Absolutely Nothing To Talk About with Jools Oliver

Posted: August 29, 2012 | Author: Mel Moss | Filed under: Absolutely Nothing To Talk About, Absolutely Nothing To Wear | 2 Comments

Jools Oliver is not only mother to 4 gorgeous children and wife to the brilliant Jamie, but she has also just launched her very own children’s fashion collection, Little Bird, for Mothercare.

She’s beautiful, clever, creative and very very busy….and she still found time to talk to ANTW about all sorts of Absolutely Nothing…..

Absolutely Nothing To Make

It has to be make shift dens in the garden for the kids using blankets, chairs or their climbing frame!!! The best ones are the ones we made in the wood as kids with sticks and branches. They stayed there for years if you hid them well. We are teaching the kids how to make them now and it’s such good fun.

Absolutely Nothing To Do

I just discovered bike riding again after literally 25 years, shocking!!!! We went on a ride with all the children and it was such fun cycling through the countryside, legs in the air, flying down the hills and cycling to the swings, they were all so happy. It was a real trip down memory lane.

Jools and her Pendleton Somerby bike.
Photo copyright of Jamie Oliver

Absolutely Nothing To Listen To

I’ve just come back from a much needed holiday and it was so nice to be able to listen to my husband with out any interruption from little people!!!!! He is really interesting!!!!!

Absolutely Nothing To Read

I’ve just finished Afterwards by Rosamund Upton. Such a lovely written book about a beautiful relationship between a mother and her children with a bit of who done it thrown in to keep you extra hooked. I loved it.

Absolutely Nothing To Buy

I just bought the girls a little digital camera and it’s fantastic to see them take their own pictures and then download them on the computer. They are better than us at all the techno stuff and their images are so lovely. They have a very different perspective on the world to us.

Absolutely Nothing To Watch

I just watched the Usain Bolt documentary, The Fastest Man Alive, in the build up to the Olympics and it was so inspiring, what a extraordinary man. I have so much respect for all athletes after watching this.

Absolutely Nothing To Eat

I’ve just started picking our tomatoes fresh from the polytunnel and adding them to courgettes, green beans, garlic and greens all from the garden. Roasted slowly they have the most fresh, unbelievable flavour.

Absolutely Nothing To Wear

So nice at last to wear a bikini as soon as the sun comes out. Feels so lovely and warm on the skin and great to be able to see all my kids playing in the garden naked!!!!

Absolutely Nothing To See

I’ve been taking the kids down to Audley End Miniature Railway nearly every day this Summer hols they love weaving through the woods on the little steam railway track screaming out at all the teddy bears hidden in the trees. We’ve had some fabulous picnics in the flowers too, very cute.

Audley End Miniature Railway

Absolutely Nothing To Cook

My daughters Poppy and Daisy make the best scones so we love freshly baked warm scones for tea with jam, butter and sometimes with sliced bananas and honey.

Absolutely Nothing To Love

When Mo Farrow won his gold the excitement in our house was unbelievable, such a great atmosphere. I just loved seeing the kids getting in to something so brilliant and inspiring.

Absolutely Nothing To Get Excited About

My new collection Little Bird just launched in Mothercare. It feels so amazing. I’m constantly excited and nervous to check my emails in the morning or the Mothercare website to see how the clothes are selling! It’s all such a new experience for me and it feels really amazing to have the chance to be creative for a change.

The launch of Little Bird at Mothercare

You can also catch Little Bird at this weekend’s Big Feastival in Oxfordshire. More HERE

Absolutely Nothing To Talk About : Suzanne and Lauren McGrath

Posted: June 20, 2012 | Author: Mel Moss | Filed under: Absolutely Nothing To Talk About | Leave a comment

Suzanne and Lauren McGrath are a mother–daughter interior design team who edit and write the design blog Good Bones Great Pieces. Suzanne is a former Style Editor and Producer at Martha Stewart Television and Lauren is a former fashion features writer for Teen Vogue magazine. They live in New York City and Rye, New York.

They took a break from their UK book launch to talk to ANTW about all kinds of Absolutely Nothing…..

Absolutely Nothing To Watch…

Girls on HBO. Lena Dunham’s writing is brilliant.

