_Lobby

Base yourself at the flawlessly chic University Arms Hotel. First opened in 1834, this was originally a coaching inn and today is the oldest hotel in the city. Rooms are beautifully appointed, the staff are warm and the breakfast buffet is to die for. The hotel also offers a small spa with a select menu of luxury treatments. 

_Suite

Friday evening: Start with a sunset chauffeured Champagne punt on the River Cam with Rutherfords Punting to learn all about the history of the university and enjoy views of the grounds that can only be seen by boat. Then, have dinner at Mercado Central where Spanish chefs celebrate their Galician and Basque heritage with inspired seasonal dishes.

_{River Cam Photo credit Rutherford’s. Photo credit Rutherford’s}

_{River Cam and King’s Chapel. Photo credit Rutherford’s}

Saturday: After breakfast, head to the botanical gardens to enjoy hours of exercise and education as you take one of the hotel’s fascinating self-guided tours. For lunch, head to Sticks’n’Sushi for a mouth-watering array of seafood, grilled meats and cocktails – we especially enjoyed the unusual and delicious pairing of steak tartare with Chinese caviar.

Then, head to the Cambridge Gin Lab for a masterclass in gin-making and create your own botanical blend. For dinner, go to the iconic Cambridge Chop House for world-class steaks with a view of the stunning King’s College. 

Sunday: After breakfast, take in a relaxing treatment at the hotel spa before heading out for some retail therapy. (Love-cambridge.com is a wonderful resource for discovering events and finding hidden gems and local producers.) For lunch, head to Novi, a chic bar and kitchen serving bottomless brunches, botanical cocktails and British small plates with an international flair. 

by Nicola Kavanagh

_{A double room at University Arms starts from £204 on a B&B basis} 

_{universityarms.com}

_{visitcambridge.org}

The post Glass experiences a perfect weekend at University Arms Hotel, Cambridge first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

_{W Residences wet deck}

The brand has an immediately recognisable feel across all of their global destinations and yet each hotel is designed and furnished with locally inspired shapes and styles. In W Algarve there are sweeping arches and curving lines, echoing the nearby ocean waves, cosy nooks in which to relax – reminiscent of underwater caves, and the entrance is dominated by a stunning, undulating latticed canopy designed to mimic fish scales in homage to the coast’s traditional fishing villages.

Bold Portuguese ceramic plates adorn the walls and iridescent glassworks give a modern take on the traditional azulejos (mosaics of tiny, colourful tiles introduced to southern Europe by the Moors). In short, the property is a masterclass in fusing traditional techniques, local artisans and impeccable contemporary taste. 

_Lobby

The hotel is divided into two separate buildings, one housing the main hotel and restaurants, the other housing the W residences. The residences themselves are designed to be the ultimate home away from home, available to rent by the night like a standard hotel room or purchased for the ultimate in hotel living.

Bedrooms are separated by a cavernous living space ensuring everyone can have their own quiet time, and full kitchens and laundry facilities come as standard. Guests of the residences have full access to the hotel amenities such as room service, restaurants, pools and the best buffet breakfast in the Algarve. But they have the additional benefit of a residents-only pool area and complimentary underground parking. 

_{Residence lounge}

Just a five-minute walk from the residences is the hotel’s very own picturesque private beach and clifftop bar, AIR, which regularly hosts parties with top international DJs and boasts the best sunset view in the region. Also on site is Paper Moon, the only outpost in Portugal of this iconic Italian restaurant, a favourite of the fashion crowd in its home town of Milan.

Other gastronomic offerings include the W lounge that serves tapas in a relaxed atmosphere inspired by Portuguese coffee culture, Market Kitchen which offers vibrant southern Portuguese cuisine with an international flair, and Sip @ Wet which serves health-focused dishes by day and cocktails by night.  

