We’ve gone a little Barbiecore on our hotlist this week.
Plus, we’re shopping our favourite handbag of the week, booking in for sensational theatre, and taking a mouthful of this Marylebone Greek odyssey. If you’re on home ground and yet to travel, your schedule is likely to look just as colourful as island hopping. This is what we’re loving in this week’s hotlist.
WEAR THIS DeMellier London
DeMellier is a label we can’t get enough of – founded by Mireia Llusia-Lindh, DeMellier London is committed to doing things differently. Each bag is crafted ethically and sustainably in Italy or Spain and sourced with the highest quality materials. From The Vancouver Tote, a perfect practical everyday work bag fitting a 13” laptop and other work essentials – making it an ideal carry-all tote – to The Cannes, new this season, a cotton-canvas sophisticated trapeze-shaped silhouette featuring a gold plated plaque to open and fasten the bag. Worn under the arm or over the shoulder, it’s an ideal companion for your summer escapades. DeMellier is the London-based handbag brand to carry about town, whether at home or abroad.
WATCH THIS Dr Semmelweis at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Perhaps one of this generation’s finest actors graces the stage again; Mark Rylance brings a fully-formed humanity to the eccentric maverick Dr Semmelweis. Set in Vienna, a city of artistic and scientific revolution, in the play thousands of women are still dying in childbirth each and every year. Only Dr Semmelweis can see the invisible killer at work, but to stop it, he must convince his colleagues to admit culpability and approve change. Dismissed as a radical and damned by an establishment that questions his methods, his motives and even his sanity, Semmelweis is haunted by the women he has failed to save. A first-rate cast, headed by Rylance, Dr Semmelweis is an astounding piece of theatre that shines deserved light on a historical maverick due proper recognition.
STAY HERE Meliá White House
Following an extensive, five-year refurbishment to the tune of £40 million, Meliá White House showcased its new look in its entirety in April 2023. This Grade II listed building – originally built in 1936 and wonderfully located besides Regent’s Park – retains many of its original Art Deco design but now flaunts: 581 stylishly-updated rooms; reimagined dining with a restaurant and bar accessible from the lobby; and a sleek, open-plan design between all spaces. There’s also a new premium offering, The Level Lounge, intended to usher in a more personalised service with its own entrance plus complimentary drinks, snacks and tapas bites. A Spanish brand, Meliá also brings Mediterranean vibes to its dining: both 35 Bar & Lounge and Arado Restaurant serve a Spanish menu, and the latter is headed up by F&B Director Alberto Jonte, formerly Executive Chef at ME Ibiza. This is the real deal. Katie Silcox.
EAT HERE Kima, Marylebone
Kima, the new fin-to-gill restaurant opens this week in Marylebone, from Nikos Roussos and Andreas Labridis, the duo behind modern Greek restaurants OPSO, INO and Pittabun. The restaurant’s main focus will be the impressive fish counter, displaying the catch of the day from whole turbots and groupers to freshly caught langoustines and hand dived scallops. From this counter, choose seafood that will become the focus of a personally-tailored menu, with Chef Nikos and his team taking you through the different ways each fish or crustacean can be prepared; raw, cured or cooked. Kima’s chefs practice a ‘waste not, use all’ philosophy, using every part of the fish and animal such as transforming bones and spines into delicate broths. The dessert offering will be lead by nori baklavas, a modern twist on one of the most popular Greek traditional sweets. Curated by Andreas, Kima’s wine list will be composed of the finest Greek wines and a careful selection of international wines with a focus on Champagne. As you wander around the lively neighbourhood on the weekends, brunches at Kima are worth booking in for, with Greek-inspired dishes such as tahini-brioche lobster rolls, and ‘strapatsada’ scrambled eggs with barrelled feta guacamole and tomato kayanas tortilla.
USE THIS Rodial Plumping Collagen Lip Oil
We couldn’t help but jump on the Barbie trend, so for a little Barbiecore, there’s only one colour for a pristine plastic girl – pink! For all things flirty and fun, we’re pumping our pout with Rodial’s vegan collagen-infused plumping lip oil. With cherry, macadamia, hibiscus, jojoba and sweet almond oils, the delicate smoothing formula visibly plumps and hydrates the look of lips, leaving a sheer veil of soft pink, locking in moisture for a fuller-looking pout. For a ‘read my lips’ effect, this handbag essential lets you identify with whichever Barbie you choose.
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