Photo shoots, princess parties and fabulous art!

Being back in London feels great although I am quietly nervous about the airing of my new CH4 TV show “Four Rooms”.  It was a great experience shooting the shows and I really enjoyed working with my fellow gallerists but there is a lot that can be done in editing!

On the set of Four Rooms © Ch4

Straight back into the thick of it though, Vivi and I headed off to Euston to a serious old-school studio for a HELLO! Magazine photo shoot with the maestro, photographer John Swannell.  It was a huge excitement for Vivi and watching her have her hair and makeup done was just too precious. National treasure, Patsy Palmer’s three children were also there and they were so good looking, polite and generally charming that I would have considered stealing little Bertie…

Vivi having her hair done! ©TamaraBeckwith

I was up bright and early for yet another shooting lesson with my new BFF Pat. Remarkably I seemed to really get the hang of it and even got so cocky as to suggest we try a couple of pretend rabbit targets. I must say, it certainly gets the old adrenaline pumping. Not long to go now before the actual Highclere Shooting Challenge.

Kate Driver and her daughter Lily

Next we had my great girlfriend Jenny Halpern Prince’s twin girls 4^th birthday party. Jenny had gone all out! Little Princesses ran amok and poor Mr. Marvel really had to raise his game to keep them in line. Vivi had decided she wanted to wear her sari. I have to say it is the best thing I have given her in a long time! All my girlfriends were there and I finally had to drag Vivi home when she decided she had to help the poor face painter. Needless to say she was an unwanted assistant. Kate Driver and I left with Vivi and her daughter Lilly laden with armfuls of helium balloons and guilty chocolate-covered mouths.

My gorgeous older daughter Anouska had come home from Paris for a precious weekend with her new beau Maxime. I was very keen to meet the boy who has made her so happy!

Anouska and her new beau Maxime

Firstly I had to be up really rather early for a Sunday to appear on one of my favourite shows, CH4’s “Sunday Brunch” to promote “Four Rooms”. I watch it usually from the comfort of my bed but it was all quite different getting there at silly o’clock as it’s live. I was thrilled to be on with my old friend Capital Radio DJ, Lisa Snowdon. She is just a gem. Always cheery and what a body! We gossiped and laughed about the old days in LA and our mutual friend Adam Bernhard. She really needs snapping up! The boys, Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer were up to their normal high jinx but the whole show was an absolute pleasure to be on.

Me, international cricketer Monty Panesar and Lisa Snowdon

Back to my other reality, The Little Black Gallery. We had curated a “Flowers” show with stunning pure black and white photographs by Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Arakawa, and as a contrast, highly digitised colour flowers by emerging British photographer Lisa Creagh. This was slightly different for us, but with two stellar photographers we hoped it would entice our loyal client base to come and take a peek.

Mark Vandelli, Tamara, Giancarlo Giammetti and Heather Kerzner

Well the preview night was crackers. Ex Supermodel Marie Helvin, looking quite unbelievable, was one of the first to appear as she is longtime friends with Hiro’s wife, the heavenly Maxine Van-Cliffe. Maxine arrived from Tokyo and I must say between the two of us we never drew breath. We had met years ago at the Cannes Film Festival at the legendary Hotel Du Cap.

Marie Helvin and Hiroyuki Arakawa

It was also quite mad to see another old familiar face, Charlotte Lewis.  We used to hang out in LA when she was still acting. She brought her very well behaved little boy along and was another old friend of Maxine’s. I remember so many crazy nights with Charlotte it made me feel ancient just recollecting them…

Tamara and Maxine Van-Cliffe Arakawa

Scent by Design, a seriously cool florist and candle maker run by my friend Charmian Taylor, had made some special arrangements for the show and even legendary florist Rob Van Helden made encouraging noises although it was his naughty sidekick Sebastien who was after more photographs for their home. Heather Kerzner swung by looking svelte and happy and full of vigour for her charity, The MacMillan Trust. Bless her for being such a tireless Charity Chick.

Heather Kerzner, Grainne Stevenson, Charmian Taylor and me

Designers Betty Jackson and Edina Ronay, both uber elegant, also came by to say their hello’s to Hiro. It was a huge success and we were all a bit worse for wear, having drunk the many Hibiki Japanese Whisky Highballs courtesy of Suntory Whisky, as we slunk off for a small supper afterwards next door at Eleven Park Walk. I was told off, in a nice way by Hiro, for not letting Maxine eat as we gossiped all night!

Edina Ronay and Betty Jackson

Another day, another lunch!  So much for eating light and exercising like a lunatic! It was off to Harry’s Bar for a small welcome lunch for the incredible Lorraine Schwartz, jeweller to the stars thrown by Denise Rich. The food is always the same old but I was seated next to Lorraine and I was allowed to touch and try all her magnificent rocks. OMG I was in heaven. Sliced 10 carat diamonds, I know they sound OTT but trust me, once on your little finger they so lose that vulgarity!! She was a character with a capital C and I loved every minute of her chat. I learnt more about Hollywood from her than I have seen in the 20 odd years I have flitted back and forth! All I can say is that I love Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds even more now….

So another quiet week has flown by but I have my eye firmly set on the prize of next week’s Highclere Shooting Challenge. Excited? Like a kid? You bet…

Sunny Miami and Beautiful Art

Arriving at Miami airport is an endurance test, pure and simple. As if flying 9 hours isn’t trauma enough with little people – the battle to get to the Passport Control first is an olympian task in itself. This trip was no different! We must have still waited in line for a good 30 minutes, bearable compared to one poor friend who stood for a mind-boggling 2 hours before getting that precious stamp and smile!!

Once we arrived at our hotel the SLS Hotel South Beach all my stress disappeared and Vivi, Bea (my rather too cute 22yr old Italian Nanny) headed to the pool to watch our first Sunset. As I knew the PR girl from Harrison & Shriftman back from my old LA days, we were literally treated like the Middleton’s relations. A perfect white-smiling, red-carpet genie called Leo Demarsh checked us in and literally never left my side. He was drop dead handsome, charm personified and was absolutely what a great concierge should be.

