EMILIA WICKSTEAD
“In summer in London I love to walk along the River Thames – it is a great reminder of the London I fell in love with when I moved here to study at 18. The energy, the crowds, the personalities and fun. The Southbank is one of my favourite places to take in London’s landmarks in a city atmosphere when it is warm. I’ll visit the National Theatre for an early evening show and finish with dinner with my husband at the newly opened Lasdun restaurant. The food is fresh, sharp, elegant and delicious and changes daily based on what’s in season. I love the sleek and modern architectural interiors made up of mahogany, chrome and black marble. Although we are in London I feel like there is a New York feel to Lasdun which I can’t get enough of.”
Emilia Wickstead, Fashion Designer
“This month’s Halpern Hotlister is New Zealand born, London-based designer Emilia Wickstead, known for creating understated, elegant ready-to-wear fashion pieces. Emilia has just launched her new swim and kaftan line which is perfect for holidays.”
Jenny Halpern Prince
Food & Drink: Arcade, Battersea Power Station
The new Battersea Power Station just gets better and better as the months pass and the news that Arcade Food Hall is opening there this month certainly did not disappoint. The 24,000 square foot space, offering a modern approach to dining, will house a 500-cover food hall, two bars, three restaurants and a private dining room, all set in the buzzing atmosphere of the Power Station. We can experience 13 different cuisines made up of new brands such as Phed Power; fiery stir fries and salads from Isan, Thailand. Siu Siu; Cantonese comfort food inspired by the roast meat restaurants of Hong Kong, and Leccami Gelato; authentic Italian gelato. Existing brands such as Hero; Indian fast food, Sushi Kamon; Japanese sushi, Tipan Tapan; Nepali street food, and Shatta & Toum; Middle Eastern shawarma kitchen will also form part of the line-up of global cuisines on the menu. Drink wise, the new food hall will have two bars; Tap Room and ABC Bar. Tap Room will showcase a wall of 32 taps, serving cocktails using locally sourced ingredients and a host of beers from international and South London breweries. ABC Bar, inspired by classic cocktail culture, will offer a concise menu of the world’s most famous cocktails. Honestly, could it sound any more delicious, and what a venue to be moving into.
Exhibition: The Art of Banksy
Banksy is a modern cultural phenomenon so it's no surprise to see tribute's and copycats popping up all over. The Art of Banksy is a new exhibition coming to Regent Street this summer showcasing the world’s largest collection of original and authenticated Banksy artworks, with over 110 pieces including prints, unique works, and ephemera, many of which are on public display for the very first time. It is our chance as Londoners to see the seminal pieces that brought the anonymous artist international acclaim - ‘Girl With Balloon’ in three colour variations, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’ alongside unique works including hand drawn sketches and personal artworks which Banksy created for friends, colleagues and lovers. The exhibition also focuses on Banksy’s Dismaland, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and recent artworks which comment on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Close associates of the artist share personal stories giving a unique insight into some of the world’s most famous images, engrossing background on how those headline grabbing street art stunts were devised and how, with their irreverent wit and a biting political edge, this visionary took the art world by storm without ever revealing their identity. The 2000 square metre space is due to open on the 5th July and you can get tickets via the website.
Bar: The Rosarium
Dive into the wild world of Alice in Wonderland at this brand new floral acid trip of a restaurant and bar in the tunnels below Waterloo Station. It's part of Labyrinth, a sprawling venue that plays host to the fully immersive theatre production Alice's Adventures Underground - so it's no surprise that The Rosarium also brings the drama. The restaurant is divided into three spaces inspired by Victorian gardens, with a glasshouse, an indoor terrace and a secret garden for private dining. Then there's the food, which comes courtesy of executive chef Harvey Ayliffe, who had stints at Bentley's, The Ivy West End, Rules, Hix and 34. Dishes on the menu include Scampi scotch egg with asparagus soldiers, Woodland mushroom soup with truffled straws, Ale-Braised beef mac with Montgomery cheddar and a Mad Hatter’s strawberry sundae for two. Make sure you have a drink in hand as you fall down the rabbit hole with one of their next-level cocktails. For example, there's the Tweedle Tinis, a two-in-one serve featuring a gin Martini and a vodka Martini presented in tiny vials. And with a dedicated bar called Underland launching in the coming months, there’s plenty more refreshments incoming at this garden party!
Podcast: How not to f**k up your kids
‘How not to f**k up your kids - Parenting the next generation’ is a brand new podcast available on Spotify / Amazon Music and all the usual platforms. Based on emotionally-intelligent parenting, child psychology, and a 30-year career as a clinical therapist, Kitty Hagenbach’s Parenting offers an informative and uplifting space for parents and carers to build brilliant relationships with their children. This podcast is for expectant parents, parents and those who are considering their path to parenthood. Hosted by Filmmaker and Presenter Katie Goldfinch across 10x episodes we’ve found it to be insightful, amusing and an all-round must listen on our morning commutes!
Art: A World in Common
This brand new exhibition, ‘A World in Common’, opening on the 6th July at the Tate Modern is a celebration of the varied landscape of contemporary African photography today. Bringing together a group of artists from different generations, this exhibition will address how photography, film, audio, and more have been used to reimagine Africa’s diverse cultures and historical narratives. Moving beyond a traditional photography exhibition, the show seeks to explore the many ways images travel across histories and geographies. Using themes of spirituality, identity, urbanism and climate emergency, the exhibition will guide the viewer through dream-like utopias and bustling cityscapes viewed from the artists’ perspectives. The exhibition follows artists across the many landscapes, borders and time zones of Africa to reveal how photography allows the past and the future to co-exist in powerful and transformative ways. A must-see inspiring show for the summer months.
Book: The List by Yomi Adegoke
A highly topical, clever and intricately plotted debut novel from the bestselling co-author of Slay in Your Lane, The List mines the dark side of social media and its influence on even our closest personal relationships in page-turning prose. This sensational, page-turning debut novel from Yomi Adegoke is about secrets, lies and our lives online: Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist at Womxxxn Magazine, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. Young, beautiful, successful - she and her fiancé Michael are the 'couple goals' of their social networks and seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: 'Oh my god, have you seen The List?' It began as a crowdsourced collection of names and somehow morphed into an anonymous account posting allegations on social media. Ola would usually be the first to support such a list-she'd retweet it, call for the men to be fired, write article after article. Except this time, Michael's name is on it. Out on the 20th July, we cannot wait to give this one a read over our summer hols.
Charity of the Month: Plastic Free July
Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste this month. Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? Plastic Free July provides resources and ideas to help you (and millions of others around the world) reduce single-use plastic waste everyday at home, work, school, and even at your local cafes. Their movement has inspired over 120 million participants in 177 countries. You making a small change will collectively make a massive difference to our communities. You can choose to refuse single-use plastics in July (and beyond!). Best of all, being part of Plastic Free July will help you to find great alternatives that can become new habits forever.
App of the Month: Lemon8
Lemon8 is a community where people discover and share content related to beauty, fashion, travel, and more in an authentic and diverse environment. The platform inspires creativity and shares ideas to benefit everyone in our community. It’s Instagram meets Pinterest. The content on your feed is customised according to your interests and preferences so you can find your tribe and in the "For you" section, you can discover content that fulfils your requirements and piques your curiosity. For anyone tired of using multiple apps for creating, editing, and posting content, you can easily compose texts and edit photos and videos all in the Lemon8 app. It offers a whole library of intuitive templates, stickers, filters and fonts for your photos and videos.