Tanya Buchanan, Follow us
#BELLEMAGAZINE
B y the time you are reading this issue chances are you will be in the full tilt of madness towards Christmas with all its lunches, parties, impromptu festive tipples, accompanying project deadlines, manic shopping and frantic – trying hard to be stylish – gift wrapping. It’s an oft-repeated cliché but 2018 has truly zoomed. We moved of ce oors just before Christmas last year and have had such a busy time that I still have things that need to be packed and sorted.
Hopefully, this issue’s serenely elegant cover caught your eye as you were out scrambling for those elusive gifts. The image was shot by photographer Tom Ferguson of a project from the Belle Coco Republic Interior Designer of the Year winner, Alexander & Co, featuring principal Jeremy Bull (p156). And there’s more – with stunning projects from Australian designers Arent&pyke, Enoki, Edwina Withers, Greg Natale and landscape designer Annie Wilkes, and fabulous international homes including So a Coppola’s Belize beach house and an exquisite Parisian apartment by rising French interior design star Charlotte Biltgen.
We have compiled an excellent selection of unique gifts (p111) for those special characters in your life, from ‘The Savant’ to ‘The Glamazon’ and trust this will make your gift buying easier. Our doyenne of style etiquette Melissa Penfold has some wise gift counsel too (p79).
This issue our Architecture editor Karen Mccartney interviews Japanese design legend Kengo Kuma (p50) and brings us her exclusive London Design Festival report (p65).
I was lucky to visit Paris in September and have gathered favourite nds from Maison & Objet for you (p74). A stop in London was also amazing with a stay at interior design guru Kit Kemp’s wonderful Ham Yard Hotel. Speaking of British interior decorators, design legend Nina Campbell was recently in Australia for textile maven Tigger Hall’s Como By Design initiative in Melbourne and to launch her new tome Nina Campbell Interior Decoration: Elegance and Ease. I had the pleasure of introducing one of her talks and she has lots of fabulous stories from her career and the colourful personalities she has worked with. Nina conveyed her style and musings with warmth and humour – see our book review (p84).
If you know an unrepresented artist between 16 and 25 tell them about Belle Artstart (p48). We are calling for entries for the fourth annual Artstart award and have some exciting introductions – the rst 80 artists to request an entry kit and pay will receive a complimentary canvas courtesy of Studio Gallery, and thanks to the terri c support of the Art Gallery of New South Wales the entries and our Awards night will be held there in February, 2019.
Let’s appreciate the real social interaction this time of the year brings and take a break from the virtual stuff. See you in 2019 with the February/march Belle – on sale January 7.