Latest news with #minimalism
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Fashion outrage as on-set photos of TV series fail to nail Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's style
In fashion, only the real favourites have acronyms. See SJP for Sarah Jessica Parker, ALT for fashion editor André Leon Talley and – particularly relevant right now – CBK for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. The wife of John F Kennedy Jr who died in a plane crash in 1999 is sometimes seen as America's answer to Princess Diana. Like Diana, she was loved for her style – dubbed minimalist, chic or 'quiet luxury'. Instagram is full of accounts posting archive images of her, influential brands like The Row, Toteme and Gabriela Hearst design clothes that channel her approach to dressing and there have been books and auctions in recent years. The full extent of the deification became clear this week, when images of actor Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette Kennedy in Ryan Murphy's forthcoming Kennedys Netflix series American Love Story were seen for the first time. In one image on Murphy's Instagram, Pidgeon is pictured wearing a rumpled knee-length brown coat, cropped trousers and black polo neck, with a Birkin bag, and bright blond hair, while on-set images show her in a satin midi skirt, Converse and leathery jacket. There was an immediate reaction online, and it's fair to say fans do not approve. 'This is fashion murder,' wrote one in the comments of the Murphy post. 'Whoever styled cbk needs to be fired,' wrote another. Details seem to particularly irk – from the wrong shade of blond (Bessette Kennedy's hair colourist, Brad Johns, described it as 'too 2024') to the bag. Eagle-eyed observers have noticed it's a Birkin 35, a slight variation from her preferred Birkin 40. Such is the outrage that Murphy, in an interview with the fashion industry newsletter Line Sheet, described the images as a 'work in progress' and clarified that the 'right' items would be swapped in, including that Birkin bag. He admitted that the reaction had taken him by surprise. 'I had no idea that people cared as much as they do, but I guess that's a good thing,' he said. Twenty online experts on Bessette Kennedy's style have been approached to consult on the wardrobe. Murphy, whose work has often taken on real-life figures, from Truman Capote to Joan Crawford, is no stranger to fashion on screen. He made The Assassination of Gianni Versace in 2018 and Halston, about the 70s designer, in 2021. This is the first time, however, one of his productions has taken on a fashion icon that has citizen archivists logging her every look online. This contrast is the issue, argues fashion writer Liana Satenstein. 'I don't know if you can include the painstaking research in a miniseries that has such an element of camp to it,' she argues. 'It would be this bizarre dichotomy.' The legend around Bessette Kennedy's style has reached mythical level in the 26 years since her death. A publicist at Calvin Klein, she began dating Kennedy in 1994. The two became the focus of paparazzi, with photographers snapping Bessette Kennedy on the streets of New York, wearing labels like Calvin Klein (then designed by Narciso Rodriguez), Yohji Yamamoto, Prada and Comme des Garçons, but also staples like jeans, white shirts and polo necks. Fans talk about the way she tailored her jeans, and how she removed labels from designer clothing. In an era where personal style is seen as the ultimate status symbol in fashion, it's these details that have made Bessette Kennedy a lodestar. 'It was 'this is me, this is Carolyn, take it or leave it,'' says Sunita Kumar Nair, the author of CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, a Life in Fashion. Amy Odell, who writes the fashion newsletter Back Row and is working on a biography of Gwyneth Paltrow, says it's in contrast to now. 'Many 'it girls' today have stylists and personal shoppers,' she argues. 'Now, personal style is bought and sold. This was just her taste, how she put herself together every day.' Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion Jack Sehnert runs the @carolynbessette Instagram account, which has 63,000 followers. He says the popularity of Bessette Kennedy archive images grew because they were a tonic to the existing aesthetic. 'Instagram was a barrage of logos and colourful glitz up until about five years ago, when her image started popping up again alongside references from the show Succession,' he argues. 'When the term 'quiet luxury' went viral, who could have possibly been a better poster girl? The striking images we all know resonate with an entirely new generation because of their elegant simplicity.' But with close to three decades of interest in her style, it's become a 'get the look' commodity. 