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I read with interest The author shining a light on the care system (31 May) and her mission to make us re-evaluate those who have been in care. My parents have fostered for 22 years. My admiration Star for them is boundless – not many people letter understand what it’s like to welcome new children into your home, parent alongside a biological parent who is a virtual stranger and work with social services. People put foster children up for a fail from the start but, hopefully, Kirsty can change this. Children should never be defined by what happened to them. Jolene

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 Celebrity director GUY PEWSEY

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It was great to read your Modern Activism column featuring Jo-Anne Welsh from the Oasis project in Brighton (31 May). I was a grateful recipient of their services many years ago. However, they are not the ‘only organisation in England providing women-specific drug and alcohol treatment’. There are many women-only community services for those with addiction and alcohol issues, such as The Nelson Trust (in Gloucestershire) which, quite frankly, saved my life. I am now four years clean of drugs and alcohol and involved with Revolving Doors, which has a female panel of lived experience members helping to shape how the system deals with people like myself. Lisa IN JOHNNY WE LUST

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1 J U N E 202 1

We must end the stigma around HIV and AIDS Earlier this year, hit drama It’s A Sin sparked vital conversations about AIDS when it depicted the lives of young, gay men in London in the 1980s, just as the disease started to emerge in the UK. We watched as this exuberant group battled not just AIDS, but also homophobia and ignorance. On 5 June we mark 40 years since the first case of AIDS was reported, yet, four decades on, our perception of what it means to live with HIV/AIDS still needs to change drastically. Today, advances in treatment mean many people with the virus live full and happy lives, but the stigma lives on. It’s time to eradicate this prejudice once and for all.

POLLY VERNON The inconvenient truth about therapy: it’s not accessible to all this column by saying: I think therapy is a very good thing. Nah: actually, scratch that. I think good therapy is a very good thing. Bad therapy is awful; meh therapy is a waste of everyone’s time and money. But good therapy – good therapy is great. I should know. I’ve had it. Seven years of the good stuff, which – didn’t end, so much as go on Covid hiatus, around a year ago, on the proviso that I could start up again if I needed to. Will I? Dunno. I began therapy because I was in pain. My shrink – a straight-up genius – and I worked hard to make sure that wasn’t the case any more; slowly, I got… not fixed, exactly; is anyone, ever? But definitely to a point where I existed more comfortably in the world, where my insides felt less rattly and jagged, my haughty, impassive exterior: less fake, less brittle. Where I could handle not only myself, but also: the kind of people who would have caused me pain in the past, and (crucially: good therapy will not mire you in self-pity) all those people whom I might have caused pain. Good for me, eh? And good for Prince Harry, who is still in therapy and talking about it on that Apple TV+ documentary. Good for everyone who’s ever had it and found it useful; may those of you A L L O W M E T O S TA R T

contemplating it now go forth and find yourself a therapist as brilliant as mine! Yet, in all this, in all the (forgive me, I’m about to use the C-word) conversation about mental health, in all the general

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implorings that those struggling should Seek Help, something is making me uncomfortable. It’s this: the majority of people can’t afford therapy. Can’t rustle up the average £55 to £75 a week it costs. Officially, you can get it on the NHS, but given that even those suffering far greater pain than I was when I first sought therapy – those with fully fledged depression, say – are waiting up to four years to access a measly six to 12 free sessions (as compared to my zero wait and seven years of treatment). You can’t really get therapy on the NHS, can you? So what are we looking at, here? An elevated super-class of people able to pay to get their heads in half-decent working order, loftily advising everyone else they really should just try therapy (go on, give it a whirl, what have you got to lose?). When actually, most of them can’t? How is that OK? Putting aside the fact that, just because you’re in therapy, doesn’t actually make you suddenly, instantaneously qualified to hand out decrees re the psychological state of all you encounter: perpetuating a belief that those of us in a position to afford therapy are somehow more enlightened, wiser, more stable, more capable of perceiving The Truth than those who aren’t… That seems like a rocky road to go down, to me.

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2. New in TA I K A WA I T I T I Appeared to be in some sort of complicated, subsequently wildly speculated-over, moment of intertwined mutual appreciation with Rita Ora and Tessa Thompson.

You know what you need in your life? An all-female Muslim punk band, whose signature hits include: Ain’t No One Gonna Honour Kill My Sister But Me. See Channel 4 for details.

Wherever you stand on the cancellation and subsequent reintroduction of Aziz Ansari to SROLWH 1HWưL[ society, this is a superb show, which wouldn’t exist without him.

5. Non-mover LIL NAS X Split his (skin tight, metal studded, rainbow sheened) pants live on SNL, then relived the experience on Twitter, and laughed, and laughed.

9. Up ALICIA KEYS

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! W O N

pop of colour My wardrobe is far from minimalist, and for summer I’ll be embracing plenty of joyful colour. These Dries Van Noten swimsuits are just the ticket. £305 each, Dries Van Noten at mytheresa.com

fashion and beauty assistant remy farrell on the things brightening up her day

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This take on the classic gold hoop is bold and elegant. £148, Joanna Laura Constantine at

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Raffia accessories are shorthand for summer and this perfect tote works just as well for a picnic in the park, weekend shopping or (eventually) a day at the beach. Bag, £17.50, Marks & Spencer

i choose choo I Want Choo is a delicious, sunny afternoon in a bottle. Sweet, floral and fruity, it has the hallmarks of a signature scent. £45 for 40ml, Jimmy Choo

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Elizabeth Uviebinené examines our sense of self in a post-pandemic society and asks if we need to rethink the way we work to support ourselves after such a shift. The Reset (£16.99,

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Orchard Moon’s luxurious pyjama sets are made from handpainted, sustainable, plant-based fabrics. Each purchase also supports reforestation projects worldwide. Pyjamas, £280, Orchard Moon

IF LIFE GIVES YO U L E M O N S…

find a gem

Klevering’s vibrant ceramics instantly transport me to sunnier climes and have me looking forward to lots of al-fresco dinners. Set of four plates, £38, Klevering at

American fine jeweller and celebrity favourite Mejuri is partnering with Farm Girl Cafe for an exclusive four-day pop-up. From 10 June, South Molton Street, London W1K 5RX

I love a pair of oversized every face.

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James Corden with the cast on the reunion show. Inset: the one where they all got back together on Instagram

The Friends reunion wouldn’t have happened without Jen

The much-lauded Friends: The Reunion was one of TV’s biggest talking points. Martha Hayes reveals there was one woman very much driving things behind the scenes

Could we be any more excited/nostalgic/emotional? The long-awaited Friends: The Reunion, aka The One Where They Get Back Together, was everything we dreamt of ( Janice, Gunther, Reese Witherspoon) and plenty we hadn’t (er, hi, Justin Bieber) when it finally hit screens. Reuniting the six stars – Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry – of the iconic sitcom 27 years after it first launched in 1994 (airing for a decade, with a ratings high of 52.5 million viewers) was no mean feat. And it’s Jennifer we have to thank for pulling the whole thing off. ‘Jen was very much the driving force behind this reunion. A few of the main stars were on the fence for a while, especially the two Matthews, who are both very shy with the limelight these days,’ an insider explains. ‘Jen, Courteney and Lisa teamed up to iron out the kinks and make sure everyone got well paid and a say in the whole production process,’ they continue, of a rumoured $2.5 million paycheck each, according to Variety. ‘Jen had everyone hooked up on a group text chat and was constantly sending suggestions, positive reviews and feedback she’d seen from people in the industry, jokes and fun memes.’ It’s classic Jen, who, despite becoming one of the world’s highest paid actresses (her current net worth is estimated at $300 million) after roles in Hollywood blockbusters like Marley & Me and critically acclaimed projects, such as Cake

O H . M Y. G O D .

and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, has made no secret of her loyalty to the series that made her a star. When she finally joined Instagram in October 2019 – setting a new Guinness world record for the fastest account to reach 1 million followers (five hours, 16 minutes) – it was with a selfie with her old cast mates to mark Friends’ 25th birthday. ‘Family. It’s like a family,’ she told People magazine when she returned to the set for the big reunion. ‘I don’t have sisters. It’s what I would assume sisters are like.’ Such down-to-earth relatability has long been Jen’s USP as the girl-next-door with the self-deprecating sense of humour and covetable but laid-back style. If we grew up girl-crushing on Rachel Green, many embarked on a full-blown adult love affair with the woman who played her. The two remain synonymous today. There would be no Jennifer Aniston without Rachel Green and there would certainly be no Rachel Green if it wasn’t for Jennifer Aniston, says David Crane, who co-created Friends and executive produced the reunion. He was the first to spot Jen’s star potential. ‘I can’t even define the quality she brings, but there’s a vulnerability about her,’ he explains. ‘Rachel was a very hard part to cast because she’s kind of spoilt and selfish and could be unlikeable but when Jennifer walked in, you just felt for her. You had to understand why Ross had been holding a torch for her all these years and when Jennifer read the part, you did.’ Crane recalls fighting for the 25-year-old unknown actor because she was already committed to another show (which, in a fortuitous turn of events, was eventually cancelled). ‘We went to Warner Brothers and said, “Please! She’s our only Rachel!” It was a huge gamble. Can you imagine if we’d had to replace her?’ We can’t. Nor can we imagine Courteney Cox (who originally auditioned) or anyone else in the running, like Denise Richards or Saved By The Bell’s Elizabeth Berkley, in the role. Yes, Rachel could be a princess but Jen’s Rachel was always endearing. She couldn’t cook (remember when pages of a recipe 13

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JEN HASN’T C LO S E D T H E DOOR ON ANOTHER REMAKE. IT’S BEEN A C AT H A R T I C

book stuck together and she served up a cross between a trifle and a shepherd’s pie?), she was squeamish (the time it took four friends to help her put in eye drops) and she got jealous (‘Did you go with Julie to Bloomingdale’s?!’). And we loved her for it. And while she may have made her first appearance in a rain-soaked wedding dress, she seamlessly evolved from preppy Central Perk waitress to fashion exec for Bloomingdale’s and Ralph Lauren – becoming a defining style icon of the 1990s (think spaghetti straps, plaid skirts and knee-high boots) in the process. Debra McGuire, the costume designer for the show’s 10-year run, who went on to work with Jen on The Morning Show as well as the reunion, still gets emails each week about Rachel’s wardrobe, which featured an eclectic high-low mix of Juicy Couture T-shirts, J Brand jeans and DVF. ‘Jennifer has always had this ability to step into anything and look divine. She has always been so comfortable and at home in her clothing,’ Debra told Vogue India when Friends turned 25. ‘This gave Rachel an appeal that made so many women aspire to be like her.’ If you didn’t copy her style, chances are you pestered your hairdresser for ‘the Rachel’ cut. The hairstyle that launched a million copycats (and lucrative ad campaigns including L’Oréal) came about when her longtime hairstylist Chris McMillan, who knew Jen pre-Friends when

