r56u

HOW TO STYLE SUMMER The no-fuss looks and tricks to see you through

28

D R A M A- F R E E HAIR HEROES H AC K S F R O M THE EXPERTS

H OW S H E ’S REDEFINED SU CC E SS

M E N TA L H E A LT H

FRANKIE BRIDGE E X P LO D E S T H E M OT H E R H O O D MYTH

THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC

‘ I ’ M PA RT O F G E N E R AT I O N N O F R I E N D S’

E R ’ Y E H T !

K C BA D E T O O B E R TY I C E H T D N SEX A ps i h s d n e i r f d n a s g flin , n o i h s a f e h t e d i s In ISSUE 810 23 AUG 2021

gr

SIMONE BILES

£2.75 SPAIN €4.45 GREECE €4.75

SOS Primer Primes and perfects with organic sea lily to hydrate the skin.

ì

Foundation ε Plant enriched. Skin care powered.

Glowing with confidence. Discover the secret to a naturally radiant complexion with plant enriched primers and foundations that deliver skin care benefits.

Skin Illusion with extracts of red jania & organic leaf of life to revive radiance and hydrate.

Coverage: Light

Contains

to help protect skin against environmental aggressors which can cause both oxidative damage and accelerated ageing.

VISIT YOUR NEAREST CLARINS COUNTER FOR A COMPLIMENTARY MAKE-UP SAMPLE*

Customers can choose from the following samples: Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, Skin Illusion, Everlasting Youth Fluid, SOS Primer and New Everlasting Foundation. A selection of shades are available, while stocks last. Choice subject to availability.

*

contents 5 7 9 10 12

unlock grazia!

N E WS Grazia view Polly Vernon has her say Chart of lust What’s keeping us going now!

C OV E R STO R I E S

10 hot stories, including how gymnast Simone Biles has redefined success, the new loneliness epidemic and no-fuss looks for summer 34

40 43 44 46

49

51 52 58 64 66

MAIN COVER PHOTO: GETTY. THIS PAGE: TERRELL MULLIN, MARCO VITTUR

71 72 78 82 84

87 88 92 97

4 68 98

W E LC O M E TO T H E I S S U E – W H E R E YO U C A N N O W S H O P D I R E C T LY F R O M T H E PA G E .

16

F E AT U R E S C OV E R STO RY

Behind the scenes of the new Sex And The City Mind the authority gap!

Modern activism Confessions of a late bloomer

Just follow these three simple steps to get started:

GRAZIA

C OV E R STO RY

Frankie Bridge: ‘Motherhood comes at a cost’ Friendeavours: thoughtfulness is the secret power of true friendship

FAS H I O N Get that holiday feeling with Dolce & Gabbana’s box bag Who runs the world?

1.

SCAN THIS QR CODE

58

C OV E R STO RY

Minimalist vs maximalist Life of the party: Self-Portrait’s Han Chong Take note: your fashion news

B E AU T Y It’s new + we want it!

C OV E R STO RY

Summer hair SOS The low-maintenance lie The green beauty guide Feelgood files: Menopause speci

Or go to unlock.graziadaily.co.uk (You’ll only have to do this the first time.)

2.

LOOK OUT FOR OUR ‘UNLOCK G R A Z I A’ I C O N

18

It means the products on that page are instantly shoppable.

G

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Catch up on the latest releases Go caravanning with the cool crowd Learn how to buy art Watch TV with Paul Flynn

A N D T H E R E ST Your letters Subscribe to Grazia Grazia life advice…

Claudia Winkleman

TA P TO S H O P

72

A I Z RA

3.

ZOOM IN ON ANY PRODUCT nap a picture and you’ll e taken straight to the em online. It’s so easy!

3

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk ■ Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK

CARRY ON CARRIE!

Yes, Carrie and co have aged – and we should celebrate that (9 Aug) was a superb article and I agree with everything that was written. There are far fewer roles for women than men as Star they get older. For all actors, 40 is a critical age. letter But for the men, 40 represents the midpoint of their careers – about half of all the leading film roles go to actors aged over 40. For women, however, 40 is a sunset year. When an actress reaches 40, she loses access to about three-quarters of the leading roles.

It is grossly unfair. Ginette FA L S E F R E E D O M

I loved Polly Vernon’s column (26 July) on barely remembering what we did socially before Covid. But please remember that for those of us with compromised immune systems, 19 July wasn’t Freedom Day, it meant once again we were excluded from society. With mask wearing ‘expected’ rather than compulsory, and our Prime Minister advising us to shop out of hours, it’s back indoors for us. Mask wearing isn’t pleasant but please do it. It’s not about you it’s about all of us. Penny CHILDCARE CRUNCH

Regarding your childcare campaign, as a working single mum, with all my family living in another city, I can honestly say it is 100 times harder and more expensive. It’s virtually impossible where I live to access a childminder and there is a lack of understanding from childcare providers that some parents

leave for work before 7.30am, and not everyone can pick up their child before 6pm. What will I do come September?

I won’t be able to continue working without viable childcare. I work simply to pay our mortgage, bills and put food on the table. It’s difficult to get my head around: I’m well-qualified, earn almost twice the minimum wage, living in one of the richest countries in the world, yet there are many women like me in this predicament. Jemma Turn to page 27 to read how you can support Grazia’s campaign for an independent review of the UK’s broken childcare system.

NEVER MISS GRAZIA!

Download our app from the iOS or Android app stores. We have great digital subscriptions.

■ Find us on Apple News+.

■ On Kindle Fire, download us from the Amazon Newsstand.

We’re here for you!

■

The star letter now wins a year’s subscription to Grazia, worth £71.50.

Previous prizes will be sent out once Grazia returns to its HQ. Thanks for your patience.

4

GRAZIA EDITOR HATTIE BRETT bsme editor of the year Deputy editor KENYA HUNT Assistant editor EMMA ROWLEY Assistant editor JESSICA BARRETT Senior editor RHIANNON EVANS Beauty & health director JOELY WALKER Entertainment director SHANNON MAHANTY

Creative director CAROLYN ROBERTS Digital director REBECCA HOLMAN Picture director NATHAN HIGHAM-GRADY Head of production JENNY CROALL Managing editor SOPHIE PRICE

Copy

Art

Production editor MARIA O’CONNOR

Senior art editor JESSICA SNOW Art editor BEN NEALE

Features 020 3879 2313 Features editor ANNA SILVERMAN Senior features writer GEORGIA ASPINALL

Pictures Deputy picture director ANNA DEWHURST Senior picture researcher SHANA LYNCH

News & Entertainment

Fashion

Senior entertainment writer BONNIE McLAREN Entertainment and features assistant AALIYAH HARRY

Fashion and lifestyle features director LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN Style director MOLLY HAYLOR Digital fashion features and news director HANNAH BANKS-WALKER Bookings director JESSICA HARRISON Fashion features and news editor NATALIE HAMMOND Shopping editor JULIA HARVEY Fashion assistant CHARLOTTE PAVITT Fashion and beauty assistant REMY FARRELL Senior fashion editor-at-large GEMMA HAYWARD Contributing fashion editors-at-large NATALIE WANSBROUGH-JONES, MICHELLE DUGUID

Health & beauty Beauty editor ANNIE VISCHER

Lifestyle grazialifestyle@graziamagazine.co.uk Lifestyle editor RACHEL LOOS

Website graziadaily.co.uk Head of social media PHOEBE PARKE Social media and video producer LILLIAN SESIGUZEL Digital intern VICTORIA GILL

Editor-at-large

Management

POLLY VERNON

Publisher LAUREN HOLLEYOAKE Managing director, celebrity weeklies and entertainment HELEN MORRIS Chief financial officer, Bauer Magazine Media LISA HAYDEN President, Bauer Media Publishing ROB MUNRO-HALL CEO Bauer Publishing UK CHRIS DUNCAN EA to president VICKY MEADOWS EA to CEO and group FD STACEY THOMAS PA to Publisher and MD ELISHA THOMAS

Contributing editors CANDICE BRATHWAITE, ASHLEY ‘DOTTY’ CHARLES, HATTIE CRISELL, ROSAMUND DEAN, POLLY DUNBAR, LYNN ENRIGHT, AJ ODUDU

Advertising 020 7295 5000 Group MD, advertising ABBY CARVOSSO Group commercial director SIMON KILBY Head of magazine media CLARE CHAMBERLAIN International fashion director SINDY WALKER Acting international fashion director LEE BROWN Partnerships director REBECCA DUGGAN Partnerships director, beauty CHARLOTTE FOORD Acting partnerships director, beauty TARA SCANNELL Digital brand director LAURA DYE Media planner ELEANOR LAVENDER Brand director FRAN WALSH Partnerships IZZY GIFFORD, AIDAH NAMUGENYI Creative solutions art director VANESSA CLOVER-NICHOLS Production coordinator ISABEL BOAR Regional office KATIE KENDALL 0161 288 5053 Advertising production controller JACKIE DORAN Advertising manager international DANIELLA ANGHEBEN

Marketing Marketing manager PHILIPPA TURNER Head of newstrade marketing LEON BENOITON Newstrade marketing manager SIMBA CHIGWADA Newstrade marketing executive SOPHIE HALL Integrated marketing manager JULIE CLARKE Direct marketing executive RAHEEMA RAHIM Digital archive assistant DONNA FREEMAN Communications director JESS BLAKE jess.blake@bauermedia.co.uk

Production Print production controller HOLLIE DAY Head of production KIM NUNZIATA

Printing WALSTEAD BICESTER. Grazia magazine, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DT (graziadaily.co.uk; ISSN 1745-9567, USPS 8854) is published fortnightly by H Bauer Publishing Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number LP003328, registered address Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DT. H Bauer Publishing is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Ref No. 845898). VAT no 918 5617 01.

The US annual subscription price is $129.56. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc, 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Grazia, World Container Inc, 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Bauer Media, Subscriptions, CDS Global, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, Leicester LE16 9EF, UK. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.

Unregistered trademarks © [2020] Mondadori Media S.p.a. All rights reserved. Published by H Bauer Publishing with the permission of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.a. and Mondadori Media S.p.a. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

COMPLAINTS: H Bauer Publishing is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (ipso.co.uk) and endeavours to respond to and resolve your concerns quickly. Our Editorial Complaints Policy (including full details of how to contact us about editorial complaints and IPSO’s contact details) can be found at bauermediacomplaints.co.uk. Our email address for editorial complaints covered by the Editorial Complaints Policy is complaints@bauermedia.co.uk. Promotion enquiries: grazia. promotions@bauerconsumer.co.uk. Subscription enquiries: 01858 438884. Subscribe to Grazia at greatmagazines.co.uk/grazia or for overseas call +44 1858 438884. To manage your account online, visit greatmagazines.co.uk/solo. To order back issues call 01858 438884, or for overseas call +44 1858 438884. For syndication, email syndication@bauermedia.co.uk.

COPYRIGHT: NO PART OF THE MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF H BAUER PUBLISHING. ALL MATERIAL PUBLISHED REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF H BAUER PUBLISHING AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO COPY OR EDIT ANY MATERIAL SUBMITTED TO THE MAGAZINE WITHOUT FURTHER CONSENT. THE SUBMISSION OF MATERIAL (MANUSCRIPTS OR IMAGES ETC) TO H BAUER PUBLISHING, WHETHER UNSOLICITED OR REQUESTED, IS TAKEN AS PERMISSION TO PUBLISH THAT MATERIAL IN THE MAGAZINE, ON THE ASSOCIATED WEBSITE, ANY APPS OR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AFFILIATED TO THE MAGAZINE, AND ANY EDITIONS OF THE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY OUR LICENSEES ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. BY SUBMITTING ANY MATERIAL TO US YOU ARE CONFIRMING THAT THE MATERIAL IS YOUR OWN ORIGINAL WORK OR THAT YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE COPYRIGHT OWNER TO USE THE MATERIAL AND TO AUTHORISE BAUER TO USE IT AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. YOU ALSO PROMISE THAT YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM ANYONE FEATURED OR REFERRED TO IN THE SUBMITTED MATERIAL TO IT BEING USED BY H BAUER PUBLISHING. IF H BAUER PUBLISHING RECEIVES A CLAIM FROM A COPYRIGHT OWNER OR A PERSON FEATURED IN ANY MATERIAL YOU HAVE SENT US, WE WILL INFORM THAT PERSON THAT YOU HAVE GRANTED US PERMISSION TO USE THE RELEVANT MATERIAL AND YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING ANY AMOUNTS DUE TO THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR FEATURED PERSON AND/OR FOR REIMBURSING H BAUER PUBLISHING FOR ANY LOSSES IT HAS SUFFERED AS A RESULT. PLEASE NOTE, WE ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNSOLICITED MATERIAL WHICH IS LOST OR DAMAGED IN THE POST AND WE DO NOT PROMISE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN ANY MATERIAL. FINALLY, WHILE WE TRY TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF YOUR MATERIAL WHEN WE PUBLISH IT, WE CANNOT PROMISE TO DO SO. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE, HOWEVER CAUSED, RESULTING FROM USE OF THE MATERIAL.

OVER TO YOU...

GRAZIA VIEW

,

10 AU G UST 2021

Can’t get away? Make sure you still log off The French have the right idea when it comes to holidays. In August, many turn their OOO on for the month. Obviously, we can’t all do that. Besides, with seemingly every UK Airbnb booked up until 2050, there’d be nowhere to go. But with so many of us still WFH, we’re in the midst of another summer of blurred boundaries as work seeps into home life and, at worst, leads to burnout. In the absence of the traditional week in the sun, we shouldn’t simply keep pushing through. Not after the year we’ve all had. Even if you can’t go away, step away. Block out time to have zero obligations. And nothing’s stopping you from wearing that holiday wardrobe.

5

Ch el sea Coven t G ard en N ot t in g H il l Re g en t S treet

POLLY VERNON Why Latin is probably not the way to level up education time rolls around again, it gives rise to the re-(re-re-re?) realisation that private- and public schooleducated students have dramatically out-performed those from state schools – just like last year, and the year before, and before that and before that – Covid having made another awkward lil truth about society 10 times more obvious…

So, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces the kind of ‘levelling up’ initiative you’d expect from a Government that thinks strong messaging is better than meaningful change. Williamson has decreed Latin be taught in 40 comprehensive schools, on the basis it is all that stands between a kid whose education costs £275,000 from start to finish (according to 2018 figures) – and a kid whose education costs 0 pounds, 0 pence. Must I really type the words: ‘It’s more complicated than that, Gav. As you well know: you were comprehensiveeducated’? Must I formulate a furious-funny theory about how blatantly empty this gesture is, a smokescreen so flimsy, so readily dissipated, it could be a cloud of vape puffed over a sex show?

Nah. More fun to recall interviewing Boris Johnson (in 2009, when he was Mayor of London), whom I found a subject of great charm and greater slipperiness, who dodged one of my trickier questions

A S E X A M R E S U LT S

Y L T N E R CUR ED WITH...

OBSESS

➴ NES ROAD EVERY THING STICK Allegedly the end of foundation. I am desperate to try!

by singing Robbie Williams’ Angels, a second question by speaking Latin. I let the Angels go – but not the Latin. ‘Boris, I’m state-educated,’ I said. ‘I’ve no idea what that means.’ He waffled, flambled, fluffed, eventually translated the phrase into English.

If I forget what it was, I do remember it

QUEENS OF ARCHIVE DRESSES What you’d wear if you were headlining Glastonbury.

didn’t relate in any way, to my original question. ‘Boris, that doesn’t relate in any way to my question,’ I said. ‘Ha! Quite right!

You’ve got me!’ he replied.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I consider my state education a gift. If it is (partly) responsible for my crappy exam grades, it’s (completely) responsible for my swagger, sense of humour, capacity to roll with the punches, ease with the opposite sex, inability to give a flying f*** about social status. It’s the very reason I smelled strong arome de blagguer emanating from Boris Johnson that day, the reason him speaking Latin at me, did not a) intimidate me, b) impress me, or c) stop me exposing him for trying Latin on, when what he needed to do was answer my damn question.

Maybe there’s a lesson in that. A possible, partial response to the social injustice of twotier education. Maybe, rather than teaching comp kids Latin, we just stop valuing so f***ing highly the brittle gloss bestowed on a select few by paid-for education? Look beyond the patter, charm, accents, entitled entrances, assured handshakes, multiple expensive A*s and associated Oxbridge degrees, follow-up hand-written thank-you letters on notelets embossed with familiar surnames, the party tricks with the dead languages… And just: see what lies beneath?

See if there’s anything there at all?

F I LT C R O C H E T MARKE T BAG S They’re not quite the Prada ones, but they’re close, and only a tenner.

FRANKIE SHOP’S OLIVE P L E AT H E R BLAZER The one concession I’m prepared to make to autumn.

UNLOCK

ZIA

o shop AG E 3 TA I L S

TERRY TOWELLING CO-ORDS When it’s raining, but it’s still summer.

See Labeca for details.

7

, Who we re loving and living for right now...

CHART OF LUST 4. Non-mover R I TA O R A A N D TA I K A WA I T I T I

3. Non-mover T O M D A L E Y, KNITTING

1. New in ADAM DRIVER AND A HORSE In the new Burberry ad. Adam and the horse run into the sea and swim/dance together balletically, underwater! Then, Adam becomes a centaur!

It’s all very post-Covid* (*the artistic sensibilities destined to define this era).

2. New in ‘ PA R T Y GRANNIES’ A concept newly punted by Sarah Ferguson, who says she and Diana would fo sho have been this, and that it involves hogging prime bouncy castle space.

Following whatever did/did not happen with Tessa Thompson, these two have now gone red-carpet official. We could not be more keen to see what happens next.

It may not amaze you to learn we are not natural born crafters, however… TD’s gentle efforts at the Olympics have lent a certain sexy sheen to the endeavour.

5. Up STORMZY Celebrated his birthday at a karaoke bar, which is absolutely our fave form of celebration (although we disapprove of people who can actually sing doing karaoke).

9. New in A L PAC I N O AND SID OWEN

6. Up Z O & C H R I S E VA N oke flirting/making jokey rences to a joke pregnancy ke sliding into each other’s Ms, all over Instagram.

(Lizzo started it.)

WORDS: POLLY VERNON. PHOTOS: GETTY, COURTESY OF BURBERRY/MARIO SORRENTI, TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM

8. Up 7. Non-mover MEGAN BARTON HANSON Bought a goddamn house using OnlyFans earnings! She’s like the Elon Musk of OnlyFans.

Presumably it’s a matter of time till she takes to space with her OnlyFans billions?

GAGA IN PINSTRIPE This is like Annie Hall meets Bugsy Malone meets Bianca Jagger circa Studio 54 with top notes of Sophia Loren in the cat’s eye shades… Ouf! We could go on.

We might!

Apparently developed such a strong bond while working together on a film 30-plus years ago – when Owen was 13 – Pacino contemplated adopting him.

So that’s nice.

10. Down EYEBROWS Maisie Williams bleached hers away. Kim Kardashian did something similar.

Is this it? Are brows over? Should we not have had ours microbladed, after all?

9

WHAT’S

G N I P E E K

U S

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

deputy editor kenya hunt is ready to take the heat with this high summer hit list

SLIP UP

This breezy, slip of a dress is the perfect heatwave staple.

Wear on its own or layered under a loud Hawaiian shirt. £9.99, Mango

A L L - I N O N E

I feel happy just looking at this saffron, leggy Mara Hoffman playsuit. £214.86, Mara Hoffman at net-a-porter.com

ST E A LT H W E A LT H

If you, too, feel like the outside world is a lot more expensive than it was pre-pandemic, grab Otegha Uwagba’s We Need To Talk About Money – a brilliantly written, wholly relatable memoir that will inspire you to reassess your relationship with money. £12.99, Waterstones

10

!

W O N

G N I G O

CO O L C U R R E N T S

I’m a sucker for a gadget and NuFACE’s Trinity Facial Toning Device helps me keep tech neck at bay after a year (or rather many, many years) of compulsive scrolling. £315, NuFACE at selfridges.com

The Tyler Mitchell-lensed images for the JW Anderson x Persol campaign are pure joy.

VA LU E

umid days of wearing have not the kindest to my Kiehl’s retinol has ped set things straight. tinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, £62

W H AT W I Z A R D RY

A RT F O R

After stalk Cydne Jas beautifully mixed-me online for nearly a yea I finally bought one o her works Unit Lond Leo season self-gifting unitlondon.com

My fingers feel naked without a series of stackable gold rings. I’ve added Georg Jensen’s beautiful MAGIC style (magic because it changes width as it wraps around the finger) to my rotation. From £650 j

es are like little ds for the feet. king them off.

Jil Sander at on.com

arm candy S U P E R- S

My sons are skateboarde two-year-old in Vans whe them from o park to anot at weekends Vans trainer £65, eBay Brand Outle

B E A D S TO H E E D P R O M OT I O N

Palm trees? Yes please. This little beaded bag has big b h £215 S d

If my braids aren’t jangling, I don’t want ‘em. I’ve got this iconic Patrice Rushen album cover on my mood board as I prepare to get my seasonal summer cornrows.

