MVP of the Week – Featuring Tommy Hilfiger eyewear and Bleu Nour

Welcome to HUNGER’s Most Valuable Player, the place to find the best things to buy, watch, do or listen to each week. Forget about the hype, we want to separate what’s hot, what’s not, and what needs to be on your radar…

This week’s fashion fix is brought to you by Tommy Hilfiger’s 2024 eyewear campaign. On Tuesday, the newest members of the Tommy family gathered at the Real Teatro de Retiro in Madrid to celebrate eyewear that plays on a characteristically Hilfiger blend of tradition and modernity. Fresh faces like football sensation Aurélien Tchouaméni, surfer Mason Hyce Barnes, rising fashion star Cassandra Cano, actor Emilio Sakraya, and racing driver Nerea Martì got together to pop on accessories which pay homage to the brand’s American heritage (all things Ivy League and athletic), while feeling suitably 2024. Think bold eyeglasses which would make even the most lengthy stint in front of the computer look stylish, and sunglasses that give timeless shapes a Tommy flair through the subtle red detailing that became the hottest ticket in 90s streetwear. The collection is available on tommy.com, in Tommy Hilfiger stores, and in selected eyewear stores worldwide now. 

New year, new you, new scent. If for the past three months you’ve been struggling with what to make your 2024 smell, we’ve got good news for you: it’s Bleu Nour’s Canna Crush. It might seem odd to take perfume inspo from the streets of East London, but founder Nour Ibrahim is doing just that by creating a cannabis-based smell that pays homage to that olfactory sensation that’s become almost synonymous with areas of the capital. Not only does Canna Crush have notes of cannabis, clary sage, osmanthus, leather, pink pepper and white musk, but the perfume tells a story. Ibrahim has synesthesia (a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colours or feeling sounds), and like Bleu Nour’s other fragrances, Canna Crush was first born out of a colour created by Nour. The result? Fragrance that’s sexy, surprisingly wearable, and travel-ready, delivered in a sleek little roll-on. Available online, Canna Crush is oil-based and built to last: pop some on your wrists and you’ll still smell it up to nine hours later. 

While it’s fairly likely your calendar is already full to the brim over festival season, when it comes to something for your aural senses later this year, look no further than The Wild God Tour from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Coinciding with the release of their 18th studio album Wild God on August 30th, the tour will see the Aussie post-punk rockers traverse 27 shows across 17 countries. Within that hefty schedule, they’ll do 6 shows in the UK, even taking over the O2 when they hit the capital. And joining them on tour are bands Dry Cleaning, The Murder Capital and Black Country, New Road. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have released a little trailer for The Wild God Tour, but it’s very much a teaser. It’s for certain, however, that the band will perform a mix of new and old tracks, as well as live up to their reputation for brilliant live performances: back in 2018, DIY mag called their performance at Barcelona’s Primavera festival “a show of crushing genius”. Tickets for The Wild God Tour go on sale on March 22nd, but if you sign up to the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds mailing list, you’ll get presale access. Before then, you can also listen to the title track of Wild God, which they released last week. 

If you’re looking for a sexy new dinner spot where the pasta and cocktails are as tasty as the decor, then Mortimer House Kitchen in Fitzrovia will tick all your boxes. The Italian menu is very much for the hungry foodie, with hugely generous portions stacked high with stocky dishes that are truly delicious. Choose a couple of plates from the scarpetta and antipasti menus to start — we highly recommended the smoked salmon, the Caprese salad, or the shockingly good zucchini Caesar salad. Add a primi dish in the form of the perfectly-cooked Calamarata pasta that comes with prawns and chilli in a smooth tomato sauce. Standout mains include the chicken parmigiana in a marinara sauce and the gorgeously cheesy Aubergine Melanzane.  For dessert, finishing with the cannoli is a must. More good news is that the booze is fairly priced and the cocktails are banging; opt for the salted caramel espresso Martini or any of the Prosecco-based tall drinks. Mortimer House Kitchen is the latest offering from the restaurateur behind foodie hotspots NESSA and 1 WARWICK in Soho, and it definitely lives up to the standard set by both. It might even exceed their previous offerings if, like us, Italian food is always your number one culinary choice.

Bits and pieces from Goodhood line your shelves, clothes from Goodhood adorn your body… Really, it’s long overdue that the iconic concept store plays a role in what you slather on your face and body. This week, the patron saints of East London counter culture started exclusively stocking pieces from a number of up-and-coming skincare-stroke-lifestyle brands. First up is Margin, the Toronto-based skincare company that’s all about less gimmicks and more results. All based around the actual science of what makes a good skincare product, their cleanser and moisturiser duo will not only make your skin pop, but they’ll look awfully nice on your bathroom shelf. Goodhood is also stocking herbal gummies from HRBLS: the pocket-sized, plant-based wellness treats contain a special blend of whole-food ingredients that you pop whenever you need a little pick-me-up. Joining Goodhood’s healthy fragrance roster is also Liis, a natural, clean fragrance collection designed to be worn as an olfactory second skin, and Bleu Noir, which you should be familiar with already: captivating scents born out of founder Nour Ibrahim’s synesthesia. Last but not least, there’s also Headstrong, who are shaking up the supplement scene by focusing on making ones that are adaptogen-led and based around functional mushrooms. The kind of supplements you want to take each morning.