'It goes from real woman to paparazzi shot to an image you see on your screen to a flat lay [of clothing items] to the product that you ultimately buy online,' says Daniel Rogers, the fashion news editor at Vogue. Satenstein agrees. 'We've been taking this woman's existence and putting it on a Pinterest board [for a long time],' she says. 'It's a little sad, because I don't think she had a say in it. [It happened to] Jane Birkin [too] but she passed away later in life, and had some agency over herself.' How should Murphy and his team improve Pidgeon's outfits before the show debuts next year? When asked if she will be consulting on the project, Kumar Nair replied 'No comment' but she does say it's 'very smart' to speak to online experts, and suggests also involving those who knew Bessette Kennedy, like Rodriguez, Calvin Klein and her sister, Lisa. 'I would be semi-humble about it and ask them to talk,' she says, adding '[Bessette Kennedy] was a major curation herself. So that's how you would have to approach it.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Glenview Doors' Steel & Glass Interior Doors: Where Modern Design Meets Timeless Craftsmanship
Elk Grove Village, Ill., June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As modern design continues to evolve, Glenview Doors is proud to spotlight one of its most in-demand product lines: interior steel and glass doors. Known for their sleek profiles, minimalist styling, and exceptional craftsmanship, these doors offer a stunning way to bring light, structure, and personality into any space. Crafted in Europe using premium Swiss and Italian steel profiles, Glenview's steel interior doors feature cold-rolled steel with a durable powder-coated finish, ensuring long-lasting beauty and structural integrity. Every door is engineered with precision magnetic latching, and tailored to fit each project's unique vision. "Our steel and glass doors are fully customizable," says the Glenview Doors team. "From configuration and finish to glass type and sizing, we help builders, designers, and homeowners bring bold, functional design to life." Glenview Doors offers a variety of configurations, including single and double doors, barn doors, pocket and sliding systems, pivot doors, fixed dividing walls, transoms, sidelights, and corner units. These doors elevate everything from minimalist interiors to sophisticated wine rooms (yes, insulated glass options are available). Standard finishes include five contemporary color options, with custom finishes available to meet any aesthetic. Whether used in a home office, entryway, bedroom, or luxury entertainment space, Glenview Doors offers a refined steel solution that blends seamlessly with today's interiors. Unlike many products in the market, Glenview Doors prioritizes quality from the inside out: High-end steel profiles sourced from Europe Meticulous craftsmanship and clean welds Smooth, easy installation Design flexibility without compromise Steel interior doors are available through Glenview Doors' extensive network of dealers nationwide, serving homeowners, builders, and architects looking for elevated, modern interior solutions. To explore the possibilities and find a local dealer, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Glenview Doors
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Beatie Wolfe Talks About Working With Brian Eno On Their Two Collaborative Albums
(L-R) Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe Beatie Wolfe, the Anglo-American conceptual artist and musician, says she never really considered that the recordings she made with the legendary Brian Eno in his studio — born out of the spirit of creativity — would lead to their official commercial release. 'It's been this incredible, creative kind of volcano,' Wolfe says of working with the British music pioneer. 'And it's been so joyful and so much fun that I was really doing it for that reason. I was doing it because it felt so good to make the work. That was very much a shared feeling. It was Brian who really said, 'Hey, we should be releasing this stuff. This is so great.' At that point, I thought, 'Yeah, okay. Why not?' But it's been interesting because part of me has always felt it's our music. Sharing it with people is wonderful because you see [them] really connecting with it.' Earlier this month, the two experimental artists released a pair of minimalist and exquisitely beautiful-sounding collaborative albums: Luminal, which features vocals and lyrics, and Lateral, an instrumental ambient work. Wolfe says the music organically developed without much forethought or conscious effort. 