The fabulous SLS hotel

The hotel is the latest cool place on the uber hip South Beach and I hadn’t quite taken on board the heady mix of a Philip Starck Hotel in collaboration with the one and only Lenny Kravitz, meaning it was hardly a kids’ place! Not that Vivi cares terribly much! She finds fun wherever she goes and the beach was fantastic. All the staff, notably Terry, Andrea and Leo all made Vivi feel very special as she was usually the first by the pool in the morning. Our saving grace was also that a lot of my great friends were there with their children. We made a plan for everyday and heading off to various other hotels makes you realise where would have been a more sensible choice!

Our beautiful hotel room

We arranged to see my dear friend PR whizz Jenny Halpern Prince with her delicious twin girls. We had a mad and much needed dip at The W Hotel before lunch  –  it was also where Nick and Holly Candy were staying. We bumped into another friend Damian Aspinall who had all three of his girls with him. The food was delicious and totally geared towards the kids and we spent a great afternoon with the girls leaping in and out of the pool.

Me, Giorgio and Vivi ©TamaraBeckwith

That night my husband Giorgio was flying in from New York and some friends had planned a dinner at Mr Chows. The table ended up girl-heavy but Robert Hanson, who has moved to Miami with his lovely wife Masha and their little boy Max, was quite capable of handling us all. Our friends the Stevensons were off the following morning so actually it was relatively quiet. Nick Candy stopped by and was funny about the service at the W being so hopeless. Giorgio finally arrived rather bleary-eyed but by that time I was incredibly tired and so we jumped into a taxi and headed home.

Luis Morais and Bara Boheme bracelets

Of course, staying right on South Beach means you have the famous boardwalk right on your doorstep. It is ideal for early morning runs or just watching the world go by. There are also quite a lot of street traders now. I had taken Vivi off for a morning jaunt and we came across a lovely lady, Bara Boheme who had made some really pretty pieces with coloured opals. Being as keen a shopper as her mother, Vivi picked some out for her cousins, one for her and one for her mummy!

Another plus to holidaying in Miami whilst your husband works, is that if the weather isn’t amazing, there is still plenty to do. One such day arrived and so I decided I would take Bea and Vivi to Jungle Island. Sat Nav or no Sat Nav I still didn’t listen to the very simple instructions. Robert and his son had called to say they would meet us there and so off we headed…a slight diversion and we added 20 mins to what should have been a speedy little trip!

Flamingos at Jungle Island!

Once parked and inside the first monkey shed we were in heaven – Americans really do do theme parks brilliantly. The humidity was a problem but over the course of three hours we saw every animal imaginable. A small lake covered in flamingos, parrots & cockatoo’s galore, lions, tigers, snow tigers, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs. However one feels about animals in captivity it is still quite something to see these magnificent animals up close. Apparently there are more big cats bred in captivity or kept in captivity than there are in the wild! That’s quite a sombre fact.

We caught the Wild Encounter cat show which, of course, had Vivi transfixed. Bea and I were about to pass out from dehyrdration but Vivi was far from done! Robert and Max had long gone but the sweetest bit was when we had finally convinced her to leave and were just paying for some drinks, Vivi piped up “Oh and Mummy can we buy a baby Cheetah?”

NEST

Although it all sounds lots of fun I was actually in Miami to work! One of my great friends Sara Colombo has an amazing new interiors showroom in the design district called NEST.  She and I had been collaborating over a Terry O’Neill show she thought would be perfect for her Miami market. As Terry is a very old friend of mine and The Little Black Gallery, he was thrilled to come over on his way to another show in Brazil. I was shocked at how much press he generated! Sara had sent out beautiful, chic invitations and we just hoped the show would be a huge success.

Me, Sara Colombo and Terry O’Neill

Terry and his business manager Robin Morgan arrived late – another passport control nightmare – but were staying with me at SLS. Sara and I had decided to take them on their first night to the most beautiful restaurant in South Beach, Casa Tua, owned by a very naughty, handsome Italian called Miky Grendene. It also happens to be one block from the hotel. He is thick as thieves with London naughties, Arki Busson and Tim Jefferies. Sara and Terry hit it off immediately and he adored the charming flowery terrace.  Miky was his usual charming self and had arranged a wonderful feast and actually sat with us. Fawaz Gruosi (owner of De Grisogono jewellery) arrived for his gang’s dinner and my husband’s great pal Marco Bizarri was hosting a think-tank for luxury label Bottega Venetta. As if we needed any further glamour, ex-supermodel Elsa Benitez arrived in a teeny red Herve Leger to celebrate her birthday.

Me, Robin Morgan and Terry O’Neill

The night of Terry’s “It Girls & Boys” show arrived and I arranged a car to take us to the Design District. Terry was such a trooper arriving not a single minute late, and I remembered to get a quick shot on the steps of the hotel for posterity. Sara’s showroom is absolutely sensational, beautiful Italian style furniture with very expensive looking accessories stylishly dotted around. Terry’s iconic images looked amazing. Bridget Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Richard Burton and Bowie – all instantly recognisable.

Me, Sara Colombo, & Masha Hanson

The party was crammed full of Miami faces, decorators and in the middle of all this were the few Londoners who had come to make Terry feel loved. Jo Wood and her sister Lizzie slipped in and bought books for Terry to sign. The glamazon Masha Hanson made a very stylish entrance and the seriously sought-after Luis Morais (another very cool jeweller) came by in a fabulous black leather ensemble. He is a huge star and a trip to Miami is never complete without visiting his studio!

Blaine Trump, Steve Simon and Bambi and Nigel Goodhew

Miky and Fawaz came by as did art collector Guido Orsi who was holding court, and there were a huge amount of rather pretty, tanned limbed females! My favourite sighting however was Blaine Trump and her dashing partner Steve Simon. They really are quite a knock-out couple. We finally headed off to the after dinner at Bazaar with Terry and Robin, Jo and Lizzie and Sara’s lovely parents feeling we really had earned a delicious feast….

Family, fun and sun!