S E I OR f o r e m m u s e h t d e l e n o m i S w Ho

1

d n a t s a k o o t n e m o w e r e h w sport WO R D S A N N A S I LV E R M A N

was always going to be the talk of the summer. The superstar American gymnast has wowed many times before as a six-time Olympic medalist. The world assumed this year’s Games would be the same. But instead, she delivered for entirely different reasons, when – after a vault ended badly – she withdrew from all but one event to focus on her mental health.

‘We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do,’ said the 24-year-old, explaining she’d experienced a severe case of the ‘twisties’, a condition in which she lost her sense of direction during potentially dangerous moves, where she ‘literally cannot tell up from down’ and had no idea how she was going to land.

She’s also a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of USA Gymnastics’ doctor Larry Nassar and has said she wanted to compete this year to keep fighting for survivors. ‘Because I feel like if there weren’t a remaining survivor in the sport, they would’ve just brushed it to the side,’ she said, referring to the US national governing body for gymnastics, which has been accused of ignoring serious allegations.

Simone’s early life wasn’t easy, either: she grew up in foster care until her grandparents adopted her at the age of six.

She’s also had to deal with her brother being on trial for triple homicide – he was acquitted in June. And during the Olympics her aunt died.

Still, her announcement riled the SIMONE BILES

predictable lurid commentators, but also drew support from millions who praised her for shining a light on a dangerous culture in sport – where elite athletes are encouraged to soldier on regardless of how they feel. It resonated with many who have felt under pressure but worried about the stigma of speaking out, and catapulted her to the forefront of a movement where female athletes are calling for change.

Soon after Simone withdrew, Team GB star Dina Asher-Smith, 25, dropped out of the 200m with a hamstring injury. In a tearful interview, she revealed the full extent of what she’s been going through, explaining how fraught it’s been as she tried to recover in the lead-up to the Games; how she dashed to see a leading sports physician weeks earlier and had a statement ready to go on her phone announcing her Olympic withdrawal. ‘That day, I was in floods of tears. That was a difficult 48 to 72 hours for me. It was insane,’ she said.

Perhaps she felt emboldened to speak honestly and stop pushing herself beyond her limits now the tide is turning, hot on the heels of tennis stars Naomi Osaka, who pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon this summer, citing her struggles with depression and social anxiety; and Emma Raducanu, who withdrew from Wimbledon after suffering breathing difficulties, later explaining the ‘whole experience caught up with me’.

It’s not just their mental and physical health they’re protecting. Sportswomen are

Left: Simone’s triumphant finish to her medalwinning beam routine.

Above: Naomi Osaka (top) and Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith

Simone winning bronze in Tokyo

Amber in her Team GB kit, competing in Italy in May

My dream of competing at the Olympics was over

14

packed, ready for my flight to Tokyo early the next morning, when I first saw it. The faintest of lines on the lateral flow test I’d just taken; the first hint that I was about to be hit with the most challenging period of my life, thwarting the moment I’ve worked towards for the past five years.

I was in my bedroom in Crowthorne, Berkshire, on the phone to my boyfriend at the time. I froze and started repeating, ‘This can’t be happening.’ He told me to calm down and take another test.

Shaking uncontrollably, I did a second lateral flow. The same result appeared.

I cried out and dropped to the floor, hysterical. I’d tested positive for Covid.

My dream of competing at this year’s Olympics was over.

Hours earlier, I’d driven past my parents’ house to see my family, who’d gathered to wave me off. They’d decorated the front of their house with Union Jack flags to wish me luck and we’d gleefully shouted our goodbyes to each other. I didn’t get out of my car, so as not to risk mingling with anyone outside of my bubble. I’ve spent the last few weeks taking every precaution possible to avoid catching the virus, barely stepping outside my house for weeks. The only people I’d seen were MY BAG S WE RE

those in my bubble: team members, coaches, my boyfriend – and I’ve been double-vaccinated. Someone in my bubble had tested positive two weeks earlier, but I wasn’t worried as I’d taken all the appropriate action and hadn’t come into much contact with them.

The days after my positive result, I sat unpacking my bag, wearing my new kit, as I watched my teammates compete in Japan on TV. I’ve spent days reflecting and know this is an opportunity for me to focus on myself mentally. Sport takes so much from you and I need to explore some other options. Sometimes, it feels like shooting is all I have and I don’t ever want to feel my self-worth depends on it.

I want to find out what else I enjoy.

You give so much of your life for this dream and others don’t see the sacrifices you make behind the scenes. That’s why I’m so grateful to Simone Biles and others for speaking out because it reminds me how normal it is to struggle.

Simone has always looked so invincible; I’ve longed to feel like her. But she shows we never really know what a person is battling. We athletes are putting on a show and the audience never knows the whole truth.

Missing out on these Games has been the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced, but I’ve also seen how much I can overcome and now I’m looking forward to seeing how much more there is to me.

PHOTOS: GETTY

also rebelling against the policing of their bodies as a whole, whether it be rules that their kit is too revealing or not revealing enough. Germany’s women’s gymnastics team took a stand in Tokyo by wearing full-length unitards instead of revealing high-cut leotards, with team member Sarah Voss saying, ‘Everyone should feel safe.’ Earlier last month, the Norwegian women’s beach handball team were fined £1,295 for refusing to wear skimpy bikini bottoms to compete (their male counterparts play in vests and long shorts). The singer Pink has since offered to pay their fine. And, conversely, Paralympian Olivia Breen spoke out after an official complained her shorts weren’t long enough.

What’s more, this all comes amid a wider conversation about the value placed on women’s sport. Beth Shriever, the 22-year-old British BMX racer, had her funding cut when UK Sport prioritised the men’s BMX racing category. But she didn’t take no for an answer, crowdfunded £50k to get herself to Tokyo and last week won gold (the GB men got silver: thank you, next).

As for Simone, she returned for a final competition last week, winning bronze on the beam. ‘I was just doing this for me,’ she said afterwards – apparently in contrast to the pressure she’s felt to perform previously. By reckoning with a system that has treated them unfairly, these women have demonstrated more strength than any sports move can.

They’ve made a point about the power in saying no. By setting boundaries and standing up for themselves, they’ve shown work – whatever it may be – shouldn’t have to cost us our health or comfort. And they’ve reminded us that elite athletes are human – which only makes them more inspiring.

Amber Hill, 23, the world’s top skeet shooter, on the moment Covid ruined her Olympic dream

Skateboard, £810, Fendi at brownsfashion.com

2

Hat, £45, Ho Ho COCO at selfridges.com

10 HO

S E I R T STO

A N D I N S P I R E D B Y S P O R T…

Discover skater style – no ‘fakies’ required Sky Brown made her Olympics debut in Tokyo, she became Team GB’s youngest ever summer Olympian. The 13-year-old went on to win bronze with tricks to make your stomach flip and camaraderie to make your heart soar. ‘All the girls are ripping it,’ she told the BBC of the wave of young teens shaking up the sport. ‘It was a super-sick final.’

But you don’t need to know the difference between a fakie and a flip trick (let alone try them) to want to take style notes from Sky and her cool cohort of skater girls (see also her 14-year-old GB teammate Bombette Martin; an excellent name isn’t a prerequisite for being a whizz on the ramp, but apparently it helps).

Hot on the heels of HBO series Betty and Netflix’s Skater Girl, fashion has also been wooed by the new addition to the Olympic line-up. According to fashion search platform Lyst, searches for the Nike SB skateboarding range have soared by 35%. For S/S ’21, long-haired, long-socked Gucci models posed with skateboards – watch Lords Of Dogtown if the ’70s Cali vibe is your jam – and you can also find haute decks (skateboards) at Versace, Fendi

W H E N S K AT E B O A R D E R

WORDS: LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN. SHOPPING: JULIA HARVEY. PHOTOS: GETTY

GUCCI

Hoodie, £265, Collina Strada

Shorts, £165, Ganni

Sky Brown in action in Tokyo

and Saint Laurent. For the more sedate, cult sleepwear brand Tekla has just joined forces with skate-and-surf label Stüssy for a new capsule. And American skateboarder Briana King is a total style crush.

You can see skater style being writ large across our wardrobes: think baggy chinos and jeans, vests and short-sleeved shirts, tie-dye and hoodies. It’s a natural evolution of lockdown loungewear, offering the comfort we’re reluctant to let go of with a newly adventurous spirit. Anyway, doesn’t it feel great to see girls flying high in a sport we traditionally associate with the guys (pre-Olympics how many skateboarders could you name, other than Tony Hawk?).

Not going to be separated from your skinnies and heels? You can still adopt a bit of Sky’s spirit. Following a horror fall last year, she was nearly counted out of the Games altogether. That wasn’t to be: ‘I’m just going to get back up and push even harder,’ she told The Guardian. Seems like a ‘super-sick’ motto for 2021.

Shirt, £45, River Island

Shorts, £85, Stüssy X Tekla

Jeans, £40, Weekday

Skateboard, £535, Versace

Trainers, £65, Vans

UNLOCK

Hoodie, £210, Aries Arise

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

3 Cynthia Erivo: writing from the heart and calling for change WORDS SHANNON MAHANTY

from LA, Cynthia Erivo frequently drifts into song as she discusses her new album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1. Even through a glitchy connection; the 34-yearold Londoner has an undeniable voice, equal parts show-stopping and shiverinducing. Last week, she got to perform some of her unheard album tracks live for the very first time at the Hollywood Bowl alongside the LA Philharmonic Orchestra.

She effortlessly mixed her original songs with covers of Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Roberta Flack in a show that was fittingly called Legendary Voices.

From crushing heartbreak to the jittery excitement that comes from the start of a relationship, Ch. 1 Vs. 1 covers the full spectrum of human emotions. ‘That’s how I exist,’ says Cynthia. ‘I’m constantly observing and taking in the human experience – as an actor that’s what I do, and it’s how I write music as well.

The best songs come when I write from OVE R THE PHONE

*AN ACRONYM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE WON AN EMMY, GRAMMY, OSCAR AND TONY AWARD. PHOTOS: TERRELL MULLIN, GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

the heart; I’m not very good at lying.’

One of the most difficult to write was You’re Not Here, a searing ballad about abandonment. She wrote it about her absent father, who she hasn’t seen since she was a teenager. ‘It was something I hadn’t really expressed or talked about before. I knew I could only avoid it for so long. It was tough to get through; tough to write, tough to sing, but it was really important for me to release those feelings – and to validate anyone else who might be feeling that way. Not necessarily about their father, but feeling like you’ve been abandoned by anyone, because it doesn’t mean you can’t build, be strong and find good things in this life.’

It may be Cynthia’s debut, but the album is over seven years in the making. ‘I wanted to make a record for a really long time, but there was a time when no one wanted it.

There wasn’t space for me. I’d written a few songs and taken them to a couple of managers, record labels and – nothing.’

Instead, Cynthia focused on her acting career. A few years after graduating from drama school she landed a role in a 2013 production of The Color Purple, before securing small parts in TV shows Mr Selfridge and Chewing Gum. When The Color Purple transferred to Broadway in 2015, Cynthia went with it, and things suddenly started to take off. Her Broadway debut won her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and kick-started a whirlwind few years. In 2017, she received an Oscar nod for her portrayal of fearless abolitionist Harriet Tubman. This year, she starred as Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s Genius TV Series.

‘It can be daunting to play those titans, but the best thing to do is remember that it’s not about the bigness of her or about how epic she is, it’s about her humanity.

The wonderful thing about playing Aretha is that I had to really learn who she was.’

To prepare, Cynthia watched hours of interview footage, and studied her music to an encycloped for an hour or to the choices takes. No live p same, she choo to emphasise o Over the pa emerged as a m consistently br playfulness to

Clockwise from below: in McQueen; at the Hollywood Bowl; in Valentino

10 HO

S E I R T STO

it’s at the Hollywood Bowl or her front room. At the 2019 Governor’s Award, she dyed her hair green to match a chiffon Valentino Haute Couture gown. She contrasts her more understated looks (see her elegant champagne corseted Alexander McQueen dress for this year’s SAG Awards) with her signature long, colourful nails and an earful of stacked gold piercings.

Having won an Emmy for Harriet, and a Grammy and Tony Award for her work in The Color Purple, Cynthia is just an Oscar short of achieving mythic EGOT* status, but that doesn’t stop her using her platform to call out awards bodies who fail to recognise the achievements of people of colour. Last year, despite being Oscarnominated for her performance in Harriet, she was overlooked by the BAFTAs, and not a single other person of colour was nominated across any of the acting categories. Despite the snub, Cynthia was asked to perform at the ceremony – a request she declined. A year later, does she feel hopeful things are changing?

‘We’ve definitely come a long way from where we were, even a year ago, but there’s more to do,’ she says. ‘People who are doing really good work get overlooked. For a very ong time that was often to do with where hey were from or the colour of their skin.

We’re now at a place where that doesn’t work. It’s not OK any more because there’s oo much good work coming from all ifferent walks of life that needs to be hared, seen, acknowledged and celebrated. hope that change keeps happening, I hope we’re never surprised when more than one lack person is nominated [for an award]. m optimistic we will get to that place and, when we do, it will be rather wonderful.’

Ch.1 Vs. 1’ is out 17 September 17

10 HO

+

S E I R T STO White shirt, £85, With Nothing Underneath

Sandals, £475, Jimmy Choo

WHITE SHIRT + BLACK SANDALS Irina shows how to take a white button-down to the next level, letting it flap over the effortless pairing of a body-hugging LBD and chunky leath sandals. Add slicked back hair and go anklets to maximise the polish.

WEAR WITH ▼ Unitard, £125, Ganni Bag, £8, Primark

Sunglasses, £10, Monki

o t s t fi t u o s The no-fus point, usually in August, when even the most adept hot weather dressers find themselves thinking, another summer dress? Really? Because while there’s usually nothing better, sometimes you’re looking for something equally easy but with a little more – how do we put this?

– substance. An outfit or, dare we say it, a look that makes you feel pulled together, but offers the same no-muss-no-fuss approach to getting ready as that throw-on-and-go dress. The answer? Two-second outfit formulas. Zoë Kravitz’s vest top + maxi skirt, for example, or Tilda Swinton’s baggy top + even baggier trousers. In short, these six combinations will see you straight through until autumn (no dress necessary).

THERE COMES A

4

+

RIHANNA SILK SHIRT + MINISKIRT

UNLOCK

Skirt, £180, The Kooples

s a more sultry evening ring ever existed than a ny shirt and micro-skirt? py Rihanna, the boss of o stress’ summer glam, alancing out the stretch leg on show with long ves. (How many buttons ou let slip, however, is entirely up to you.)

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

Shirt, £175, Fiorucci

WEAR WITH ▼ Chain, £575, Monica Vinader

Bag, £17.99, Mango Mules, £405, ByFar

r e m m u s h g u o r h t u o see y TILDA

+

BAGGY TEE + BAGGY TROUSERS

T-shirt, £245, Isabel Mar Trousers, £14.99, H&M

Baggy is no longer a byword for slobby, as evidenced by Tilda Swinton, who packed this elegantly oversized tee and trousers combo – custom-made by Loewe – for Cannes. Follow her lead by coordinating your colour palette.

WEAR WITH ▼ Trainers, £215, Kenzo

Belt, £250, Loewe

Ring, £40, Pandora

10 HO

S E I R T STO

SOO JOO SC ARF TOP + CHINO

Scarf, £24, Free People

+ Chinos, £245, Raey

ZOË

Soo Joo Park mixed and matche two ‘90s classics on her recen visit to Cannes: a top made from silk scarf and wide-le Surfer accessories add fit’s out-of-office moo g it’s halfway between h and the bar. And wh n’t want to be there?

WEAR WITH ▼

Bag, £115, Guess

VEST TOP + MAXISKIRT Zoë’s ribbed vest top proves that summer outfit goals aren’t about bells and whistles. Throw in a fluid maxiskirt and that’s the next heatwave sorted.

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to shop

Hoops, £124, Alighieri

Slides, £280, Chloé

S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

+

Skirt, £185, Bec & Bridge

I Vest, £15, Arket

ORDS SSORIE

WEAR WITH ▼

Sunglasses, £149, Jimmy Fairly

Sandals, £99, Carvela

20

Necklace, £395, Fry Powers

nsing co-o rom Victor st the ticke f a summer ake sure yo shoes and something hat’s with a or retro tint

Sunglasses, £18, Weekday

Top, £75, and trousers, £120, both Peachy Den

WEAR WITH ▼

Mules, £90, Dune London

Belt, £192, Little Liffner

WORDS: NATALIE HAMMOND. SHOPPING: JULIA HARVEY. PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

+

9/10

UK DERMATOLOGISTS RECOMMEND LA ROCHE-POSAY *

ANTHELIOS INVISIBLEFLUID spf50+ DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED ULTRA HIGH UVA/UVB SUN PROTECTION INVISIBLE FINISH “Anthelios Invisible Fluid combines very high protection with an ultra lightweight and pleasant texture. I recommend my patients wear Anthelios daily, rain or shine.”

Dr Hiva Fassihi Consultant Dermatologist

* Survey conducted on 245 dermatologists by La Roche-Posay in the UK, July 2019.

DISCOVER MORE AT LAROCHE-POSAY.CO.UK

Your home of CBD When it comes to CBD, we’re always on the lookout for innovation. That’s why we’re bringing you two new ranges from Vitabiotics and Grass & Co, with added ingredients to support your daily wellness.

We only sell CBD that meets our highest standards for purity, quality, and safety, as backed by leading trade associations and expert laboratories, so you can find the CBD you can trust.

Shop safely instore, on the app and at hollandandbarrett.com

Leading Trade Associations & Expert Laboratories are HFMA, EIHA and FERA Science. New products include, Grass & Co, Vitabiotics and Reakiro gummies. Penny Sale ends 24/08/21, selected items, cheapest item 1p, subject to availability. Participating stores. 18+ only.

Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. Always read the label.

Love Island’s Sharon Gaffka: ‘I expected some trolling but I didn’t expect death threats’

AS TOLD TO BONNIE MCLAREN

5

S E I R T STO

The former Islander tells Grazia about the dark side of appearing on the UK’s biggest dating show into the Love Island villa earlier this year, I knew I wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I wasn’t naive; I expected some trolling. But I didn’t expect death threats, or violent and racist messages.

I didn’t expect VoiceNotes from people saying they would stab me in the street if they saw me, or telling me to end my own life.

In the weeks since I left, I’ve had messages saying that my face contains more plastic than the ocean. That I’m ugly; I’m fat. That my boobs are hideous and I’m disgusting inside and out. I was even called a desperate whore for saying that I was happy to pay for dates, when Aaron’s repeated digs about my career as a civil servant went pretty much unquestioned.

I’ve also been sent unsolicited pictures by men. But sadly, that’s nothing new. I was 14 the first time I received an unwanted dick pic.

I can’t understand why sending unsolicited photos is legal, when it would be illegal if a grown man flashed anyone – let alone a child – in the street. It’s why I’m happy to back Grazia’s campaign to make cyberflashing a criminal offence, something which you can sign the petition for [see right].

For the most part, I think the trolls don’t realise that celebrities or reality stars will see these messages. But we do. Because just like them, we’re real people, just trying to go about our lives. Trolling hasn’t just impacted me, either. It’s something my family has been directly subjected to, with my 23-year-old brother (who had 30 followers before the show, but now has 1,700) also receiving abuse in his DMs. Unfortunately, I am not the only Islander to have to go through this. The first time I cried after leaving the show was on learning that one of my friends in the villa, Chloe, was receiving horrific abuse; I just B E F O R E I WA L K E D

wouldn’t want anyone to experience that toll on their mental health, because I know what it’s like.

It’s obviously not just specific to Love Island, either – after the Euros finals, the Black penalty-taking England players faced a barrage of racist abuse. And it isn’t only people in the public eye. One in five women have suffered online abuse or harassment. And 41% of all Millennial women have been sent an unsolicited nude photo from a man.

The public is constantly reminded to #BeKind. But I think things are getting more hostile, particularly as the people sending hate are now so young. At 13, I was out playing football, but now teens have access to Instagram – and some think it’s OK to send threats. There needs to be some sort of education to teach young people that this kind of abuse has a real, tangible impact.

Thankfully, the only saving grace is that I feel like I’m well-equipped to deal with the hate. I worry that not all Islanders are, but ITV has been incredible in terms of mental health care. I have someone I can call at all times and, as I was leaving the villa, I was shown advice from former Islanders about how to deal with the negative side of social media. But just because I think I can cope with the horrific hate, it doesn’t mean I should have to.

Sharon (above) and with Hugo

MAKE CYBERFLASHING A CRIME

Scan this page to sign the petition or visit: change.org/makecyberflashing-illegal

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to sign S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

23

10 HO

S E I R T STO

F R E E S P I R I T Britney off on holiday

L O V E D - U P With boyfriend Sam

Why Britney’s feeling more free than ever With a new lawyer making moves to remove her from her father’s financial control, the star is feeling confident Y DUNBAR

Lawyer Mathew Rosengart

6

of fans dedicated to helping Britney Spears win freedom from her conservatorship, it was a sign that their goal may finally be in sight.

