Stories of Salt & Starlight by Ruth Steadman

Philip Hughes - British artist Philip Hughes is a self-taught painter whose work is an exploration of landscapes – their structure, geology and the traces left behind by man’s interventions from ancient cultures to the present. Philip has juggled making art with an extraordinary career in computing. He founded the British computer giant Logica in the 1960s before stepping away in 1990 to dedicate himself full time to art. For the last 50 years, he has shared his life between London and Provence and he invites Faire into his colourful atelier in the medieval village of Ménerbes.

Wayne Pate & Rebecca Taylor - In 2020, just before the world shut down, American artist Wayne Pate and his wife, fashion designer Rebecca Taylor, saw an opportunity to take a much-needed pause and change of perspective and moved to New Zealand to be closer to family. Together, they’ve found a way to slow down and savour life, raising their young family away from the bustle of a big city. Collaborators in life as well as creativity, Rebecca recently launched a small clothing label, A’COURT, as an antidote to the voracious traditional fashion model.

Camilla Jørvad - After a decade of travelling the world, earning global acclaim as one of Denmark’s leading photographers, Camilla Jørvad found herself facing debilitating physical and mental burnout. She turned to her garden on the family farm on the Danish island of Ærø for solace. Her garden taught her invaluable lessons about herself and the importance of learning to bend, not break. Today, Camilla’s garden is her muse. It nourishes both physically and emotionally, provides sustenance and important life lessons about control and compromise and connects Camilla to her purpose.

Magda Gordon - Polish-born Magda Gordon trained at the Van der Kelen Institute of Decorative Painting in Brussels. Today she lives in a small village in South-East England and specialises in decorative and ornamental painting. Magda works with private residential and commercial clients across the world to create ornamental finishes including trompe l’oeil, faux bois, patinas, marbling and gilding.

Marta Cucchia - Laboratorio Giuditta Brozzetti is a beloved weaving workshop in Perugia, Italy where master weaver Marta Cucchia continues her great-grandmother Giuditta Brozzetti’s mission to preserve the ancient weaving tradition of Umbria. Like so many heritage crafts, this ancient traditional weaving risked extinction in the early 20th century in the face of industrialisation and globalisation. Fortunately, four generations of incredible women have fought to save this craft in a mighty show of innovation, passion, talent and entrepreneurship. Today, under the dedicated watch of Marta Cucchia, the Giuditta Brozzetti workshop remains one of the last hand-weaving ateliers on Jacquard looms in Italy.

Marthe Desmoulins and Franck Dorat - Twenty years ago, Marthe Desmoulins and Franck Dorat left behind creative careers that spanned Paris, New York and Japan for a slower life in a small town in the heart of Provence. Marthe has spent most of her professional life championing artists and creatives. She founded her legendary first boutique, Absinthe, in Paris in 1989 before going on to be an artistic director and buyer for the New York concept store Destination and then Bazar et Garde Manger in Japan. Franck is a creative jack of all trades, having worked in cinema set design and 3D special effects. Inspired by the work of Alexander Calder, he creates sculptures in wire and ceramics from his atelier in Pernes-les-Fontaines. Today, they collaborate on and curate L’Atelier de Chauffe, a gallery filled with storied ceramics, art, curiosities and antique finds.

Sofia Vusir Jansson - Swedish creative Sofia Vusir Jansson works across many mediums, including photography, styling, prop and interior design and writing. Her much-loved blog, Mokkasin, is an invitation into her rich, dreamlike world inspired by folk art and tradition, historical crafts and history. In recent years she has turned her talent to paper art to create fantastical, surreal paper blooms that push the boundaries of reality.

Rebekah Peppler - Rebekah Peppler is a Paris-based writer, stylist and author. She is the author of À Table, the James Beard Award-nominated Apéritif and Honey, a Short Stack Edition. Her next book, le SUD, will be published by Chronicle Books in 2024. She is a regular contributor to TheNew York Times and her recipes, food and travel writing have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Vanity Fair, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine and elsewhere. When she’s not working, you can find her cooking, eating and drinking in the 18th arrondissement, where she lives with her partner.

Jessie Cutts - After years of working in illustration and graphic design, UK-born, Australia-raised creative Jessie Cutts turned to textiles and slow stitching. From her seaside home in Kent in the UK, she creates handmade, perfectly imperfect quilts and textile art for her textile company, Cutts & Son. Her creative practice focuses on using a mix of new, upcycled fabrics and clothing construction waste – and always natural, sustainable fibres. She describes quilts as the perfect medium for her, allowing her to embrace mistakes and play with colour, form and storytelling.

Anne Gates - Anne Gates is an American designer who creates ceramics and home furnishings that firmly centre sustainability at the forefront of each object.