Rachel’s entrance into the show, after she runs away from her own wedding

she had long hair and a fringe, convinced her to try something different. The fringe was out; highlights were in, and Crane is still baffled to this day. ‘When you’re working really hard to write jokes, get the stories right and make people care, and the thing that everyone is talking about is the hair? I still don’t know what to do with that,’ he laughs. ‘She’s beautiful, the hair looked nice, but so did all the other hair. Why her hair and not Chandler’s sweater vests? I really don’t know!’ That’s the Jen effect for you. From the highs (the ‘I’m worth it’ hair ads, her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her Screen Actors Guild Award for The Morning Show) to the lows (when her marriage to Brad Pitt broke down and he quickly moved on with Angelina Jolie), the world has watched her every move. And yet just as Rachel was never defined by Ross, Jen isn’t defined by her relationship status – and she isn’t afraid to speak out. ‘Am I lonely? Upset? Confused? Yes. But I’m a tough cookie,’ she told Vanity Fair in 2006 following her break-up with Brad. By 2016, she took the endless speculation about her private life into her own hands. ‘For the record, I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up,’ she wrote in The Huffington Post. ‘If I am some kind of symbol to some people out there, then clearly I am an example of the lens through which we, as a society, view our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, female friends and colleagues. The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing.’ Crane says it wasn’t until the first season aired that he realised that the lives of Jen and her co-stars would never be the same again. ‘You walked past a newsstand and they were on the cover of every magazine, including Rolling Stone,’ he recalls. ‘It was life-changing for all of them. They’ve had amazing careers. They’re lovely people and they’re talented. You don’t often get that – you either get nice but not that talented or talented but not so nice.’ Despite this, Crane has always said no to a reboot. ‘It’s a show about that time in your life when your friends are your family, but they’re all well past that so it’d be a different show. I don’t think people would be happy.’ However, if Jennifer has anything to do with it, this reunion might not be the last we’ve seen of them. ‘Jen hasn’t closed the door on another remake,’ the insider explains. ‘It’s been an emotional and cathartic experience – there’s a sense of closure but also serious excitement about the future and a real joy to have given fans what they wanted for so long.’

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Four years after Grenfell the cladding scandal still blights lives After the Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 lives in 2017, thousands of people are still living in dangerous, unsellable homes with similar cladding and facing financial ruin WO R D S P O L LY D U N B A R

2 constantly exhausted. ‘I can’t sleep properly and feel sick and anxious all the time,’ she says. Three years ago, the 29-year-old solicitor bought a one-bedroom flat in Bristol. After years of saving, she was so proud to have managed to get on the property ladder. But it has since emerged that her building has several major fire safety defects, and she is now facing a bill of £70,000 for the repairs. ‘If I have to pay the full amount, I will go bankrupt,’ she says. ‘If that happens, not only will I lose my home, but I’ll also lose my solicitor’s qualification.’ Four years after the devastating Grenfell Tower fire claimed the lives of 72 people in west London, the inquiry into the disaster is still examining how the building came to be coated in materials that accelerated the spread of the blaze. Steph is one of hundreds of thousands of people who have since discovered their own homes are also coated in flammable cladding, or have other fire hazards that make them unsafe – in her case, both. Post-Grenfell, the newly passed Fire Safety Bill means they must be removed, but an amendment to ensure leaseholders are not liable for the costs was voted down by the Government. Its fund to help totals £5 billion, but only applies to those living in blocks above 18 metres in height and is nowhere close to the total cost of repairs, estimated to be £15 billion. The campaign group End Our Cladding Scandal have labelled the bill ‘indefensible’ and fear it leaves a generation of homeowners facing financial ruin. The Milliners, where Steph lives, is so at risk that a 24-hour fire patrol, or waking watch, has been in place since November, costing £165 a month per leaseholder. Her freeholder has applied for the Government funding but it is not yet known how much it will receive and whether the alleged noncladding defects, which are often more expensive, will be covered. ‘When I bought my flat, the building

Steph fears bankruptcy, losing her home and her job

PHOTOS: SOUTH WEST NEWS SERVICE, GETTY

STEPH PIKE IS

was signed off as compliant with building regulations, but I’ve since discovered that it wasn’t,’ says Steph. ‘The whole situation is completely unbelievable – it’s just so surreal to be facing a massive bill for something that isn’t my fault. The mental health impact on me has been huge.’ (The Milliners’ contractor has said it is cooperating with the freeholder and had provided proof of compliance, adding that ‘the building was signed off by an accredited fire consultant at the time’ and it had not been responsible for the ‘construction or choice of materials for the building that has led to this incredibly worrying situation’.) For Hayley Tillotson, the toll has also been profound. She bought her first flat, in Leeds, aged 28 in April 2019, and was delighted to move in, but received a letter six months later informing her the building was covered in dangerous cladding, similar to that used on Grenfell Tower. Her flat’s management company hired a waking watch, charging each leaseholder £300 per month. ‘I didn’t have the money to pay for it,’ says Hayley. ‘I also had to pay £1,400 for a new fire alarm system and further bills for the other issues – plus I knew I’d be getting a bill to replace the cladding on the roof. ‘Despite doing everything in my power

Far left: remembering the tragedy of the fire. Left: Olivia wants to move but is trapped in her flat

to avoid it, I ran out of money and had to declare myself bankrupt last December. My flat was repossessed and everything I’d earned and saved for since I was 18 disappeared. My credit rating is so terrible I can’t even get a loan to buy a car and I’ve had to move in with my dad.’ Like Steph, Hayley can’t come to terms with the unfairness of the situation. ‘There are no repercussions for the developers who built the flats, yet we’re the ones suffering,’ she says. Many of the affected properties are currently unsellable, as lenders will not offer mortgages until the cladding is removed. Olivia Hogman’s flat in Redhill, Surrey has the same type of cladding as Grenfell Tower, which a recent survey found posed an ‘immediate combustible material risk’. ‘I wanted to sell it last year to buy a house, but this meant I couldn’t,’ says Olivia, 34. ‘So I’m trapped in a flat I know is unsafe. The building essentially needs to be stripped back to its bare bones and rebuilt, and I’ll have to remain here while that happens over the course of two years.’ That’s why, say campaigners, it is time for the Government to provide more financial support to those affected as a matter of urgency, then recoup the costs from developers. In the meantime, that’s little comfort to those like Olivia, trapped in their homes and with their lives on hold. ‘I’m potentially liable for up to £60,000 for the repairs, which I don’t have. It’s incredibly stressful. I’m looking at being worse off financially than I was when I bought it, aged 24 – over something I’m not to blame for.’

Ring, £49.99, La Manso

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Jodie Turner-Smith: new queen of the small screen

left the world of finance to become an actor, international success was far from a given. But now, as she takes the lead in Channel 5’s Anne Boleyn, it’s clear that it was worth the risk. Not only has she received critical acclaim for her performance, she is also taking her place among Hollywood royalty. Having married Dawson’s Creek actor Joshua Jackson – who she recently admitted was her teen crush – in 2019, Jodie has made a name for herself with films like Queen & Slim and last month’s Without Remorse. But the chance to play one of history’s most famous women meant a return to Britain was irresistible. ‘Anne had this confidence,’ Jodie told Grazia as we sat down with her during a break from filming the new drama. *** -with-able attitude. She was ambitious and ahead of her time: a feminist. But it turned out that what her body could do was more important than what she thought or how she felt.’ This function – to produce an heir – resonated deeply, especially in a scene where Anne faces the stillbirth of a son. For Jodie, doing the moment justice was vital. She and Joshua had welcomed their own child – daughter Janie, now one – mere months earlier. ‘It was really important to me, having just gone through labour and delivery, to feel like I was bringing honour to that experience and :+(1 -2',( 7851(5ǫ60,7+

Jodie as Anne Boleyn (left) and with Daniel Kaluuya in Queen & Slim (above)

to the women who have gone through that,’ she explains. ‘It was not easy. It was very emotional and every time I thought about it, it brought me to tears.’ Pregnancy and motherhood has been a profound experience for Jodie: in April she discussed feeling ‘empty’ after childbirth, but also found empowerment. ‘My body has more curves now, more folds, more softness,’ she said. ‘And all of that is the evidence of my biological powers.’ Anne does the same, fighting to keep King Henry VIII’s interest by upping the ante in the bedroom. ‘It’s been recorded that they had a very intense sexual energy, and that’s part of what the court used to fry her with: she must be some kind of witch because why would a man devour his wife sexually other than to bear him children?’ asks Jodie. This meant that Jodie and Mark Stanley, who plays Henry, required an intimacy coordinator. ‘We explored every single kind of touch,’ she explains. ‘Is it OK to touch your face? Your bra? Is it OK to kiss your earlobe? Then both actors are honouring the boundaries we’ve created and no one leaves feeling they’ve given something of themselves that they didn’t want to give.’ News of the casting of Jodie – whose parents were born in Jamaica – led to racist backlash. ‘Because I’m Black, it always becomes politicised,’ she says. ‘I cannot divest myself from my Blackness in the same way I cannot divest myself from my womanness. Every story I tell comes out the way it does because it’s my lived experience. I want to be as free as a white person to tell a story. I want to live in a time where me telling a story doesn’t have to turn into this whole political conversation. But I’m aware of all that has come before me and all that must come after me, the work that still needs to be done, and I understand that unfortunately I don’t have that luxury.’ Next, Jodie will star alongside John Boyega and Felicity Jones in Borderland, a thriller centred around a member of the IRA. For now, though, it’s all about her performance in Anne Boleyn. Was Anne victim or perpetrator? Powerless or power hungry? Either way, watching the show makes you wonder how anyone but Jodie could have played her.

