The former Marie Claire editor and a co-founder of digital health platform Alloy answers 54 of life’s most pressing questions

A born storyteller, Anne Fulenwider studied English literature at Harvard University before embarking on a career in journalism. She got her start at The Paris Review, followed by 10 years at Vanity Fair, editing, among others, cult writers Carl Bernstein and Dominick Dunne. Then, in 2012, Fulenwider was named editor of Marie Claire. Along the way, she has shared a stage with Melinda Gates, Mindy Kaling, Tracee Ellis Ross, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Wojcicki; spent time as a judge on the Emmy-winning TV show Project Runway; and even networked 35,000 feet in the air—as part of Power Trip, the 36-hour READ ON

The writer, director, and co-producer of Saltburn answers 71 of life’s most pressing questions

Emerald Fennell may have had no trouble at all finding her place at Oxford when she was a student there, in the mid-aughts. But the protagonist of her new film, Saltburn, has a dreadful time—especially when he finds himself enmeshed in the heady, aristocratic universe of a mysterious classmate. The psychological thriller is Fennell’s follow-up to her 2020 directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, which earned her an Oscar for best original screenplay. Herewith, she shares her key components to the good life. —Ashley Baker

Airline: Virgin Atlantic.
Airport: Heathrow.
Alibi: “I was volunteering at the hospital.” READ ON

The British journalist resuscitating political writing at The New Statesman answers 33 of life’s most pressing questions

It was pointing out how the contents of former British prime minister Liz Truss’s inaugural address could have been written by a “cliché machine,” in September 2022, that firmly established Harry Lambert as a journalist to watch. Both of his parents are in the media—his mother is the journalist and broadcaster Jenni Russell, and his father, Stephen Lambert, is the television producer behind Wife Swap, Faking It, The Secret Millionaire, Undercover Boss, Gogglebox, and more. After graduating from the University of York with a first-class degree in politics and economics, Harry Lambert showcased both range and wit working at various magazines and papers, including READ ON

The Sidney Garber Fine Jewelry designer answers 71 of life’s most pressing questions

Does anyone wear a stack of bracelets with the panache or presence of Brooke Garber Neidich? Unlikely. The stylish New Yorker does have a professional advantage: her father, Sidney Garber, started a fine-jewelry business in Chicago in 1946, and Neidich has not only honored his legacy as its creative director but made the house something of an international sensation. When she isn’t dreaming up fantasies of diamonds, pearls, and bands of gold, she serves as a trustee of the Whitney Museum of American Art and of Lincoln Center Theater, and as a board member of the Child Mind Institute, which she co-founded. She gives all her profits to these and other causes close to her heart. Here, she shares her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The restaurateur and subject of a new HBO documentary, AKA Mr. Chow, answers 68 of life’s most pressing questions

Michael Chow was born in Shanghai and moved to London in the 1950s, where he chose the restaurant business as his calling, in hopes of educating the West about the tastes and traditions of the East. He opened the first Mr. Chow in 1968 and now has seven dotted around the globe, including in Beverly Hills, New York, and Las Vegas. From the outset, his venues have attracted a dizzying intersection of aristocrats alongside titans of art, entertainment, fashion, and business. A talented painter—he studied at Central Saint Martins—an art collector, a philanthropist, a genius at interior design, and now the subject of a new documentary, READ ON

The chef and restaurateur behind Eleven Madison Park answers 51 of life’s most pressing questions

H

ot dogs aside, how do you put New York on a plate, especially in the context of a fine-dining restaurant? Not only did chef and Eleven Madison Park proprietor Daniel Humm try but he succeeded to such a degree that his restaurant became one of the most talked-about in the world. This fall, he celebrates Eleven Madison Park’s 25th anniversary with a tasting menu, entitled “This Is Our Path,” which nods to the past, present, and future. And in late October, he publishes Eat More Plants, which traces the menu’s evolution from carnivorous to plant-based. Herewith, he shares his key components to the good life. READ ON

The writers and executive producers of Dumb Money answer 37 of life’s most pressing questions

Remember that time when a guy named Keith Gill invested his life savings in GameStop stock, began posting about it on social media, and somehow ended up turning a mall store that sold video games into the world’s buzziest company? (For a very hot minute?) The moment has now been committed to film in the smart new comedy-drama Dumb Money. Written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo and based on the book The Antisocial Network, by Ben Mezrich, it follows the gonzo trajectory of Gill (Paul Dano) as his get-rich-quick scheme unfurls. On the occasion of the film’s release, Schuker Blum and Angelo, who met while working at READ ON

The photographer answers 33 of life’s most pressing questions

What makes a house a home? And what makes a home a work of art? These are only some of the questions that François Halard explores in his work. The French photographer, who specializes in interiors and architecture, provides an important counterpoint to the overly designed, personality-free rooms that tend to trend on social media. The aesthetic he favors is a lived-in one that’s riddled with the idiosyncrasies of the home’s inhabitants. As he releases François Halard: The Last Pictures, the final installment of his three-part Rizzoli series, he shares his key components to the good life. —Ashley Baker READ ON

