The Ones To Watch: What To Shop, Where To Go and Who To Follow This February
Virtual travel, the alternative renovation, a new dinner hotspot and more to come this month
Future Travel
The Metaverse. We all know what that is, right? Well, just in case you didn’t – ahem – it’s an immersive virtual 3D world that many tech experts predict is the evolution of the internet. Luxury publishers Assouline have explored the Metaverse and, specifically, how it may impact our travel habits in the future with a glorious new book titled Metaverse Dream that, they say, “offers a unique immersion into this groundbreaking frontier.” Assouline.com
Redecorate Don’t Renovate
It feels like every other reel/ post/story on Instagram is yet another home reno. However, living in the UAE where a reported 70 per cent of expats rent, it doesn’t add up to make major changes to a home that we don’t own. Enter Laura Jones, a Dubai-based interior stylist who is breathing new life into spaces, whether that’s moving around existing furniture, painting walls and adding artwork according to your personal style and budget, but without the disruption, noise and cost of a full-blown makeover. @homebylaurajones
Golden Girl
Having bagged the Golden Globe for her performance in Tár, the safest bet at the Oscars on March 12 is Cate Blanchett taking home her third Best Actress trophy. In the movie, which The Guardian described as an “outrageous, delirious and sensual psychodrama”, Blanchett plays Lydia Tár, an acclaimed orchestra conductor on the brink of a nervous breakdown. In this anxiety-inducing movie, the violin strings are highly strung indeed.
Diner’s Delight
It takes bravery, luck and a whole lot of money to successfully open a restaurant in DIFC. Congratulations, then, to La Niña, the latest addition to Dubai’s restaurant hotbed, which is serving a fusion of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese cuisines from chef Timothy Newton (Opa and Bagatelle) in a dining room that takes your breath away. Laidback yet lavish, La Niña is hidden in a corner of ICD Brookfield Place and is well worth seeking out, not only for the must-try gazpacho and tuna tartare, but the adorable plates, napkins and blue Portuguese tiles. ICD Brookfield Place, +971 50 889 8336
Viva Magenta
Pantone’s official colour of 2023 is a complicated hue of pink – a mix between raspberry, hot pink and fuchsia. “It’s both powerful and empowering,” says Lee Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Sounds good to us.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s February 2023 issue.