There is an amazing Japanese author, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, whose 1930s book, In Praise of Shadows, is brilliant. I read it over lockdown and I’ve been dipping back into it ever since. It’s about the time when Japan switched from candlelight to electricity. He talks about how all the interpretations of their rooms, their clothes and their environment changed when electrical light came in and why shadows are so important to East Asian culture because they create beauty. It’s a really interesting essay on observation and on the nuances and subtleties in our environments that we’ve lost touch with.
There are a few that got away! But I own one piece by Nicolas Party and at the time I bought it there were two portraits on the gallery wall. I only bought one and I wish I’d bought its friend, too.
It’s a toss-up between Dune, because it’s a beautiful movie, and Parasite, which was just genius!
It’s always changing, but right now, Spirit 2.0 by Sampha.
Palm Springs. I have been going there for 20 years and I absolutely love the architecture, the Mid-Century style of the place, and its desert walks.
Somewhere I visited recently that I loved was the Hotel Chelsea in New York. I stayed on a floor where there were still some of the original apartments with their incredible doorways.
My phone! It’s actually my office now because I do re-sees on it. It’s how I access everything I do in my working life, so if it disappeared I’d feel very abandoned.
Books, but I try to not too keep much on my beside table. I never keep electronics in the bedroom – those always stay downstairs. Nextdoor to my beside table is my dog – and that’s the most important thing of all!
I am fairly dedicated in my skincare routine and am a long-time fan of Skinceuticals, especially their serums, which I’ve been consistently addicted to.
Always be yourself!