You may or may not know I am cuckoo for a West End musical and luckily have some equally nutty friends who accompany me to these nights of bliss. I was thrilled therefore to be invited to see Chorus Line at the Palladium, it hasn’t been in London for 30 years. Unsurprisingly it has been one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time so I was beyond excited to see it. The opening scene was so fast, showy and complex with such incredible energy, I just knew it was going to be a wonderful evening. The storyline was pretty simple but the fact that there was no interval and that these incredible dancers literally never got to rest just took my breath away! I adored the actor John Partridge who was playing Zach, the ambitious choreographer (based on the famous Bob Fosse) – he was just phenomenal.  In fact the whole cast was utterly watchable – I couldn’t wait to know what was coming next. The costumes for the finale are worth going to the show for alone!

The fabulous actor John Partridge playing Zach in Chorus Line

Next morning I was up bright and early, ready to head to the West London Shooting school with my old mucker Grainne Stevenson. She is a great girlfriend and is always up for any of my mad ideas! We have entered an all-girls team for a clay pigeon shoot at Highclere (the beautiful Estate where they shoot Downton Abbey) in a month and I have never shot before! My cousin Nicola Bearman is a tireless charity girl and is putting on a beautiful day to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. I have always wanted to shoot, not live things I hasten to add, and so I jumped at the opportunity. Of course, the weather was beyond freezing and once I had been introduced to my instructor Pat he immediately disappeared to bring me an extra coat! I had also forgotten gloves. Despite the severe weather, I loved it from the moment he showed me how to hold the gun. I found it quite hard to follow the clay but once I had hit a couple I was encouraged to keep at it. Grainne has shot many times and was therefore popping away. Pat was a hoot and a great teacher. I left with a total understanding of how addictive the hobby could become. I’m already looking forward to my next lessons.

Me, Pat and Grainne at Highclere

From country pursuits to London life – I have a new TV show on Channel 4 called Four Rooms coming out the end of April and so the press bits have started. A portrait shoot at my home for the Telegraph Magazine and I was being my very unusual relaxed self. I am far from uncontrolling but instead had got my two looks ready for the photographer to choose from. He was a super chilled guy and I think it rubbed off on me. I usually want to see the frame and check every detail but instead I just let him get on with it!

Me at a shoot for The Telegraph

Finally the Easter weekend beckoned and Vivi and I packed our numerous bags with glee. We were off to Milan to see her beloved grandparents and then off to the sunny shores of Miami. Milan was freezing and of course Miami would be searing heat. The luggage was ridiculous…

Getting to Milan is almost like an immediate decompressor for me as my parents-in-law literally take Vivi off to play from the moment we arrive until the moment we leave. Giorgio had been in Rome for work and so we all met at his home for some serious Italian home cooking and downtime. We also have our ritual of going to his old friend Christian’s pizzeria in the village. Vivi especially loves going there as she gets to play waitress!

The beautiful Rubiera in Italy

On Easter Sunday Giorgio is quite particular about Vivi going to Church. Like a good Italian papa he likes her to be dressed properly and then go to see everyone. She actually likes to go and there are always loads of other children. She has just twigged about Jesus and also likes to light a candle or two for my lovely mother.

Our beautiful church in Italy

There is something very embraceable about church-life in little villages and I am always happy to go. The church was absolutely rammed and even standing room was tight. So much for the decline of the Roman Catholic faith!

Me, Giorgio and Vivi ©TamaraBeckwith

Easter lunch is an amazing feast and we often head to the world renowned Arnaldo’s. Again, children are encouraged to play and wander around (my idea of heaven) and the food is really delicious. It’s a family run hotel and the two sisters who are now in charge are like characters out of a movie. Both are very glamorous!

Lovely Easter decorations

As always when we have to leave, Vivi’s grandmother cries. She always asks if Vivi can stay behind but this time Vivi was definitely coming with us to get some much needed sunshine. I was never a girl to care too much about the sun before but now I am a devotee. England’s horrendous weather has just been enough already!

Vivi playing in Arnaldo’s ©TamaraBeckwith

Off to mad Miami we headed… It wasn’t to be all play as I had a very exciting first collaboration show in America for The Little Black Gallery with my dear old friend Terry O’Neill at my girlfriend Sara Colombo’s new showroom “Nest”. So although the beaches beckoned there would be time to work too even if done poolside in a bikini!

A magical Mother’s Day and a fabulous party!

Having had a super quiet week I was unprepared for my spectacular Mother’s Day treat. My lovely husband really went for gold, or a ‘pink ticket’ as we call it, and brought up a breakfast tray that was fit for a Queen. Vivi has got quite accustomed to our little family breakfasts upstairs. I do try to tell her they are a treat and not the norm but still!

The fabulous Lion King at The Lyceum Theatre

Next we were whisked off to the matinee of The Lion King at The Lyceum Theatre. I remember going to the opening which I believe was in 1999! I might be going mad but I have no recollection of it being so funny or so gobsmackingly fabulous. We all sat transfixed for the entire show. The dancing, costumes and of course the singing were all absolutely breathtaking. We left the show so happy, with jazz hands flapping and in jubilant singing form. My last surprise of the day was still to come. Giorgio suggested we go to Balthazar, the new New York brasserie that has only just arrived in Covent Garden. I have been dying to get there and to my amazement we found a bend-over-backwards helpful Maître’d in the shape of Sam. He snuck us in on our solemn promise we would be fast! The food was scrumptious and piping hot. Well I can only say the whole day was chocolate-box perfect and my dinner at Balthazar was the cherry on the cake. God bless my Italian husband.

Balthazar restaurant

A fun birthday party or four loomed ahead so I decided to head to the best find of my year, Noble MacMillan, and most importantly a cheeky chap called Henry. They have heavenly leather goods and everything can be individually engraved to your exact specification or mad idea. Also the engraving can be in a funky range of metallics. So without ruining all my surprise gifts I sorted all the birthdays out in one hilarious coffee-fuelled half an hour.  I just hope they all love them as much as I loved creating them.

