES,
FROM SPIKY BONDAGE
COLLARS TO SILVER FACE
JEWELLERY, CRIMSON-TINTED
SUNGLASSES AND AN
ARRAY OF CROWNS
AND CORONETS

ELLE 94
 CRUISE REPORT

GUCCI
A CASTLE WITH AN OCCULT PAST, HIDDEN IN A
FOREST. A CATWALK ILLUMINATED BY A FULL
BLOOD-RED MOON. ALESSANDRO MICHELE
BROUGHT GUCCI’S CRUISE SHOW TO
PUGLIA’S CASTEL DEL MONTE, AN
OCTAGONAL FORTRESS ONCE HOME TO
ASTRONOMERS AND MAGICIANS, WHERE HE
CAST A SPELL OF HIS OWN. THIS COLLECTION
– TITLED ‘COSMOGONIE’, AFTER A THEORY OF
THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE – WAS FULL
OF MAGICAL THINKING, TAKING IDEAS FROM
CENTURIES AGO AND TRANSFORMING THEM
INTO A MULTI-LAYERED COLLECTION THAT WAS
A MASTERCLASS IN THE DARK ARTS
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF GUCCI

ELLE 95
ELLE STYLE + SHOP

CRUISE REPORT

LOUIS VUITTON
TAKE AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE – THE BRUTALIST LOUIS KAHN-DESIGNED SALK INSTITUTE IN LA JOLLA – THEN
HOST A SHOW THERE JUST AS THE CALIFORNIAN SUN SINKS BENEATH THE RUNWAY’S END. NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE’S
LOUIS VUITTON CRUISE PRESENTATION WAS THE SEASON’S MOST PHOTOGENIC, WITHOUT A DOUBT. BUT IT DIDN’T
OVERWHELM HIS EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION, WHICH SAW MODELS DRAPED IN GLOSSY FABRICS THAT GLITTERED LIKE
MOLTEN GOLD IN THE WANING LIGHT. SHINING BRIGHTEST OF ALL WAS THE MODEL AND ACTIVIST LAUREN WASSER,
A DOUBLE AMPUTEE WHOSE SILVER SHORTS SUIT REVEALED HER GOLDEN PROSTHETIC LEGS

ELLE 96
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

BE YOUR OWN KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR. IT’S HARD TO FIND COHERENT TRENDS IN CRUISE COLLECTIONS,
BUT THIS IS ONE: METALLIC STILL RULES THE RUNWAYS FOR THE NEXT SEASON
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON, GETTY IMAGES

ELLE 97
WHEN THE DRESS BRINGS THE DRAMA, ACCESSORIES TAKE A CHIC BUT MUTED BACKSEAT:
A FELT HAT,  A LEATHER GLOVE AND A WRAP BELT STILL MAKE IT COUNT

ELLE 98
 ELLE STYLE + SHOP

CRUISE REPORT

MAX MARA
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF MAX MARA

THE SENSUAL SPIRIT OF FADO – THE HAUNTING, WISTFUL FOLK MUSIC THAT SOUNDTRACKS
THE CITY OF LISBON – INSPIRED IAN GRIFFITHS’ CRUISE SHOW FOR MAX MARA. HELD IN THE
VERDANT GARDENS OF THE CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION, THE SHOW WAS AS ELEGANT,
EMOTIONAL AND PASSIONATE AS THE SINGER CARMINHO, WHO WALKED THE RUNWAY IN
A SECOND-SKIN WIGGLE DRESS. AN EMBELLISHED BODYSUIT UNDER A SWEEPING CAPE
WAS A HIGHLIGHT – ALONG WITH THE ARRAY OF JEWEL-TONED TAFFETA GOWNS THAT
PROVIDED  A FINALE AS COLOURFUL AS THE PARAKEETS SWEEPING OVER THE CROWD

ELLE 99
 DEFINE WHAT YOU WANT; DEMAND WHAT YOU NEED. WE EXPLORE
HOW WE GET MORE OF WHAT SUSTAINS US, FROM THE WOMEN
POWERING A NEW SEXUAL REVOLUTION TO THE SECRET OF
PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS, AND WHY WE’RE LEANING INTO REST
IN A RADICAL WAY. EMILY RATAJKOWSKI NEEDS NO CONVINCING:
SHE TELLS LISA TADDEO HOW SHE IS STANDING UP FOR WHAT SHE
MOST DESIRES – AND HAS NEVER FELT MORE FULFILLED.

FASHION + READS
PHOTOGRAPH: PETROS

ELLE 101
 WITH HER BESTSELLING
BOOK, SHE HAS TAKEN
THE LEAP FROM FETISHISED
SUPERMODEL TO ONE
OF THE INTERNET’S
MOST FASCINATING
WOMEN, WITH 30 MILLION
FOLLOWERS AND
COUNTING. ACCLAIMED
AUTHOR LISA TADDEO JOINS
EMILY IN CONVERSATION
TO DISCUSS NEW
BEGINNINGS,
MOTHERHOOD AND
ENTERING HER BITCH ERA…
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETROS
STYLING BY AURELIA DONALDSON
 ‘ANY WOMAN WHO CHOOSES TO BEHAVE LIKE A FULL
human being should be warned that the armies of the status
quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That’s their
QDWXUDODQGÀUVWZHDSRQ6KHZLOOQHHGKHUVLVWHUKRRG·
GLORIA STEINEM
From the outside, Emily Ratajkowski may seem like a jumble
RISDUDGR[HV²D9HUVDFHUXQZD\ZDONHUDQGThe New York Times
best-selling author, a viral TikToker and budding member of
WKH86OLWHUDWLDVH[\VZLPZHDUPRGHODQGYRFDOZRPHQ·VULJKWV
DFWLYLVW%XWWKH\HDUROG6DQ'LHJRQDWLYHLVUHIUHVKLQJO\
KDSS\WRRFFXS\WKHJUH\DUHDV
,QWKHPRQWKVVLQFHWKHUHOHDVHRIKHUGHEXWERRNMy Body,
DPRYLQJFROOHFWLRQRIHVVD\VPL[LQJSHUVRQDOPHPRLUDQG
FULWLFDODQDO\VLVRIWKHREMHFWLÀFDWLRQRIZRPHQVKH·VFRQWLQXHG
WRSXVKDJDLQVW²DQGVWLFNDPLGGOHÀQJHUXSWR²WKHOLPLWDWLRQV
RI RWKHU SHRSOH·V LGHDV RI ZKDW LW PHDQV WR EH D ZRPDQ
a mother or even a feminist.
1RZVWUDLJKWRIIWKHEDFNRIIDVKLRQPRQWK²ZKHUHVKH
ZDONHGIRU-:$QGHUVRQ9HUVDFHDQG0LX0LX²5DWDMNRZVNL
EDUHIDFHGDQGZLWKKHUKDLULQFXUOHUVVLWVLQKHUVXQGDSSOHG
1HZ<RUNDSDUWPHQW6KHLVMRLQHGE\DXWKRUFKURQLFOHURIWKH
UHDOOLYHVRIZRPHQDQGQRZKHUFORVHIULHQG/LVD7DGGHRRYHU
=RRP:HOLVWHQHGLQRQDIUDQNGLVFXVVLRQRQUDGLFDOHPSDWK\
OHDQLQJLQWRUDJHDQGWKHFRPSOLFDWLRQVRIUDLVLQJDFKLOGWRGD\
LISA:'LG\RXGRWKDW>WR\RXUKDLU@\RXUVHOI"
EMILY: ,·PRQP\SHULRGVR,·YHEHHQSV\FKRWLFDOO\FOHDQLQJP\
HQWLUHDSDUWPHQWWKLVPRUQLQJ,W·VWKHRQHJRRGWKLQJDERXWLW
,·PDUHDOO\PHVV\SHUVRQVRLW·VLPSRUWDQWWKDWLWKDSSHQV
Everything gets organised and it looks beautiful afterwards.
$Q\ZD\,KDGÀQLVKHGDQGKDGDQH[WUDPLQXWHVEHIRUHRXU
FDOOVR,ZDVOLNH¶,·PJRLQJWU\WKHVHGDPQUROOHUV·
LISA: 6R(PLO\,GRQ·WUHPHPEHUWKHÀUVWWLPHZHmet met.
,ZDVREYLRXVO\DZDUHRI\RXDVWKHSXEOLFSHUVRQDDQGWKRXJKW
\RXVHHPHGVXSHUFRROEXWWKHQZKHQ,UHDGWKHERRN,JUHZ
WRFDUHIRU\RX,IHOWThis is a writer who I want to read for the rest
of my life,OLWHUDOO\KDYHQRWVWRSSHGWKLQNLQJDERXW\RXVLQFH
reading it. We think about life very similarly. It made me feel
less alone in the world.
EMILY:7KDQN\RX/LVDIRUWKHUHDOO\QLFHFRPSOLPHQWV7KH
PRUHZULWLQJ,UHDGRI\RXUVWKHPRUHSDUDOOHOV,ÀQGZHKDYH
in what we write and talk about. I was so nervous around the
SUHVVRIWKHERRNEHFDXVHLW·VRQHWKLQJWRZULWHLWEXWLW·V
DQRWKHUWRKDYHWRWDONDERXWWKHVHYHU\SHUVRQDOWUDXPDV,KDG
obviously read Three WomenVRZKHQ,ZDVGRLQJERRNSUHVVZH
UHDFKHGRXWWR\RXIRUDQLQWHUYLHZDQG\RXVDLG\HV7RKDYH
\RXEHOLNH¶<HVELWFK·ZDVMXVWVRYDOLGDWLQJ,KDGWKLVPRPHQW
‘I’M IN A PLACE WHERE, FROM MY
LIFE EXPERIENCES, WHAT FEELS AFFIRMING
AND MAKES SENSE IS BELIEVING AND
FORGIVING WOMEN’
ELLE
RIZHOOLIHYHU\RQHKDWHVLWDWOHDVW,·YHPDGHWKHVHFRQQHFWLRQV
²ZLWK/LVDDQGZLWKDFRXSOHRIRWKHUIHPDOHZULWHUV7KDW·V
OLWHUDOO\DOO,FRXOGDVNIRU
LISA: It makes me feel so safe to know that there’s this army of
like-minded women out there who get it. There’s a lot of stuff
WKDWZHVWLOOFDQ·WVD\DVZRPHQ0\REVHVVLRQODWHO\KDVEHHQ
ZLWKWKHZD\WKDWZRPHQDUHVWLOOWDNLQJHDFKRWKHUGRZQ
EMILY: It sounds like we’re both obsessed with the same thing.
,·PLQDSODFHZKHUHIURPP\OLIHH[SHULHQFHVZKDWIHHOV
DIÀUPLQJDQGPDNHVVHQVHLVUHDOO\EHOLHYLQJDQGIRUJLYLQJ
ZRPHQ,UHPHPEHULQWKH0H7RRPRYHPHQWWKHUHZDVWKLV
¶%HOLHYH:RPHQ·VORJDQDQGLWZDVUHDOO\FRQWURYHUVLDO%XWWKDW·V
ZKHUH,DP,W·VGULYHQPHWRDSODFHRIGHHSIRUJLYHQHVVDQG
HPSDWK\ZLWKRWKHUZRPHQ
LISA: 7KDWVRXQGVYHU\UDGLFDO,W·VKDUGWRIRUJLYH7KHLGHDRI
UDGLFDOHPSDWK\LVVREHDXWLIXO,W·VWKHRQO\ZD\IRUZDUG
EMILY: 7KHUH·VDQDPD]LQJ*ORULD6WHLQHPTXRWHWKDWVD\VVRPH-
WKLQJOLNH¶:KHQDZRPDQWULHVWREHPXOWLIDFHWHGWKHZRUOG
ZLOOFRPHIRUKHU$QGWKDWZLOOEHWKHPRPHQWVKHQHHGVKHU
VLVWHUVWKHPRVW·,·PEXWFKHULQJWKHTXRWHEXW,·PZDWFKLQJ
SRSFXOWXUHWKURXJKWKDWOHQV$QGLQWKHSDVW\HDUZLWK$PEHU
+HDUGDQG2OLYLD:LOGHDQGWKHFUD]LQHVVRISXWWLQJWKHPLQ
WKLVER[DVLIWKH\·UHPRQVWHUVRUZLWFKHV«7KHUH·VQXDQFHWRLW
EXWZKHQ\RXVHHWKHZD\WKDWWKHZKROHZRUOGUHDFWVWRZRPHQ
LW·VUHDOO\KDUGQRWWRZDQWWRJRWRDQH[WUHPHVLGHRILW,IHHO
YHU\SURWHFWLYH
LISA: For you to be this thinker and writer and then to also walk
GRZQUXQZD\VLQWKHVHDPD]LQJFORWKHVWKDWZH·YHJURZQXS
DVJLUOVZDQWLQJWREHLQLW·VWKHXOWLPDWHDVSLUDWLRQ,W·VH[FLWLQJ
IRUPHWKDW\RXFKHFNDOOWKHVHER[HV
EMILY: 7KDW·VVRQLFH,W·VDQLQGXVWU\DQG,FDPHXSLQWKH
JXWWHUVRI>IDVKLRQ@EDVLFDOO\GRLQJHFRPPHUFHEXWQRZ,·YH
JRWWRDSODFHZKHUH,DPDEOHWRZRUNZLWKFUHDWLYHVDQGDUWLVWV
LQIDVKLRQ7KLVVHDVRQHYHU\GHVLJQHU,ZRUNHGZLWKDSDUWIURP
-:$QGHUVRQZDVDZRPDQ3RZHUIXOZRPHQOLNH0LVV3UDGD
DQG'RQDWHOOD9HUVDFH$QGDOWKRXJK,·PWKHUHEHFDXVH,·P
PRGHOOLQJDQGEDVLFDOO\IRUWKHZD\,ORRN,DOVRIHHODNLQVKLS
with them. That was new, it felt good.
LISA: $QGZKHQWKHZULWLQJDQGWKHEHDXWLIXOSDUWVRI\RXUMRE
LQWHUVHFWKRZLVWKDW"
EMILY:1RERG\DFWXDOO\ZDQWVWKDW,GRQ·WNQRZZKHQWKDW
PRPHQWDFWXDOO\KDSSHQV
LISA:7KH\GRQ·WZDQWWKDW7KH\ZDQW\RXWRHLWKHUVKRZXS
DQGQRWEHDVEHDXWLIXODVWKH\WKRXJKW2UÀQHVKHFDQEH
EHDXWLIXOVKHFDQEHKRW%XWLIVKHVD\VVRPHWKLQJDOLWWOHWRR
LQWHOOLJHQWWKDW·VJRLQJWRH[SORGHHYHU\WKLQJ
EMILY:,W·VIXQQ\WKDW,·PVDWKHUHLQFXUOHUV%HFDXVHIRUPRVW
RIP\OLIHPXFKRIP\MREZDVSUHVHQWLQJP\VHOIDVEHDXWLIXO
104
THIS PAGE Emily Ratajkowski
wears top and vest, both price
on request, PRADA. Necklace,
price on request, CARTIER

PREVIOUS PAGES Shirt,

£3,800, GUCCI

T-shirt, £205, SPORTMAX.

