Happy September 1st and welcome to our new issue. We’re fully embracing the back to school mood and looking forward to bringing you all kinds of exciting stories to inspire and uplift your month ahead. On the fashion front we’ve got interviews with @harris_reed to mark their upcoming LFW collection, and @ajabarber, writer, consultant and thought leader in the sustainable space to celebrate the launch of her new book ‘Consumed’ as told to @evjsells. In the spirit of the back to work mood, we’re bringing you an edit of the best shirts out there with conscious credentials, and a curation of new brands we love including @lanefortyfive, a bespoke offering of unisex slow fashion garments that are guaranteed to become wardrobe staples for the long haul. For a fresh take on beauty for the new season, @annasolowij will be sharing some of her favourite responsible beauty brands as well as an edit of the best refillable products out there, and on the travel front, @swdtravels brings you a collection of inspiring green destinations to put on your wish list, including the world’s first hydrogen powered hotel in Kawasaki, Japan. We’re also excited to introduce our new ‘Innovator’ feature, celebrating entrepreneurial voices who are changing the fashion landscape. We’re kicking off with Josephine Philips whose @sojo_app repair service is a brilliant (and easy) way of adopting a more conscious approach to your wardrobe.  Our in house gardening expert, @thehackneygardener will be talking about all things tulip related and on the wellness front @aichamckenziewill be sharing brilliant tips from the wellness team at @sixsenses_ibiza on how to approach back to work anxiety.  And in other exciting news we’ll be launching our brand-new website soon so sign up now to receive our  newsletter and updates straight into your inbox. We can’t wait to see you there!

Almost exclusively self-taught, Ellie Mercer’s unique approach to jewellery makes her the perfect person to flip classic design on its head. The now-jewellery mastermind studied illustration in Bristol before making the switch to this wholly more sculptural discipline. Rings are what she is best known for – and her recognisable style is where design deconstruction meets high art. Each unique and handmade by Mercer, they’ll always feature resin, spliced into a chunky gold or silver signet-style band with a suitably free-form wavy inlay. Whether colourfully out-there or see-through and subtle, Mercer’s resin will always glimmer – and her pieces are guaranteed to be forever one-of-a-kind. If you’re on the hunt for jewellery’s next rising star, look now further than Ellie Mercer. HB⁠
Ellie Mercer Ring Classic Clear Resin, £330, available from tres-bien.com⁠

Before Helen Frankenthaler, the art of woodcutting was considered somewhat rudimentary. A form of printmaking whereby a design is carved into a block of wood to create a pattern in relief, it’s provided decorative prints since the early 5th century. When Frankenthaler took on the discipline, however, she flipped convention on its head. Having burst onto the New York art scene, then dominated by the likes of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, in 1952, she first turned her hand to woodcutting in the early 70s. Using multiple blocks of wood to eradicate negative space, along with unexpected tools such as sandpaper and dentist drills, she discovered new ways to create wonderfully evocative works with this back to basics technique. The result? An abstract rainbow of mesmerising colour. Now, the first of its kind in the UK, the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s latest exhibition is set to showcase Frankenthaler’s iconic woodcuts – ranging from her first, created in 1973, to her last piece, finished two years before her death in 2009. Opening on 15 September and named Radical Beauty, it celebrates Frankenthaler’s innovative, perceptive approach in all its subversive glory. ⁠HB.

On wild and wonderful Bodmin Moor you can stay in the heart of a beautiful rewilding project run by Lizzie and Merlin Hanbury-Tenison (son of the renowned explorer/conservationist Robin Hanbury-Tenison), for chilled weekends or regular  eco-retreats. On a mission to ensure their upland hill farm is sustainable for future generations, Lizzie and Merlin have sown wildflower meadows, created a native Cornish dark honeybee reserve, and reintroduced beavers, who have since had two kits. Beavers are a ‘keystone species’, which means they support the environment by creating new habitats for previously non-existent flora and fauna to flourish.

