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Ihave just realised that I have spent roughly a quarter of my life working at Belle magazine, starting in 2007 as managing editor when I was lucky to be hired by editor and publishing dynamo Neale Whitaker before he went onto TV stardom. I have been fortunate to work with the best and most talented people in the Australian publishing, interior design, art and broader creative fields – plus a swag of entrepreneurial and inspiring clients. To say that it’s been a privilege would be understating the truly amazing people I have met and the incredible once-in-a lifetime experiences I have enjoyed.
Take an afternoon in Milan back in April 2015, when I found myself in a room at the back of the Alessi store being tutored about creative and commercial principles by Mr Alberto Alessi himself, complete with a signed diagram of what to keep in mind when designing for the iconic brand! That year with former Belle editor and now creative whiz at Hermès, Eric Matthews, I interviewed Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry, the design duo behind Hermès Maison – very nerve-racking as these interviews come with a translator and spectators!
In Milan again, photographer Felix Forest and I whisked Spanish design doyenne Patricia Urquiola away to a room in the new hotel she had designed so we could interview her properly – Patricia was very happy to be shot by fabulous Frenchman Felix and did not put any time limit on our interview. I saw her in Milan this year at her collection launch for Janus et Cie and she was as charming and funny as ever.
It seems fitting for me to be saying arrivederci with a Milan issue. This year I had the good fortune to visit Salone del Mobile and the incredible satellite installations courtesy of my lovely friends at Fanuli – in particular Fabio and Sandro. The Fanulis are pretty special and it is no wonder that the Italian family who owns Flexform chose them as their sole Australian distributor. I could not have flown to Milan in such wonderful style without the generous support of Emirates – their chauffeured pick-ups and drop-offs and exemplary business class service, not to mention the fabulous Moët & Chandon Champagne bar in the Dubai Business Class lounge (which, funnily enough, a lot of Australians seemed to have found), made the journey to and from so enjoyable. On arrival in Sydney I was a bit upset as I hadn’t finished all the movies I wanted to watch from my luxe Emirates cocoon ensconced in a mist of Bvlgari scent. This year my special friends and colleagues, Belle’s style director-at-large Steve Cordony – sponsored and dressed by COS – and deputy editor Harry Roberts, also flew to Milan. Read the full report on p47.
I have been privy to the interiors of many fine Australian homes and we have a stunning collection from the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards finalists, starting on p152. This is our ninth awards and it’s been a pleasure collaborating with Anthony Spon-smith and his team each year. The winners of this year’s awards are revealed on p97.
We also created lots of Belle events, like our series of reader art dinners – about six a year for four years – sponsored by Belle Property and hosted by the wonderful, wise, witty and wickedly funny Michael Reid. Over the course of those dinners I learnt a lot about contemporary Australian art.
Nothing lasts forever; you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone; it’s too late, baby – I’m going to roll out all the clichés and song lyrics and farewell all of you loyal Belle readers. I’m heading down the hallway of Bauer magazine-land to take the helm at Australian House & Garden. I am passing this beautifully embellished baton to new editor Gavin Kirk, who will continue to inspire and delight you along with creative director Cathryn Zhang, deputy editor Harry Roberts, chief wordsmith and stargazer Janice Hogg, and our team of expert contributors. Thank you for reading and thank you to all of the brilliant people I have worked with over the past 12 years.