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and Tommy Lee, of Mötley Crüe, may have split for good in 1998, but they have been responsible for an important cultural reset in 2021. First came news of a TV series, starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan, based on Pammy’s and Tommy’s turbulent relationship and infamous sex tape, which has sparked a wave of Pammyinspired style – thin eyebrows included. Most notable, though, has been the avalanche of new ‘Hot Girl/Alt Guy’ couples, as coined by Vice, in the mould of Tommy and Pammy’s rock’n’roll romance template. Flying the flag for this regenerated brand of power couple are Kourtney Kardashian and Blink 182’s Travis Barker, Megan Fox and singer Machine Gun Kelly, and actor Kat Dennings and lustrouslocked rocker Andrew WK. These couples aren’t just linked by their love of tattoos in weird places, PVC trousers and box-fresh band T-shirts, but

PA M E L A A N D E R S O N

Above: the originals, Pammy and Tommy. Top right: tongue action from Meghan and MGK at the Billboard Music Awards

their penchant for quite aggressive PDAs – something that was incidentally also a favourite pastime of Pammy and Tommy. Kourtney and Travis have come to define their new relationship with the kind of horny Instagram posts you’d expect from 18-yearolds, not two people in their forties. There was the ‘bikini ass grab’ shot (which earned Kourtney 5.6 million likes), the full-on snogging in a nightclub shot, the thumbsucking video (yes, really); Kourtney even tattooed ‘I love you’ on Travis’s arm recently. Meanwhile, Megan and MGK spent some time on the red carpet for the recent Billboard Music Awards in LA licking one another’s tongues, and he proudly wears a necklace that contains her blood (Angelina and Billy Bob would be proud). Megan, 35, recently said that her 31-year-old boyfriend is her twin flame, adding, ‘A twin flame is actually where a soul has ascended into a high enough level that it can be split into two different bodies at the same time. So

we’re actually two halves of the same soul.’ Two Broke Girls star Kat and Andrew WK confirmed not just their engagement but, to many people, their entire relationship with an Instagram shot of them open-mouth kissing and showing off Kat’s diamond ring. No one likes to be actually present for an extreme PDA, but can you really blame new couples for getting a bit overexcited? After a year of restrictions on not only meeting new people but touching them, perhaps, as we slowly move into a post-pandemic world, the formerly much-derided PDA will find a way into all of our lives. But before you all get carried away, a word of warning from Timothée Chalamet, who was photographed with his tongue thrust down Lily Rose Depp’s throat on a yacht in 2019. Timmy admitted he was deathly embarrassed by the images, which went viral. ‘I went to bed thinking that was one of the best days of my life,’ he said. ‘I was on this boat all day with someone I really loved. And then waking up to all these pictures, and feeling embarrassed, and looking like a real knob? All pale?’ Power PDAs: proceed with caution.

WORDS: JESSICA BARRETT. PHOTOS: GETTY

g n i r e t n e w o n e r a e w Sorry, but e power PDA h t f o a r e e th

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Terrycloth: now not just for towels the stuff of 1970s poolside attire, is having a resurgence and is set to dominate our summer wardrobes. After all, it is the unsung hero of warm weather wardrobing, conjuring up thoughts of beach towels and robes. Which is perhaps why, this season, the summer collections are full of it, from upbeat dresses and rompers to sandals and bags. Australian label Terry, launched by close friends Lucy Halfpenny and Brigette Clarke, is largely behind the revival, with its relaxed, breezy terry playsuits and button-down shirt and shorts co-ords emerging as early summer hits among editors and buyers. And they’re not the only Aussies banking on the quick-drying trend. Zimmermann recently added towelling to its line of beachwear, while Kendall Jenner was spotted wearing Lack Of Colour’s terry hats. A huge part of the appeal is that terrycloth is functional (it’s elasticated and forgiving) and easy to wear (its roots are in athletic wear, the original fabric of the sweatshirt). Think of it as a cheerful step beyond the leisurewear that dominated 2020; see Arket’s recently launched terrycloth capsule collection of dresses and summer sweats in zesty shades. Best of all, its cool enough to wear in a heatwave, while also warm enough for those moments when the clouds roll in and the temperature drops. Essentially, a fabric that can handle the unpredictability of a British staycation summer. Which looks increasingly like what a lot of us will be having...

T E R RYC LOT H , O N C E

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Shirt, £110, and shorts, £65, both With Nothing Underneath

Hailey Bieber embracing the towelling trend

Top, £105, Albus Lumen at matchesfashion.com Dress, £55, Arket

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Butterflies again but this time with Portrait mode All the new effects and filters to take your shots to the next level.

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Bold and British: the woman behind fictional mag Scarlet As it’s renewed for a fifth and final season, the woman whose career inspired cult Netflix show The Bold Type says the truth was wilder than fiction... day-to-night fashion and cocktails with the work wife. Missing the joys of office life? No wonder so many of us have been tuning into The Bold Type, the US comedy-drama chronicling the lives of three Millennial women who work for Scarlet magazine in New York City. After all four seasons dropped on Netflix earlier this year, the show’s found a lockdown-weary audience more than ready for some escapist glamour – and a fifth season has been announced. First launched in 2017 and inspired by the career of former US Cosmopolitan editor Joanna Coles (who serves as an executive producer), The Bold Type is a stylish, funny and refreshing depiction of women in the workplace – less bitchy than The Devil Wears Prada, more diverse than Sex And The City, it’s music to our ears. ‘I was sick of television not portraying working women in a positive light,’ explains Joanna, 59, who tapped into her 30 years as a journalist to help create the show. ‘A lot

WORDS: MARTHA HAYES. PHOTOS: GETTY

1 , 1 ( ǫ 7 2 ǫ ) , 9 ( * 2 6 6 , 3

Melora with Joanna. Top:

and more helpful than the trope of the bitchy female boss who is not nice to young women.’ The show is a celebration of the friendship that grows between colleagues, with Jane (Katie Stevens), Sutton (Meghann Fahy) and Kat (Aisha Dee) finding solace in the fashion cupboard when one of them has a break-up or a bad day. For Brit Joanna, who made some of her best friends starting out on The Spectator in London before relocating to New York in 1997, it was important her experience helped capture the characters’ formative years, as well as influence the portrayal of Scarlet’s editor-in-chief, Jacqueline (Melora

show her notes and they’ve got wine stains on them...’ she reveals, ‘that was based on a friend of mine who was accused of libel. When she had to show her notes, they were full of doodles!’ The idea for the show came about when Joanna was having dinner with producer David Bernad in LA following a magazine cover shoot. ‘We’d just shot Katy Perry in a rainbow sequin dress.’ She asked everyone to make sure it didn’t get out on social media. ‘Twenty minutes later, the photo is on Instagram. So I arrived at the dinner spitting mad and he says, “Your life is a television show.” The celebrity demands were insatiable. When someone tells you they need an organic chef on set, then they call out for McDonald’s. Another requested 20 Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin candles and 10 Frette towels, then took them all home.’ While the show’s Jacqueline is ‘an idealised version’ of Joanna (‘she’s more patient than I was!’), her on-screen office is a replica of Joanna’s, complete with treadmill desk and 24/7 access to the fashion cupboard. ‘I used to go in when I needed a break or was trying to think something through, and have a feel of all the clothes,’ she says. Will dressing up for work be a thing again? ‘I hope so,’ she says. ‘People are fed up of slopping around in athleisure. They want fabulosity!’

What a night again but this time with Night mode With our next level sensor you can capture good times in incredible detail, even when it’s dark.

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Meet the £59 It dress set to take over summer

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UNLOCK Dress, £59, and shoes, £125, both COS

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back to the summer of 2019 and all you might be able to see is polka-dots. Black and white spots, to be precise, all over a long-sleeved, floaty mididress. We are, of course, referring to that Zara dress, which was so ubiquitous that not just every colleague, friend and passer-by in the street was wearing it, it also spawned its own Instagram account. As last year didn’t really have an ‘It’ dress, for obvious reasons, 2021 is now making up for it in style. Prepare

yourself for a Hot COS Summer. With its ruched waist, circle skirt and ankle-skimming hemline, COS’s gathered dress is emerging as an early hit. It’s cropping up everywhere, dominating algorithms and hogging shop windows, enticing us all in to behold the glory of this under £60 marvel. Available in versatile, goes-withanything black or very of-the-moment bright emerald (searches for green dresses in general are up by 51%), there have been some fraught moments in COS stores across the UK, with people arguing over the last size left in stock. What makes it so good? The shape is flattering without being clingy, while the cut of the neckline adds a stylish flourish. It has distinctly ’90s vibes and is interesting without being fussy or over-complicated. In short, it’s very now. And this isn’t just a summer fling. Layer long sleeves underneath and add tights for autumn/winter. A dress for all seasons, you might say. And you’d be right.