Absolutely Nothing To Eat…

Our favorite brunch spot at the moment is The Smile on Bond Street in NYC. It’s the cosiest restaurant in the city with the best baked eggs and avocado we’ve ever had.

Absolutely Nothing To Do…

Summer is the best time to go flea market and antique shopping and our number one stop is always Brimfield. It’s a tri-annual antique show that happens in May, July, and September where antique dealers from across America set up shop.

Absolutely Nothing To Cook…

Lauren and her friend Perrin recently threw a dinner party at a friend’s house in East Hampton with a Middle Eastern-inspired menu. The homemade tabouleh was a big hit. Check it out here

Absolutely Nothing To See…

The Browning Version

Absolutely Nothing To Wear…

Lace shift dresses by Joie

Absolutely Nothing To Get Excited About…

A “sleeper”- a great tag sale find / antique that turns out to be worth much more than its price tag reveals. Yes!

Absolutely Nothing To Read…

Our new book! Good Bones, Great Pieces: The Seven Essential Pieces To Carry You Through a Lifetime

Absolutely Nothing To Talk About with Dexter Fletcher

Posted: March 29, 2012 | Author: Mel Moss | Filed under: Absolutely Nothing To Talk About, Absolutely Nothing To Wear | Leave a comment

Dexter Fletcher photographed by David Loftus

Most will know him as Baby Face from Bugsy Malone or Soap from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I first knew him as the very handsome Spike, the American reporter on Press Gang and more recently as a man I’m lucky enough to call one of my most favourite friends.

He has the loudest and most infectious laugh I know, the most brilliant mind, a very clever eye and the voice of an angel (see clip at the bottom of the interview). Dexter Fletcher is the man of the moment thanks to his re- cent directorial debut, Wild Bill, which is in UK cinemas now and has been received with critical acclaim by some of our most formidable writers.

The Independent called it “The most affecting, funny, and sure-footed comedy-drama that we’re likely to see this year” whilst The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw wrote “Why can’t all British crime dramas be so well written and well acted, and have a splash of comedy as confident as this?”

So here he is talking film, fashion, music, poker, steak and lots more about Absolutely Nothing :

Absolutely Nothing To Direct

This is a tough one as some things should be left as they are but ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ is one of my all time favourite films. But I’m not so arrogant and stupid to think I could do it better than it’s already been done.

Absolutely Nothing To Listen To

My wife, Dalia, directs opera and as a result I have my moments of getting into some pretty classic stuff. She is currently directing ‘Manon Lescaut’ by Puccini. Always worth a listen.

Absolutely Nothing To Read

Just started ‘The Sister Brothers‘ by Patrick DeWitt a comic anti-western. Loving every page so reading it very slowly.

Absolutely Nothing To Watch

Don’t do masses of TV but I’m happy to sit through ‘The Incredibles’ anytime.

Absolutely Nothing To Do

Then I’ll reluctantly go to the gym and see my trainer Sebo. A 6ft 9inch bastard who tries to stop me eating bread.

Absolutely Nothing To Eat

Then I’ll go to Union Jacks in Holborn and eat flat bread pizza to die for. The best around and made with all British produce.

Absolutely Nothing To Cook

Get me a rib eye and I’ll rub it with garlic and bash it with rosemary. Sublime!

Absolutely Nothing To Laugh About

Anchorman with Will Farrell. Always delivers and Steve Carrels is great in it too.

Absolutely Nothing To Wear

I love my Japanese clothes and designers so I’ll go Dover Street Market for some Comme Des Garçons or 45 RPM but you’ll have to go to Paris to find the nearest shop.

Absolutely Nothing To See

Wander over to the Tate Modern. Free and always great.

Absolutely Nothing To Play

I play poker badly and the piano even worse.

Absolutely Nothing To Get Excited About

Since directing ‘Wild Bill’ things are getting very exciting and I get more and more scripts to read. I am developing a few different ideas but my dream is to still make a Western.

Absolutely Nothing To Sing

I did a charity fund raiser for my wife and got to sing Michael Buble’s ‘Everything’ with an 80 piece orchestra. You might find it on Youtube if you’re really bored. I had the time of my life….

