1 — Inspired by blossom, in a barely pink colour, a cashmere jumper is the ideal layer right now. Wear with cream corduroy for a modern but soft silhouette. Add a Guanabana brightly woven belt to make the trousers sing and provide a focal point.
2 — We are booked to visit Tracey Emin's new solo show in Florence (Sex and Solitude, Palazzo Strozzi, until 20th July 2025). The direct and raw works, including never shown pieces, are displayed in this stunning Renaissance Palazzo commissioned by rivals of the Medici. It is always exciting to see how current art integrates in classic buildings, especially when they've been built almost 600 years ago.
While in town, we will visit the original Santa Maria Novella apothecary; pick up produce from Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio, and feast at nearby Cibrèo Caffé, an institution since 1979. The Ruby hotel chain has launched new outpost Bea last year and offers a refreshing perspective on where to stay with a delightful roof terrace.
3 — Meanwhile in Paris, three exhibitions have opened at the Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection until 25th August. Entitled Corps et âmes, they explore the connections between body and soul through forty artists. Although this is not a novel topic, this show is worth seeing if only for the dramatic backdrop of the museum revisited by Tadao Ando and for the films by Los Angeles based Arthur Jafa, celebrating Black American iconic figures in music, politics and sports.
There are many dining options in the area but we like À l'Épi d'or (25 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001 Paris). It is a traditional address for a well executed and seasonal plat du jour that changes weekly. A 10 minutes stroll away from the Bourse de Commerce, we can also recommend Dalia for its Mediterranean menu and homemade pita bread served in a bright and joyful room.
4 — During the Easter holiday, The Fashion+Textile Museum in Bermondsey is organising workshops in Fashion Drawing and Design for teenagers aged 13 to 16 while the current exhibition Textiles: The Art of Mankind is a voyage through history and across the globe to reveal the deep entanglement between textiles and people. Themes of identity, collaboration and sustainability are explored throughout.
Younger family members should be dazzled by the return of My Neighbour Totoro to the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Kirsty from the Aimé team took her children and was as much in awe as they were. The now legendary coming-of-age tale has won six Oliver Awards and is coproduced by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
5 — After months of scarce locally grown vegetables, we can now savour the season in the shape of spring greens. Thomasina Miers Miso and Butter Roast Hispi with sesame noodles is a healthy and easy weeknight supper.
Heat the oven to 240C. Cut 2 large hispi cabbages in their length into 8 wedges each. Heat a griddle pan and add the cabbage wedges for 10-12 minutes, turning them regularly. Mix 40g softened butter, 70g white miso, 2 teaspoons honey and 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce. Transfer the cabbages to an oven dish, spoon the miso butter over, cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes, turning them once. Boil or rehydrate 250g of medium egg noodles in salted water and reserve half a mug of the cooking water. Make a dressing by whisking 2.5 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Add splashes of the reserved cooking water to make a creamy sauce to toss the noodles in. Serve with the cabbage on top, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion.