Maldives Magic

To The Maldives, to find out Sonu Shivdasani’s secret. He’s the English Lit academic, Eton and Oxford, who does resorts with a difference. His brand is Soneva, co-labelled with his Swedish wife Eva Malmström. In 1995 Soneva Fushi, in The Maldives, introduced luxury lovers to driftwood design paired with private wine cellars. Today, it’s been updated with stunning Shivdasani architecture, elevating him to Frank Lloyd Wright status with more than a hint of Gehry, but all wood. We talk on a terrace of Out Of The Blue, Soneva Fushi’s multi-storey over-water eatertainment centre with two Japanese restaurants, and more. What’s next? Next year sees the opening, also in The Maldives, of Soneva Secret 2024. Designed once again by Shivdasani, with interiors by Eva, there will be 14 villas, each at least 500sq m and about 45 metres between each one. Sonu and Eva have been thinking about this, the future of luxury, since 2007, and they’re already working on Soneva Secret 2026, not necessarily in The Maldives, not even anywhere in the Indian Ocean. They love suspense, these two.

Snazzy Shorts, Shirts And Skirts

Honestly, in The Maldives all you need are lightweight t-shirts and shorts, or floating kaftan-style gowns for gals – until dusk falls, that is. That’s when some pretty snazzy outfits appear. Some wear white, others sport mini-length floral skating frocks, ideal also for increasingly-popular padel – and jewellery looks pretty good, too.

Sole Mates

Away from island life, say in Manhattan, men and women are going for higher-waisted trousers, thus seemingly lengthening legs. In Europe, down at ground level, wellies, especially Chanel, or Kenzo x Hunter, can go anywhere. And it’s still sneakers, for everywhere. On the sustainability front, it seems sneakers are tricky to recycle because of their many components. Now The Footwear Collective, working with EarthDNA, is going back to source, hoping that manufacturers can design and produce footwear that is easier to recycle. Brands heading this initiative include Brooks Running, Crocs, Ecco and New Balance.