Skirt, price on request, FENDI.
Boxer shorts, £40, SUNSPEL.
Boots, around £505, BY FAR
 Coat, £980, SPORTMAX.
Skirt, £980, MOLLY
GODDARD. Boots, around
£610, BY FAR
and that’s how I made money. And then, as I wanted to be taken
seriously as a writer, it was kind of the opposite. I would cover
myself up or not put on make-up, because I’d want writers to
think of me as somebody who didn’t care about those things.
God, women can’t win. I bump against that every day. Even my
mom: working in academia as a beautiful woman, it was some-
thing she talked a lot about, how she wanted to be perceived
in the world. But, right now, I’m in a place where I do not care!
I will wear whatever the hell I want, as much make-up as I want,
and make myself feel good, which sometimes means being sexy
and sometimes doesn’t. I can feel how uncomfortable it makes
people. I made a TikTok where I was like, ‘I’m in my bitch era,’
and I really mean it. We should all be in our bitch era. I’m so
tired of adjusting. Maybe this is coming out of Covid, being 31,
or being recently single… We’ll see. Maybe I will regret it.
LISA: I’ll join the bitch crew anytime you want. I’m absolutely
full of rage, 100% of the time. I was thinking about how now
you have this beautiful son, Sly. And that’s another judgement
zone for women, right? It’s like, alright, so she’s beautiful and
VPDUWÀQH%XWPD\EHVKH·VIXFNLQJXSDVDPRPLQVRPH
wonderful way that we can explode. I think a lot about the ‘bad
mom’ trope. How is writing post his birth? Besides it being
WLPHVKDUGHUWRÀQGWKHWLPH«
EMILY: If you have any tips on that, please tell me. Part of it is
that the space you need to have around actual productive writ-
ing time feels totally indulgent. And I am really struggling with
it. Especially being essentially self-employed. It feels like I should
always be choosing him over anything I do, but if I want to make
money, I have to take jobs. Especially now, as a single mom,
where I’m the breadwinner. But I feel pulled in many directions.
<RXVDFULÀFHVRPXFKRI\RXULGHQWLW\ZKHQ\RXEHFRPHD
mother. And I feel like my life is just beginning. My twenties
felt like how people describe their teenage years, where you’re
like, ‘God, that was awkward and painful.’ And as much as I did
WKLQJVWKDW,ORYH,·PDOVRMXVWOLNH¶*RRGE\H·1RZIRUWKHÀUVW
time, I am enjoying the world more. And yet now I have this
incredible responsibility of raising a child. But one thing
I have decided is how I want Sly to think about women. I want
him to have an example of a mom who is happy. Which serves
DVHOÀVKWKLQJEXWDFWXDOO\DKDSS\SDUHQWLVDEHWWHUSDUHQW
So, if I spend a little less time with him because I’m working
– like on this new podcast I’m doing – and it brings me joy…
These aren’t questions that men ask themselves in the same
way. They go to work, and it’s work. There are so many expec-
tations around what kind of moms we are.
LISA: Once again, everything you’ve just said is a carbon copy
of how I feel. The only way I can justify being apart from my
daughter, who is now seven, is to have it be a job that I’m
‘THE ONE THING I HAVE DECIDED
IS HOW I WANT MY SON TO
THINK ABOUT WOMEN. I WANT
HIM TO HAVE AN EXAMPLE
OF A MOM WHO IS HAPPY’
ELLE
immediately paid for. Anything else – and I’m not saying I don’t
do it – I do at the cost of feeling that I’m a bad mom. And, with
writing, I’m constantly like, ‘This is indulgent.’ But I grew up
in a wealthy town, and I was one of the people with the least
money in it, and I was constantly looking at things and wanting.
So part of my drive is I don’t want her to want. But you just said
the idea of a happy mom and it’s turned on this light in my brain.
My mom was with me every single day. She was a homemaker,
so she was in the house when I came home from school. She
was there, all the time. She was also depressed as fuck.
EMILY: I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes somebody
secure. I love the fact I have a couple of close friends who are
with Sly a lot and they can calm him in the same way I can. He
will go to them and hold them. You have to remove your ego.
Sometimes we build attachments with our children that are
DFWXDOO\EHQHÀFLDOIRUXV7REHQHHGHGDQGORYHGWKDWZD\
When women don’t get that kind of emotional support from
men, which a lot of us don’t, it can feel good to have that love
from your child. I had to let that go, so when he does come to
me it feels organic and natural.
LISA: That’s beautiful to have – we know it is meant to be ‘the
YLOODJH·%XWWKLVLVWKHÀUVW,·PKHDULQJDERXW\RXUSRGFDVW
Please tell me about it…
EMILY: Oh my god, I’m so excited. I really want there to be
a space where women can come on and be interviewed and feel
comfortable and safe. There’s no female Howard Stern Show;
I want this to be it. It’s basically in between making a TikTok
and writing an essay. I’ve been recording and it’s bringing
me so much joy. Writing is so solitary. You have days where you
think you’re so fucking smart and you have days where you think
you’re such a mess. My whole life, I wanted to work with other
people in a creative way. When I was a young actress, I thought
maybe I’d be a director. But Hollywood is so triggering that
I can’t touch it. This is better. Every week I get to choose
a thought and expand on it. I’m really a very curious person and
I like talking to people. It’s scary, though. With the book, I could
ÀQHO\ KRQH HYHU\ ZRUG 2Q D SRGFDVW LW·V PXFK TXLFNHU
Everything I say gets turned into clickbait and people form
opinions on me. There was a moment after I did book press
where I was like, ‘I’m going to be one of those people who just
never says anything publicly,’ but that didn’t make me happy.
I felt muzzled and kind of dead. So now I’m leaning all the way
in, and it feels good. It’s like everything in my life was leading
up to this moment.
LISA: That makes so much sense. We need this podcast!
EMILY::HDUHGHÀQLWHO\JRLQJWRGRDSRGFDVWHSLVRGHWRJHWKHU
²EXWÀUVWZHDUHJRLQJWRMXVWGULQNVRRQ
LISA: [Laughs] Yes. Yes, we will.
107
THIS PAGE Top, £3,800, skirt,
£3,800, and polo (around
waist), £1,250, all MIU MIU.
OPPOSITE Dress, £490,
JW ANDERSON. Boots,
around £610, BY FAR
 THIS PAGE Top, £945, and
trousers, £1,050, both
NENSI DOJAKA. Blazer,
£890, SPORTMAX

OPPOSITE Jacket,
£10,000, jeans, £1,650,
belt, £1,040, and trainers, £900,
all LOUIS VUITTON
 THIS PAGE Dress, price on
request, T-shirt, around £525,
jeans, price on request,
all MARC JACOBS at
BERGDORF GOODMAN

OPPOSITE Bodysuit, £700, NUE

STUDIOS. Bralette, £650,
CHRISTALEHA. Skirt, price on
request, ACNE STUDIOS. Boots,
around £505, BY FAR

HAIR by Seb Bascle. MAKE-UP

by Naoko Scintu at The Wall
Group, using SUQQU. NAILS
by Sophie A at Calliste.
ON SET PRODUCTION by Katie
Holmes at The.Curated.
STYLIST’S ASSISTANT:
Crystalle Cox
 TRUSSONOMICS. DON’T WORRY DARLING’S SPITGATE.
WAGATHA CHRISTIE. THIS YEAR HAS HAD NO SHORTAGE OF
TOE-CURLING VIRAL MOMENTS AND DRAMAS. BUT AS
HANNAH NATHANSON DISCOVERS, OUR COLLECTIVE
STATE OF EMBARRASSMENT GOES WELL BEYOND THE
HEADLINES. WHEN DID LIFE GET UNBEARABLY AWKWARD?
PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK DOREY ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUPER FREAK

ELLE 115
EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO THE EXPERIENCE OF SHARING
on social media. For some, it comes with a feeling of sweet
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VTXLUPRUEULQJVRQVWURQJIHHOLQJVRIUHSXOVLRQ$FFRUGLQJWR
7\7DVKLURWKHVRFLDOVFLHQWLVWDQGDXWKRURIAwkward: The
Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward & Why That’s Awesome,
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%XWVLQFHZKHQGLGHYHU\WKLQJIHHOVR«DZNZDUG"
WE SPEND SO MUCH MORE TIME
CULTIVATING OUR ONLINE PERSONAS
THAT NOTHING SEEMS TO COME
NATURALLY ANYMORE
ELLE
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116
 ‘IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO CRINGES
A LOT, THAT MEANS YOU ALSO HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO BE SUPER EMPATHETIC’
opinion, equates to users commenting and DMing.’ But the
more cringing content spreads, the more we worry that we, too,
might end up the subject of a WhatsApp group somewhere or
a viral meme that makes the rest of the internet snigger.
There is also a heightened self-awareness driving the cringe
era, which is fuelled by our presence on multiple platforms,
and the fact that our lives are so public and potentially out of
our control. For Rusty Foster, the media critic and author
of newsletter Today in Tabs, ‘“Cringe” is a compact word for
a feeling that’s been around forever, but has been increasingly
unavoidable since we all started being able to see everyone
else’s life online.’
Indeed, we spend so much more time cultivating our online
personas that nothing seems to come naturally anymore, which
leaves plenty of room for those awkward moments to arise.
Melissa Dahl, the executive health director at Bustle Digital
Group and the author of Cringeworthy: How to Make the Most of
Uncomfortable Situations, is someone who wholeheartedly believes
we’re in an era of embarrassment right now. Although she wrote
her book four years ago, she’s seen interest in her work spike
UHFHQWO\$FFRUGLQJWR'DKOZKRGHÀQHV¶DZNZDUGQHVVDVPRUH
of a situational thing and cringing as more the internal feeling’,
we’re even more likely to feel the latter right now because of
the way we engage with social media. ‘It’s when you can sense
that the version of yourself you’re trying to present to the world
isn’t really you,’ she says. ‘When there’s this gap between who
you want to be and how the world actually perceives you. That
is where the cringe comes in.’
For Dahl, this increased self-awareness was already well
underway pre-pandemic, but was accelerated by Covid lock-
downs. ‘On Twitter, people were talking about a fear of being
perceived as they emerged from lockdown. To me, that is
completely it: after a year of not being seen off screens, we
became so much more aware of ourselves and of our corporeal
forms.’ Our disproportionate time on Zoom didn’t help. ‘When
I’m on camera, I’m literally watching myself the entire meeting.
Then [when] socialising [in real life] and not being able to watch
myself, I’m questioning, “How are they seeing me? Is my face
doing the thing I want it to be doing?”’
Tashiro agrees: ‘The pandemic’s social distancing obvious-
ly disrupted how we interact with one another. And it seems
like it was a really long time ago – but it wasn’t.’ Even though
he studies social awkwardness for a living, he’s still not immune
ELLE
WRH[SHULHQFLQJLW¶,VWLOOÀQGP\VHOIDOLWWOHXQFHUWDLQLQVRFLDO
situations because some of it I haven’t done since pre-pandemic.’
However you might experience awkward situations, cringing
isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Both Dahl and Tashiro agree that
it is actually a socially robust response and, rather than alienate
you, can bring you closer to people. ‘As much as we hate feeling
awkward, it’s actually really helpful,’ says Tashiro. ‘It’s kind of
like an overly sensitive smoke alarm, and when there’s a devia-
tion it’s going to go off, and it’s going to go off probably louder
and more uncomfortably than we want. But it does direct our
DWWHQWLRQWRGLDJQRVLQJZKDW·VZURQJDQGWKHQWU\LQJWRÀ[WKH
situation.’ It’s also rooted in empathy. ‘[Cringing] can’t exist
without the ability to imagine what somebody else is thinking,’
explains Dahl. ‘If you are someone who tends to cringe a lot,
that means you also have the capacity to be super empathetic,
and that can be a really good thing.’ And let’s not forget that the
era of cringe is in fact underpinned by humour. It’s imperative
WRÀQGWKHIXQQ\VLGHRILWDOO¶7KHRQO\ZD\WRUHDOO\IUHH
yourself out of it is just to start thinking of it as truly hilarious,’
says Dahl.
The humour implicit in today’s cringe movement can be
traced back to the early Noughties when the awkward turtle
hand gesture was a thing (if you’re not familiar with it, Google
LWLWGHÀQLWHO\was a thing) and famously awkward comedies,
such as 7KH2IÀFH, Da Ali G Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm, were
taking off. These shows had the power to make you shudder
and laugh at the same time. More recently, embarrassment has
been celebrated on screen with Issa Rae’s Insecure, which was
SUHGDWHGE\WKHDFWRU·VÀUVWKLW<RX7XEHVHULHVThe Mis-Adventures
of Awkward Black Girl, which proudly announced its cringe
factor in the title.
Cringing can also be communal. It allows us to share in our
insecurities without necessarily admitting what they are. While
shuddering at someone else’s social faux pas, you might feel
happy that you’re not the one dying inside right now, while also
silently acknowledging that it’s precisely something you would
be capable of doing. So, while life might be particularly embar-
rassing for individuals, for celebrities and for entire countries
right now, there is reason to embrace the era of cringe. Without
sounding too cringey: to feel something, anything, is to be alive.
‘They’re moments that shake you awake a little bit,’ says Dahl.
‘That disrupt your regularly scheduled programming and the
monotony of life. They can truly be pretty wonderful.’
117
EVA WISEMAN
A TIME FOR TENDERNESS
SOMETIMES AN IDEA BURROWS ITS WAY
into the culture and takes up home there,
building a little nest in our consciousness
with continued repetition. One such con-
cept was the pursuit of ‘happiness’. Later,
there was ‘kindness’, and today ‘tender-
ness’. I tend to come to these things
brittle with cynicism. I’ve argued in the
past, for example, against the ‘happiness
industry’, which through expensive
interventions, like courses and coaches,
sold the idea that you constantly needed
to consume its products in order to
achieve joy, thereby displacing your at-
tention from the root of your unhappiness.
But recently life events – I talk about
family shock and tragedy in as neutral
and passive a voice as possible, so as not
to give it the drama it yearns for – have
cracked something open in me.
Where once I might have approached
the promotion of tenderness – a word to
be found today in descriptions of art,
ÀOPVDQGIDVKLRQ²ZLWKDVLJKLQJVRUW
THE
OF
of irritation, instead I now seek it out.
I want that kindness, I want that gentle
attention, the comfort of others, I need
it. Just a crumb. Occasionally, a loaf.
And I’m not the only one: all across
WKH ZRUOG SHRSOH ÀQG WKHPVHOYHV
similarly cracked, whether with grief, or
anxiety about the planet, or with the
struggle to keep their families fed, or
loneliness. No longer do we have the
privilege of remaining brittle – we are
now ready for the touch of a hand on our
DUPZHZDQWRQO\ÀOPVDERXWWUXHORYH
only strangers who help with our bags,
or bills, only the most perfect fruit.
Even those of us who aren’t cracked
and struggling are yearning for tender-
ness, exhausted after years of irony, of
daily grinding attempts at staying cool.
The psychic distance that coolness re-
quires feels painful now, another job
on top of the three full-time careers in
emotion we juggle daily. We crave the sim-
ple pleasures – like eye contact, and
CAN A PURPOSEFUL
PAUSE BE THE FIRST STEP
IN HITTING RESET?
FOUR WRITERS SHARE
THEIR EXPERIENCES
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPH WILSON
ELLE 118
ELLE 119
pasta cooked for us, or an impromptu
conversation with our neighbour.
But just because we want tenderness
doesn’t mean it comes easily. We’ve been
conditioned to protect ourselves, to hide LIV LITTLE
our vulnerabilities and approach strangers EMBRACING SOFTNESS BY THE SEA
FDXWLRXVO\,QRUGHUWRÀQGWKHWHQGHUQHVV
we crave, we have to re-educate ourselves
LQKRZWRH[SUHVVORYHSDLQDQGRXU THE DAY I PICKED UP THE KEYS TO MY FIRST most special bonds I’ve been forming is
desire for closeness. This process can home was emotional. I remember run- with an older, queer Black woman who
take minutes or years; these lessons in ning down to the beach, smiling and then moved to Kent almost two decades ago.
becoming a person who is both soft sobbing. Happy tears. Even on a choppy Everything about her is gorgeous and she
enough to hear somebody else, but afternoon, the decision to move to the has taken the time to share her skills
strong enough to get up in the morning
and deal noisily with another day.
Here is where tenderness differs
from the earlier trend of ‘kindness’,
which, predictably, niggled me.
#BeKind, the hashtag went on T-shirts
and cupcakes, a sort of mummish scream
DFURVVWKHLQWHUQHWÁDWWHQHGLQPHDQ-
ing and purpose, and often wielded as
a weapon. And yes, whatever, kind-
ness is good. But it’s not that simple.
#BeEmpathic might have been better,
but that’s a far harder ask, because it
relies on putting yourself in a stranger’s
shoes, rather than just smiling silently.
Kindness means different things to
different people, so to press our own
idea of kindness on strangers is bound
to invite disappointment.
Tenderness, however, is a chewier
concept, one that encompasses pain and
empathy, and maybe a little shame, too.
I respect that, and I welcome it: this wet
softness we’ve tried so long to bury.
While my life continues to offer land-
mines hidden under the carpet, new
JULHIVH[SORGLQJGDLO\,DPKDSS\WRVHH
the world showing its bruises, reaching
out to one other in the hope of being
understood. Trying a little tenderness.
TENDERNESS
INVOLVES
PAIN AND
EMPATHY,
AND MAYBE
A LITTLE
SHAME, TOO
Kent coast felt right. It had all happened
so fast. Months before, I had burnt out
for the second time that year and reached
a point where I felt so low that I had
started to convince myself that the only
ZD\WRÀQGSHDFHZDVWRVWRSH[LVWLQJ
I was a shell of my ordinarily energetic,
optimistic self, and the sea brought with
it the possibility of slowing down – a new
beginning, a metaphorical cleanse. I left
the city in search of a calmer pace and
the soothing properties of the open
water, and have been welcomed with
such love, softness and care.
I didn’t ever think that I, a south
London-obsessed city girl (it’s even the
location of my debut novel), could live
anywhere else, but now I can’t imagine
going back. The most beautiful thing I’ve
discovered about living in a seaside town
is the warmth of the community. Before
deciding to move, my partner and I re-
searched whether we, two queer Black
people, could call this environment home.
Thanet is, after all, the spiritual home of
Nigel Farage, and I had dedicated the
SUHYLRXVÀYH\HDUVRIP\FDUHHUWRFXOWL-
vating creative work spaces in which
I, and other marginalised groups, wouldn’t
feel ‘other’. Still, although the comm-
unity of people who look like me may be
relatively small, its heart is strong, and
the members are dynamic.
There’s a collective here called
People Dem that holds space for Black
and Brown people in this little seaside
town. They deliberately engage with
people of all ages and from all walks of
life. The people I’ve met through this
support network (they organise meet-
ups, community learning and events)
continue to inspire me through their
eclectic interests and warmth. The beau-
ty of small-town living is that I’ve forged
friendships with people I may not have
otherwise crossed paths with. One of the
ELLE 120
VKH·VDQDYLGDJULFXOWXUDOLVWDQGH[SH-
riences of being Black and queer from
decades before we were alive, and on top
of that, when our friends have visited,
she’s welcomed them into the fold.
Making time for others is one of the
most loving things we can do, and when
you live in a place where things move
a little slower, it feels like there is more
space for genuine moments of connec-
tion rather than quick hellos in between
work commitments. Invitations for a dip
ÀUVWWKLQJLQWKHPRUQLQJVORHEHUU\
picking or cycling along the coast are not
a rare occurrence. As a creative, it has
been refreshing to enter an environment
where works-in-progress are encouraged,
rather than needing every piece of work
to be polished.
Mutual support seems to be the un-
spoken rule that governs how people
interact with each other here – perhaps
something to do with the fact that many
of the people that have chosen to live
here tend to be on their own healing
journey, be that work-related stress, or
the loss of loved ones leading them to
reconsider the lives they want, or just
WKRVHFUDYLQJSUR[LPLW\WRWKHVHD7KH
JHQWOHQHVV ,·YH H[SHULHQFHG WKURXJK
living here hasn’t all been to do with
the location for me, though. Much of the
healing work I’ve been doing is embrac-
ing the fact that I’m allowed to feel
gentleness. When you’ve constantly been
acting against what your body and mind
want and need, a lot of rewiring needs
to occur. Moving here has, in many ways,
saved my life. I feel fortunate to live in
a place where my community is bursting
with creative energy and equal quantities
of gentleness. There’s so much pain,
suffering and loss that we are not in con-
WURORIDQGVRIRUPHSDUWRIWKLVQH[W
chapter by the sea is about embracing
the magic in softness.
ELLE 121