'There were pieces that were becoming more identifiably songs,' she says. 'And then there were pieces that we called 'nongs' — non-songs. Then there were pieces that were sort of long nongs. And then there were these other ones in between that were kind of textural or sort of drone, more on the verge of soundtracks, odd kind of sound design stuff. It was a whole spectrum, and we weren't really favoring any one avenue. We were just allowing everything to be created as it was interesting to us.' The creative relationship between Eno and Wolfe began when they first met virtually in late 2021 to discuss each other's environmental work. Their shared connection about the environment and the power of art and music led Eno and Wolfe to deliver a talk at South by Southwest in 2022 — with Eno delivering his remarks virtually and Wolfe appearing onstage at the event. (L-R) Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno. But it was in 2023 that the two finally met in person as they were having exhibitions of their works displayed at separate galleries in London. 'We went to one another's shows,' Wolfe says, 'and obviously so enjoying one another's conceptual artwork, realizing, 'Oh, wait, we have all of this in common as well.' It was following those two shows that I was at his studio. 'So we were having a really lovely Sunday with no plans to make anything. Then he said, 'Hey, let me show you something I've discovered that I've been enjoying using.' We went into the studio, and he got out his Playbox native instruments. Then we ended up making two pieces just very spontaneously. There were no real instruments. There was maybe the Omnichord, but there weren't really any guitars. There was just a single out-of-tune ukulele. So I was playing that along with this Playbox kind of bed. And I would say the music definitely only got better from there, but it was a very good start.' 'It was almost like I could feel, even from that first meeting, that first taste or the first dipping your toe into this expansive ocean of what we could make together because it was so easy and it was so fun and un-self-conscious…It felt like I was with my best friend from childhood and we were making up plays or pretending to be ninjas.' The instrumental album Lateral consists of eight tracks each titled 'Big Empty Country.' It was born from one of the duo's landscape pieces that conjured up a land that they wanted to be in. 'We'd both surprisingly listen to the original piece, which was only eight minutes long, on the same day, with me in L.A. and Brian in the U.K.,' Wolfe recalls. 'We ended up looping it eight times because we just wanted to stay in that world. Then Brian sent me an email saying, 'Hey, I'm just completely transfixed by 'Big Empty Country.' I've been listening to it on this train going through the English countryside. I think it should be around an hour long.' And I said, 'Brian, this is so weird because I did exactly the same thing walking in Griffith Park in L.A. for a walk and I just kept looping this original eight-minute version.' So things like that would happen very naturally, then the kind of final version of the record started forming.' Featuring vocals and lyrics, Luminal worked along similar lines as Lateral in evoking a desire to be in a particular place. Wolfe says: 'With Luminal, it was just choosing [material] that had that nice variety of these strange moods, these dreamy moods, with some of them being sweeter than others. Similarly, there was a mixture of feelings. Both of us love these complicated feelings. Things that are sweet and sour, edgy and beautiful, and painful and passionate.' Cases in point of how Lumimal conveys different moods are the whimsical and poppy 'Sunny' and the dissonant and haunting 'Never It Was Now.' ''Never Was It Now' — that was a great example of something that began with this sound atmosphere where Brian had found an amazing sound for the guitar. Everything that 'Never Was It Now' is was an improvisation, really, in terms of the music. And then it was, 'Okay, where are we?' We're in this almost like a post-apocalyptic world or L.A. after the fires. There are the helicopters and everything is dark and ominous and you're at the edge of humanity or something.' 'I lost my father a year ago,' she adds, 'and there are references within both of those songs to him, even though they're so different, because 'Suddenly' was written sort of right before he died. But then there are some lines that reference what was going on. And so even though ['Suddenly'] is this sweet, beautiful kind of very whimsical pop song, I still think it contains something of even a subtle little edge within it. Obviously, 'Never Was It Now,' you go fully into that dark space." Not just in the music, but the chemistry between Wolfe and Eno is quite evident in their blended vocals, especially on the dream pop track 'Play On' from Luminal. 