Celebrity moves – November 2017

Edward Enninful is about to make history in London. The fashion world is waiting with bated breath as the first new British Vogue editor-in-chief for 25 years gets ready to launch his debut issue. As a result, Enninful hasn’t really had time to sort out any established London routine, preferring to work closely with his team at Vogue’s Mayfair HQ.

One member of the new fashion crew who doesn’t seem to be fazed by this itinerant situation is Ru, the editor’s beloved Boston terrier. Greeting every visitor to the office with a friendly sniff, he seems to be ready to make W1 his permanent base. Discerning renters in the neighbourhood would no doubt agree.

When the novelist JM Barrie was dreaming up his legendary fable of eternal youth and magical pirates he often paid a visit to Kensington to get inspiration from his friend’s children. It was a move that so many authors make because, after all, nobody fantasises quite like an eight year old, right? The result was an enduring tale of a boy-prince battling to save his beloved “Neverland” from the clutches of the evil Captain Hook.

The top floor of the home that inspired what became Peter Pan is now up for sale for £1.37 million and it’s easy to see why the children who lived their allowed their imaginations to run riot. Stucco-fronted and overlooking a picturesque square, it was a place that conjured up dreams of flying to another world. Large parts of Kensington still work the same kind of magic.

Like many multi-talented creatives, Alex Garland not only needed centralised locations like Primrose Hill and St John’s Wood as a base to network from, but also the necessary space and light needed to get his imagination working at full capacity. As a writer and emerging screenwriter, he initially found that a converted piano factory in Primrose Hill more than suited his needs.

The large open plan design now incorporates solar panels, a roof terrace and reclaimed wood flooring and is more than adequate for the next generation of visionaries. Garland is now a major Hollywood director and is set to release Annihilation – a new sci-fi epic starring Natalie Portman. Budding futurists will find plenty to inspire them in this area of London.