Last week, the star posted the same picture of herself wearing nothing but a pair of denim cut-offs several times on Instagram. The topless photos – some of which were mysteriously deleted, before later reappearing – sparked a frenzy of speculation about the message the singer could have been sending. Some followers worried the images could come back to haunt her in her fight to end her conservatorship. But most hailed them as a spirited act of defiance against its constraints – and a symbol of how close freedom must now feel following a string of developments in her case.

On 23 July, Mathew Rosengart, the lawyer she appointed after being granted the right to choose her own counsel, filed a bombshell motion seeking to finally remove Britney’s father, Jamie, from the conservatorship and appoint an accountant, Jason Rubin, instead.

In the 127-page document, Rosengart claimed that Jamie had ‘profited handsomely’ from the arrangement, taking FOR THE ARMY

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM, AVALON

B R E A K AWAY Relaxing on their trip to Hawaii

$16,000 a month compensation from his daughter’s estate. He went further, alleging that ‘serious questions abound concerning Mr Spears’ potential misconduct’, including the ‘dissipation’ of her fortune, which he alleged was far smaller than it should be.

He also claimed Jamie’s conduct could have been ‘violative of Title 18’, or a federal crime.

Britney’s mother, Lynne, also broke her silence to support the motion to remove her former husband. In a declaration accompanying the motion, she described his ‘complete control over her, his mistrust of her, his coercion of her, his “bartering” with her over what she can and cannot do for whatever reward or punishment he is willing to mete out, his constant threats and his decision-making over all aspects of her life’.

Lynne also mentioned an alleged physical altercation between Jamie and Britney’s two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James Federline, which led to a restraining order being granted against Jamie in 2019. She described the incident as ‘appalling and inexcusable’, saying it had ‘understandably destroyed whatever was left of a relationship between [ Jamie and Britney]’.

In Britney’s explosive testimony on 24 June – the first time she’d spoken in public about her conservatorship – she alleged her

father and other conservators had forced her to go on tour and take lithium against her will and prevented her from removing her IUD, despite her desire to have a baby with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari.

Afterwards, her father’s lawyers said, ‘Mr Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.’ They deny any wrongdoing.

Choosing Rosengart to fight her corner marks a major turning point for the singer, 39, whose previous lawyer, Samuel Ingham, was appointed by the court at the initiation of the conservatorship in 2008. Rosengart is a high-powered formal federal prosecutor who has represented other A-listers, including Steven Spielberg and Sean Penn, with Penn describing him as ‘a tough as One of Britney’s topless posts on Instagram last week

nails streetfighter with a big brain and bigger principles’.

‘We are so thankful to finally see some real movement in Britney’s case,’ Megan Radford, a member of the Free Britney movement, told Grazia. ‘We are hopeful that Rosengart will not only free Britney, but will also hold accountable the people who did this to her.’

Fans believe it is the aggressive approach being taken by Rosengart that is responsible for the newfound confidence evident in Britney’s recent posts. One, liked by over a million people, including Sarah Jessica Parker and will.i.am, seemed to directly address her legal battle, saying, ‘If standing up for yourself burns a bridge, I have matches. We ride at dawn.’

Britney is currently on holiday in Maui, Hawaii, with Sam and has also posted photos from the trip, saying she’s enjoying ‘the little things’, including drinking her favourite cocktail on a balcony and splashing in the ocean.

The Free Britney camp are delighted to see the singer so optimistic. ‘Britney has said on her Instagram that she’s feeling rebellious, colourful, bright, bold, spontaneous and magical – and we are so thankful,’ said Megan. ‘Change is coming.’

25

7

10 HO

S E I R T STO

Help us fix our broken childcare system

Joeli Brearley, founder of charity Pregnant Then Screwed, on how you can support Grazia’s campaign for childcare that works to take the next step and my brain ground to a screaming halt when my youngest kid tested positive for Covid. He had one of those colds that all five-year-olds get; I really hadn’t expected the testing kit to show a double blue line and, after informing the school, both children were placed back into my care for the foreseeable future; while my diary, full of meetings, fruitlessly competed for my attention. It was a reminder of the impossibility of attempting to earn a living at the same time as caring for children. The 870,000 mothers who want to work but can’t due to the cost and availability of childcare are reminded of this issue every single day.

A recent study by University College London found that mothers in the UK earn 45% less than their childless counterparts.

This motherhood pay penalty is almost double that of Sweden and Denmark, where they have heavily subsidised, affordable, good-quality childcare. Swedish childcare costs about 5% of the average wage. Here, childcare costs about 30% of the average wage. This means that far fewer parents send their kids to nursery and so mothers

PHOTO: GETTY

LAST MONTH, MY WORK

CHILDCARE CHANGE NOW are left literally holding the baby; and then we wonder why we have a gender pay gap of 15.5% and there are only 17 female CEOs running FTSE 350 companies.

But there’s a glimmer of hope. Thanks to over 100,000 of you who signed the Pregnant Then Screwed, Grazia and The Juggle petition to demand an independent review of the cost and affordability of our childcare sector, Parliament will now debate this on 13 September. It’s a big step and gives us an opportunity to state our request to a minister who has the power to make a change. If the Government, as has been claimed, thinks our childcare sector is serving our children and economy well, then we want evidence to support that claim.

If our childcare system is faultless, why did 84% of parents tell us in 2019 that the cost of childcare creates financial anxiety in their household? And why do 62% of

parents say they work fewer hours because of childcare cost and availability? If the funding to the sector is suitable, why, in the last year, have nursery closures increased by 35% compared to the previous year (according to analysis by the National Day Nurseries Association)? Why did a Freedom of Information request by the Early Years Alliance uncover that MPs have knowingly underfunded the 30-hours-free scheme since its inception (a shortfall of £2.60 per child, per hour for every 30-hours place)?

The Government should stop gaslighting us. Parents, childcare workers and childcare providers have been blowing the whistle on this problem for years, but we’ve had nonsensical numbers rammed down our throats and platitudes from ministers about how important this issue is to them – well, this is their opportunity to prove it!

If you believe that it is imperative the Government commits to an independent review of our childcare sector then we need your support. We need as many MPs to attend this debate as possible to demand more be done. Write to your MP and ask that they attend on your behalf. It’s really easy, all you need to do is go to https://pts. eaction.org.uk/childcaredebate, pop in your postcode and the letter is all written for you – just press send. Please share this link far and wide. Because a thriving childcare system is good for everyone.

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to support S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

10 HO

S E I R T STO

8

WORDS

Josh Quinton in Ashish, with Jodie Harsh

JOE BROMLEY AND PIA BRYNTESON

Earrings, £14.99, Zara

Get the party started!

Embellished dress, £355, Rixo

of no nightclubs and (next to) no after-dark dressing, the prospect of partying still feels foreign to some. But to others, life now has little to do with sweatpants and a lot to do with sequins. Wherever you fall on the spectrum between happily staying in and heading out-out, wardrobes up and down the country are feeling the impact of Freedom Day. According to global search platform Lyst, shoppers are gearing up for going out, with searches for corset tops (+22%), party dresses (+15%), heeled sandals (+13%) and micro bags (+19%) all on the up last month. And even if you’re not in the mood to hit the dance floor quite yet, there’s still much joy to be had from dressing up for dinner with friends.

For designers who major in ‘make an entrance’ clothes, the wait is finally over.

‘The enjoyment of getting dressed up cannot be underestimated,’ says Laura Castro, one half of the duo behind Ibizan brand De La Vali, home of the It girl’s favourite satin minidresses. ‘It’s all about

ASHISH

Heels, £540, Amina Muaddi at net-a-porter.com

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM

AFTER 16 MONTHS

Satin crop top, £19.99, and satin midiskirt, £25.99, both Zara

UNLOCK

GRAZIA

Embellished minidress, £295, Gauge81 at net-a-porter.com

Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

confidence; standout pieces that make you feel vivacious, in beautiful fabrics and sultry shapes that allow for dancing.’

Another go-to for dresses that drip glamour is 16Arlington. The brand began in a tiny room on London’s Arlington Road, where friends passed by to borrow slinky numbers for evenings out. Since then, Jennifer Lopez, Priyanka Chopra and Kendall Jenner have caught on. As of last month, when restrictions were fully lifted, the moment for its brand of glitz and glam is upon us. ‘We’ve definitely seen interest pick up in the feather minis, sequin minis and softer, satin tailored pieces. People are raring to go,’ says co-founder Marco Capaldo.

This fervour for evening extravagance has also been felt at Net-A-Porter. ‘Demand has continued to rise since the loosening of restrictions,’ says senior market editor Libby Page. ‘Customers are falling back in love with fashion and the joy of dressing up, transitioning to shorter but chic hemlines, striking heels and sparkle.’

For micro lengths, there’s a stand-out at Net-A-Porter. ‘Gauge81’s knitted minidress is the ultimate clubbing piece, with rows of shimmering Swarovski crystals along the straps,’ says Libby, who also predicts the return of flashing midriffs. The current supermodel penchant is for ‘naked’ tops from Jacquemus, held together (just about) by a thin chain across the chest.

And for tentative steps back on to the dance floor, putting your best foot forward is key. ‘Heels are making a significant comeback,’ says Libby. ‘Manolo Blahnik, Bottega Veneta and Christian Louboutin are the key drivers globally.’ Amina Muaddi’s PVC slingback pumps, meanwhile are ‘the hero shoe among rn fairy-tale look’.

Right: Bella Hadid in a Jacquemus ‘naked’ top.

Above: Kendall Jenner in 16Arlington Earrings, £295, Talita London at annisibiza.com

Sequin dress, £1,495, Ashish

Among the clubbing scene’s artistic set, the loss of nightlife has been worse than missing a boogie. For Josh Quinton, a DJ, queer club-night thrower and regular at fashion soireés (performing for the likes of Fendi), it has been tough. ‘I live to get dressed up, go out and DJ,’ says Josh, who is recognisable for his ’80s/’90s look: block-coloured power suits, stilettos and a Swan Lake eye. ‘We’ve all been robbed of these spaces to express ourselves.’

But Covid didn’t dampen the spirits of emerging creatives. ‘I resorted to stockpiling new gear to wear out. The re-emergence wardrobe is ready to roll,’ says Josh. For his first big night, playing for the likes of Kate Moss at DJ Fat Tony’s book launch at Isabel Mayfair, sequins were the only option. ‘I decided on a two-piece, rainbow look,’ he says. ‘The only person to go to for that was Ashish!’

And the most important event this summer? His Faboo Ball, of course, coming soon and set to channel the last days of disco.

Yashana Malhotra, a recent graduate from Central Saint Martins, also leant on creativity to get through lockdown.

‘I was off to see someone and realised I didn’t have anything to wear. I thought, let me just sew a dress, and made it out of my mum’s curtains,’ she says of the first of her vast gowns, which have boomed on Instagram (@outofyourgaze).

But if you aren’t handy with a needle and thread, don’t panic. What’s the one thing that makes a dress amazing?

16Arlington’s Marco puts it simply: ‘It is, always, the person wearing it.’

Dress, £35.99, Mango

Slingbacks, £120, Dune London

Dress, £350, 16Arlington

29

10 HO

9

S E I R T STO

With a fifth of under35s now reporting they have one or no close friends, Lauren Ezekiel reflects on how she went from party girl to nights alone on her sofa I N S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 , I was 29 and living my

best life. My social calendar was full. My phone pinged with a constant throng of activity. I’d pledged to go out every single night in the run-up to the ‘Big 3-0’ and I was not one to break a promise. The hedonistic summer, with its girls’ trip to Ibiza, festivals and endless bottles of prosecco, was to finish with one final hurrah – a big birthday bash with 60 friends. As I reminisce on my sofa, the same place I sat last night and the night before – and, in fact, every night for the last two years (yep, I practised lockdown before it was a thing) – I can’t believe it’s the same person who threw that party and moaned about having too many plans, too many friends.

At 29, I couldn’t imagine my life now – at home, immersed in the weirdly comfortable feeling of loneliness. Don’t get me wrong: I have friends, a great family, two adorable (most of the time) children and lots of people who love and care for me. But a best friend or close friendship group – you know, like the one Sex And The City sold us?

I do not have. And I’m not alone. Instagram 30

may tell us everyone’s surrounded by a group of close friends, but a recent study by the Onward think tank has found a fifth of under-35s say they have one or no close friends. The study suggests we have slipped into an epidemic of loneliness due to what the study called a ‘collapse in community’.

Basically, although our generation might have an active social media community, the chances of us knocking on a neighbour’s door for a cup of sugar is pretty slim.

Lockdown has exacerbated the problem, but for me the change started in my early thirties. The years that followed that party were a whirlwind of boyfriends, as well as engagements, weddings, baby showers and births – a blur of organised occasions that still kept me busy. But, in tandem, priorities were changing. Suddenly, the friends who felt like family started to have their own families – myself included. After a whirlwind romance, engagement, a joint mortgage and the arrival of my daughter followed – all before my 33rd birthday.

With life in the way, the last-minute, spontaneous outings stopped. Now, making plans was similar to a military operation.

It took diaries, endless to-ing and fro-ing with dates and usually at least two dropouts before the actual event. It was then I realised the closeness had gone. I mentioned it to a few of the mums on the school run

and found many shared similar experiences.

However, it wasn’t just becoming a mum that caused my problems. After much heartache, my fiancé and I separated and I found myself at home with a one-year-old and a three-year-old. I was also made redundant. The career that had anchored and defined me was over. What followed was six months of pure survival. I didn’t have the energy or the headspace to keep in touch with anyone. And, instead of anyone asking why or being there for me, the communication stopped. This was a reality slap. It felt like I wasn’t an important enough friend for them to care.

Strangely, this realisation allowed me to accept it. I don’t feel bitter or resentful; you can’t make someone want to be friends with you. In a weird way I understand.

Now, I’ve become accustomed to being alone – and this has also allowed me to reflect on myself as a friend. I’m not sure I was ever a really good one. I was brilliant for a good time but I didn’t enjoy the ‘bonding’.

Sometimes, I feel overwhelmingly lonely and yearn for social interaction, but this time has allowed me to evaluate what I want from a friend and what type of friend I want to be. I know I will never go for quantity over quality again. It’s also proved I am my own best friend – these days, I like myself way more than I ever did when I had a fully booked diary.

PHOTO: LANDMARK MEDIA

‘I’m part of Generation No Friends’

10 HO

S E I R T STO

10

The A-list masters of the Insta reveal

32

unbelievable few weeks on celebrity Instagram. Rumours have swirled for a while that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had rekindled their love after 17 years apart – but recently, at long last, J-Lo made it Instagram official by sharing a picture of them snogging on a yacht (do they ever step on to dry land?). To make the reveal even more thrilling, she hid this photo at the end of an otherwise standard slideshow of bikini shots.

Just as we’d finished analysing this news, Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause gave us another reveal. With the caption ‘The J-Lo effect’, she posted a series of snaps from a holiday in Italy, climaxing with one of her co-star and boss Jason Oppenheim nuzzling her neck in a distinctly un-platonic way.

Actor Issa Rae pulled off a similar surprise with her wedding pictures, via a jokey caption about an ‘impromptu photo shoot’ – the final few images showing her with her new husband, Louis Diame.

They’re not the only ones to have revealed big news on the platform: Carrie Johnson recently posted a toy pram to announce her

IT’S BEEN AN

new pregnancy, while earlier this year, Laura Whitmore confirmed she’d secretly married Iain Stirling with a joyous wedding snap.

While this trend is picking up steam, it was Beyoncé who started it in 2017, with a flower-filled shoot to announce she was expecting twins. Kylie Jenner took the baton and ran with it the following year, posting a photo of a tiny hand clutching her thumb: confirmation that she’d been pregnant and given birth to a daughter, Stormi.

It’s a strategy that allows celebs to have their cake and eat it, by revealing big news in exactly the way they want, and choosing the perfect photo with which to go public. It’s also top-quality entertainment for us. It demonstrates that celebrities know us (and our love of drama) almost as well as we know them – just look at Coleen Rooney’s carefully orchestrated and now controversial ‘Wagatha Christie’ reveal in 2019.

If you’re thinking about dropping your own bombshell, the rules are simple.

1: maximise the surprise. Chrishell nailed this with her slideshow: it wasn’t until the final snap that it became obvious that she and Jason aren’t just friends. 2: leave them wanting more. J-Lo could have captioned her reveal with 400 words on how she and Ben had rediscovered each other and realised that the love had never died, blah, blah – but as they say on the internet, TL;DR*. Instead, the caption was a vague birthday reference: ‘52… what it do…’. Way to maintain the mystery, while also very much enjoying the publicity, Jennifer.

Since it allows famous people to control their own narrative but also satisfies our nosiness, this is a win-win trend. From now on, we’re paying close attention to slideshows: don’t be fooled by a boring photo dump, because there could be huge news hiding within. * ‘Too long; didn’t read.’ Brutal

WORDS: HATTIE CRISELL. PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM/LACARBA, CHRISHELL.STAUSE, ISSARAE, LAURENFAIR

Left: J-Lo makes Bennifer official.

Right: Chrishell’s surprise romance; Issa’s ‘impromptu’ wedding snap

F E AT U R E G R A Z I A

Behind the scenes of the new Sex And The City

‘THE FRIENDS YOU HAVE WHEN YOU’RE 30, YOU MAY NOT HAVE WHEN YOU’RE 50’ And Just Like That... TV’s most fashionable friends are sashaying on to our screens again – yet everything’s changed. Martha Hayes reports on the comeback of the decade summer 2021: Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte strut along a Manhattan sidewalk in a cloud of Dior, Prada, Celine and, of course, Manolo Blahnik. We couldn’t help but wonder, has a photograph of three middle-aged women on the streets of New York ever caused such a stir?

No, indeed, it has not. And well over two decades since Sex And The City first landed on screens (and ran for six seasons between 1998 and 2004) and over 10 years since the release of two films, we are 100% here for it.

Revival, reboot, sequel – whatever you want to call it, the 10-part HBO Max series And Just Like That..., which will follow the three women (played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis)

as they navigate life and friendship in their fifties, is far from an ordinary reunion.

It’s one that, thanks to the power of social media, has left a trail of delicious breadcrumbs since the show was first announced in January. No release date has been confirmed (although it’s expected to be later this year) but no matter. From SJP’s dressing room must-haves (crisps, a copy of Laurie Colwin’s Happy All The Time and a cooling facial globe) to leaked scripts, there’s been plenty for us to feast on.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. She had the juiciest, most hilarious storylines as Samantha Jones, but Kim Cattrall will not be reprising her role. She has long distanced herself from the franchise  35

following a rift with SJP. A proposed third film was scrapped in 2017 because Cattrall didn’t want to be part of it and, in 2018, she publicly called out SJP for commenting on her Instagram when her brother died. ‘You are not my friend,’ wrote Cattrall. ‘So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your “nice girl” persona.’ In January this year, SJP addressed Cattrall’s absence in the new series on Instagram. ‘Samantha isn’t part of this story, but she will always be a part of us,’ she wrote. ‘No matter where we are or what we do.’

Juno Dawson, the best-selling author and host of the SATC podcast, So I Got To Thinking (which recently returned for a fourth season), tells Grazia that Cattrall’s absence is the reason for a change in the title of the show. ‘This is them acknowledging that this is not Sex And The City,’ she explains. ‘Because without Cattrall, it isn’t.

This is the continuing story of Carrie Bradshaw and, while it’s a shame Samantha is no longer a part of it, I’m still invested in seeing what’s happening with Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte. Some people bring out the worst in each other; clearly the combination of Parker and Cattrall doesn’t work. And I don’t want Kim Cattrall to be in a situation that she finds toxic just because we adore Samantha!’

The chief content officer of HBO Max, Casey Bloys, recently confirmed that SJP and executive producer Michael Patrick King – the driving forces behind And Just Like That... – are ‘not trying to re-do’ Sex And The City. ‘Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave,’ he says, and in ‘trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her fifties in New York... the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50’.

The unveiling of who is returning,

36

I’M JUST ONE OF THE WIVES HE WAS TAKING CARE OF? has been as titillating as the daily outfit reveals. The partners – Big (Chris Noth), Steve (David Eigenberg) and Harry (Evan Handler) – are back, alongside Stanford (Willie Garson) and Anthony (Mario Cantone), the kids are all grown up, and Big’s ex-wife Natasha (Bridget Moynahan) has been spotted on set.

We know from on-set teaser photos that Charlotte has a new bulldog (RIP Elizabeth Taylor) and coronavirus will ‘obviously be part of the storyline’, SJP told Vanity Fair, ‘because that’s the city [these characters] live in, and how has that changed relationships once friends disappear?’

But the biggest potential storyline to be revealed so far – thanks to a leaked script – is Carrie’s rumoured divorce from Big. The extract, published by The New York Post’s Page Six, has Carrie saying, ‘I was taping the podcast, I was washing my hair.

Yes, I wasn’t eating or sleeping, but at least I felt good about my marriage. Now I’m just one of the wives he was taking care of ?’

But forget (more) relationship troubles, Carrie 2.0 has a podcast? Of course she does! And she will be teaming up with a new character, stand-up comedian Che Diaz (Grey’s Anatomy star Sara Ramirez).