'Particularly in music, if you're often in a band situation, everyone wants themselves to be the biggest part,' says Wolfe. 'With Brian and me, it's the opposite. It was often me saying [to Brian], 'Please sing this with me because I love your voice,' and 'Let's have more of your voice in here.' And he's like, 'Oh, my God. I don't want to ruin it by adding me to it because this is so beautiful.' It's so nice because it's the opposite of so many situations where you're sort of elbowing one another out of the way.' Wolfe admits that she didn't grow up as an Eno fan; as a teenager, she loved the music of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen. 'I think I'd always just liked people's work as opposed to getting into who they were," she explains. "I somehow really specifically didn't listen to any of his music. I don't know why. I was listening to a lot of American music, actually, and I was at times living in the States.' She adds: 'What would happen is when I would do these other projects that were the core of my work — with rebooting experiments and technology for Bell Labs or doing these space broadcasts or climate visualizations, all these kind of weird and wonderful thing — I would often get people saying, 'Oh, you and Brian must know each other' or 'You two must have worked together. There's such an interesting alignment between what you guys are doing.'' (L-R) Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno Luminal and Lateral don't appear to be one-offs from the duo but rather teasers of what's to come; Wolfe says she and Eno have recorded nearly 400 pieces of music together. It's clear from the way Wolfe talks about working with Eno that she found a kindred musical spirit. 'I feel very, very blessed because it's just a joy, and it's so easy,' Wolfe says. 'It's like the gift that keeps giving. You think, 'Wow, we've spent how many hundreds of hours together making things. Wouldn't we get bored?' If something isn't interesting to us, we just can't keep doing it. I'm amazed by how compelling it is to make what we're making. The number of times we've played something back, and it's almost as if we made it in a dream because we're thinking, 'When did we make that and how did we make that? And is that just the two of us? How did that happen?''
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
I live in a van, shower at the gym and shelter in Wetherspoons – and I feel totally free
The stats tell their own story: in the UK, the average household has £58,000 worth of possessions, including 118 pieces of clothing. In the States, the average home has 300,000 items in total. So what happens when you have to dramatically downsize? Charlotte Bradman knows all about that: after a relationship ended and her house was repossessed, she was forced to find an alternative way of living. It was only after getting rid of the clutter in her life – both physical and mental – that she found her way again. Her solution? Moving into a van with only life's essentials. 'Getting rid of everything was really hard initially because you feel like a failure,' says Bradman, 42. 'You've had your house repossessed and society teaches us that we are successful if we own our own home. I had suddenly lost my sense of self and self-worth. 'I'd bought the three-bedroom townhouse in Keighley, West Yorkshire, with an ex-partner in my 20s. After a while he didn't want the responsibility of a mortgage any more and the relationship broke down. He left and I was on my own paying the mortgage. I rented all the rooms out in order to keep the house. 'After eight years, he wanted to sell the property,' says Bradman, who was working as a housing litigation consultant at the time. 'We couldn't sell it as it was in negative equity, so I gave the keys to him, he moved back in, and after two months it got repossessed. 'Once I had come to terms with it [the repossession], I started getting rid of all the things that I had collected over the years: vintage furniture, clothes, books and art. It was the most liberating experience I have ever had.' Then, just over four years ago, fine art graduate Bradman upped sticks and moved to Cornwall, a place she'd holidayed in and loved as a child. She drove down in a grey Citroën Relay van, which she customised herself. It had the basics of just a portaloo and hob – with no shower, oven or fridge. And she took to life on the road with gusto, moving around and working along the Cornish coast. Growing up in Keighley, Bradman says she watched her parents – mum Julie, a medical secretary, and dad Stuart, a builder – work six days a week so they could buy material things. 