Children are very much welcomed at W and the Whatever/Whenever concierge team endeavour to meet your every need, literally whatever you want, whenever you need it. So, if you are looking for a flawless stay, W Algarve ticks all the boxes. 

by Nicola Kavanagh 

_{Residences available from 305€ per night Marriott.com}

The post Glass takes in Portugal’s vibrant South coast at W Algarve first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The stunning manor house, which has its origins in the 1400s, is a record of England’s most notable eras, with Tudor extensions, gothic-stained glass windows bearing the crests of successive monarchs and faux Norman towers added in the Victorian era, all crafted from the unmistakable ancient Cotswold limestone, which earns the area its title as the home of the most beautiful villages in England. 

_{Ellenborough Park exterior}

Through the ages, Ellenborough Park has hosted many notable figures, invited or otherwise, including King George III who stayed to improve his health with the famed Cheltenham spa waters and Oliver Cromwell, who is thought to be responsible for the bullet holes in the original front door that still hangs in the porch. 

Today, the historic features add a truly breathtaking charm to the building. In the grand hall, where afternoon tea is served, one is spellbound by the antique oak panelling, enormous portraits of Tudor monarchs and roaring fire in the huge central fireplace. 

There is a viewing gallery above where one can easily imagine courtiers watching as lavish banquets and festivities ensued below.  The dining hall is equally spellbinding. There is an extraordinary and palpable sense of being able to reach back through the folds of time and almost enter another era completely.   

_{The pool}

Modern additions have been made extremely respectfully and successfully. For example, the hotel has miraculously managed to add a small spa with jacuzzi, sauna and steam room in the old building, with treatment rooms offering a wide menu of Elemis face and body treatments. There is also a heated outdoor pool that, even in the chill of January, is very warm.

The spa and pool are extremely popular – especially after the 3pm check-in – so visit early to avoid disappointment. However, for a truly exclusive experience the new private garden spa is also available for booking for groups of up to 12. 

_{The dining room}

The food at Ellenborough Park is particularly noteworthy. Local produce is “fresher than fresh” and is exquisitely transformed by head chef Richard Simms, who showcases the very best of British flavours.

There is a plethora of rooms to choose from, from the newly opened cottage-like lodge to manor suites, deluxe poolside rooms, garden rooms and accessible rooms. The hotel and staff are very accommodating to special requests and children and dogs are warmly welcomed. In essence, Ellenborough Park is everything you would hope for from a countryside escape and more besides.  

by Nicola Kavanagh 

_{Nightly rates at Ellenborough Park start from £289 inclusive of VAT and breakfast based on a Traditional Bedroom sleeping two people.} 

_{For more information visit ellenboroughpark.com}

The post Glass is awed by the historic beauty of Ellenborough Park  first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The rooms are incredibly stylish and are furnished in in a classic Chanel-inspired monochrome palette. French tastes are fused with Italian artisanship – Hotel Castille is part of the Italian Starhotels Collezione and as such everything in the rooms are Italian made. 

The hotel’s cuisine is also unmistakably Italian. Head Chef Sasha Arandjelovic has co-created a magnificent menu with his mentor – Michelin-starred Chef Ugo Alciati of the legendary restaurant Guido in Piedmont, Italy.

Alciati visits the hotel regularly and is renowned as an ambassador of the rare Italian Alba white truffle. If you visit the hotel from October to December you may be lucky enough to experience an Alba truffle menu depending on the success of the truffle season that year. Truffles are notoriously sensitive and will only grow with precise temperatures and rainfall. 

_L’Assaggio

Chef Arandjelovic has an infectious passion for creating cuisine inspired by the Piedmontese region and the hotel’s Assaggio restaurant has become a firm favourite with well-heeled Parisiennes. It is also possible to book private cookery lessons with the Chef so that you can learn how to make Italian classics such as the ‘Agnolotti di Mamma Lidia’ – a recipe handed down from Ugo Alciati’s mother, founder of Guido restaurant. 

_{Duplex Suite}

The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the Louvre, the Jardin Tuilleries, the Opera Garnier, Notre Dame cathedral, Place Vendôme and Place de la Concorde – in short, all of the most beautiful places in Paris. It is also just 30 minutes by metro from the Stade de France Olympic venue. 

When you are not partaking in the Olympics activities, the hotel are able to arrange private tours of world-famous cultural sites such as the Opera Garnier – which has surely the most exquisite interiors of anywhere on earth. The concierges at Le Castille really do have the golden keys to the most venerated locations in the city!

