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CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT
18ct rose gold and diamond
earrings, £3,110, MESSIKA BY GIGI
H D. White gold and silver ring,
£ 450, CARTIER. White gold

silver ring, £5,800, DIOR
JO LLERIE. 18ct white gold,
blue sapphire and pavé diamond
necklace, £16,800, BULGARI.

e gold and diamond bracelet,
£11,200, TIFFANY & CO.

Introducing the only piece you d
need to wear this Christmas-
party season. Go for the big, faBlcintgor
crystal-encrusted variety.
In the year of nostalgia
Compiled by Donna Wallace. Photographs: Getty Images, Graham Walser at Hearst Studios, Rex Features and high-wattage glamour

of the sequinned,
fur-stoled kind, it’s no
surprise to see the return
of equally bold jewellery
— specifically, pavé
diamonds. Now is the time
to revisit the majors. Think
Grace Kelly in Cartier or
Elizabeth Taylor in
Chopard. And then wear it
with wanton irreverence
– denim, a distressed tee,
track pants, whatever.

The classics

Take a break from the constant news alerts on your smartphone – your group chats are
just as stimulating IRL. And a simple watch is all you need to stay on schedule.

THE MINIMALIST THE PRAGMATIST THE CLASSICIST THE MAXIMALIST THE INDIVIDUALIST
Rose gold and diamond, Polished steel, Pink gold, Metal and crystal, Steel, £1,070,
£199, SWAROVSKI GUCCI
£7,400, CHOPARD £1,250, TAG HEUER £21,300, CARTIER

51E L L E JAN

Words by

STACEY
DUGUID

Collages by

SIDUATIONS

AscGWihdleuiatecxhnacjnuTineAsadtlRlneingOdrgoTMCtymfocharQuoissrthutiSfiieaosPennIaRnaDtI,TbioUlerA, L 2017 was a doozy. So the moment December rolled
around, I knew exactly who to call for some New Year,
new-season know-how. Forget Ghostbusters, I’ve enlisted
a Spirit Squad — specifically, the extraordinary tarot read-
er and spiritual mentor Elaine Mary Collins and the smart
woman’s go-to astrologer Shelley von Strunckel.

According to Elaine, 2018 will be a year of justice and
reckoning. Karma? It’s time to insist on authenticity from
leaders, bosses and – most importantly – yourself. It’s also
time to simplify your life by clearing out clutter, tackling
debt and distancing yourself from toxic relationships. Or,
as Mary J Blige would say: ‘No more drama.’

Healthwise, harmonise your body, mind and spirit with
a more balanced way of life (Prada flats for me, then). Go
green with your beauty routine or choose labels that are
kinder to the planet. Creatively, this is the year to finish pro-
jects and present them to the world. So go forth, impress,
and do it all in a style from the new-season collections that
suits your sign.

52E L L E JAN

22 DEC – 19 JAN

YOU, THE MOST SOCIABLE OF

SIGNS, are on a journey inward.

This year’s about exploring your

creative side and discovering

IN LATE DECEMBER, YOUR RULER SATURN RETURNED to Capricorn for inner peace. Embrace the change

the first time since 1990, so you’re in new territory. Forget about a masterplan and go on an emotional journey

and explore – what and who you discover will transform your life. Hardworking wearing new design talent. Try

Capricorn, now is the time to drop the ‘work’ from work clothes. Instead, be Molly Goddard, Attico and

experimental with heritage brands such as Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Paul 20 JAN – 18 FEB A.W.A.K.E. on for size. Quirky

Smith and Christian Dior. The reinvented Americana at Calvin Klein, under the and outlandish, you never fly

creative directorship of fellow Capricorn Raf Simons, sits well with your ‘classic with the flock, and that’s why

with a twist’ sensibility. Fitted dresses call your name, but think Michelle Obama you can mix Miu Miu with H&M,

in Roksanda and Preen: composed, powerful and in charge. Balenciaga with & Other Stories

and Christian Dior with Topshop,

Pisces19 FEB – 20 MARCH and all with aplomb. The very
YOU’VE LONG FELT YOUR LIFE’S definition of cutting edge, you
BEEN UNBALANCED. The good love discovering new styles.
news is that, in 2018, you get the Apply that intuitive attitude to
work, and rarely will you have

chance to deal with it. Be brave – dress to reflect your new mood. been as excited about what

Channel Sarah Burton, whose spring collection came in the guise you’ve achieved than in 2018.

of stunning rose-strewn dresses worn over tailored trousers. And But remember, you’re still learning.

speaking of Alexander

McQueen, the late creative Taurus20 APRIL – 20 MAY
director and fellow Piscean
Lee loved all things aquatic,
so when it comes to
eveningwear, ethereal

is the name of the game. HAS LIFE BECOME RATHER

Make a splash in an PREDICTABLE? Uranus, which

off-the-shoulder, sea-blue is all about innovation and the

Alberta Ferretti dress. unexpected, is taking you on

Paillettes that shimmer, a guided tour of new ideas

feathers that flutter – it’s and experiences. You need

as if the season were to be nudged to try something

made for you! It makes for new. Like fellow Bull Donatella

a thrilling and rewarding Versace’s tight black everything,

journey – 2018 is a work you favour an everyday uniform

in progress. Dive in. and have an appreciation of

old-school dressing, which is

21 MARCH – 19 APRIL why the original supermodels
in chainmail gowns on the
Aries SS18 Versace catwalk had
your heart a-flutter. Go find
your chainmail gown. You’ll
only regret what you didn’t

WHILE HAVING EDGY do, not what you did.

URANUS IN ARIES 2G 1eMAY – 20 JUNE ini

SINCE 2011 has broadened your horizons, its

departure allows you to pause, consider what IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU THIS YEAR. From health,

you’ve accomplished and set new goals. In terms wellbeing and fitness, to getting involved in pursuits that

of career, 2018 is your year to focus on what works leave you better off – physically, intellectually or even

for you and nothing says ‘determined’ more than terms of your self-esteem, the plans and projects you

a Calvin Klein double-breasted blazer. You may ake and stick to this year will pay off, big time. You’re

be strong and independent, dear Aries, but you’re orty, sometimes boyish and, for you, dear Gemini,

also passionate with a softer side, à la fellow Aries there is nothing worse than fussy fashion that makes you

Victoria Beckham, who showed the perfect glitter feel uncomfortable. Opt instead for sleek Scandinavian

pumps to balance out her masculine-edged tailoring. designers such as Ganni, Cecilie Copenhagen and Acne

Of course, it’s OK to be sidetracked by frippery, but Studios, mixed with your favourite Levi’s. Then add a dash

whatever you do, ignore quirky fashion trends that of floral print by fellow Gemini Tory Burch – why? Because

aren’t very you. This is the year to be true to yourself, this year will bring a sense of freedom to be exactly who

and only you know what that means. are you. Gemini, it’s your time to shine.

53E L L E JAN

Cancer21 JUNE – 22 JULY 23 JULY – 22 AUG LeoIT’S ABOUT BROADENING YOUR
HORIZONS, personally, in terms of
THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT TEAMWORK, and you have amazing back-up lifestyle, work and even your pleasures.
from practical Saturn, which encourages you to invest in yourself. It’s time You’re a sexy big cat when it comes to
to strengthen existing relationships at work, in love and out in the world, clothes and will think nothing of mixing
not to mention forming new ones where your life needs a boost. What leopard print with bold red and gold
to wear during this year of evolution? The spring catwalk heralded this – and nor should you! Fellow Leos
the season of the suit – check out the optimistic shimmer of the Tom Ford Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent
show for details. Fellow Cancerian Nicholas Kirkwood’s perfect blend both possessed the kind of style
of feminine-meets-fierce footwear is a must-buy when it comes to making chutzpah no one could argue with,
bold career moves and dressing to impress. Take care to celebrate your and new designer Michael Halpern’s
feminine side, work hard, network – and by the year’s close, you’ll have glittering eveningwear has your name
watched those investments flower. written all over it. But to look haute from
work to weekend, wear a déshabillé
Virgo23 AUG – 22 SEPT Preen dress with an off-the-shoulder
cardigan, embellished shoes and
YOU’RE INTERESTED IN
THE WORLD AROUND mussed-up hair. Try something
YOU, but you’re cautious. new once a week. You’ll
During 2018, you may be amazed how much
(or may not) be pleased more exciting your life is.
to know that all that changes
– you will be reaching out Libra23 SEPT – 22 OCT
to meet, experience and
love in new ways. When AFTER A YEAR OF
it comes to what you wear EXPANSIVE JUPITER IN
when meeting someone YOUR SIGN, the focus shifts
for the first time, for you, to capitalising on encounters
Virgo, it’s all about comfort and experiences. Ruled by
and fit. From Gap to Marc Venus, you’re an intellectual
Jacobs, you seek quality when it comes to what to wear.
in everything, a lot like fellow From discreet Céline to sensual
Virgo Stella McCartney, Valentino, like fellow Libra
a veritable embodiment Ralph Lauren, you dislike
of the sign, with her neat-chic aesthetic. Give smart, oversized shirting excess. You’ll find pure joy
and wide-legged trousers a go, or a loose-fit, rust-coloured Stella in Phoebe Philo’s carefully
dress that’s both seductive and prim. New to rust? By the year’s close, crafted, oversized tailoring and
taking chances will be your motto. Excited? voluminous outerwear
for Céline. Add a splash
of bold jewellery and try a
change of hairstyle. Behold
– your beautifully well-
balanced aesthetic is updated
in the sassiest way possible.

IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GIVE UP HABITS that Sagittarius22 NOV – 21 DEC
have irritated you for a long time now. Happily,
you have magical Jupiter, planet of growth, BIG -TIME CHANGES take you into territory so new that even
helping you. And speaking of magical, check you, the most adventurous sign, have doubts. These are life-shaping
out fellow Scorpio Stefano Gabbana’s tight- situations, but go for it. In years to come, you’ll be relieved you took
fitting super-sheer midi-length wiggle dresses what seemed like a chance. Unknowingly sexy, you’re a natural
at Dolce & Gabbana, because, let’s face it, when it comes to ‘French undone’. Like Sagittarian Julianne Moore,
no sign is sexier, darker and more brooding than with your white silk blouse unbuttoned to ‘just there’, luxurious
you in the style stakes. Avoid beige trouser suits underwear, lush velvet trousers and the highest of heels, you’re
as if your life depends on it, and instead, embrace a veritable sex bomb. Look to the ultimate glamour-puss Cindy
your love of black eyeliner, late-night dancefloors Crawford, whose daughter Kaia Gerber owned the catwalks this
and clinging fabrics in that perfect Scorpio way season. Channel her ‘go-girl’ attitude and embrace big change.
that is both ‘don’t notice me… Oh, thank you for
noticing me!’ Your 2018 motto? ‘Go for it.’
2Sc3 OCoT – 2r1 NOpV io

Collages: Siduations

54E L L E JAN



Photographs byCotton jacket (belt seen),
£480, NANUSHKA.
ZFRANKIEWICZ &
OOMROZNIATACotton-mix velvet jeans,
£245, AG JEANS.

Cotton-mix socks, £15,

MYSOCKS at

AMAZON FASHION.
Leather boots, £1,200,

LOUIS VUITTON

WESTERN Styling by

TONAL DONNA
WALLACE
!TAN

Cotton jacket,
£480, NANUSHKA.
Straw hat, £800, DIOR.
Cotton-mix velvet jeans,
£245, AG JEANS.
Silver rings, £49 for
six, UNO DE 50

DESERTneTwO-NssetEuaSd,sdsouenndU-blPeleDaaAthTceEhrSe: dtthodetesheneimaWreaensytdoeurTnrUloRQokUOISE-

57E L L E JAN

CHAIN! S

ZOOM Satin jacket, £1,620, Photographs: Frankiewicz & Rozniata
denim jeans, £420,
leather and suede

studded bag, £1,225,
leather tasselled

bag, £1,725, and
silver bangle, £425,
all SAINT LAURENT

by ANTHONY

VACCARELLO. Silver
rings, £49 for six, silver

twist ring (just seen),
£55, all UNO DE 50

58E L L E JAN

Cotton-mix roll neck, £14.99,
NEXT. Leather jacket, £3,710,
MOSCHINO. Denim jacket,
£110, LEVI’S. Leather bag,
£950, COACH. Corduroy
trousers, £135, THE CORDS &
CO. Silver earrings, £69, silver
rings, £49 for six, silver twist
ring, £55, all UNO DE 50

XZUO! OM 59E L L E JAN



!DSSSAUEINELDNDVE IEMRR
ZOLeathercoat,£1,510,
Photographs: Frankiewicz & Rozniata. Styling: Donna Wallace. Hair: Adam Garland at Eighteen Management. LONGCHAMP.
Make-up: Nancy Sumner at Eighteeen Management. Model: Phoenix Anderson at Wilhelmina Denim jacket, £110, LEVI’S.
Wool roll neck,
£135, IKKS.61E L L EJAN
Resin sunglasses, £220,
MOSCHINO.
OSilver earrings, £69,
MUNODE50

Metal sLDuPInOOgRlPaSssOes,
£309,

REA

RJEeDr s eV£yA3j6LaE5cN,k eT tI,N O V£i3s5co, VseBjuYmVpEeRrY, bPoumly-bmaixg,
RLeEaDthVeAr LbEaNgT,I£N3O05, £59, &

OTHER
STORIES

V£is3c4o.9se9,juHm&pMer,

Poly-mix bag, £32, & &WOo oT Hl£- mE1Ri6x5Sc,ToOaRt , I E S

liglarceenRIVERISLAND
Acetate
sunglasses, E

£50, V

POLAROID I

£1C9o.9t9t o, nMTA- sNh iGr t ,O T

Leather wallet, ers,
£165, DOLCE
LEC
& GABBANA
s
£305, LReEaDthVerAbLEaNg,TINO
L

trou

-CO

Silver earrings, £210,CYoEttAoRn-OmiNxE Leather bag, C E
£210, MARNI £1,585, V
ERSA
at NET-A-

PORTER

Letarathiener-mrsi,x T Photographs: Graham Walser at Hearst Studios
£14G9E,I GK UE RR

Leather trainers,
£160, AXEL

ARIGATO

62E L L E JAN

Metal Poly-mix t
earrings, £39.99,

£9.99,

MANGO

rouse rs, Silk blouse, £850,

H&M MARNI

Wool jumper,
£209, CLAUDIE

PIERLOT

Leather bag, £1,585, VERSACE

Leather coat, L esahHtohUeeGsr,- mO£3i xB1O5,S S
£849, POLO
R LAURE N
ALPH

bu&rbnliusheed S a t3i n.£1b4o9P LH5oI,tIMsL,L I P

Wool-mix roll Sa£tin22s0ho, rts,
neck, £189,
LF-PORTRAIT
MARC CAIN

S E

Acetate Leather trousers, £910, RAG & BONE Viscose dress,
sunglasses, £2,160,
£315, MAX
BOTTEGA
MARA VENETA

R OVBeEl vR Te t CbLoEoRt sG, E£R I4 E45, Metal
earrings,
£12.99,

MANGO

Leather bag, £1,800,

LOUIS VUITTON

63E L L E JAN

Silk scarf,
£265,

VALENTINO

Cotton-mix £14c5a, rMdL ehIaoUtlhdMeeIrrU, C£o2t4to0n,-mAiCxNtoEp,
top, £85, Le£a13th5e,rCtrAaMinPeErsR,

Plastic LACOSTE
sunglasses,
Corduroy
£195, jacket,
£59.99,
GIVENCHY
MANGO

C o£tet o1a6nIrSr,itLnaRAgsI VNsse,EDlR

Lea£t2hN6eE5rT,b-DAaV-gPF,OaRtTER redpi&nk acket,
P EXT

Crepedrdeessc, hine
ARY
£1,350, M ZOU

KATRANT

£W60o, oWl EtrEoKuDseArYs, £26, LRIeVatEhRerISgLloAvNesD, Leather bag,£1,890,
Photographs: Graham Walser at Hearst StudiosPRADA at NET-A-PORTER

WoSaoOpplNrpciclaIiAecrdaoRitgniYoaKnnI,E, L

Leather bag,
£895,

J.W.ANDERSON

Leather slides, £440, PRADA

64E L L E JAN





BELOW: Cotton top, BELOW: Wool blazer,
£360, PHILOSOPHY DI £325, BIMBA Y LOLA.
LORENZO SERAFINI. Silk
shirt (worn underneath), Cotton shirt, £135,
£195, THE KOOPLES. DAKS. Wool skirt, £160,
Silk skirt, £1,295,
ROKSANDA. Leather BROOKS BROTHERS.
boots, £275, RUSSELL Poly-mix trousers,

& BROMLEY £26, NEXT. Cotton
socks, £3.50,

TOPSHOP. Synthetic
shoes, £100, GEOX

Photographs: Viet Tran using Instax Square SQ10. Hair and make-up: Lisa Potter-Dixon. Model: Anouk Thyssen at Elite Model Management ABOVE: Wool coat, Styling by
£2,195, BURBERRY. Silk
shirt, £885, and leather HARRIET
bag, £860, both MICHAEL STEWART

KORS COLLECTION.
Wool trousers, £365,

RED VALENTINO.