ALICE DEARING
KNOWING WHEN TO STOP
IT’S NOT NORMAL TO TAKE A BREAK FROM
swimming when you compete at Olympic
OHYHO$WSHDNWUDLQLQJ,ZRXOGVZLP
DERXWNPDZHHNDQGGRÀYHJ\PVHV-
sions. It’s obviously a lot to ask of your
body, and your mind, but it’s what you’ve
got to do if you want to be selected for
the 10km events I compete in. If you take
time out of the water, it normally means
you’re either quitting or you’re injured –
and neither of those are good things.
Early in 2022, I failed to qualify for
the Commonwealth Games and I was
devastated. In the weeks afterwards,
I wasn’t enjoying training – it felt like
I was hitting a wall. Then, after one par-
ticularly tough session, I just felt broken.
I got out of the pool and started crying
into my towel. It was like, after 16 years,
VZLPPLQJ KDG ÀQDOO\ GHIHDWHG PH
I didn’t even have enough energy to
speak to my coach. There aren’t many
times in my career when I’ve felt like
that. The only other time was when
I got out of the water at the Tokyo Olym-
pics and was so mad at myself about
my performance. But this wasn’t anger,
I just didn’t know what to think. I kept
asking myself, Do I stop here, go home and
end my career?
It took me a few days and some dif-
ÀFXOWFRQYHUVDWLRQVWRPDNHWKHGHFLVLRQ
WRWDNHDEUHDN$ORWRIDWKOHWHVDUHDIUDLG
of having those dialogues. Rightfully so:
there are consequences to taking a rest,
such as funding being cut, which I will
have to deal with going into the next
VHDVRQ,W·VQRWRQO\DWKOHWHVWKDWÀQGLW
hard to know when to take a break, any-
one can struggle to understand when
they need to pause and hit reset in their
careers. But it’s important not to ignore
the warning signs – mine came from my
body: being constantly ill and never prop-
erly giving myself a chance to recover.
Yes, it’s OK to push yourself, but you also
need to trust your intuition. It’s much
harder to come back from burnout than
from a break.
I ended up taking four months off this
summer, doing all the things that I’d been
putting on hold because of swimming.
I immediately went to get long, thick
braids, which meant I wasn’t tempted to
get back in the pool because it was too
much effort to swim with them. My stand-
ards also slipped in terms of punctuality
but, I’m not going to lie, it’s been refresh-
ing to see a non-athlete’s perspective. We
are super-harsh on ourselves, always striv-
ing for perfection. It’s been good for me
to step out of that world and realise life is
a lot bigger than your sport. There has
been a lot of things to involve myself in
that can hopefully help me create a better
environment outside of sport.
When I wrote about being Team GB’s
only Black swimmer in 2019, then became
WKHÀUVW%ODFNIHPDOHVZLPPHUWRUHSUH-
sent Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics
and secured a Nike deal, I didn’t expect
to receive so much attention. I’ve always
seen it as an uplifting pressure, but it
probably has weighed on me more than
I’ve appreciated. This time off has allowed
me to explore that part of my identity.
I’ve got more involved with the Black
6ZLPPLQJ$VVRFLDWLRQDQGORRNLQJWR
discover it more for myself rather than just
being labelled as ‘that swimmer’.
I have had moments where I’ve ques-
tioned whether l will get back in the pool,
but they’re never strong enough to over-
power the fact that I really want to qual-
ify for Paris 2024. I did go open-water
swimming with a friend during my break.
,WZDVDFWXDOO\WKHÀUVWWLPH,·GVZDP
recreationally like that. Rather than
thinking I’ve got to hit this time, I simply
enjoyed the sensation of swimming.
It’s not long until I’ll be back in the
pool. I don’t know what my future in
swimming looks like; I’m going to put
all of my energy into it. I believe my body
will get in the shape it needs to be in,
I only need to make sure my mind trusts
that I’ve put in the effort – that I deserve
this, that I can do it. But even if it doesn’t
happen for me – if I fail in what I try to
achieve – I know that in taking a break
I’ve done the right thing, and I can’t
regret that.
ELLE 122
MORWENNA FERRIER
REDISCOVERING REST FOR
YOUR BODY
I’M NOT AN ESPECIALLY WOO-WOO
person. But I recently read something
about ‘body memory’: the idea that trau-
ma imprints on your body, not just your
mind. There’s a need to work backwards,
to move from the outside in, through the
medium of rest.
For years, the island of Lanzarote – at
least in the British imagination – has
been associated with beach holidays and
WHUULÀFZLQGV)OXQJRXWLQWRWKH$WODQ-
tic Ocean many miles from the coast
RIQRUWKZHVW$IULFDLWKHOGDFOXVWHURI
developments that catered to people who
needed something easy to escape to for
a week or two.
But Lanzarote is a verdant volcanic
island, shaped by regulations that ensure
its buildings are, for the most part, low-
rise and white-washed. It is a place at
one with its surroundings. So, a number
of years ago, when I went there with my
boyfriend following an agonising and
drawn-out abortion process, I found
a place of healing, somewhere I could
reconnect with the land, and my body.
We camped and walked. I ate dinner
barefoot, wrapped in nothing but a green
Kantha robe that, years later, when I had
a baby, I would wear to breastfeed. But
on that trip, I wore it because my body
had failed me and I needed the wild and
otherworldly uplands to act as a correc-
tive. Having had something removed
from me, I wanted to get something back.
The sun helped, and the fact we
showered outside, with a view of the
REFRAMING REST WORDS: EVE WALKER. PHOTOGRAPHS: CHARLIE WATTS, JIM MARSDEN
ocean partially hidden by dragon trees
and bougainvillea. Spending the days
half-naked, in gentle protest at the san-
itary pads clogging up my wash bag,
while eating plates of salty potatoes,
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EDOP$QGWKHZLQG6RVKDUSDQGXQ-
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breathe on the beach as it whipped off
the sea. Yet, unable to do anything about
the pain, the bleeding, the sadness,
I eventually attempted doing nothing.
Then, one morning, a week in, the
bleeding stopped. I had been swimming
off the island of Graciosa, mostly nude,
save a pair of blue bottoms to catch any
blood, but when I got out, there was
nothing there. I waited, and checked.
Nothing. I felt the clothing and the
sea against my skin and I began to feel
– after months of disconnection and pain
– like I might be myself again. Like it
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which either makes me clumsy or lucky
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my early twenties. I realised I was preg-
nant quite late, so my body had already
began to grow and morph, announcing
its intentions. It was not a decision I took
lightly, and my body ached for days, but
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TRAUMA
IMPRINTSON
NOTJUST
YOURMIND.
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TOWORK
BACKWARDS
THE NAP MINISTRY
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someone had handed me a pro-life leaf-
let, which I took out of politeness.
The second time was trickier. I was
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and I were both ready, but neither of us
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what happened after.
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cy, so I had the option to take two pills,
which I did. But something lingered.
Bleeding was normal, they said, and so
I ignored it and went to work in loose
dark clothing and thick knickers. Weeks
became months, and still the blood came.
It started feeling normal to change
DSDGHYHU\IHZKRXUVLQWKHZRUNORR
Three months in, I realised something
was wrong. I took another pregnancy test
and faintly, ambiguously, it told me I was
still pregnant.
Panicked, I rang the clinic who sent
me for a scan at my local hospital. There,
it was determined that the abortion had
been unsuccessful and I needed another
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REFRAMING REST
REST FOR RESISTANCE
This grassroots organisation creates healing
spaces for trans and queer people of
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^UUTV_béS_\\USdYfUéQ^TéY^^UbbUcd dXQdU^XQ^SUi_ebTQid_TQiRiTUcYW^Y^W
restforresistance.com
THE ART OF REST
BY CLAUDIA HAMMOND
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PAUSE, REST, BE BY OCTAVIA RAHEEM
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tion. After that, we went to Lanzarote.
I took a pill for my second abortion
but that simple action – swallowing
something with water – belied the com-
plexity of the process and the pain and
confusion that ensued. Abortions can be
messy and hard, but they are still ours to
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right to a legal abortion that held for more
than half a century, has thrown stories
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the limelight. I grew up in the United
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Ireland did not decriminalise abortion
until 2019, I know I took my right to
abortion for granted because of how
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and without judgment. I know this
because I barely thought about them
until this summer.
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there are moments, such as mine in Lan-
]DURWHZKHQKDYLQJIHOWWKDW,KDGORVW
my body, I found it again. In doing noth-
ing and through rest, I found a refuge.
DO PAUSE: YOU ARE NOT A
TO DO LIST BY ROBERT POYNTON
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ELLE 123
IN THE AGE OF REVENGE PORN, THE
ORGASM GAP AND HOOK-UP CULTURE,
FEMALE SEXUAL PLEASURE IS AT ITS MOST
COMPLEX MOMENT EVER. DANIELLE
PENDER INVESTIGATES WHAT WOMEN
REALLY WANT (AND NEED) NOW
PHOTOGRAPH AHMED HASSAN
IT’S AN AGE-OLD QUESTION – WHAT DO
women want? If only the answer were
straightforward. But there’s nothing clear-
cut about women’s relationship with
sexual pleasure. It can cause feelings of
shame, insecurity or disconnection. And
for some, it’s intrinsically linked to fear.
But pleasure is an integral part of what
it is to be human. Finding the power to
access and seek out pleasure in the bed-
room isn’t just about the pursuit of better
RUPRUHUHJXODURUJDVPV7KLVFRQÀGHQFH
and power, once we embrace it, feeds
into all aspects of our lives.
In 2022, decades on from the sup-
posed sexual revolution of the Sixties
and the sex-positive movements of the
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ourselves at a contradictory point in time,
where you are able to buy a vibrator
in Boots with your lunchtime meal
deal, but the concept of women experi-
encing sexual pleasure is not nearly
as commonplace. In a study around what
ELLE 125
has become known as the ‘orgasm gap’,
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heterosexual hook-ups, women climax
40% of the time, whereas men do in 80%
of experiences. When examining longer-
term sexual contact, the research showed
that straight and gay men orgasm 85%
of the time, women having sex with
women climax 75% of the time, and
women having sex with men experience
an orgasm during 65% of encounters.
Although we know that an orgasm isn’t
the only way to gauge pleasure, these
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revenge porn, the fear of nudes going
viral without consent, attacks on repro-
ductive rights, sexist digital censorship
and the very real threat of physical vio-
lence, is it any wonder that, for a lot of
women, accessing sexual pleasure
LVVLJQLÀFDQWO\PRUHFRPSOLFDWHGWKDQ
‘just letting go’?
This conundrum reveals itself in how
we feel about our bodies, and often
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IN ORDER TO HONOUR
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LOVE THE BODY YOU’RE IN’
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(reducing the visibility of some accounts),
tech giants such as Meta and TikTok
are having a real-world impact on our
ideas about sex. Erica Storm has always
used Instagram as a way to share her
sex-education messages and to raise
awareness around her workshops, but is
LQFUHDVLQJO\ÀQGLQJLWKDUG¶7KH\NHHS
VKXWWLQJPHGRZQ·VKHVD\V¶$OO,·P
trying to do is educate and empower
people, but other sex educators and
,KDYHWRXVHDÀOWHURQZKDWZHFDQDQG
can’t show.’
But experiencing sexual satisfaction
is a crucial part of being human; as
adrienne maree brown writes in her book
Pleasure Activism¶3OHDVXUHLVQRWRQHRI
the spoils of capitalism. It is what our
bodies, our human systems, are structured
for; it is the aliveness and awakening, the
gratitude and humility, the joy and cel-
ebration of being miraculous.’
Our relationship to sexual happiness
is multi-layered and personal, depend-
LQJRQRXULGHQWLW\DQGRIWHQLQÁXHQFHG
by the messages and cues we absorb
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a Caribbean background who is a former
dominatrix, this is something Storm rec-
RJQLVHVEXWDOVRSXVKHVEDFNRQ¶2XU
relationship with pleasure and sex is
massively linked to our cultural and
religious backgrounds. It goes back to
the social norms that you were brought
up with, or the sexual script [you’ve
OHDUQW@EXW,·PDÀUPEHOLHYHULQGHYHO-
oping your own ideas and your own
identity,’ she says.
FROM ORGASM BALMS TO BESTSELLING BOOKS AND WELLBEING BARS,
THERE ARE NEW WAYS TO SEEK PLEASURE, AND FIND IT
2
1
3 Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan, £8.99 4 Love
‘OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
PLEASURE AND SEX IS
LINKED TO OUR CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS’
While there may be studies and
headlines declaring Generation Z aren’t
having sex, there is the argument that
younger generations are embracing a
new kind of sex positivity and progres-
sion by challenging gender norms. This
is something the photographer and
GLUHFWRU6WHOOD0DOÀODWUHFDQDWWHVWWR
Growing up, constant comments and
surveillance of her body made her feel
self-conscious when it came to being
LQWLPDWHZLWKRWKHUV¶,QVH[XDOVLWXD-
tions, I would worry, “Do I look fat?
Does he think I am fat?” I couldn’t let
go, and my own pleasure was sidelined,’
she says. Leaving Copenhagen – a city
WKDW0DOÀODWUHIHOWZDVWR[LFLQUHODWLRQ
to beauty ideals – for a more open and
accepting London was a turning point.
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coming out as queer, which then led to
a nurturing and important long-term
relationship with her trans-masc part-
QHU¶0\UHODWLRQVKLSQRZLVPHQWDOO\
a different thing compared to the cis
SEXUAL HEALING
4
ELLE 127
and heteronormative game-playing I
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much better about myself, because the
way my partner expressed their feelings
about me was so different and honest.
,IHOWPXFKVDIHU·0DOÀODWUH·VQHZUHOD-
tionship with her partner and her body
has led to a much more honest, enjoy-
able and mutually pleasurable sex life.
In a world that wants us to feel
shame, owning your own pleasure may
feel like a scary thing to do. It may make
you uncomfortable and fear rejection,
EXWLWLVDUDGLFDODFW$V$XGUH/RUGH
wrote in her Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic
as Power¶)RURQFHZHEHJLQWRIHHO
deeply all the aspects of our lives. We
begin to demand from ourselves and
from our life-pursuits that they feel in
accordance with that joy, which we know
ourselves to be capable of. Our erotic
knowledge empowers us.’
Danielle Pender is the founder and editor of
Riposte. Her book, ‘Watching Women &
Girls’, published by 4th Estate, is out now
5 6
1 Body vibrator, £39, MAUDE at SELFRIDGES
2 The Feel Good Bar at SELFRIDGES 3 The
cards, around £39, INNER COMPASS 5 Pure
Delight Orgasm Balm, £25, COCO DE MER
6 A Sex Journal for Couples, £29, GOOP
DOYOU
NEEDA
AS THE PANDEMIC GAVE WAY TO A
GLOBAL LABOUR RECKONING, CAREER
COACHING HAS HAD A COMEBACK, WITH
A NEW WAVE OF PURPOSE-DRIVEN EXPERTS
HELPING WOMEN PUT THE PIECES OF
THEIR WORKING LIVES BACK TOGETHER
WORDS BY ALICE WIGNALL
ARTWORK BY REISINGER STUDIO
MODERN WORKPLACES CAN SEEM QUITE
touchy-feely. With their breakout spaces,
mini-fridges stocked with free beer
(available between the hours of 4pm-
6pm only, obviously) and motivational
SKUDVHVWKHRIÀFHHTXLYDOHQWRI¶OLYH
laugh, love’) stencilled on the walls, it’s
clear that we’ve moved on from the black-
and-white era of identical typists sitting
at identical desks, or assembly lines of
regimented workers clocking in and out.
But how much have we moved on?
Though the décor is different, a lot of
the assumptions are the same: that
a good worker devotes themselves to
their organisation, shaping themselves
to the system they’ve joined, and tries
QRWWRURFNWKHERDWWRRPXFK&RQÁLFW
DQG FKDOOHQJHV DUH ¶RIÀFH GUDPDV·
LGHDOO\WLGLHGDZD\DVTXLFNO\DVSRVVLEOH
your annual objectives are more likely to
revolve around responsibilities and pro-
GXFWLYLW\WKDQVHOIDFWXDOLVDWLRQDQGLI
\RXÀQG\RXUVHOIXQUDYHOOLQJDWZRUN«
well, you might be lucky and have an
empathetic manager, but the chances
are you’ll have one who feels awkward
and hopes you get a hold of yourself
sooner rather than later.
Post-pandemic, we are still grappling
ZLWKTXHVWLRQVRIZKDWZHZDQWIURP
work. Our day-to-day may have settled
EDFNLQWRDURXWLQHEXWWKHTXHVWLRQV
raised by the upending of our working
lives linger, and the answer for many
women is that they want to feel more
VXSSRUWHGDQGIXOÀOOHGUHVHDUFKE\FRQ-
VXOWLQJÀUP0F.LQVH\ &RPSDQ\
ELLE 128
showed that 47% of us hope that an
improved focus on employee wellbeing
will be a legacy of the Covid era.
One way to achieve that might be
a reset of the expectations we put on
ourselves. ‘There has been that assump-
tion that you somehow have to be a
corporate warrior, and show up and be
“professional”,’ says Phil Bolton, a career
coach and co-founder of Elevayte, which
works with leaders and teams in growing
businesses. ‘I think it’s probably one of
the very biggest causes of misery and
heartache in the workplace. How can
people be their best if they’re not able
to be themselves at work?’
This isn’t about weeping in the com-
munal kitchen, but about giving the same
amount of thought and attention to the
HPRWLRQV\RXH[SHULHQFHLQWKHRIÀFHDV
those you have outside of work. In our
‘real’ lives it’s considered normal to work
through challenging moments, identify
our negative patterns and, if necessary,
seek professional support in the shape
of a therapist or counsellor to help us
when we’re really stuck. Meanwhile,
conventional work culture seems to think
that a Friday-night moan in the pub is
the only answer to the many problems
ZHPLJKWIDFHGXULQJRXUQLQHWRÀYHV
But applying some deeper thinking could
be transformative – for you and for your
career. ‘The world of work asks us to be
cogs in a wheel,’ says Marla Teyolia,
‘IF WE GIVE FOLKS THE
RESOURCES, SO THEY CAN
CONNECT WITH THEIR VALUES
AND THE THINGS THAT ARE
REALLY IMPORTANT TO THEM, IT
DEEPLY IMPACTS THEIR WORK’
founder of Culture Shift Agency, which
works primarily with women of colour to
help them navigate their career journeys.
‘But this idea of wholeness can absolutely,
positively impact organisations. If we give
folks the resources so they can connect
with their values – the things that are
really important to them, how they want
to lead, and what they’re leading in ser-
vice of – it deeply impacts their work.’
There’s every reason why your job
should be an emotional business. Regard-
less of whether you have a career you feel
passionate about or not, most of us spend
the majority of our waking lives at work.
It’s where we earn the money that
supports us, where our intelligence,
productivity and creativity are assessed
and measured, where our ambitions and
GUHDPVÁRXULVKRUGLHDQGZKHUHZH·UH
UHSHDWHGO\SXWLQWRVLWXDWLRQVRIFRQÁLFW
and challenge, success and failure. And
we do this alongside people who might
be very different from us, who we
might not necessarily choose to spend
so much – or any – time with. It’s also
a mistake to think you can ‘switch off’
your true self when you arrive at work.
It’s when she shows up uninvited that
problems can arise.
¶,·YHJRWFOLHQWVZKRZLOOÀJKWOLNH
lions to protect the creative integrity of
what they’ve just made,’ says Sheryl
Garratt, a coach who runs The
Creative Life and who works with
ELLE 130
established creatives as they grow their
careers. ‘But ask them to name a price
for a job they’ve been asked to do and
they just go to bits. We all have those
little blocks, and it’s to do with how we
were raised and all sorts of things that
feed into our beliefs about the world. But
they compound over time. So something
that’s quite small when you’re 20, by
the time you’re 40, it could turn into
a real hindrance.’
Phil Bolton agrees: ‘We all bring dif-
ferent lenses to the world and different
ways of interpreting what’s going on in
the workplace. We may be reactive to
certain things. I’ve come across clients
who have reacted to over-domineering
PDOHVHQLRUÀJXUHVEHFDXVHWKH\KDYH
a slightly over-domineering father and
ÀQGWKDWLQWKRVHVLWXDWLRQVWKH\KDYH
the response of shrinking and not speak-
ing up for themselves.’
So, understanding your own patterns
of beliefs about the world, yourself and
the people around you can help you
QHJRWLDWHWULFN\PRPHQWVLQWKHRIÀFH
in a way that feels more comfortable –
but it can also enhance your performance
and that of your colleagues.
‘To be at your best in work and in
your professional life, you really need
to understand yourself,’ says Bolton.
¶7KHÀUVWHOHPHQWLVVHOIXQGHUVWDQGLQJ
Spend some time getting really clear on
your values – what’s most important to
you? How do you choose and prioritise?
Then understand your strengths. What
is it that sets you apart from other
people? What are those superpowers
that you can bring into the workplace?
Generally speaking, we’re at our happiest
DQGPRVWIXOÀOOHGZKHQZH·UHXVLQJRXU
greatest strengths to create value for
other people.’
Not only is this kind of work bene-
ÀFLDOIRULQGLYLGXDOVDQGWKRVHZRUNLQJ
around them but, ultimately, for whole
organisations and the society they
operate in. Workplaces everywhere are
seeking to ‘diversify’, but if that’s going
to mean anything beyond ticking a box,
people will have to have the freedom
and self-understanding to bring the full
range of their experiences and perspec-
tives to work with them so that their
RUJDQLVDWLRQFDQIHHOWKHEHQHÀWRIWKDW
diversity – anything else will just mean
different people behaving in the same
way. ‘The perspective I’m going to bring
 as a Mexican woman is a very different
perspective to one [a white woman] is
going to bring,’ says Teyolia. ‘And both
of those are valid. But what happens if
we feel we have to conform to a system
and we’re not bringing the full rich-
ness of our identities? The organisation
misses some really valuable resources
and insights. There are costs if we feel
everybody has to be cookie-cutter.’
Of course, workplaces themselves
must bear the responsibility for making
this process possible – Teyolia notes that
her white clients and clients of colour
both have similar ambitions, but the
women of colour she has worked with
KDYHÀUVWKDGWRDWWHQGWROHYHOVRIEXUQ-
out and exhaustion from negotiating
workplaces that were toxic or hostile. But
understanding how your identity forms
part of your working self is a good place
for the individual to start.
,IWKLVLVVREHQHÀFLDOZK\DUHQ·W
more people doing it? The answer is –
they are. ‘Most professionally successful
people build a pretty solid supporting
network around themselves,’ says Bolton.
‘They build a team that meets their
needs and helps them be their best self.
And they invest in that.’ He notes that,
when he worked in the US over a decade
ago, it was a ‘badge of honour’ for senior
leaders to have an executive coach,
because it showed that they were taking
their professional development seriously,
and this mindset is becoming the norm
here in the UK, too.
Mentors and coaches provide
insights, experience and a structure for
exploring your work self, and changing
the bits that are holding you back. ‘That’s
the real value of a good coach,’ says Gar-
PREVIOUS PAGES: JOB INTERVIEW EXHIBITION AT LAST RESORT GALLERY/REISINGER STUDIO
ratt. ‘We’ll hear the stories you’re telling
yourself and ask you to check whether
they’re useful or whether you could tell
better ones.’ They can also help you
negotiate challenging relationships or
situations. ‘It’s about thinking, “What
triggers me?” Garratt continues. ‘Get to
the root of that, and then see if you can
try to change those triggers. Having
someone to discuss that with is great,
but also be willing to experiment. If this
isn’t working for you, and it’s making you
unhappy, try it another way. Eventually
\RX·OOÀQGDZD\WRPDQDJHLW·
But what if career coaching isn’t in
your plans – or your budget – right now?
‘First, I would see whether your work
‘MOST PROFESSIONALLY
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
BUILD A PRETTY SOLID
SUPPORTING NETWORK
AROUND THEMSELVES’
environment does offer coaching,’ says
Teyolia, ‘because a lot of times there are
professional-development funds that can
be utilised, or there are programmes that
people aren’t aware of. I would start there
to see if it’s an option.’ If not, she recom-
mends daily contemplative practices in
the morning and evening. Check in with
yourself and ask how things went and
what emotions showed up as you navi-
gated your working day.
Take time to think about your values
– the things that really matter to you
most in your working life. It could mean
ÀQDQFLDOVHFXULW\FDUHHUDGYDQFHPHQW
ÁH[LELOLW\RUWKHIUHHGRPWRVSHQGWLPH
on things that are meaningful to you
outside of work. And be honest with
yourself about what’s really at the root of
them. ‘There are the values you think
you should have,’ says Garratt. ‘And then
there are the things that are really driv-
ing you. A lot of my clients, for instance,
are people who live really free lives. But
there’s this deep-seated fear in some of
them of ending up living in a ditch.
So although their lives seem very free,
security is actually a really big value
for them.’
Own your ambitions, however big
WKH\PLJKWVHHPDQGWKHQEHVSHFLÀF
about how you’ll achieve them. ‘Most
people are their own worst enemy,’ says
Bolton. ‘They limit their possibilities
ELLE 131
and potential, because they are not even
aware of the things they are doing
to limit themselves.’ Writing your
award-winning novel is perfectly possi-
ble, but not if you don’t make a plan of
how you’ll actually go about it, which you
then commit to.
Find your own professional support.
If there is someone ahead of you in your
career, ask if they will be your mentor:
their advice and experience could be
invaluable. Seek out impressive peers
and create connections with them. ‘That
network is critical to development,’ says
Teyolia. ‘And that’s something that
HYHU\ERG\²VSHFLÀFDOO\HYHU\ZRPDQ
– really needs to develop if they do not
have one.’
$QG ÀQDOO\ IUHH \RXUVHOI IURP
the beliefs that plague so many of us:
¶7KDW\RX·YHJRWWREHVHOIVXIÀFLHQWWKDW
you’ve got to do everything for yourself
and if you ask for help, it’s a sign of weak-
ness,’ summarises Bolton. It’s not true,
and the people making the most progress
already know it. ‘I work with senior
executives,’ says Teyolia. ‘I work with
C suite, I work with VPs. And we have
this very misplaced view that [those
people] have got it all together. And what
I want to tell you is that they do not, and
they’re engaging in practices like this.
And I hope that gives you permission to
say, I have to start doing it too.’
DAY OR NIGHT, AS YOU
GET DRESSED THIS SEASON,
GO THE EXTRA  MILE WITH IT.
OPT FOR FEEL-GOOD
TEXTURE, BRIGHT PRINTS,
CONVERSATION-STARTING
DETAILS AND COLOURS 
THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM SCHIRMACHER