C A S T YO U R M I N D

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The Zara dress from summer 2019

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£120 & Other Stories

£29.99, Zara

£45, Nobody’s Child

£125, Uterqüe

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Inside Kate’s great comeback that has spanned decades, Kate Winslet’s most famous role is that of Rose in 1997’s Titanic. But last month saw this iconic character finally challenged in the talkability stakes, when Kate turned to the small screen in Mare Of Easttown, in which she plays a small-town detective worn down by a turbulent home life. The seven-part drama has twists, turns and gut-punching shocks, held together by the actor’s most powerful performance in years. The Times has called her ‘tremendous’; The Guardian ‘a triumph’. Social media is awash with calls for Kate to receive every award going. While in may ways it’s no surprise that Kate is capable of such a star turn, what is a revelation is how, despite it all, she’s kept hold of a very un-Hollywood way of life. She lives on the Sussex coast with her three children – Mia, 20, Joe, 17, and seven-yearold Bear – and her husband, Ned. Stories surrounding their early courtship and marriage suggested Kate had found something of a party animal: the nephew of Richard Branson, and an employee at his space venture Virgin Galactic, he changed his name to Ned Rocknroll in 2008. But now he has legally reverted to his original surname – Smith – at Kate’s suggestion. Still, that doesn’t mean they’re boring. They did, after all, meet on Richard’s Necker Island, when a dangerous blaze took hold of the property. ‘They have a really good time together,’ says a source. ‘No one has ever made her laugh like Ned does.’ That was certainly the case when he accompanied Kate to collect her CBE at Buckingham Palace in 2012. In a bid to IN A CAREER

break the sombre nature of the occasion, Ned wore something that Kate will only confirm as ‘very funny’ under his suit. Kate has always fought to find the balance between star and civilian, struggling with being away from Ned and her children for work. She has, therefore, always tried to mix blockbusters with small indie projects, which have shorter shoots and enable her to know the name of everyone on set. Her next project is the opposite of a small indie project: it will see her reunite with Titanic director James Cameron for Avatar 2, but then she will change tone again for an awards-friendly biopic of Lee Miller, the fashion model who became Vogue’s war correspondent in WWII. She will also find time next year to acknowledge the 25-year anniversary of the release of Titanic: a source says that Kate and her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio will ‘absolutely be marking the occasion next winter’. All these years later, Leonardo is still one Left: with husband Ned in 2015. Right: in Mare Of Easttown and (inset) with Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic, 1997

WORDS: GUY PEWSEY. PHOTOS: GETTY

LEONARDO DICAPRIO ADORES HOW UNAFFECTED K AT E I S BY FA M E

of her most trusted confidants. He even walked her down the aisle at her wedding to Ned. ‘Hollywood is full of faux friendships between co-stars, who claim closeness during press tours and for photo opps,’ says a source. ‘But Kate and Leo are beyond close. They were bonded by Titanic’s gruelling shoot, but also by its unexpected impact. Kate loves Leo’s wit and kindness. Leo adores how unaffected she is by fame.’ This was clear on the set of Mare Of Easttown, when Kate (who also executive produced) insisted that her trailer be no larger than anyone else’s. When young actor Angourie Rice had a kissing scene in a car, Kate lay off-camera in the boot, just to show her support. ‘That’s classic Kate behaviour,’ a friend says. ‘She had hugely positive experiences as a young actress. Emma Thompson took her under her wing [they starred in Sense & Sensibility] and shared invaluable advice about the business. Now Kate does the same. She has a lot of time and compassion for the generation below her.’ That includes her daughter Mia, who has recently ventured into film, and also Bear who, unaware of how we commonly and inexplicably gender professions, recently told his mum that he wants to be ‘an actress’. ‘I wasn’t supposed to be famous,’ Kate said way back in 2004. ‘I wasn’t meant to be talked about, and lauded and feted.’ And yet, thanks to a slightly unkempt detective, Kate is still the centre of attention. Perhaps, by now, she has come to understand why. ‘Mare Of Easttown’ is available on Sky Atlantic and Now TV

Are you feeling the bounceback squeeze? WO R D S A N N A S I LV E R M A N

enough to keep your job during the pandemic you might have noticed a peculiar thing happening: money left in your bank account at the end of each month. Some found cutting out commuting, meals out, trips, haircuts and not to mention hen dos turned out to be rather lucrative. But as the world reopens you may have noticed the opposite happening again. I have: my money is being swiftly sucked straight back into the black hole of Real Life. I’m back to tapping the card machine with one eye shut, wincing at my coffee and sandwich costing practically the same as a supermarket shop (in London, anyway). Thank God the world’s back in business, but my bank balance is feeling that familiar sting. Jumping in an Uber – Ka-ching! Going for a drink – Ka-ching! Breathing anywhere that’s not home – Ka-ching, Ka-ching! I’ve gone from being able to reel off the four consistent transactions on my monthly bank statements to being unable to keep tabs on my spending again. Our new (old) way of life means grabbing things on the go and a return to less conscious splurging. Despite only recently coming out of lockdown, I’m already feeling the bounceback squeeze.

I F YO U W E R E L U C K Y

Rebecca, 38, says this month is the first time in over a year she’s needed to actively count down the days until pay day again. ‘I booked in a bunch of fun things for May without considering how I was going to pay for them all. I found myself resorting to my credit card to pay for groceries for the first time in ages. I had thought I’d started to get a bit more organised with money – turns out, it was just lockdown.’ The past year has proved financially catastrophic for some, with the most recent unemployment rate at 4.8%, according to the Office for National Statistics – more than at the start of the pandemic. For anyone who’s gone through redundancy, the bounceback squeeze will be even tighter. Adding to this, many businesses have hiked up prices to recoup lost earnings – it’s hard to blame them after the year they’ve had. Christie, 33, works in the arts and has spent the past year out of work. She’s only recently started earning again. ‘The past two months my spending has been the highest it’s been in such a long time,’ she says. ‘I’m worried about this becoming the norm and my credit card creeping up. I’ve panicked and thought I should be trying to cut down on things, but then also I can’t help it because I want to treat myself and go out and have fun again.’ I’ve never quite mastered the art of living within my means, but now it’s even harder; we’re like a pack of hyperactive children who’ve been released into an adventure playground after a year without toys – we want to enjoy the pubs, restaurants, theatres and beauty salons we’ve been deprived of. Grazia money columnist Laura Whateley says there are ways we can do this sensibly. ‘Get yourself a bank account or app to track and categorise your spending, like Starling, and help yourself budget with separate spaces or pots so you’re not blitzing through all your money sat in your current account,’ she says. She also suggests setting some post-pandemic spending rules: ‘Like a 5:2 – two days a week you spend like you’re still in lockdown (ie, not at all), the other five you can be more relaxed,’ she says. ‘Also, set some savings targets. You’ve shown you can survive without spending as much as normal, so maybe try to keep it up – pretend your income is 90% of what it actually is and save the remaining 10%.’ Still, if re-learning how to budget is another pandemic byproduct, so be it – the bounceback squeeze is a small price to pay for having our freedoms again.

LAURA WHATELEY IS AUTHOR OF MONEY: A USER’S GUIDE. PHOTO: STOCKSY

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e l k r a p S e h t g n i r B

with

@Lambrini

@LambriniUK

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‘I LOVE MY FORTIES. IT’S MY BEST DECADE’ Anna Maxwell Martin, the busiest woman in TV, takes time to talk to Rhiannon Evans about memes, Motherland and whether there’ll be more Line Of Duty

A EW I Z I A V R G TER IN

‘i was absolutely thrilled! I was the face of Covid, Ofsted, 2021 (broad), venereal disease…’ Yes, Anna Maxwell Martin was ‘super-chuffed’ to be 2021’s biggest meme, when one of her expressions – as the smug, achingly irritating DCS Patricia Carmichael in Line Of Duty – went viral, to be rapidly branded the face of everything awful the internet could think of. Anna really has been everywhere this year – 12.8 million watched the LOD series six finale and Motherland (which she leads as frantic, hard-to-love Julia) is currently airing as one of the biggest hits on BBC Two, while its earlier seasons top Netflix charts. She’s filming an ITV thriller, Hollington Drive, as we speak, will be in West End show Constellations with Chris O’Dowd from August, has a cross-Atlanticfunded six-month project later in the year

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PHOTOGRAPHS ZOE MCCONNELL

Shirt, £645, Christopher Kane; shoes, £385, Le Monde Beryl; earrings, £430, Chloé

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Below: Anna with the Motherland gang; her Line Of Duty meme face

(‘which I can’t talk about’) and something else she can’t divulge ‘but literally when I got the email I nearly died’. She’s already won two BAFTAs during her 20-year career, but is it too much to say this is her best year ever? ‘I think it’d be obtuse to say there isn’t a big thing around Line Of Duty,’ she says. ‘There’s a huge zeitgeisty moment and I just happen to be in it.’ However, at 44, Anna specifically seems to be emerging as one of the UK’s biggest stars, in what’s traditionally an ageist industry (well, for women). ‘Maybe the industry’s changed though, hasn’t it caught up a bit?’ she says. ‘You’ve got Sarah Lancashires and Keeleys [Hawes] all leading the way in massive shows built around them... Nicola Walker [in, respectively, shows such as Happy Valley, Finding Alice and Unforgotten]. I’m really glad I’m working, but I always assumed I’d always work. I always thought something would pop up! I am busy…’ Despite this, Anna says she can go about life with her two daughters (she and their father, director Roger Michell, are separated) mostly unbothered. ‘I don’t really get recognised a lot, maybe a bit more recently, but that’s probably because Line Of Duty’s watched by 10 billion people,’ she says. ‘I think there must be something about my face that’s quite rubbery and it morphs into the background. And also, they help you out a lot, hair and make-up – maybe I look so haggy and baggy in real life that people just can’t tell.’ There’s no hagginess or bagginess as Anna sits wearing a P&Co jumpsuit after our shoot. ‘I’m not mega-confident about my face or anything like that, but I really do like clothes and I work with [stylist] Alexandra Mann, and she’s amazing at getting weird stuff and putting it on me and weirdly I feel fine and confident. I do really enjoy that side of it.’ But is she really not that confident about her face? Seeing as it’s… ‘My stock in trade! This is where the money is!’ she interrupts, laughing. ‘No, I don’t really feel anything about my face. In acting you’ve got to have a face that’s memorable, whatever that might mean.’ Funny she should say memorable – when the latest season of Motherland started, half of Twitter couldn’t believe Julia was the 34

same person as LOD’s Carmichael, while the other half tried to explain, that’s acting. She laughs (she laughs a lot, but not in that distinctive, near-the-edge Julia way). ‘In a way it’s flattering – overwhelmingly, I felt really lucky to have two very different parts.’ Did she feel quite as lucky filming Line Of Duty, Motherland and Sky’s Code 404 simultaneously in a pandemic? ‘I wasn’t much of a parent during that time,’ she jokes, pointing to her two lovely, very polite daughters who have joined her on set. ‘That’s why they’re slumped over there on an iPad – they don’t know why they’re here, they don’t know who I am.’ So no moaning – Anna’s highly privilegeaware. ‘On Motherland we’re all pals, so you’re going back to a set like that and you feel taken care of and you’re having a giggle with your mates, it’s not that hard is it?’ She’s careful when we talk about theatre reopening to make it clear times haven’t been as hard for bigger actors like herself, as they have for all the behind-the-scenes and theatre staff. As for whether she loves the very female-

