Articles by Susan Skelly

mm

Editor. Writer. Traveller. Keeping tabs on all things fab. susan@excessallareas.com.au

twelve apostles great ocean road surf coast susan skelly
0

Great Ocean Road | Bush meets beach | off-season getaway

Garbo
Cool, understated elegance that belies inner sparkle and sizzle.

In search of glorious bush and seascapes when the hordes have returned to work after the holiday crush, Excess All Areas heads to Fairhaven, and that portfolio of retreats on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road that also includes Bells Beach, Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Anglesea and Apollo Bay. Home to the famous sea-locked rock stacks The Twelve Apostles…

i-love-nyc-tiffany-culture-selection
0

New York pain relief | Culture pill in NYC | manhattan pitstop 

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

Art, Central Park, jazz, Cate Blanchett, and great soup. Even in the midst of political turmoil and protest, New York delivers. Excess All Areas went looking for some cultural respite care A New York pitstop smack bang in the middle of a week of bad politics (the inauguration and all it unleashed)…? Let culture be…

laferrari design sketch luxury car ferrari flavio manzoni 1
0

Ferrari’s firebrand | Luxury car design | Speed date

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

Sixties shapes, the Sydney Opera House, 3D printing, music … these are some of the things that inspire Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s design director. Susan Skelly reports Roped off outside the three-hat Sydney harbourside restaurant, Quay, the LaFerrari looks like it’s landed on the wrong planet. Futuristic, fabulous – and so shiny it looks ready to spontaneously combust…

the-ritz-londons-piccadilly-profile
0

In bed with London | UK check-ins | Hotels from heritage to hip

Brando
Charisma and character - and just a little bit game-changing. Action!

From the Ritz London to the Ham Yard to One Aldwych … three very different sleepovers for discerning London visitors. What’s it to be? Aristocratic splendour … bold contemporary colours and folk frisson… a city hub that’s a perfect jumping off point for theatre and exploration? In London’s Big Smoke, accommodation options are plentiful. Here…

Alexander Mcqueen stefan sielaff bentley motors design director francois guillot AFP Getty images
0

5 great designs | things that inspire | easy on the eye

Garbo
Cool, understated elegance that belies inner sparkle and sizzle.

Stefan Sielaff, Director of Design at Bentley Motors, is inspired by many things, from haute couture to architecture, timepieces, and even aircraft design. Success, notes the 54-year-old German-born innovator, is rooted in having a clear idea of what makes a brand unique. “For me, it’s the beauty of a fantastic exterior concealing innovations and craftsmanship that…

hennessy8 cognac arik levy decanter 2
0

Cognac gets a rap | Sipping on status | house of spirits

Brando
Charisma and character - and just a little bit game-changing. Action!

  From the princes of rap to titans of industry, Cognac confers status. To mark the launch of the Hennessy 8 limited edition, Susan Skelly clinked glasses with brand ambassador Maurice-Richard Hennessy. When it comes to symbolism, this year’s limited edition Hennessy 8 Cognac is all but drowning in it. First there is the liquid…

bulgari brooch emeralds rubies sapphires diamonds ngv exhibition getty
0

red carpet jewels | Hollywood divas | beautiful bling

Monroe
Sexy and glamorous. Red carpet ready. Did someone say 'rescue fantasy'?

What do Hollywood stars and one of Italy’s most famous luxury brands have in common? As a new exhibition in Melbourne reveals, a knack for being bold, beautiful and bewitching.   There’s Naomi Watts on the red carpet at the Academy Awards … Scarlett Johansson at the Venice Film Festival … Jessica Alba at the…

raffles-dubai-grand-foyer-water-feature-marble-skelly
0

Dubai close-up | Desert city surprises | Arabian nights alfresco

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

From contemporary art to avant-garde fashion, gold-plated nightlife to shoes good enough to eat … Dubai plays on the unexpected. Finally, time to spend a few days in Dubai and not just wave from the airport in transit. The Arabian emirate that has spent the past few decades growing like a garden someone finally remembered to…

graff diamonds hallucination watch crystal magazine crown melbourne
0

Dialling up lustre | diamond dazzle | making a statement

Monroe
Sexy and glamorous. Red carpet ready. Did someone say 'rescue fantasy'?

If Anne-Eva Geffroy has one goal in life it is to make her statement pieces of jewellery dance. How does the Graff design director work her gemstone magic? When it comes to a roll call of radiance, Graff diamonds positively dazzle. The Golden Empress, the Paragon, the Graff Pink, the Star of Bombay, the Imperial, the…

Copyright © Susan Skelly 2020.