Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
A taste of the dolce vita in London, some permanent artwork and a new eyeshadow palette – it's our editors' picks of the week
- Bill Prince, Editor-in-chief
- Ellie Stathaki, Architecture & Environment Director
- Hannah Tindle, Beauty & Grooming Editor
- Gabriel Annouka, Senior Designer
- Anne Soward, Production Editor
- Hannah Silver, Arts, Watches & Jewellery Editor
- Melina Keays, Entertaining Director
- Charlotte Gunn, Director of Digital Content
- Anna Solomon, Digital Writer
- Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor
As London Fashion Week approaches, here's how the Wallpaper* editors have been keeping busy this week.
Bill Prince, Editor-in-chief
'Impatient for a semblance of sunshine this week, I took myself off to Mayfair to toast the arrival into London of Il Pellicano for a one-week pop-up at Claridge's. Those long-familiar with this Tuscan hideaway's particular appeal may remember a similar set-up a few years back at Harry's Bar – when the Scio family's hotel played anything but second fiddle to Mayfair's original 'dining club'. This time the setting was in the no less salubrious (if considerably larger) surroundings of Claridge's restaurant, where the spirit – and spirits – remained intact, Il Pellicano's famed barman, Federico Morosi, serving up his own take on the timeless Negroni – a perfect aperitivo ahead of chef Michelino Gioia menu of specialties from the region.'
Ellie Stathaki, Architecture & Environment Director
Finlandia Hall
'This week I spent a few lovely sunny days in snowy Helsinki, exploring some of the city's new design and architecture offerings. I stayed at a timber hotel, got a tour of the renovated Finlandia Hall's newly opened bistro (designed by design agency Fyra and with furniture by the Finnish Design Shop), checked out new eaterie Bouchon Carême (also by Fyra) and sweated at the sauna at Löyly.'
Hannah Tindle, Beauty & Grooming Editor
The windows of the Victoria Beckham flagship store on Dover Street celebrate the release of the Eye Wardrobe eyeshadow palette
On Thursday during my lunch break, I headed over to the Victoria Beckham flagship store on Dover Street to test drive the Eye Wardrobe eyeshadow palette, a new product from the revered Victoria Beckham Beauty line. Eye Wardrobe comes in four colour variations designed to complement the brand's Satin Kajal Liner collection - Olive, Navy Noir, Night Flash and Victoria - with each quad of pigmented shadows spanning matte, shimmer and metallic textures. Beckham's personal make-up artist Francesca Abrahamovitch was on hand at the event, using the Eye Wardrobe in Victoria, Satin Kajal Liner in Cinnamon and Vast Lash mascara on me. I left via neighbouring gallery Sprüth Magers to see the current Joseph Kosuth exhibition through a freshly smoked-out pair of eyes.
Gabriel Annouka, Senior Designer
'A highlight of my week: Prem Sahib’s Documents of a Recent Past at Studio Voltaire, where nightclub debris became forensic relics, freezing movement into stillness. A film plays in a darkened room, its seats worn by past visitors. Scratched mirrors, toilet doors, and every surface once slick with sweat, touch, and fleeting glances now stand preserved, like traces of a fading landscape.'
Anne Soward, Production Editor
'Twenty years after getting my first tattoo (a messy, painful, noisy experience somewhere in Camden Market), I plucked up the courage to get another. To find the right person involved losing countless hours to the internet and social media, but I was very drawn to @exp.haus, a minimally elegant Hackney tattoo studio, located on the banks of the Regent’s Canal, and to the Latvian-born @kirii.lines, a tattoo artist who specialises in graphic and fine line tattooing. No courage was needed this time as the experience went like a dream. Very little mess, almost no pain, and just a gentle hum from the needle. Afterwards, a second skin was applied, which meant the healing process seemed unnoticeable - just a little bruising on day three. Last time I was recommended to smear with haemorrhoid cream, this time it was organic coconut oil. I’m already planning my next one.'
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Hannah Silver, Arts, Watches & Jewellery Editor
'This week I enjoyed hearing from Theaster Gates, who walked us round his new exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey. A considered tribute to the late journalist, Ei Nagata, and his partner, Haruhi Ishitani, the show honours their life's work, detailing their efforts in preserving Malcolm X’s legacy by translating his speeches and correspondence into Japanese following his assassination.
I also attended Noah Davis' exquisite retrospective at the Barbican. Davis created an extraordinary and moving body of work before his untimely death at age 32. A must-see if you're in London.'
Melina Keays, Entertaining Director
'I have been spending cold winter evenings at the cinema - my absolute favourite being The Curzon Mayfair. Designed in the 1960’s in the innovative modern style of the time, this beautiful auditorium has been described as the finest surviving cinema of the post-war period, and its grandeur and glamour enhance the viewing experience manifold. Nothing compares to seeing a great film for the very first time, on the big screen. I am feeling very pleased with myself for having viewed both of this year’s big Bafta winners; The Brutalist, and Conclave, at this remarkable cinema.'
Charlotte Gunn, Director of Digital Content
'I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Self Esteem's Rebecca Taylor about her upcoming stage shows. Taylor is a wonderfully open book and her third album A Complicated Woman (out April 25th) is a refreshingly raw pop record which doubles down on her aphoristic approach to songwriting.'
Anna Solomon, Digital Writer
'I experienced ‘office envy’ at a dinner thrown by interior design studio Pirajean Lees – the brainchild of husband-and-wife powerduo Clémence Pirajean and James Michael Lees – at its Chelsea HQ. The studio feels more like a living room than an office, complete with a turntable playing smooth jazz. Over a spread put on by the team behind Louie London, we learned about the power of ‘narrative design’, whereby a design is anchored to a story told through anything from an object to a poem or, in the case of the revamp of one Dublin hotel, a newspaper published specially for the occasion.'
Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor
As a White Lotus fan, I was thrilled to discover that the current partnership with Four Seasons included an activation in London in the form of an afternoon tea. Inspired by the flavours and culinary techniques of Thailand, where the latest season of the show is set, the experience featured British classics like freshly baked scones, cleverly reimagined with the aromas and flavours of Southeast Asia, such as Kaya Pandan jam. My favourite savoury treat was a crab and green papaya crispy tartlet with lotus cream and roasted peanuts.
Bill Prince is a journalist, author, and editor-in-chief of Wallpaper* and The Blend. Prior to taking up these roles, he served for 23 years as the deputy editor of British GQ. In addition to editing, writing and brand curation, Bill is an acknowledged authority on travel, hospitality and men's style. He is the author of two books, Royal Oak: From Iconoclast To Icon – a tribute to the Audemars Piguet watch at 50 – and The Connaught, a history of the legendary Mayfair hotel, both published by Assouline
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Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, the Wallpaper* team had its finger on the pulse of architecture, interiors and fashion – while also scooping the latest on the Radiohead reunion and London’s buzziest pizza
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Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
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