‘YOU CAN’T LET THIS GOB LOOSE ON TWITTER’

centric cast and crew of Motherland, she says, ‘I don’t think, “Hooray, I’m on an all-female show,” I think we really address the balance when it’s not dominated by men and Caucasian people. We absolutely need a different face of film and TV and we’re getting there, so that’s good.’ For most people, Motherland is brilliant because it’s such a cringeworthily recognisable take on middle-class parenting. But Anna doesn’t see herself in any of the characters, ‘because they’re quite extreme and I think the show increasingly isn’t really about parenting. Essentially, it’s adults behaving like children.’ She does know how Julia would have coped with the pandemic, though, ‘Ooooh, badly. Very, very badly. She would’ve killed [her husband] Paul.’ Anna’s never been sucked into ‘mumfluencer’ culture or comparison. ‘No, I’ve got a radar, “Beep beep, seeking out the fun mum friends,”’ she says. ‘I’ve cherrypicked my mum friends. All of them at the school gates are a real hoot and the group is a real laugh.’ Not an Amanda in sight. Her knowledge of her own meme-iness aside, Anna barely has a social media presence, only recently joining Instagram. ‘My friend forced me on to Instagram when I was quite drunk,’ she says. ‘I’m not hugely interested in people constantly posting or looking like they have super-idyllic lives. I’m bringing up two girls so it’s not massively healthy, is it? But I like the other bumf, like, “You like floral wallpaper, so we’re going to bombard you with chintzy sofas.” ‘I don’t follow my friends,’ she adds. ‘I’ll call them, why would I speak to them on direct message? I’m not on Twitter, you can’t let this gob loose on Twitter. Diane [Morgan from Motherland] tried. We both know that shouldn’t happen. I’d be cancelled before you could say, “Hashtag the face of the cancelled year.”’ Far from being cancelled, Anna is about to return to Wales for ITV’s new fourparter, Hollington Drive, a project she scouted after loving Irish crime drama Blood, which Sophie Petzal also wrote. ‘Front-footed – I never do that, but it’s so good I thought I’d give it a go.’ And her newfound ‘front-footedness’ means she might not just be UK-based

Dress, £475, Conner Ives; earrings, £125, Aeyde

Shirt, £1,600, and trousers, £1,800, both Hermès; shoes, £650, Stella McCartney; earrings, £650, Vashi

forever. ‘Only recently actually I’ve thought, “Oh, we might all go over and I’ll try and finally work with Wes Anderson – my dream – and try and be a bit more ambitious,”’ she says of a potential transatlantic move. ‘It’s only now I’ve thought I could go to LA and tout myself around a bit. When I was younger, I just couldn’t… I love my forties. I’m at the beginning of it and I feel definitely it’s my best decade. You really know yourself, you’ve got loads of mates, I’ve got my lovely kids, I have a lovely life, I’m very lucky and I work and when I go to work I never feel shy because I know people, so I have a lovely time there. I feel much more confident than I did in my twenties. I was miserable in my 36

‘RECENTLY I’VE THOUGHT I MIGHT TRY TO BE MORE AMBITIOUS’

twenties,’ she says, adding, ‘If Covid doesn’t put things into perspective, what does?’ Before she heads off to LA, though, could she squeeze in another turn as Carmichael – will there be another series of Line Of Duty? ‘I wouldn’t know and I would never be told,’ she promises, despite internet rumours that casting has started. Terrifyingly, it does all sound a bit OCG (organised crime group, in the show’s lingo). ‘Until I was in the car and popped on the plane to Belfast [where it’s filmed], I wouldn’t know… I’m not in with the in-crowd there and I’m not sure the in-crowd even knows.’ She can’t weigh in on the reaction to the divisive ending, with some – spoiler alert! – seeing the unmasking of Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells as criminal mastermind H as a damp squib, others as a sharp political commentary on the nature of corruption. ‘I haven’t seen it,’ she says. ‘My friends were quite mixed, some of them loved the ending because they felt it was open for new stuff. I liked that it was Nigel [Boyle, who played Buckells], I’ve always thought he’s hilarious. I’ve been away filming and my TV in my hotel doesn’t work,’ she adds, as to how she’s managed to avoid the finale. ‘I’ve still not talked to reception. I’m like, “Oh I feel bad, they’re so nice!”’ As we wrap up, me trying to guess one of her secret projects, we joke about her doing I’m A Celebrity – not so ludicrous an idea, it turns out. ‘I was asked to the jungle; I would love the challenges, but I wouldn’t like the boredom,’ she says – though her daughters were enthusiastic. ‘They were like, “Oh my God, we’re going to be in the Versace hotel for five weeks!”’ In case future producers are reading, Anna shares that her two phobias are sandwiches and mayonnaise (she’s not kidding, she can’t say the words and has to spell them out). ‘If they threw me in a coffin with those… it would be good TV,’ she muses. Now, though, she needs to go home for family time (‘Oh, me and the kids will get hammered,’ she jokes), homemade chicken Kiev and ‘panicking about walking the dog – that’s not done yet’. The dog, Bobby, is the star of her Instagram. ‘I support Battersea and all that they do – Paul O’Grady is my hero,’ she says. ‘Me and Diane want to go on it. They once had Tom Hardy on. It was the best TV ever.’ One of the few great shows she’s not starred in this year. Yet… ‘Motherland’ is on Mondays at 9pm on BBC Two and on BBC iPlayer

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friendeavours

EMMA JANE UNSWORTH’S GROWN-UP GUIDE TO FRIENDSHIP

Flexibility is the greatest friendship gift of all

i was chatting to my friend Edie the other day and she was saying how her eating habits have changed. She used to be a vegetarian. ‘Now I eat some white meat but not much fish,’ she said. ‘Then red meat once a month, if I can get it from the place I like. Then sometimes I have oat milk in my coffee and sometimes regular milk. And lots of cheese when it’s cold. I’m a flexitarian.’ A flexitarian! I love it. Surely that just means getting what you want? Finally, a regime I can invest in! And as a general life manifesto, flexibility is becoming more of a necessity (if that isn’t a paradox). Flexible working is the future. Being more agile in all our decisions, thinking on the hoof, is probably one of the biggest social fallouts of the pandemic. I’ve been seeing more and more of my friends IRL, and never quite knowing what to prepare for. I was hanging out with a group of friends last weekend and found myself terrified before the event – my stomach churning, the pressure felt so huge. And then when we were together it was lovely, but I kept going off on my own to be in a quiet place to just – breathe and recover from the intensity of it. It was hard to communicate with a number of people in 3D.

Maybe we all need some training in virtual reality? That probably sounds dramatic – it looks dramatic as I write it down – but I found myself doing the solo breathing thing and knew I just needed to go with what felt right in the moment and go easy on myself. Show myself some flexi-love. Not worry about being consistently ‘me’. And then I thought, maybe this wasn’t just some reaction to the social desert of Covid; maybe this was actually ‘me’ all along. And being allowed to adjust, being allowed to be flexible, enabled me to be the person I really was: sociable, but someone who needs to take a lot of breaks at parties. It was useful to find this was the case even in smallish groups of good friends, too. Applying flexibility feels scary in a friendship context because it makes us wonder what we have to cling to when the cack hits the fan. When our oldest friends behave differently it can be discombobulating. We might worry that we’re drifting apart. In the glorious new BBC adaptation of The Pursuit Of Love, which shows female friendship at its most complex and intense, a war reveals the fallout, from the off, of two friends who took different paths. Literally, a bomb drops in the opening scene. (Also, how delightful is Emily Beecham?) Inflexibility is the curse. It can dash a union. The pandemic has been a lot like a war in our lifetime. Conflicting desires, arising out of a crisis, can leave friends poles apart. But allowing friends to move closer or slide away, and just rolling with it rather than trying to analyse or control it, is such a gift to yourself and your friends. This is the chance to make relationships really work for us, and get to a baseline of honesty we’ve perhaps never experienced before. Just as eating habits morph in and out of recognised patterns our whole lives through, the same is true of what’s on the table with our friendships. Besides, by being flexible we might accidentally find out who we really are and realise there was always a place for that in the world – we just never trusted ourselves to be a true individual among other true individuals.

‘Conflicting desires, arising out of a crisis, can leave friends poles apart’

THE COST OF CHILDCARE I S C ATA S T R O P H I C FOR WOMEN Grazia and its parenting platform The Juggle are launching a major new campaign with Pregnant Then Screwed, calling for a Government review of our childcare system. Polly Dunbar outlines just what’s at stake

ot children? Then chances are you pay – or have paid – for G childcare. And you’re paying a lot. In Britain, childcare is more expensive than anywhere else in the world: over 35% of the average family’s income. It’s little surprise that almost two-thirds of women who return to work after becoming mothers are forced to work fewer hours, change jobs or leave the workforce altogether due to the crippling costs. The lack of accessible, affordable, wellfunded childcare is perhaps the single biggest barrier to women’s career progress – and the Covid-19 pandemic, when

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women have had to shoulder the bulk of the extra care, has accelerated the problem into a mounting crisis. That’s why Grazia and our parenting platform, The Juggle, are launching a campaign with the charity Pregnant Then Screwed, calling on the Government to lead a full, independent review into the childcare sector. ‘The cost of childcare is catastrophic for women, who are being forced out of the workplace or to accept the stagnation of their careers,’ says Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed. ‘The system doesn’t work for providers, either; the majority of childcare workers are women, who are paid appallingly. We urgently need a change.’ At a time when many families are suffering the financial effects of the pandemic, costs are rising rapidly. This year’s annual report by the Coram Family and Childcare Trust found that 25 hours of nursery care for a child under two costs an average of £138 per week, or over £7,000 per year – that’s 4% more than a year ago. For a child aged two, it now costs 5% more. Compare the UK to other countries and it’s clear the odds are stacked against British women. Here, most parents can access free childcare hours when their child turns three. But in Sweden, all children over the age of one can attend full-time preschool, with fees capped at 3% of parental income. Similarly, in Germany, children over the age of one are entitled to a place in a stateprovided nursery at a low cost to parents, while in Korea, where the system is entirely state-subsidised, parents pay nothing at all. ‘In other countries, childcare is viewed as essential infrastructure,’ says Joeli. ‘We see from Scandinavian countries that having a properly subsidised system has enormous benefits for the economy.’ The Women’s Budget Group, which analyses how Government policies affect women, estimates that up to 95% of the cost of free universal preschool childcare could be recouped from the increase in employment and reduction in state benefits – yet ‘Governments think short-term,’ Joeli says. In fact, last December, the Government actually announced a reduction in childcare funding, leading to the predicted closure of 30,000 nurseries and preschools by Christmas. This, when Pregnant Then Screwed’s research shows 15% of working mothers either have been, or expect to be, made redundant since the start of the