Make sure you go and see Wild Bill as soon as you can. It’s one not to be missed and you’ll be seeing a lot more from this very clever man with the best hair in the business.

You can also see this interview on Sabotage Times

Absolutely Nothing To Talk About with Alison Edmond

Posted: October 13, 2011 | Author: Mel Moss | Filed under: Absolutely Nothing To Talk About | 2 Comments

Yorkshire born Alison Edmond now lives in LA with her husband and 3 children. She is the LA Editor for Harper’s Bazaar UK, Editor at Large for Marie Claire US, Los Angeles Ambassador for the British Fashion Council and stylist to the stars. Alison talked to ANTW about all kinds of Absolutely Nothing……

Alison Edmond with her two boys

Absolutely Nothing To Wear…..

Black, black, black … then I don’t have to think about it.

Absolutely Nothing To Listen To…..

Most of the music I listen to is dictated by my kids playing dj in my car. So at the moment it’s a mix of Lupe Fiasco, anything by Jay Z, and an amazing new guy called Luke Christopher who’s songs I now know intimately and I have to say he’s really great. He just turned 18 and was signed to Interscope on his birthday. Look out Kanye!

Absolutely Nothing To Read…..

I just finished Life, Keith Richards which I loved, although trying to remember that’s only his side of the story and he probably can’t recall the more sordid details. I also just re-read The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey, which was a book on my school curriculum which I remembered loving and wanted to revisit. I loved it yet again, and envisioned the whole novel as a film starring Jon Hamm and Cate Blanchett (Hollywood Producer yet I’ll be!). And also, just bought John Irving’s new book, Until I Find You, as A Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite book ever.

Absolutely Nothing To Watch…..

Have seen a few amazing documentaries recently. Obviously Inside Job, which is an excellent but absolutely infuriating note on the financial world’s collapse and all the heinous bankers and insurers who made huge sums of money from the rest of us losing. When the Levees Broke, which is about Hurricane Katrina, and how the ensuing flooding nightmare in New Orleans was in fact caused by governmental contractor’s incompetence in not strengthening the city’s levees. Bill Cunningham New York is the wonderful piece about the familiar street fashion photographer, whose integrity and honesty is incredibly touching and inspiring. And the latest recommendation is Dear Zachary, which I have yet to see but I am told is one of the most moving pieces of film work to surface this year.

Absolutely Nothing To Eat…..

I only eat pomegranate seeds. (Well I wish I did). I crave them, love them and they are my candy. Alone, or in my favorite salad – proscuitto, rocket, roasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and a little balsamic.

Absolutely Nothing To Buy…..

My new favorite gadget is the YUBZ phone headset! It’s a retro hand held phone that attached to your cell and reduces 96% of the radiation. Genius, fun, healthier, and above all nostalgic.

YUBZ Handset in jet black

Absolutely Nothing To See…..

Two great exhibitions – Art in the Streets, at MOCA, LA – unbelievable collection of work by graffiti artists from the 60’s through to the present day – just amazing, inspiring, and fantastic for kids too. And also Tim Burton’s exhibition at LACMA – what an artist. And in theatre, I have never seen anything quite like Warhorse. I was just blown away by the techniques of the puppetry – quite the most beautiful performance art I have ever seen. The story even becomes secondary to the grace and architecture of the horses.

Tim Burton at LACMA

Absolutely Nothing To Do…..

Go hiking in the hills above Mulholland Drive, LA. It’s the most peaceful place even though sandwiched by Los Angeles on one side and the San Fernando Valley on the other.

Absolutely Nothing To Smile About…..

Never without a smile in my children’s company. My daughter especially is, as my mother calls her, a complete tonic. She radiates sunshine with her ever present happiness and crazy humour. See below, hamming it up as usual.

To see examples of Alison’s work check out her website.

Absolutely Nothing To Talk About – Jenny Dyson

Posted: October 5, 2011 | Author: Mel Moss | Filed under: Absolutely Nothing To Talk About | Leave a comment

Jenny Dyson is the Creative Director of marketing agency PENCIL. She also publishes a ridiculous and brilliant magazine called RUBBISH and is the founding publisher of The London Fashion Week Daily. Here she talks to ANTW about all sorts of Absolutely Nothing…..

Jenny Dyson and Dot