STYLING BY CELIA AZOULAY
THIS PAGE Top, £200
£200,

loafers, £850, CHURCH’S

 THIS PAGE Dress, price on
request, GUCCI. Earrings,
price on request, ODISSEA.
OPPOSITE Jumper, £5,300,
STELLA McCARTNEY
THIS PAGE Jacket, £1,250,
jeans, £650, and trainers,
£690, all CELINE BY HEDI
SLIMANE. T-shirt, £155,
NILI LOTAN. Earrings,
around £260, JENNIFER
FISHER. Necklace, price
on request, TIFFANY & CO.
Socks, stylist’s own.
OPPOSITE Jumpsuit, price
on request, CHANEL
 THIS PAGE Crystal
dress, £6,200, PRADA.
Black tights, £33,
WOLFORD. Black shoes,
£850, CHURCH’S.
OPPOSITE Coat, £3,450,
and blouse, £1,550,
both BALENCIAGA
THIS PAGE Beige top,
£1,400, and matching
bottoms, £1,670, both
LOUIS VUITTON. White
trainers, £70, REEBOK.
Socks, stylist’s own.
OPPOSITE Top, about
£1,200, VERSACE

STYLIST ASSISTANT:
Ana Cervera. FASHION
EDITOR: Charlotte Deffe
(ELLE International).
PRODUCER: Yannick Selva.
MAKE-UP: Maud Laceppe
at The Wall Group. HAIR:
Rita Marmor at Statement
Artists. MODELS: Kat C
and Emmie R at Women
Management NY
 BEAUTY + WELLNESS

SOFT FOCUS
WORDS: JENNIFER GEORGE. PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF CHANEL

SWAP HIGH-SHINE SKIN FOR A SUEDE-LIKE FINISH. THE GOAL IS

SLIGHTLY MATTE – BUT WITH RADIANCE. FORTUNATELY, NEW-GEN
FOUNDATION FORMULAS MAKE THIS TIGHTROPE ACT A BREEZE…

Ultra Le Teint Fluide foundation, £45, CHANEL

ELLE 143
A STRONG
FINISH
AS THE YEAR DRAWS TO A CLOSE,
REINVIGORATE YOUR BATHROOM
SHELVES AND MAKE-UP AND
SKINCARE REGIMENS WITH
THESE TIPS FROM OUR FAVOURITE
BEAUTY ICONS AND EXPERTS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATE ANGLESTEIN
WORDS BY JENNIFER GEORGE

PATI DUBROFF, CHANEL MAKE-UP ARTIST

‘A BODY SERUM IN A MIST! NEED I SAY MORE?’ SAYS DUBROFF OF
CHANEL’S LUXURIOUSLY SCENTED HEAD-TO-TOE HYDRATOR, A
LIGHTWEIGHT ANTIDOTE TO PARCHED WINTER SKIN. FOR MAKE-UP,
HER MUST-HAVE TOOLS INCLUDE A FOUNDATION-BLENDING
BRUSH, LASHIFY’S CONTROL KIT, WHICH SHE SWEARS IS THE KEY
D?éz<965381>79>7<1C85C{1>4121<=I<9@CD93;G893831>
BE WORN AS A SOFT STAIN OR BUILT UP TO A BOLD POP OF COLOUR.