From top: Nalini Raman and Lucy Baker

pandemic – largely because they had to juggle their jobs with so much extra childcare – will be disastrous for women’s progress. Katie, a marketing manager, is one of thousands of women quitting her job because she simply can’t afford to work. ‘I’m currently on maternity leave with my second child and have calculated that with both of them in part-time childcare, my contribution to the family finances will be £30 per month. It’s impossible to make it work on my salary,’ she says. ‘I’m devastated that I have to take a career break, which I know will set me back and make me far less appealing to employers when I eventually go back.’ Nalini Raman left her job in advertising after paying £2,800 per month for both her sons to attend nursery. ‘Within 24 hours of my salary hitting my account, it disappeared on childcare,’ says Nalini, who now runs a children’s party business, Party Genie. ‘I was left with about £200 per month for all my slog, and there were times when my husband had to pay for my train pass. It just wasn’t worth it.’ Many others have to snatch moments to finish work they can’t fit into the days they have childcare. Lucy Baker, a confidence coach, was deluged with responses when she posted recently on Twitter about paying £400 per month for her two-year-old son to attend nursery just two days a week. ‘So many women replied with their own stories of the extortionate sums they had to pay just so they could work,’ she says. ‘I’d love to work more, but I simply can’t afford to, so I do as much as I can in the two days I have, then end up working at night when the kids are in bed to catch up. It’s exhausting.’

Of course, for solo and single parents, working significantly reduced hours or taking a career break usually isn’t an option. Claire, a solo mother and primary schoolteacher, fell into debt after struggling to find £1,000 a month to pay for her daughter’s nursery. ‘I earned too much to qualify for Universal Credit, but had absolutely no money left for food or anything else after paying my mortgage, bills and the ridiculous nursery fees,’ she says. ‘My credit card debt was getting out of control, which was so stressful and, at one point, I had to borrow money from a kind friend. Eventually, I made the decision to sell my house and move somewhere a lot cheaper and smaller as it was the only way I could afford the last year of childcare before my daughter goes to school.’ A change is long overdue, so we’re asking our readers to sign Grazia and Pregnant Then Screwed’s petition demanding an in-depth review of the system. ‘We want it to look at how many mothers would work more if childcare was properly funded and the benefits that would have,’ says Joeli. ‘We want to know what a system that makes childcare affordable and pays its workers a decent wage would look like. We want childcare to be seen as an investment, not a cost.’

CHILDCARE CHANGE NOW HELP US MAKE A CHANGE Years of underfunding has left the childcare sector on the brink of collapse, yet the Government doesn’t acknowledge the devastating impact on our children, economy and women’s equality. We are calling on the Government to commission an independent review into WKH IXQGLQJ DQG DƬRUGDELOLW\ RI FKLOGFDUH and to accept its recommendations. This campaign is a partnership between Pregnant Then Screwed, Grazia and our parenting platform @TheJuggleUK. Sign our petition at graziadaily.co.uk/ childcarecampaign

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Dating’s back, sex too – and hurrah, says Grazia’s Laura Antonia Jordan. Just don’t worry if you’re feeling a little rusty...

there’s something in the air. No, not the thing that has ruined our lives for the past year, something better: sex. Or at least the possibility of it. This summer we’re being promised horny, ravishing revenge for all that isolation. Charged casual interactions, serial dating, whirlwind romances, handholding, spontaneous snogs, disturb-theneighbours sleepovers: they’re all yours for the taking. It’s being dubbed a Hot Girl Summer. The phrase, coined by Megan Thee Stallion in 2019, is, she has explained, ‘about women and men being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up their friends, doing you’. And for summer 2021, it’s become something of a rallying cry for intimacy and sex-starved singletons, whether you’re looking for The One or a For One Night Only. Although the HGS is not exclusively the

realm of the single person, for anyone who has gone through the past year-and-counting solo, it has particular significance. Nobody has had a free pass during the pandemic but getting through it alone has been a particular type of testing. And yet the single’s struggle has often felt minimised or ignored. Remember when Matt Hancock banned hugging? That was just a euphemistic way of saying, if you’re not co-habiting with a partner, sex is cancelled. Thanks for that. Of course, it’s not been impossible to date this year – or ‘hug’, cough, cough – but it has been stymied by social distancing and the rigidity of the ensuing choreography. Spontaneity and possibility – two things that the single person can normally claim, weighed against security and Sunday nights on the sofa with someone – have been MIA. Sure, there have been ‘lockdown love stories’ (I know! I had one!) but the lesser

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discussed, rubbish sequel to many of these was the ‘lockdown heartbreak’ (I know! I had one!), which is excruciatingly difficult to get over without so much as the prospect of getting under somebody else. For all the jubilation and anticipation about the bonking bacchanal that is summer ’21, it’s natural that there is also a degree of trepidation about it (for starters, all that erotic reverie sounds exhausting; I’ve been in bed by 9pm for the past year). Re-entry anxiety is understandable and normal. We’re out of practice when it comes to small talk (which is basically what flirting is, just with added eye contact and innuendo) and most of us are feeling the opposite of ‘Hot’ (or ‘Girls’ for that matter, the glut of pandemic-induced anxiety has aged us all a decade). But the ‘Hot’ of ‘Hot Girl Summer’ is not about how you look. Rather, as its

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author has made clear, it’s to do with feeling hot – it can be what you want it to be. It’s about confidence, which is the headiest aphrodisiac of all. Being and feeling desirable doesn’t necessarily require a Love Island body, Bletchley Park brain and Silicon Valley bank account – but charisma and self-assurance are nonnegotiables. They’re how you sparkle. For me, HGS prep does mean I’m ‘waxed and vaxed’ with an arsenal of risqué dresses and expensive lingerie raring to be put to work. But it also means I am reclaiming my multifaceted, pre-pandemic life – reading more, heading to galleries. That’s not an intellectual flex or an admission I’ve run out of things to watch (I have) but it does mean I won’t rely on how my lockdown has been (spoiler: crap!) for flirty chat. Furthermore, anyone familiar with the exhausting, underwhelming slog of modern dating will already be on familiar terms with disappointment. Can HGS live up to the hype? Probably not. Wetherspoons will not magically be transformed into Xanadu when social distancing ends. But it’s important to have hope. And, despite the dearth of options in the past few months, I don’t think now is the time to lower your standards – it’s time to raise them. Because if you have been alone during the past year, and have stared loneliness, fear, sadness and hourly existential crises square on but are still ready to get back out there, I’d say you’re not just tough – you’re somebody worth getting to know. You’ve shown how independent and self-sufficient you are, and what could be hotter than that? 43

‘OUR FIRST KISS WAS VERY DIFFERENT TO ALL MY PREVIOUS FIRST KISSES’

‘I FORGOT HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE EYE CONTACT AND LITTLE TOUCHES MAKE’ Helena Kate Whittingham, 26, from London, is a model and runs a talent management company When pubs opened outside again recently, I went on a date with a guy. I was going to cancel because he’d mentioned his ex too early when we were chatting online. It didn’t feel right. I forced myself to go and, to my surprise, he was great. We spent hours at the pub then headed to a park bench with pizza. After a few flirty touches we ended up kissing. Before this, I hadn’t been romantic with anyone since before Christmas, which might explain why it felt so surreal: soft, slow and like a movie. It was amazing. My initial hesitations reminded me how important it is to meet in real life as good people don’t always come across well online. Miscommunications are easier for starters; being able to make judgements in person again is a game-changer, and I forgot how much of a difference mannerisms, eye contact and electric little touches make. I read that you need eight hugs a day to thrive. Well, I live alone so that hasn’t been happening. This guy and I had a second enjoyable date but I’m not sure if I’m interested in seeing him again romantically. It has, however, made me feel very optimistic about getting back out on the dating scene. I’m bisexual and I’ve been dating women and non-binary people as well. We’re all so relieved safe places such as queer bars, drag shows and drag brunches will start up again – it’s been hard for the queer community. I’ve got two dates with women planned and the general vibe is ‘hallelujah, we have places to hang out again’. People will need to warm up a bit – I’ve had a few awkward dates recently where we’ve both felt out of practice and struggled to read each other. But I’m sure we’ll all slip back into it soon. Summer of love? Hell yeah, I’m here for it. 44

Jade Warne, 22, is a content producer from Manchester I got so sick of lockdown dating – the endless chatting online with bored people and occasional sober stomps around a park – so after a particularly awful date last \HDU , VZRUH RƬ LW XQWLO WKLQJV JRW D bit more normal. When restrictions started easing a few weeks ago I got back on Bumble and met a guy. We walked all afternoon (yep, walks again – but with great company this time), got on really well and talked for hours, ending with a cuppa on my doorstep. A few weeks (and dates) later and I’m exclusive with him. 2XU ƮUVW NLVV ZDV YHU\ GLƬHUHQW WR DOO P\ SUHYLRXV ƮUVW NLVVHV Usually, you end up drunkenly fumbling on a doorstep, but ours FDPH ƮYH GDWHV LQ s ZKLFK ZDV actually only 10 days or so after we met. We squeezed a lot into WKDW ƮUVW ZHHN RXU UHODWLRQVKLS accelerated by the lack of intimacy that came before it. It had been six months since I’d kissed anyone. This time, we were back at mine and had stayed up chatting until 4am when, after getting closer and closer, he eventually leaned in. It felt a bit strange, purely because I’d convinced myself during lockdown that I’d probably never get to kiss anyone again. But as we relaxed, it felt comfortable; easy. As things get back to normal and the world opens up, it feels exciting experiencing restaurants and pubs again with a new person. It’s like a world we’ve never had as a couple before is opening up to us. Being alone through lockdown FRQƮUPHG IRU PH KRZ PXFK , UHDOO\ want a relationship. Now I’m excited for a settled girl summer.