Leather boots, £275,

RUSSELL & BROMLEY.

Acetate earrings, £225,

MICHAEL KORS

TRY THIS:

CHECKS
Whether you play with SCALE, colour or
intenlsieitsy,inthgeuttrsicykgtroapMhAicSsTaEnRdINbGolwdinsthearppeasttern

67E L L E JAN



Chiffon and Silk top, £825,
polyester top, GUCCI

Silk top, £160, £570,
BIMBA Y LOLA PHILOSOPHY
DI LORENZO
Silk top, £417,
SERAFINI TIBI

th1e2 boefst

Silk top,
£380,

CARVEN

Cotton top, £222,
SHUSHU/TONG
at DOVER STREET
MARKET

Cotton top, £275, Polyester top, £199,
COACH CLAUDIE PIERLOT

Polyblend top,
£29.99, H&M

Photographs: Graham Walser at Hearst Studios Polyester top,
£185,

MARC CAIN

Cotton top, £565, Cotton top, £775,
CHRISTOPHER KANE DSQUARED2

69E L L E JAN

twtiiestded& SuPhbAvSeTrEtLwsSoft

Photographs by

SASCHA
HEINTZE

Wool and cashmere
cardigan (worn

backwards), £209,
SANDRO. Silk trousers,
£570, ALBERTA FERRETTI.
Leather boots, £700,

CÉLINE. Glass and
brass earrings, £12.99,
MANGO. Sterling-silver

rings, from £30, all
PANDORA (pandora.net)

Styling by

FELICITY
K AY

7OE L L E JAN

Silk organza jumpsuit
and viscose jersey body

(sold together),
£1,085, MAX MARA.

Leather boots,
£700, CÉLINE.
Metal and diamanté
earrings, £12,
RIVER ISLAND

BLACK WRAP-AROUND boots
add a stylistic COUNTERPOINT to a

71E L L E JAN

Cashmere scarf
(wrapped around shirt),
£140, GERARD DAREL.

Cotton shirt, £60,
G-STAR. Organic cotton

skirt, £620, STELLA
MCCARTNEY. Leather
boots, £700, CÉLINE.
Sterling-silver rings,
from £30, all PANDORA

(pandora.net)

72E L L E JAN

Wool jacket, £660,
and wool trousers, £370,

both ACNE STUDIOS.
Leather bag, £75,

VAGABOND. Leather
boots, £700, CÉLINE.
Glass and brass earrings,
£12.99, MANGO. Sterling-
silver rings, from £30, all
PANDORA (pandora.net)

y

Photographs: Sascha Heintz 73E L L E

JAN

Cotton shirt, £28, Photographs: Sascha Heintz. Styling: Felicity Kay. Hair: Benjamin David.
Make-up: Martina Lattanzi. Model: Kiran Kandola at Storm Models
RIVER ISLAND.

Cotton-mix belts,
£30 each, LEVI’S.
Silk and satin shorts,
£530, SALVATORE

FERRAGAMO

Cotton shirt, £90, Linen-mix blazer, £549,
G-STAR. Cotton shirt and linen-mix trousers,
(tied around body), £249, both POLO RALPH
£119, HUGO BOSS. LAUREN. Cotton-mix
T-shirt, £12.90, UNIQLO.
Cotton shirt (tied
around waist), £250, Cashmere jumper
(tied around waist), £125,
SPORTMAX. Velvet and leather boots, £175,
jeans, £245, AG JEANS.
both ARKET. Metal
Leather boots, £700, and diamanté earrings,
CÈLINE. Glass and
brass earrings, £12.99, £12, RIVER ISLAND.
MANGO. Sterling-silver Sterling-silver rings,
rings, from £30, all from £30, all PANDORA
PANDORA (pandora.net)
(pandora.net)

74E L L E JAN





elle

Edited by

SHANNON
MAHANTY

Photographs: Luca Campri s ...

INSIDE THE HOME OF A SUPERMODEL, PLUS HOLLYWOOD’S HARLEM
RENAISSANCE, THE MONTH IN CULTURE AND THE BOOKS WE’RE READING

Photographs by

LUCA CAMPRI

Words by

BILLIE
BHATIA

MWYORLDU

Arizona Muse lives in a little corner of quiet on London’s bustling

Edgware Road in a three-bedroom apartment tucked between all

the greengrocers, baklava shops and shwarma restaurants.

The model, famous for fronting campaigns for Chanel, Chloé,

Prada, Louis Vuitton and Estée Lauder, among a long list of others,

made the move from the States to London five years ago and,

for the most part, has stayed west, moving from Notting Hill to

Kensington and then on to Kilburn, before settling in her current

W2 apartment block in April 2017. She lives there with her

French husband, Boniface, and eight-year-old son, Nikko. ‘At our

last home, the art was standing up against boxes on the floor. So

this time, the first thing we did was hire people to get our furniture

out and our paintings on the wall.’

In the living room, sunlight floods in aR‘aIntEpyr-efiteUehncSei’tneIlNsgbs.gGuNWyoEionoeWgldd ’ ‘One of my
through large windows that open out on to ancestors was the
a residential Paddington street, while the architect behind
muted sky-blue accents (namely Arizona’s
velvet sofa and thick rug) have a cocooning the Natural
effect. And throughout, a heavy mid-century History Museum,
influence – triangular side tables, a brass
drinks trolley stacked with cut glass, cork so I have an
flooring and a teak sideboard – cement a affinity with it’
vaguely Mad Men feel.

‘I used to have a lot more big, heavy,
tribal-looking furniture,’ Arizona tells me as

she shows me around. ‘Pieces with intricate

cut work and craftsmanship with dark woods. But it began to

look and feel like too much.’ Her husband had a lighter style:

‘He came with his mid-century taste and completely changed

my outlook on furniture – and I love the results. I appreciate how

delicate and small our furniture is; it doesn’t overcrowd, so there

is room to breathe.’

She has found most of her pieces online. ‘eBay, eBay, eBay —

it’s an incredible treasure trove,’ she says, showing me a selection

of her online finds, including an elegant teak sideboard and a

slightly oversized, vintage-looking wooden bar (‘the size doesn’t

quite work in here, but that’s OK’).

As Arizona, a budding environmentalist, stresses, secondhand

shopping is better for the world. ‘It feels good re-using old pieces.

We aren’t buying anything new; we’re keeping things out of

landfill. Plus, these pieces aren’t expensive.’

Collecting is in Arizona’s blood. Her father was an art dealer

and her mother a textile restorer. ‘I grew up with ancient art

around me all the time – pre-Colombian, Turkish rugs and Native

American art. But modern art is something I discovered later on —

we had very little of that around us when I was growing up.’ The

dining area wall is dominated by 15 nearly identical photographs.

’We picked this up from the Contemporary African Art Fair last

‘I value my work
with environmental

charities’

79E L L E JAN

year; it’s a series by artist Lien Botha. She took the same Photographs: Luca Campri. Hair and make-up: Lou Box. Arizona Muse is represented by Next Model Management

picture over and over again, each time removing something

and re-photographing it. I can look at that wall for so long

and never tire of it.’