The designer for Clare V. answers 69 of life’s most pressing questions

Clare V., a brand that encapsulates French style, is the product of an American woman who grew up in Minnesota and now lives in Los Angeles. But after reading Clare Vivier’s new Rizzoli book, La Vie de Clare V., this all makes sense. Fifteen years ago, Vivier debuted an elegant, no-nonsense clutch that became the foundation of an accessories-and-clothing house and was sold all over the world. Informed by the sensibilities of American prep and Gallic elegance—her husband, Thierry Vivier, is originally from France—Clare V.’s focus on utility also explains its success. On the occasion of her book’s publication, Vivier shares her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The actress, author, and producer answers 53 of life’s most pressing questions

The pandemic had its moments, but few were able to find much humor there. Not so for Ali Wentworth. The comedienne mined her at-home experiences for her most recent book, Ali’s Well That Ends Well, a collection of essays that reminds us, among other things, that those dreadful months weren’t all sourdough starter and Clorox wipes. Those who can’t get enough of Wentworth’s humor and verve are best served by her podcast, Go Ask Ali, in which she interviews friends, family, and newsmakers for a more nuanced understanding of what’s going on in the world. Herewith, she shares her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The fashion designer answers 35 of life’s most pressing questions

Silk pajamas of the highest possible quality were not exactly de rigueur among millennials and Gen Z until Olivia von Halle proposed the idea in a way that few could resist. The London-based designer, who studied fashion and textiles at the University of Leeds, is a bit of a bon vivant. In her 20s, she found herself yearning for stylish but comfortable silk separates to elevate the experience of an at-home nightcap. At her flagship, on Pavilion Road near Sloane Square, her elegant, colorful collection includes robes, dresses, and slippers, many of which can be personalized. This month, as she debuts a line of cashmere robes, pajamas, and tracksuits, she shares her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The jewelry designer answers 37 of life’s most pressing questions

There is only one person who can upstage Tom Ford. When his longtime friend Lisa Eisner accompanied him to an Oscars party, in February, the fashion press was agog, not only at the designer’s perfectly fitting tuxedo but at Eisner’s peacock-blue kimono, coral feathered boa, opal jewels of her own design, and bedazzled cat’s-eye sunglasses. (Somewhere, Peggy Guggenheim is smiling.) Eisner, a Los Angeles–based jewelry designer by trade, has long been one of the most stylish women on either coast. And while many have tried to emulate her look and panache, none will ever eclipse it. Those tempted READ ON

The musician and composer answers 49 of life’s most pressing questions

No matter where she happens to be, Daphné Guinness is inevitably the most striking person in the room. With a black-and-white chignon, couture-heavy wardrobe, and towering platform shoes (usually the ones designed by her close friend the late Alexander McQueen), Guinness is both a stylish and arresting presence in the worlds of fashion and culture. Recently the musician and composer completed her fourth album, Sleep, which was recorded at Abbey Road and British Grove Studios and features a full band (including 34 stringed instruments). Its first video, for the single “HipNeckSpine,” was directed by Nick Knight, and it includes 22 different looks from Guinness’s archive. On the occasion of the video’s release, she reveals her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The fashion designer answers 31 of life’s most pressing questions

Christopher John Rogers is only 29 years old, but he’s already ascended to a prominent place in American fashion. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rogers moved to New York in 2016, after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He launched his line by making custom pieces for Eve and Cardi B while working in the design department of Diane von Furstenberg. By the fall of 2019, Net-a-Porter had placed an order, he had won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and he was well on his way to success. Rogers’s judicious, joyful use of color, especially READ ON

The actor, who is appearing in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, answers 31 of life’s most pressing questions

He’s done Bond and The Batman, Westworld, and Angels in America. He was Basquiat in Basquiat, and he’s equally beloved by Hollywood and Broadway. Jeffrey Wright has been working steadily since the late 80s, and after making his Wes Anderson debut, as New Yorker-y food writer Roebuck Wright in The French Dispatch, he’s returning to the director’s fold, in Asteroid City. Set in an American desert town in 1955, the film stars Wright alongside Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, and almost every actor in Hollywood. Herewith, Wright shares his key components to the good life. — READ ON

The creative director of Akris answers 40 of life’s most pressing questions

In the fickle world of fashion, creative directors of major houses are not exactly known for their longevity. Albert Kriemler’s 43-year run at Akris, which had been trafficking in quiet luxury for decades before anyone ever mentioned the term, is especially remarkable. Based in St. Gallen, a tranquil university town near Lake Constance, Akris celebrates its centennial this year with an exhibition (open now through September 24) at Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Ausstellungsstrasse. Curated by Kriemler and Karin Gimmi, it explores how the house has integrated textile design, photogaphy, architecture, and art into its collections. On the occasion, Kriemler shares his key components to the good life. — READ ON

The Golden Globe–nominated actor who played Prince Philip on The Crown answers 20 of life’s most pressing questions

