August lifestyle edit

The design studio…

…Palefire Studio, creator of modular lamps from recycled paper pulp

There has been a tangible shift in the design industry of late, with makers looking to source new sustainable materials to make their process more circular. London-based studio Palefire Studio has just launched its U/V Collection, a group of sculptural lamps made from modular paper-pulp pieces informed by historical art and design movements. They’ve already been spotted in fashionable spots all over the world, including the exclusive Hoxton Hotel in Barcelona.

Browse the studio's Instagram here

The floating restaurant…

…Caravel

This particular writer recently had the best meal of her year at Caravel, the floating restaurant housed in a converted barge that’s made serious waves in London’s foodie scene for its excellence. While it’s tricky to secure a table without booking far in advance, the 40-seater dining room in Islington is bound to stun diners with its duck-shaped croquettes, crab tagliatelle and the best sesame prawn toast we’ve ever tasted.

Find out more here

The film…

…Nope, the spellbinding new picture from director Jordan Peele

Oscar winner Jordan Peele turned the horror on its head with Get Out and Us – paving the way for a new era of the genre. Nope is Peele's third cinematic endeavour and, once again, he blends the funny with the frightening. It's set on a California ranch, run by siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer), which supplies horses to film productions. And then one day, a UFO storms into the sky and the ranchers are determined to capture it on film.

Read our edit of the best movies this summer

Read…

…The Story of Art without Men, by Katy Hessel

Katy Hessel has long been it making it her mission to shed light on the women artists that art history has callously overlooked and dismissed, and her new book chronicling them is set to stun. From the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance and the radical work of Harriet Powers in 19th-century USA, t the artist who really invented the Readymade, this book will tell the story of art as never before.

Pre-order here

Photography fix…

…How to Win at Photogaphy: Image Making as Play at Photographers’ Gallery

This new multimedia exhibition from the Photographers' Gallery explores the relationships between photography, image-making and play. It invites audiences to focus on the playful aspects of visual culture, and creates unexpected connections between the history of photography and the practices of image-making within computer games and wider digital screen culture. A curious, thought-provoking and multi-faceted exhibition.

Read more here

The party…

…Notting Hill Carnival

The leafy, distinguished quiet of west London's ice-cream-coloured squares gets blown apart for August Bank Holiday weekend. Carnival brings goat curry, steel drums, rum punch, coconuts, jerk chicken and a whole lot of joy to Notting Hill for the first time since 2019.

Spritz and scrub…

…with Diptyque’s first foray into luxury cleaning products, the La Droguerie line

From orange-blossom scented multi-surface cleanser to a leather and wood care lotion, Diptyque’s new line of all-natural luxury cleaning products is a win for candle-lovers. There’s even a odour-removing candle which has already clocked up rave reviews across the board.

Shop the line here

The brand…

…Tea & Tequila

From pastel-hued co-ords and dresses inspired by flamenco dancing in star-lit taco bars to bracelets and necklaces made from hand-cut gemstones, Tea and Tequila is the slow fashion brand championing Mexico’s indigenous crafts that we can’t get enough of.

Browse the collection here

Get creative…

…at Yayoi Kusama’s Obliteration room

A stark white room is being transformed into a haze of rainbow dots at Tate Modern. Visitors to Yayoi Kusama's The Obliteration Room are given a sheet of coloured dot stickers and given free rein to decorate. Along with spreading kaleidoscopic colour and chaos, families also have the chance to help create a new work of art in the growing garden that is taking over the Turbine Hall.

Read more here

The hottest table in town…

…Mriya, Chelsea

Ukrainian chef, presenter and ambassador of the nation’s cuisine Yurii Kovryzhenko – who has previously hosted charity dinners with Jason Atherton, Jamie Oliver and Tom Seller in aid of the war – is opening his own restaurant in Chelsea, with a commitment to employing Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war. The small, 37-cover restaurant is fittingly called Mriya, meaning dream, and will celebrate classic Ukrainian specialties including borsch (beetroot soup), chicken Kyiv, courgette pancakes and smoked trout.

Click here to see our pick of the best restaurants opening this month

For green-fingered flower lovers…

…A panel discussion and lunch with Dan Pearson at Petersham Nurseries

Everyone’s favourite haven of floral, earthly delights, Petersham Nurseries is hosting a special panel discussion with renowned garden designer Dan Pearson OBE. He will discuss an array of topics with Petersham’s head gardener Edward Parkinson, including sustainability, seasonality and colour. After the talk, guests will enjoy a four-course lunch, followed by a special tour of Petersham House’s private gardens. The perfect August afternoon. Tickets are £150 each.

Read more here

Listen…

…to Annahstasia’s mesmerising live COLORS performance

Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and multi-media artist Annahstasia describes her sound as 'power folk'. Tackling political themes with a certain romanticism, the artist’s enchanting and opulent vocals are utterly spellbinding

Watch it here

Burn…

…Neandertal candles

This conceptual perfume brands with two scents inspired by the history of Neanderthals and imagined reality in which they continue to live with us in the present day. This avant-garde concept has just been reformatted as two companion candles – ‘us’ and ‘them’ – in handmade porcelain containers designed by Neandertal’s founders, the artist Kentaro Yamada and designer Campbell Melrose-Allen.

Shop here

The collaboration…

…Paul’s Ibiza x Loewe

We’re lusting after these espadrilles from the annual summertime collaboration between Paul’s Ibiza and Loewe. The expertly crafted sandals are hand-finished by skilled artisans using time-honoured techniques.

Shop the collaboration

See our sandal edit here

The fry-up…

…Norman’s at Islington’s brand-new food hall, Sessions

We’ve long been obsessed with Tufnell Park’s achingly Instagrammable answer to café culture, Norman’s, with its black and white tiled floors, reasonable pricing and unbeatable breakfasts. Now, the coolest cafe in town arrives in Islington by way of Sessions – a miniature food hall with room for just four vendors that will change over time. Order up…

Find out more here

Soothe…

…heat-prickled skin with Dr Barbara Sturm’s skin-loving Aloe Vera Gel. There is an impressive 90 per cent aloe vera in this cooling, soothing and hydrating gel from renowned German aesthetician, Dr Barbara Sturm. The refreshing gel is suitable for daily use on the face and body and is also recommended for use after sunbathing, waxing or epilation to calm and cool the skin.

Shop here