Arizona is able to enjoy some well-deserved down time

in her new, lighter space. She may be just 29, but she comes

across as mature beyond her years. It’s hard to believe we’re

practically the same age. When I was a partying uni student

‘Aquazzura avoiding my five hours of classes a week, she was racking
thigh-high flat
up magazine covers (she’s appeared on more than 40) and
boots’
opening some of the fashion world’s biggest shows. Since

then, she has wisely stopped working weekends in order to

spend more time with her family. ‘That decision changed my

life’, she says with an emphatic sigh of relief. ‘A couple of

years ago, I realised there is a reason there’s a Monday-

to-Friday week – humans really blossom and flourish on this

mystical five-day-week schedule.’

How to spend this new-found downtime? I spy some

exotic-looking percussion instruments in

firveeM‘ Ha-YodlUlySnaMTfytlIAohCwiuNsAeriSLsehk ’ the corner, but before I can conjure up a
von Trapp family image, Arizona clarifies
that the drums are definitely not hers.
‘I am not musical – a fact I know for sure
because I went to a very musical school
and I never got good.’ Her husband and
son, however, are. ‘My husband started
playing bass and my son wanted to play
guitar. So they take lessons on Fridays,
one after the other. It’s really sweet.’

Outdoor pursuits are far more
Arizona’s vibe. She spent her childhood

riding horses, but has recently taken up

kitesurfing. ‘It’s like a snowboard on the water, with a kind of

paragliding kite above you, pulling you along. I’ve had my

first lesson, and it was pretty tough going.’

I get the sense that nothing fazes Arizona: not the lack of

sleep from her morning flight, her years juggling a massive

career with a husband and son, not even a snowboard

attached to a piece of fabric, dragging her out to the open

sea. Like the slightly oversized bar, it all just kind of works.

‘High intensity
interval training
(HIIT) improves
my overall fitness.
Equinox’s Tier X
programme is
really flexible’

80E L L E JAN



,

Words by

SHANNON
MAHANTY

arl

The 2017 Emmy Awards was a night of firsts. Atlanta’s Don-

ald Glover became the first black man to win Best Comedy

Director. Sterling K Brown bagged Outstanding Lead Actor in

a Drama Series for his performance in This Is Us – the first

black actor in 19 years to do so. Ava DuVernay picked up four

Emmys for 13th, her documentary about the disproportionate

number of black Americans incarcerated in the US. And Lena

Waithe became the first black woman to win Outstanding

Writing for a Comedy Series for her memorable ‘Thanksgiving’

episode of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. In her speech, which 12 Years a Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o and Get Out’s Daniel

moved audience members to tears, she thanked ‘everybody Kaluuya. Ava DuVernay’s sci-fi fantasy A Wrinkle in Time

out there who showed so much love for this episode. Thank hits cinemas in March, while a sequel of Eddie Murphy’s

you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and cult 1988 film Coming to America – the story of an African

a little queer black girl from the South Side of Chicago. We prince who emigrates to New York – is in the works.

appreciate it more than you could ever know.’ ‘The world is a better place when everyone gets

A few weeks before Lena’s Emmy win, we spoke to her about a chance to tell their story,’ says Brian Dobbins, producer

‘Thanksgiving’, which she wrote and starred in. Largely based of hit show Black-ish, which tackles issues such as police

on her own life, it’s both a coming-of-age and a coming-out story. brutality and institutionalised racism, often through a co-

It’s full of hilarity (her character, Denise, dates someone whose medic lens. ‘People always tell me how much they relate

social media handle is NipplesAndToes23) and heartbreak to the show, whether you’re black, white, Latino. I was at

(her mother’s response to her sexuality is both tough and touch- a dinner and a Persian lady in her fifties said to me, “Black-

ing). Even before any award recognition, the episode went vi- ish is exactly what my family is like!” When a show is right

ral. ‘I wasn’t aware of how starving and it’s done authentically, we real-

people were,’ says the 33-year-old ise we’re all much more alike than

actor. ‘Particularly queer people of we recognise.’

colour. I had all these responses, One of the show’s stars is

like, “Listen, you told our story.” We 17-year-old Yara Shahidi, who plays

were absolutely grateful to be able bookish and popular Zoey Johnson.

to carry that torch, because we de- Off-screen, Yara is a force in her own

serve to be seen.’ right. Politically engaged and smart

Lena sees her work as part of (she begins her studies at Harvard

a larger movement. Her friends and next year), Yara uses her massive

contemporaries – Glover, Chew- Instagram following of 1.3 million to

ing Gum’s Michaela Coel and Inse- school her fans about the importance

cure’s Issa Rae – have all created of inclusivity. Figures such as Yara

and starred in their own television and Hunger Games’ Amandla Sten-

series. ‘We hang out, we communicate, we give each other berg represent a new breed of celebrity: young, powerful

feedback and advice. That community is such a call back to influencers who are recognised as much for their activism

the Harlem and Chicago renaissances [cultural and artistic as their acting roles – and the two are often entwined.

movements that spanned the Twenties]. There’s a renaissance And as for the Academy Awards, what a difference

happening right now and it’s happening in Hollywood.’ Lena’s a year makes. In 2016, for the second year in a row, all

new project, The Chi, is a TV series about life in Chicago’s 20 nominees for lead and supporting acting categories

South Side: ‘I feel honoured to be part of this, because what were white. But by 2017, the picture looked refreshingly

we’re doing is cool and great and “now”, but I can promise different: OJ: Made in America picked up Best Documen-

you that, in 20 years, we’ll have opened up doors for others to tary Feature, Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress for

Photographs: Getty Images, Emman Montalvan, Rex Features walk through and tell their story.’ drama Fences, and Moonlight marked a real watershed

You only have to look at some of major film releases in 2018 moment in Hollywood history, winning three Oscars in-

to see that the Emmys were not a one-off. In February, Marvel cluding Best Picture. ‘Do I think there was a growing ap-

releases its first African-American superhero film, Black Panther; petite for Moonlight?’ asks Tarell Alvin McCraney, the

the title role is played by Chadwick Boseman, and also stars writer behind the film. ‘To see black bodies in a space

that was both real and beautiful? Yes. I think part of the

#OscarsSoWhite hashtag’s genesis was from that need.’

From drama to comedy, an influx of films by black creatives followed, reach-

ing commercial and critical success, from the satirical horrors of Get Out, to the

story of debauched partying-gone-wrong in Girls Trip, which was the first black-

led movie to make $100m (£76.2m) at the box office. ‘Moonlight, Get Out and

the series Atlanta will go down in history as projects that have changed people’s

perception of what black cinema and black television looks like,’ says Lena. ‘It’s

really inspiring to watch because the industry has no choice but to reach out to us

and say, “OK, give us what you’ve got. We want to support you, because what

you guys are doing is obviously striking a nerve.”’

83E L L E JAN

The new faces and

RTEHMISEFMABCEER NNEEWW SYKEILALRS, 2. SPARK CHANGE VTEHGEANNEISWM
Whether creating a business
Watch out for 24-year-old Win at resolutions by model or partnering with When North Carolina
Letitia Wright (pictured, learning a new skill. From life communities, this 10-week introduced a bathroom bill
above), who is about to take drawing to podcast hosting, Social Entrepreneurship restricting the rights of the
on Hollywood in Marvel’s here are the best courses to online course from Oxford trans community to choose
new blockbuster, Black kickstart your 2018. University teaches budding which one to use, Hunter
Panther (out 9 February), entrepreneurs how to Schafer, 18 (pictured,
and the Steven Spielberg- 1. HOST A PODCAST develop ideas and create above), took her protest all
directed sci-fi Ready Player Be the next Sarah Koenig real social change. Visit the way to the courts until it
One (out 30 March). Catch (host of podcast Serial) conted.ox.ac.uk to enrol. was repealed. When she’s
her this month in the fourth by attending a three-hour not suing her hometown, the
series of Charlie Brooker’s ‘How to Launch a Successful 3. MAKE A MEAL OF IT trans activist splits her time
dystopian Black Mirror. Podcast’ session, taught From gluten-free cooking to between fronting fashion
by Mark Leruste, host of meat curing, Devon’s River campaigns (she’s walked
ANOTHER ONE The Unconventionalists. Cottage Cookery School for Versus and Helmut Lang
TO WATCH… The workshop takes people offers classes for all tastes. shows) and campaigning
This Christmas, look from beginner to pro, with Specialist options such as for LGTBQ causes. Follow
out for Hollywood advice on producing a fermenting and foraging her humanitarian mission
royalty Uma Thurman podcast on a budget using are also on the menu. and fashion takeover at
and Ethan Hawke’s only an iPhone. For dates, Visit rivercottage.net. @hunterschafer.
daughter, Maya Thurman- visit generalassemb.ly.
Hawke (left), in the BBC’s 4. LEARN A CRAFT
Little Women. Having Loved by Virginia Woolf and
graduated from The Juilliard Vanessa Bell, Charleston
School in New York, Maya House in East Sussex
will play Jo in this fresh look continues its artistic legacy
at the coming-of-age story. with one-day workshops.
Embrace your inner artist
with anything from life
drawing to cake decorating.
Visit charleston.org.uk.