Che is the first non-binary character to

Look who’s back: Harry and daughter Lily (all grown up).

Left: the original cast of four

G R A Z I A F E AT U R E

Clockwise from left: Carrie with Anthony and Stanford; new cast member Nicole Ari Parker; Natasha; Carrie with Big

appear in the franchise in a move towards better representation that also sees actors Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker and Karen Pittman join the cast.

Equally as pertinent is a diverse writing room. The addition of new talent Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom (Fresh Off The Boat) and Keli Goff (Black Lightning) to infuse (according to SJP) ‘life experience, political world views and social world views’ means the days of all-white writers writing for an all-white cast are long gone.

‘The 1990s was a strange period for television,’ reflects Dawson, a prominent trans activist. ‘I think everyone now accepts it wasn’t good enough and it was very strange that the characters in SATC lived in a version of Manhattan where there were very few people of colour.’ Dawson addressed this issue on her podcast when she and Queenie author Candice CartyWilliams dissected the SATC episode in which Samantha dates a Black man and his sister is racist towards her. ‘It was like, come on! I’m not sure Samantha could be oppressed by a woman of colour. Post Black Lives Matter, the whole world is having conversations about race that we were not having as a society 25 years ago.

I strongly suspect the characters in And Just Like That... will have those conversations.

Now is the time.’

Ultimately, now is the time to right some of the franchise’s wrongs, says Dawson, alluding to the offensive representation of Muslims in the second film (which SJP publicly acknowledged the movie ‘fell short on’). ‘By the time the second film came around it felt like the people making it had forgotten why we liked SATC in the first place,’ she says. ‘There was this reliance on designer labels and grotesque wealth when the real reason we liked these women was they were relatable. I suspect And Just Like That... will go back to its roots and I certainly think we will be looking at an elevated version in terms of its feminist credentials.’ In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, well, that’s just fabulous.

AND JUST LIKE THAT THEY WORE...

WORDS KAREN DACRE

It was on a dreary Monday in January, four days after the UK entered its third lockdown, that HBO Max let the Manolos out of the proverbial box: the generationdefining TV show Sex And The City was returning to our screens.

For fashion fans, news of a reboot has served as a spiritual reawakening.

At least, it reignited our interest in clothes that exist beyond sweatpants because, let’s face it, even if the storylines turn out to be loathsome and Carrie remains a bit of a nightmare, we’ll find hours of entertainment dissecting the looks.

‘It’s like revisiting old friends,’ notes fashion editor and Sex And The City super-fan Deborah Brett, who has been looking at the behind-the-scenes pictures populating Instagram with misty eyes. ‘Carrie was a proper icon who really owned the clothes she wore. The genius of the show was that fashion was never seen as silly or frivolous. I’m so intrigued to see how that plays out today.’

The pressure to please Sex And The City’s most devout fashion worshippers (see those who devoured all 17 hours of Dolly Alderton and Caroline O’Donoghue’s Sentimental In The City podcast without coming up for air) is heaped on the shoulders of costume designer Molly Rogers.

A protégé of Patricia Field, the stylist has the task of dressing Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda.

It will be a while before Rogers’ work hits our screens (HBO Max is yet to confirm a release date).

But early evidence suggests we’ll pick up with a group of women who remain dedicated to absurdly impractical heels and fashion with a capital F. At its best, Sex And The City used clothing to obliterate the idea that women come with an

expiration date. Characters grew older, changed jobs, had babies but their style was never diluted or filtered; if anything, it got more exciting. The challenge for Rogers is to keep navigating that flight path.

The fashion is already under forensic examination. Digging deep into the minutiae of every And Just Like That… outfit the internet throws our way is an international sport. And it’s a sport we take seriously, mentally noting details: Miranda has a newfound love of wideleg trousers (she wears a great pair by Vince) – Carrie’s into double-bagging and Charlotte is dedicated to an A-line silhouette (Kristin Davis’s character demonstrates this perfect a nautical print dress by Em Wickstead).

Aspiring stylist Victoria Bazalinchuk has proved vit to our critical research.

Via Instagram handle @justlikethatcloset, which now has over 70K follower including a certain SJP, sh

Miranda’s new trouser style Carrie’s double bags; and

F E AT U R E G R A Z I A

identifies items worn by the cast.

The level of detail is impressive, especially with vintage items and pieces by unknown brands proving popular choices.

‘I knew the rush around SATC but could never have imagined that there would be so much interest, I have followers all over the world,’ says Bazalinchuk. ‘We don’t want to wait until the show airs and the clothes are sold out to know who’s wearing what.’

The question of how our collective obsession for consuming fashion via influencers and smartphones will play out among Carrie and friends is one of the most intriguing things about this reboot. The show enjoyed iconic status long before the ‘#gifted’ hashtag figured in our vocabulary. Will Carrie circa 2021 have an Instagram following to rival Eva Chen’s? Undoubtedly, with the traffic-stopping hats and ‘It’ shoes we’ve seen her in thus far, she’d have no trouble giving even the most ostentatious of influencers a run for their vintage Chanel.

While at its best the show captured the zeitgeist, its predominantly white, middle-class roster of characters ensured it was anything but worldly. The extent to which our heroines have evolved as women will be critical to the show’s success with viewers – and fashion fans.

‘We are eager to see how the series will pivot to ensure it feels fresh, energetic and relevant to the modern-day, considering sustainability, independent designers and BIPOC businesses the next generation is eager to shop,’ agrees Libby Page, senior market editor for Net-A-Porter.

It’s already clear to see that the inclusion of vintage clothing, including a Claude Montana jumpsuit, has increased tenfold. And Carrie is rewearing familiar pieces from the SATC films and TV series, including her beloved wide, black

38

studded belt from Streets Ahead and blue Hangisi Manolo Blahnik courts (aka Carrie’s bridal shoes.)

A shot that shows Miranda (played by former New York mayoral candidate Cynthia Nixon) declaring support for Bernie Sanders via a tote bag could also be evidence that we’re about to pick up with a more socially and environmentally engaged group of women.

The fashion industry is praying for a resounding hit. And no wonder: the franchise has financial clout. In the hours after the reboot was announced, the Perfume Shop reported a 91% increase in sales of Sarah Jessica Parker’s namesake fragrance. Fashion platform Lyst has also noted early signs that ‘the Sex And The City effect’ was back, with searches for platform heels up 21% and searches for Fendi’s baguette bags spiking by 45%.

Manolo Blahnik, who became a household name when Carrie Bra pledged her undying love for him reports that interest in his brand rarely been higher among his New clients. The designer, who has op a flagship on Madison Avenue, is enjoying a renaissance in the city Popular styles include the Camp (like the pair Carrie found in the Vogue fashion cupboard in seaso four) and the blue Hangisi courts Small brands are benefitting too. ‘We were pleasantly surprised to see our Bobbie Jean hat gracefully styled on Carrie,’ notes milliner Dani Evans of Monrowe, which has enjoyed an

increase in followers and orders since an image featuring one of its boater styles hit the internet last month.

However, the modern fashion fan, who makes choices based on everything from the Instagram feed of influencers to what brands resonate with them on social and environmental grounds, is less in need of a TV show loaded with shopping inspiration. ‘I don’t think the fashion will be as influential this time round,’ Bazalinchuk says.

‘What’s more likely is that influencers will pick certain trends from the show to then spread further.’

Regardless, luxury brands remain hungry for the association with a fashion phenomenon that meant so much to so many. ‘We are so keen to be a part of the reboot. Our creative director is obsessed with the show,’ one luxury brand told Grazia. ‘We grew up with it, we relate to it and, more than that, we know what it means to our customers.’

There’s the hope that a television show that handles clothing in such celebratory terms can work wonders for the entire fashion industry. ‘We expect there to be some iconic moments, which, post-pandemic, will help us fall in love with fashion again,’ says Page, ‘we’re ready to embrace the joy of dressing up.’

I can’t help but wonder if she’s right.

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM/JUSTLIKETHATCLOSET

Clockwise from far left: Instagram hit @justlikethatcloset; Carrie’s belt and shoes return; the Bobbie Jean hat; her trusty Baguette; Cynthia Nixon with her statement tote

OUR TAKE

MIND THE AUTHORITY GAP!

The mother of all gender gaps is the one you’ve never even heard of....

G R A Z I A F E AT U R E

few years ago, Mary Ann A Sieghart was sitting next to a man she didn’t know at a conference, when he asked her what she did. She told him she wrote a political column, made programmes for BBC Radio 4, sat on a couple of corporate boards, chaired a think tank and was on the council for The Tate Modern. To which he said, ‘Ooo, you’re a busy little girl!’

‘I was about 50,’ she says now. ‘I was so cross I didn’t know what to say.’

More recently, the columnist and broadcaster was at another conference, talking to two men, when a delegate came over. He ignored her and, addressing the men, asked them a question on politics.

Having written about politics for 30 years, Mary Ann answered it. ‘He can barely bring himself to look at me while I’m answering,’ she remembers, ‘and, as soon as I’m finished, he asks the follow-up question to the men.’

Sound familiar? Chances are something similar has happened to you, your mum and a sizeable chunk of your female friends, because all too often women are undermined, ignored or taken less seriously than men. And men aren’t always the only culprits, either; many women have internalised the myth that we’re inferior. The way these sneakily subtle biases hold women back is what Mary Ann calls ‘the authority gap’ in her new book of the same name.

‘We still assume men know what they’re talking about until they prove otherwise, whereas, for women, it’s all too often the other way around,’ she says. ‘As a result, women tend to be underestimated, they are more likely to be interrupted, their expertise gets challenged more, they find it harder to influence a group of people and they’re much more likely to have their views ignored in favour of a man’s.’ The authority gap is the mother of all gender gaps, she points out, because if we’re not taken as seriously as men, we’re going to

be hired less readily, promoted more slowly and paid less, too.

For the book, she spoke to the likes of Hillary Clinton and found even women with the most impressive CVs in the world aren’t shielded from this prejudice. Hillary told her that, when she ran for office as the US Democratic candidate in 2016, voters would say, ‘Oh, I’ve got no problem voting for a woman, just not THAT woman.’ Then in 2019, when multiple women ran for the Democratic nomination, Hillary told her, ‘Still voters were saying, “Oh, I’ve got nothing against voting for a woman, just not THOSE women.”’

‘So, what they’re saying is that these women are all unlikeable,’ says Mary Ann. ‘And what are the chances of all those women being unlikeable? Is it not perhaps telling us more about how we just dislike the notion of women seeking power?’

Remaining likeable is one of the many plates we must spin when trying to gain authority, while also ‘watching our tone’, not sounding too shrill, not appearing overly confident or coming across as too motherly.

Meanwhile, men can assert themselves with little risk of being labelled rude. And they

Clockwise from left: Hillary Clinton, ary Ann Sieghart d Jackie Weaver e all experienced he authority gap

rarely have to prove their competence; in fact, Boris Johnson’s gaffes and scandals only seem to boost his popularity.

It’s exhausting and no wonder, then, that the treatment of Jackie Weaver – host of a chaotic council meeting that went viral in February – hit a nerve for women everywhere. Handforth Parish Council’s Zoom gathering descended into a naked power struggle of the sexes when the male chair famously announced, ‘You have no authority here Jackie Weaver.’ At least Jackie was able to wield some of the power that comes with hosting virtual meetings: access to a ‘remove’ button.

When it comes to how the authority gap is experienced by women of colour, disabled women and working-class women, Mary Ann says the gap becomes even wider. And the backlash to women having authority online has manifested into horrific trolling; women are 27 times more likely to be abused online than men, she says. ‘It’s only a minority of men, but what they are prepared to do to try to shut us up; to silence us.’

As bleak as it all sounds, there is hope, and she believes we can narrow the authority gap in one generation: via governments ensuring affordable childcare and employers keeping track of how women are doing compared with men, to individuals checking their unconscious bias.

‘If all of us just stop and think a bit about the way we treat women or men differently, we can change it,’ she says.

The authority gap may be the labelling of a form of misogyny we’re well-acquainted with, but the fact is it remains a problem for women and girls. As with concepts such as gaslighting and mansplaining, naming the behaviours we experience helps us to recognise them and call them out. If we’re to take equality seriously, we need to give the authority gap the respect it deserves.

‘The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, And What We Can Do About It’ by Mary Ann Sieghart (£16.99, Doubleday) is out now

41

3+2726 672&.6< 7+( 7,0(6Ǭ1(:6 /,&(16,1* *(77< +$%,( 6&+:$5=

WO R D S A N N A S I LV E R M A N

FOLLOW @GRAZIAUK GRAZIA

News of the people who matter to you Style inspiration – and our curated edit of buys Beauty tips and tricks

@GRAZIAUK

PHOTOS: AMIT LENNON, BEN BROOMFIELD, GETTY, INSTAGRAM

And a take on the day’s biggest talking point

G R A Z I A CO LU M N

➴

MODERN ACTIVISM W I T H S O P H I E WA L K E R

‘Covid magnified the disparity in people’s access to green spaces’ In our regular column, Sophie Walker, feminist campaigner and author of Five Rules For Rebellion: Let’s Change The World Ourselves, spotlights women fighting for change. This week, she talks to Ellen Miles, 28, founder of the Nature Is A Human Right campaign and Dream Green, its sister arm for ‘guerilla gardening’, which helps people to transform neglected parts of their neighbourhood into pocket gardens.

Ellen was driven to action during lockdown by the gulf between those who had access to nature and those who didn’t.

Q: Why did you start this campaign?

When coronavirus happened, the disparity in people’s access to green spaces was magnified – especially when they started closing the parks. They were closing Brockwell Park in Brixton, but not St James’s Park [near Whitehall]. It was a classist and racist policy preventing people who already didn’t have gardens from going outside. Staying at home is only bearable if you’re living in privileged conditions. Thinking about how far people had to walk to get to a park is what triggered my campaign.

Ellen Miles wants access to nature to be enshrined as a human right

What does success look like to you?

Getting access to nature enshrined in international human rights law and continuing to make a tangible impact from the ground up, including helping people to become guerilla gardeners, who plant in grey public areas.

How can Grazia readers support you?

I’m recruiting an advisory board: I need to find a financial expert, a legal expert, a fundraising expert – people who understand what structures we need in order to take the next step. It would also be great if people could sign and share UNLOCK our petition.

What steps did you think were necessary to make nature a human right?

I had no idea. I created a Change.org What advice would you give to future petition that still only has a few thousand Scan to support S E E PAG E 3 campaigners out there? signatures, but it helped me to summarise the FO R D E TA I L S Accept that wherever you begin, you’re not going argument. It forced me to research the ways to know everything. You just have to start out by nature benefits us and the science behind that. knowing what you’re trying to achieve. There’s no other Then I reached out to young environmentalists way. Say what you want to be doing and you’ll find people who I thought might want to be ambassadors for the who want to do it with you. campaign, since I didn’t have a public platform myself.

PHOTO: SERENA BROWN

GRAZIA

And what did you do when they came back and said, ‘That sounds brilliant!’?

I thought, ‘Oh shit, what do we do next!’ We built a website and reaffirmed the key messages of the campaign – coming at it from lots of different angles, doing Instagram lives and videos with people. I had to revise so many statistics that now I can reel them off.

Follow Ellen and her campaign on Twitter @octaviachill @natureisaright and on Instagram @natureisahumanright.

To sign and share her petition, visit: change.org/p/contactwith-nature-should-be-a-human-right-natureisahumanright.

The campaign website is: natureisahumanright.earth and you can learn about guerrilla gardening via dreamgreen.earth

CONFESSIONS OF A LATE BLOOMER Marriage, a house, babies, career progression… more and more of us are hitting life’s milestones later – if at all. So why did not amassing the conventional markers of adulthood leave Doree Shafrir feeling out of step?

*DATA FOR HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES FROM THE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS, AND FROM THE ENGLISH HOUSING SURVEY. PHOTOS: SOPHIE DAVIDSON, GETTY

G R A Z I A F E AT U R E

the bridesmaids’ dresses for my sister’s wedding were a deep jewel-toned purple.

As I stood outside on a sunny but chilly November day, posing for pictures with the rest of the wedding party and towering over the other, petite bridesmaids, I felt like nothing less than a lumbering Barney, the big purple dinosaur character. It didn’t help that, at 34, I was a solid seven years older than my 27-year-old sister and I was also at her wedding by myself, because I was single.

I had broken up with a long-term boyfriend the year before and was currently ‘involved’, if you could call it that, with a writer on the magazine I worked for, who was prone to disappearing for weeks at a time and resurfacing when he was back in town and wanted to have sex.

My life, in general, was a far cry from my sister’s life of matching china patterns and a stable job as a lawyer. Not only was I single, but I’d taken so many meandering turns in my twenties and thirties that I was starting to get whiplash. After enrolling in, then dropping out of, a PhD programme in my early twenties, I’d worked in journalism for a couple of years, then gone back to school for a graduate degree in journalism, only to end up as an intern at 29 – four years older than my 25-year-old boss, the department’s assistant. Since then, I’d been laid off from a newspaper job in the middle of the Great Recession, worked part-time as an editor at a tabloid, freelance-written dozens of articles, and finally landed a job at Rolling Stone as a web editor, where I was demoralised and frustrated. Meanwhile, the man I thought I was going to marry turned

out to not be as interested in marrying me, and I was back living alone in an apartment where I could hear the mice scurrying up and down the skirting all night.

My sister’s wedding, then, was just the culmination of a years-long feeling that I was spinning my wheels, professionally and personally. I’d never seen myself as someone who was obsessed with the traditional markers of adulthood, like marrying, having a child or buying a house. I had dismissed those milestones as overly conventional, and yet, standing next to my sister as she said her vows, I started to feel like maybe I wasn’t making unconventional choices, I was just getting left behind.

Then again, if the traditional markers of adulthood were what I was basing my feelings on, I certainly wasn’t alone. As Kayleen Schaefer writes in But You’re Still So Young: How Thirtysomethings Are Redefining Adulthood, in 2016 only 24% of Americans had completed the five major milestones of adulthood, as defined by sociologists, by 34 – the exact age I was when I was my sister’s maid-of-honour.

In the UK, the pattern is similar: as of 2017, the average age for first marriage had risen to 35.7 for women, up from 33.8 in just a decade, while the average age of first-time buyers rose from 31 to 33 in the decade to 2018*.

Over the next couple of years, I watched as more and more friends got married,

MARKERS OF A D U LT H O O D, THEN AND NOW T H E N : Buy a house N O W : Rent a flat with a dishwasher T H E N : Get married N O W : Go to couples’ counselling T H E N : Have a baby N O W : Adopt a rescue animal and call it the name you were saving for your firstborn T H E N : Make enough money to never ask your parents for any N O W : Tell your parents you’re ready to be taken off their Netflix subscription

started families and got on the property ladder (all faithfully documented on social media, of course). Professionally, from the outside, I had my ‘dream job’ as the executive editor of BuzzFeed, but inside I was miserable, stressed out by the work and uncomfortable being a boss. I despaired of ever feeling like I had ‘figured it out’.

It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles from New York when I was almost 36 that I was able to start to have a new perspective.

Whereas previously, I had obsessed over whether or not guys liked me, which led to a series of increasingly inappropriate dalliances, I now saw that I had the power to consider whether I liked them – a subtle shift that reminded me of my own agency in the trajectory of my life. A year later, on Tinder, I met the man who would become my husband. Soon after our wedding, we learned that his low sperm count meant that we would have to have IVF if we wanted a biological child, which started us down a path of expensive and emotionally draining fertility treatments. By this point, I was almost 39 and, over the next two-and-a-half years, I’d learn that sometimes your body just doesn’t want to cooperate with whatever timeline you think you’re on.

Meanwhile, at 40, I left my job at BuzzFeed for the uncertain world of fulltime podcasting, as co-host of Forever35, and I was more fulfilled and professionally happy than I had ever been. But it had taken many years and many jobs to get there – years when I despaired that I would ever find a career that felt meaningful, and one I was genuinely good at. And then, a few weeks before I turned 41, after many failed cycles of IVF and tens of thousands of dollars down the drain, I had my son.

Now I’m 44 and more at peace with my life and who I am than ever before. I spent so much of my twenties and thirties comparing myself to other people, thinking I wanted what they had and feeling like I had been left behind. But I had to figure out the life I wanted to lead, not the one I felt like I should be leading. Tying the knot at 27 may have been right for my sister, but there was no way I was ready for marriage at 27. So if there’s anything that life has taught me, it’s that we all bloom at our own pace, in our own time – and that’s OK. Doree’s memoir, ‘Thanks For Waiting’, is out now (£22.50, Ballantine Books)

45

FRANKIE BRIDGE:

‘MOTHERHOOD COMES AT A COST’ Rhiannon Evans talks to the former Saturdays star about body image, mental health and the problem of the have-it-all myth

we’re all tired,’ says Frankie Bridge. ‘I don’t know if it’s because we’ve been at home and done less, or if it’s the stress and the worry of the last 18 months… I can completely understand that whole burnout thing. I find myself all the time saying, “God, I could deal with this normally, what’s wrong with me now?”’