Some of the heavenly goods from Noble MacMillan

Thursday was my beautiful eldest daughter, Anouska’s Birthday in Paris. I had come across a wonderful new florist, via style-guru Gianluca Longo, called Rambert’s in Paris. I was so pleased with myself at remembering his suggestion and couldn’t believe that he actually answered his own phone. He has already being flagged by the likes of Vogue and all their little fashionistas. He was absolutely the most charming man I have spoken to in a long time. So helpful and kind and gentle. What a wonderful and rare quality! Needless to say Noushy called me to say WOW they were the best flowers she had ever received. Ever. Now that’s saying something…

Next day I had a very rare girls’ lunch at the super chic Harry’s Bar. I have to really get my head around the idea of dressing so smartly for lunch – high heels, the works! I slipped into my Ralph-Lauren-does-Downton-Abbey tweed ensemble and added an olive green furry thing and was good to go. Once inside Harry’s it was great to catch up with a whole other clique of girl. The fabulous hostess Anastasia is always good at pairing you up with someone like-minded and there is always something to be achieved. I found a great girl who suddenly found out about my gallery and before I knew it had introduced me to a friend of hers and now I might be off to Athens! All over a small lunch!

Patrick Cox and Arthur Mornington

Last but by no means least was the spectacular 50th Birthday party for one of London’s most popular boys, the cobbler Patrick Cox. He had gone frightfully grand and was hosting us all at The Café Royal Hotel. Patrick is a hoot and Giorgio and I were very touched to have been included in his dinner. I was even more happy to have the dashing Arthur Mornington, husband to the pretty make-up star Jemma Kidd, on one side and the notorious Arki Busson to my left. Not bad for a Friday night! Patrick made a sweet speech and had his BFF Elizabeth Hurley encouraging him from the wings. His other BFF is Camilla Al Fayed and she looks amazing having just had her second child a couple of months ago. Calvin Klein model Lara Stone (wife of our national treasure David Walliams) was flying solo and had many admiring glances at her almost cooked baby tummy.

Me and Katya Formichev ©TamaraBeckwith

I had been sent by the DSquared boys a black full length “breathing not necessary” evening gown to wear. Getting into it was interesting, getting out of it was a nightmare! They had flown in especially for Patrick, all fellow Canadians, and were in the most stylish matching DJs. The twin brothers are definitely good value at any party.

Dean and Dan of D-Squared ©TamaraBeckwith

After dinner we all went downstairs to an even more beautiful room complete with gilded ceiling, black patent dance floor and a funky DJ. Fran and Charlotte Cutler were already dancing up a storm in a fashion that I can’t even imitate. Jemima Khan arrived with her old pal Johnston Somerset and I was thrilled to see my airport pal Charlotte Tilbury, the makeup queen, holding court furiously in the corner.

Arun Nayar and Margo Stilley ©TamaraBeckwith

The party seemed to fill up and Grey Goose cocktails were certainly spicing things up! David Furnish, one of Patrick’s other great pals, Margo Stilley, Amanda Ferry and Kimberly Johnston all added to the girlie glam quota but David Gandy was certainly getting a lot of attention! Whilst the action hotted up it became quite apparent that Patrick was hugely loved…

Spring ponies and a brilliant Bar Mitzvah

So much for the Spring!  I came back from LA full of girly ideas about short sleeved dresses and ultimately have almost hibernated in my cashmere cupboard.  Not to be deterred I flew down the M40 for a fun weekend with two old girlfriends who have decided country living is the way to go.  First stop was my oldest friend, Tasha from boarding school who conveniently has two little rosie cheek girls Violet’s age.  Violet didn’t seem to notice that all the other kids at the Birthday party  were new to her but what she did notice was the sublime pony hiding in his stable across the lawn!  Desperate to get to him she tried every trick in the book to escape.  Promises of pony treks the following morning were thrown down if all three girls had baths and went to sleep immediately!  Highly unlikely or impossible  just down to the gargantuan amounts of sugar that had been consumed..  remarkably the three little bears had only one illicit trip down stairs and then true to their word hit the sack until bright and early the following day.  Violet couldn’t believe her eyes when two other ponies arrived tacked up and ready to go.  What a genius friend I have!  Only complaint I have is when our girls wanted to go for a trot us Mummy’s looked ridiculous trying to keep up, leading the energetic ponies and making sure no one fell off!  Talk about a work out!  My lungs almost exploded. It was all worth it as the look of wonderment on their faces was priceless.

Vivi & Tasha © Tamara Beckwith

Off like the crackers to make my other girlfriends kiddies party in Great Tew. We lost count of chocolate box pretty thatched cottages but Vivi still finds driving through the countryside fascinating.  My girlfriend Linda has no clue how to do low key and so we were greeted by a gang plank and a mean Pirate. The rest was hilarious until again us Mum’s have to start flying around on a fiercely competitive treasure hunt!  It is genius and she ropes in a lot of her friends to assume characters.  Vivi thinks it’s a hoot!  I found my sister and her youngest daughter Amber and we ambled around.  Ed Allen, the writer and son of the legendary comedian, is a popular local and always helps out with the best BBQ in Tew.

The treasure hunt craziness!

My country bit over with it was back to the fast pace of London. I have vowed my bottom will not drop any further and so headed back to Grace Belgravia.  The new Health Spa and Gym is so perfectly located for me as I really can’t back out of going!  I worked out surprisingly hard but was told that my co-ordination was useless!  I don’t think I am used to being spoken to in such a blunt way!  It sure worked though!!

