The writers, photographers, artists and stylists who have brought you these stories from around the world
The 30-year-old Kiyan Foroughi grew up between Paris and Dubai, and has lived in Boston, New York and London, from where he runs his “online bazaar”, Boticca. He describes for us a store full of many treasures in Mexico City, but would choose Japan above all destinations. “I love the contrast of its buzzing cities with the rural calm of temples, shrines and mountains,” he says.
The celebrated satirical columnist and author, who ventured to some of the worst places on Earth for his book Holidays in Hell, writes for Beyond about the seven journeys that sum up his life and career. His favorite of all? “The 100-yard hike back to my office after dinner,” he says. “I’m allowed to smoke cigars there, and I also keep a bottle of Famous Grouse whiskey to hand.”
There’s nothing like returning to her home city of Rome to make Livia Firth’s heart sing, says the creative director of Eco-Age. “When I drive in from the airport, particularly in the spring with the smell of jasmine in the air, my mind goes back to the adventures I had there as a girl,” she says. Livia shares the address of the boutique in the city’s historical heart that she returns to again and again.
“I was in Newfoundland, Canada, when I asked a man at a gas station where I could find something to eat,” recalls the former editor of Sherman’s Travel magazine, who delves into the tale of the Old King Cole mural at The St. Regis New York. “He sent me to his brother’s house for dinner. I think about that generous family every time a tourist stops me in New York City.”
Living with the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic had its downsides, says the Zimbabwe-born writer. “It was so cold that tears froze my eyelids together. But I will never forget the dog sleds, being holed up in igloos and stuck in frozen kayaks.” In this issue she recounts a more relaxed but no less eventful trip to Chengdu in China, panda central and home to a new St. Regis hotel.
The stylist, who did a stunning job working with model Lydia for our fashion shoot, is a huge fan of the Star Ferry crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. “It’s the most serene journey, in spite of the fact that you’re surrounded by skyscrapers,” she says. “The traditional sailor’s uniforms make it look old-fashioned, but it’s also fabulously efficient.”