Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Vogue Australia

The last time I attended Splendour in the Grass was some years ago, but I don’t recall it being nearly as fashion fabulous as our senior fashion editor Kate Darvill has imagined it in this month’s feature shoot, from page 192. Our team travelled to the legendary music festival to capture the essence of the rebellious and celebratory nature of it, which is so in tune with the fashion of this season. Music and fashion have been happy bedfellows forever, but frankly I’ve never seen the combination look so good. Don’t miss the portraits of a number of talented artists who agreed to be photographed backstage by Vogue alongside Australian model Charlee Fraser, who is making a name for herself on international runways. In another perfect marriage of music and…

GIGI X TOMMY She has an incredible work ethic, said Tommy Hilfiger about creating a one-off capsule with friend Gigi Hadid. Our inspirations came from our brand’s East Coast heritage fused with Gigi’s relaxed, laidback West Coast twist as a California girl.” That means a youthful skew to Hilfiger sporty staples: flippy summer dresses, bombers and overalls with jet cuissardes . Note: it will be a sell out. ALL HAIL McQUEEN Having access to the supremely creative Lee Alexander McQueen’s inner sanctum was not a privilege to be taken for granted, as photographer Robert Fairer knows. Alexander McQueen: Unseen (Yale University Press, $95) is an expertly edited dossier by Fairer who knew McQueen for 17 years and was allowed backstage when others weren’t. With an introduction and texts by senior…

There exists a tired aphorism: repeating the same thing and expecting a different dénouement is the definition of madness. In fashion, resurrecting the same wardrobe piece has in the past been considered a sartorial misstep that shows a lack of imagination, originality or worse, style. Things have changed. Blame the economic crunch, but the wardrobe crutch” has turned classic; repeat buying pieces we love is now sensible. Buyer and founder of MyChameleon.com.au, Giselle Farhat knows this. She sees smart women buying over and over labels with a focus on quality. Our customers continually buy pieces that are classic in cut and made from beautiful materials, she says, citing the luxury factor as the reason Organic by John Patrick’s simple camis and slips in lush silk sell out. It’s an end…

Ever since that freezing day during February’s New York fashion week when a bundled-up audience had their pulses raised by the first sight of the Sies Marjan collection, the early spotters have been practising their pronunciation. It will be essential to get it right, after all, when you murmur a subdued “Sies Marjan” to the umpteenth admirer who wants to know who made the prettily twisted floral-sprigged dress you’re wearing. “It’s Sees Mar-jahn,” says Sander Lak with a direct smile and an untraceable English-European accent. “It’s my parents’ first names together.” The gangly-limbed creative director of Sies Marjan, his shirt perpetually half tucked in, is a former head of design at Dries Van Noten, which partly explains the clamour surrounding his debut in the crumbling splendour of the art deco…

There was plenty of darkness while Tessa James was undergoing invasive treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but there was also the odd moment of levity. A particular favourite was the day James implored her husband, Nate Myles, to go horse riding with her. The actress has had a lifelong affinity for horses, a result of her upbringing in semi-rural Victoria where she regularly attended pony club. When she was diagnosed in 2013, she found herself drawn to horses once more, discovering they brought her some peace. One of her goals during treatment was to go riding with Myles, only to have him refuse point blank, the result of a nasty childhood encounter. “When I wasn’t well I had a list of fun things to do, as I’d go for treatment every…

Growing up in one of Europe’s racing dynasties, there was never any doubt that Francesca Cumani would follow in her family’s footsteps. Now calling Australia home, Cumani is one of our top horse-racing personalities and an avid supporter of women in racing. Her career achievements read like a rollcall of racing accolades: successful TV commentator for Channel Seven’s equine events; host of CNN’s Winning Post, a documentary-style segment that took her all around the world; and now ambassador for Magic Millions, a new role that will see her getting back in the saddle, albeit for something slightly different. The 2017 Magic Millions event will introduce polo for the very first time, with an exhibition match between ambassadors Cumani and Zara Phillips, the equestrian champion Royal, and some of the best…

 “I was shooting Lupita Nyong’o and she is this stunning, richly dark, beautiful African woman, and she said to me the first time we shot: ‘Listen, please don’t lighten my skin because I’ve had people do that before.’ Well, I didn’t know that happened, so I started going through my archives and looking at pictures I’d taken and seeing what had been done after I’d handed them to clients and I realised that they had lightened darker girls’ skin. “SHE SAID: ‘PLEASE DON’T LIGHTEN MY SKIN’” “I loved the fact that Lupita was this beautiful, proud black woman who didn’t have straightened hair and wasn’t trying to lighten her skin. Everything about her she was proud of and she owned. She made me think how I so rarely get to…