Speaking to Frankie – mum to boys Parker, seven, and Carter, five – and reading her new book on motherhood and mental

I JUST FEEL LIKE

PHOTOS: SOPHIE DAVIDSON, GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK, INSTAGRAM/FRANKIEBRIDGE

G R A Z I A F E AT U R E health, Grow, it’s easy to forget she’s a starry TV presenter, Saturdays singer and married to former England footballer Wayne Bridge.

Relatability is a big part of Frankie’s appeal, which has seen her amass 1.3 million Instagram followers and become a regular on Loose Women.

Perhaps it’s her openness that makes us feel she’s ‘one of us’. Frankie has spoken previously about her hospitalisation with depression in 2011, taking antidepressants while pregnant and her eating disorder.

Now, she’s exploring the link between being a parent and mental health, with insights from her personal battles as well as from her therapist and family paediatrician.

There’s lots of artifice around honesty (ironically) in celebrity and Instagram circles, but Frankie genuinely doesn’t hold back – early in the book she talks about motherhood ‘coming at a cost’. It’s certainly no yummy-mummy manual.

‘That’s something people will probably give me stick for,’ she says. ‘But I do feel it always comes at a cost – whether that’s giving up time with your child to go to work or taking less time for work to be with your child, or if that’s mentally or financially. It’s not me wanting to say to women, “You can’t have it all,” because we absolutely can. But it’s [questioning] the idea you have to have it all. Or you have to want to have it all – not everyone does. And this idea you can have it all and do it all at 100% and enjoy every second of it.’

On that note, Frankie admits to having night nurses and a nanny (‘until Parker was like nine months’). ‘It was important for me to be honest about that, whether I get shit for it or not,’ she says. ‘It really irritates me when I see people in the public eye who pretend they do it all and I know they don’t.’

Instead, she now recognises the juggle most parents work with daily. ‘I think more and more people are having to look at different ways of childcare,’ she says. ‘It’s not like the old days where just the men worked… Wayne does more of the childcare than I do now. And I don’t see that as a big deal. And it annoys me that other people do.’

For Frankie, the hardest part of becoming a parent was actually during pregnancy, when antenatal depression hit hard.

Specifically, when she found herself dealing with a four-stone weight gain.

‘I did find that really difficult,’ she says.

‘Especially being in the position I was in, still performing. I didn’t feel like myself. At the time, my body was part of my armour, part of my confidence. And I’d lost that. So

then I was like, “Without that, who am I? Who am I? What am I?”’ A mother at 24 (she’s now 32), she was the first of her friends to give birth and says the bodily changes she experienced shocked her. ‘It’s scary because everything else is changing,’ she laughs. ‘Before you have a baby, boobs can be quite a sexual thing. I was like, “Oh, my god, they’re never going to return to normal. Am I going to want to get them out? Is Wayne going to like them any more?” And the size of your vagina – that was scary. I was like, “Is any of it going to go back to normal?”’

In a world where body positivity has become another standard for women to live up to, Frankie’s admissions about not feeling that way are brave. She admits in the book she’s never been able to love the stretch marks she gained when pregnant, as Instagram says you should. ‘I’d love to be like that, but I’m just not that person,’ she says. ‘I want to have my children, but I don’t want to look like I have them. You’re not really allowed to say that. Some days I go, “It is what it is.” But sometimes I carry it around like a shame that I’ve gained so much weight while I was pregnant, and I lost control. And maybe if I hadn’t had the eating disorder before, maybe I wouldn’t feel as strongly about that now, and wouldn’t see it as so shameful.’

Frankie continued to take medication to support her mental health throughout both pregnancies, something she says is still considered controversial and which people often thank her for talking about (though she notes it’s crucial people talk things through with their GP). ‘It was a conversation with my psychiatrist where he was like, “If you don’t stay on yours, when your baby is born there is a high chance that you won’t be able to be around to be a mother to that newborn.” And to me that was not worth the risk.’

She hopes, then, that her sons will understand her sharing their lives, to keep those conversations open. ‘Now my kids are at an age where, if they don’t want to do something [on social media], I won’t make them do it,’ she says. In terms of the book, she adds, ‘But equally, sometimes the need and want to help others and help people feel normalised… I hope my children just appreciate when they’re older that they were a part of that.’

Frankie’s book, ‘Grow’, is out 19 August (£18.99, Brazen) For more parenting stories, follow Grazia’s community @TheJuggleUK on Instagram

‘I WANT TO HAVE MY CHILDREN, BUT I DON’T WANT TO LOOK LIKE I HAVE THEM’

From top: Frankie with her boys; with the Saturdays, 2009; on Loose Women last month

47

A world of games awaits!

Discover 51 tabletop games from around the world including familiar favourites like Chess and Four in a Row. Use motion control to hit the bullseye in Darts or line up that perfect strike in Bowling. With so many games to choose from thereís something for everyone to play locally or online with family and friends.

Available from

£34.99 © 2021 Nintendo Copyright Nintendo 2021. Console around £279. Game £34.99 as of 18/06/21.

G R A Z I A CO LU M N

friendeavours

➴

EMMA JANE UNSWORTH’S GROWN-UP GUIDE TO FRIENDSHIP

Thoughtfulness is the secret power of true friendship

i’ve been thinking about thoughtfulness and what that really means in friendship. I went to a friend’s wedding recently and met some of her extended family for the first time. At the party afterwards, I was getting to know my friend’s sister, who at first I found abrupt and prickly.

Everything I said, she seemed to challenge. Had my friend slagged me off to her, the paranoid part of me thought? Did she disapprove of something I did years ago and was bearing a hefty grudge? Or did she just like a good ruck?

You know, one of those people whose life bio should read ‘Professional Devil’s Advocate, BA’.

There were things I was trying not to do, as always in social situations. I didn’t go overboard with the people-pleasing – the desperate ‘like me’ bombs that destroy my own true desires for the sake of other people’s opinions. But even so, I found this girl tough. Until an old uncle with dementia came in and she cared for him so thoughtfully, and I saw she was also caring for her sister, the bride, in this act, by not giving her any pressure to deal with on her big day – and I thought, ‘That’s the stuff that matters. She doesn’t have to fuss over everyone. She’s just there when it counts.’ She did it briskly, like she wasn’t doing it for brownie points but just because it

was something necessary. I liked her a lot after that. We had a laugh. And too much rum.

Thoughtfulness isn’t about what other people think of you. It’s about generosity without personal gain. It isn’t just attentiveness, which can be a little oppressive. No one wants to be the friend equivalent of an over-attentive waiter, constantly asking whether things are OK. Especially now, when we are all still tiptoeing back into everyday interactions. An emotional two-metre distance has replaced the physical one. Emotional distancing – it’s the new social distancing. And it’ll last a lot longer.

I feel like the plans I’m making with friends all require an extra level of thought and organisation.

For example, the kids and I were due to hang out with my friend and her children last week, so I booked a bouncy castle extravaganza at a local park. My friend told me sheepishly that she wasn’t comfortable with her two going on bouncy castles; she wasn’t even letting them in playgrounds right now. I resisted the urge to say, ‘But they go to school!’ Because everyone is in a different place and you have to respect that. The whole point of socialising is fun, isn’t it? Not endurance, or tolerance. So we did a picnic instead. It was great. I didn’t make a song and dance out of it. I tried to be as Covid-careful as I could, but not in a fussy, about-me way.

Another friend recently told me, after I’d booked us a posh dinner out, that she wasn’t ready to eat indoors yet. Not what you want to hear during a rainy summer, but again, fine.

I cancelled it and we ate fish and chips on a bench. Didn’t even talk about it, because this is a situation that needs managing differently with every person.

Essentially, thoughtfulness is respecting the needs of the person who feels more vulnerable.

Not so you can be the hero, but just because it’s the right thing to do. Maybe being less emotional, more analytical, is the key? All I know is, it feels good. Thoughtfulness is the secret power in friendship. And true thoughtfulness is the secret power in you. Treat yourself. Try it.

‘ Emotional distancing is the new social distancing – and it will last a lot longer’

49

N E W E P I S O D E S AVA I L A B L E N O W !

In pa r t n e r s h i p w i t h o u r f r i e n d s at

GRAZIA B E AU T Y LIFE LESSONS Looking for bridal beauty inspo? From that special, memorable fragrance to savvy hair and skincare tips, our guests share their best bridal beauty life lessons

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to listen S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

Grazia beauty director Joely Walker gets foolproof tips and brilliant product recommendations for your big day from model/mixologist Portia Freeman, and Liberty global head of content and author of The Mother Project, Sophie Beresiner (both left).

Take a snap of this page or listen via your usual podcasting apps on your iPhone or Android device

SCAN THIS CODE ON SPOTIFY TO LISTEN

50

grazia

FASHION

H OT H O L I DAYS FEEL TANTALISINGLY CLOSE BUT, IN THE MEANTIME, YOUR WARDROBE CAN PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED DOSE OF VITAMIN D. DOLCE & GABBANA’S BOX BAG, WITH ITS FLASHES OF TOMATO RED, SUNSHINE YELLOW AND AZURE BLUE, ENCAPSULATES SUMMER SPIRIT – JUST THINK OF IT AS YOUR PASSPORT TO AN OUT-OF-OFFICE MINDSET Bag, £3,385, shirt, £767, bikini briefs, £167, all Dolce & Gabbana (dolcegabbana.com)

WORDS: NATALIE HAMMOND

PHOTOGRAPH DANIEL FRASER FA S H I O N M O L LY H AY LO R

51

PHOTOGRAPHS OLIVIA LIFUNGULA

WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

FA S H I O N M O L LY H AY LO R

WORDS NATALIE HAMMOND

Four women with a passion for sport discuss how they balance style, substance and sustainability in their approach to life and work Post-lockdown, aspects of the way we dress have fundamentally changed. Our closets have become more relaxed, for one. And an industry-wide conversation about the impact of our consumption on the planet means brands are reassessing their practices. Certain items have emerged as perennials: a bold pair of trainers, for example, and leisurewear that can be dressed down or up. At Nike, fashion’s new mindset has led to the development of the VaporMax 2021 FK, one of the brand’s most sustainable trainers ever, made from

at least 40% recycled materials by weight.

‘We’re constantly rethinking every aspect of Nike – what products we make, how we make them and how we take them back and transform them into something new,’ Nike have said of the innovation (it’s also working with its extended supply chain to divert 100% of waste from landfill, with at least 80% being recycled back into Nike products and other goods by 2025).

Here, four gamechanging women put their spin on the shoe.

G R A Z I A FA S H I O N

KELECHI OKAFOR

Actor, director, podcast host and founder of Kelechnekoff Studio

Kelechi often finds herself filming stream-of-consciousness videos – touching on subjects ranging from politics and race to self-care – after a run by the river sparks an idea.

‘Running is like moving prayer for me and prayer is a conversation. I’m out there with no make-up, my hair any which way, because women should be seen, sharing what they want to share, and just be respected for that.’

Kelechi is helping to shake up the narratives around women’s bodies, particularly those policing young women (after being told she was ‘too muscular for a girl’ at school) and post-pregnancy weight loss. ‘People are looking for a flat tummy that doesn’t have any proof that you’ve birthed an entire human being,’ she says. ‘I’m not going to give society that.’ Between running and hosting classes at her pole dance studio in Peckham – a space that she founded to be as inclusive as possible – Kelechi’s activewear gets a lot of use. ‘If you choose great pieces, they last,’ she says. As well as being meticulous about looking after what she owns, Kelechi follows Aja Barber, a fashion consultant who talks about ‘how sustainability and fashion don’t have to be the antithesis of each other’, says Kelechi. ‘You can enjoy fashion and be conscious of how you’re enjoying that fashion.’ @kelechnekoff @kelechnekoff_studio

, r ers ea n w i s a or t FK tr sp ; 1 e 02 pl x 2 wn eo a P ee orM i’s o , Fr Va p 4 ch , £ 2 , a n d , Ke l e p to .95 ller y ro p £ 6 7 e c jew ss kir t , ; e e l am ack s h Nik Se t bo hp te c 9 . 9 5 , 9 £1

53

FA S H I O N G R A Z I A

ALICE TATE

Head of PR at The Hoxton For Alice, life used to run at 100 miles an hour, starting with cycling to a spin class, followed by long days of meetings, then work/repeat. ‘I’ve so cherished approaching things in a calmer way,’ she says of the slow down, which, incidentally, has been mirrored in her wardrobe for some time. As a former fashion journalist who now writes a travel blog advocating health, wellness and life outdoors, she still appreciates clothes but doesn’t follow trends.

‘I’m much more passionate about experiences and getting joy from them,’ Alice explains, adding that she’s been particularly cheered by the camaraderie at her local lido this summer. ‘There’s such a different demographic of people to what you’d usually see in a gym,’ she says. ‘It’s old grannies and dads and everyone has been in the same boat.’ @alice_tate

Sh

54

ir t

,£ Va 3 5 5 po , a rM nd sk ax 20 ir t , 21 £ FK 475 t ra , b o ine th rs Ja c ,£ 19 que 9.9 m 5, us a Ni ke t b r ; je ow we n s l l e fa s ry , A hion lic . e ’ s co m ow ; n

FELICIA PENNANT

Fashion journalist and founding editor-in-chief of SEASON

D D re s FK ri-F s, £ tr IT f 59 ai 5 ne ast , S rs ru im , £ nn o 19 in ne 9 . g s Ro 95 h c , b or t ha ot s, at £ h m N 31 at ik . e; 95 ch je , a es w n d fa el s l e Va h i o ry p , F o r n .c el M om ic ax ; ia ’s 20 2 ow 1 n

As the founder of SEASON, a zine that celebrates football and fashion, Felicia, unsurprisingly, has a wardrobe of treasured football shirts.

‘I’m a fan of clothing as art and as a document of our time,’ she says, adding that her jerseys ‘are exhibitable in my house’. As well as being fascinated by the rental revolution, Felicia has hosted upcycling workshops with designers such as Hattie Crowther, who makes corsets out of old football shirts.

Since launching in 2016, SEASON’s mission has been to counter the stereotypes about female fans and make space for marginalised communities in a sport that, Felicia says, desperately needs more intersectionality and people of colour in positions of power. Her ninth issue will be themed around Black joy. ‘Let’s talk about Black people in football who are thriving… rather than just asking Black people over and over to “relive that racism”.’ @feliciapennant @season_zine

JAMEELA ELFAKI

Photographer, DJ and founder and editor-in-chief of AZEEMA Always a sporty kid, Jameela excelled at running, high jump and long jump, but has recently picked up football again. ‘I play for Hampstead FC. It’s a grass roots women’s team and is one of the best things I’ve done for myself, for the community aspect and keeping active,’ she says. Even off the pitch, Jameela’s style veers towards practicality. ‘As a photographer, you have to get your hands dirty. But I’ll mix in a cute top and nice earrings.’

It’s AZEEMA – the magazine, community and creative agency she founded in 2017 to give a voice to women from the Southwest Asia, North Africa and South Asia diasporas – that Jameela considers her greatest achievement. ‘There was nothing speaking to that demographic, no fashion imagery or magazines. My background – half-Sudanese, halfEnglish – felt like a special intersection.

I was exploring my heritage through photographing women from these regions, looking at different interpretations of the word “azeema” or strength.’ Jameela believes the events of last year have helped make fashion more accessible. ‘Young designers are doing amazingly at the moment and that’s really shining through.’ @jameelaelfaki @azeemamag

G R A Z I A FA S H I O N

All hair Jaz Lanyero All make-up Laila Zakaria Production Jessica Harrison First photography assistant Guillaume Mercier Second photography assistant Sarah Ejionye Fashion assistant Remy Farrell

th bo , .95 wn 99 ’s o 1 £ la rs, mee e n a ra i ,J K t ller y F e 1 02 ; jew 2 ox ax r M t Yo o a r ap d V ande n ,a lS .95 0, Ji 2 £7 59 rd , e r, £ a t p ni g u e jum n i ng nn Ru e; fri Nik

57

MINIMALIST QUIET Pared-back neutrals can still wow. Just see minimal masters Jil Sander, Max Mara and Ellery.

EDITED BY JULIA HARVEY WORDS NATALIE HAMMOND

ELLERY VA L E N T I N O

DIOR

STELLA JEAN

EMILIO PUCCI

VS

MARNI

BALENCIAGA

MARNI

JIL SANDER

GIVENCHY

MAX MARA BURBERRY

LOUD Don’t hold back.

Versace, Marni and Balenciaga made ‘more is more’ their new season mantra.

B O T T E G A V E N E TA

JIL SANDER

Whether you’re a look-at-me dresser or subscribe to a more lo-fi ol of thought there’s plenty to fall in love with this pre-fall

MAXIMALIST

GR A Z I A FA S H I O N Sunglasses, £395, Lapima

NINA RICCI

(ELE VA BASI TED) C

Jacket, £315, The Kooples

Dress, £79, COS

SUMMER BLACK IS BACK, E S P E C I A L LY P A I R E D W I T H FRESH WHITE ACCESSORIES.

Bag, £450, Little Liffner

Shorts, £10, Tu at Sainsbury’s

UNLOCK

Ring, £100, Monica Vinader Sandals, £12, V by Very

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

DAY

Hat, £430, Missoni Sunglasses, £89, Kurt Geiger London

BRIG

HTS

Dress, £35.99, Mango

Sandals, £88, Free People

Ring, £115, Mejuri

SUNSHINE AND STRIPES ARE P E R F E C T C O M B I N AT I O N . B O N POINTS FOR CITRUS SHADES BALENCIAGA

Bag, £675, Loewe

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 FO R D E TA I L S

PURI

ST Earrings, £29.95, Soel + Gold

Sandals, £60, Geox

STREAMLINED SWIMWEAR AND ACCESSORIES IN MUTED NEUTRALS BRING THE CHIC. Towel, £16, John Lewis & Partners

Basket bag, £19.99, New Look

Swimsuit, £160, Jade Swim

Bag, £328, Porter Yashida & Co

Slides, £495, Balenciaga

BEACH

Sunglasses, £280, Gucci

Sarong, £705, Versace

PA T T

Hat, £195, Emilio Pucci

Suitcase, £169, Guess

ERNE

D

Sandals, £18, V by Very

Bikini top, £25, briefs, £16, River Island

GANNI

A LO G O SU ITC A S E WI LL A D D PRISTINE POLISH TO THIS P R I N T- H E AV Y PA C K I N G L I S T.

GR A Z I A FA S H I O N LESS Tank top, £9.99, H&M

Sandals, £35, Marks & Spencer

Belt, £160, Marina Rinaldi

Blazer, £250, Reiss

RESPIN ‘90S MINIMALISM W I T H P L AT F O R M F L I P - F LO P S A N D LO U C H E TA I LO R I N G .

Bralet, £420, Prada

GIVENCHY

Shorts, £16, George at Asda

Heels, £340, Andrea Wazen

NIGHT

MOR

E Sunglasses, £6, V by Very Top, £14.99, and trousers, £19.99, both Zara

Scarf, £350, Dolce & Gabbana

DIAL UP THE AFTER-DARK D R A M A W I T H P E TA L P R I N T S A N D ACID-BRIGHT ACCESSORIES. Bag, £475, Jacquemus

Shoes, £90, Dune London

61

MINIMALI The brands epitomising understated

Vest dress, £120 Top, £65

Dress, £140

Bag, £55

Sarong, £185



Dress, £115

THE LINE

BY K

Anything but basic

Jacket, £79



COS

Staples with a twist

Belt, £69

Shoes, £130



VAG A B O N D

Shoes with spirit

62

GR A Z I A FA S H I O N

MAXIMALIST ud and proud with these zeitgeist big hitt rs

Dress, £158

T-shirt, £55

Flares, £88 Dress, £102



FREE PEOPLE

Retro-inspired style Trousers, £85



Hat, £98

HOUSE OF SUNNY

Laid-back lounging

Multi stripe, £218



LAST FRAME

Bags of joy

Duo stripe, £235 Check, £235

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

F E AT U R E G R A Z I A

From Kate Moss to Phoebe Dynevor, how Self-Portrait’s Han Chong became the go-to man for post-vaccine social dressing

LIFE OF THE PARTY for the past year and counting, the only choice of location for interviews has been: Zoom or Teams? So it feels both refreshingly novel and comfortingly old school to meet with Han Chong for coffee at Shoreditch House, a short stroll away from his east London studio. Digital meetings are OK for admin stuff, he says, ‘But how can you chit-chat?’

Digital tedium aside, Han has done OK during the last 16 months. ‘I’m quite a positive person,’ he says, adding he found it surprisingly inspiring ‘to be able to put myself out of the box [of normal life]’. He did tick off a couple of the lockdown clichés, he jokes: living in sweatpants for six months (‘I cannot wear more… I feel like I let myself go’) and learning to cook (fried noodles and Malaysian chicken with green peppers) via YouTube tutorials.

Still, as the founder and creative director of Self-Portrait – which he has steered to global brand status in less than a decade – there was inevitably pressure on his shoulders. Not just because the pandemic ravaged the entire fashion industry, but also because of the nature of Self-Portrait: a go-to for playfully pretty occasionwear. It’s unlikely you’ve been to a wedding in the past few years where there hasn’t been at least one Self-Portrait dress present. Can a party dress brand survive, let alone thrive, when there are no parties to go to?