The crowning glory is Cabilla’s 1000-year-old oak forest, 100 acres of which is classed as rare temperate rainforest, where the trees communicate and heal each other through the wood wide web. This mycelial network is connected by fungi that spreads over the tree roots sending nutrients and messages to other trees across the forest
Almost everything here is recycled, they compost, source most food locally (the future goal is to grow everything in a community garden), and partner with the local food bank with their Plenty Box (donated food) initiative

You sleep in one of 12 luxury bell tents – all carpets, cushions and comfy beds – or the pretty two-bedroom, straw bale cottage.
For monsoon showers with underfloor heating, flushing loos and a shared kitchen, head to The Barns, where you’ll find a screening area and a library with board games and books to borrow. Outdoors, swim in rivers and woodland pools, try forest bathing and watch the beavers playing at sunset. Bodmin Moor is one of the UK’s six dark sky environments),  so cosy up by your own fire pit for some spectacular stargazing. We’re de-stressing just picturing it all.

The Autumn Equinox Retreat runs from 28th Sept-1st Oct, and costs from £675 pp sharing.
Regular stays: from £240 for 2 nights), book through canopyandstars.co.uk

Susan Ward Davies, Calendar Travel

This month our in house gardening expert @thehackneygardenercelebrates the joy of tulip catalogues, tips on curating your own personal colour scheme, and how to create a miniature garden on a windowsill or balcony. Get ordering now!

September Gardening Jobs

Order spring bulbs
Tulip season really is the best time of year – when all that colour appears almost out of nowhere in April, it’s like magic. If you would like some tulips in your garden next year, now is the time to order them. Tulips are so incredibly popular these days that some varieties sell out before we even hit autumn so it is good to get in early. And as the gardening season starts to wind down, planning next year’s bulb display helps to stave off any end of summer sadness.

How to choose
Tulip catalogues are like sweet shops for grown ups. So many mouth-watering beauties to choose from! You can order bulb collections with colours that go together nicely but it is really fun to pick and choose for yourself. To work out my colours I cut out pictures of all the varieties I fancy from a catalogue and lay them on a dark green background, adding and taking things away until I’m happy with how the mix looks. Of course you can do this in photoshop too. Tulip varieties are either early, mid or late flowering but I don’t worry about that too much – as long as the colours work well it doesn’t matter if the flowering is slightly staggered.

Other top tips
It is not just about tulips, daffodils are completely gorgeous too and such a welcome sight in March and April when the garden is still bare. My favourites are the smaller varieties, those with clusters of flowers on each stem and the lovely scented ones. Both tulips and daffodils grow really well in containers so you can enjoy them even if you garden on a balcony or windowsill. Don’t worry if your space is in a bit of shade, a cooler spot actually prolongs the flowering period. And if you like the idea of cutting your own tulips for putting in a vase, make sure to order some extras – it really is worth it.

As the very first skincare brand to earn Soil Association organic certification for its products back in 1999, Made for Life Organics (or Spiezia Organics as it was then) has continued to blaze a green trail.

At a time when everyone’s championing plastic-free beauty, MFLO has only ever used recycled glass bottles, jars and aluminium lids. At a time when ‘clean’ beauty is trending, MFLO has consistently avoided synthetics and additives. At a time when the world is in planet panic, MFLO has always put respect for nature first. Its most recent milestone, the first B Corp certified spa and wellbeing brand, is no mean achievement.

I fell for MFLO over 20 years ago via their Daily Radiance Facial Cleansing Balm, £13- £53, a rich, golden pomade with jojoba, clove and eucalyptus, which smells like the very best of nature – bottled. (Refresh & Clarify Facial Toner, £8 – £48, is another favourite, along with Daily Replenish & Protect Facial Moisturising Balm, £48.) MFLO’s Cornish-made, plant-based products continue to be true to the founding principles of making the right choices for wellbeing and the planet, giving the brand a real platform for the now.