HOT AND SWEATY Like good health served hot? At Sweat Theory (sweatheory.com) you can sweat yourself silly” in an infrared sauna and afterwards choose from a menu of IV vitamin infusions, such as the antioxidant glutathione. Selena Gomez and the Kardashians are among the Hollywood VIPs who frequent Shape House urban sweat lodges (www.shapehouse.com) to be wrapped burrito-style in a silver infrared blanket before lying in bed watching TV for an hour to release toxins, improve skin clarity, boost immunity and lower cortisol levels. Asana nirvana Kundalini yoga is the new vinyasa, which a few years back was the new Bikram. You may spot kundalini converts wearing white turbans and tunics floating through Wholefoods in Venice, which is conveniently located across the road from the Ra Ma Institute for Applied…

Lips have had a resurgence of late. Can you explain why? “Women are getting more and more comfortable with make-up, in all its forms, and there is a real desire to play and experiment with their looks. Matt lipsticks are usually considered to be more dramatic, more theatrical in the eyes of most women, and complicated to apply and wear. That’s why most have stayed away from it. Those obstacles seem to fade out, and I believe that’s why matt lipsticks are becoming more accepted.” Are there any rules in matching lip colours to skin tone? “Like everything in make-up, it’s best to try out shades and to check them out in different lights. The colour of your skin and teeth and the intensity of your natural lip colour will…

       “I THINK THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IN MY CAREER SO FAR HAS BEEN FINDING TIME FOR MYSELF AND THE PEOPLE I LOVE” MILLENNIAL SUPERSTARS MAKING IT HAPPEN . FASHION : FAST FLOWING & IN THE HEAT OF SELF-EXPRESSION . ALL OF IT MAKING MUSIC . INTENSE , INTRIGUING & IN TUNE . BELIEVE IT . Science says babies will stare longer at a face that is beautiful, a standard measured with variables including facial symmetry and ratios. They act on pure instinct. We haven’t grown up much from that – only that it’s rude to stare. “The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives,” said Albert Einstein. When met with beauty, whether visual or even in…

After nearly three decades of influential and legendary work at US Vogue, unsurpassed creative director Grace Coddington announced she was stepping down. The news broke in January and New York Times chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman rather sombrely wrote: “The tectonic plates of fashion are shifting.” So, with a game-changer like Coddington on the move, a constant for someone who has worked at Vogue for longer than this writer has been alive, should we panic? “It is a difficult period for everyone,” she says, seated in her office at Vogue. “The whole world is changing. I feel like the carpet is being rocked under me somewhat and it is particularly challenging for me because I have rejected all that.” By “all that” she means whip-fast technology, social media and instant…

WHAT HAPPENS TO SEIZING THE DAY, LIVING EACH ONE AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST? Picture the scene: a bunker, deep within California’s Silicon Valley. A collection of the world’s leading science, health and technology experts are gathered in a top-secret hub; a futuristic laboratory dedicated to blurring the boundaries between humans and robots. Bodies are frozen and memories downloaded to be stored on computers. Even the language they use to talk about growing older has had a reboot: instead of “anti-ageing” and “elixirs of youth”, it’s now all “human upgrades”, “hacking the ageing code” and “disrupting death”. Here, reaching 100 is considered humdrum and the aim is longevity on a hitherto unimagined scale. In short, it’s about discovering the secrets of living forever. So far, this picture is something…

I have been told there are 80,000 restaurants in Tokyo. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that information, but I can promise you one thing: it’s next to impossible to have a bad meal in the Japanese capital. The level of quality produce and dedication to the craft of cooking seems inherent in the culture. Many of the places are small and hidden away. However, it was many years ago that I first remember having okonomiyaki at an airport in Osaka after a ski trip. These little pancakes come in all flavours and fillings, usually served with a sweet mayonnaise. A couple of years ago I was reacquainted with them at Tokyu Food Show in Shibuya, my favourite of all the fantastic Tokyo food halls, and I knew then…

Atypical Japan traveller narrative goes something like this along the “Golden Route”: Tokyo, Hakone, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka and perhaps Hiroshima, if there’s enough time. Of course, for anyone partial to a little white powder, there’s a whole snow scene in Japan to be explored. Beyond Tokyo and the Golden Route, a wealth of regional areas offers ways to experience the beauty and luxury of Japan, staying at luxury ryokan and small hotels outside the main cities. Since the new bullet train service from Tokyo to Kanazawa was launched in 2015, the pretty castle town has found new favour. In just two and a half hours, Tokyo is a world away and classical Edo-period Japan comes into play in this UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. Amid tracts of…