But Han knew our desire to dress up

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM, SELF-PORTRAIT

WORDS LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN

Designer Han Chong (top left) and his designs

would return – and he could see it in the sales (his online business grew 65% in the last year). Knitwear performed well in lockdown, though by last winter occasionwear was picking up again. The American market – normally fond of neutrals – was gravitating towards colour.

White pieces were surging by February (you do the maths). ‘People are longing to feel good again,’ he says.

Now, amid the tentative unlocking, his instinct has been proved right: see Diane Kruger in a candy-striped miniskirt and sweater set. Nicola Coughlan in a gatheredbodice mididress. Pregnant Princess Beatrice in a puff sleeved polka-dot dress.

Paris Hilton in a succession of the signature lace mididresses.

Another fan is Phoebe Dynevor, who scored her first campaign as the face of Self-Portrait’s A/W ’21 collection and wore one of his slinky knit dresses to Wimbledon this summer. Thanks to lockdown, Han has spent more time in London than ever and so he knew he wanted a ‘very British’ campaign. Since everyone was watching Bridgerton at Christmas, Phoebe felt like a natural choice. As she shot to fame in lockdown, it felt like a tribute to the times we are living in. ‘[She is] very inspiring for a lot of people – going through what we’ve been through and giving all this positive energy,’ he says. ‘She was so nice, very down to earth, so warm. I feel like her attitude is very Self-Portrait: effortless but kinda cool.’

Shifting gears, he picked – ‘Who else?!’

– Kate Moss to star in the Pre-Fall 2021 campaign. ‘We had so much fun!’ says Han, who describes Kate as ‘so professional, so chatty, so polite. Full of life!’ and says that the white lace dress she wore was one of her favourite pieces. In their twenties and forties and with wildly different styles, Phoebe and Kate exemplify the broad appeal of Self-Portrait. Phoebe is the embodiment of its sweet side; Kate channels its sexy, sleek confidence. ‘It’s not one type of woman,’ says Han, who adds that, as a designer, he wants to encourage women to inhabit different sides of their personality.

He’d love to see breakthrough tennis star Emma Raducanu in a future campaign.

He might be an A-list favourite now, but Han’s story started in a completely different world. Growing up ‘in the countryside, by the sea’ in Penang, Malaysia, his origin story doesn’t involve his mother’s couture

Clockwise from above: Kate Moss, Phoebe Dynevor, Diane Kruger, Princess Be and Nicola C

collection or even poring over fashion magazines (rather, he says, he didn’t even know he could study fashion until he was 17 – when he went to art college). What did shape his outlook, however, was seeing the way the women in his family and community changed when they got dressed up. ‘When a woman has a great dress, she blossoms straight away,’ he says, creating an hourglass shape with his hands. He was sensitive to women, curious about their needs.

Having decamped to London to study at Central Saint Martins, he initially found it hard to secure a job (‘It’s harder for a foreigner’). Still, spurred on by the anythingis-possible optimism of his early twenties – ‘out until seven, in work at eight’, he laughs – he kept going, eventually landing roles in-house at high-street brands, which gave him a holistic understanding of the business.

Han noticed a gap in the market for mid-level pricing, that sweet spot between the high street and high-end, still a novel idea when he founded the brand in 2013.

Self-Portrait dresses retail for around £350, straddling the attainable and aspirational.

Initially, fashion buyers told him he was

pricing them too cheaply, but Han stuck to his guns – and it worked (his first Net-APorter drop sold out almost immediately).

The democratic spirit doesn’t just apply to the prices but the attitude. Han mans the brand’s Instagram account himself (@mrselfportrait) and welcomes feedback from its 1.1m followers. He’s also buoyed to see a new-generation of brides tagging him in their wedding pictures – there are the pieces he would expect to see getting a big-day twirl, but also those he might not have, like knit sets. It’s inspiring, he says, to see brides dressing for themselves ‘instead of what they’re expected to wear’.

But what about those of us who aren’t anywhere near the white dress stage? Han lights up. ‘There’s a lot of Hot Girl Summer dresses in the collection!’ he giggles conspiratorially, pulling out his phone to proffer suggestions. He pauses on a stretch crêpe mididress, with a slit to the knee. ‘It’s not too revealing and you can eat because it’s gathered here!’ he says pointing out the forgiving ruching around the waist. See, democratic.

This year, Self-Portrait introduced its first childrenswear collection, so what’s next on the agenda? Not to do ‘more, more, more’ but simply to make what he does ‘the best it can be’. Han’s core intention is solid: ‘What I always wanted from the start of Self-Portrait is to make women feel wonderful in themselves. That’s always been my true passion.’

Given his newfound skills in the kitchen, might we see a Self-Portrait restaurant perhaps? ‘Umm, not there yet!’ he laughs.

Yet. You can’t help but think that if he put his mind to it, it might just happen.

65

FA S H I O N G R A Z I A

Own a piece of a fashion history. The dove of peace brooch Lady Gaga wore with her custom Schiaparelli look to the Presidential Inauguration is now available to buy.

Proceeds are donated to her Born This Way foundation. From £590, schiaparelli.com

Your need-to-know fashion news

The perfect investment piece: Tudor’s Black Bay Fifty-Eight now comes in a new chocolate brown and bronze colourway. £3,390, exclusive to the Tudor boutique, Westfield London Don’t miss the Design Museum’s retrospective of Charlotte Perriand, the visionary architect and designer whose work still has influence today. The fashion pack has been feverishly posting pics of her iconic interiors – you’ll likely do the same.

Until 5 Sept, Design Museum, London

WORDS: LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN. LABEL TO KNOW WORDS: NATALIE HAMMOND. PHOTOS: CHARLOTTE PERRIAND ON THE CHAISE LONGUE BASCULANTE, 1929 © ADAGP, PARIS AND DACS, LONDON 2021/© ACHP

TAKE NOTE

Here’s your ‘something old’ sorted. Resellfridges: The Wedding is popping up at Selfridges’ Corner Shop, offering one-of-a-kind, pre-loved and vintage wedding outfits and accessories including high-fash finds from vintage aficionado Marie Blanchet of Mon Vintage.

Until 5 Sept, Selfridges London

Y2K, hun? What with Bennifer, Sex And The City and visible thongs all getting a reboot, we’re getting major early noughties vibes.

Consider Paris Hilton’s 21st birthday look a must for your Hot Girl Summer mood board.

✦

L A B E

L

T

O

L A B E

L

CREDITS HERE

✦

Introducing Cameluxe a mindful new innovatio from Max Mara The Cube. Discarded camel hair fabrics are upcycled and transformed into insulated padding on coats, jackets and gilets – and they look great. maxmara.com

K N O W

Punchy and playful, Kai Collective is designed to make women feel like their best selves (see founder Fisayo Longe’s feed for a masterclass in how to wear). Plissé set (above), sizes 6 to 20, £160, kaicollective.com

O

K N O W

T

It feels almost wrong to wish away summer, but Marc Cain’s knitted coat – with 1,600 fringes – has got us doing exactly that. £729, marccain.com

LISA FOLAWIYO when lisa folawiyo founded her eponymous brand in 2005, it was to reclaim and redefine African fashion. At its heart is Ankara fabric. ‘It has been interwoven into our sartorial expression and culture across decades; its very essence is rich in history and tradition,’ says Lisa.

Designed and handmade in Lagos, Nigeria, the brand has been built around a team of predominantly female artisans who retexturise traditional fabrics with embellishment to create clothes that marry the old with the new (Lisa wears her printed cotton co-ords, which are selling fast on Matches Fashion, with everything from bucket hats to wooden clogs).

‘If we want to tell a holistic story about our experience and our culture, it’s important to use our traditional techniques, fabrics and methods, but constantly innovate while doing that,’ says Lisa. ‘It is about connection – to one’s place and to oneself.’

67

& A I Z A R G O T E B I R C S B SU S C I T E M S O C I I M S I H T GET !

7 4 £ H T R O W DUrOy new subscriber will receive te t e l Eve a P e p a c s m a e r D s c i t e m s o C k c i a Mii t s p i L r e v o L p i L t s o o B a r d y and H TA K E A DVA N TAG E O F THESE BENEFITS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE:

✱ Stay informed with thought-provoking

news and profiles. ✱ Be inspired by the latest in fashion, beauty and wellness. ✱ We’ll send you a Mii Cosmetics Duo. ✱ Pay just £4.50 a month. ✱ Delivery is FREE.

GIFT WORTH £47

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE OR ON THE PHONE QUOTING KHAA

K AT H R Y N

Mii’s Dreamscape Palette in Temptress is a suits-everyone compact for eyes and face, with four richly pigmented eyeshadows that can be worn individually or blended together, a sun-kissed bronzer and a pearlescent highlighter. The HydraBoost Lip Lover lipstick in Nudist, meanwhile, delivers a hit of colour with hydrating care.

Water-binding, volume-boosting hyaluronic acid gives lips a healthy, plumped look, while Ayurvedic herb swertia chirata extract supports cell regeneration and strengthens the delicate lip area. Designed to smooth fine lines, this moisturising lip treatment gives a glossy finish, is dermatologisttested and suitable for vegans.

UNLOCK

GRAZIA

Scan to shop

S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

PRINT SUBSCRIPTION

£4.50 A MONTH

S AV I N G £ 1 7. 5 0 A Y E A R

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

£3.30 A MONTH

W H E N YO U PAY B Y C R E D I T O R D E B I T C A R D O R PAY PA L

GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK/GRAZIA 01858 438884

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL START WITH THE NEXT AVAILABLE ISSUE. MINIMUM SUBSCRIPTION TERM IS 26 ISSUES. PRICES QUOTED APPLY WHEN PAYING BY RECURRING PAYMENT. ONE-OFF PAYMENTS ALSO AVAILABLE – SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. OFFER ENDS 6 SEPTEMBER 2021. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REPLACE THE GIFT WITH ONE OF EQUAL OR HIGHER VALUE OR OFFER A THREE ISSUE EXTENSION IF THE OFFER IS OVERSUBSCRIBED. GIFT LIMIT IS 300. UK GIFTS ONLY. OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE. AFTER YOUR FIRST 26 ISSUES (ONE YEAR) YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL CONTINUE AT THE PRICE YOU PAID ON THIS OFFER THEREAFTER UNLESS YOU ARE NOTIFIED OTHERWISE. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A RENEWAL REMINDER AND THE RECURRING PAYMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN UNLESS YOU TELL US OTHERWISE. COST FROM LANDLINES FOR 01 NUMBERS PER MINUTE ARE (APPROXIMATELY) 2P TO 10P. COST FROM MOBILES PER MINUTE ARE (APPROXIMATELY) 10P TO 40P. COSTS VARY DEPENDING ON GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. YOU MAY GET FREE CALLS TO SOME NUMBERS AS PART OF YOUR CALL PACKAGE – PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR PHONE PROVIDER. ORDER LINES OPEN 8AM-7PM (MON-FRI), 8AM-4PM (SAT). CALLS MAY BE MONITORED FOR TRAINING PURPOSES. FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS VISIT GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK/OFFER-TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS

I have never before felt so represented and heard by a magazine… reading it is like chatting to a friend who gets it.

69

health+

BEAUTY

WORDS: JOELY WALKER. SHADES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): FLARE, HEAT, VOLT, RAY. ALL AT GLOSSIER.COM

A N Y T H I N G G LO S S I E R TOUCHES TURNS TO GOLD. OR , IN THIS CASE, BRONZE. FOUR SHADES OF SOLAR PAINT LUMINOUS BRONZER CRÈME, £17 EACH, DISH OUT SUN-KISSED COMPLEXIONS FOR ALL SKIN TONES.

IT’ S NE W + W E WAN T IT!

PHOTOGRAPH DENNIS PEDERSEN

71

SUMMER HAIR SOS We’ve rounded up the best expert-approved, smart solutions for every summer hair drama going.

And there are a LOT WORDS CHLOE BURCHAM

G R A Z I A H E A LT H + B E AU T Y

WHAT TO DO IF… Kérastase Curl Manifesto Masque Beurre Haute Nutrition, £36.40

ghd Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray, from £12

George Northwood Unparched Shampoo, £12, and Conditioner, £18

Aveda Blonde Revival Purple Toning Conditioner, £26.50

…You’ve overdone it on the bleach since the salons reopened While we’re dye-hard fans of balayage, any bleacher will know that sometimes it’s all too easy to get carried away. ‘Excessive bleaching can cause your hair to look and feel dry, and you might notice that your colour is not looking as bright as it normally does,’ says Harriet Muldoon, head colourist at Larry King London. A good way to assess whether your hair is weakened is the ‘stretch test’. When your hair is wet, gently pull one strand and see if it retracts back to its original shape. If it doesn’t (or worse, it snaps), then your hair has lost elasticity (a combo of protein and moisture in the hair) and needs some TLC. ‘Redken’s in-salon Acidic Concentrate treatment provides maximum nourishment, colour care, strength repair and shine for visible results after just one treatment,’ advises Harriet.

Sign us up.

…Your hair has taken the brunt of heat styling now that you’re finally going out-out ‘Overusing heat tools, or spending too much time in the sun without using a good heat protector, will make your hair feel dehydrated and crispy,’ says brand founder and A-list hairdresser George Northwood.

Look for products that lock in moisture, leaving hair healthier and more hydrated.

George advises letting your hair air-dry naturally in the warmer weather. ‘Not only will this give it a chance to recover, but you’ll get to know your natural texture and how to best enhance it.’

...The recent heatwave has frazzled your textured hair Hot weather can zap hydration and dry out curls. ‘UV rays cause damage to our hair’s lipid layer,’ explains Michelle Sultan, textured hair specialist and creative director at Imbue. ‘This breaks down our hair’s natural barrier protection, meaning critical moisture is lost.’ To swerve this dry spell, ‘Afro and curly hair types need regular moisture top-ups,’ says hair stylist, founder of Charlotte Mensah Hair and ghd’s global ambassador, Charlotte Mensah.

Apply a treatment every two weeks to help strengthen, and spritz on a heat-protective spray with added UV filters during the summer months.

Imbue Curl Defending Heat Protection Mist, £7.99 Charlotte Mensah Manketti Hair Oil, £48

Goldwell BondPro+ Repair and Structure Spray, £15 L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut Repair Oil, £25.50

Redken Extreme Mask, £26

73

Cloud Nine Cordless Iron Pro, £349

Sol de Janerio Brazilian Joia Refreshing Dry Shampoo, £14

Sun Bum Revitalizing 3 In 1 Leave In Conditioner, £15.99

Living Proof In-Shower Styler, £23

Amika The Shield Anti-Humidity Spray, £20

We’ve all been there. You go for a much-needed trim and get talked into chopping away more inches than you’d bargained for.

‘If you’re struggling to style your new shorter ’do, opt for a heated styler with smaller plates, like the Cloud Nine Cordless Iron Pro, which can get right into the root,’ advises pro hair stylist Casey Coleman.

‘You can create textured movement, waves and curls with a simple flick of the wrist.’

Not a fan of heat styling? ‘Tuck your hair behind your ears and let it dry naturally for an undone, relaxed texture that’s way cooler than any unwanted haircut,’ advises hair stylist Luke Hersheson. Duly noted.

…Your hair wash schedule can’t keep up with your back-to-work life balance One of the small luxuries of lockdown (if you were WFH) was the chance to partake in a late-morning – or hell, even a lunch hour – hair wash. But now that many of us are heading back to the office and gym and leaning into a life filled with proper nights out again, our hair wash schedule has been thrown out of whack, with greasy roots impacting our much-improved social calendar. Luckily, dry shampoo formulas have been given a revamp, with zero residue and so-good-it-couldbe-perfume fragrances. Able to wash but no time to style? Try Living Proof ’s new In-shower Styler. Simply apply in the shower, rinse, scrunch and let your hair air-dry for natural texture, body, softness and shine.

...Your hair is ‘doing a Monica’ in the summer humidity We all know that the classic British summer (rain, sun, showers, repeat) can be hard to predict – and those differences in atmosphere, pressure and humidity can cause hair to rebel. Throw air-con into the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for dry, frazzled strands.

‘Should you want to tackle frizz, apply your smoothing products when the hair is wet,’ suggests Luke Hersheson. ‘This way, you’ll fill in any ridges along the hair shaft and lock in hydration as the hair dries, meaning the hair won’t frizz out as much when it inevitably comes into contact with moisture.’

Larry King Hair Care Liquid Hairbrush Conditioner, £21 Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, £10

John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum, £6.99

PHOTOS: FERNANDO GOMEZ/TRUNK ARCHIVE

…You went OTT with your postpandemic cut and now have no idea how to style it

G R A Z I A H E A LT H + B E AU T Y Marie Reynolds London Coll-Force, £25

Hello Klean Shower Filter, £60

The Body Shop Ginger Scalp Serum, £15

...Your hair’s feeling ultra-dry and you just can’t work out why If you’re having a hair ’mare that you don’t understand, it might be down to minerals in your tap water. ‘Hard water is full of heavy metals that can coat the hair and cause it to appear brittle and lifeless,’ says skin expert Marie Reynolds. Over time, these may cause irritation to your skin and scalp, exacerbating issues such as eczema, dandruff and psoriasis.

Hello Klean Shower Filter, £60, helps to remove chlorine, heavy metals and chemicals from your shower. Combine with a clarifying shampoo and an ultra-nourishing mask and get ready for healthier, h

…Your burnout from too many boozy BBQs If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends and your hair and scalp seem to be taking the brunt of it, you’re not alone.

‘Hair health is closely linked to diet,’ says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. ‘Being nonessential tissue, your hair is the first part of your body to suffer when you aren’t eating well. Heavy drinking can also cause dehydration, which affects all skin – including your scalp.’

Treat your scalp like you would the rest of your skin and invest in targeted treatments, such as weekly scrubs and masks, and try biotin-rich supplements if you’re looking to boost hair growth and shine.

Philip Kingsley Vitamin C Jelly Detoxifying Hair and Scalp Treatment, £28

L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Metal Detox Anti-Metal Cleansing Cream Shampoo, £25

THE GRAZIA BEAUTY TEAM’S SUMMER HAIR HEROES L’Oréal Paris Wonder Water, £9.99 ‘It’s the humidity!’ If you’re with me (and Friends’ Monica in the Barbados heat), then this will be a godsend. Some sort of formulation wizardry allows this liquid conditioner to soften strands like few others, meaning my frazzled ends (damn you, bleach) don’t run wild. I bought four on my last Amazon shop – and that says it all.’

Joely Walker, beauty director Ultrasun UV Face & Scalp Mist SPF50, £18 ‘I’m not a keen hat-wearer, so this is my go-to for shielding my scalp from the sun and a staple in my summer haircare routine. It’s lightweight, offers SPF50 protection and, best of all, leaves zero greasy residue.’

Annie Vischer, beauty editor Airfro 00.3 DFY Curl Refresh, £10.95 ‘As temperatures rise, my naturally coily Afro hair tends to suffer. I overheat, sweat and want to do as little fussy styling as possible. This dry shampoo acts like a deodorant – not only cleansing my hair, but protecting it from greasy build-up, leaving my scalp refreshed and my curls hydrated.’ Remy Farrell, fashion and beauty assistant Color Wow Dream Coat, £26 ‘I’m notoriously lazy when it comes to haircare and this multitasker ticks all my boxes: intensely conditioning, the smart formula also repels moisture (bye frizz), adds shine and protects against heat. Simply spritz on to wet hair before blow-drying and you’re good to go. Plus, the results last up to three washes.’

Chloe Burcham, beauty contributor

Josh Wood Colour Miracle Mask, £19

75

THE LOWMAINTENANCE LIE ‘Tweakments’, cosmetic dentistry and spa therapies have never been more popular – so why do we still lie about having them done, asks Laura Antonia Jordan n the fledgling days of a not-to-be relationship, a man I I was dating brought up a mutual acquaintance. ‘What has she done to her face?’ he asked, before adding with a wink, ‘But you’re lucky.

You don’t need to do anything.’

Still keen to impress upon him my low-key, laid-back disposition (not accurate, FYI), I just mustered up a coquettish smile and gave a noncommittal ‘Mmmmm.’

The more honest response would have been, ‘Well actually, I get Botox. And balayage.

And regular waxes. And facials. My eyebrows are filled in, my teeth straightened by an Invisalign. I use a £205 Augustinus Bader moisturiser religiously. Oh, and I get colonics. But, other than that, nothing.’

Spurred on by social media, the gulf between high- and low-maintenance beauty has never felt wider. And perhaps because we consider some looks to be obviously ‘fake’, it generates uninvited criticism.

Let’s call it the Love Island look. As predictable as the ‘mugging offs’ and the dresses with a shorter shelf life than milk, each season sees a rabid influx of commentary about the female contestants’ faces and bodies, and a flurry of forensic dissections of what they looked like before.

It’s not new. The Kardashians are a source of endless speculation; back in 2006 it was the Baden-Baden WAGs whose teeth, tans and hair were the target of national mockery.