CLOCKWISE FROM CENTRE: LES 4 OMBRES TWEED EYESHADOW

PALETTE IN 02 TWEED POURPRE, £67, AND ROUGE ALLURE LIPSTICK
IN CARACTERE 212, £35, BOTH CHANEL. LIMITED-EDITION CLASSIC
SCENTED CANDLE IN NEIGE, £65, DIPTYQUE. PINCEAU ESTOMPE
TEINT N°102 FOUNDATION-BLENDING BRUSH, £42, PINCEAU
OMBREUR ROND N°204 EYESHADOW BRUSH, £32, BOTH CHANEL.
EYELASH CURLER, STYLIST’S OWN. VETYVER HAND SCRUB, £44,
BYREDO. LE SÉRUM, £225, CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ. REVITALIZING BODY
SERUM-IN-MIST, £67, CHANEL. THE CONTROL KIT, £136, LASHIFY

ELLE 144
 ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS

JEN ATKIN, HAIR STYLIST AND FOUNDER OF OUAI

‘SINCE HAVING MY SECOND BABY LAST YEAR, I’VE BEEN LEANING
TOWARDS QUICK HAIRSTYLES THAT ARE EASY TO MAINTAIN,’ SAYS ATKIN.
‘SOMETIMES IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TOUCHING UP MY FRINGE USING
D85é4IC?>19BGB1@1>45=2B139>7=I>1DEB1<D5HDEB5{D?;55@
HAIR HEALTHY, ‘IT ALL STARTS FROM WITHIN,’ WITH HYDRATION AND
GOOD NUTRITION. ‘IF YOU’RE NOT TREATING YOUR BODY WELL, YOUR
HAIR WON’T REACH IT’S FULL POTENTIAL,’ ATKIN SAYS.

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW, RIGHT: SHADE & ILLUMINATE HIGHLIGHTING

DUO IN MOONLIGHT, £64, TOM FORD. DIOR VERNIS NAIL POLISH IN
FORTUNE 864, £25, DIOR. LES MAINS HERMÈS NOURISHING NAIL OIL, £45,
AND LES MAINS HERMÈS NAIL FILES, £42, BOTH HERMÈS. SIGNATURE LIP
LIPSTICK, ABOUT £23, MERIT. SUPER BLOOM MEGA SCRUNCHIE SET, £49
FOR SET, AND PIXIE MEGA SCRUNCHIE SET, £55 FOR SET, BOTH SLIP.
COMB, £18, RE=COMB. MATTE POMADE, £16, DETOX SHAMPOO, £24,
AND LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER, £24, ALL OUAI. AIRWRAP MULTI-STYLER
COMPLETE LONG IN VINCA BLUE AND ROSÉ, £499.99 FOR SET, DYSON

ELLE 145
 KATE MOSS, MODEL
& FOUNDER OF COSMOSS
‘IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE NEED A RESET AND
I BELIEVE SELF-CARE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS,’
=?CCC1ICéz92579>5138=?B>9>7G9D8=549D1D9?>6?<<?G54
2I=I41G>D511C175>D<5E@<96D9>7CD1BDD?D8541I{
=?CC69>9C85C85B=?B>9>7B9DE1<G9D885B3?C=?CCC13B54
=9CD1>46135=?9CDEB9C5Bz9D<51F5C=IC;9>655<9>7CE@@<5
G9D81C?6D6?3EC69>9C8{D85>>1DEB1<=1;5E@1>4
D?EC<54819B6?B85BC97>1DEB5<??;

CLOCKWISE FROM CENTRE: FACE CREAM, £95, COSMOSS. FOREST

THERAPY BATH & SHOWER OIL, £50, AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES.
COMB, STYLIST’S OWN. LEGENDARY BROWS EYEBROW GEL, £22,
1>4é251ED96E<C;9>B1491>D3?>351<5B‰"%2?D8381B<?DD5
D9<2EBI6?B5CDD85B1@I31>4<5‰$(1B?=1D85B1@I
ASSOCIATES. SAVE THE DO BLOW DRY STYLE SPRAY, £26, HAIR
2IéC1==c;>978DC13B54=9CD51E45@1B6E=‰!" 3?C=?CC

ELLE 146
 ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS
LISA ELDRIDGE, MAKE-UP ARTIST
AND BRAND FOUNDER
5<4B9475{C251EDI7?1<9CD?z4?<5CC9>D85<1CD65G
I51BC9{F5255>5H@5B9=5>D9>7G9D8C;9>31B51>4" "#
9CD85I51B9{<<CDB51=<9>5213;D?1C9=@<5B579=5
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85Béz@1D38G?B;C;9>{D538>9AE5?><I1@@<I9>7
FOUNDATION AND CONCEALER TO THE AREAS THAT NEED IT,
z2E669>79>D89><1I5BC6?B1<?>7<1CD9>7>1DEB1<<I
@5B653D54<??;{1>41449>71C<93;?685B<9@CD93;9>
;9DD5>=9C38956*zD85C8145B51<<I4?5CCE9D5F5BI?>5{

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW, LEFT: PARADOXE EAU DE PARFUM,

FROM £59, PRADA. JASMINE & NEROLI LUXURY BODY OIL, £88, JO
MALONE LONDON. BODY OIL CLEANSER, £55, VERSO. ELEVATED
GLOW HIGHLIGHTER IN CRYSTAL NEBULA, £27, LUXURIOUSLY
<E35>D<9@3?<?EB9>;9DD5>=9C38956‰"&é1>4
7<?CCé5=2B135<9@7<?CC9>=EC5‰!(1<<<9C1é5<4B9475
D85é1<385=9CD{C71B45>1B51C?>D?é<?F5é51E45
@1B6E=‰"$ 7E339<5(8I@>·C5=1C31B1é‰#"<1>3·=5

ELLE 147
ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS

DR EWOMA UKELEGHE, COSMETIC DOCTOR

‘WELLNESS-WISE, I INTEND TO EAT LESS MEAT AND BE CONSISTENT
G9D8é=ICE@@<5=5>DC6?BD85>5HDI51B{4BE;5<5785C1IC
zF941é7<?G{C9>75CD92<53?<<175>@?G45B9CD85B51<451<*
9{F5éC55>1=1J9>7B5CE<DC9>=I>19<7B?GD8819BCDB5>7D8
1>4éC;9>851<D8{D?6EBD85B2??CD85B7<?GC85{CDEB>9>7
D?éD1D38161=?EC6?B8I4B1D9>76?B=E<1CD81DCE@@?BD
D85éC;9>21BB95B169>9C89>7D?E383?=5C6B?=381B<?DD5
D9<2EBI{C19B2BEC86<1G<5CC69>9C8@?G45Bz9D2<EBCI?EB@?B5C
9>éD85=?CD>1DEB1<G1I9D{CD8525CD@?G45B981F55F5BEC54{

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: NATURAL MARINE COLLAGEN SACHETS

ORIGINAL, £39, VIDA GLOW. BODY BALM, £70, LE PARADIS. TIGER BY HER
SIDE NO.2 EAU DE PARFUM, £180, SANA JARDIN. THE LIQUID SILK CANVAS
PRIMER, £48, TATCHA. BODY CONDITIONER, £20, DIZZIAK. IDAN OIL, £42,
LIHA. SKIN-ENHANCING TINT, £29, AMI COLÉ. ROUGE HERMÈS LIMITED-
EDITION LIPSTICK IN ORANGE CAPUCINE, £62, HERMÈS. BIBLIOTHÈQUE
CANDLE, £60, BYREDO. AIRBRUSH FLAWLESS FINISH POWDER, £36,
CHARLOTTE TILBURY. BROW WIG EYEBROW GEL, £20, TOO FACED

ELLE 148
 From top: Powder Kiss Velvet
Blur Slim Stick in Ruby New,
£24, MAC. Powermatte
Lipstick in Night Moves, £26,
Nars. Airbrush Brightening
Flawless Finish Powder, £36,
Charlotte Tilbury. Modern
Powder Perfector, £28, Vieve

Crimson
crush
The scarlet lip is going through a vibe
shift of its own, feeling more undone
and modern and less classic
Hollywood. Think soft, almost
smudged-out lines as seen at
3KLORVRSK\GL/RUHQ]R6HUDÀQLRUJR
for the ripened-cherry hue spotted at
Coach. Wear with plush, clean skin.
WORDS BY MEDINA AZALDIN

Skin school Byredo’s new dawn

Glow-boosting treatments promise ‘Byredo’s perfume is
to keep your complexion merry and
bright even on the bleakest day.
an invisible translation
Allies of Skin’s Brightening Serum, of memories, the
£90, takes care of discolouration and make-up is a visible
dark spots without upsetting the skin
barrier thanks to niacinamide, alpha
medium of emotions,’
arbutin and mushrooms. Elsewhere, says Lucia Pica, the
Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask,
£65, treats parched and lacklustre
newly appointed
complexions with fruit-derived acids creative director of
and its signature Hadasei-3 complex. the brand. Expect
Meanwhile, FaceGym’s Cheat Mask,
£65, works overnight to shrink
emotive colours, and
EOHPLVKHVDQGVRIWHQÀQHOLQHV ‘primal power’.
ELLE 150

NAIL SLUGGING
It’s the manicurist-approved way to rescue
winter-ravaged cuticles. Simply layer
a nourishing oil with a rich hand cream
before bed.
GOTH GIRL WINTER
Embrace your inner Wednesday Addams and
cosy up to rich oxblood hues and plenty of
kohl. Pigtail plaits optional.
SHROOM STACKING
Gwyneth and co are reportedly combining
mushrooms with stress-busting adaptogens
and antioxidants to maximise their
immune-boosting benefits.
Beauty barometer
Our guide to the on-the-up
products to try and
off-the-wall trends to avoid
THE 5-TO-9 ROUTINE
Don’t let the internet guilt-trip you into
maximising your productivity. ’Tis the
season for rest and relaxation.
PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE, GETTY IMAGES
H20 FOUNDATION
TikTokers are diluting their full-coverage
bases in water for a dewy, sheer finish. Or
you could just use a radiant foundation.
BLENDER BLUNDER
Sorry Hailey Bieber, applying skincare with
beauty sponges is just counter productive.
ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS
An easy way to upgrade your
ponytail and protect fragile
strands from the elements: bind
it with a scarf. At Ulla Johnson,
hairstylist Bob Recine used
fabric pieces from the brand’s
AW22 collection on the models’
low ponytails to pull the look
together. ‘For this simple style,
we used both Aveda Light
Control Hair Spray, £24, and
Hair Aveda Control Force Hair
Spray, £25.50, for weightless
and long-lasting hold,’ explains
necessities
5HFLQH,IH[WUDÀQHKDLU
requires more grip, prep with
R+Co Bleu Lifestyler Volume
& Texture Spray, £44.
Notes on notes
Winter’s most exciting fragrance
flaçons have enough pizzazz to
sit alongside your Anissa Kermiche
vase. Louis Vuitton tapped its
longtime collaborator, the
architect Frank Gehry, to design
rainbow-tinged, sculptural bottle
caps which were brought to life
by master Murano-glassmaker
Simone Cenedese for its Les
Extraits Murano Art Edition
perfume line, £4,500. Paco
Rabanne’s robot-chic Fame, £86,
comes in the designer’s iconic
silver pastilles complete with cat-eye
sunnies, while multidisciplinary
artist Sydney Albertini looked to
colour and movement for her
interpretation of Sisley’s
Eau du Soir, £205.
ELLE 151
THE EDITORS ON…
UNWINDING RITUALS
FROM SOOTHING SOAKS TO STRESS-FREE SKINCARE ROUTINES,
OUR EXPERTS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE WAYS TO SWITCH OFF

ELLE 152
 ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS

2
1 De-Stress Body Oil, £48,
AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES 3
2 Salvation Body Oil, £95, DE
MAMIEL 3 Womens Balance
Aromatherapy Blend, £16.50,
NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES
4 Sleep Dharma Calm
Balm, £44, MAULI

KATY YOUNG:
MASSAGE
THERE IS A REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELAXING AND
unwinding, don’t you think? Give me a good box set and, within
10 minutes, I’m ‘relaxed’ – those deadlines, shopping lists and
family politics fading into the background. Trouble is, press the
‘off’ button and the stress all comes back into focus, the beta
waves in my brain vibrating to the same slightly anxious beat.
,·PDOOIRUWHPSRUDU\À[HVZKHQWKDW·VDOO\RXKDYHWLPHIRU
but for true, remedial unwinding, there is massage. Perhaps it’s
the element of hand-holding that a good massage gives you, but
having someone tuck me in, press my shoulders into a bed and
instruct me to let go gives me licence to do just that.
Add to this the power of touch. ‘When massage is applied
to the body, nerve pathways send messages to the brain via
the spinal cord affecting the parasympathetic nervous system,’
explains my favourite massage therapist, Sarah Jane Watson.
‘Oxytocin is the main hormone and neurotransmitter connected
with touch, and research has found that it contributes to levels
of relaxation, trust and psychological stability.’ Triyoga’s massage
practitioner Siva Rajah adds: ‘An overworked nervous system
often stores uncomfortable memories in the body as a stiffness.
As our protective defence mechanisms drop, the breath and
HQHUJ\FDQÀQDOO\ÁRZLQWRWKHFRUQHUVDQGFUHYLFHVRIWKHERG\
where it’s much needed.’ Ergo: let. It. Go.
Often, that experience can be accompanied by a mental
and emotional release, which is why you need a good massage
therapist who can hold you in that space without judgment
(but preferably with a box of tissues). Waterworks or not, massage
is the closest thing I get to meditation. Cosseted in that
ZRQGHUIXOVWDWHEHWZHHQZDNLQJDQGVOHHSLQJZKHUH,ÀQG
utter mental clarity, during great treatments I have made
decisions to change careers, end relationships and move houses.
For me, a clear mind is the biggest unwinding there is – beyond
any box-set plot.
 1 Silk Pillowcase, £85,
SLIP 2 Silk Hair Wrap,
1 £70, SLIP 3 The Dream
GEORGE DRIVER: Mask, £64, MANTLE

