Presents open? First glass of champagne consumed? All in the spirit of a very Merry Christmas today.
Post our Christmas excitement, and into our Boxing Day slumber, we are into Twixmas. While not dictionary official, this is the name given to that twilight zone between Christmas and the New Year when you may have time off, you may have to work (and perhaps have not so much to do) and you find yourself looking to fill the time. The city has grabbed hold of Twixmas and filled it with the season’s best things to do, boxing day sales included. Calmer, more collected, but undoubtedly still with the same amount of festive spirit and fun. This is what we are loving in this week’s Citizen Femme hotlist.
SEE THIS Accidentally Wes Anderson
We’ve all likely taken a snap of something that fits the bill, “Accidentally Wes Anderson”. A new photo exhibition in South Kensington, showcasing a collection of over two hundred remarkable photographs, (many will recognise the @accidentallywesanderson Instagram handle, which has gained notable prominence since its inception, attracting 1.8 million followers with its quirky images that capture Wes Anderson-esque scenes in our everyday built and natural environments). Conceived by Brooklyn-based couple Wally and Amanda, the Accidentally Wes Anderson (AWA) project initially emerged as a personal endeavour to curate a travel bucket list. The exhibition seeks to transcend the boundaries of the page and screen, offering a tangible, visceral experience. Spanning seven themed areas, from classic façades to maritime, transport and natural wonders, there’s a particular focus on London’s architecture, culture and transport in the final picture room exploring those accidentally cinematic shots found within our city. Arguably the most faultlessly curated space is located just before the gift shop and exit. Here, a room bathed in moody red paint, complete with matching carpet and curtains, hosts the AWA Adventure Cinema, showcasing the team’s global adventures. As we are deep in winter, its an exhibition that ignites a compelling urge for a winter getaway in pursuit of exploration.
READ THIS Pineapple Street
Catch a spot of reading in this precious downtime before 2024 kicks off. If you loved Succession, you’ll love this. The lives of the American 1% have regularly been a point of interest. Jenny Johnson’s debut novel Pineapple Street is a deliciously funny, sharply observed, smart escapist novel about family, love, and class, a zeitgeisty novel that follows the Stockton family of Brooklyn, high net worth Wasp buccaneers of New York real estate. They consist of air-headed matriarch Tilda, obsessed with tennis and tablescapes; her husband, the amiable Chip, who quietly manages the empire; daughters Darley and Georgiana; and son Cord. It’s a lighthearted book that captures a slice of New York society, a guilty pleasure that is completely absorbing, you may even finish it before 2024 begins.
BOOK THIS Underbelly & Dinner at Cafe Kitty
Step into Soho and it’s brand new theatre, Underbelly Boulevard, for a raunchy night out to see Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett, the darkest, funniest and most debauched cabaret show East of Berlin. The theatre is configured in-the-round, with acts performing on (or above) a central dais, and “Weimar jazz punk” musical/vocal accompaniment supplied behind the seating banks. The aerialist (and fire breather) Bella Diosa swings by her hair; the Seifert Sisters work their magic on a trapeze; there’s a razor-swallowing routine that recalls Penn and Teller’s famous number with needles, and more. This 90 minute show is a perfect entrée before dinner and drinks at Cafe Kitty, the new restaurant from the team behind the much loved Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair and Cora Pearl in Covent Garden. The cheeseburger tartare, Hannan’s salt-aged sirloin to share, Stavordale cheese salad and fries and Kitty’s crispy potatoes make it worth that final indulgence before your January wellness kicks in. Make sure to wash it down with the infamous Bad Kitty.
WATCH THIS Maestro
British Doctor Who fans and Call The Midwife, this is one to add to your Christmas watch list. Produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Maestro stars Bradley Cooper (who’s nominated for both Best Actor and Best Director at this year’s Golden Globes) as the late American composer Leonard Bernstein, who famously wrote the music for West Side Story and is considered one of the most influential conductors of all time. The movie follows the icon as he weds Felicia Montealegre Cohn (played by Carey Mulligan) and starts a family with her, all while creating the music for some of America’s greatest theatre pieces and struggling with his sexuality. While viewers see him question who he loves — Felicia or his first love David Oppenheim (portrayed by Matt Bomer) — you’ll get to know one of the most brilliant minds in music and the lengths he went to bring that to life.
DO THIS Tom Ford Beauty
Tom Ford has long been loved for its elegant, classic makeup and grooming lines. The standalone Covent Garden store is the definition of glamour. Once you can tear yourself away from the super-sleek make-up and perfume playground – where you can try on the latest launches with augmented reality, experience the intimate make up room with personalised how-to services and fragrance room with Mr Ford’s personal scent lab to explore exceptional scents, – head on downstairs to book in for a bespoke appointment before your next holiday party, where trained Tom Ford artists can get you ready. Get runway ready with the Tom Ford Look (a 60 minute appointment), or create the signature eye (great for pre New Year’s and also complimentary in January 2024), discover your perfect lip colour or enhance your facial structure with Tom Ford skincare make-up hybrids (complimentary in January 2024). But this isn’t just for the girls, there’s a superbly appointed space for men who can partake in a whole bevy of treatments in consummate comfort.
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