Nick Rhodes’ exhibition “Bei Incubi”

I was super excited to get to my old friend Nick Rhodes photography show “Bei Incubi”  at The Vinyl Gallery, Chelsea. Obviously he is far better known as the keyboard player of Duran Duran but as long as I have known Nick he has always carried a small camera.  The Vinyl Gallery is quite small but it was bursting with so many old faces of the past that no one was leaving.  His sexy polaroids were beautiful and the only thing holding me back were the multiple red dots on all my favourites. Bumping into designer Pam Hogg was a sight for sore eyes, as I first met her in Kensington Market and she sold me a tartan lycra, faux fur and silver tassle trouser suit!  I thought it was the most beautiful thing I ever owned!  I am sure it was not a good look for me. Miliner Philip Treacy, one of Nick’s close friends was there as was John Taylor, also of Duran Duran, who was accosted by a young fan who wanted to create a Duran opera from what I could work out.  Brit actor Nick Moran was lurking around and I was hoping to catch up with the designer Anthony Price who used to be the King of all the pop bands styling including Bryan Ferry.  No such luck as we were in a hurry…

Me with designer Pam Hogg

Being good, healthy and on the wagon just seems an impossible path for Giorgio and myself.  We were off to The Dorchester’s “China Tang” with Tommy and Dee Hilfiger and had had high hopes of a quiet night.  Well as soon as I saw bikini-babe Melissa Odabash, and her lovely husband had joined the group, I knew we were in for trouble. Tommy ordered the David Tang Special menu (they are great friends) and we literally seemed to sample every dish known to their chef!  Great wine flowed and that famous and terribly familiar feeling of  “I’ll go back to the programme tomorrow” washed over us.  I thought I spied my girlfriend the jeweller Zara Simon and teetered off to find her but got way laid in the fabulous restrooms where David has some entrancing poetry going on in a loop.  By the skin of our teeth it was a midnight curtain…

Me with the girls (Tara B, Eliane, Arabella, Lisa B and other guests)

The big whooopppee of the weekend was a good friends middle son’s Barmitzvah.  I must admit I love a good Barmitzvah.. a lot of good old fashioned singing and speeches galore.  I think the fact that I knew there were going to be 100 kids alone filled me with huge excitement.  I had decided to wear a slightly too short apple green Valentino number with some scaffold-worthy Charlotte Olympia’s.  We headed off to the secret City location..  The first obstacle was the slightly scary, open steep staircase. I know I did not handle this in anything resembling a lady-like fashion as a friend who will remain nameless imitated my efforts.  There were so many good friends of ours there that I lost Giorgio immediately.  Our hostess looked sensational looking every inch a 1940’s Parisienne.  Our Barmitzvah boy, Louis was brought into the party by a bevy of naughty, appropriately clad girls as if he was James Bond.

Bar Mitzvah boy Louis and the girls

Raising that party bar even higher…  Lisa B and Anton had managed to leave the mountains to put in an appearance.  Tommy and Dee were there and I finally had a chance to catch up with the stylish Elizabeth Saltzman whom I last saw whilst guzzling curry at the after Oscar Party. Elizabeth is quite a must have ingredient have for any soiree – she is always up to speed on all sorts of fabulous insider knowledge.  She also happens to dress some of the most sought after girls in the A List world so – yup she’s a fun one! Sadly we didn’t do much cheesy singing – this was certainly a chic affair..  A few too many champagne’s later I was terribly confused as to why all the kids suddenly seemed to be wearing individualised Onesies… I half expected (Model of the moment and Onesie Queen) Cara Delevigne to appear on the dance floor.  The party was a smash and we all headed home very merry and laden with pompom hats, glasses and onesies…..

A Valentino paradise in Paris!

If there has been one treat I have been privy to, it’s being invited to the Haute Couture shows in Paris. For those women who don’t care about the frivolous world of fashion, I get it. But for those of us who drool and gasp as each creation wafts down the catwalk, I can think of no greater indulgence. As soon as the stiffest of the stiff Invitations are hand delivered you get a childish excitement in sheer anticipation. This year I was off to see the genius pair Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino with my beautiful daughter Anouska who lives, works and breathes Paris. It is one of our shared guilty pleasures. I had to fly to Orly which was a super pleasant experience as I normally get to Paris via Eurostar. With only my hand luggage and a bag full of late Christmas presents for Noushy, I was in and out of the airport in record time.

Me, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli

I soon arrived at the Valentino HQ – a small slice of paradise in itself – and was whisked off to play with rail upon rail of chiffon, georgette, silk and embroidered delights, all of which you must fit into. This is the only incentive I have to stay somewhat in shape.  World Brand Ambassador, Carlos Souza – one of the most handsome and chic men on the planet – has been one of my pin-ups for the last 14 years and he is of course bonkers naughty. We have had so much fun over the years that he seems like family. He is always brutally truthful about what suits you or not, and as I squished my Christmas-bottom into various ensembles, I caught on fast that I was not going to be an exception to this rule! So many bags and shoes, it was like a girl’s dream come true! He chose a beautiful pared-down, nude ensemble for Anouska and I was off again.

Beautiful Valentino shoes

My girlfriend, Sara Colombo, was out shopping and finding treasures for her sensational home store in Miami called Nest. She used to live in Paris as a model and so hits the city by foot and is happy finding new little places. She was, however, off-course and ended up in Lanvin on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. This was not a good place for us to meet. I knew it was a dangerous idea and sure enough within 20 minutes the two of us had bought a few goodies each that the genius sales assistant Dorian Mezzasoma had packaged up and snuck our credit cards away for. Just like that. We then headed to a little frou frou French café for tea and macaroons.

Anouska and Gigi in her Paris apartment

I was staying at Anouska’s apartment and so collected all my bits and headed to Le Marais where she lives with her little pooch Gigi. It was so lovely to be treated as a mummy and be made fresh herbal tea and looked after like a guest. Anouska, on the whole, leads a very Parisian-style life and avoids all the obvious fashiony places like the plague, so she had been in charge of booking dinner. A Japanese place called Yen apparently was our destination. I am not a hardcore sushi fan so in all fairness the incredible menu was a bit lost on me, but delicious it definitely was. Sara and I seemed to have got a bit lost with our French translations and ended up with rather gargantuan amounts of tempura but we had a delicious supper and had a few sneaky glasses of sake. Looking at the watch, I decided against joining Anouska’s group and headed on home.

More Valentino treasures!