‘NOT HAVING SEX IN SUCH A LONG TIME – THEN FINDING MYSELF IN A THREESOME – WAS A LOT’ Gillian Myhill, 41, is a dating app-founder from London I split up with my long-term boyfriend at the beginning of lockdown and suddenly went from having regular sex to having none. Then, when restrictions eased a few weeks ago, I went out in London to hang out with my friend and her ER\IULHQG 7KH GULQNV ưRZHG DQG DV DIWHUQRRQ WXUQHG WR HYHQLQJ ZH DOO HQGHG XS ưLUWLQJ DQG kissing, fuelled partly by our joy of being allowed out again. Then, my friend suggested we all go back to her boyfriend’s. We danced around a bit, but soon she was dragging us all into the bedroom. This wasn’t totally out of place – I’ve slept with her before, years ago. By this point we’d decided we were going to have a threesome. The sex was wonderful. I had this incredible orgasm where I cried. I was laughing and crying – it was such an emotional release. Not having sex in such a long time and WKHQ ƮQGLQJ P\VHOI LQ WKLV YHU\ VH[\ VLWXDWLRQ was a lot. It’s nerve-racking being intimate after so long on your own because you forget how to be sexy or respond to normal cues. I hadn’t even hugged someone for months, hence the tears. It was such an emotional outpouring. You don’t realise how much you crave human contact and sexual energy. It wasn’t even awkward afterwards. We giggled and hung out and they sent me a message saying they missed me when I left. None of us would rule out a repeat in the future. Mainly, it’s just so nice to feel desired again.

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‘Our mission is to expose rape culture – and eradicate it’ In our new 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 Soma Sara, 22, who founded Everyone’s Invited, a student-led movement to combat rape culture. It prompted a media blitz and led to Ofsted launching a review into sex abuse in schools, after over 10,000 testimonies were left on the Everyone’s Invited website. Hi Soma. What got you into this? I’ve always been aware of issues like gender, double standards and rape culture (which isn’t just about rape – it’s about all the other experiences, attitudes and beliefs that inform this culture: sexism and misogyny, sexual harassment, dehumanising comments and victim blaming). Being groped and cat-called as a teenager, and even at the age of 10 or 11, was normalised. I remember trying to stand up for myself but not quite having the understanding to properly challenge behaviour. When did you feel ready to deal with it? After university, I had conversations with friends and we realised how many of us had experienced sexual violence as well as all the other behaviours on this spectrum. I’d been watching I May Destroy You and it forced me to reconsider my own experiences. I felt compelled to share them on Instagram – it was a spontaneous personal moment of catharsis. Then I was overwhelmed by lots of girls reaching out to share their stories of sexual assault and rape. I got a sense of the scale of the problem and created a more permanent platform called Everyone’s Invited in June 2020, for survivors to share their stories and raise awareness. I’ve been building this community over the past 10 months. How do you build a community? It was really just gaining followers, speaking to people, reaching out, talking to other organisations and accounts that do similar things, creating information and educational resources.

Soma Sara

You make it sound easy. Did you have any false starts? I went back to the drawing board about five times, thinking about the mission and the purpose and what we wanted to achieve. Would we focus on education in schools or support for survivors? What are the different ways to tackle this problem? Which would be most powerful and that we could do best? Should we narrow it down to one clear goal? A mission of exposing rape culture is what we settled on. The next step is to eradicate it. That could take decades but we’re making progress. When I started I felt quite isolated because the term rape culture made many people feel defensive. How do you get defensive people onside? They are the most crucial target audience! It’s about encouraging empathy and trying to explain, with compassion, that other people have different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. How do you deal with the difficult stuff ? When you get the #notallmen comments or you’re feeling isolated? You’ve got to trust in your mission. Don’t take things personally. This is a global problem. Tell us about a breakthrough moment you’ve had. When this first went viral, that was exciting. It felt like we’d caught the zeitgeist and people were more willing to listen. How can Grazia readers help? Keep talking about it, challenge behaviour and be active bystanders. Find help and have your voice heard via the Everyone’s Invited website, everyonesinvited.uk, or on Instagram: @everyonesinvited

Paris Lees talks crime, make-up and her new book with Sophie Heawood

‘I FELT COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM MY BODY…

the problem with sticking up for yourself in the media ‘is that you get called an activist, and you feel all the joy draining out of your body’, says the writer Paris Lees, with a dry laugh. ‘Most of my friends know me as funny, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from my public image if you’ve only seen me arguing with an old man about trans rights on Newsnight.’ Which is one of the reasons why Paris has written a book that is going to surprise a lot of people. What It Feels Like For A Girl is

A EW I Z I A V R G TER IN

…AND LIKE I WASN’T WORTH ANYTHING’ PHOTOGRAPHS OLLIE ADEGBOYE STYLING STEPH WILSON

Top, trousers and gloves, all MM6 Maison Margiela; boots, Christian Louboutin; earrings, Completedworks

I N T E RV I E W G R A Z I A

the true story of her life but presented as a novel, because she wanted to make sure it was fast and funny and furious, which it very much is. Written in her local Midlands dialect, it has already been compared to Trainspotting and is not the trans polemic that some might expect. Really, it’s about being working class and chaotic in a small town, coming of age to ’90s and noughties pop music and trying to get away from macho expectations on a council estate. It’s set near Nottingham, so local heroine Vicky McClure was the first person in their town to get a copy ‘because I posted it to her myself ’, explains Paris. Vicky loved it, and the band Sleaford Mods are also fans. The hero of Paris’s book is Byron, who later becomes Paris, growing up with a violent dad who can’t believe his son is such a wuss and wants to toughen him up with fists. Byron’s mum doesn’t know what to do with her unusual child either, so follows her new boyfriend to Turkey for a few months instead, while Byron, who doesn’t feel like a boy at all, finds escape when teenage adventure beckons. Lured away by the pied piper of nightclubs, illicit sex and a gang of wild mates called The Fallen Divas, Byron is reborn. The Divas become party monsters, growing ever braver in the face of lads who jeer at them for dressing in women’s clothes. Their lives turn into one big hilarious walk of shame, full of drunk and druggy nights out that seem to last for days, ending with them being dragged through a hedge backwards, almost literally. But of course it isn’t all funny, and real drama ensues. ‘I felt completely disconnected from my body and like I wasn’t worth anything,’ Paris tells me now, sounding quite emotional to think back to that time in her life. ‘I felt I had nothing to lose. So I thought I’ll do whatever I want and damn the consequences. I’m still coming to terms with it now.’ In particular, the book tells her experiences of being a ‘rent boy’, as she puts it. What’s interesting is that we hear the whole story through young Byron’s eyes, so when a much older man is willing to pay for sex, or to take Byron in his car to meet a group of other paedophiles, we can see that this is deeply predatory behaviour. But Byron, starved of affection and in need of feeling special, can’t. I put it to Paris that she was brave to write it like that, to explain the thrill as much as the danger. ‘Well, at the time, the 48

I WAS TREAT ED WI TH M OR E KI NDN ES S IN P RI S ON THAN I HAV E B EE N I N THE M EDIA

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Paris on Question Time in 2013

truth is that I thought what I was doing was wonderful and nobody could tell me otherwise. I thought I was grown up. Now I look back and think, “Babe, you were abused. What else could you call it? I look back at those men… it’s like waking up, this moment of realisation: “Oh, my, god, you were 14 years old.”’ One crime leads to another, and Byron ends up in prison. Yet the writing is so alive and warm that you don’t feel remotely miserable while reading it, even while your heart is pounding for her. ‘Robbing somebody – it was exciting. I’m not proud of that,’ Paris says. ‘But there is a certain glee to acting however we want, and I wanted to capture that. I’m really interested in getting to the truth of things. It’s not really that politically correct a book! Everything is so boring now – I spend so much time just thinking about how to say things online in the right way. Social media has been great for my career as a journalist, I have to say, but writing books is the way forward – there’s so much more nuance.’ As for the question posed by some journalists about whether opening up women-only spaces to trans women could put other women at risk of more violence, the book shows you how Paris spent her childhood running from that same violence. She clearly knows more about it than I do, and is glad when I point this out. ‘It’s hugely frustrating seeing all this stuff suggesting I’m the problem,’ she says. ‘It’s sick.’ For Paris, prison felt like the end of the world, particularly as she was highly sensitive, feminine, ‘a boy to the outside world’. ‘You know, imagine the sort of boy from school I’d have crossed the road to avoid, and I was shoved in there with ALL of them. I literally thought I was going to die. But honestly, I didn’t. I was treated with more kindness in prison than I have been in sections of the British media.’ I remember watching Paris on Question Time in 2013 and being impressed by this

glamorous, eloquent woman talking about her experience of being inside. The Labour MPs Harriet Harman and John Prescott tweeted about what a powerful speaker she was too. It seemed a breakthrough moment in trans history. But when I ask her about that now, she says she had to drag her mattress into her living room and sit there eating Rice Krispies for three days afterwards to cope with the exposure. She’d also had a nervous time backstage with a make-up department that couldn’t really do her poker straight hair, and the old Fallen Diva in her rose up again. The producers said her hair didn’t matter, it would be fine. ‘I said, “You don’t understand. I am not going on BBC One if my fringe isn’t straight! So you’re going to have to send somebody to get my straighteners. So they had to send Chris Bryant!”’ The Labour MP had to ‘go to my hotel, get into my room, and wade through my knickers and bras strewn across the floor to find them. Turns out he’s a really handy guy to have around if you need an extra pair of hands while you’re getting your glam on.’ ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ is out now

Shirt, Loewe Paula’s Boutique; body and shorts, both Heist; boots as before. LEFT: Top and crystal vest, David Koma

WHY I WON’T LET MY DAUGHTERS BELIEVE IN IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

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

It’s natural to get nervous, but we shouldn’t believe in damaging myths about our ability to win at work, argues journalist Lorraine Candy