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Getting in early Dialling down the diaphanous factor is a must for early morning engagements. Play it casual in relaxed codifiers, denim and sneakers. Nine to five Structured tailoring provides the template to be apropos at the office. A slip slinking beneath a blazer avoids being risqué if paired with a crisp cotton shirt. Off the clock When off duty your attire should denote a demeanour as breezy as the slip. Espadrilles and a carryall telegraph do-not-disturb vibes. After eight The slip dress in its natural sartorial habitat is brought to life with minimal extras. A glint of gilded jewellery and a vampy stiletto are the only company needed.…

SWALLOWS Linked to nautical endeavours, the swallow denotes triumph over adversity or was said to lift sailors souls to heaven Alberta Ferretti’s rendition had a beatific aura SERPENT Historically, the snake has multitude connotations and at Gucci it curlicues its way across dresses, possibly signalling rebirth (the new Gucci?), temptation, sexuality or all of the above. TEAPOT Like Hans Christian Andersen’s original story, Theepotten, Dolce & Gabbana’s fairytale collection illustrated that ordinary can be beautiful. EVIL EYE The evil eye affords the wearer protection from negativity, which they ll need wearing Givenchy’s envy-inducing Egyptian-inflected, Eye of Horus-printed garb. MOON PHASES The phases of the moon have governed ancient calendars and provided a pace to set life by. The fact that dresses at Alexander McQueen were dripping in stars and moon…

“I FEEL LIKE WE’VE FORGOTTEN THE WORD CHARMING. AND FLIRTY … WHY NOT HAVE A LITTLE FUN?” Blake Lively is on the front row of Michael Kors, looking how you would expect Blake Lively to look at New York fashion week, pushing through the morning winter blizzard in a sequined sheath gown and a coat. Sequins for daytime? Sure, why not? In Kors’s world, it’s cropped denim strewn with crystal and feather frippery, or as seen here in the pages of Vogue, the street-sport shape of a zip-up hoodie made in luxurious tweed – with a matching skirt to finish. “Brocade to the office, sweatshirts at night – I don’t think my customers pay attention to time of day either,” says Michael Kors in his midtown New York office. It’s…

Precious antique jewellery, love-worn, cared for and treasured isn’t anything new. It doesn’t signal an exciting new tremor in fashion or a seismic shift, and it won’t have Instagram influencers hyping its arrival in Australia. But for an archivist enmeshed in 132 years of history, new discoveries are not only a result of putting together an exhibition spanning more than 80 years, but also a stirring and serendipitous journey. “There are always surprises in this job,” explains Bulgari’s brand and heritage curator Lucia Boscaini, who cites as an example a rare Bulgari tiara the house had presumed lost. “We knew that a couple of very important earrings of Elizabeth Taylor’s were purchased at a Christie’s auction by a museum in Doha, so for this exhibition we approached them. We discovered…

Derby Day Take advantage of the classic colour combination by throwing caution to the wind with textural choices. Melbourne Cup Make the day count in either paintbox brights or throwback tropics. Oaks Day Think golden sand tones for a chic update. Stakes Day Celebrate the waning spring season with garden party style.…

In the world of fashion, the lines are so frequently blurred that race day dress codes are a welcome hark back to the traditions that kicked off the spring racing carnival. “A race day outfit works best when it’s a contemporary look but follows the rules of the track,” says Karen Walker. Wearing a unique headpiece also gives a nod to history. “They’re the essential accessory come race day, whether you’re wearing a crown, leather headpiece or a back piece,” says milliner Viktoria Novak. Most spring styling advice tells us to experiment within the themes, but that’s not to say you can’t bend the status quo. “It’s not just about dresses. It’s also about tuxedo pantsuits or jumpsuits or dresses over pants – anything goes,” points out Daniel Avakian. Perhaps…

There’s a discernible buzz in the picturesque bayside city of San Francisco – and an increasing number of Australian accents on the streets of this start-up epicentre. In April this year the Turnbull government launched a “Landing Pad” for Australian internet entrepreneurs, a mini-incubator within San Francisco’s RocketSpace technology campus on the fringe of the downtown financial district, while Qantas celebrated the reboot of its direct flights from Sydney by holding a world-first inflight TED talks session on board a San Francisco-bound flight in February this year. “We all know about the impact of the California tech boom,” said Qantas’s Olivia Wirth at the time of the TED talks flight, “but what’s really exciting is the growing number of Australians doing business with Silicon Valley … one of the reasons…

“AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT I PROBABLY WOULDN’T DO MUSIC AGAIN” Years ago, when I picked up my friend Peter in my beaten-up Corolla, Holly Throsby’s just-released debut album On Night was playing on the stereo. “My god, this is beautiful,” he said, genuinely overcome. “I know, she’s amazing!” I replied. So when 12 years on, Throsby’s debut novel Goodwood lands on my desk, I’m not surprised to learn that the gifted songwriter has turned her hand to fiction. “I was always interested in writing, and remember winning a short story competition as a child,” says Throsby, 37, during the chat we schedule when her two-year-old daughter Alvy takes a nap. “But I got into songwriting as a teenager and that continued into my 20s, and even though I majored…

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“I THINK THAT ON BOTH SIDES WE TRY TO ADAPT TO A NEW WORLD TODAY AND TOMORROW, SO THE STYLE CONTINUES” Olivier Polge could be described as either the most clever or the most foolish man in fragrance right now. Foolish, not because of the fragrances his well-honed sense of smell has conceived to date as the resident perfumer of Chanel (Misia, Chance Eau Vive and, most recently, Boy were all met with praise) but in his latest assignment to reinterpret the high priestess of the fragrance world: Chanel No. 5. Yes, that Chanel No. 5 – the heady floral juice that you might spritz when you need to feel particularly self-assured; the scent that immediately reminds you of your mother/sister/grandmother/best friend; the fragrance that Marilyn Monroe catapulted to iconic…

     THE PREATURES Every once in a while, a band comes along that resuscitates the howling urgency of rock’n’roll. The Preatures are that standing side by side, backs to the crowd with their “X” ingredient: one hell of a frontwoman, Isabella Manfredi, who transitions from raucous Joan Jett rebel to Chanel sylph in a shrug of her fringed suede jacket.      GANG OF YOUTHS As dusk descends on the festival site, Gang of Youths frontman Dave Le’aupepe (far left) has a moment with his gang, temporarily joined by model Charlee Fraser. The Sydney-based quintet needs it; they’re about to take their fierce, emotive act in front of more than 33,000 elated fans.     VIOLENT SOHO It was suburban Brisbane that incubated and spat out the intense sound that is Violent…

“I WATCHED IT TWO OR THREE TIMES AND EAMON MADE ME LAUGH SO MUCH I WAS CRYING” How did you two meet? Tilda Cobham-Hervey: “We have the same agent. Her name is Trish McAskill.” Eamon Farren: “She is the leader of our careers and lives! One day she rang me and said: ‘Darling, I have just met your little sister, she’s from Adelaide and she has a movie coming up.’” TCH: “I believe you were not so keen at the beginning.” EF: “That is not true!” TCH: “Trish is very much like a mother and best friend. I knew about you already because you worked with the Windmill Theatre Company and I have watched every one of those shows since I was a child. As soon as I met Trish,…

82.8 Average life expectancy in years for a baby born in Australia now. This is above the USA, at 79 years, but below Japan, at 84. 2 The number of years that have been added to the average life expectancy every decade for the past 100 years. To put it another way, for every hour that passes, you have gained 12 more minutes of your life expectancy. 2020 The year by which the EU has committed to adding two years to the average person’s “healthspan” (their period of wellness before age-associated diseases set in). 50/50 The odds of bringing ageing under what Aubrey de Grey calls “a decisive level of medical control with the next 25 years or so”. 122 The longest confirmed human lifespan. Jeanne Calment was born in…

Soaking in a private onsen (geothermically heated spring) while looking into the green canopy of maple, red pine and mountain cherry makes it nearly impossible not to relax The silence is as powerful as the simplicity Giving yourself up to nature to bathe in the curative waters of an onsen is absolutely unmissable on any visit to Japan For thousands of years, the Japanese have whiled away hours in the country s 3,000-plus indoor and outdoor onsen scattered throughout the volcanic belt of the country s 6,852 islands, often grouped together in key hot spring areas Openly revered, the mineral-rich waters are considered to have restorative properties that heal aches and pains, ease and prevent illness and generally maintain a healthy body According to Japanese onsenhou (hot spring law), to…