_{Grand Tour Suite}

The hotel has also recently introduced the Grand Tour suite. Inspired by the travels of enlightenment during the nineteenth century, the suite is opulent, colourful and filled with arts decoratifs, perfect for the more flamboyant traveller. 

At the end of the day relax in the beautiful salon de thè with an expertly mixed cocktail and soak in the ambience of beautiful Italian design and French joie de vivre. You may even be joined by one of the hotel’s gorgeous resident French Chartreux cats! 

by Nicola Kavanagh 

https://collezione.starhotels.com/fr/nos-hotels/castille

_{The starting rate for a double room is 450€, breakfast is 45€}

The post Where to stay in Paris for the Olympics? Hotel Castille! first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The Evian company was founded in 1806 when demand for the healing waters surged through the region and the first bottling factory and thermal spa was opened. Since 1878 the healing power of Evian’s waters have been officially recognised by the National Academy of Medicine. 

_{The Evian resort}

In 1905, the Evian company commissioned the construction of a magnificent hotel to house the increasing number of affluent tourists visiting the spa. King Edward VII of Britain had promised to be one of the first to stay, and so the name Hotel Royal was chosen in his honour.

Sadly, the King died before he was able to visit but since its inception, the hotel has played host to some of the world’s most famous names including Queen Elizabeth II, Stravinsky, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Greta Garbo and Ray Charles. 

_{The Evian pool with view of Lake Geneva}

Today, The Royal is part of the wider resort complex which features two hotels, three fine dining restaurants – including Les Fresques which has been awarded multiple Michelin stars – three brasseries, six bars, a golf course, a casino, two spas and the thermal spa.

_{View from the Presidential Suite}

The Royal boasts a completely modernised decor but still retains its Belle Epoque charm and breath-taking grandeur. There are stunning rooms and panoramic suites to choose from and even two experiential suites, one designed in collaboration with legendary golf instructor David Leadbetter, and one in collaboration with conductor Esa-Pekka.

A stay in these suites includes services and experiences in the theme of golf or music accordingly. There is also a children’s resort onsite providing a baby creche, supervised activities and a children-only pool. Hotel Royal is also part of the Leading Hotels of the World collection – an exclusive community founded by hoteliers in 1926. 

by Nicola Kavanagh

_{Rooms at the Hotel Royal start at £324 per night. For bookings please visit Evian Resort}

The post Glass enjoys the royal treatment on the shores of Lake Geneva first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The hotel clearly has a deep understanding of family needs so only offers suites which include separate living spaces, dining areas and kitchenettes. Also available are all-suite residences, with one and two-bedroom apartments or three-bedroom penthouses.

_{Garden suite}

_{The pool at Wyndham Grand}

The hotel boasts four stunning dining options, including Caravela, a buffet restaurant which serves a remarkable variety of international breakfast options for all ages and homemade local treats, including the highly addictive Portuguese custard tarts and village sourdough bread with dried fruits and nuts; all to be enjoyed while overlooking the dreamy swimming pool surrounded by palm trees. 

There’s also the complimentary Kid’s Club, which offers a variety of ever-changing activities such as bubble shows, reptile petting and a bouncy castle. Kid’s Club staff can also be booked for 24-hour babysitting to allow parents some time off. 

_{The Ria Formosa natural park}

As the hotel is set within Quinta do Lago, guests can access all of the resort’s considerable amenities. The resort covers 2,000 acres but self-imposes a strict limit that only 9 per cent of the land can be built on, so nature rules supreme. Interspersed on the site are stunning beaches, professional golf courses, a natural lake with water activities, a professional-grade sports campus where some of the world’s most famous teams go to train, and even a farm that provides organic produce to the resort’s 14 restaurants.