trends to follow in 2018

VFEOGOADN BBLORILOLMIANINTG the ocean), he is perfecting
the art of flower freezing.
Prepare for the vegan Fashion’s love of flowers The Japanese artist’s
revolution. Gone are the grows and grows, with a ice-encased bouquets
holier-than-thou stereotypes new wave of artists and featured on the Dries Van
that have plagued veganism entrepreneurs sending Noten runway for SS17.
for decades. The revival roses into space, freezing And proving that plants
is giving us celebrity bouquets and feeding you have a function beyond
endorsements (Ellen Page daisies. First up, east London looking pretty, the crop
and Jessica Chastain live artist Rebecca Louise Law at Maddocks Farm in
a meat- and dairy-free life), creates large-scale artworks Devon (maddocksfarm
and a new wave of vegan using thousands of dried organics.co.uk) is edible.
junk food. Temple of Seitan flowers. Inspired by ancient Stay in the six-bedroom
in Hackney serves up ‘dirty Egyptian rituals, her current hayloft and enjoy beautiful
chicken’ (made from seitan, show, Life in Death at Kew views of organic flower
a gluten-based meat (until 11 March), features fields, before trying your
substitute). Meanwhile, hundreds of beautiful hand at making a flower-
Matter Fastfoods in Bristol is garlands hanging from based salad. For florals
a vegan fast-food restaurant, the ceilings. When fellow closer to home, order
offering ‘tofish’ and chips, artist Makoto Azuma isn’t from Bread & Roses
and believable battered practising extreme floristry (wearebreadandroses.com),
sausages. For inspiration, (in 2014, he launched a a social enterprise that trains
follow @yesitsallvegan for bonsai tree into space, and refugee women in floristry
snaps of jackfruit burgers, last year plummeted a bunch and helps them to find
vegan kebabs and dairy- of flowers to the depths of employment in the UK.
free desserts across the UK,
Words: Rachel Macbeth, Hannah Nathanson, Daniella Saunders. Photographs: Joel because veganism 2.0
Barhamand, Eyevine, Instagram/HunterSchafer, Getty Images, Imaxtree, Stocksy means having your cake
and eating it, too.

85E L L E JAN



CBELLOELUOBK THE BOOK
OF JOAN

by Lidia Yuknavitch

Yuknavitch
imagines
Joan of Arc as

ptLoiitcedkrsaeMrvtyhaoeruetradbtiothBooiasrkumsseollnsth a modern-day FUTURE HOME
heroine in a world OF THE LIVING

where humans GOD
face extinction.
by Louise Erdrich

A tender portrait
of a Native

American woman
who is pregnant
and living in a
dystopian world
in which evolution
has reversed itself.

Photographs: Graham Walser at Hearst Studios. Sofía Sanchez de Betak is represented by Next Models, nextmanagement.com. HER BODY & THE TWELVE-MILE LU L L A BY WHERE THE PEACH SOURDOUGH
Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture by Beth Lesser is out now (Soul Jazz Books, £29.99) OTHER PARTIES STRAIGHT PAST BEGINS
by Leïla SIimani by Emma Glass by Robin Sloan
by Carmen Maria by Eleanor Henderson by Amy Tan
This thriller about A creepy, visceral Combining
Machado Set in the American a murderous Tan goes back read about good conversations
South in the Thirties, babysitter is to her journals and evil, violence around food,
A timely collection this novel is about intense, but and letters to her and redemption culture, identity
of short stories gripping. mother, unearthing through the story of and Silicon Valley,
about women’s the birth of two memories of truths a girl named Peach. this story follows
babies (one black, Beautifully lyrical that have inspired Glass is a visionary Lois, a software
bodies, this mixes one white) and the and addictive, the her lyrical fiction. engineer-turned-
science fiction, book was lauded new voice. baker, in pursuit
magical realism shocking event in France and its
and fables. A that follows. English translation of a more
must-read you’ll meaningful life.
is finally here.
want to discuss with
your friends.

‘AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER, NOTHING COMPARES TO THE PAPER, THE SMELL OF INK AND THE HARD COVERS

MSHYELF OF A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED BOOK.’SOFÍA SANCHEZ DE BETAK, ART DIRECTOR, FASHION CONSULTANT AND AUTHOR

87E L L E JAN

MOTHER!

THE OTHER DAY, A STRANGER TOLD ME I DIDN’T LOOK

LIKE A MUM. I was simultaneously flattered and a bit miffed.

Flattered because I assume they meant that I look young (I’m

34), sleep nourished and whatever the opposite of harassed is.

Miffed because, excuse me, I have two cherubic daughters –

can’t you tell from my demeanour that I’m a wise, nurturing and

achingly cool mum? I wonder what

would have made me seem more

like a mum. A sensible haircut? A yen anCmd“OoTethMvheeePrri-LdhcICeohaoaAdTnoEgfisDing ”
for Michael Bublé? A lanyard for my
house keys?

Motherhood itself is not a new
concept. In fact, it’s timeless, univer-
sal, and whether you get there by giv-
ing birth, adopting or via surrogacy,
the job description is the same. And
yet our view of what a mum is, how
we perceive ourselves as mothers,
and the role of motherhood, is com-
plicated and ever-changing. Even my
own snap reaction to my apparent
un-mumness demonstrates prejudices

about what a mother should be.

It can be all too easy to group

ourselves into neat little boxes. It’s how we organise a confus- claw back my ‘old life’. Motherhood doesn’t feel as difficult as

ing world, identify with those around us and assert who we are it once did. I’ve absorbed the once-terrifying feelings of respon-

not. So, you’re a ‘yummy mummy’, a ‘slummy mummy’, a hipster sibility, guilt and fear that come with having to care for a whole

mum or even, God help us, a ‘micro-mummager’ (kill me now). new life. They’ve not gone away, they’re just a part of me now.

The nauseating clichés are endless. And what about your ca- And yet I feel emotionally fractured. I want to be at home with

reer? And friendships? And sexuality? What happens to these my girls and I want to continue pursuing a dynamic and chal-

important parts of you when the reality you’ve known changes lenging career. At the same time, please. That’s a conundrum

forever? Cue mild existential crisis. that no flexible working arrangement can fix.

It all starts with pregnancy, as you watch your body grow, I can’t change the quantum physics to be in two places at

and become inhabited by another life. When you love fashion once, but I can hopefully go some way to resolving my feelings

and the clothes you wear play a role in your identity, it’s difficult about it. In her New York Times piece, ‘The Birth of a Moth-

having to rethink your style. Yes, there are loads of maternity er’, psychiatrist Dr Alexandra Sacks writes that ‘giving birth to

brands out there, but if you don’t want to start wearing embel- a new identity can be as demanding as giving birth to a baby’.

lished Breton tops, you need to get resourceful with your cur- Every day, Dr Sacks speaks to women like me who are strug-

rent wardrobe. With a few tweaks and a reliance on black and gling to reconcile the uncomfortable feeling of this identity split.

navy, I managed to look like me, albeit a bit more spherical. When I speak to her over the phone in New York, she iden-

Pregnancy dressing is a walk in the park compared to what tifies it as ‘the divided mind’ and explains that it’s more than

comes next, though. I recently returned to work after baby num- just an uneasy feeling – there’s science behind it. ‘Oxytocin,

ber two, and the question of motherhood and identity has been the chemical in your brain that’s released during childbirth and

preoccupying me. Who am I now? What are my priorities? breastfeeding, is the primal evolutionary hormone that tells us

What makes me happy? And how do I align professional ambi- to bond,’ says Dr Sacks. ‘You can’t turn that off just because

tion with that primitive desire to be near my babies all the time? you’re on assignment in the office. So, that feeling of never be-