BATH LAYERING
RECENTLY, BATHS HAVE GOT A BAD RAP. THE SCAPEGOAT FOR
self-care cynics, bathing has become the butt of meme-based
ridicule. But (butt!) I stand by the opinion that there’s nothing 2
more soothing for the soul and sore limbs than sinking into
a long, hot soak.
The key is to level up your bath routine. For me, that means
‘bath layering’ by using a shelf-full of indulgent salts, soaks and
oils to create a spa-worthy situation in the comfort of my ground-
ÁRRUÁDW²DJOXJRIVXSHUPDUNHWEXEEOHEDWKMXVWZRQ·WFXW
it. Luckily, there’s a new wave of niche beauty brands that
appreciate the power of a soak as much as I do. Costa Brazil’s
3
salts, developed by the
former Calvin Klein creative
‘THERE’S director Francisco Costa, raise
fail-safe Epsom salts to lux- EMMA DABIRI:
NOTHING ury status. Scatter a generous
scoop under running water
SETTING UP
MORE to avoid reclining on a bed of SWEET DREAMS
SOOTHING uncomfortable rubble.
Add a dose of Susanne AS THE MOTHER OF TWO YOUNG SONS, NEITHER OF WHOM
FOR THE SOUL Kaufmann’s whimsically
named Mallow Blossom Bath
slept through the night until after their second birthdays, my
sleeping patterns had become totally shot. In a bid to carve out
THAN A BATH’ to protect your skin from some me-time in the evenings, I found myself going to bed far
environmental aggressors later than I should, and then, irrespective of when I had gone
while easing stress from your mind and body, and skip the to sleep, waking up at the crack of dawn, completely exhausted.
tiresome post-bath moisturising with a few drops of Verden’s I realised that I had to make more of an effort to prioritise
grapeseed-infused bath oil, which hydrates skin as you sit. rest. As someone who loves ritual, I found a routine to be help-
Next, close the door, light a candle, press play on an episode ful – taking the steps to impart a positive effect on both my
of The Idol and pretend your water bill doesn’t exist. sleep and my hair and skincare at bedtime felt reassuring.
As a Black woman with Afro-textured hair, worn naturally
1 Arborealist
Bath Oil, £85, for more than a decade, I knew silk pillowcases were my friend,
VERDEN 2 Sal De 2 but didn’t always use them. Now, I make sure that I’m sleeping
Banho Bath RQVLONDVPXFKDVSRVVLEOH7KHEHQHÀWVIRUWH[WXUHGKDLUDUH
Salts, £115,
COSTA BRAZIL 1 huge, but they’re useful for all hair types. Silk creates less fric-
3 Mallow tion than cotton, resulting in fewer tangles, less breakage and
reduced frizz. Depending on my hairstyle, I also sometimes PREVIOUS SPREAD: MARTA BEVACQUA/TRUNK ARCHIVE. THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES
Blossom Bath,
£50, SUSANNE
KAUFMANN wrap my hair using Slip’s Silk Hair Wrap.
4 Muscle Switching to silk is also better for my skin, helping to avoid
Recovery Bath the ‘sleep creasing’ that can be produced from hours spent in bed.
Soak, £15,
AROMA ACTIVE 3 As it absorbs less moisture than cotton, silk allows skin to stay
more hydrated.
My new go-to is The Dream Mask from the Scandinavian
brand Mantle – the ultra-plumping CBD formula leaves my skin
feeling fantastically refreshed when I wake up. Finally, I might
take a few drops of nighttime Rescue Remedy or The Dream-
ers Elixir, which combines sweet and sedative valerian root and
4
SDVVLRQÁRZHU DV ZHOO DV IUHVK PLON\ RDWV OHPRQ EDOP
and motherwort. And that’s it – absolutely dreamy… Oíche mhaith
everybody (that’s Irish Gaelic for ‘goodnight’).

ELLE 154
 ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS

MEDINA AZALDIN: 1
SCENTS FOR SLEEP 1 Exfoliating
Enzyme Mask,
WE ALL HAVE A HUMBLE BRAG, SO HERE’S MINE: I HAVE NO £90, SISLEY
trouble sleeping. I’ve been power-napping since 1992, falling 2 Midnight
2
into a slumber wherever I can rest my head. I sleep on every Recovery
Omega-Rich
commute, I’ve caught two-minute snoozes in the bathroom at Cloud Cream,
ZRUNDQGVOHSWWKURXJKHQWLUHÀOPV*HWWLQJWKRVHHLJKWKRXUV £41, KIEHL’S
every night should come easily to me, but since WFB (working 3 Restorative
Cleansing Balm,
from bedroom) is my current reality, separating work and rest £70, DE MAMIEL
is trickier. I’m often awake past midnight, making mental check- 3
lists for tomorrow and waking up with less pep than usual.
Experts agree that our brain associates certain smells with
VSHFLÀFDFWLYLWLHVVR,·YHWXUQHGWRVFHQWVWRKHOSUHIUDPHP\
headspace in the bedroom. Nothing makes me feel more at
ease than the clean comforts of a plush hotel suite, but
burning Serge Lutens’ Linen
Cupboard incense comes
close. I’ll alternate that with
‘I’VE TURNED Aromatherapy Associates’ For- JENNIFERGEORGE:
TO SCENTS TO HVW7KHUDS\FDQGOHZKLFKÀOOV
the room with the scent of
CLEANSING THE
REFRAME MY woods. Perfect for those days DAY AWAY
HEADSPACE when the weather makes an
actual walk less appealing. IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE AN ARDUOUS TASK TO MANY PEOPLE, BUT
BEFORE BED’ Just before bed, I’ll spritz
my pillows with This Works
I actually look forward to my evening skincare regimen. The
grounding repetitiveness of it, time away from my phone and
Sleep Plus Pillow Spray. The complete solitude (my husband, a splash-of-water-and-sleep
blend of chamomile, French lavender and vetiver is known for kind of guy, is already in bed) – what’s not to like?
its ‘sedative, anti-anxiety effect’, says Dr Anna Persaud, the I relish the 10 minutes or so that I take before bed to quite
brand’s CEO. ‘They also activate areas of the brain associated literally wash away the day and feed my skin a nightcap of
with emotions, pleasure and calmness, with the potential to elixirs. The routine starts with
bring the mind into a predisposition towards sleep.’ I’m also a a cleanse using something balmy
fan of bedtime fragrances. If a perfume can help energise our and delicious-smelling that melts
mood during the day, why shouldn’t it work for relaxation in the away make-up while releasing ‘I RELISH THE
evening? My bedside is stocked with Aerin Cedar Violet and
Byredo Blanche; both scents are smooth, skin-like and send me
a little aromatherapy as I drape
DKRWÁDQQHORYHUP\IDFH,XVX-
TIME TO FEED
straight to sleep. ally then cleanse a second time
to soften and smooth, but gently.
MY SKIN
2 Sisley’s new Enzyme Mask works A NIGHTCAP
1 Cedar Violet EDP,
£100, AERIN 2 Forest
Therapy candle, £48,
in 60 seconds to do both these
things brilliantly.
OF ELIXIRS’
AROMATHERAPY If I feel my skin needs it, I’ll
ASSOCIATES 3 The 1 pop on some acid or retinol. Otherwise, I’ll skip to massaging
Linen Cupboard 3
Incense, £47 (stand, LQDK\GUDWLQJVHUXPZLWKDIDFHWRROWRKHOSGUDLQDZD\SXIÀQHVV
£66), SERGE LUTENS running it across my cheekbones, jawline and down my neck
4 Blanche EDP, – I like how meditative the rhythmic strokes feel.
£130, BYREDO 5 Sleep
Plus Pillow Spray, A cocooning cream with a familiar fragrance is the comfort-
£23, THIS WORKS ing last step. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Omega Rich Cloud
4
Cream is the same skin-perfecting, sleep-inducing scented
5
formula of its original oil, wrapped up in the most amazing,
suede-soft texture. It’s a proper treat to apply and, like my
nightly mug of sleepy tea (chamomile and licorice), seems to
signal to my brain that it’s time to shut down.

ELLE 155
 INTRODUCING THE

BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR

RACKED DEL
UK T IVE
EE RY
FR
ES
ONLY
z
D


LU

IN
NC

£175
DELIVERY zI

LUD
E
S FREE UK TR
KED

WORTH
AC
AC

KE
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£755
D

DE
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U L IV
ERY F R EE
zINCLUDES

MURAD Intense Recovery Cream (full size), £72 • U BEAUTY Resurfacing Compound, £85 • MUTHA No 1 Serum, £61 • DR BARBARA STURM
Face Cream, £55 • FOREO Luna Play Plus Pearl Pink (full size), £49 • EVE LOM Rescue Mask (full size), £40 • BY TERRY De Rose Lip Care (full
size), £40 • AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES Revive Candle (travel size), £27 • BAREMINERALS Endless Summer Bronzer (full size), £26
• NÉCESSAIRE The Body Wash (full size), £25 • RÉVIVE Masque Des Yeux Revitalizing Eye Mask, £25 • 111SKIN Rose Gold Brightening Facial
Treatment Mask, £22 • SOL DE JANEIRO Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (full size), £20 • HUDA BEAUTY Liquid Matte Ultra-Comfort Lipstick in
Perfectionist (full size), £18 • LIXIRSKIN Universal Emulsion, £17.40 • EYEKO Black Magic: Cocoa Edit Brown Eyeliner (full size), £16 • SISLEY
15ml Restructuring Nourishing Balm and 15ml Revitalising Shampoo, £15.50 • NAILS INC NailPure Nail Polish in Victoria (full size), £15
• BOBBI BROWN Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Bronze, £15 • SHISEIDO Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Express Eye Mask,
£11.33 • LIVING PROOF Perfect hair Day (PhD) Dry Shampoo, £12 • LAURA MERCIER Blush Colour Infusion in Ginger, £9.33 • AVEDA Botanical
Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment, £9 • BENEFIT BadGal Bang! Mascara, £8.65 • BENEFIT Roller Lash Mascara, £8.65 • BENEFIT They’re
Real! Magnet Mascara, £8.17 • AROMA ACTIVE LABORATORIES Sleep Salt Soak, £5 • ELLE 12-month digital subscription, £39.90
PHOTOGRAPH: BELL BLOOD STUDIO

BUY YOUR LIMITED-EDITION

ELLE BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR NOW AT
HEARSTMAGAZINES.CO.UK/ELLE-AC
Terms & conditions: in rare instances, some products may be replaced with products of equal or increased value.
For full terms and conditions, please visit hearstmagazines.co.uk/terms-and-conditions
 ELLE BEAUTY+ WELLNESS
BEST POWDERY

BEST WOODY

BEST
VANILLA

BEST FOR
SPICE of the best:
winter fragrances
Dressed up or down, this season’s showstopping
scents are the perfect finishing touch
BY MEDINA AZALDIN

BEST
FLORAL

BEST MODERN OUD

BEST
STATEMENT BEST FOR EVENING

BEST
SANDALWOOD
PHOTOGRAPHS: IMAXTREE, GETTY IMAGES

1 Bois Dormant EDP, £195, CELINE

2 Hinoki Fantôme EDP, £105, BOY
SMELLS 3 Infusion de Vanille EDP,
£115, PRADA 4 Eyes Closed EDP, £182,
BYREDO 5 Eau Noire EDP, £225, DIOR
6 Santal Austral EDP, £195, MATIERE
PREMIERE 7 Opsis EDP, £200, DIPTYQUE
8 Atelier Des Fleurs Jasminum Sambac
EDP, £96, CHLOÉ 9 Midnight Musk
BEST
& Amber Cologne, £115, JO MALONE INCENSE
LONDON 10 Oud Nude, £280, GUERLAIN

ELLE 157
 IN + OUT
CHARLOTTE BUCHANAN WEARS SHIRT, £750, JIL SANDER AT MYTHERESA. T-SHIRT, £115, AND JEANS, £275, BOTH RE/DONE.
EARRINGS, £185, BAR JEWELLERY. SANDALS AND ALL OTHER JEWELLERY, CHARLOTTE’S OWN. BELT, STYLIST’S OWN

THE TASTE
MAKERS
INTERIOR TIPS FROM THE DESIGN DUO WHO WENT
VIRAL WITH A SINGLE STRIPED ARMCHAIR, HOME
BUYS WITH JUST THE RIGHT TOUCH OF FESTIVE
CHEER, AND THE CITIES TO ADD TO YOUR WISH
LIST FOR 2023. END THE YEAR IN STYLE…

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN ZÄHRINGER STYLING BY GRACE CLARKE

ELLE 159
 GREEN LIVING
A LOVE OF PATTERN,
STATEMENT FURNITURE
AND QUIRKY VINTAGE
FINDS IS EVIDENT
IN THE BUCHANANS’
CHARACTERFUL
FAMILY HOME

The interior life of:

Buchanan Studio
Co-founder and CEO Charlotte
Buchanan gives ELLE a lesson
in creating a fuss-free sanctuary
WORDS BY KATIE O’MALLEY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN ZÄHRINGER
STYLING BY GRACE CLARKE

LEFT Shirt, £95, WNU. Jeans, £300, RE/DONE. Shoes, £206,

ESSEN STUDIOS. Earrings, £185, BAR JEWELLERY. Silver bangle,
£470, SHAPE OF SOUND. All other jewellery, Charlotte’s own

TO CONVINCE CHARLOTTE BUCHANAN – AND HER HUSBAND
Angus – to remain in London instead of moving to the country-
side, a property needed the following things: an Aga, a big
garden and a dog. Fortunately, a rundown, three-storey Edward-
ian terraced property in Harlesden, north-west London, pro-
vided the space for all three. ‘It hadn’t really been touched,’ says
Charlotte. ‘It was in the same family for years.’
The creative duo of interior and experiential designers, who
roamed the Wiltshire countryside as friends in their teens
before marrying in their late twenties, bought the property in
2020 and began renovations almost immediately. ‘It was a blank
FDQYDV·&KDUORWWHVD\VJHVWXULQJWRWKHKRXVH·VRULJLQDOÀUH-
places, mouldings and cornicing. It would take another year
before the pair and their two children could move into the top
WZRÁRRUVDVEXLOGLQJZRUNFRQWLQXHGEHORZ7KHLUJROGHQ-
doodle, Duffel, joined in January 2022.)
In 2018, the couple co-founded Buchanan Studio, which
conceptualises and produces designs across interiors, lifestyle,
fashion and events. ‘It was very natural,’ Charlotte says of the
company’s fruition. For years, people had asked Angus – a former
set designer who had worked with brands including Dior and
Burberry – for his innovative ideas for their homes and businesses.
ELLE
ELLE IN + OUT
‘They were creatives themselves, but didn’t want an interior
designer in the traditional sense,’ she says. Together, they have
become ‘creative guardians’, collaborating on everything from Wild
by Tart’s restaurant to the Delevingne sisters’ Della Vite prosecco.
It was a no-brainer that the Buchanans would expand into
product design, and they launched their cult Studio Chair in
2021. ‘There are so many iterations of it in the house in differ-
ent fabrics,’ Charlotte says, referring to the squishy pink version
and maroon Studio Sofa in the living room, and another uphol-
stered in the brand’s Checkmate fabric in the kitchen. Also
present in the home is the newly launched Studio Ottoman; its
VKDSHZDVLQVSLUHGE\WKHÀUVWFKDLU·VFXUYHGIRUPDQGWKHVXHGH
straps by vintage Louis Vuitton luggage.
The Buchanans aren’t as obsessed with colour as you might
initially think. ‘We haven’t gone mad with wall coverings,’ says
Charlotte. ‘We wanted the house to be a backdrop to allow the
products to evolve and be swapped in and out.’ She thinks one
of the most common interiors mistakes is when people feel they
must choose between maximalism and minimalism. ‘We like
colour, pattern, print and texture, but a room needs to be bal-
anced and calm,’ she advises.
One of the more evident examples of the Buchanans’
pragmatic approach is the kitchen and dining area – the result
of a six-metre extension featuring a larder, a marble Buchanan
Studio Mews Table set on solid brass casters (described as
‘party shoes’) and vintage dining chairs. In pride of place is an
industrial-style stainless-steel island, with matching work
surfaces and cabinetry, all created by D&D Engineering. It
ZDVWKHÀUVWWLPHWKHFRPSDQ\KDGXVHGWKHPHWDOIRUDGRPHV-
tic kitchen. ‘It’s not a mistake they use it in every [professional]
kitchen around the world,’ says Angus. ‘From a practical point
of view, it’s the best.’ The marble splashback and dining table,
ZKLFKWRGD\LVGUHVVHGZLWKÁRZHUVDQGFDQGHODEUDVVRIWHQWKH
metal’s robust, angular shape. ‘We wanted something that
161
ELLE IN + OUT