So what makes MFLO so special? Managing director Amanda Winwood explains: “Stick to your values: when you lose them, you lose the very essence of what you stand for. To be well we need to look after the planet. Be kind because kindness cannot be bought but it will ensure that you are remembered.” This translates to a line-up of affordable products for the body and soul with organic herbs and flowers, hand-pressed in small batches in Cornwall. Company HQ is next door to the county’s only major hospital, where MFLO’s Cancer Touch Therapy is available to people living with cancer. Now, over 2000 therapists have been trained in these specialised protocols, rolling out across spas nationwide, and MFLO helped establish the industry Standards Authority in ouch in Cancer Care SATCC – no wonder they are in the top 5% of 4000 companies globally who won recognition for their commitment to community.

Anna-Marie Solowij, Calendar Beauty

According to Vanessa Jacobs, luxury pieces can, and should, last a lifetime. Founder of The Restory, she’s spent the past five years championing fashion maintenance and repair – especially when it comes to our most prized wardrobe heroes. In 2016, Jacobs assembled a team of expert artisans, brought together from a broad range of specialties to realise her unique repairing concept. Think you have a luxury accessory that’s unsalvageable? The Restory is ready to prove you wrong. From experienced cobblers specialising in luxe shoe maintenance to leather workers adept at transforming lifeless materials, almost everything is workable in the world of The Restory. With services available through collection or in-store, this year sees the brand take on clothing – now, you’ll find the likes of darning and invisible mending on its comprehensive menu alongside the detailed accessories repairs it’s best known for. If you have a much-loved piece in need of TLC, you know what to do… HB⁠

Aja Barber is not your average influencer. With none of the usual big-brand affiliations – all the better to have the freedom to hold them account – the writer, campaigner and personal stylist uses her platform to encourage the rest of us to stop spending our money on clothes we don’t need. A vocal critic of fast-fashion and all the societal systems that support it, Barber want us to apply some much-needed critical thinking to the way we interact with fashion’s biggest players, to really consider what makes us want to consume so much in the first place and the vast environmental and human cost of the incredible volume of clothes that get created each day. She’s brilliantly uncompromising and unflinchingly honest when it comes to calling out greenwashing, exploitation and racism in the industry. And now she’s written a book to encourage the rest of us to follow suit.

There was a time when Barber was an avid fast-fashion shopper. She stopped when she had not one but two lightbulb moments: the first, when she added up just how much money she was spending in one store and was enraged when she realised it was 10% of her annual salary. The second came when she volunteered in a charity shop and was confronted by the never-ending mountains of clothes that were being discarded every single day. Consumed is about how she transformed her approach to both her wardrobe and the fashion industry, educating herself and setting out to enlighten others about the radical global change that needs to happen and the action that every individual can take. She’s determined to make us realise that there’s no point in waiting for brands to do things differently or to regulate themselves; that the only way to challenge them to do better is to switch allegiance to slow, ethical, sustainable labels. And that the time for action is now.

Consumed: The need for collective change; colonialism, climate change & consumerism is on sale from 23rd September.

Emma Sells, Calendar Fashion

When Helen de Kluiver founded Caes in 2019, she did so with the intention of creating a seasonless utopia. There are no trends or fads in de Kluiver’s world – only beautiful pieces that customers will love forever. Together, de Kluiver’s designs build a comprehensive wardrobe of timeless essentials, all physical embodiments of her unique standpoint. From cosy eco knitwear to tailored vegetable leather trousers, every piece is simple yet elegantly thought through. Plus, Caes’ collections are all made in Portugal, with production processes carefully monitored for a light environmental impact and maximum durability. If quiet minimalism makes your heart sing, Caes is certain to be your next brand crush. Available exclusively on net-a-porter.com. HB

We can’t change the world overnight, and sometimes it’s about making small tweaks to how and why we consume and shop. To mark Second Hand September, this tip from Bay Garnett on ‘mindful’ thrift shopping makes a lot of sense.⁠