Wandering around the galleries in Paris is one of my favourite hobbies as it helps with fresh ideas for my own Gallery. I took off to find a slip to wear under my divine cream Valentino dress coat which Carlos had instructed me to find and Noushy had work to do. So off I went, only, of course, to get a little lost and then four hours later be in a terrible flap to be ready for the show at 6pm. We emerged from her apartment looking and feeling prepped and ready for some high octane glamour. Our blacked-out car gave the impression we had a car-full but it was just to be the two of us. We arrived to a scrum of photographers all jostling outside the iron gates of Hotel Salomon de Rothschild. The building was just so beautiful and the candles lit the red carpet perfectly. Once inside we were kissed carefully by Carlos and then photos duly followed. Inside the gilded rooms with the most beautifully painted ceilings, we found the real King of Couture, Valentino Garavani himself, flanked as always by the equally suave Giancarlo Giammetti. I was thrilled to see them as we had not seen each other since before Christmas. Just being in their presence makes you stand properly, hold your tummy in and smile slightly more sweetly!

Hamish Bowles looking dapper

Livia Firth was already on her prized front row seat with Franca Sozzani of Italian Vogue right beside her. British model Tallulah Harlech and Greek-American It girl Eugenie Niarchos were flying the younger generations flag. More interestingly, we were almost diagonally across form the fierce glare of Anna Wintour which was a treat in itself. Hamish Bowles just is fashion… A glamourous Italian Movie star arrived in the new apple green lace for Spring/Summer 2013 and I must say it was fabulous. Natalia Vodianova (the world’s favourite model) snuck in, looking her usual nonchalant chic self in a tapestry inspired evening coat.  The show was a hit and even Valentino applauded a few of his favourite dresses. I could go on about how thin and lank the girls were but that’s just how it is. Model of the moment Cara Delevigne was perky and pretty and I marvelled at the lack of calves any of these little creatures have!

Suzy Menkes, Giancarlo Giammetti and Franca Sozzani

We had to wriggle backstage as I was dying to congratulate Maria and Pierpaolo and we did quite a speedy job of it! We left and headed straight for the Plaza Athenee where we were met with a glass of champagne with crushed strawberry. We had an hour to kill before we headed back to Giancarlo’s private after-show dinner. You know never to eat before one of his suppers as the food is sooo naughty and totally unavoidable! Sitting looking over the River Seine view with Suzy Menkes (the other important lady in fashion!) was just heaven. Valentino was in high spirits, as was boy-about-town Derek Blasberg who entertained everyone with his personal Americana wit. Another hard night with the Valentino crew!!

Miami: A little piece of heaven

I have always had a sort of love/hate relationship with Miami but since I started staying with our good friends the Colombo’s in their beyond beautiful home, I seem to relish our trips. Before, I was always flying in and out for work and was put up in hotels, not that it was all bad…but somehow, it was always a bit soulless and I couldn’t wait to leave. To say their home beats any 5 star Hotel is no exaggeration but what is even more brilliant than the sheer luxury and being spoilt with amazing Italian food 24/7, is that our children just spend all day exhausting each other!

The view from the Colombo’s beautiful home

Having dropped off our bags we headed straight for the new W Hotel and the beach. I cannot say the ocean really compares to the Dominican’s beautiful sea but Giorgio loves body surfing and he has taught Vivi not to be like me who stands on the edge with much toe-dipping going on…  Tanned cabana boys are a huge perk in Miami and the healthy shrimp wraps brought to the cabanas were absolutely what the doctor ordered. As usual, once you hit American soil, fake boobs are the order of the day and I am always fascinated at the sizes these girls will stretch too. There is generally a lot of preening taking place!

Travelling light!

That night we headed to one of our favourites – Casa Tua – run by Micky Grendene. All the Italians flock there and we never have a trip to Miami without at least one dinner there. Micky is a character and also has a wonderful photography & art gallery in the upstairs restaurant. This trip I was spoilt staring at Peter Beard’s creations.

Up early and you realise why the Miami life is so alluring. A little retail therapy after the Dominican was also hugely appealing. Sara, our girlfriend had just opened her new Design store ‘Nest’ in the uber new and trendy design district and so of course I was dying to see it. Giorgio on the other hand cannot resist Bal Harbour which is wall to wall designer boutiques.  He has a thing for Tom Ford, the man himself and anything he designs, so dragging poor Vivi there is painful.

Beautiful Miami

Robert Hanson and his lovely wife Masha had invited us for lunch there with their little boy but we ended up doing our own thing. All I can say is ‘thank goodness’ for the carp fish ponds that run across the entire downstairs, keeping all the small children entertained for hours whilst adults shop. Talking of shopping, no trip to Miami is complete without a hit at The Webster on Collins Ave. OMG it is just dripping with things you just have to have. The buyer is a genius and they always have a super selection of jewellery that ranges from ok to the ridiculous. They are also a huge stockist of Charlotte Olympia’s shoe and bag line! Utterly irresistible. I never make it out of there alive!

The Webster Gallery

Finally we made it out without a huge dressing up situation and hit the legendary Toni’s Sushi on Washington Ave.  Sara and I were so happy to be in jeans and flats! The food was delicious and super fresh and it added to our enjoyment that we had some gorgeous Cuban model, who starred in the Replay ads, forever sitting right in our eyeline. So nice for once to have the eye candy for us girls.

Lunch time!

That night we watched the sun set over the water at the end of their garden. To say it was a beautiful start to the new year would be spoilt I know, but then I do know I am very lucky! Giorgio of course had work for Formula Electric in Miami and so Vivi and I flew home alone. She cried all the way from Sara’s house to the airport and can’t understand why we can’t live in Miami. She does have a point… She is such a veteran flier that she’s practically asleep as the plane takes off. British Airways – our preferred carrier is, in my experience, fabulous with little ones. They just always seem to go that extra little step.

Bruno Bisang at his exhibiton for The Little Black Gallery

So home to London with a jolt but as it wasn’t raining I thought that was a bonus! I must be quite a proper Brit because as much as I love being away and seeing and experiencing new things I really love getting home.  Also my gallery, The Little Black Gallery, had a really exciting new show of Bruno Bisang’s polaroids, with the preview on the Tuesday night. Rallying our clients and some new faces is always relatively easy for January as everyone seems keen to get back out and do a little tentative buying. Bruno had flown in from Switzerland and was very happy with the hanging and the framing that we had done. This is always quite a relief but the images of the supers: Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Monica Belluci are so popular.

