1 — Good trousers are the first building block of a wardrobe. Practical yet chic, black canvas is a safe choice to welcome a new season and pair with lighter sweaters.
2 — In the midst of cinema award season, we were touched and enchanted by Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days. This intimate story of a caretaker’s daily life in Tokyo and his respect for the everyday, people and objects is a refreshing tale filmed to the tune of a brilliant soundtrack. Carefully chosen songs by the kinds of Lou Reed and Patti Smith elevate the images of a very urban scenery into a peaceful yet joyful meditation.
A companion website to the film offers further hindsight with interviews of the director and his impeccably elegant actors.
3 — Long week-end travel is on the horizon and the Côte Basque is an excellent and invigorating option.
Hotel Regina in Biarritz has just been reinvented and is a glorious starting point to walks on the beach, surfing sessions and seawater therapies. Local artists exhibit their work on the walls of Hotel de Silhouette which is another comfortable place to stay. A favourite dinner spot for modern seafood feasts is Carøe. Explore the nearby villages, such as Espelette (bring back their one of a kind pimiento) and Guétary; hike to the top of La Rhune, or venture further to San Sebastián. On reflection, a long week-end might not be long enough.
4 — If in London, visit Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art at the Barbican.
An exhibition featuring 50 international and inter-generational artists, who use textiles to communicate messages of power, resistance and survival. The exhibit encompasses radical works; from hand-embroidered hankies to big sculptural installations, and challenges any notions often associated with textiles of craft or domestic labour.
5 — Make Rhubarb syrup to use in cocktails.
Put 125g rhubarb, 50g caster sugar, 250ml water and a few strips of lemon or orange zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 8 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer and simmer again until the liquid has a syrup consistency. Fill a glass with ice, 12.5ml rhubarb syrup, 25ml fresh lime juice and top up with ginger beer. A measure of gin is optional.