“If you’re going thrifting, go with some kind of mission, an idea of what you’re looking for, because it connects you and tunes you into the process of it. Try things on where possible and only get something if you really, really love it because if you don’t love it, chances are you won’t wear it.”- Bay Garnett, Stylist/Editor and Senior Fashion Advisor at Oxfam⁠

September’s artist of the month is British sculptor Holly Hendry, whose endlessly thought-provoking works re-define the spaces in which they sit. Hendry’s experimental, architectural sculptures look at the back of things; open cracks to reveal the gooey insides. Often subtly anatomical, her works address both biology and buildings with a unique sense of perspective. Activities or situations usually left hidden are brought into view through specific objects, textures or forms. Pairing figurative shapes with traditionally architectural spaces and materials, Hendry addresses morbidity through a visual language that speaks of comic insignificance.⁠⁠
Alby Bailey, Design Director⁠⁠

With master perfumer Celine Barel on board, Nette’s latest candle collection was always destined to be a triumph. The nose behind cult fragrances for Aesop, Loewe, Jo Malone and Lancome, Barel’s scent combinations are as crowd-pleasing as they are interestingly unique. Happily, Nette’s candles make the perfect vessel for special home fragrances – the brand’s founder Carol Han Pyle is a determined advocate for sustainable formulations. With a signature coconut and soy wax blend and organic cotton wick, these candles not only promise a cleaner burn than paraffin-based competitors, but also carry standout scents perfectly. In the latest launch, expect blends such as Georgica, Fons et Origo and Suede Fringe. As for the packaging, you’ll want to keep Nette’s hand-blown glass jars around long after they’ve emitted their final puff of fragrance. Made in Italy at a family-owned factory, each one is a pastel-toned mini work of art.Whether a thoughtful gift or a self care treat destined for your own mantlepiece, prepare to make Nette’s eco-conscious collection your next candle obsession. HB
Animation: @gus_and_stella

As we fully transition back into work mode and all that entails, here’s some Monday wellness tips from @aichamckenzie to get your week off to a good start. Aicha chats with Dr Tamsin Lewis, Medical Director Rose Bar and Nesharma Pilar, Wellness Co-Ordinator at Six Senses Ibiza.

Did you know that Ren means ‘clean’ in Swedish? With incredible foresight, Ren, the 21-year old British beauty brand founded by two former ad execs, has called some of the biggest beauty trends of our times from Scandi style to free-from and its latest iteration, ‘clean’ beauty.⁠
Ren was the first to print packs with an ‘omission statement’ listing ingredients NOT in their formulas. Now, even though it’s against the rules to flag so-called ‘outlawed’ cosmetic ingredients (which nevertheless meet the EU’s stringent safety standards), and marketing by fear may have prompted an industry practice that plays to consumer insecurity (for example, Drunk Elephant’s Suspicious 6™), on the flip side, generations of beauty consumers have been educated about ingredients, their sourcing, processing, afterlife and effects.⁠

As the industry outrider, Ren is currently leading the charge on zero waste with 100% recyclable packaging, refillable solutions and bottles using ocean plastic partnering with Surfrider to champion the cause.⁠

The latest campaign addresses sampling – the industry go-to method for getting products into the hands of consumers, but with multi-layer flexi packs, those little sachets end up in landfill with billions being ploughed into the earth every year. Ren has switched to a sustainable sampling solution using fully recyclable aluminium.⁠
If you want to buy beauty responsibly, here are Ren’s best bits:⁠

Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Body Wash, £22, in 20% reclaimed ocean plastic and 80% recycled plastic bottles with metal-free pumps for ease of recycling.⁠

Perfect Canvas Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser, £25, with tubes made from 50% PCR and 100% PCR caps.⁠

Clean Screen Mineral SPF30, £32, won the first Circpack certification meaning it can be recycled by technologies commonly used at industry scale across the world.⁠

Evercalm™Global Protection Day Cream, £38, and Dark Circle Eye Cream, £42, packed in ‘Infinity Recycling’ packs, Ren’s indefinite plastic recycling programme.⁠
Anna Marie Solowij, Calendar Beauty

Beach cover up, office staple or weekend uniform – the relaxed shirt is a true wardrobe hero. Whether you spent lockdown (mostly) dressed in your usual ensembles, or transitioned yourself towards a solely comfort-first capsule, you’ll likely have been reliant on shirts to provide a soupcon of normality. Smart enough to equip us for any sartorial scenario post-lockdown life has to offer, they’ll always have a place in our wardrobe.