There are regular activities for children as well, including outdoor movie nights, picnic evenings and a golf academy. One can also take time to spot wildlife by bicycle (available from the hotel) on a guided or self-guided tour, or even go on a pony trek along the salt pans, lagoons and beaches. 

by Nicola Kavanagh

_{Wyndham Grand Algarve one bedroom suites start at €230 per night and one bedroom residences to purchase start at €550,000}

_{For further information on Quinta do Lago, please visit quintadolago.com/en or contact on +351 304 502 129.}

The post Glass takes in the splendour of the Algarve at the Wyndham Grand  first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

Opened in 1964, the Büyük Efes was the first luxury hotel in Izmir and quickly became a meeting point for the most glamorous artists and influential figures in Turkey. Following a two-year renovation process, the hotel reopened under the Swissotel brand in 2008. 

_{View of the gardens and port from an Executive suite}

Today, the hotel covers 12,000 square metres of landscaped grounds and modern, stylish interiors, but incorporates fun original features like a restaurant with windows viewing into the swimming pool – like an aquarium. The hotel is adorned with curious art pieces by celebrated international artists, including self-playing pianos, giving the hotel an artistic and quirky feel. 

The hotel’s newest addition Scappi is a restaurant serving outstanding authentic Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. We attended during its first week of opening and were blown away by the fresh flavours and quality of cooking. One must try the sumptuous Italian classic Osso Buco.

The restaurant is also located on the top floor of the hotel, granting it an awe-inspiring view of the city and the Aegean. 

_{Hotel grounds}

The hotel’s other food offerings include the Café Swiss, which serves a mix of international cuisines for lunch and dinner and also hosts the epic breakfast buffet – which is quite unlike anything you’ve seen before. There is also a patisserie in the hotel lobby and a pool bar with Turkish mezze and grill. 

Despite its sophisticated atmosphere, the hotel is very welcoming of its younger guests, with infant cots and toiletries, and colouring books and pencils supplied on arrival. There’s even a play park discreetly hidden in the lush gardens. 

_{Cuisine at the aquarium mezzes & grill}

The hotel also overlooks the seafront promenade, with its many local restaurants and cafes, and is within walking distance from Izmir’s archaeological museum, grand bazaar and cultural park.

Within driving distance for day trips are the elaborate water parks of Kusadasi and the pretty, ancient towns of Alaçati and Çesme – currently holiday destinations of choice for discerning Turkish holiday-makers. Izmir has something for everyone, and Swissotel Büyük Efes provides the perfect home-from-home from which to explore. 

by Nicola Kavanagh

_{For more information visit swissotel.com/hotels/izmir}

The post Glass takes in the splendour of the Aegean coast at Swissotel Büyük Efes first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

As with all Alpine destinations, the place seems to sing with vitality and wellbeing, with clear, fresh air, stunning mountain and lake views and pristine waters. Even the tap water boasts being the best and purest in the world, coming directly from protected underground natural springs.

_{Lausanne’s Gothic skyline framed by the Alps ©Switzerland Tourism Lorenz Richard}

We stayed at the beautiful Lausanne Palace. Opened in 1915, the décor retains its original Belle Époque glamour and it’s easy to imagine the glamorous cocktail parties of bygone eras at the hotel bar.

The hotel features an indoor swimming pool and spa and four distinctive restaurants: Matcha Picchu – a culinary journey from Japan to Peru, Côté Jardin – famed for its summertime haute barbecue, Brasserie Grand Chêne – which regularly welcomes celebrity guests, and the two times Michelin-starred La Table du Palace.

The hotel even boasts a private chef’s show kitchen and a secret fumier and wine tasting room in the very depths of the hotel, reached only by passing through the kitchens and the laundry to what feels like a secret speakeasy.

_{Brasserie Montbenon located in the stunning esplanade de Montbenon overlooking Lake Geneva ©Schweiz Tourismus Colin Frei}

The hotel is located in the centre of town, so all the main attractions are within walking distance. Very close by is the stunning Montbenon Park which overlooks the lake. Here we had dinner at Brasserie de Montbenon, which serves an impeccable blend of Swiss and French cuisines with a focus on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients.

Lausanne is adorned with stunning gothic mediaeval architecture and is framed by the Alps and 11km of lake shoreline. We highly recommend a walking tour with Anna Decoro (+41 79 510 25 29) to fully soak in the history and cultural richness.

