Samantha Barry is the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of Conde Nast’s US publication Glamour. Hailing from Ballincollig in Co. Cork, with an extraordinary journalistic career already to her credit, she now finds herself in a massive corner office of One World Trade Center in New York, and counts Anna Wintour and Amal Clooney as pals.

When we meet it’s slap bang in the middle of London Fashion Week and she has just flown in from New York. Next week it’s Paris, but she’s missing Milan, because she has a friend’s wedding to attend back in Ireland. Samantha is all about balance. And she is so real. There may be a New York twang overlaying the Corkonian brogue, but Sam is very much an Irish girl at heart. She is well aware both of the privileged position she finds herself in – and the great responsibility that comes with it. The Sam I know, my good friend, is most at ease sharing a bottle of white wine or Prosecco over her favourite Irish smokies (creamy fish pie with soda bread). Sadly, it’s early morning in the Mayfair Hotel, so on this occasion we’re content with a cup of tea and some chocolate…

Laura: Okay Samantha. I just want to describe where we are…