By Michelle Ganney
What’s Trending
December was a month fuelled with some of the biggest movie premieres. The legendary and much anticipated film “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” premiered in Leicester Square – the final instalment in the epic fantasy adventure trilogy and the last time we will journey to Middle Earth.
• Also grabbing the spotlight was a film directed by Ridley Scott, “Exodus Gods and Kings”, a twist on the Biblical, animated film “The Prince of Egypt” which premiered in London’s cinema hotspot, Leicester Square. This rendition took a much darker turn with the defiant Moses rising up against his brother, Pharaoh Ramses, in order to take 600,000 slaves on an epic journey to escape deadly plagues and Egypt. Played by the multi-talented actor and former Batman legend Christian Bale, it was a tense two hours of this warped yet extraordinary Biblical story.
• The UK seems to be taking the music world by storm, with Britain sweeping the nominations for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Our very own Sam Smith is leading the way with an astonishing six nominations. Powerhouse Ed Sheeran, renowned band Coldplay and newcomer Charli XCX have also got the nod. Smith’s album, “In The Lonely Hour”, along with Sheeran’s “X” and Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories”, make up just some of the contenders in the category for best pop vocal album. The countdown to the award ceremony on 9 February has begun!
• St John’s Square reprised their Creative Clerkenwell Christmas Pop-Up shop in December with a number of high-profile featured designers including Amanda Li Hope, Jo Davies and Lee Borthwick. Christmas delights, souvenirs, limited edition products and gifts were available at the gallery at Craft Central. An asteroid necklace with a solid sterling silver pendant and an 18-carat rose gold plated finish by Amanda Li Hope was on offer, as were some ash platters by Lee Borthwick, with responsibly sourced ash wood designed and made in East London. These were just a few of the exquisite pieces on offer at the popular event. A portion of the sales went to charity in order to assist Craft Central’s programme to support UK designer-makers.
Hotspots
London was graced with some of the world’s most beautiful models last December in honour of one of television’s most prestigious evenings. For their annual catwalk show, the Victoria’s Secret models put on a stunning performance and were accompanied by some of showbiz’s musical legends including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande. The show aired exclusively in December on CBS, so we hope you managed to catch some of VS’s most angelic angels. From Adriana Lima to Alessandra Ambrosio, Doutzen Kroes, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo and Karlie Kloss, this bevy of beauties put on an unforgettable show.
Fashion
With Christmas, mulled wine, roast potatoes and mince pies well and truly gone, it’s that time of the year again to begin to tone up. In preparation for the spring and summer clamour of getting into shape, Striders Edge have a dreamy 2015 collection to get you feeling fit and healthy and, more importantly, looking good!
Their new collection, aptly titled “California Dreaming”, has a radiant palette ranging from fluorescent corals to turquoise blues and subtle shades of grey and yellow to really capture the sun-drenched landscapes of California with a London-designed twist. The new Spring 2015 collection also includes vibrant-coloured vests, printed leggings, statement racer backs and a new line of technical cover-ups. Their luxury cashmere performance fabrics are unique in style as they combine exquisite design with technical innovation – a true fitness wonder! The most dynamic collection to date is available online from 1 January (www.stridersedge.com).
Fit For Life
Renowned Latino chef Angelo Sosa revealed some of his post-Christmas treats after the hectic festive holidays. In the seventh season of Top Chef, Sosa was the popular runner up. “Top chef was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done in my life,” he said.
Since then his career has gone from strength to strength. Speaking candidly to me about his love of food, Sosa announced the launch of his new cookbook, “Healthy Latin Eating”, which is due to be released on 2 January. He explained how healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland and boring and how spice is his weapon of choice in the kitchen. “I consider myself a spice expert.” His favourite spice is “fenugreek”, which is indigenous to Middle East India. “This aromatic Mediterranean plant has a strong aroma but toasted correctly is absolutely beautiful.”
