Contributors
Our contributors are features writers, novelists, thinkers and experts in their respective fields. We never use those reporters or journalists – ‘churnalists’, whose sole purpose is to merely rehash the press release. Lusso presents stories – entertaining and involving ones.
It’s a grand tradition that goes back to the great print titles of the 20th century, from the New Yorker to Esquire, Picture Post to Vanity Fair. Like Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, Christopher Hitchens and Norman Mailer, the writers of Lusso are free to write what they really think. Our editorial is our own, in our tone of voice and independent of influence. This not only helps to keep our readers interested in what we chose to cover every issue, but helps to build trust. Our writers are encouraged to be honest and our readers understand this.
Andy Green
Wing Commander Andy Green OBE BA RAF is something of an expert with high speed vehicles. He was behind the team that brought you the Thrust SSC - the car that broke the land speed record reaching speeds of 763 mph. Not content with being World Land Speed Record holder he's also the first person to ever break the sound barrier on land. Green is now working with Richard Noble again on their new record attempt to break the 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h) mark with Bloodhound SSC.
Charley Speed
Charley Speed studied drama and managed to blag his way into several productions and most recently appeared alongside Elle Macpherson as a judge on Britain’s Next Top model. A respected and popular presenter, well dressed, well travelled and well fit, Charley’s main side passion in life is motor vehicles. Any of them.
Chris West
Chris West is a Contributing Editor at Lusso and author of our popular hotel review column, The Best Room in the House. He is a freelance contributor to a UK national newspaper and is Founder of the verbal branding agency, Verbal Identity.
Daniel Sharp
Over 20 years, Daniel has had a unique career blending both media and technology. Having founded Lusso magazine (which has became Europe’s largest luxury travel title with licenced versions in Russia and Indonesia) he went on to produce and direct high end luxury and adventure travel content that have earnt him three Emmy nominations for networks including HBO, Disney, History, Channel, National Geographic, The CW, Channel 4, The BBC, ITV and many more.
Dave Unwin
Formerly the editor of Today’s Pilot magazine, Dave is Lusso’s Flight Test Editor. He has been flying for 28 years, and has around 5,000 hours in about 300 different types, ranging from antique gliders and vintage biplanes to modern turboprops and jet fighters. He currently owns the Jodel D9 ‘Buzz’ and also flies the Buckminster GC’s Robin Remorquer and the Black Mountains GC’s Piper Pawnee. Dave first wrote for Lusso in 2004, and has also written for, amongst others, Pilot, Air Forces Monthly, American Plane & Pilot, Aviation News, Maxim, The Sunday Times and The Financial Times. Dave has worked as a deckhand on a trawler off the coast of Alaska, an exploration driller in France and a gold prospector in Australia.
Douglas Blyde
Maker of television documentaries for the BBC turned writer, consultant, presenter, high society drinks buyer and enthusiastic cook, Douglas Blyde has been described as ‘one of the most respected (and well-fed) experts on eating out in the capital’ (Evening Standard). Memorable experiences on his journey of tastes have included dining in, then ultimately legitimately escaping from the restaurant at high security prison, HMP Highdown, shooting, being blooded by, then eating grouse for lunch on the Glorious Twelfth of August in the highlands, and beholding effigies float by from the comfort of noma.
Julian de Féral
Award-winning bartender-turned international hospitality consultant, occasional journalist and DJ, Julian de Féral has spent a quarter of a century in the industry honing his skills in some of London's most prestigious watering holes. He's represented the UK in many bartending competitions and to date has won over twenty titles. After heading up the drinks department at an international consultancy for over a decade - creating drinks concepts and training hundreds of bartenders around the world - he now operates as a freelancer.
Karen Krizanovich
Karen Krizanovich is a journalist, writer, researcher and broadcaster based in London, Glasgow and Chicago. She studied philosophy for seven long dull boring years, later earning an MBA in film finance. Her journalism has been published in The Times, Sunday Times and The Telegraph among many others; TV and radio appearances include Newsnight, CNN, BBC4 Woman’s Hour and The Today Show. She is still occasionally recognised as Dear Karen, the vicious agony aunt of Sky magazine’s back page in the 90s.
Lucy Sweet
Lucy Sweet grew up in the back streets of Hull, but fled to Glasgow to become an art school dropout, cartoonist and writer. She is the author of two novels and has written for everything from GLAMOUR to the Radio Times. Contributing to Lusso allows her to indulge her penchant for wallowing in spas, eating fancy food and clicking her fingers for the butler.
Neil Davey
Neil Davey is a freelance writer specialising in things you can do sitting down, but mostly eating, drinking, travelling and interviewing the odd famous person. The author of The Bluffer's Guide To Chocolate, Neil also writes for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Metro, Delicious Magazine, Sainsbury's Magazine, Escapism, Foodism and Hello!. Thanks to a karaoke machine in Montana, he once told a billionaire that he loved his sweet little pussycat nose and sang I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For with a Hollywood star, in the space of 15 minutes. He now generally stays away from karaoke machines in Montana.
Sam Jordison
Sam Jordison is co-director of an award-winning publishing company, Galley Beggar Press. He is the author of seven non-fiction books, several of them bestsellers in the UK. He is also a journalist who writes regularly for the Guardian and Independent newspapers.
Thomas Patterson
Debonair, charming, witty, courageous. These are all words ne’er-do-well Thomas Patterson has looked up in the dictionary. When not getting into trouble working for magazines like Lusso, Hemispheres, Men’s Journal and Shindig, he can be found in London writing screenplays, DJing and generally apologising for his actions.