'My dad very much subscribed to your worth as a human being measured by material things. He wanted to keep up with his peers. He had a Range Rover, a speedboat and a big detached house. But we didn't really own any of it. It was all loans, none of it was real.' Bradman's parents split up when she was 14. But she too succumbed to the idea of material things equalling success, getting herself into debt buying designer clothes and cars. 'Was I happy? No. Because I was working hard to try and keep up with the payments for all these things.' Now everything she owns has its place in her van. Recently, Charlotte has upgraded and treated herself to a white Vauxhall Movano but in her Citroën Relay, she had just a hob to cook on. 'I had a lot of one pot stews then,' says Bradman. 'And I've got this really brilliant contraption called a Bright Spark, it toasts bread really well on a single hob. But I probably wasn't eating as varied a diet as I should have been.' Breakfast would be granola, and meals would be dishes like chickpea curry. In winter she'd sometimes go to a Wetherspoons for a treat. 'They would often have an open fire and I could get a hot chocolate or a refillable coffee. I could charge my phone and my laptop. In my first van I didn't have anywhere to do that.' In the Vauxhall, she has an oven and a small fridge, but still no shower. The van is insulated and thankfully Cornish winters are not as harsh as Yorkshire ones, she says. 'I've expanded my diet and eat much more healthily now. But I've never had a shower in any of my vans, because they take up too much space. And you can get a shower anywhere – leisure centres, gyms, friends. 'I swim in the sea most days. It's so good for you. The sea is full of minerals and magnesium, which your skin absorbs.' Her clothes are all kept in three IKEA baskets under her bed. 'There's one with trousers, jeans, leggings and jumpers; one with knickers, socks, T-shirts and long-sleeved tops; and one with skirts, dresses and what I class as my fancy clothes. Those are the things with sequins that I never get to wear, but I keep them because I have had them years. 'Even now when I am shopping in a charity shop, I never get anything new. I stand there and think: 'Will I still be wearing this in five years' time?' And if I don't think I will, I won't get it.' Bradman's story is captured in her book The Happy Nomad, which has been described as Raynor Winn's The Salt Path on wheels. 'I like that analogy,' smiles Bradman. 'I met Raynor at the Bude Literary Festival. It's a wonderful book.' Bradman is currently working for the company Saunas By The Sea, mainly around Harlyn Bay, near Padstow. When we talk, she is parked at Fistral Beach, outside Newquay, and the birds are singing in the background. 'After meeting all these wonderful people at the sauna and on the beach, I go for a hike on the coast path and nearly every day I'm overwhelmed with where I am in my life, to have access to all this beauty. I have the sea about 100 yards from the van and all the pink sea thrift flowers covering the rocks. Yesterday I went for a swim, the sea was warm, beautiful and clear. I kept thinking, 'Oh my god, this is my life', but it can be anyone's, that's the thing.' Has anyone been rude about her unconventional lifestyle? 'No one ever does it to my face. I'm working and I'm still spending in the local economy, in the independent shops. I'm contributing.' And does she ever get lonely? 'No. When I was younger, I couldn't bear being on my own because that meant confronting a lot of difficult thoughts and feelings that were quite traumatising. But now I've had therapy, and because of the lifestyle I lead, I don't have the same, if any, level of stress at all. I don't have financial stress. I'm really happy on my own.' At night, she parks in public spaces. 'Maybe twice I have felt a little bit uncomfortable. It's always when I have been parked in lay-bys or away from built-up areas. I usually park in a built-up area for safety, so you are never far away from another human being. I really like industrial estates because there are things going on 24 hours a day.' Her van has a full solar panel system which powers her lithium battery. And when she drives, a split charge relay powers up the battery too. 'It's really efficient for my laptop, phone and lights,' says Bradman. 'I don't have a television – even when I lived conventionally, I didn't have one in a visible space.' What about trips to the loo? 'I've got a little compact composting toilet by Boxio. It's brilliant for disposing of your waste in a way that is environmentally friendly. It's just under the bed and has got two compartments. There's a compostable bag for solids, and I use sawdust as it's really hygienic and there are no bad smells. If I'm out and about I make use of public toilets, or supermarkets and cafés. 