When I came back to work after my first daughter, I was still ing fully present may also be a reflection of a healthy attach-

reeling from the shock of new motherhood. I desperately wanted ment to your baby.’ OK, I feel better already. Thanks, science.

to reclaim the feeling of freedom I felt I’d lost to a year of breast- Dr Sacks calls the year after giving birth the ‘matrescence’.

feeding, overwhelming domesticity and almost no time to myself. Like an adolescence, it’s an awkward phase of change where

So, I threw myself back into my career. I worked harder than you’re going through a transition that you essentially just need to

ever, socialised more and drank pretty much all the alcohol I’d ride out. ‘You created a human and now you’re taking care of

declined during nine months of pregnancy and the subsequent your human, so your world is radically different to how it was

year of feeding. I started exercising a couple of times a week before. This new responsibility is stressful, and that should be

and genuinely began to feel a little bit more like me with every normalised in our culture,’ she says. ‘Post-natal depression is a

meeting, spin class and glass of wine. And then, just as I reached real disease, but there are many more women struggling with a

Photograph: Cass Bird the height of my powers again, I (happily) fell pregnant. normal identity shift that is as awkward in its hormonal and psy-

So here I am again, after another 12 months of parental chological flux as adolescence.’ How do you deal with it? ‘You

leave. Back at work, but horribly conflicted this time round. Time need to be patient with yourself until you can find your new nor-

and experience has softened the rash impatience I once felt to mal.’ Trying to reach back in time to the you before motherhood

is a futile exercise. You’re mistakenly craving something that

doesn’t exist any more. The trick is to be calm, patient and allow

yourself to adjust to the new reality you are in.

89E L L E JAN

Reality is a word to keep in mind when you’re a mum
because there’s lots of fantasy to contend with. Yes, it’s
time to talk about social media and the role it plays in this
identity stuff. Blake Lively raised this on US talk show Late
Night with Seth Meyers during her second pregnancy.
‘There’s a lady on Instagram who I used to love to watch,’
she explained. ‘Everything is white and she always has a
fresh blueberry pie that’s steaming […] and she’s reading
Old Man and the Sea. Her little baby is just, like, sleeping
while she knits, and her toddler is, like, giving her a reflex-
ology massage. [I’m thinking], What?!’ I love Blake Lively.

Like fitness, food and holidays, there is a version of
motherhood that exists only in cyberspace that is sent to
torture and convince chronically tired mums that there are
parents out there whose children sleep on cue and never
cry. While Dr Sacks agrees that unattainable images can
be unsettling, she rightly points out some of the positives,
too, arguing that ‘we also want to be able to look at icons
who we would like to see ourselves as’. She argues that
Beyoncé has done a lot to challenge some of our ideas of
what a mother should look like by ‘normalising the idea of
the fertility goddess, and the space her body is taking up
in the world can be beautiful and sexual’. It goes without
saying that wherever Beyoncé leads, I will follow. And
Dr Sacks is right. Few of us will ever look like her, but it’s
great that the images she sends out into the world – and
the subsequent gazillion likes and shares – are part of the
new story we’re telling about motherhood.

ELLE ASSOCIATE FASHION
EDITOR HARRIET STEWART ON

LMDIRKUEEMSASING ‘“PIAfmuRcuEksN-tmThSaevdBeoOtnOh’toTwuSge’’h’atr,

I STILL DON’T REALLY FEEL LIKE A MUM. I mean, I am

fully aware of the fact I have a child, but I certainly

don’t feel any different to the way I did before he

was born, which (among many other surprising things

that came with childbirth) was a complete shock. I’m

not quite sure what I expected, but I thought I’d feel

different. And perhaps I presumed I would dress differently, too. high boots to wear this winter, livid that I must, at some point, have

I recently realised this as I was sorting through my wardrobe thought, ‘Parents don’t wear fuck-me boots.’

ahead of returning to work, bringing some of my favourite pre- If anything, since having a baby, I’ve wanted to dress up more.

baby clothes out of hibernation and switching my summer clothes This is probably a bid to reconnect with my identity, but it’s most

for my winter things, lots of which didn’t even see the light of day likely a reaction against the practicality of my day-to-day mum uni-

last winter. I was most excited to dig out my black thigh-high boots form of jeans, T-shirt and trainers. Some things would look ridicu-

after a year-long hiatus, but much to my dismay, they were no- lous for a trip to the sandpit, not to mention totally impractical. And

where to be seen. I can only assume I got rid of them in a moment as a result, I’ve lived in wardrobe basics for the past year, craving

of pregnancy-hormone madness when we moved house. the opportunity to wear those boots on a Monday morning.

I have some awful recollection of thinking, ‘I’ll never wear these Prior to returning to work, I wasn’t just looking forward to head-

again, I’m about to become a mother.’ ing back to my job, but also getting dressed up for work. I now

And now here I am: just over a year later and thankfully no long- wholly appreciate the value in putting on an outfit that makes you

er wearing underwear akin to abseiling gear and draped- feel really good about yourself. That feeling when you put some-

jersey feeding tops, and searching for a replacement pair of thigh- thing on and think, ‘Yes, today is going to be a good day.’

90E L L E JAN

WRITER NELL FRIZZELL ON BYRDIE.CO.UK EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
AMY LAWRENSON ON
SBEBYIEMSITNTBEHGRRAEHCOEOD D
I NEVER JOINED BROWNIES. I’m allergic to hen parties, I’ve never TMWNOOAONTBTEHTIEANRG

been part of a sports team. But, as my middle thickens with love and my I’M 32 AND I DON’T WANT CHILDREN.
Never have, and I knew as much from a
breasts become scored with blue, I have slowly joined a sisterhood. very young age. Apparently, I’m not alone:
according to a recent census, one in five
You would think that after nearly eight months, I’d start to believe women are now child-free* (either by
choice or circumstance).
that there really is a baby in my body, but not at all. I’m still surprised
I have no longing to be pregnant and
when soft-eyed women ask me my due date, when fellow swimmers I don’t want my life to be changed by hav-
ing the responsibility of looking after kids
congratulate me for hopping into an unheated pond, or a lady offers (I can barely time manage myself). Thank-
fully, my fiancé is in agreement. I’m comfort-
me her seat on the train. You could put this able with my decision. I own it. When I tell
friends, they’re often surprised or bemused,
down to ‘female intuition’ if I didn’t look like but I never take offence. In fact, there have
been occasions when women have confid-
I’ve swallowed a hoover. Of course they MTOTHTOEHKEVNROHOICOWEOSD: ed in me about their own longing to go
realise I’m pregnant – I’m wearing leg- child-free, something some of them are
gings that come up to my armpits, and have afraid to share with their family or partner.
started sitting like Rab C Nesbitt, grunting
like a stuck pig when getting up from any- Those who know me well tell me what a
brilliant mother I would be. I am the first to
thing lower than a chair. THE REFRESHINGLY ORIGINAL entertain my friends’ offspring at gatherings
I’m well aware that for many new moth- BOOKS AND PODCASTS THAT (I wanted to be an actress, they’re an easy
DEFY EVERY BAD STEREOTYPE audience). Kids love me, but I want to be
ers, the company of women can appear at the cool aunt, not the stressed-out mother.
times critical, stifling, red hot with the power
Earlier this year, I went on a yoga re-
of comparison, but I’ve been lucky in my ‘NOBODY TOLD ME’ treat and part of the process was to discov-
pregnancy to encounter only a wonderful, BY HOLLIE McNISH er our purpose in life, something I haven’t
reassuring strengthening of sororal rela- This beautiful, funny collection of found yet (though, let’s be honest, who
has?). That workshop made me realise that
tionships. Friends have become confi- poetry and diary entries offers an if I’m not going to be a mother, I need to
ensure that I use my time on this earth wise-
dantes, colleagues have become mentors honest account of the realities of ly. So, what will define my life once I’m
gone? I know it won’t be children. I have
and my mother is so intimately entwined in pregnancy and new parenthood. no idea what my purpose is. But you know
what? That scares me more than the
my life she now feels like a second skele- IVFML thought of never being a mother.
ton. It is incredible and unexpected to sud- Couple Anna Almendrala and
denly have this magical key to unlock an Simon Ganz share their journey
intimacy with women who I might have
found intimidating, remote, unknown. towards parenthood in this
bittersweet podcast about
As I stand now, I find myself looking to infertility and miscarriage.
the women around me more than ever. My

Photograph: Cass Bird. *guardian.com, October 2017 yoga teacher, school friends, even the ‘PARENTING THE SH*T OUT
women I swim with every week, have be- OF LIFE’ BY MOTHER PUKKA
come my life belts, gathering around my
middle to keep me afloat. Some of them AND PAPA PUKKA
have had children, some of them have not. A funny take on motherhood, the
Some of them had children so long ago Pukkas provide a practical guide
that their own babies are now having ba- on how to care for a small person
bies, but just a glance from them down at
and ‘parent the shit’ out of it.

my girth and a crystal-clear communion THE LONGEST

springs up between us. They know, they SHORTEST TIME

care, they are invested. I love it. You don’t need to be a mother

to listen to this US podcast. Host

Hillary Frank covers everything

from accidental pregnancy and

being a pregnant ‘butch’, to race

and transgender issues.

