The task at hand was to create a 58-page book/magazine which brought to life the emerging Central London district, Nine Elms across fashion, arts and architecture – tied into Embassy Gardens – home of the soon-to-be iconic architectural wonder, The Sky Pool. I aptly named the magazine, NINE – clean, succinct and nodding to the area, of course, which lies just South of the River Thames by Vauxhall and opposite Pimlico. As a resident of the area, it absolutely made sense for me to take on the role with the vigour and passion that I have for this new industrial luxury hub that London has to offer.

Onto the magazine itself, Oz Thakkar and I spent two days shooting two covers stories – one featuring model and luxury influencer Ella Catliff, and the other featuring one of Spain’s best known male models, Diego Barrueco. We shot at Embassy Gardens, in the cinema, the pool, the gardens, the Eg:Le Members’ Club and in the apartments to bring to life the existing amenities but also allude to the futurist vision of the Sky Pool. Both Ella and Diego were incredible subjects and Oz and I had worked with them both before (multiple times) which made the process all the more seamless. Enjoy the shots, and the magazine also features some more familiar faces including Sam Lansky to celebrate his new book The Gilded Razor, princess of dark r&b Alo Lee, poet Kojey Radical, artist Millie Browne, walking work of art Daniel Lismore and an illustrated map of South West London created by the incredible Achraf Amiri, plus in depth architecture stories bringing to life the intricacies of the Sky Pool and construction taking place in Nine Elms.

You can pick up a copy of NINE at Embassy Gardens and soon at select members’ clubs in London, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Having been a resident of Nine Elms for the past five years, it’s been hard to find its hero, until now. There’s so much artistic creativity seething within and beyond the area, luxuxy and yet timeless architecture appearing on an almost monthly basis, with the Embassy Garden’s Sky Pool alone set to be another icon of our planet. This, alongside the vigour of the South West Thames is a rather endearing personality trait to our ever evolving city, which hasn’t yet been recognised. NINE is a chance to put London’s new identity on the map, globally. An international destination is rising.

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I’ve just spent the five days in what can only be described as paradise – Soma Bay on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast. Specifically La Residence des Cascades, but experiencing the resort’s wider hotel offering, the beaches of the peninsula, the golf courses, Thalasso spa, 5* cuisine and more.

What has made the experience even more ideal is that I was able to spend it with my best friend Ella and brother Oz. We managed to document the majority of the trip via Instagram and Snapchat: nikthakkar but also shot a couple of editorials in the desert, below. More details on the experience to come.

Photos: Oz Thakkar
Clothing: Ada + Nik AW15, Givenchy, boots by ODD NYC, accessories by Giuseppe Zanotti, eyewear by Liberation via IT Hong Kong, bag custom Mon Monogram Louis Vuitton.

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