'I've learnt where I can park next to toilets. It's usually in little villages, more out of the way of touristy areas. In places like Newquay, St Ives and Falmouth, you have to pay for a lot of the facilities, some places it's 50p, and the public toilets in Looe are card only. It's a bit of a bone of contention for me that public toilets aren't free.' Bradman also knows the best places to fill up her water bottles. She reckons she uses up to four litres a day. 'I fill up where I can – as I'm based on the coast, harbours are really good as there are always fresh drinking water taps. And, it's a bit macabre, but graveyards have them too.' Bradman's enthusiasm about her peripatetic lifestyle even stretches to the launderette, which she visits every fortnight with her bedding, towels and clothes. 'The launderette is like a mini meditation retreat. All you can do is sit there and watch your clothes go around! 'I don't think I would ever go back to living in a house. But if you are ill, it can be difficult. Recently, I had an operation and I went to a campsite in Keighley while I recovered. My mum, who lives in Keighley, had to come and empty my portaloo. I was there for a few months and there were wild deer roaming around. Being surrounded by nature helped with my healing.' It's clear she relishes the freedom life in a van brings her. Her evenings are spent swimming in the sea, doing yoga or hiking. Bradman, who is currently not in a relationship, will sometimes park the van in a lay-by and walk into town to meet people or go for a coffee. 'I don't really drink – a plant-based chocolate milkshake is my addiction at the moment.' Bradman's outgoings are very low. She has no council tax or mortgage, but does pay for road tax, insurance, fuel and MOTs. What's the main lesson she has learnt? 'That material things weigh you down. It's a burden... and when you start getting rid of these things, you are not just freeing up space physically, you are freeing up space mentally, as well.' 'I remember being close to breakdowns so many times in my life because I didn't know how I was going to pay the bills,' she says. 'I didn't have a penny to rub together. Now I need to make a fraction of that, not just to survive but to really thrive. 'Anyone can lighten the burden of financial stress just by being happier with less, by recognising that things are not going to make you happy. I realised how little you need.' 'Think about what you really need. Ask: 'Is it useful, will I use it?' My rule of thumb is if you haven't used something or worn something in two years, then get rid. 'Similarly with books – I have two in the van. One that I'm reading, one to come after. Once I've read that one, it goes to a charity shop and I buy the next book. 'When it comes to food, buy what you need. We over-consume. Have a store cupboard of basics. When you have got a small space, and you don't have a lot of storage, you are more aware of the resources that you are using. 'That goes for water, too. I don't have a tap that I can leave running. I only fill the kettle up for one cup of tea. 'You don't need to own a lot of paintings or art to appreciate it. I can go into a gallery, exhibition or even a local craft shop to inspire me. 'Get out, go for a walk and live in the moment. Own the moment, not the thing.' The Happy Nomad by Charlotte Bradman is out in paperback on June 19, £10.99, Yellow Kite Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
I live in a van, shower at the gym and shelter in Wetherspoons – and I feel totally free
The stats tell their own story: in the UK, the average household has £58,000 worth of possessions, including 118 pieces of clothing. In the States, the average home has 300,000 items in total. So what happens when you have to dramatically downsize? Charlotte Bradman knows all about that: after a relationship ended and her house was repossessed, she was forced to find an alternative way of living. It was only after getting rid of the clutter in her life – both physical and mental – that she found her way again. Her solution? Moving into a van with only life's essentials. Relationship breakdown 'Getting rid of everything was really hard initially because you feel like a failure,' says Bradman, 42. 'You've had your house repossessed and society teaches us that we are successful if we own our own home. I had suddenly lost my sense of self and self-worth. 'I'd bought the three-bedroom townhouse in Keighley, West Yorkshire, with an ex-partner in my 20s. After a while he didn't want the responsibility of a mortgage any more and the relationship broke down. He left and I was on my own paying the mortgage. I rented all the rooms out in order to keep the house. 