For years, Tobias Menzies has been working his way through just about every hit TV show in the U.K. Born in London and educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he’s had supporting roles on Pulling, The Thick of It, Doctor Who, Spooks, The Honorable Woman, The Night Manager, and Catastrophe, to name a few. Over time the parts expanded, both in size and scope, such as when Menzies played Catelyn Stark’s younger brother, Edmure Tully, on Game of Thrones, or when he portrayed Black Jack Randall, on the time-travel series Outlander, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. And when Menzies took on Prince Philip, on Seasons Three and Four of READ ON

The French chef and cookbook author answers 37 of life’s most pressing questions, revealing his go-to appetizer, his favorite cocktail, and what an ideal weekend lunch looks like

His thick French accent notwithstanding, Jacques Pépin, now 87, is one of the U.S.’s most legendary chefs, celebrated for translating the culinary techniques of his home country for the everyday American cook. Pépin, the son of a Lyon restaurateur, left home at 13 to work as a kitchen apprentice, moved to New York in 1959, and quickly befriended both James Beard and Julia Child. In the decades since, he has published more than 30 cookbooks and hosted a series of long-running cooking shows on PBS; more recently, his pandemic cooking videos went viral.

His latest book, Jacques Pépin: Art of the Chicken READ ON

The cookbook author and maverick behind Violet Cakes answers 41 of life’s most pressing questions

Those who have experienced Claire Ptak’s vanilla jam cake—three heaven-sent layers of vanilla sponge, drizzled with vanilla syrup and de-sweetened with tart-cherry jam, and then finished with raspberry dust and crystallized violet petals—will take planes, trains, and automobiles to East London for another taste. Violet Cakes, which Ptak opened in 2010 after working for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, is inspired by her native California. The ingredients are organic and as minimally processed as possible, and the flavors are all derived from fresh fruit, melted Valrhona chocolate, just-pulled espresso, and flower cordials. As delicious as this all sounds, and READ ON

The star of Class of ‘09 answers 33 of life’s most pressing questions

Throughout Kate Mara’s long and accomplished acting career, she has portrayed a hard-charging reporter (House of Cards), a hiker in crisis (127 Hours), an astronaut (The Martian), and an invisible superhero (Fantastic Four). It was all solid training for her latest role in the new FX/Hulu series Class of ’09. On the show, Mara’s character—an F.B.I. agent scrambling to keep up with a criminal-justice system that has been irrevocably changed by artificial intelligence—hops between time lines and decades. But the actress’s daily life, in Los Angeles, which she shares with husband, Jamie Bell, and the couple’s children, is considerably more straightforward. Herewith, she shares her key components to the good life. — READ ON

The interior designer answers 51 of life’s most pressing questions

The English interior designer Nina Campbell may have started her long and illustrious career at Colefax and Fowler, but she has ultimately created an aesthetic that is entirely her own. In the 1960s, nightlife impresario Mark Birley enlisted her to reimagine Annabel’s, his private club in Mayfair, and in the 1970s the two opened Campbell & Birley, a shop on Pimlico Road in Belgravia. Campbell eventually moved to Walton Street in nearby Chelsea, and after more than 50 years in business she continues to design homes all over the world while also running operations for her design studio, shop, READ ON

The editor of CR Fashion Book answers 44 of life’s most pressing questions

No one embodies French style and savvy quite like Carine Roitfeld. One of the fashion industry’s most prominent editors, she spent a memorable decade at the helm of Vogue Paris, where she published the kind of edgy, subversive photo shoots that made her a global sensation. In 2012, she founded her own New York–based magazine, CR Fashion Book, which has become a place of discovery not only for new fashion but for emerging talent across the arts and culture worlds as well. Now, she creates luxury products under her own name, and her latest perfume, Carine, has just arrived at Harrods and Printemps. As the spring issue of READ ON

The actress answers 41 of life’s most pressing questions

“Timeless” is a good way to describe actress Kyra Sedgwick, whose film-and-television career now spans more than four decades. It’s also a common adjective ascribed to her directorial debut, Space Oddity, a science-fiction love story about human connection that stars Carrie Preston, Simon Helberg, and Sedgwick’s husband (of 34 years), Kevin Bacon. Since first appearing on-screen at the age of 16, on the daytime drama Another World, Sedgwick has steadily built an enviable career. Along the way, she’s also picked up both an Emmy and Golden Globe, perfecting the catchphrase “Thank you, thank you so much …” as Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT series READ ON

The fashion designer answers 53 of life’s most pressing questions

It’s been more than 10 years since Tatiana Santo Domingo and Dana Alikhani launched Muzungu Sisters, their ethically produced fashion brand. (“Muzungu” means “traveler” or “wanderer” in Swahili.) Santo Domingo and Alikhani travel the world in search of ateliers that can make their handwoven, hand-embroidered designs in facilities that exceed the labor standards set for workers by the International Labor Organization. Muzungu Sisters’ pieces, which range from velvet dresses and silk pajamas to beachy caftans and pig-print shirts for children, are intended to be passed down for generations. When Santo Domingo is not on the road, she lives in London READ ON