Lausanne is the Olympic capital of the world and is home to the Olympics committee and museum along with 40 other international sports federations. In addition, Lausanne university is globally renowned and attracts 25,000 students from around the world, adding to Lausanne’s hip and diverse feel.

_{The five star Lausanne Palace ©Lausanne Palace}

In the old town, cool, modern cafés and fashion boutiques sit alongside traditional chocolateries and toy shops on the ancient streets. Have a coffee outside at Place de la Palud and enjoy the historic clock tower putting on its charming display of the history of the Vaud region through animated wooden figures as the clock chimes the hour. Then head for the best ice cream in town at Loom Gelateria before taking in an afternoon of art at Platforme 10. 

_{The Lausanne shoreline ©Switzerland Tourism Lorenz Richard}

For a day trip, France’s oldest spa town – Évian-les-bains, home of the eponymous Évian water company, is a short boat ride away. Here one can take in the stunning architecture and experience the healing effects of the mineral water, which is officially recognised by the medical association of France for its restorative properties, at the Évian spa.

Or if you prefer to stay in Lausanne, the town has several idyllic white sandy beaches which are a popular spot for sunbathing and lake swimming in the warmer months. This really is the town that has it all!

by Nicola Kavanagh

For hotel reservations visit: lausanne-palace.ch

For further information on Lausanne visit: lausanne-tourisme.ch

Please visit myvaud.ch for more information about the Canton of Vaud.

The post The must do city break of 2024 – Lausanne, Switzerland first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

However, one may be hard pressed to actually leave such an exquisite hotel.

Le Meurice encapsulates the elegance of Paris. With its 19^th-century marble interiors, crystal chandeliers and gilded walls the hotel escorts you into another century. And then brings you right back again with modern and playful additions from legendary French interior designer Philippe Starck.

_{The salon Pompadour}

The hotel has a long and illustrious history as a gathering point for leading artists and royalty. So many kings, queens, duchesses and sultans stayed there in the 1900s that it became known as the ‘hotel of kings’. Tchaikovsky, Dali, Kipling, Dylan and Chanel are just a few of the creatives who have graced the hotel’s rooms and salons.

_{Creations of Cédric Grolet’s pastry shop at Le Meurice}

All dining at the hotel is overseen by legendary, multi-Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse. With pastries taken care of by celebrity pâtissier Cédric Grolet (who boasts 8.5M Instagram followers).

_{Executive suite with a park view}

_{Executive room with park view}

The rooms and suites are a masterclass in French taste. Our executive suite featured an enormous living room with Louis XVI style chairs, chandeliers and beautiful wall coverings and boasted a dream-like view of Jardin Tuilleries and the Eiffel Tower. From our balcony we could enjoy the hourly evening light show of the tower while feeling cosy with our sumptuous bath robes and hotel chocolat chaud. 

The hotel is also extremely welcoming of children. I travelled with a 5-year-old and a 5-month-old and both were equally made to feel at home. At breakfast, the baby was given the most delicious chef-made apple puree with Madagascan vanilla and the 5-year-old swooned over his crepes with berries and luxurious chocolate sauce. The children received soft toys and smiles wherever they went.

_{Executive room bathroom}

_{The Alain Ducasse restaurant at Le Meurice}

The hotel also boasts the only spa in Paris by Valmont, the acclaimed Swiss beauty and wellness brand. Treatments include Ayurvedic massages, lymphatic drainage facials and sculpting treatments for an instantly more toned look.

It would be hard to find a more perfect Parisian hotel. There is nothing that can be faulted. In fact, everything at the hotel is extraordinary and all guests are treated like the kings and queens of the past.

by Nicola Kavanagh

_{Don’t miss Cédric Grolet’s limited edition festive creations this Christmas season. For more information on Le Meurice visit www.dorchestercollection.com/paris/le-meurice}

The post Glass is awed by the stunning Le Meurice, Paris first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The Tiergarten, Berlin’s green lung, is also nearby for a quick escape from the city’s bustle. The Grand Hyatt ’s central location makes it close to several transport links, meaning that day trips to sights further afield, such as the grandiose Charlottenburg Palace, can be made with ease.