Perhaps one reason why we feel entitled to do this is that we consider many of these women to be so obviously cheating, tapping into beauty on demand (I’d also argue there’s a huge dollop of classism in there, but that’s a whole other conversation). Their high-maintenance approach is clearly visible in every inflated pout and pneumatic boob.

78

But is what many of us are doing stealthily really that different? Weren’t even the apparently laissez-faire among us gobsmacked by how much we missed salons during lockdown? I’m talking about women like me, who are secretly high-maintenance.

Take Jen*, 37, a stylist and one of the most elegantly pared-back women I know.

‘To an untrained eye, I look like I don’t really care. But the truth is I do really care. I might wear a tracksuit, but it’s cashmere and the fit is just right. That spirit definitely flows through to my beauty routine. People assume I don’t wear make-up, but I just try really hard to look like I’m not wearing any and have an obsessive interest in skincare. I don’t want to appear frozen because that’s a different kind of woman,’ she says, adding another of her friends briefs her aesthetician to make her look ‘French and worn in’.

Jen’s had Botox, wants Profhilo (injectable hyaluronic acid) and travels with an arsenal of styling tools to make it look like she’s done nothing (the irony is not lost on her).

‘I’m quite secretive and try hard to maintain the illusion that I’m low-maintenance. I’m not sure where I’d draw the line. As long as I look natural and like I’m not trying, I’m happy to do whatever it takes.’

‘MANY PEOPLE STILL SEE BOTOX, FILLERS AND THE LIKE AS CROSSING A LINE’

Ella*, 38, admits, ‘I’m a sneaky tweakment fan and, if I tot it up, have spent thousands over the years.’ She’s partaken in Botox, Invisalign and lip-filler, not that you can tell. ‘People never put me down as someone who might have a souped-up routine; instead, they’ll complain to me about women who do. I think a lot of people – especially men – have an idea of what a ‘high-maintenance’ woman looks like that isn’t actually accurate: we’re not all Kardashian-a-likes. I’d often choose a lie-in over bothering with make-up. I don’t see injectables as very different from opting for highlights or gel nails, to be honest.’

Fair point. Isn’t everyone who puts on make-up engaging in a little low-grade trickery? How many women do you really know who ‘woke up like this’? Bobbi Brown built a cosmetics empire on helping women achieve the highly desired natural look.

Her new venture, Jones Road Beauty, offers multipurpose products that are so easy to use, you can apply them in the back of the car. ‘The unofficial hashtag of Jones Road is ‘how not to look like shit’ – doesn’t every woman simply want that?’ she says. ‘I find most women want to look fresh, not stressed, not tired!’ Since most of us are stressed and tired, that’s where her clever products come in, be it the Face Pencil to even out skin tone or the Miracle Balm to add a flush of colour to the cheeks. The result? No-make-up make-up – not explicitly cheating, just bending the rules a bit (Brown, FYI, also says she gets her hair coloured every two to three weeks).

So what is the secret to pulling off the ‘done nothing’ look? A light touch helps but it’s also a question of considered styling; knowing what to touch and what to leave alone.

And this school of thought doesn’t just

G R A Z I A H E A LT H + B E AU T Y

BOTOX L A M I N AT E D E Y E B R OW S

CHEEK FILLERS

MICRODERMABRASION

TEETH WHITENING

H E A LT H + B E AU T Y G R A Z I A

80

TRICK OR TREAT ?

Used weekly, Dr Michael Prager Urban Protect Acid Peel Mask, £80, leaves your skin looking and feeling fresh.

Scribble Jones Road Beauty Face Pencil, £23, over anywhere you want a touch o covert coverage.

Augustinus Bader The Cream, £205, is the cult moisturiser that every beauty editor I know uses.

#f*ckgravity #livelovelift) – but it is everyone’s prerogative not to share what (if anything) they’ve had done. The problem comes not with the Love Island types – there is something frank about the artifice of their looks – rather those who are celebrated for their ‘natural’ beauty and publicly put it all down to early nights/‘clean’ food/a certain-moisturiser-I-happen-to-beendorsing, sometimes even publicly distancing themselves from ever getting

A primer, texturiser, tamer, conditioner and more, Hershesons ‘no BS’ Almost Everything Cream, £10, does exactly that.

Pat Jones Road Beauty Miracle Balm, £34, over the apples of your cheeks for an instant pick-me-up.

‘work’ done (spoiler: it’s just good work).

‘It can really affect the self-esteem of their audience,’ says Estelle, who is open about the procedures she’s had done. ‘I’ve had clients say things like, “I think I just have bad genes,” because they compare themselves to somebody who isn’t honest about the measures they’ve taken to look so great. I encourage us all to be open because, fundamentally, we all just want to look our best and there is no shame in that.’

MAIN PHOTO (POSED BY MODEL): MARY FIX/GALLERYSTOCK. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

apply to skincare, it’s a holistic state of mind. Think having Botox but leaving your hair unbrushed, whitening your teeth but wearing Birkenstocks.

According to legendary hair stylist Luke Hersheson, CEO of Hersheson’s (where I go and always brief the team to ‘make it look like I haven’t been to the hairdresser’), ‘A bit like how you should wear the dress, the dress shouldn’t wear you, a great haircut should never look like a haircut, it should just look like a part of you,’ he says. ‘I think when things get forced and fixed and stiff it’s very obvious.’ Meanwhile, at cosmetic dentist Dr Thomas Crawford-Clarke’s Harley Street clinic, he says, ‘The women I see want to make sure that whatever treatment they have, [they don’t look] like they are wearing someone else’s smile.’

Yet, even though we might drop a small fortune every year on haircuts and make-up, many people still see Botox, fillers and the like as crossing a line. Perhaps that’s down to a PR issue; it’s the cartoonish and botched jobs that grab the headlines.

‘There’s a misconception that “work” will look obvious and “unnatural”, usually from people who are yet to dip their toe into the world of aesthetic treatments,’ says medical aesthetician, skin specialist and founder of Bea Skin Clinic, Bianca Estelle. ‘Aesthetic medicine should be used to enhance, restore and maintain. My philosophy is always to empower my clients and I will be honest if ever I see them wanting to take it (what I deem to be) “too far”.’

You wouldn’t know that the women who attend Dr Michael Prager’s Knightsbridge clinic had had things done. His strapline has always been, he says, ‘Work so subtle, not even your partner has to know. Most people are paranoid about having cosmetic procedures done that are clearly cosmetic.

There is a huge stigma attached to it still.

Especially in the generation that has not grown up with social media. I would say 80% of my patients would never want to have to admit to what they are doing with me.’ But, he cautions, rather than moving away from the obviously ‘fake’ look, ‘We are moving full-speed into it... I now can see that the fake look is even featured in UK soaps. Never saw that before the pandemic.’

The knock-on effect of all this tweaking and tucking and lifting is the expectations it sets, especially for girls and teens. Sure, there are Marc Jacobs types – he posted a picture last month of his post-facelift bandaged face (with the hashtags

P R O M OT I O N

Yo u r s u m m e r shopping destination Staying at home? Here are six reasons to make a trip to the open-air boulevards of Bicester Village part of your staycation

R E L A X , TA K E I T E A S Y Have a stress-free experience with: Concierge Services, Hands-Free Shopping, Reserved Parking, Personal Shopping and Virtual Shopping.

GET 10% OFF

1 . I T ’ S S H O E H E A V E N . Think Aquazzura,

Grazia readers can save 10% on the newly arrived collections at Bicester Village with a VIP pass.* To redeem your saving, simply download this VIP Pass prior to your visit and present its QR code before making a purchase in the boutiques or via Virtual Shopping. Offer ends 15 September 2021. * Terms and conditions apply

Manolo Blahnik and Rupert Sanderson.

2 . G E T A J U M P O N N E X T- S E A S O N

A/W arrivals have dropped at Acne Studios, Reiss, Golden Goose, Monica Vinader, Missoni, ba&sh, Vivienne Westwood – and more.

FAS H I O N .

3 . C O N S I D E R YO U R B E AU T Y U P G R A D E

Find your summer superheroes at Laura Mercier, NARS, MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Rituals, Bobbi Brown – and more.

4 . I T ’ S F A B F O R F I T N E S S . Up your fit-kit game with a visit to lululemon, Sweaty Betty and New Balance.

5 . F O O D I E S W I L L L O V E I T . Indulge in four-cheese truffle pizza and negronis at SO RT E D.

the farmshop restaurant and café. And don’t miss the new La Tua Pasta pop-up: the pea and shallot ravioli is to die for.

6. IT ’S JUST A STONE’S THROW FROM

Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, yet just a 46-minute train ride from the capital, it’s the perfect daycation.

LONDON.

B E AU T Y G R A Z I A

THE GREEN BEAUTY GUIDE Our beauty team share their best sustainable beauty buys and smart shopping tips

PHOTOGRAPH SAM COPELAND WORDS ANNIE VISCHER

industry produces more than 120 billion units of packaging globally every year, 79% of which ends up in landfill or pollutes the environment. The impetus is there for consumers like us to make eco-friendly choices, but with green-washing (jargon used to mislead customers about the eco-friendly credentials of a product) rife, browsing for truly sustainable beauty buys can sometimes be confusing. So, in an effort to decode today’s green beauty conundrum, we’ve compiled our favourite tried-and-tested sustainable beauty staples – from reusable cotton pads to the bathroom addition that will make recycling second nature and the best refillable buys…

THE BEAUT Y

UNLOCK

GRAZIA Scan to shop S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

It’s estimated that around 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash into the ocean every year.

£28, Neighbourhood Botanicals

£8, Garnier £32, REN

J O E LY WA L K E R B E AU T Y & H E A LT H DIRECTOR

M Y S U S TA I N A B L E S W A P C O T T O N PA D S F O R

ANNIE VISCHER BEAUTY EDITOR

MAKE-UP: POLLY MERCER. HAIR: ROSS MCLAUGHLAN. MODEL: SHAN AT FIRST MODEL MANAGEMENT

REUSABLE COT TON M A K E - U P PA D S

M Y S U S TA I N A B L E S W A P

I used to always have a glass jar of cotton pads on the go for make-up removal, until I heard that they rarely biodegrade because of the bleaching and plastic-laden processes that go into making them. I switched to Garnier Micellar Reusable Make-Up Remover Eco Pads, £8, last year, with 16 in constant rotation and a little net pouch that ensures I don’t lose any in the washing machine.

MASS MARKET PRODUCTS FOR

MY GREEN BEAUT Y HABIT

S M A L L - B AT C H B E A U T Y H E R O E S

Neighbourhood Botanicals is a carbonnegative brand with recyclable packaging, offering up cruelty-free and vegan skincare and haircare laced with cold-pressed raw oils. I try to factor in a five-minute gua sha face massage once a week in front of Netflix, so the Neighbourhood Botanicals Simmer Down Serum, £28 – made especially to calm irritated skin, with plant actives such as hemp and tomato seed oil – and the highly Instagram-able Blue Aventurine Jade Gua Sha Board, £16, are musts for me.

I H AV E A R E C YC L I N G B I N I N M Y B AT H R O O M

MY GREEN BEAUT Y HABIT

Putting a Joseph Joseph Split 8L Waste and Recycling Bin, £25, in my bathroom has meant that, over time, all those cardboard toilet roll tubes, shampoo bottles and cosmetic containers – which might otherwise have been destined for general rubbish – have reached a recycling centre.

BUYING REEF-SAFE SPF

I wear an SPF every day, so it’s important to me that the one I choose doesn’t harm the environment. Many contain ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which scientists have linked to coral bleaching. I look for ‘reef safe’ on the label and favour mineral sunscreens, such as REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 Mattifying Face Sunscreen, £32.

GREEN BEAUTY LINGO DECODED Clean There’s no legal definition of ‘clean’, but it is generally understood to mean that a beauty product is free from ingredients that could have the potential to cause sensitivity, such as pesticides, phthalates and sulphates.

Vegan Vegan means that no animal-derived ingredients or animal byproducts feature in the ingredients list or manufacturing process of a product.

Look for The Vegan Society logo to determine whether a product is officially vegan.

Cruelty-free This means that no animal testing was carried out in the development of a product. Look for the Leaping Bunny logo – the only internationally recognised cruelty-free symbol.

Natural vs naturally derived Natural means that you’re buying a product in its original form. Naturally derived means that natural ingredients have been used and processed in the making of a product.

Small-batch beauty Small-batch beauty brands produce products on a much smaller scale, often by hand, which minimises waste.

Organic This means the ingredients in a beauty product are grown without manufactured herbicides, artificial fertilisers, synthetic colours, preservatives or other chemicals.

Look out for the Soil Association logo.

The Body Shop has pledged that 155 of its UK stores will have refill stations by the end of this year.

REMY FARRELL FASHION & BEAUTY A S S I STA N T £25, Joseph Joseph

£2, The Body Shop

£2.95, Lush

M Y Z E R O - PA C K A G I N G S TA P L E

M Y F AV O U R I T E R E F I L L A B L E

LU SH SOF T COEUR MAS SAGE BAR ,

T H E B O DY S H O P R E F I L L S TAT I O N ,

£ 8 , L U S H O VA L T I N P R O D U C T

FROM £2

HOLDER, £2.95

Buy one of the brand’s aluminium refill bottles for just £2 and fill up on haircare, shower gels and hand washes from some of its best-loved ranges. My favourite? The Almond Milk & Honey Shower Gel. A full 300ml refill only costs me £5, whereas a brand-new 250ml bottle is £6.50.

I always keep one of these nourishing bars in my bag. It’s a real multitasker. I work its conditioning blend of cocoa and shea butter into warm skin after a shower, into aching muscles after exercise and into dry hands and cracked heels on-the-go.

83

H E A LT H + B E AU T Y G R A Z I A

Skincare to soothe hot flushes, tips for a sounder sleep and hormone-conquering hair heroes

FEELGOOD FILES

M E N O PAU S E SPECIAL

SPIRIT

Beauty brands are on a mission to bring ‘the change’ into our collective consciousness. ‘It’s a fact of life that’s accompanied by some uncomfortable physical symptoms and mental hurdles that alter our wellbeing and beauty requirements,’ says Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty, which has seen a 106% rise in sales in the menopause category over the past year.

Here to support our skin and hair through the transition are beauty’s latest gamechangers: Around 80% of menopausal women experience hot flushes**.

PRAI’s MenoGlow Hot Flush Cool Fix Serum, £28, soothes skin with its refreshing roller ball applicator and gel-like serum packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid.

‘Progressive loss of progesterone during menopause can dramatically impact sleep,’ says Dr Kishan Raichura from The Lovely Clinic.

In fact, 61% of post-menopausal women experience bouts of insomnia*. As well as seeking medical advice, Dr Raichura recommends light stretching, gratitude journalling, drinking herbal tea and turning lights down before you hit the hay. Try Tea & Tonic’s Golden Milk Inviting Sleep Tea, £14.50, blended with linden, turmeric and lavender.

Pantene’s latest #MyHairWontBeSilenced campaign takes a stand against hair ageism, inspiring women to reclaim their sense of self. Try new Hair Biology: Menopause Revitalise & Strengthen collection, from £6, to bolster volume and lock in moisture with vitamin B3 and niacinamide.

BODY STRETCH IT OUT ‘Not only will regular conditioning exercise (such as yoga and Pilates) improve strength, flexibility and balance, but it will also offset the loss in muscle and bone mineral density associated with menopause,’ says Dr Raichura.

Guaranteed to spur you on to stretch it out with their feelgood prints are Marks & Spencer’s new Goodmove Go Train Legging, £25, and Cropped Vest Top, £12.50.

Face time

Hormones can wreak havoc on the skin.

Supporting it through the roller-coaster ride, Menopause Faace Mask, £29, combines soothing rose water with fatty acids and antioxidants to restore glow, tackle dryness and banish breakouts.

WORDS: EMMA STODDART. PHOTO: GETTY. *SLEEPFOUNDATION.ORG/WOMEN-SLEEP/ MENOPAUSE-AND-SLEEP.**NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PMC/ARTICLES/PMC6459071/

Hair hero

SUPER SUPPS

84

MAKE MENOPAUSE MAINSTREAM

Skin win

SLEEP SOLUTION

In addition to eating well, daily supplements can help manage common menopause symptoms, like hot flushes and low mood.

Vitamin B6 helps energy levels by boosting serotonin; find it in Anatome’s Menosupport + Renewal, £32 for 60 capsules.

Magnesium (aka nature’s tranquilliser) supports sleep and muscle and bone health.

Find it in MPowder’s Meno-Boost, £69 for 900g.

MIND

IT’S TIME TO… LOVE LIFE

> W H AT T O WAT C H , D E B AT E , C O O K , B O O K , S H A R E + E X P E R I E N C E

➴ BRING YOUR PILLOW TO…

2:22 – A Ghost Story.

Lily Allen makes her stage debut in this jumpy thriller.

Noel Coward Theatre, London until 16 Oct

GE T MOO -VING WITH…

WORDS: GUY PEWSEY. PHOTOS: GETTY

ASSESS YOUR CHOICES WITH… H AV E S O M E L A U G H S AT…

Edinburgh Fringe.

After a year off, the programme of live and online events is smaller than usual, but no less joyous.

Until 30 Aug; edfringe.com

Did You Miss Me?, Sophie MoneyCoutts’ novel about a highpowered divorce lawyer going through her own love troubles.

Out 19 Aug

First Cow, Kelly Reichardt’s excellent depiction of friendship, crime and… dairy. A genuine treat.

On DVD and BluRay from 9 Aug

FORGIVE THE I TA L I A N S W I T H …

Avo Maria, the sumptuous new restaurant from the team who gave us beloved eatery Gloria.

15 Henrietta Street, London WC2.

87

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Caravans get a cool-over

trailer parks may be hip elsewhere in the world, but here the humble caravan still has an image problem. anna hart aims to fix that…

L-R: Whinnie, Emma Jane and Anna, aka Club Jupiter

at the start of 2020, I was roadtripping across the American southwest, completely clueless that my wildly privileged existence as a travel writer was about to change dramatically. I spent a fantastic couple of nights at the Madonna Inn (madonnainn.com), an unashamedly kitsch 1950s motel in California where every room has a different theme. Another dreamy few days were spent at El Cosmico (elcosmico.com) in Marfa, Texas, a sexy, stylish trailer park in this arty desert enclave five hours west of Austin. And in February 2020, a matter of weeks before the Covid crisis sent me back to my flat in Margate and a lengthy lockdown, I toured the lavish mid-century desert holiday homes of Palm Springs, lapping up the lavish interiors that once belonged to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

Right: one of House of Hackney’s caravans. Below: Rachel Richardson and her beloved ‘Winnie’ caravan

The retro-chic living space at Club Jupiter

Emma Jane’s Space Disco room and (right) Whinnie’s Rodeo Room

While I had no idea that the travel industry, and my life, was about to change beyond recognition, I also had no clue that, by late 2020, I’d be digging deep into these three standout travel memories as inspiration for my own hospitality (ad)venture: a static caravan revival project.

Along with me for the ride were two of my best friends – Whinnie Williams, interior designer and creative director of Poodle & Blonde, and art and design consultant Emma Jane Palin. All three of us wanted a project that was a low-risk (but high-fun) business venture that would offer three creative 30-somethings a bit more financial stability; and so we bought a slightly beige and bland 2010 Willerby Bluebird three-bedroom static caravan in a trailer-park-with-views in Margate, with a plan to transform it into Britain’s most fabulous and flamboyant caravan.

The caravan, we reckon, is ripe for revival in the UK. While there are stylish, newgeneration caravan sites all over the world – California, Texas, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Sweden – strangely, in the UK, caravan holidays remain stubbornly unfashionable. But to me, caravans evoke freedom, simplicity, nature, nostalgia, escape – all the elements my generation of travellers value. Plus, with travel restricted, our caravan could offer aspirational

travellers an alternative to the classic staycation options of yurts, country houses and cottages, our maximalist interiors transporting guests across the world.

We aren’t the only ones thinking this way. Down in Cornwall, House of Hackney’s pair of caravans at its Hotel Trematonia come swathed in beautiful blooms both inside and out, and have been a sell-out hit this summer. ‘Millennials are perhaps the most nostalgic generation (understandably so, as there is something comforting about the past, especially in these uncertain times) and so caravans have a great retro appeal,’ says Frieda Gormley, co-founder of the super-cool interiors brand. In Bristol, the rooftop of Brooks Guesthouse is home to three shiny silver retro caravans, guests enjoying boutique hotel service with cityscape views.

It took us four months to renovate our caravan, working evenings and weekends around our full-time careers. During that time, we found ourselves inducted into a small but growing club of cool caravanners.

We were greeted warmly, on Instagram,

by Rachel Richardson, whose 1997 Lunar Lexon mobile in the Lake District (@for_the_love_of_winnie_) has 10k followers, watching Rachel and her family lovingly renovate a £1,800 1997 Lunar Lexon caravan into their dream holiday home. ‘We’re a really outdoorsy family, so 89

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

we’re here most weekends during the summer, kayaking, walking or biking around the Lakes,’ she says. ‘It just takes a bit of imagination and effort to transform a caravan into a dream holiday home.’