Paul and Stacey Young with Bruno Bisang

The party for the preview night is always quite fun as you just can’t tell who will pop in and who won’t. Our serious clients will always make an appointment as soon as the show is hung but the party is an important part of the show.  It was freezing but since I am still a little golden I opted for my Vicedomini puff dress. It was a little skimpy for some but since I rush around an awful lot I hate to be hot. Darling florist to the stars Rob Van Helden and his beau Seb arrived early and the ever handsome Giancarlo Giammetti swung by in a chic camel coat.

Melissa Odabash and Julien MacDonald

Jewellery designer King Stephen Webster and his heavenly wife Assia came late with their little pooch, Gnasher, and we were all so thrilled for Stephen as he has been awarded a Queen’s Honour! Brilliant and so well deserved. Singer Paul Young and his delightful wife Stacey came and got everyone over excited, bikini babe Melissa Odabash and her great pal the Designer Julien MacDonald also came. To say the night was fun would be true but to see how much everyone loved Bruno’s work was far more exciting.  Lets hope that excitement turns into sales!!!

A wonderful Caribbean New Year

Finally we leave for the Dominican Republic – quite an exciting departure for our family, heading for the sunshine instead of the snow, and Punta Cana was beckoning… We were joining a good friend of ours, Lucy Doughty, who has a beautiful home on the ocean. After the weather London has been serving up with alarming regularity, I was desperate for some sunshine. Our good friend Tim Attias was also coming with us and we were joining the even more mad Spiros (Arabella & Glen). So far so promising.

Me, Giorgio and Violet with Lucy Doughty, Glenn Spiro, his daughters Skyla and Sienna. ©TamaraBeckwith

We unfortunately travel with obscene amounts of luggage and as I had no clue what to take I had left nothing to chance! Violet was thrilled to be re-united with her friends Skyla and Sienna (Spiro) and the house was a child’s paradise – shallow turquoise waters and soft, powdery sand galore. Sand castles were constructed with haste.

Vivi playing with a friend on the beach ©TamaraBeckwith

The first night we were off to Casa de Campo to see a Julio Iglesias concert at their beautiful amphitheatre. Well we were told to dress casual and on arrival we looked like the shoddy relations. South Americans are chic and the women really do look put together. Hair had been done and full make-up was definitely the norm…We had spectacular seats – almost able to touch the holy man himself! As we walked to our seats we were introduced to the seriously dashing and divinely talented designer Oscar de la Renta who was the guest of honour and next to him was another star from the Fashion world, Carolina Herrera. I have met her a few times before and she always looks immaculate with a capital I.  As the lights dimmed Julio’s younger wife Miranda slipped in and sat next to Oscar. When Julio came onto the stage the packed amphitheatre went tonto! It was great to see him perform all his classic love songs in Spanish as he really does speak the language of Love. He also has three backing singers. When I say backing singers I mean knockout girls who do a sort of wiggle and a samba and coo a lot! My goodness I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

Me and Tim Attias

The show was quite wonderful and the next thing we had the President of Haiti stand up and make his way to the stage. Yes, he and Julio turn out to be huge friends and fans of each other and they even performed a couple of duets!! Quite surreal. Luckily the crowd were super orderly when it came time to leave. We then headed off to a fabulous house where we were rather rude – starving hungry we said our ‘hellos’ to our host and our friends Fawaz Gruosi from De Grisogono and his sexy squeeze Valerie and then literally stormed the buffet. It was a huge outside dining room filled with every kind of delicacy you can imagine and we all just went a bit nuts! A hugeTurkey, Italian pastas, crab jumbo, lobster… The dessert table was absolutely beautiful too – decorated with candy canes and roses as if we were at a wedding. Mini tiramisus were light and too sumptuous to refuse. Out of nowhere a gaggle of ex-Berlusconi babes arrived and the dance floor was suddenly jumping with seriously expert salsa dancers. I decided the boys had had enough eye candy for the night and rather meanly packed us all off home.

My ticket to the Julio Iglesias concert

The day of New Years Eve arrived and we were all consumed with Lucy’s pre-party for the kid’s. I have never seen as much candy, 2013 sparkly hats or hooters. She had even got a couple of mechanical mules to sit the kids on. However the piñata was her coup de force. All our girls took to bashing the poor tinkerbell with a frenzy. Never have they had such uncontrolled fun… the only tears came when the sweets finally littered the floor and the little ones weren’t quite so savvy at collecting their stash. We finally headed off to get ready and returned suited and booted ready to bring the New Year in. I was in my trusted Missoni, Arabella in coral Pucci and Lucy in Jenny Packham.  We jumped into the cars and arrived at our party as the heavens opened…Defying the naughty rain we had fun. Lots of champagne flowed as we all got into a festive spirit wearing silly hats and trying to get with the salsa programme.  The count down began and suddenly we were kissing total strangers and watching fireworks! All very different to Gstaad I must say!

Amazingly we all woke up without hangovers and headed off for a spot of dolphin swimming in the sea. Lucy had arranged a private swim with the owner of the local aquarium and as you can only imagine the girls were super excited. It was the perfect New Year’s day excursion and watching Violet feed a dolphin calledIsis was a moment to treasure. The swim was out in the sea and although I do believe that animals should be left in the wild we had a great experience. Watching Giorgio pretend he wanted to hold onto the dorsal fin and swim around made me laugh out loud!
Our last lunch was a feast with a beautiful table at a fabulous restaurant called “The Palapa” at the Eden Rock hotel.  Endless plates of fresh seafood and carpaccio’s of shrimp and mahi mahi made ourCaribbean adventure complete.  I must personally recommend the gazpacho – it was to die for delicious…

Violet grinning with glee! ©TamaraBeckwith

Unbeknownst to me Giorgio had one last treat in store before we left – a sunset horse ride! Now even I would know this is a silly reality – horses are dangerous and unpredictable but hey ho he was so enthusiastic… Vivi and I helmeted up and headed off with a Dominican boy who naturally spoke no English! A great start. Vivi is besotted with horses and has had many pony rides but to say she rides is a slight stretch… Likewise I can ride but as my tired pony got the bit between his teeth so to speak and decided to see who was the boss, I could sense we were in for an interesting hour! The whole thing was a tad chaotic and even better when Giorgio joined us cowboy style riding in flipflops!! Did I mention marrying an Italian is never dull?? Thankfully our ride was a success and apart from a couple of jitters and being taken off into a swampy forest we loved it. The enormous smile on Violet’s face as we headed back along the beach to the house one last time made it all the more magical. Thank you the Dominican Republic for a very special holiday.