RIGHT Overshirt,
£745, JOSEPH. T-shirt,
£115, and jeans, £315,
both RE/DONE

COLOUR SPLASH
CLOCKWISE FROM
RIGHT: CHARLOTTE
IN THE ENSUITE;
THE BEDROOM; THE
COUPLE’S RECLAIMED
EDWARDIAN TUB;
THE CHILDREN’S
BATHROOM

colour scheme sourced from Topps Tiles covers the bathroom

felt modern in contrast to the rest of the house,’ Charlotte says.
It is the Buchanans’ ability to effortlessly mix old and new
WKDWVHWVWKHPDSDUW7KHLUKRPHLVUHÀQHGQRWIXVV\TXLHW
UDWKHUWKDQRVWHQWDWLRXV8SVWDLUV\RX·OOÀQGRDNDUFKLWUDYHV
sourced from English Salvage, a vintage sofa reupholstered in a
Yarn Collective cream bouclé in the bedroom, and an aluminium
canopy bed designed by Angus. ‘The tension of having both
modern and vintage in a room makes the other speak louder,’
says Charlotte.
The pair’s inventive use of tiling throughout the home is
also a standout feature. A Battenburg-like, pink-and-yellow
of their daughter and son, aged six and four, while Delft tiles
frame the living room’s doorway. ‘We’d never seen it before. It’s
unexpected,’ she says. So too are the beach-cabin-inspired pods
(or ‘sheds’, as their children call them) that house the toilet and
shower in the ensuite bathroom. Covered inside and out in pink-
and-white tiles from Mosaic Factory, and entered through old
bank doors, the pods ‘evolved from a necessity, before we worked
out how to make them beautiful and practical,’ says Angus. The
Edwardian bath, reclaimed double-pedestal sink, wall of
Calacatta Viola marble and hand-aged triptych mirror help the
room feel ‘a little like a living space’.
To complement items sourced from brands such as Vinterior,
Retrouvius and Bettina Ceramica, the Buchanans are always
on the lookout for new ways to rework materials, like using
marble offcuts for coffee tables or drying out hydrangeas from
ORFDOÁRZHUPDUNHWVIRUGHFRUDWLRQ¶(YHQLI\RXGHVLJQIRU
a living, you don’t do everything right every time,’ says Charlotte
of their love of experimenting. ‘At the end of the day, paint is
just paint. If you get it wrong, just do it again.’

PATTERN PLAY
ECHO BUCHANAN STUDIO’S EXPERIMENTAL
6

APPROACH WITH THESE BOLD FINDS

4
1
7
5

1 Bowl, £25, MICHELLE CERAMICS

3 2 Candleholder, £32, THE CONRAN
SHOP 3 Napkins, £52, AMUSE LA BOUCHE
4 Lamp, £730, MIYELLE 5 Print, £40, STOFF
STUDIOS 6 Cushion, £95, DAUGHTERS
2 OF GAEA 7 Candle, £140, GINORI 1735
x LUKE EDWARD HALL

ELLE 162
 ELLE FUTURE

FUTURE
VISION
AUDI IS BRINGING OUR
MOTORING DREAMS OF
TOMORROW CLOSER WITH ITS
AMBITIOUS CONCEPT CARS

ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING AND DIVISIVE QUESTIONS OF

OUR TIME HAS TO BE: How will we adapt in a society that is
going through such rapid change and innovation?
This unprecedented transformation no longer spans
generations, decades or even years but comes in shorter bursts
with groundbreaking ideas and technologies so far-reaching that
they are remodelling our everyday life.
Adapting to such fast-paced advances can mean we have to
approach every day differently – and due to the speed of each
new development, our lives can feel increasingly disrupted.
During these periods of turbulence, we need to possess a clear
vision – something that Audi prides itself on and is already
using to shape the future.
‘The technological possibilities are expanding more
and more and our expectations are growing. Vehicles become
experience devices and extra living spaces in which time
is used more meaningfully and valuably,’ says Henrik Wenders,
head of brand Audi, on the development of luxury vehicles
in the future.
In order to maximise our time spent on the road, we need
to combine vision, technology and a design that is trend-
setting but, more importantly, focuses on the user. A design
that does not include unnecessary details, but which is
both interesting and inspiring.
Dr Mateo Kries, director of Germany’s Vitra Design
Museum, explains what the form-meets-function design of
today and the future must aim for: ‘Design touches people
through timelessness and beauty. And beauty is, to quote the
architect Mies van der Rohe, “the splendour of truth”.’
But how can we prepare for the future during a time of
VXFKKLJKVSHHGFKDQJH"'U.ULHVDQVZHUVWKLVFRQÀGHQWO\
‘When it is futuristic and solves real problems.’ This ethos
 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

THE AUDI CONCEPT CARS IMPRESS WITH THEIR FUTURISTIC DESIGN: THE AUDI SKYSPHERE CONCEPT, THE AUDI GRANDSPHERE CONCEPT
AND THE AUDI URBANSPHERE CONCEPT

THE VEHICLES SHOWN ARE CONCEPT CARS, NOT AVAILABLE AS PRODUCTION MODELS
 ELLE FUTURE

THE HIGHLIGHT IN THE

COCKPIT IS THE DIGITAL
SCREEN
HENRIK WENDERS,
HEAD OF BRAND AUDI,
IN CONVERSATION
WITH DR MATEO KRIES,
DIRECTOR OF THE
VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM
IN WEIL AM RHEIN

THE VEHICLES SHOWN ARE CONCEPT CARS, NOT AVAILABLE AS PRODUCTION MODELS

“THE AUDI DESIGN DOES NOT WANT

TO POLARISE. IT WANTS TO BE LIKED
AND PERCEIVED AS BEAUTIFUL”
HENRIK WENDERS,
HEAD OF BRAND AUDI
is ingrained into the progressive DNA at Audi, most notably
with its sphere family of concept cars, through which it is
reinventing the idea of travel.
The concept car family is the strongest response to the
question mark over the future of premium-luxury travel.
Wenders describes it in a nutshell: ‘We are no longer waiting
for the future; we are building it day by day.’
The vehicle itself becomes an experience mechanism,
featuring a forward-thinking design that understands every
passenger and their needs, ranging from retreat and relaxation
to connection and productivity. This design serves our daily
growing demands for ever-new lifestyle technology.
‘Design must be relevant and make a difference,’ emphasises
Dr Kries. Only then will it still be as attractive to us tomorrow
as it is today. Audi makes this difference. With the perfect
interplay of technology and beauty. With a design narrative
that works from the inside out, starting with the needs of the
passenger. What do we gain? The greatest luxury of all: time,
space and evolution. This is how Audi makes luxury
travel of the future more valuable than ever before. For Audi,
the future is an attitude.
As Wenders explains it: ‘If someone ever asks me how
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Find out more about the Audi sphere family
at progress.audi/concept-cars-uk
 ELLE IN + OUT
1
1 Mirror, £660, ALFRED NEWALL 2 Chair,
£1,710, VERNER PANTON for VITRA
3 Cutlery, £35, SABRE PARIS 4 Vase,
£111, LIGNE ROSET 5 Lamp, £150, BIAS 3
EDITIONS 6 Cushion, £140, KVADRAT
x RAF SIMONS 7 Glass, £295, DOLCE & 2
GABBANA CASA 8 Candles, £25 for six,
ANNA + NINA 9 Plate, £25, ARBALA
10 Glasses, £340 for a pair, REFLECTIONS
COPENHAGEN 11 Jug, £90, KLIMCHI
12 Napkins, £40, LA DOUBLEJ

4
5

7
8
TORY BURCH AW22

10

11 12

Cool yule
Red and green is too good a pairing to
reserve for just one month. Fill your
home with rich colours that will bring
PHOTOGRAPH: IMAXTREE

you glad tidings far into the new year

ELLE 167
 PURE SHORES
ICELAND’S RUGGED
TERRAIN IS DOTTED
WITH BEAUTIFUL
THERMAL POOLS

IN THE MIDST OF THE POST-PANDEMIC TRAVEL

BOOM, ICELAND HAS EMERGED AS THE PLACE
TO GO IN ORDER TO ESCAPE THE TRAPPINGS OF
MODERN WORKING LIFE. THIS COUNTRY IS SO
MUCH MORE THAN THE NORTHERN LIGHTS…
WORDS BY JENNIFER GEORGE

THE PATH FORWARD

MAN-MADE AND WILD
HIKING TRAILS LINE THE
COUNTRY’S LANDSCAPE

IF YOU’D HAVE SAID A FEW YEARS AGO THAT I WOULD BE business – only a year old when the pandemic started – had
YROXQWDULO\SDFNLQJWKHUPDOOHJJLQJVJORYHVDQGELQRFXODUVIRU VXUYLYHGEXWWKHÀQDQFLDOZRUULHVDQGKRXUZRUNLQJGD\VKH
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WKHZDQNLHVW0LFKHOLQVWDUUHGWDVWLQJPHQXDORFDWLRQKDGWR
offer. A rooftop pool was basically an essential.
&DOOLWPLGGOHDJHRUDSRVW&RYLGDIÁLFWLRQEXWWKDW·VQRW
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bound for two years, what I wanted was air. And calm, and
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a million miles from the stressful memories from the last few
\HDUVWKDWP\EHORYHG/RQGRQKDVXQZLWWLQJO\OHIWPHZLWK
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ELLE
endured meant he was equally, if not more, frazzled. Despite
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WKHZDWHUWKDWKDGZKLUUHGVRKDUGWKH\·GDOOEXWJLYHQXS
And that’s how we ended up in Iceland.
,·YHQRWEHHQWRHYHU\FRUQHURIWKHZRUOGEXWVSHDNWR
DQ\RQHWKDW·VYLVLWHG,FHODQGDQGWKH\·OODJUHHWKDWLWVODQGVFDSH
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VRPEUHEXWRYHUWKHQH[WKLOOOXVKDQGJUHHQ7KLQNGame of
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QHLJKERXUVZLWKDFWLYHYROFDQRHVDQGURDULQJZDWHUIDOOVRYHUORRN
168
 ELLE IN + OUT

FARM LIFE
DEPLAR LODGE’S LIVING
ROOF BLENDS INTO THE
STRIKING BACKDROP

SNOW WHITE
ICELAND’S CAPITAL
bubbling hot springs (fun fact: Iceland is 98% geothermally REYKJAVIK IS BECOMING
1é3E<9>1BI8?DC@?D
powered, making it one of the most sustainable countries in the
world). If you want to feel like your real life doesn’t exist for a
week or so, this is the place.
To avoid a serious shock to the system, we eased ourselves
into ‘outdoorsy’ mode via two nights in Reykjavik, the country’s
capital city, which in reality is the size of a small British town.
The new Edition hotel there makes the most luxurious base
for visiting travellers, with its signature Le Labo scent (created
especially for the hotel group) wafting through the lobby and
warm palettes of ash wood and copper detailing in the bedrooms.
The city is fast becoming a culinary hotspot, so the Edition
hiring the Michelin-starred chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason to lead
its restaurant, Tides, was a smart move, with local ingredients
OLNHÀVKDQGODPEZKLSSHGLQWRPRGHUQFUHDWLRQV-XVWDFURVV
the road, though, the famous hot-dog stand Bæjarins Beztu
Pylsur offers – in my opinion – an equally delicious, albeit less
sophisticated, lunch option.)
One thing I probably should have paid attention to when So far, this might not sound like the otherworldly experience
PHOTOGRAPHS: ABI DARE/THESE FOUR WALLS, ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES

booking this trip is the country’s solar phenomena. Firstly, you’re
H[WUHPHO\XQOLNHO\WRVHHWKHIDPRXVQRUWKHUQOLJKWVLQ-XO\
Why? Because you’re also not going to see any darkness (a key
component of aurora displays) then, as the sun doesn’t set at all.
The sun dips to the horizon, but not below it, meaning there is
no night time. Anyone that has wandered back to their tent in
a festival campsite at 5am can attest to how discombobulating
it can be to head to bed in the broad daylight, so this took
a little adjusting to. As did the fact we’d left London’s hottest
-XO\¶VLQFHUHFRUGVEHJDQ·IRUGHJUHHGUL]]OH$WULSWRWKH
Edition’s subterranean spa, where I had a soothing yet recharg-
ing massage that provided a reset for my body and mind, as well
as a chance for a power nap, certainly helped.
I had been looking for. However, just a short drive out of the
city, there are options for visitors short on time wanting to get
a taste of Iceland’s natural wonders, from whale watching to
glacier hiking. One of the most popular destinations is the Blue
Lagoon, a geothermal spa that glows a bright azure shade thanks
to the mix of silica mud (mineral rich and amazing for skin
conditions like psoriasis) and algae.
Usually a ‘popular destination’ worries me, as does a public-
SRROW\SHVHWXS,LPDJLQHVHOÀHVWLFNVDQGWRGGOHUVKDYLQJ
DFFLGHQWVWKDWÁRDW7KHPDLQDUHDwas a tad busy, so I would
recommend booking into the Retreat Spa for the day, which
houses private changing rooms, a restaurant serving fancy
dishes like king crab and beef carpaccio (and the creamiest

ELLE 169
hummus I’ve ever tasted), and a whole chain of hot pools
sectioned off from the public area so you can wallow in peace.
On day three, with our circadian rhythms more settled, we
OHIW5H\NMDYLNKLNLQJERRWVRQWRÀQGZKDWZHUHDOO\FDPHIRU
Most visitors will choose to head to the centre of Iceland on
a 190-mile route called the Golden Circle, which leads you past
some of the most famous natural attractions. But we had a hot
date with a hotel in the far north, so joined Route 1 (a road
WKDWFLUFXPQDYLJDWHVWKHZKROHFRXQWU\IRUWKHÀYHKRXUGULYH
which we planned to break up with hikes,
food and an overnight stay half way.
2XUÀUVWVWRSZDVWKH*UDEURN&UDWHU
a giant mound caused by an eruption around
3,400 years ago. It was a pleasant ease into
hiking – it’s a 45-minute loop up and around
²DQGJDYHXVRXUÀUVWYLHZVRIWKHLQFUHGLEOH
FRXQWU\VLGHDQGDFKDQFHWRÀOORXUOXQJV
with the freshest air I’d tasted in years. The
Hraun-fossar waterfalls were next: a breath-
taking collection of creeks and powerful
FDVFDGHVVWUHDPLQJRYHUODYDÀHOGVZKLFK
PDNH\RXIHHOWLQ\DQGLQVLJQLÀFDQWDVWKH\
roar above and below you.
%HVLGHVWKHPDQ\¶RIÀFLDO·DWWUDFWLRQV\RX
can visit, the Icelandic landscape offers endless opportunities soul for almost three hours. It was that feeling I realised I’d been
for wild wandering and vistas around every corner that make craving for months, if not the past two years – soul-healing
you want to pull over and drink them in. Possibly high on cold solitude. It felt like (despite the hefty hike) I was breathing
FRXQWU\DLUZHFRQÀGHQWO\VWRSSHGDWRQHRIWKHVHUDQGRPVSRWV properly, that the tell-tale tension in my jaw was melting away.
for a proper ‘off the beaten track’ hike, where we snacked on The next day, we were up with the birds to see… the birds.
lamb jerky and rye-bread sandwiches and passed not a single Drangey, a looming island forged from volcanic rock, is a choppy
and chilly 45-minute boat ride from Saudárkrókur, a harbour
town right at the north of Iceland – and is a paradise for twitch-
ers, one of whom I’d just so happened to marry. (Hey, if Francis
GO CHASING WATERFALLS
THE SPA AT THE BLUE
Bourgeois can make trainspotting cool, let’s give bird-watching
LAGOON, RIGHT, AND DFKDQFHVKDOOZH",·PQRWIXVVHGDERXWIHDWKHUHGÁ\LQJWKLQJV
GULLFOSS FALLS, BELOW myself, but the joy that walking among one of the world’s larg-
HVWSXIÀQFRORQLHVEURXJKWKLPZDVLQIHFWLRXV$QGLI\RXWKLQN
it’s all just geeks and anoraks, I’d like to see you take on the
dicey 180-metre climb up Drangey’s cliff face with nothing but
rope handles for reassurance. Having to scale a vertical eight-
metre ladder to reach the peak turned out to be much easier
than having to return down it backwards in the rain. Health
PHOTOGRAPHS: TOM ARCHER, ANNIE SPRATT/UNSPLASH, HELOISE DELBOS/UNSPLASH,
SYDNEY RUSSAKOV/UNSPLASH, COURTESY OF BLUE LAGOON ICELAND, GETTY IMAGES
DQGVDIHW\"1RWZKHQWKHUHDUHEDE\SXIÀQVWREHVHHQ7XUQV
out bird-watching can be quite badass, actually.
With tired legs and a slight bit of wind burn, we headed to
RXUÀQDOVSRW'HSODU)DUPDOWKRXJKWKLVZDVQRWOLNHDQ\IDUP
I’d ever seen. Part of the Eleven Experience group, which runs
‘lodges’ around the world, Deplar is like a super luxury, com-
pletely customised, extremely exclusive Centre Parcs, where
activities and exploring the outdoors is top of the agenda.
Every guest gets matched with a guide, who will hold your
hand throughout your stay and take you on as many excursions
as you like. The choice of activities includes (deep breath):
hiking, mountain-biking, horse-riding, skiing and heli-skiing,
ODNHÀVKLQJDQGVDOPRQÀVKLQJVQRZVKRHLQJZKDOHZDWFKLQJ
VXUÀQJND\DNLQJ«WKHOLVWJRHVRQ
The property itself is magical, disguised in a lush, green
YDOOH\E\LWVJUDVVWRSSHGURRIZLWKÁRRUWRFHLOLQJJODVVZDOOV