'After eight years, he wanted to sell the property,' says Bradman, who was working as a housing litigation consultant at the time. 'We couldn't sell it as it was in negative equity, so I gave the keys to him, he moved back in, and after two months it got repossessed. 'Once I had come to terms with it [the repossession], I started getting rid of all the things that I had collected over the years: vintage furniture, clothes, books and art. It was the most liberating experience I have ever had.' Then, just over four years ago, fine art graduate Bradman upped sticks and moved to Cornwall, a place she'd holidayed in and loved as a child. She drove down in a grey Citroën Relay van, which she customised herself. It had the basics of just a portaloo and hob – with no shower, oven or fridge. And she took to life on the road with gusto, moving around and working along the Cornish coast. Placing value in material things Growing up in Keighley, Bradman says she watched her parents – mum Julie, a medical secretary, and dad Stuart, a builder – work six days a week so they could buy material things. 'My dad very much subscribed to your worth as a human being measured by material things. He wanted to keep up with his peers. He had a Range Rover, a speedboat and a big detached house. But we didn't really own any of it. It was all loans, none of it was real.' Bradman's parents split up when she was 14. But she too succumbed to the idea of material things equalling success, getting herself into debt buying designer clothes and cars. 'Was I happy? No. Because I was working hard to try and keep up with the payments for all these things.' An unconventional lifestyle Now everything she owns has its place in her van. Recently, Charlotte has upgraded and treated herself to a white Vauxhall Movano but in her Citroën Relay, she had just a hob to cook on. 'I had a lot of one pot stews then,' says Bradman. 'And I've got this really brilliant contraption called a Bright Spark, it toasts bread really well on a single hob. But I probably wasn't eating as varied a diet as I should have been.' Breakfast would be granola, and meals would be dishes like chickpea curry. In winter she'd sometimes go to a Wetherspoons for a treat. 'They would often have an open fire and I could get a hot chocolate or a refillable coffee. I could charge my phone and my laptop. In my first van I didn't have anywhere to do that.' In the Vauxhall, she has an oven and a small fridge, but still no shower. The van is insulated and thankfully Cornish winters are not as harsh as Yorkshire ones, she says. 'I've expanded my diet and eat much more healthily now. But I've never had a shower in any of my vans, because they take up too much space. And you can get a shower anywhere – leisure centres, gyms, friends. 'I swim in the sea most days. It's so good for you. The sea is full of minerals and magnesium, which your skin absorbs.' 'The Salt Path' on wheels Her clothes are all kept in three IKEA baskets under her bed. 'There's one with trousers, jeans, leggings and jumpers; one with knickers, socks, T-shirts and long-sleeved tops; and one with skirts, dresses and what I class as my fancy clothes. Those are the things with sequins that I never get to wear, but I keep them because I have had them years. 'Even now when I am shopping in a charity shop, I never get anything new. I stand there and think: 'Will I still be wearing this in five years' time?' And if I don't think I will, I won't get it.' Bradman's story is captured in her book The Happy Nomad, which has been described as Raynor Winn's The Salt Path on wheels. 'I like that analogy,' smiles Bradman. 'I met Raynor at the Bude Literary Festival. It's a wonderful book.' Bradman is currently working for the company Saunas By The Sea, mainly around Harlyn Bay, near Padstow. When we talk, she is parked at Fistral Beach, outside Newquay, and the birds are singing in the background. 'After meeting all these wonderful people at the sauna and on the beach, I go for a hike on the coast path and nearly every day I'm overwhelmed with where I am in my life, to have access to all this beauty. I have the sea about 100 yards from the van and all the pink sea thrift flowers covering the rocks. Yesterday I went for a swim, the sea was warm, beautiful and clear. I kept thinking, 'Oh my god, this is my life', but it can be anyone's, that's the thing.' Has anyone been rude about her unconventional lifestyle? 'No one ever does it to my face. I'm working and I'm still spending in the local economy, in the independent shops. I'm contributing.' Happy on her own And does she ever get lonely? 