We certainly went wild transforming our caravan, which we’ve called Club Jupiter (@clubjupiteruk), because we are all 1970s cosmic girls at heart. All three bedrooms are themed, à la the Madonna Inn. My Jungle Room features 1970s-style rattan panelling, a bamboo bedframe and shack-style roof.

Whinnie’s is a kitsch pink Rodeo Room, while Emma’s Disco Room is a neon-lit sequinned and mirrored tribute to glamorous 1970s New York clubs such as Studio 54. The living room has a Palm Springs desert modern vibe; I think Frank Sinatra would approve.

This year has been a crazy ride for us all, particularly would-be travellers like myself – but one shiny silver lining is our rediscovery of British caravan holidays.

I might not be in Texas, or California or Arizona… but just down the road, I have my very own dream holiday destination.

Club Jupiter (@clubjupiteruk) sleeps six and costs £200 per night, with a two-night minimum stay. Book via airbnb.co.uk/ rooms/45046580

JOIN THE C A R AVA N C LU B More holidays on four wheels...

Vintage Vacations Lovingly restored vintage Airstream caravans in a field on the Isle of Wight. From £80pn; vintagevacations.co.uk Roulotte Retreat Six French gypsy wagons nestled in a meadow-filled site below the Eildon Hills in the Scottish Borders. From £120pn; roulotteretreat.com The Hideaway in the Highlands is super-comfy with a wood-burning stove and ensuite shower. From £85pn; canopyandstars.co.uk Yescapa The Airbnb of campervans and motorhomes, with rentals starting at £25pn; yescapa.co.uk

Hicksville and (below) El Cosmico

From top: Roulotte Retreat; Yescapa; Vintage Vacations

AND FOR WHEN W E C A N T R AV E L E A S I LY AG A I N …

Hicksville Trailer Palace & Artist Retreat, Joshua Tree, California Where Lana Del Rey filmed her music video, a stylish scattering of train carriages and Airstreams around a pool; hicksville.com

El Cosmico, Marfa, West Texas A bohemian utopia of a trailer park with artfully upgraded Airstreams and caravans; elcosmico.com

Anna in the Jungle Room, Club Jupiter

90

Basecamp, Bonn, Germany In a former aircraft hangar, this fleet of 13 vintage caravans (plus two sleeper trains, a cable car and a Trabant car) has been themed and decorated by a set designer; basecamp-bonn.de/en

PHOTOS: JOANNA BONGARD, NICK SIMONITE

Old Mac Daddy Trailer Park, Cape Town, South Africa Located in orchards in the Elgin Valley, this idyllic site includes 12 Airstreams, each flamboyantly decked out; oldmacdaddy.co.za

A DV E RT I S E M E N T

The summer edit From covetable fashion to hot accessories and beauty, here’s what to buy now looks you want right now – for you and your home – when you choose to pay with Klarna at your favourite retailers. A smooth, reliable way to pay in full within 30 days or split into manageable monthly payments, there’s no interest or extra fees. Let’s get shopping!

GET THE SUMMER

H O L I DAY H I T S

Whether you’re jetting off or staycationing, Warehouse has your wardrobe covered.

Case in point: this on-trend gingham shirt and mididress. warehousefashion.com

B E AU T Y G OA L S

Be summer-ready with Good Girl Elixir, a body oil for smooth, shimmery skin. The Lipstick Matte, meanwhile, comes in 17 shades with a customisable cap – looking as good on your shelfie as on you. carolina herrera.com

STAC K ’ E M H I G H

With a trademark spade logo and crystal embellishment, this stackable kate spade New York bangle is chic and sophisticated. katespade.co.uk

D E N I M BY DESIGN

Looking for the perfect summer jeans? Call off the search! These tan mom jeans are the shape to wear now.

Team with a crop top, fresh kicks and plenty of attitude. prettylittlething.com

SUN SA LU TAT I O N S

BAC K TO B L AC K

Discovered yoga in lockdown? Do downward dog in style with the tie-dye yoga mat – maybe even on a beach in Ibiza? Now there’s a thought… desigual.com

Flatform sandals are back in business – and this black thong-style pair will elevate any outfit.

Wear with shorts and jeans or add a tough edge to floral dresses. missguided.co.uk

Please spend responsibly.

Borrowing more than you can afford could seriously affect your financial status. Make sure you can afford to make your monthly repayments on time. Over-18s only. T&Cs apply. Klarna Bank AB (publ) offers both regulated and unregulated products. Klarna’s Pay in 30 days and Pay in 3 instalments is not regulated by the FCA. For more information, visit klarna.com

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Learn how to buy art so you want to get some original art on your walls but don’t know where to start? just follow our expert guide WORDS RACHEL LOOS

if you thought you needed eyewatering sums of cash and an art expert on speed-dial to buy a piece of original artwork, think again. The often intimidating art world has been gatecrashed by a host of curators, buyers and online galleries whose mission is to make buying original art both inspiring, easy and, from as little as a few hundred pounds, affordable. Which is perfect timing as the demand for art has never been so high, thanks to the pandemic; stuck at home and staring at blank walls in person or through a web camera, we’ve all gone mad for art.

But while it’s perfectly possible to decorate with inexpensive, mass-produced prints, it can be a lot more satisfying to shop

for an original or limited-edition artwork.

‘A mass-produced print is a reproduction, which is limitless in how many times it is printed and how many walls it hangs on.

But, with an original painting, you are truly buying a one-off unique piece handcrafted by the artist,’ says Erica Davis of Muras Art, an online gallery that uses a virtual reality tool so you can visualise artwork on your walls. ‘Another option is a limited-edition print that has been manually created and then printed on a printing press in strictly “limited” numbers, which cannot be added to. Buying an original limited-edition print is a great, accessible way to own artwork, as generally they will be more affordable than a one-off painting.’ Inspired? Read on…

The Party Girl, Scotland, £300; The Scaffolding, London, £900, both by Lily Bertrand-Webb at Partnership Editions

WHAT MOOD? ‘The style of an artwork can be stimulating or very calming,’ says Sim Takhar, co-founder of east London gallery The Old Bank Vault, which supports local and emerging artists. ‘Our kitchenliving room [left] is all about maximalism; a bright orange sofa sits in front of a very busy art wall filled with pieces in different styles, from digital collage to photography. This is where we work, cook and entertain, so I love all the stimulation.

The bedroom [below] is a lot calmer, with pieces depicting the female form by Josie Devine.’

PHOTO FIT ‘As a medium, photography can be a great way to make a room or space feel more clean and contemporary,’ says Georgia Spray, founder of Partnership Editions, which has just introduced photography to its collection. ‘As well as connecting with the work, consider the photographer behind the piece, as it will give you an insight into the work, making it more rewarding to own. For example, Lottie Hampson hand-develops many of her works [see below] in the darkroom, a rare thing among photographers these days, so although her prints are based on the same image, no two works are exactly the same. Lily Bertrand Webb, who lost her hearing at a young age, describes her photography [above] as a way of “searching for the imitation of sounds in daily life, through both silence and the electronic sounds that [her] cochlear implant gave”.’ 

Stimulating art in the lounge (left); simple nudes in the bedroom (above), all The Old Bank Vault

Wilma oil painting

by Brenda Sakoui, £675, Liberty

BUY WHAT YOU LOVE...

‘For me, art is similar to the way you dress,’ says Bryony Rae, creative consultant and buying manager at Liberty. ‘It’s simply an expression of who you are, what you love and, most importantly, what makes you feel good.’

Don’t get hung up on investment value. ‘Even when investing in an upcoming artist, the question should always be: “Do I love the work?”’ says Sim Takhar. ‘Art tells a story about the person who owns it, so don’t listen to trends, be faithful to your personal tastes,’ says Louise Chignac of Canopy Collections, which sells work by living artists via seasonal collections. ‘An artwork you love is the best investment and will never go out of style.’

Laundry Day 2

by Lottie Hampson, £175, Partnership Editions

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Variations by Rose Davey, £7,500, Canopy Collections

GALLERY WALL V STATEMENT PIECE

DON’T JUST LEAVE ME HANGING Think beyond the obvious. ‘Art can look great in nooks and those places you don’t think about, such as propped on top of a sideboard instead of hung above it, in shelving or on a dressing table,’ says Erica Davis. ‘The latter works really well as the art becomes part of your treasured possessions and an object in itself. ‘As well, art in more personal spaces, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, can really help you relax and escape. In the bathroom, it can give a room that can be sterile personality, as well as creating a sense of serenity. Just make sure you back-fill a frame with foil to prevent moisture from affecting it.’

Smaller pieces work well as a gallery wall (Muras Art)

Both have their place in the home.

‘Statement pieces are the core of that room and size matters, so make sure your artwork fits the space well,’ says Bryony. ‘But I’m also a huge believer in a gallery wall that’s a visual representation of your mind and who you are.’

Adds Georgia, ‘Photography can look great mixed in with prints, paintings and any other medium – I think a strong gallery wall has a mixture of textures, colours and styles. But it’s also good to give it space to breathe by hanging it on its own. This doesn’t only apply to large photos; sometimes a particularly bold or detailed work can benefit from its own space to allow you to feel totally immersed in the piece.’

L-R: Petit Cornichon

by Frankie Thorp, £200, Palm Array by Clare Halifax, £70, and Sweet And Juicy Watermelon With Enamel Monstera by Cathy Tabbakh, £900, all Muras Art And Breathe

by Dawn Beckles £250, Muras Art

Vintage art holds secrets of the past

ART YOU CAN AFFORD Buying work of up-and-coming artists makes prices affordable. ‘The price of a piece of art depends on the stage of the artist’s career, the processes gone through to create the work, how long the artist has been practising for or how high the demand for their work,’ explains Sim. Still, if paying out a few hundred (or more) pounds for an artwork seems scary, then check out Own Art, a national scheme in partnership with Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland that allows you to buy original art from 300 galleries in the UK by providing interest-free loans which are paid back over a period of time. ‘We have used Own Art ourselves,’ says Erica, whose gallery Muras is part of the scheme.

‘And we’re thrilled to help other people do the same and transform their walls with original art.’

VINTAGE VIBE ‘Vintage art is such an affordable way of adding something completely original to your home,’ says Sara Allom of the Vintage Art Gallery. ‘You may not know the exact details of a piece’s past, but what you do know is that it has hung on another wall, in another place, at another time, and has pleased other people as they’ve passed that painting by. An old oil on canvas without a frame looks gorgeous propped on a mantelpiece or floating shelf. I love a gallery wall – you can get so much pleasure from collecting and curating the pieces, grouping them by theme, colour or even type of frame. Other pieces that have special meaning have pride of place – a 1950s Amalfi coast seascape that reminds me of my honeymoon hangs in my kitchen where I can see it every day.’

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

We Were Thinking by Dawn Beckle, £325, Muras Art

Not sure about a piece? Then rent it for a few months. ‘Renting art gives you the chance to live with a piece for a while and see whether you really love it,’ says Henrietta Thompson, founder of Harth, the online marketplace where you can rent, sell or buy high-quality pre-owned design from £50 per month. ‘Then if you do, you can buy it.’

Renting, continues Henrietta, also allows you to re-scape your walls whenever you wish without spending a fortune. ‘Changing the art is a great way to change the look and feel of a space and make it feel fresh,’ she says.

DON’T FORGET THE FRAME ‘A poor choice of frame can make or break a piece,’ says Sim. ‘Framing is not just about protecting the artwork or giving us a way to hang it. The art should have room to breathe and the colour of the frame should not overpower the work but complement it.’ Erica advises glass when framing a print, while a painting will be fine without it. ‘When using glass, it should not touch the surface of an artwork as this will allow moisture to affect the piece,’ she adds. Sim suggests using artglass. ‘It’s more expensive but has an anti-reflective coating.’

95

P R O M OT I O N

Climbing the property ladder Taking on a renovation project helped one couple take the next step to their dream home and her husband John bought their first home on the outskirts of Durham, they opted for a ‘doer upper’ so they could add value before selling it and upgrading to something bigger and better. And the plan worked brilliantly.

Like many, they underestimated the value of their home but, on selling their semidetached ex-council house, they were thrilled to make a £40,000 profit. ‘This meant we could afford the £280,000 asking price of this house, which was everything we were looking for,’ says Jill, an NHS project support officer. ‘As soon as we saw it, we knew it was exactly what we wanted.’

A 1970s, five-bedroom detached house, it is just three streets away from where they lived previously. ‘But it’s still a better location and closer to our daughter’s school,’ says Jill.

‘It also has a double garage that we plan to convert into a workshop for John, who runs his own joinery business.’

The house needed updating and the 30-something couple, who also have a baby son, reconfigured the layout and added an extension to make a bright open-plan kitchen, dining and TV area. Beyond is a garden that they’ve made into a fabulous alfresco entertaining area with an outdoor kitchen and lounge-style seating. ‘The renovations were tough at times, especially with young children,’ says Jill, ‘but we survived and we absolutely love living here.’

WHE N JILL MAKE PE ACE

The Makepeaces have created a bright kitchen, dining and open-plan living space

W H AT ’ S YO U R H O M E R E A L LY W O R T H ?

Zoopla research has revealed that 45% of people underestimate the value of their home. You can find out what yours could be worth (and decide whether it’s time to sell) using Zoopla’s new My Home experience.

Select your address and Zoopla’s industry-leading algorithm will give you an instant online estimate. You can also check your home’s sales history and see estimates and selling prices for other properties in your area. To check out what your home could be worth, visit zoopla.co.uk/my-home

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Paris Hilton reprises her ‘hopeless princess’ schtick, this time in the kitchen OUR POP CULTURE EXPERT PAUL FLYNN HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT TV FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS…

➴ 7 D AY S OF TV Catch up on…

Paris Hilton took the sharpest about-turn of her career. In nervejangling documentary This Is Paris she talked about the abuse she’d suffered at 17, when her parents sent their wild-child daughter to a Utah reform school. It wasn’t quite Britney-level trauma, but proffered pause for thought. Paris’s first foray into stardom was a PhD thesis in extended girlhood. The glittery pink universe she inhabited made Mariah Carey’s world of unicorns and rainbows look like the work of Shane Meadows. Now we understand how grim some of that girlhood actually was.

In the opening frames of Cooking With Paris, her frankly ridiculous and utterly absorbing new cookery vehicle, we open with Ms Hilton wandering through Beverly Hills grocery giant Gelson’s. ‘What are chives?’ she quizzes, bedecked in pink satin puffball gown and matchy-matchy diamanté Covid mask. ‘What do you do with them?’

Planet Paris is back to business as usual.

The beauty of Cooking With Paris is a return of the old Hilton MO: the pretence she has a princessy lack of rudimentary life skills. She capitalised being basic before ‘basic’ was a thing. For her first class she attacks breakfast with her old employee, Kim Kardashian. Later she tries Mexican tacos, because she adores Tulum, and French

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

LAST YEAR,

fries, because she adores McDonald’s.

Everything is delivered with a camp wink.

Or mostly everything. As she confesses to Kim, this is a dress rehearsal for potential motherhood. The other twist in the recent life of Paris Hilton is getting engaged, for the umpteenth time. As she ham-fistedly makes interlocking Chanel ‘c’ shapes from melted marshmallow, there is a new underlying pathos to her brand. All the heavy lifting done by This Is Paris is not so much unfolded by her botched cooking but put back into the context of her primary talent: pretending to be rubbish at everything.

Paris’s world is still full of socials-ready catchphrases (‘Cewt!’, ‘Beyond!’) and kitsch personal branding opportunities. While operating a blender, despite not knowing what the buttons do, she turns to Kim with wry humour. ‘We elevated everything,’ she says. ‘Velour tracksuits, selfies. Now… breakfast!’ She may have suffered getting here, but Paris Hilton is, officially, still hot.

Netflix now

In Treatment Uzo Aduba takes over from Gabriel Byrne as the chief psychoanalyst in this engaging slow-burn therapy drama.

Cleverly theatrical, it’s a great opportunity for Aduba to show her range beyond the old Crazy Eyes in Orange Is The New Black.

Sky Boxsets

Watch live…

I Am… Gemma Chan, Vicky McClure and Samantha Morton slayed as three women in horrible relationships underpinned by coercive control in Dominic Savage’s hard to watch, impossible to ignore drama. This season we have Letitia Wright, Lesley Manville and Suranne Jones. They’re every bit as compelling.

Channel 4, Thursdays, 9pm

Wallow in…

Modern Love Adapted from The New York Times’ brilliant real life relationships column, a succession of how-we-mets are dissected in finely tuned dramatic detail. Usually involves the kind of hook-up story you probably wouldn’t choose to repeat in your wedding speech.

Amazon Prime, from 13 August

97

claudia winkleman ‘spend more time on your girlfriends than on anything else’ UNLOCK

GRAZIA

GRAZIA LIFE ADVICE

Scan to listen S E E PAG E 3 F O R D E TA I L S

let your kids sleep, because that’s where they grow, that’s where they mend. That’s the best thing you can do for them. For their frontal lobe, for their brain, for their emotional needs – just always let them sleep.’ My mum came home, called a family meeting, and she said, ‘I will never, ever tell you not to sleep again, or tell you that you’re wasting the day, or come in and open the curtains on Saturday at 9am.’

Every week on the Grazia Life Advice podcast, women worth listening to pass on their best advice to navigating modern life.

Here, Claudia Winkleman, TV presenter, 49, shares hers

5 6

1

Do your homework! If you want to get to a great university, do your homework. But in life, just do your homework. Put the hours in and you will feel better.

Don’t worry about it – it’s what my parents always said. The best advice is never complicated, it’s straightforward and delicious. And if we went back to our 20-year-old selves, I think the main piece of advice would be: don’t worry, everything’s fine. The best piece of advice is have fantastic girlfriends. Spend more time on your girlfriends than on anything else, so that you’ve got a fantastic bunch, and they won’t let you sweat the small stuff.

3 98

If they don’t make you laugh, don’t even consider it. If the person that you fancy is sitting opposite you, and they’re in a fisherman’s sweater, and maybe they’re telling you about their

day and they’re not funny. It’s over. Night, night. Get up, get on the bus. Ciao. It’s very important. And if they don’t laugh at themselves? That’s disgusting. And you mustn’t have sex [with them].

4

Whatever you do, have a nap. I remember I was 12 and my mum is a journalist, which meant she’d go to quite weird gatherings, and she was at a lunch and happened to be sitting next to a real-life brain surgeon. She was asking questions and the brain surgeon’s parting shot to her was, ‘By the way, always

AND THE WORST PIECE OF ADVICE…

At university, a girlfriend of mine said you can’t miss out on anything. She had the opposite view of me, she was amazing and was always the last to leave a party. That is not the right piece of advice, by the way!

Even if it’s your party, get out and leave with your best friends and go, ‘I guess I’ll tidy up tomorrow.’

Claudia’s book, ‘Quite’, is out now in paperback (£9.99, HQ)

PHOTO: CAMERA PRESS/MARK CANT

2

Nothing happens after midnight.

(By the way, I can go further – I didn’t want to sound too square, but I could always say nothing happens after 10.) My mum always told me: turn up, be charming, definitely be on time, bring something, even if you don’t have anything, just bring something: a piece of dairy from your fridge, or a bag of Twiglets.

Nobody’s ever grumpy about a bag of Twiglets. Then get out, get into bed. I’m not saying no to fun, I’m saying yes to bed, and you’ll be so happy with me tomorrow.

What other people think of you is none of your business. Whatever I do, certain people will have an opinion. And that’s absolutely fine, they are entitled to. I’m not angry about that opinion. Luckily, I don’t feel trolled at all, people are genuinely nice – if they’re not, maybe I don’t see it because I’m not on [social media] platforms enough – but it isn’t any of my business.

Æ

from within Advanced nutrition for

skin, hair nails Advance your daily regime with Perfectil® Original, the UK’s No.1 Triple-Active™ formula to support normal skin, hair and nails1.

The Perfectil® Plus range provides the benefits of the original, plus more.

Perfectil® Platinum Collagen is a great tasting liquid beauty supplement available for Hair or Skin.

Perfectil® - because true radiance starts within.

PERFEC TIL.COM

Scan for info

Original

2021-08-06_ADPERCONP_E

Available from

Skin

, , supermarkets, health stores and pharmacies 1

Hair

Nails

Platinum Collagen Drin

,

With biotin to help maintain normal skin, and selenium and zinc to help maintain normal hair and nails.

PERFECTIL IS THE ONLY BEAUTY SUPPLEMENT TO RECEIVE THE QUEEN’S AWARD FOR INNOVATION†

*UK’s No.1 beauty supplement brand for skin, hair and nails. Source: Nielsen GB ScanTrack Total Coverage Value and Unit Retail Sales 52 w/e 17/07/2021. To verify contact Vitabiotics Ltd, 1 Apsley Way, London, NW2 7HF. †Vitabiotics has received the Queen’s Award for Innovation on two occasions, in addition to twice for International Trade.

SOFAS . BEDS . CHAIRS www.love-your-home.co.uk

loveyourhomeuk