91E L L E JAN

Collage by

BORIS
PEIANOV

LIFE
u
n uv

iOf ynoceu huapdonaaptriombele, mbutthatI’mstillbloated;alwayshavebeen

and always will be. But when she tells me

you’d tell your her bread has had a 99% success rate
among people with IBS, I believe her. At

best friend. £10 a loaf, it sure isn’t cheap, but you can’t
put a price on good gut health. I’m going

Or, if you were rich enough, you’d tell tein because of the quinoa, and probiotics to stick with it.

your therapist. I always wanted a thera- from the yoghurt they’ll drizzle on the sweet

pist. It sounded so fabulous. ‘I’m off to see potato,’ says Karen O’Donoghue. As

my therapist,’ I’d say, breezing out of the founder of The Happy Tummy Co,

office to my imaginary appointment with Dr O’Donoghue’s mission is straightforward:

Melfi. For those who haven’t seen The So- to rid the world of IBS. She charges £100 Thpesyccahriecer
pranos, Dr Melfi is the ultimate shrink. You to go through a client’s diet, eating habits
could tell her anything. Murdered some- and fridge, and suggests short-term and
one in your lunch hour? No problem. long-term actions. That O’Donoghue
hopes to cure IBS via what many sufferers
Whether you have a homicide issue or

a hormone imbalance, these days there’s would claim is their bête noire – bread –

a therapist for every modern-day malady. seems perverse, until you spend time with THANKS TO GUCCI and Christian

With so much pressure to be living your her: her zeal would put Jesus to shame. Dior, tarot is having a fashion moment. Not

perfect life (thanks, Instagram), it’s little ‘I can’t stress enough how important fi- that this matters to Lady Lilac, who has been

wonder that more and more life coaches bre is,’ she says. Her chia teff loaf was de- reading cards for 30 years from her central

are springing up to help you do so. The veloped to deliver the perfect ratio of solu- London base, charging £40 for 40 min-

term ‘life coach’ is, of course, a broad ble and insoluble fibre to the gut. Its wonder utes. All her business comes from word of

church – and getting broader. We’ve all ingredient is teff, a small, gluten-free grain mouth, and she will advise on anything

heard of personal trainers, nutritionists, styl- grown in Ethiopia that’s high in protein, cal- from career moves to love life. ‘It’s a cross

ists, wealth-management gurus and heal- cium and iron. Acolytes claim that teff also between counselling and cards,’ she says.

ers. But cybernetic transposition coaches? helps to balance hormone levels, stimulate Some clients come every two to three

Not so much. Apparently, they help elimi- digestion and strengthen bones. weeks. ‘A lot of that is reassurance, but also

nate the ‘blockers that have been holding Delicious and nutritious as the lunch I think people need someone to talk to.

you back’. No word on whether they can she’s ordered is, realistically, O’Donoghue They’re a bit lonely and on a treadmill. Eve-

get you another 100 likes. can’t follow me around monitoring my fibre ryone needs counselling sometimes.’

Personally, I’d class myself as ‘happy, intake – but she does offer to send me Lady Lilac wears a lot of lilac. Her car-

but could be happier’. My stomach is more a loaf ‘until I’ve changed your stomach’. die is lilac, her phone is lilac and she deals

bloated than I’d like. I read too much pulp I don’t like to tell her this might take forever. the tarot cards with lilac nails. I pick 10

fiction. Do I need a lifestyle coach? Hell, I am to eat it every morning. I cut a tentative cards. My first shows I’m wary. ‘Keep your

who doesn’t? In the quest for deep, fulfill- slice. It’s quite crumbly. I toast it, adding but- energy open,’ she instructs me. I try not to

ing happiness, I’ll give anything a try. Espe- ter. Hmm. Tasty. Much nicer than most wor- hunch my shoulders. The second is about

cially if it sounds a bit bonkers. thy, fibre-rich breads I’ve tried. It tastes property: spooky, as I’d just been looking

vaguely of ginger, which clashes with my at Zoopla while on the Tube ride here. The

beloved cheese spread, but as the days third is a work card. ‘Your work might be

wear on, I experiment with olive oil, peanut changing,’ she says. I’ve also picked a writ-

butter and – obviously – mashed avocado. ers’ card. ‘The work is flowing,’ she tells

tThheeragpuistt A week passes, and I meet with me. I’ve also picked a lot of destiny cards.
O’Donoghue again, this time at her house ‘You’re under a lot of pressure, Laura, but
(she has cured people’s IBS after they’ve your health can take it.’ Phew.
lived with her for a week and eaten what
she eats). I tell her that I’ve noticed a posi- Next up, a guy who fancies me! ‘Looks
quite sexy. Aries, Leo, Sagi… fire signs. No

tive effect on – nope, sorry, I promised longevity in it,’ she says. I tell her I never

I’M SITTING IN A RESTAURANT be- myself I’d never write about my own poo – meet any men, ever, as I work from home.

ing told what to eat by a complete stran- Undeterred, she says the cards are predict-

ger. ‘So, the reason I ordered us quinoa ing another man, a compatible water sign.

salad with sweet potato wedges and broc- This one is ‘a finance man. But there’s no

coli is so that we’ll get fibre from the grains, sexual connection. Various men fancy you,’

dietary fibre from the plants, enough pro- she adds. I reiterate that there are no

93E L L E JAN

men in my life apart from my husband. reckons she has spent 50,000 hours in I feel I have a book in me. Perhaps Law-

‘Who are all these men, then?’ she says, clinical practice, talking to women. ‘I’ve rence can succeed where I, my husband,

sharply. Is she sure they’re not women? heard everything. All I can say is that wom- my mother and most of my friends have

‘They’re men!’ en are amazing.’ failed: perhaps she can persuade me to

Lady Lilac is quite impressive on the She classes herself as an integrated fer- pen a book. ‘I discovered how much fear

name-guessing front. ‘Is there a Lindsey? tility specialist, adding: ‘If you come to see there is with writing – it’s almost like public

Izzy?’ (My daughter is Eliza.) ‘And an me, you could leave with a referral for any- speaking for some people. I help them

Iris?’ (My other daughter is Violet.) ‘Your one from a surgeon to a shaman.’ A big fan break through barriers. I like to think my su-

dad’s name… I’ve got a G. Is he Gordon?’ of Chinese medicine, her services include perpower is copy editing; really going into

(My father-in-law.) ‘Your mum’s mum… acupuncture, diagnosis and nutritional sup- the work and taking it to the final draft.’

Margaret?’ (She was.) ‘And her husband, port (she charges £250 for 90 minutes). As for the birthing process, first, Law-

rence ‘meets’ you for a 30-minute

etofmtel‘hdIbeelelahinadergrvrraeelasaigsmbrehyotydecusratr,eaibmfspsoayiouI’vbltnifeieat l’l session, then creates a timeline of
her likely editing schedule and a
rough estimate of the delivery of the
finished manuscript. Her services
start at £477 a month, which typi-
cally includes two 75-minute calls,
email support and copy editing.