In this lineup, we’re curating our Calendar edit of classic shirts – from one-of-a-kind upcycled designs, to timeless staples you’ll wear year on year. Every piece is selected with the principles of slow fashion in mind, with different yet insightful takes on sustainability. Whether you settle on a simple staple or a standout piece, each style is a versatile essential that will fit seamlessly into your everyday lineup. HB

Photo: @kerryhallihan

Launched by Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones in 2011, Teatum Jones is one of London’s most innovative eco-focused labels. The pair met while working together on a men’s catwalk show in Italy and, for the past ten years, have channelled their combined design flair into a community-focused cause. With inclusivity at its core, the brand is fiercely devoted to its loyal fans. In fact, members of the Teatum Jones world were some of the first to wear its latest sustainable collection. Self-referencing in the best possible way, the design duo’s newest project, Re-Love, celebrates standout textiles from Teatum Jones’ own archives. From bold prints to intricately woven textures, every piece has a tactile quality that will make you want to dive in. Modelled by a curated collection of inspiring individuals including Vanessa Kingori, Jamie Windust and Emma Dabiri, expect Liberty print florals, warm tones and modern silhouettes that are as wearable as they are cleverly designed. With each unique piece conceived and made in London to support traditional artisans, in the UK’s cohort of independent labels, Teatum Jones is a longstanding star. HB

We’re thrilled to welcome Charli Howard, model, author, and founder of Squish Beauty as our Love Forever guest for September. Charli wears her beloved coat from Saks Potts and says:⁠⁠
“I fell in love with this Saks Potts coat the minute I saw it. I’ve never had more compliments on any other item of clothing before. It’s come on many adventures with me and is a key item in my autumn/winter wardrobe. A special piece I will keep and love forever.”⁠⁠

When you christen your hotel after the goddess of the earth it has a lot to live up to – and this jungle lodge has nailed it. A true eco haven, Gaia is tucked away among the trees on the banks of the river Privasson, near the Five Sisters Waterfalls, in the heart of the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve in western Belize. Here, in the country’s largest protected area, where ocelots and jaguars roam, you’ll find 16 rooms in palapa-style cabanas, all made of local thatch and stone and indigenous hardwood.  Some face the river and the waterfalls, others the garden or the mountain. The one we have our eye on is the Riverside Villa, more spacious and even more secluded than the rest, with an outdoor hot tub on decking perched over the Privasson river.

You don’t have to stray far to find Mayan ruins, horse-riding, cave kayaking, and ziplining through the jungle canopy, but if this all sounds a bit Bear Grylls,  don’t worry,  Gaia comes with plenty of luxe touches too, such as a jungle spa, Frette and Matouk linens and sink-into beds swathed in mosquito netting.
Whatever our American friends may think, it’s no hardship to manage without a/c (an eco no-no), with cooling forest breezes and ceiling fans (powered by their own hydro plant), and a little funicular to whisk you down to the river pools to bathe.

In the main lodge – the only place you will find wifi  – there are hammocks to swing in and cocktails to drink, and if you want to diversify from Gaia’s tasty farm-to-table menu (they have their own organic garden), you are just a ten-minute jeep ride from celeb-spotting dinners at Francis Ford Coppola’s famous Blancaneaux Lodge – so pack accordingly.

