Top of the Class

Jacqui Markham, global design director of Topshop, is queen of street chic

Sep-Oct 2016

Jacqui Markham, global design director of Topshop, is queen of street chic

MEMORABLE STAY

JM: I recently stayed at the Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire and was mesmerised by the beautiful, secluded location – it makes for a brilliant private and luxurious hideaway.

HOLIDAY MUST

JM: Italy. It has everything...food, wine, sun, culture and style! PLANE GET-UP JM: Karen Walker sunglasses, white shirts, and my Celine slides.

WHAT TO PACK

JM: I take my Topshop Beauty Everything Stick everywhere with me. I feel better immediately after a quick sweep over the eyes, cheeks and lips. I always pack a cashmere scarf – it’s both stylish and the ideal accessory on colder evenings, plus my home comfort: Twinings English Breakfast Tea.

KEY PIECE

JM: Bomber jackets are key this season, they are having a rebirth and we’re seeing them reimagined in a multitude of different guises.

My favourite styles include the authentic MA-1, an embroidered Souvenir, tailored cuts in matte and satin as well as those with quilted arm details.

DOWNTIME

JM: When I can, I head down to Liberty London for a pedicure at Margaret Dabbs Sole Spa.

SPRITZ PICK

JM: Numero Uno by Carthusia.

PAMPER ME

JM: SK-II beauty masks are magic in a sheet; they’re my favourite at-home indulgence.

LAST MEAL

JM: Terre à Terre in Brighton serves the best vegetarian food. The Lemony Yemeni dish is a real treat! I live in East Sussex and enjoy all my family celebrations there.

DESERT ISLAND ESSENTIAL

JM: A digital radio.

YOUR LOOK

JM: Androgynous, pared-back, anonymous.

DESIGN INSPIRATION

JM: I was in Copenhagen recently and visited one of my favourite museums, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. The Eye Attack exhibit featured Op Art and Kinetic Art from the 1950s to 1970s, and focused on abstract and avant-garde work that plays with illusions and movement. I returned to London buzzing with new ideas.

RETAIL THERAPY

JM: I love to shop in Manhattan, I always check out the department stores and stock up on the latest Topshop pieces from our Fifth Avenue store. I also enjoy trawling through vintage; either at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in LA, Feathers Boutique in Austin, Narnia in New York, brocantes in France, or the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair here in London.