_{The Maybach Suite}

The hotel’s large rooms boast plush fittings, fantastic views of the city and contain all the mod cons expected of a five-star luxury hotel. Perched on top of the hotel is a stylish, well-serviced spa with a pool and jacuzzi that boast even better city views than the bedrooms. Every inch of the hotel has been spared no expense. There is even electric vehicle charging available on site.

The Vox restaurant is most definitely in step with Berlin’s reputation as a culinary gem and has been excelling in modern, Asian-influenced cuisine and authentic sushi since the late 1990s. Packed most nights, it is definitely on the gastronomic radar of Berlin’s well-heeled, and dining in the glow of the open show kitchen is a treat.

_{Grand Hyatt Exterior}

Next door, the Vox bar serves up more than 150 fine whiskies, many of which are limited editions, while the Smoker’s Lounge stocks Cuban cigars. For more local fare, the Tizian Lounge excels in German staples such as Wiener Schnitzel and Berlin Currywurst served in a more relaxed atmosphere, perfect for a business lunch.

If you are after a stylish, luxuriant stay in the German capital, the Grand Hyatt is highly recommended. It is the perfect location at any time of the year and will definitely not disappoint.

by Nichola Kavanagh

To book, visit hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/germany/grand-hyatt-berlin/bergh

The post Glass visits the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Europe’s hippest capital first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

_{From Spring Issue 53 of Glass}

Amita Suman rose to prominence as the quick- witted, ninja-esque warrior, Inej, in Netflix’s epic action series Shadow and Bone. Born in Nepal and raised until the age of seven in a rural village with
no electricity, no one could have foreseen that she would one day become an international star and a face of one of fashion’s most iconic luxury brands, Chanel.

Clearly, sometimes destiny is too powerful to resist. Suman, now 25, exudes a grace and eloquence beyond her years as she talks to us about poetry, wisdom and dreams coming true.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

You have the most phenomenal story. Could you tell me about your childhood, what you remember of being in Nepal, and what it was like coming to the UK?
I came to the UK when I was seven and left a very different world behind. Basically, I felt like I was coming to a sci-fi movie that was set in 2050. I had to learn everything for the first time. I couldn’t speak the language at all. I didn’t know how to read and write.

So that was an extremely difficult but very exciting thing to do. I asked my Mum every single day, “Mum, what does this mean? What does this word mean? How do I use this?”

And then reading stories for the first time and being fascinated by space and the solar system and how many planets there are. I thought there was only Nepal and another country – which was the western world, which was always England; and then to see that there are planets and galaxies and there’s the whole universe, which is completely infinite.

So it was just a constant process of curiosity and lightbulb moments. But my time in Nepal was extraordinary. It was very playful; it was very free. I felt like such a child, if that makes sense. The world was kind of our oyster, and Mother Earth was there to nurture and to provide a place of curiosity.

I did lots of climbing on trees and picking mangoes and picking spinach for hours on end because we couldn’t go to the supermarket; and in the monsoon season going fishing and staying away from snakes because we had cobras all the time in our village.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

When did you know you wanted to act?

I didn’t know acting was a thing until I saw a TV. We were celebrating a festival and someone had found this teeny, tiny black and white TV. It was literally the size of my face right now. We managed to find a battery of some sort and someone plugged it in, and suddenly I was just seeing things for the first time, people doing things I’d never seen. You know the movie Room?

So, imagine you’ve been stuck in a room your whole life, and suddenly someone turns on the TV and you think ‘this place has got to exist’, right? So I didn’t even want to be an actor because I didn’t know that’s what it was. I just wanted to live in that other world that I’d never seen before.

So that was at the age of four. Then, when I came to the UK, I discovered that you have to be an actress to do what they’re doing, and it happened for me, luckily.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

What is the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given? And have you had any words of wisdom from an idol of yours yet?

You know what, there are so, so many. My life is shifting now, yet again, into a very, very exciting and unknown place. And I think it is very important to grow with that but not lose yourself. In my early twenties, there was so much to focus on coming out of drama school and getting a part time job to support your acting; there was always so much stimulus and your cogs were always whirling that now that I have a little bit more time on my hands I’ve really gotten into poetry.