Gaia is one of Small Luxury Hotels, a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC . Their hand-picked Considerate Collection of 26 hotels launches this month.
slh.com
Gaia Riverside Lodge, Belize, Doubles from £150, B&B, book through slh.com
Sue Ward Davies, Calendar Travel

Telling it how it is – Sunday style inspiration from the incomparable Fran Lebowitz. It’s not what you wear it’s how you wear it that counts⁠

Are refills the quick and easy way to dial down on packaging and carbon emissions? Certainly, brands from mass to luxe are embracing this step to sustainability and empowering consumers to think twice and buy once when it comes to the war on waste.

P&G’s shampoo refills across brands including Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, Aussie and Pantene come in recyclable plastic pouches, £4 each, and use 60% less plastic per mm of product. At the other end of the price scale, there’s the new La Perla bodycare range, from £83, in bottles and jars you’d never want to throw away, and now you don’t have to because they’re all refillable (from £57, in stores and online BeautybyLaPerla.com). It’s not just the saving on plastic waste and carbon emissions, refills are more economical too, costing you less, so it’s a win for the planet and the people.

Zara Makeup Face Palette CCable Touch, £17.99 for full compact with three shades; £12.99 for 3 shade refill; £4.99 for single shade refills, Zara.com.

The Body Shop Refill Station, in 400 global stores.

Rituals Body Cream Refill, £15.50, Rituals. Com.

Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisutriser Broad Spectrum SPF30 Sunscreen Refill, £28; £32 with outer case. Boots.com.

Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Water Refill, £14.95, TheIsleofParadise.com.

L’Occitane Lavender Foaming Bath Refill, £20, UK.Loccitane.com.

Dior Collection Privee Travel Spray Refills, £150 for 3 x 15ml, Dior.com.

Fiils Build Your Own Kit, £40, Fiils.co.

When a heritage brand that is underscored with values based on craftsmanship and responsible production partners with a trailblazing designer whose work is defined by creative innovation and sustainability, then you already know it’s going to be very special. Enter Mulberry x Richard Malone, the latest chapter in the Mulberry Editions series to mark their 50th year. Launched at LFW on Sunday at Malone’s runway show held at the V&A, the bags based on two iconic Mulberry designs, the Bayswater and the Darley have been re-imaged through Malone’s unique contemporary lens, resulting in a collection that champions both made to last values and future facing design. Crafted from bio-synthetic materials, repurposing inedible cereal waste, and any leather used – for example on straps and handles is from Gold Standard, environmentally accredited tanneries.

The relationship between designer and brand also extends beyond the bags. Mulberry deadstock leather was artfully reimagined as exquisitely tailored coats and patchwork separates, with the recycled jersey used for the sets in the Mulberry x Richard Malone campaign reworked as a series of draped and ruched dresses. Circular fashion in motion, these are pieces designed to be worn and loved forever. Count us in.

Harris Reed has had quite the week. Last Monday he was in New York where – no big deal – he dressed iconic supermodel, Iman, for the Met Gala in a headline-grabbing gold halo and hair-trimmed crinoline. On Tuesday he was back in London, closing out LFW with his extraordinary debut salon show; a self-confessed second-hand obsessive, he took the art of repurposing to the next level, trawling Oxfam for couture-grade vintage wedding gowns and grooms-wear then lovingly and painstakingly unpicked the seams and piecing them together into deeply romantic, monochrome shapes.

The 25 year-old Californian only graduated Central Saint Martins last summer and has already dressed the likes of Harry Styles (for the cover of Vogue, no less), Selena Gomez and Solange, and launched a ripe-for-layering jewellery collaboration with Missoma. And, honestly, he’s just getting started. Reed describes the aesthetic of his eponymous label as ‘non-binary rock and roll meets Marie Antoinette’ but the main take-away is the transformative power of self-expression. It’s a feeling that’s deeply personal, inspired by the validation of finding his own sartorial groove in the early days of identifying as non-binary. So, he conjures fluid, flamboyant demi-couture one-offs designed for everyone, regardless of gender or body shape, who wants to dress with authenticity, instinct and unbridled, joyful glamour, all puffed sleeves, cascading frills and his signature glam-rock platform boots.