Qantas offers 14 flights weekly from Australia to Tokyo (Haneda and Narita airports). Narita services international flights, while Haneda’s three terminals offer international and domestic connections. On arrival in Haneda, a taxi to the centre of Tokyo is approximately 30 minutes or less (depending on traffic), while the monorail is an easy option that bypasses busy Tokyo streets and brings you right into the city. The monorail, subway and rail system all have English signage, comprehensive maps and clear station names, making it super-easy to get around. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT QANTAS.COM.AU.…

MYRA PEREZ The Sydney-based florist and owner of My Violet, Myra Perez, created the floral arrangements for Gucci shoot Perfect harmony on page 230. “Although it might look thrown together, there was actually a big creative process that I went through, she says of planning for this story. With the final result, it looks like each artist pictured magically grew on set and the clothes and flowers grew around her. GABE CRAMB A publicist for Splendour in the Grass, Gabe Cramb was our expert for the music festival shoot. Every year I have a moment where I’m on stage for some reason and I look out to the sea of happy faces and think to myself: What an amazing show to be part of. TIM OLSEN For this issue, Tim…

IT IS THE ACT OF SELECTING, GATHERING AND ORGANISING THAT SEPARATES COLLECTABLES FROM THINGS Striding and tricked out with trinkets of miniature books, keys and roses, it was as though the Prada women were so obsessed with these found objects they had strung them around their necks, off their belts, on and around their clothes. “Everything is symbolic. It is like a collage of what is happy or painful, of whether you are feeling beautiful or horrible, when you have love or no love,” says Miuccia Prada backstage at the Prada autumn/winter ’16/’17 show. “I thought of someone who has all the clothes she’s ever had on the floor in front of her in the morning, and she must choose how she’s going to assemble herself.” These vagabonds, as Miuccia…

1 ON HER FIRST FRAGRANCE MEMORY … “I remember being about 16 and my friend’s mother had this really incredible perfume. I was obsessed with this perfume. I would go to her home and smell it in the bathroom. It was from a little artisanal shop on Madison Avenue that no longer exists called Shelley Marks. I had other perfumes, but with that one I really fell in love.” 2 ON WHOM SHE HAD IN MIND WHEN CREATING NEW SCENT LA FEMME … “I believe in individuality and I never had an icon that was a woman. I like many different men and women, but an icon of style? No, never. Actually, I hate the idea.” 3 ON THE CHALLENGES … “What I think is most difficult – and it’s…

BEAUTY AND HEALTH We reject contoured Instagram selfies but stop-start YouTube make-up tutorials to get ready for espresso martinis on a Saturday night, before regretting that we pre-booked a Sunday morning aerial yoga and post-workout green juice, which looks better than it tastes. We try fitness trends as often as we change our cotton Calvin Klein underwear (thank goodness for ClassPass) and feel somewhere between inadequate and inspired into a daily fitness regimen by #transformationtuesday Instagrams. Some days that motivation will only go so far as donning Lululemon tights and heading to the farmers’ market. Technology The phone is the new car because now it’s our smartphones that provide us with the ease of getting about, of keeping in contact and staying social. We’ll be the first to claim we’re…

“I’M AN AVID PEOPLE-WATCHER. THAT’S WHAT INSPIRES ME THE MOST” You don’t have to be tuned into the giant pop machine or follow shows like The Voice and X-Factor to know that becoming the Next Big Thing is not an easy road. More often than not, the winning recipe involves talent, tenacity or luck (and a lot of it). In Kacy Hill’s situation, a talented, tenacious, Los Angeles-based musician who has gone from Kanye West’s backup dancer and model to musical protégée, she’ll be the first to admit that she is luckier than most. Warm and animated, with translucent, freckle-adorned skin and a sharp, flame-toned bob, this Arizona-born singer, whose style can be described as “Gucci-esque” (though she is a face of the Calvin Klein autumn/winter ’16/’17 campaign) has the…

Perfectly smooth, youthful-looking skin is your best accessory this spring/summer. Now, Swiss skincare company La Prairie promises achieving this doesn’t have to be complicated – it’s just a matter of adding the new step of a treatment essence to your skincare routine. The newly released light yet powerful Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion is the luxury brand’s first treatment essence. It’s specially formulated with an exclusive caviar water and precious caviar extracts to help give you skin that looks firmed and lifted. La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion is in stores this month. THE TRANSFORMER La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion is simple to use: twice a day, place a few drops into the palm of your hand, smooth over the complexion and then gently massage in. This preps the skin and helps to…