So, for the past couple of years, I’ve just been reading and absorbing, and I think with poetry, almost every line [contains] words of wisdom. It’s an eternal thing because it’s always there and you open a book and just four verses can suddenly describe a journey that you’ve been through, and it’s incredible.

So my words of wisdom have come from that. Whenever I read something profound, I like to write it down, and I go to my list and see what I’ve written in the past month.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

Do you have a favourite saying that you could share?

I do. I’ve named it under Wisdom. [She gives a self- mocking smile]. This is a really good one, “The highest form of self-confidence is believing in your ability to learn”. I quite like that. Then another one, “The modern devil is cheap dopamine”.

Like when you’re addicted to Facebook because of the dopamine hit but really all it does is take you away from the beauty of the world.

Exactly, and the present moment. Absolutely.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

The theme of this issue is Illuminate. What is the next thing in your life that you would like to shed light on?

It’s a really good question. I think social media has become such an overpowering thing that can be used for such incredible things. It can bring us such a voice and it can connect people so closely. It gives us the ability to think way beyond ourselves and look into other people’s lives. But also it’s quite detrimental because it always tells us that no matter who you are, whatever you’re doing, it’s never good enough.

For example, you can be a woman who has it all – whatever that means, let’s say who has inner peace and who’s satisfied. And had you not gone on social media, you might think ‘I feel good within myself, I am proud of who I am’.

And then social media says, ‘no, you don’t have this or you haven’t done that, or look at what other people are doing’. So that is something I always want to shed a light on – not to believe everything you see. I know it’s something that we logically know but we emotionally can’t agree with that yet.

_{Photographer: Simon Lipman}

It’s such a manipulated and curated part of someone’s life.

Yeah, and that’s why I like to keep my social media not just about work or the planes that I’m travelling on or the hotels I’m staying at. Because that’s just not my actual life. It’s a very privileged part of my life. So I share things like, I had a really nice cup of tea with one of my friends today sitting by the Southbank, or taking a walk in the park, or maybe I was trying to climb over a fence, you know? Those kinds of fun moments.

I think that we need a lot more of that in the world. So thank you for making that your mission.

Thanks. I could do better (she laughs). I’m not going to lie, and I will keep trying.

by Nicola Kavanagh

Photographer: Simon Lipman

Stylist: Hannah Beck

Make up: Amanda Grossman at THE ONLY AGENCY

Hair: Miguel Perez at THE WALL GROUP

Manicurist: Jada-Elize Lorentz at PREMIER HAIR & MAKUEP

Photography assistant: Flora Judy

Stylist assistant: Emma Mesquita

Talent: Amita Suman

Look 1: N°5 necklace in 18K white gold and diamonds CHANEL Fine Jewellery, Coat VALENTINO

Look 2: COCO CRUSH necklace and ring in 18K yellow gold and diamonds, COCO CRUSH bracelet in 18K beige gold, both CHANEL Fine Jewellery, Hat EMILY LONDON, Coat MICHAEL KORS, Top RALPH LAUREN

Look 3: COCO CRUSH earring (from a set) in 18K white gold and diamonds, COCO CRUSH necklace and
bracelet in 18K yellow gold and diamonds, COCO bracelets in 18K yellow gold with and without 31 diamond, COCO CRUSH Toi et Moi ring in 18K white gold, 18K beige gold and diamonds, all CHANEL
Fine Jewellery, Dress ERDEM

Look 4: COCO CRUSH earrings in 18K yellow gold, 18K white gold and diamonds CHANEL Fine Jewellery, Jacket 16ARLINGTO

Look 5: Bouton de Camelia earrings and transformable ring in 18K beige gold and diamonds, COCO CRUSH necklace in 18K beige gold, Bouton de Camelia transformable ring in 18K beige gold and diamonds, all CHANEL Fine Jewellery, Suit ROKSANDA

Look 6: OCO bracelets in 18K beige gold with 35 and without diamonds CHANEL Fine Jewellery, Dress worn on head CHANEL

The post Amita Suman tells Glass about her journey from Nepal to the big screen first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

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