“I work with big celebrities and musicians and you want to put something on them that feels just as incredible as a Valentino gown but without the waste,” he says. “I want to make something that’s sustainable but absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous, something that hasn’t been seen before. And more importantly, put out something that really has a strong message behind it.”
Emma Sells, Calendar Fashion

Don’t forget to look up. Friday inspiration from Barcelona based photographer @yosigo_yosigo. ⁠

The World’s First Hydrogen Hotel, Japan⁠⁠
We’re loving the fact that as the war against waste intensifies, forward-thinking companies are coming up with ever more inventive ideas. Imagine running a hotel on recycled toothbrushes and combs? Well, the King Skyfront Tokyo Rei in Kawasaki does just that. The first hydrogen hotel on the planet, it uses technology invented by Toshiba called H2Rex, a ‘clean’ generator that emits only water, and creates heat and electric power from hydrogen, without producing carbon emissions. 30% of the energy comes from recycled plastics, including room amenities such as all those discarded toothbrushes and hair combs, as well as locally-sourced plastic waste used to supplement the hotel’s own, and a whopping 70% comes from food refuse. ⁠⁠

Just because it is the world’s first hotel to be totally powered in this way, their eco-efforts don’t stop there: you’ll find rows of lettuce sprouting in reception, nourished by hydroponics and LED light source photosynthesis. They are pesticide free, grow year-round and are harvestable every 4 – 6 weeks.⁠⁠

As a guest you can do your bit by earning Green Coins for not using the disposable room amenities such as razors and shower caps. These Green Coins are tallied at check out and the hotel donates the value to local forestation projects. ⁠⁠
Now we just need Japan to make it onto the Green List …⁠⁠

tokyuhotelsjapan.com Doubles from £73, room only ⁠⁠
For carbon offsetting see trees4travel.com⁠⁠
Sue Ward Davies, Calendar Travel⁠⁠

If you love eclectic design and esoteric detail, then Patch NYC is a must for your future interior’s inspiration planning. Established in 1997 by designers Don Carney and John Ross with a collection of handmade hats is now an established lifestyle design studio boasting an impressive roster of loyal fans and a host of international collaborations with storied brands including French perfume house Fragonard, stationary brand, Galison and the Paris based ceramics company Astier de Villatte. From soft furnishings and tableware to lovingly curated jewellery and fashion accessories, whether it’s searching for the perfect addition to your home, a special gift or indeed simply to browse for inspiration Patch NYC has got you covered. patchnyc.com

Take one look at Lane Forty Five’s organically made collection, and you’ll know exactly where the brand stands on the issue of natural design. Founded by Indian-born creative Tanmay Saxena in 2016, Lane Forty Five’s fashion philosophy is as stunningly simple as the clothes it has birthed. With each piece handmade to order using natural fibres, the brand’s production process is simultaneously reflective of fashion’s past and future. Stars of the show are Lane Forty Five’s signature two pieces which pair just-cropped balloon trousers with relaxed pocketed jackets in colours that blend seamlessly with the nature-scape backdrops of Saxena’s immersive shoots. To shop from the brand, choose a silhouette, then a fabric, before the design is traced, cut and tailored especially for you, all with the knowledge that Lane Forty Five’s zero waste ethos means at least two trees are planted for everything you buy. A bespoke treasure awaits…⁠ HB.

This month, we’re delighted to kick off a new video series, Calendar Innovator. Spotlighting inspiring entrepreneurs and trailblazers who are bringing new ideas and innovations to the sustainability space. Our inaugural guest is the brilliant Josephine Philips, founder of @sojo_app. Informally known as “the Deliveroo of clothing alterations and repairs”, Sojo connects its users with local tailors for reliable and convenient fashion fixes at the click of a button. Having launched the app less than a year ago, founder Philips is a true example of a revolutionising innovator. Sojo has just closed its first round of funding and we couldn’t be happier to see it. Prepare to be inspired…

Thursday Inspiration courtesy of Christian Dior. Buy less, buy better.