'No. When I was younger, I couldn't bear being on my own because that meant confronting a lot of difficult thoughts and feelings that were quite traumatising. But now I've had therapy, and because of the lifestyle I lead, I don't have the same, if any, level of stress at all. I don't have financial stress. I'm really happy on my own.' At night, she parks in public spaces. 'Maybe twice I have felt a little bit uncomfortable. It's always when I have been parked in lay-bys or away from built-up areas. I usually park in a built-up area for safety, so you are never far away from another human being. I really like industrial estates because there are things going on 24 hours a day.' Her van has a full solar panel system which powers her lithium battery. And when she drives, a split charge relay powers up the battery too. 'It's really efficient for my laptop, phone and lights,' says Bradman. 'I don't have a television – even when I lived conventionally, I didn't have one in a visible space.' What about trips to the loo? 'I've got a little compact composting toilet by Boxio. It's brilliant for disposing of your waste in a way that is environmentally friendly. It's just under the bed and has got two compartments. There's a compostable bag for solids, and I use sawdust as it's really hygienic and there are no bad smells. If I'm out and about I make use of public toilets, or supermarkets and cafés. 'I've learnt where I can park next to toilets. It's usually in little villages, more out of the way of touristy areas. In places like Newquay, St Ives and Falmouth, you have to pay for a lot of the facilities, some places it's 50p, and the public toilets in Looe are card only. It's a bit of a bone of contention for me that public toilets aren't free.' Fresh water and laundry facilities Bradman also knows the best places to fill up her water bottles. She reckons she uses up to four litres a day. 'I fill up where I can – as I'm based on the coast, harbours are really good as there are always fresh drinking water taps. And, it's a bit macabre, but graveyards have them too.' Bradman's enthusiasm about her peripatetic lifestyle even stretches to the launderette, which she visits every fortnight with her bedding, towels and clothes. 'The launderette is like a mini meditation retreat. All you can do is sit there and watch your clothes go around! 'I don't think I would ever go back to living in a house. But if you are ill, it can be difficult. Recently, I had an operation and I went to a campsite in Keighley while I recovered. My mum, who lives in Keighley, had to come and empty my portaloo. I was there for a few months and there were wild deer roaming around. Being surrounded by nature helped with my healing.' It's clear she relishes the freedom life in a van brings her. Her evenings are spent swimming in the sea, doing yoga or hiking. Bradman, who is currently not in a relationship, will sometimes park the van in a lay-by and walk into town to meet people or go for a coffee. 'I don't really drink – a plant-based chocolate milkshake is my addiction at the moment.' Bradman's outgoings are very low. She has no council tax or mortgage, but does pay for road tax, insurance, fuel and MOTs. What's the main lesson she has learnt? 'That material things weigh you down. It's a burden... and when you start getting rid of these things, you are not just freeing up space physically, you are freeing up space mentally, as well.' 'I remember being close to breakdowns so many times in my life because I didn't know how I was going to pay the bills,' she says. 'I didn't have a penny to rub together. Now I need to make a fraction of that, not just to survive but to really thrive. 'Anyone can lighten the burden of financial stress just by being happier with less, by recognising that things are not going to make you happy. I realised how little you need.' Charlotte Bradman's tips for a simpler life 'Think about what you really need. Ask: 'Is it useful, will I use it?' My rule of thumb is if you haven't used something or worn something in two years, then get rid. 'Similarly with books – I have two in the van. One that I'm reading, one to come after. Once I've read that one, it goes to a charity shop and I buy the next book. 'When it comes to food, buy what you need. We over-consume. Have a store cupboard of basics. When you have got a small space, and you don't have a lot of storage, you are more aware of the resources that you are using. 'That goes for water, too. I don't have a tap that I can leave running. I only fill the kettle up for one cup of tea. 'You don't need to own a lot of paintings or art to appreciate it. I can go into a gallery, exhibition or even a local craft shop to inspire me. 'Get out, go for a walk and live in the moment. Own the moment, not the thing.'