Off to Miami for some last sunshine…

Happy New Year!

Christmas pantos and Italian festivities

We have a huge annual Family Christmas Tea party for all the little ones and this year it fell to us.  I had rather cheekily hijacked Rhea (she does lots of Fairy parties) to help us with the 12 children and keeping some form of order at my father’s home – and I kind of presumed the 20 adults would fend for themselves!  It’s something I have done since I was about 6 years old and have every desire to continue the tradition.  This way all the cousins get to stay in touch and Christmas really is about family.  The next day I had barely recovered from eating cheeky honey glazed cocktail sausages and Bunny & Boo cupcakes when it was all action stations to get all my little girl and Godchildren fed and off to the panto.  This is another serious Beckwith tradition and I just love every minute of watching the children’s faces in utter wonder.  It is priceless and luckily the panto is ideal for the slightly restless or timid.  This year was Violet’s first and she was beyond excited as she chose a slightly too small, red party dress and insisted on wearing her hair down like her two beautiful cousins.

Wimbledon Theatre is my traditional port of call as it’s where I grew up and also it belongs to my father’s Ambassador Theatre Group.  Quite handy if I have messed up on numbers!  This year they had gone mad and created Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The cast was genius with glamourpuss and Hollywood royalty Priscilla Presley as The Wicked Queen, my good friend Warrick Davis as Prof and the very silly comedien Jarred Christmas as Herman.  There were 15 of us, so we pretty much took up a whole row but it was, as always, glittery and silly and a great old sing along.  Warrick’s surprise song (for those who may still be waiting to see it) was absolutely hilarious and Priscilla’s costumes were a grown girls dream. Afterwards we all snuck backstage to visit Warrick who had to do it all again that night!  The panto may seem fun but it’s a brutal schedule.

We finally wrapped my new TV show Four Rooms and I was a bit sad to say goodbye.  You spend an incredibly intense period of time with total strangers and then when its time to leave you feel as if you have all been together forever.  I had so enjoyed my time with the crew I decided to get them some cold beers as a way of saying thank you.  It goes without saying the idea was far more appreciated than chocolates!

A final supper with our mad gang at the uber Christmassy, Annabel’s.  We were a cosy table of ten and it was nice to take time out to thank our friends for being such good friends to us.  We of course had traditional turkey with all the trimmings and rather copious amounts of red wine, but sadly we did not take the Jefferies lead and go to bed …We insisted or rather I insisted on a last drop at Hertford Street.  Of course that was the final straw and the following morning wasn’t at all pretty!

Giorgio and I had to pack up the house and catch a silly o’clock flight to Milan for a Christmas with his family. Milan has been freezing and I seem to have packed for an entirely different trip!  Not a sock in my suitcase or a long sleeved anything!  Where was the brain?!  The best part of the Italian trip was the night we had a very chic dinner at one of Giorgio’s best friends’ apartments and my new Alaia dress that was hanging and ready to go suddenly didn’t have any tights to go with it!  White bare legs were not an option – my husband nearly threw me out of the window! He cannot understand how I just don’t care about the small details! I tried to say I had been somewhat busy in the lead up to Christmas but he was having none of it.  All was resolved as I came up with a slightly less chic plan B.  On our way out of the Hotel Baglioni I popped to the loo and as I came out I thought of my friend Goga who now lives in Milan.  As I turned around to dry my hands there she was!  We both screamed and then gave each other a huge hug.  She had also just popped into the loo from the airport – life is full of coincidences!

Finally the big day of indulgence and family arrived.  Waking up in Milan with Giorgio’s parents was a very different variant of Christmas morning as we had, as all good Italians have, a huge celebratory Christmas Eve.  In Europe they tend to give the presents and have a huge meal on Christmas Eve.  I took this all in my stride and, although it totally goes against the grain to open a single gift before Christmas morning, I decided to let it go.  I had helped Violet write her letter to Santa and we had a huge ceremony of setting it alight in the fireplace.  She was most concerned that it was being burnt.  Sadly not a jot of Turkey, a spoonful of bread sauce or any of the little pigs in blankets that I just go crazy for… Instead home made tortellini in broth and a Capon!  It was all wonderful though and Violet saw a true Italian traditional version of Christmas.  She was up the next morning and flew down the stone staircase to see if Father Chritsmas had indeed been clever enough to find her in Italy.  Low and behold he had.  The best thing about being almost 4yrs old is that any present big or small, expensive or cheap as chips, they all still count.  It’s more the unwrapping that excites her.  Her divinely eccentric Nonna Marina had succumbed and bought her a dwarf hamster which was promptly named Romeo.  I am not sure if she is quite clear on the fact that these little creatures live quite long lives… Giorgio had gone a bit OTT in Tom Ford and so I was a tad spoilt, but it was Violet’s homemade china bowls that she had lovingly made in a pottery class that made the No.1 spot, going to prove that it really is all about family, time and effort that makes or breaks a Christmas.  Of course none of this is worth it if there isn’t, at some point, a major spat of some kind… Luckily for me when it kicks off in high speed Italian at my in laws I really don’t have a clue what its all about!

Now off to Dominican Republic for the New Year. Happy New Year to you all! I hope to have lots more adventures in 2013 to share with you.