“THE THEATRE AND STAGE ARE A WHOLE LOT MORE FAMILIAR TO ME THAN FILM” If ever there was an influential platform to make a statement and have your message heard around the world, it is the Academy Awards. Actress Lupita Nyong’o is only too aware of the power of that podium, so when she took to the stage to accept the Oscar for best supporting actress for her extraordinary performance as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave, she made sure her message packed a punch. “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind every child that no matter where you are from, your dreams are valid,” she said in a voice full of emotion. That was in 2014. Since then, the girl who was born in Mexico…

We can be so preoccupied with our faces and décolletage that we forget about the middle ground – the neck. But it’s an area that’s just as exposed to all the elements you’re warned to protect your face against. As turtleneck sweaters are relegated to storage, it’s time to prep your skin for the summer ahead, neck included. “We’re trying to tone and tighten,” says Melissa Elvin-Jensen, Clinique’s national head of education, about the brand’s latest additions to its skincare line-up, Sculptwear Lift and Contour Serum for Face and Neck and Sonic System Massaging Treatment Applicator. “This is about increasing micro-circulation and increasing the absorption of the product,” she says of the benefits of pairing your product with the metallic applicator. As muscle tone is lost and fine lines begin…

“YOU’VE GOT FREQUENT INTERACTION, PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO … THAT’S VERY POWERFUL” Meet Monique. Monique enjoys listening to Madonna, her guilty pleasure is rosé champagne, her favourite destination is Corsica and her go-to karaoke song is Jolene . No, this isn’t her online dating profile; Monique is an instructor at New York-based cult-fitness outfit SoulCycle and the fact that we know all of this (and more if you attend one of her 45-minute classes) is via her online trainer profile. Monique forms part of the new breed of community-minded workouts that aim to fulfil not only the physiological benefits of exercise – improved fitness, weight control, reduced risk of disease – but also the latest share-all, one-of-the-pack mentality sweeping city gyms and fitness classes alike. “I draw…

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Her brilliant red lips are mesmerising in their colour and perfection, a perfectly proportioned scarlet slash against the white foundation covering her childlike round face. Mysterious brown eyes don’t give much away, the deep pools so dark that it’s almost impossible to distinguish the pupil from her iris. Tomitsuyu has wanted to be a geiko (the Kyoto name for a geisha) all her life, and after three years of training as a maiko (an apprentice geiko) seven days a week, is still unsure whether she will pass the test to become fully qualified in two years’ time. But under the steady hand of Reiko Tomimori, who owns the Tomikiku teahouse she inherited from her grandfather, Tomitsuyu will continue her maiko training in dancing, music, calligraphy and tea ceremonies. An only…

Rei Kawakubo did not train as a fashion designer. Instead, she studied art and literature at Keio University in Tokyo, which is perhaps why she questions the very codes fashion has been defined by. As the creative director of Comme des Garçons, Kawakubo is often referred to as the world’s most influential living fashion designer. She made her debut in Paris in 1981, then followed in 1982 with a collection aptly named Destroy, as she would go on to subvert all fashion conventions by consistently challenging established notions of beauty. Destroy, for example, featured tattered, asymmetrical and holey garments in an entirely new aesthetic, still sewn by hand using haute couture techniques. Kawakubo was soon so famous that her black-clad fans were dubbed “the crows” by the Japanese press, but…

minimalist LUXURY South of Tokyo, luxurious Amanemu offers serious onsen indulgence, sitting quietly among forested hills off the beaten track of Japan’s main visitor trails. Retreat to ocean views from the spa treatment suites, outdoor onsen bath pavilions, a yoga studio, watsu water therapy pool and the signature Aman face and body treatments; www.aman . com. riverside ZEN With superb views of the surrounding mountains and namesake river from every room, Bettei Otozure offers a boutique ryokan and onsen experience with all the serenity of rural Japan. Enjoy the natural healing properties of the mountainous hot springs in your own private hot-spring bath on the balcony in each room ; tablethotels.com. forest RETREAT A picturesque French-inspired retreat, Arcana Izu sits south of Mount Fuji and offers a complete escape from…

LIBRA 24 SEPTEMBER – 23 OCTOBER No time to daydream this month, so you’ll have to think on your feet. Life is coming at you from weird and wonderful directions. You’re a force of nature and a money magnet now, and suitors old or new will be in awe of your wit and wisdom. Love finds you in transit or in training, or hanging out in your hood. STYLE ICON: Felicity Jones SCORPIO 24 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER Deep thinking is what you do best: this month an “aha!” moment could convince you to look on the bright side of life rather than dwell on what might go wrong. If health or work have left you depleted, you get a welcome surge of energy now so that, with almost no…

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