ELLE 170

to enjoy the sunsets or northern lights, if you’re visiting at the
right time of year. With only 12 bedrooms, it’s quiet, cosy and
QRWDWDOOÁDVK\EXWKDVÀYHVWDUWRXFKHVOLNHHLGHUGRZQVÀOOHG
with sustainably collected goose feathers and Aesop amenities.
At one long dining table where all guests eat ‘family style’, we
were fuelled on local creations like hogget sirloin with Icelandic
VRUUHODQG$UFWLFFKDUZLWKKRPHJURZQJUHHQVDOOFRRNHGE\
ELLE IN + OUT
work then darting out into a frozen plunge pool, and repeat.
In between, the therapist might whack your body all over with
sticks. It’s mad, but memorable.
2XUÀUVWH[FXUVLRQZDVKRUVHULGLQJDWZRKRXUWUHNWURWWLQJ
and cantering across the treeless, rocky landscape, passing
rivers and hot springs along the way. Views stretched from the
hills to the sea and, again, the only interruption was a single
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)RUWKRVHZDQWLQJWRWDNHLWHDV\RULIUDLQVWRSVSOD\WKHUH·V
plenty to keep you occupied inside the lodge, from the huge
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DIXOO\HTXLSSHGJ\PDQG\RJDVWXGLRWKUHHSRROVVSDWUHDWPHQW
URRPVDVRXQGKHDOLQJURRPDQGHYHQVDOWZDWHUÁRWDWLRQWDQNV
We spent hours each evening bobbing around in the heated
KHDUWÀOOLQJHIIHFWLWFDQKDYHDQGWKLVZDVQH[WOHYHO.D\DNLQJ
ZDVQH[WGRZQDSDWFKRIULYHURQ'HSODU·VODQGZKLFKRIIHUHG
a nice combination of gentle pootling and more thrilling rapids.
2QH DIWHUQRRQ ZDV WDNHQ XS ZLWK ÀVKLQJ GXULQJ ZKLFK
,ÀQDOO\XQGHUVWRRGWKHDSSHDORIZKDW,RQFHWKRXJKWZDVWKH
world’s most boring activity. It could have been the setting,
RXWGRRUSRROWKHIDFWLWKDVDVZLPXSEDUPLJKWKDYHKDG WKHIDFW,DFWXDOO\FDXJKWVRPHWKLQJDIRRWORQJ&KDURUWKDW
VRPHWKLQJWRGRZLWKLWWDNLQJLQWKHVWXQQLQJYLHZV7KH a spread of cheese and gin was laid out for us. We also managed
‘Viking Ritual’ is worth it for the lols, too. It’s a guided treatment to squeeze in some hiking and bike riding.
RIKRWDQGFROGWKHUDS\URDVWLQJLQWKHRXWGRRUVDXQDZLWKEUHDWK Though your schedule may be busy, because you don’t have
to engage a single brain cell it’s good busy. Occupied with
DGYHQWXUHLQVWHDGRIDGPLQDQGHPDLOV,IHOWDOPRVWFKLOGOLNH
HOT TO TROT
at times, not thinking of work or what needs defrosting for
THERMAL SPRINGS dinner or any other adult thoughts that would normally intrude,
IN THE ICELANDIC while friendly strangers fed me and led me through my day.
COUNTRYSIDE
$QGWKDWLVSHUKDSVZK\'HSODUDWWUDFWVDKLJKSHUFHQWDJHRI
&(2VDQGEXVLQHVVRZQHUVEHFDXVH\RXUPLQGUHDOO\GRHV
switch off to stress and on to your surroundings, which are
distractingly breathtaking.
$OWKRXJKVDGWRGHSDUWWKHOX[XU\ORGJHOLIHZH·GEHGGHG
into so quickly, the fact we were returning to London as new,
VWUHVVUHOLHYHGYHUVLRQVRIRXUVHOYHVPDGHLWPRUHVZHHWWKDQ
bitter. Our little swan legs were back to a reset paddling pace.
:HOHIW'HSODUDQG,FHODQGUHFKDUJHGUHIUHVKHG²DQGUHVHDUFK
LQJRXUQH[WZLOGDGYHQWXUH

THE HEAT IS ON
COSINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS, SO WRAP UP WARM TO ENJOY THE ICELANDIC OUTDOORS

1 3 6 7 9

2 10

4
11

1 Face cream, £70, BLUE LAGOON ICELAND 2 Socks,

£187, THE ELDER STATESMAN at NET-A-PORTER
3 Scarf, £23, MANGO 4 Sunglasses, £320, GUCCI
8 5 Shirt, £115, WITH NOTHING UNDERNEATH 6 SPF
30 Sunscreen, £35, SUMMER FRIDAYS 7 Tracksuit,
£340, MAX MARA 8 Necklace, £1,060, BY PARIAH
9 Beanie, £35, ARKET 10 Boots, £375, GANNI
11 Suitcase, £95, MARKS AND SPENCER

ELLE 171
ELLE IN + OUT

Postcard from...
Los Angeles
Make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench WATER WORKS
I love a stroll around Venice Canals on a Sunday morning
on the hikes that feed her soul before going to the beach. There is something about Venice
that takes me back to the Eighties, people rollerskating
and the ultimate grilled sandwich everywhere and having ice creams by the boardwalk…

GO WILD
Whenever I’m in LA, I stay in West Hollywood.
I can’t think of a better place for people who
are liberated, not afraid to be bold and love
nature. I even had a pop-up there for the
second drop of my brand, Wild Star.

THE OLD SCHOOL

If you’re in the mood for a truly
cinematic experience, go to
the Musso and Frank Grill in
Hollywood. A classic in the best
sense of the word. One of the
oldest restaurants in the city,
it has served mostly the same
menu since it opened in 1919.
All the greats have dined there,
and you can feel their aura in
the walls.

PHOTOGRAPHS: TINA WHATCOTT ECHEVERRIA, GETTY IMAGES

WELL STORED GREAT GRILLS TAKE A HIKE

H Lorenzo is my favourite shop in town!
Its selection of unique clothes and
accessories is the coolest. Check out its
archive store in the Arts District, too.
There’s this place near
Chinatown called Philippe – it’s
been around for decades – that
accidentally created a dish
when the French founder
dropped a slice of bread in a pan
full of roasting juices. They’re
called French dip sandwiches
and are such an amazing,
unpretentious meal to feast on.
I’m an outdoors person and LA is
probably the place to get the best of
both worlds. Topanga has beautiful
walks if you want to spend a day out
and feel like you’re far from
civilisation, less than an hour away
from the city centre.

ELLE 172
SECOND
CHANCES
THE TOURIST HOTSPOTS
HAVE THE FAME – AND THE
CROWDS, CLICHÉS AND
PRICES TO MATCH. HEAD
TO THE SECOND CITIES
INSTEAD AND SEE
ANOTHER SIDE TO YOUR
FAVOURITE COUNTRIES
PORTO, PORTUGAL
Exploring Porto is like stepping into the
pages of a history book, from the port
lodges on the banks of River Douro and
the baroque churches and palaces that
punctuate the skyline to the elegant art
nouveau cafés and shops. But while it is
beautiful, it hasn’t yet acquired the slick
sheen of true tourist traps: its elegance
has faded, the grandeur is tumble-
down. It’s a real city, for all its heritage.
Make the Homeplace apartment
your base – renovated by the owners
of the independent design shop, it’s
full of mid-century furniture and vintage
ÀQGVZKLFKZLOOLQVSLUHDIHZ3LQWHUHVW
boards. Located in a 1960s apartment
PORTUGUESE DREAMS
LEFT: A VIEW OVER
THE CITY OF PORTO.
ABOVE: THE CHIC
INTERIORS OF
D85é8?=5@<135
1@1BD=5>D
EORFNLQWKHXSDQGFRPLQJ%RQÀPDUHD
it’s perfectly placed for exploring.
Rua das Flores is a good starting
point for shopping – don’t miss Claus
Porto for soaps and fragrances. You’ll be
amazed at the queue outside Livraria
Lello bookstore, until you realise it was
the inspiration behind Hogwarts’ stair-
case in Harry Potter. Book online to avoid
waiting, or head to A Vida Portuguesa
– a lovingly curated selection of home-
wares from Portuguese makers – on the
next block instead. On Rua do Almada
\RX·OOÀQGFRROERXWLTXHVDQG7LD7LD
a minimalist restaurant (with a perfectly
formed menu) that is exactly the kind of
place you want to discover on your travels.
ELLE 174
 ELLE IN + OUT
MARSEILLE, FRANCE HAWAII DONE RIGHT
)UDQFH·V QXPEHU WZR PLJKW QRW KDYH Rosewood is launching a branch on the
Big Island focused on sustainability, which
WKH(LIIHO7RZHUEXWLWGRHVERDVWVXQ aims to run on 100% solar energy.
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2023, bringing back tourists after Covid
FRQFHSWVWRUHVWRFNLQJHYHU\WKLQJIURP restrictions. Look out for its ad campaigns…
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for its speakeasy cocktail bar in London,
&RXUV -XOLHQ WRZDUGV 1RDLOOHV $IWHU but it’s branching out with a hotel: the
UHIXHOOLQJJUDEORFDOVRXYHQLUVDW0DLVRQ Italianate Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds.
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BAROMETER
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES TO
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FLIGHT CLUB
The train revolution gathers steam. Next
summer, NightJet rolls out night trips across
Europe, complete with chic sleeping pods.
OTHER PEOPLE
Luxury-travel operators are reporting
a 25% increase in bookings by solo
travellers. Enjoy the world with the
least-annoying companion: yourself.
%DE5FLIJDWHLV'DU6HIIDULQHULJKWDQ YOUR BUDGET
People are gearing up to take their GOAT –
DVWRQLVKLQJUHVWRUDWLRQRID\HDUROG the Greatest Of All Trips – with 68%
PHGLQD KRXVH 6RDULQJ ZKLWH FROXPQV reporting they’re willing to ‘go big’ on their
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TheatreTokens.com Social: @l.drobe | Photography: Robin Priest
 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

FASHION
EDIT

HOUSE OF IKONS FASHION WEEK LONDON

House of iKons Fashion Week London took place at the Leonardo Royal St Paul’s London Hotel in September 2022. This platform helps
emerging/unknown designers from around the world giving global exposure during fashion week in London. Designers have gone on to
dress A-list celebrities and are stocked in boutiques and department stores around the world.
The show paid tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II before their show started. With a speech from
the founder, the inspiration the Late Monarch gave during her reign of duty, service, dedication to
the United Kingdom, and the rest of the world. All guests stood during the National Anthem in the
late monarch’s honour. ICHKA & Chiangrai: Queen Sirikit, (Her Majesty the Queen Rama 9), has
provided opportunities to households in Thailand to preserve its arts and culture.
Growing hemp under strict government control has recently been permitted after successful trials
with a view to benefitting the economy. Hemp is now integrated into many products including
fashion and textiles. HM has been a strong advocator of women’s fashion and has championed the
cultivation of Thai silk throughout her reign. A role model for Thai women and the empowerment of
Thai women into the 21st Century. As a strong advocate of integrating hemp into products such as fashion, this has enabled brands such as
ICHKA & Chiangrai to exist for the betterment of the Thai economy.
Images by: @rameagle | HMUA Team: @girlmeetsbrush, @thefashionlifetour, @ambassadorsaos
Press/Sales Enquires: info@hoifashionweeklondon.com
 MOST OF MY CLOTHES ARE
IN MUSEUMS. ALL THE
CLOTHES I HAVE BEEN
GIVEN BY DESIGNERS
ARE LIVING ON BECAUSE
I TAKE GOOD CARE OF
THEM. MY PIECES BY
HALSTON, GIVENCHY
AND GIORGIO ARMANI
ARE AS IMPORTANT TO
ME AS MY FRIENDS.

My life in fashion:
Pat Cleveland
From her mother’s most important
advice to post-pandemic plans, the
icon Pat Cleveland reveals how
fashion - and the friendships she STYLE BO
IL
=Ié=? S DOWN TO HO

made from it - transformed her life

D85B1 W YOU T
AS BEAU <C R
TIFUL A ?D1E78D=5 EAT PEOPLE.
ATTITU S AN Y T D81DI
DE INSID HIN ?E
E, YOUR G BUT, WITH 31>25
BEAUTY AN UGL
WILL N Y
OT SHIN
INTERVIEW BY ENI SUBAIR E.

MY MOTHER’S STYLE HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON ME. SHE HAD BOHEMIAN

TASTE AND WOULD MAKE A LOT OF HER OWN CLOTHES. SHE HAD
PETTICOATS, FUR STOLES AND FEATHERS. THERE WASN’T AN AREA
IN OUR HOUSE THAT WAS NOT COVERED IN TULLE AND ULTRA-GIRLY
DRESSES. WITHOUT HER, I DON’T THINK I WOULD BE IN FASHION. HAVING FRIENDS IN THE
FASHION INDUSTRY HAS
LITERALLY SAVED MY
LIFE. I HAD CANCER
I RAN A MODEL AGENCY
THREE YEARS AGO,
AND SIGNED NAOMI
AND THEY ALL HELPED
CAMPBELL, TYRA
PAY FOR MY HOSPITAL
BANKS AND KIMORA
BILLS. IN A DIFFICULT
[SIMMONS] WHEN THEY
D9=5D85éB51<9DI89D
WERE ALL AROUND 13.
=5*=Ié6B95>4C1B5
WE NEED COMPASSION
D85B5é6?B=5
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF PAT CLEVELAND & PAUL VAN RAVENSTEIN,

I STUDIED FASHION
DESIGN AND MADE MY
OWN CLOTHES. IT WAS
RONALD VAN DER KEMP/IMAXTREE, GETTY IMAGES

THE ONLY WAY I COULD

AFFORD FASHION.
I WAS DISCOVERED
ON THE SUBWAY BY
THE EDITOR CARRIE
DONOVAN, AND POST-PANDEMIC, I’M
C85é@ED=59>VOGUE GOING OUT MORE, SO I’VE
AS AN UP-AND- BEEN WEARING MY
COMING DESIGNER. NAEEM KHAN CUSTOM
PIECES. I’M ALSO EXCITED
FOR SOME RALPH RUCCI
PIECES TO ARRIVE.
RONALD VAN DER
KEMP IS ANOTHER
OF MY FAVOURITES;
I MODELLED IN HIS SS22
COUTURE COLLECTION.