What would her advice be to
someone who has always wanted
to write a book and thinks that may-
be 2018 will be the year? ‘The key
is writing something that’s going to
be a sustainable process for you,
something you can relate to, such
as your own story or a story you

know well.’ Ali, if I ever get round to

writing My Recycling Bin Hell, you

William?’ (He was.) ‘There’s not someone Women who want to preserve their fer- will, I promise, be the first to know.

called Steve, is there?’ OMG, WE’RE tility represent a growing number of Can-

ABOUT TO GET A PUPPY AND CALL IT non’s clients, but she’s keen to stress that

STEVIE. Just as I’m beginning to believe in women need to think about their hormones

tarot, Lady Lilac’s phone vibrates to denote their whole life. While her fees may be be-

that our 40 minutes are up. ‘Anyway, that’s yond the reach of most twentysomethings,

you, I’m afraid,’ she says. ‘Sorry. It could she will soon launch a more affordable fer-

have been a nicer story, but it is what it is.’ tility programme online, to include a series I CAN’T THINK OF ANYONE WHO

of webinars where users can ask questions. WOULDN’T BENEFIT FROM HAV-

She certainly seems intuitive, and ING A LIFE COACH. They’re the oppo-

I leave my session feeling somehow lighter, site of doctors, in that they don’t make you

if a bit embarrassed about all the dreary feel guilty for being there, and don’t hurry

The hfaoirrmy one crap I’ve told her about my life. Sometimes, you out of the room when your 10 minutes
it’s just nice to be listened to. are up. Apart from being given advice tai-
lored specifically to you, everyone needs
someone to listen to them now and again.
The sad truth is that even good friends are

busy these days, so sometimes you need to

‘I LOVE MY JOB,’ says Emma Cannon, pay someone else to do it. This, I feel, is

whose skill at rebalancing hormones and Thdeobuolaok why life coaching is such a boom industry.
helping women get pregnant has led some Maybe people don’t want to change their
devotees to swear she’s ‘part fairy’. I don’t lives; they just want to be heard.
know about that, but she certainly has a

way of making you open up. After 15 min- ELLE joins three life gurus to talk through

utes in her Chelsea consulting rooms, I’m MUCH LIKE A REGULAR DOULA,who how to be a better, healthier, more success-

telling her my life story. I don’t want to get supports women through pregnancy, book ful you in 2018. For details and tickets, visit

pregnant, but my hormones have been out doula Ali Lawrence helps you ‘birth’ your hearstlive.co.uk/elle-life-coaches Illustrations: Boris Peianov

of whack. I’m now lying on a bed with nee- own tome. ‘I’m like a writing coach. What-

dles sticking out of me, having divulged ever the struggle a writer might be facing,

way more than I meant to. I help them reach their book goals,’ she ex-

Cannon grew up with four sisters (‘there plains via Skype (Lawrence lives in the US).

was always someone with a period or How fortuitous, I think. As it happens,

a broken heart’), has two daughters and and like almost every human on the planet,





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aDAlwISaYysBbUeCeHnAaNnAoNthelorvbeosdshyoisessu,ebutot hdeeraslizwei-the.igUhnttifleneotwh…ave
I am looking in the mirror, pouting and expecting to see a shiny-booted a strong woman, sophisticated and in charge. It does not occur to me
Illustration: Jo Bell vision, a neo-Brigitte Bardot sex goddess staring back at me. I am horri- that if I were to find myself in danger while wearing these shoes, I’d be
bly disappointed. The red, thigh-high stiletto boots that I’m wearing look too weak and wobbly to run away.
more weird than wanton, and clash horribly with my grey-and-yellow
school uniform. If anything, I look like I’m going fishing. I sigh, and stare I’m not entirely sure when I will wear these shoes, whether I’ll be
furiously at my black, boat-like, serviceable school shoes. able to sneak them out of the house for the next school disco, where I will
inevitably spend the night leaning against a wall, watching the tops of
The year is 1998, and I’m in the Shoe Shed, a vast, gloomy base- the heads of the boys who are too scared to talk to me. For now, owning
ment warehouse that stocks everything from end-of-the-line Clarks and them is enough. They are a passport to glamour, and a £20 weapon
knock-off Nikes to an exciting display of heels pitched at Bournemouth’s against the awkward, treacherous, too-big body that won’t stop betray-
growing drag scene. This is the reason, aged 13, I come here. Usually, ing me. They’re a promise to Future Me. With God as my witness, I’ll
my size-eight feet cannot be contained by anything the high street has to always wear high heels when I’m a grown-up, because fabulous foot-
offer. I have the biggest feet in Year Eight. I’m pretty sure I have the big- wear is intrinsically linked to being female. At the till, I hand over all my
gest feet in the entire school. My classmate, Sarah Perkins, asks in all baby-sitting money. Even though I’m 5ft 7in again, I feel a little dizzy.
seriousness whether I’m able to buy shoes in this country, or if they’ll only
make my size in the US, where everyone is enormous. Her friend Ashley My mum would comfort me about my big feet, telling me I was ahead
tells me that there must be something wrong with me, ‘because my doc- of my time; that before too long, everyone else would catch up with me.
tor says that people with big feet are tall. You’re not tall enough.’ Yet I was wearing an adult size six by my ninth birthday, and I’d gone up
to an eight by the time I started secondary school. It didn’t help that Mum
Even as a young child, I was aware that my body broke the rules. I hated heels. She owned just two pairs: black suede courts with pin-thin
was much taller, and wider, than everyone I knew, and too big for clothes stiletto heels, and olive-green sandals with small brass buckles. She wore
meant for girls my age. Little girls were supposed to be, well, little. Aunties them only twice a year, at certain events, whereas I wore them around
and shop assistants would purse their lips as they watched me struggle the house whenever I could, my heels jutting awkwardly off the backs,
with zips, burst out of buttons, and seem taller, louder and more visible toes scrunched unceremoniously at the front.
than my peers, no matter how hard I tried to shrink myself down. Little boys
were allowed to be as boisterous as they liked. Sometimes, I heard them Looking back, I realise that it was actually my mum who was ahead
boasting about how big their feet were getting. I didn’t understand who of her time. I never thought to question the idea that heels were the hall-
decided that boys should be big and girls should be small, or why it was mark of womanhood, but, more recently, and in part thanks to the boom
that boys were encouraged to take up as much space as possible, yet in fashionable trainers, I’ve finally realised I was no more or less myself
people preferred for us girls to shrink and disappear. than a woman in six-inch skyscraper sandals.

Since my tenth birthday, every shoe-shopping expedition with my More than half my lifetime since my Shoe Shed escapades, in 2015,
parents has ended in universal tears: those horrid, sensible lace-up I did the most grown-up thing I’ve ever done and got married. Wearing
brogues the lady said were unisex, but I knew were actually from the a long, white dress, I danced safe in the arms of the man I love. I felt
men’s section; the summer sandals with the slight wedge heel that strong, but light-footed, equal parts protected and powerful, totally
seemed so pretty until I saw someone with 70 years on me try them on adored. And I wasn’t wearing towering heels but flat white Converse,
and declare them ‘a bit frumpy’. Yet back in the Shoe Shed, where it is with my new married name printed on the back. It may have been the
possible to purchase lucite fetish heels up to a size 13, I feel delicate most grown-up thing I’ve ever done, but I made a conscious decision not
and dainty, feminine for the very first time. The red boots might look ri- to do it in high heels.
diculous, but they zip up and allow me to wiggle my toes. And that feels
like a real triumph. Every so often, I see a woman wearing beautiful heels, moving as
though she’s walking on air, and I feel a pang of envy. Women with
I try another relatively subtle pair. Black, patent leather, a built-in neater feet, or those who wear high heels well, will have my utmost re-
platform, a Mary Jane-style T-bar strap, a peep toe. Climbing into the spect and admiration. As will my 13-year-old self, trying on patent leather
shoes, I do a quick bit of maths. If these heels are five inches high, that platforms in Bournemouth’s Shoe Shed. Over the years, I’ve discovered
must make me six feet tall. In the mirror, my chunky ankles seem almost that it doesn’t matter what you try to do to your body, your feet remain
elegant, too slender and fragile to support the rest of me. I put my right the same. I cannot permit my shoe size (which no diet or exercise can
hand on my hip, experimentally. I imagine this is how it must feel to be change) to be inversely proportional to my self-esteem. And my big, size-
eight feet ground me, both literally and figuratively.

97E L L E JAN



TH JA UA Y AH

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