The Upgrade by SUITCASE Magazin‪e‬ SUITCASE Magazine

As 2020 draws to a close, we’re looking forward to hitting the road in 2021. Join us as we share the destinations we can’t wait to explore, the hotel openings on our hotlists and the travel trends that are taking over. We’ll also be chatting to travel influencer and content creator Olivia Lopez about her travel philosophy, the first place on her agenda and why she’s obsessed with all things Italian.

The Upgrade by SUITCASE Magazine has joined forces with Krug Champagne to bring you a glass-clinking celebration of creativity, collaboration and culinary greatness. For this winter-special episode of The Upgrade x Krug, co-hosts India Dowley and Fleur Rollet-Manus have handed over their mics to Chef-Patron of The Man Behind the Curtain, Michael O’Hare and Mark Sansom, Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Bars, who discuss the future of fine dining, the changing face of luxury and why microgreens have no place on the mountains.

In the first of our trio of winter specials, we’re discussing the B-word – and no, we don’t mean Boris or Brexit. We’re talking about burnout, a word that strikes fear into the hearts (read: invoices) of freelancers and creatives across the globe. At a time in which burnout is all too common and creativity can be hard to muster, we’re helping you reignite your spark. We’re joined by Chris Penn, the co-founder of Birch – the UK’s hottest hotel opening of 2020 – and The Coven founder Sapphire Bates who share their tips for working from home, defining work-life boundaries and beating burnout.

In our season finale we’re spotlighting the London independent brands and stores that we love. We catch up with Paul Firmin, one half of the dynamic duo behind hip, Hackney lifestyle brand Earl of East, and Max Tobias, founder of London’s best socially conscious bakery, Dusty Knuckle. The London locals share with us their favourite neighbourhood haunts, the antiques market we must visit and how indie shopping is changing the face of the British High Street.

Incoming: we’ve got a whole host of UK staycation recommendations because, in case you missed the memo, exploring your home turf is 2020’s most sought-after adventure. In this episode, we find out which self-catering homes our editors are booking now, including humble bothies, honey-coloured Cotswold cabins and an avant-garde architectural gem in the South Downs.

Coinciding with Vol. 31: The Freedom Issue, Editor-in-Chief India Dowley and Content Editor Fleur Rollet-Manus catch up with trailblazer Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country in the world. Now she’s on a mission to change the way we travel – this is an influencer with actual influence. She shares with us her high and lows, her thoughts on diversity in the travel industry and introduces her new business venture.