PHOTOS: GETTY

I HAD TO INTERVIEW

Oprah Winfrey in front of a live audience once at London’s National Theatre. It was the most nerveracking thing I had ever done for work. Just before I was about to go on stage, an assistant, sensing my fear, kindly wished me luck. Then she added jokingly: ‘Well, if there was ever a time to suffer from impostor syndrome, it’s now.’ There it was again; that ridiculous, unhelpful phrase that followed me from job to job, niggling at my self-esteem and playing into a narrative I believe shouldn’t exist. It’s a phrase that consistently undermines female successes and repeatedly tells perfectly capable women they should not be doing something. I was, of course, terrified of interviewing Oprah, the interviewer’s interviewer – sweat was pouring down my back and I had forgotten my own name – but I didn’t question whether or not I deserved to be in the room. I was simply nervous,

and overwhelmed, a logical emotion given the situation I was in. I wasn’t an impostor. I was cross the assistant had used this phrase because if I had my way I’d ban it. One study has estimated that two thirds of British women suffer from impostor syndrome at work, while the phrase was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018 – proof of how it has permeated our consciousness. These two damaging words linger around us like a bad smell and I consider the theory a nasty form of gaslighting that benefits the patriarchy greatly. It’s a phrase I’m hoping we can stamp out before my two daughters, aged 17, and 18, enter the workplace, especially my eldest, who wants to be a mechanical engineer. I’m guessing she may hear it a lot in such a male-dominated industry. Impostor syndrome was invented in 1978 after a study of female students in the US concluded that women often felt like a fraud when they were offered big opportunities. It has been a stone in the shoe of smart women ever since, because even if you don’t feel like an impostor you think you should because this daft phrase exists. It’s infuriating. Why do we buy into a theory that whispers ‘you’re not worthy’ into the ear of perfectly capable women? It makes my head spin with rage because we have unwittingly handed women a toolkit of self-sabotage. Why should we question our success or contemplate believing a psychological storyline that sows the seeds of doubt about our skills? I’ve heard it again and again from the mostly female teams I have managed over the past three decades as a magazine editor and journalist – every generation, from Millennials to Boomers, seems to subscribe to the fiction that we suffer momentary lapses in capability. And while I know the idea in naming ‘impostor syndrome’ is that women shouldn’t feel like

‘NEGATIVE LANGUAGE TILTS US IN THE DIRECTION OF SELFDOUBT’

impostors when faced with new challenges, I believe the prevalence of this harmful concept predisposes us to feel exactly that – to wonder if our abilities really match up. Of course, I understand how some situations can be intensely nerve-racking at work, how we can lack confidence as we walk into rooms that terrify us, or take on roles we wonder if we are quite ready to do – this is an expected reaction when we do hard things – but we shouldn’t accept a phrase that perpetrates a myth women don’t ‘deserve’ success or that we don’t belong in the corridors of power. We may indeed be terrified of what we are about to do or experience, but it’s unhealthy to define it by a label that can be used against us every time we have a wobble. Rather like those sitcoms which portray mothers working outside the home as chaotic, distressed and gin-soaked, or Gen-X sitcoms that painted single women as unhappy souls whose lives would be complete if only they found a man, this phrase makes society question women’s abilities. All these unhelpful characterisations of women as ‘less than’ present oversimplified versions of us that we may accidentally accept as a possibility. That is not something I want my daughters to buy into. I always say I never suffer from impostor syndrome, not because I am an uberconfident personality but because I want it to disappear from the vocabulary around women at work. There is better language to describe how you are feeling in these moments. And this awful phrase is tied to other belief systems, which demand women are self-deprecating about their success – it’s the same thinking that makes us say sorry before we present an idea we know to be a good one. This negative language has to stop. It tilts us, and all the women behind us, in the direction of self-doubt and that’s not fair. Instead it’s your duty as a mum, sister or daughter to help the women you care about nurture a more positive narrative about themselves. To care for themselves more. Be scared, be fearful, be worried, be panicky – maybe even intimidated – but don’t be an impostor in your own world. ‘Mum, What’s Wrong With You? 101 Things Only The Mothers Of Teenage Girls Know,’ by Lorraine Candy, is out 10 June (£14.99, 4 Estate). @lorrainecandy Let us know what you think at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk 51

grazia

FASHION

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

A J E W E L-TO N E D SILK SCARF IS A ST YLE TRICK WORTH MASTERING FOR SUMMER , ESPECIALLY WHEN PAIRED WITH THIS SEASON’S RELAXED TAKE ON TAILORING. SEEK OUT OVERSIZED SUITING IN SOFT PASTELS AND WEAR IT OUT OF OFFICE WITH ITS BEST FRIEND, THE MINIMAL BRA TOP. Jacket, £429, bra top, £279, and trousers, £269, all BOSS; scarf, £125, Aspinal of London; sunglasses, £187, Black Eyewear; bag, £280, The Kooples

BRIDE AND JOY Wedding season is back on! Whether you’re a bride in search of your perfect dress or a guest staring at a calendar’s worth of invites, here’s our guide to doing the big day in a stylish, mindful way WORDS HANNAH BANKS-WALKER S H O P P I N G C H A R LOT T E PAV I T T

time. But while the past year has seen many celebrations cancelled or postponed, some couples have found innovative new ways to get married, some of which look to be the future of this £14.7bn industry. Whether you’re organising your own big day or simply looking for something to wear as a guest, consider this your complete guide to weddings in a post-lockdown era.

SOMETHING GREEN? THE RISE OF SUSTAINABLE WEDDINGS if google is the window into our souls, then that should be enough to tell you that sustainable weddings are on the up. Basic searches for that specific term, as well as related ones like ‘eco’ and ‘green’ wedding, have increased exponentially in the past year. According to Charlotte O’Shea,

founder of wedding planning platform Rockmywedding.co.uk, this is hardly a surprise. ‘The pandemic has accelerated this focus on sustainability. We surveyed our readers and found 60% of couples now consider sustainability to be one of the main criteria when planning a wedding.’ Charlotte launched her company nearly a decade ago. Now, she’s set up an off-shoot, Recycle My Wedding, a resale app where users can buy and sell pre-loved wedding items – everything from the dress to table centrepieces. It launched in December and the company donates 10% of all listing fees

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

HALFPENNY LONDON

Jewellery brand Alighieri now makes bridal accessories (see also veil, right)

to Trees For Life. ‘We’ve been selling over 100 items a month, despite the lack of weddings,’ says Charlotte. ‘It takes around 9,000 litres of water to make one wedding dress so, every time we sell a gown, that’s essentially what we’re saving.’ An average UK wedding can, shockingly, create up to 14.5 tonnes of CO2, so it’s no wonder the current generation is more concerned about their carbon footprint than ever before. Lettice Events, an event management and catering company, says it has noticed couples cutting guest numbers and reallocating budget to other areas of

the wedding. ‘With the rise of plant-based eating and the reduction of single-use materials, we are seeing a shift towards natural products,’ says Holly Congdon, head of events. ‘Our best-selling dessert is vegan and gluten-free.’ Party-planning app HOPP says they will only work with suppliers who can demonstrate high levels of sustainability. A sustainability section on the app allows clients to filter by their location to select the most local services. Florists, too, have seen a rise in requests for more sustainable flowers. Lavender Green, a London-based

company, says the key is to source blooms locally and reduce floral foam in designs. ‘We encourage our clients to reuse designs throughout the day for maximum effect and minimum impact environmentally,’ says Sue Barnes, founder and creative director. ‘We’re going to offer more planted designs, too, which couples can give as gifts after the wedding or replant.’ Such personal touches are now preferred over a more ostentatious approach – something that is significantly on the decline since Covid-19 ushered in the era of the micro-wedding. Even the gifts 55

A N D R E A H AW K E S

HALFPENNY LONDON

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

reflect this change, with companies such as Prezola offering dedicated lists of sustainable products, while The Wedding Shop has seen a rise in couples asking for charity donations rather than dinner sets. Then, of course, there’s the dress. From sustainable brands to an increase in dress rentals and the use of resale sites, wedding gowns are quietly becoming a leading force in fashion’s quest to lessen its impact on the planet. Andrea Hawkes established her eponymous label in 2014 to create ethically made, contemporary designs from luxury natural fabrics. ‘Brides are much more likely now to ask questions in regards to fabrics and production than when we launched,’ she says. Kate Halfpenny has seen such a trend increase steadily for years, which is exactly why she decided to make beautiful bridal separates that could be mixed and matched to create unique looks for every woman she dresses. ‘I’d encourage brides to consider investing in separates, which will last a lifetime and can be incorporated into their wardrobe to enjoy again,’ she says. ‘I don’t want people to think about their wedding dress as a single-wear item. I want them to think about it as something that can be worn again or passed down as an heirloom.’ What if you don’t have access to heirlooms but don’t want to buy new? Consider joining the thousands of brides who have rented their big day outfit. MyWardrobeHQ reports that rentals are up 600% this year for wedding-related dresses and ByRotation witnessed a 400% rise. Popular items on the app include a Marina Qureshi glitter dress, from £34, 56

Lavender Green display and (above) Lettice Events

a Ganni feather-trimmed dress, from £20, and Rixo slip dress, from £10. Hurr has recently launched a new collection by jewellery brand Alighieri that includes ethereal, couture-like pieces for the fashion-forward bride. Among them are handmade gold ‘floating’ veils and bralettes, as well as a dress crafted from 4,000 deadstock freshwater pearls. ‘We launched with Hurr to allow our customers to rent a collection of our signature heirlooms and we have seen a great uptake,’ explains Rosh Mahtani, founder of Alighieri. ‘It allows the pieces to be accessible for everyone. I love the idea of each piece being imbued with one woman’s story, then passed on to the next.’ One of the unsung benefits of having a sustainable wedding? It’s kinder to your budget, too. Browns Brides has long been the go-to for those seeking designer gowns. But now, for the first time, it is offering a rental service via MyWardrobeHQ, enabling brides to hire a couture gown for a fraction of the price. Caroline Burstein, founder of Browns Brides, explains, ‘The rental of styles that are discontinued is key to making our dresses live a longer life. Each dress is a work of art and, by adding rental to our offering, we are fulfilling a sustainable and moral imperative.’

R EJ I NA PYO

UNLOCK

Shoes, £255, Rixo

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

Bag, rent from £25, The Vampire’s Wife at Rotaro

Belt, £137, Marina Rinaldi

Headband, £25, Giulio

Top, £69, and trousers, £69, both Ghospell

Fan, £80, Fern Fans

Dress, £430, Aje

TH E GU E S T ED I T

Jumpsuit, £1,495, Stella McCartney at Selfridges

Blazer, £95, and shorts, £65, both & Other Stories

Dressing for a wedding is never easy, especially when we’ve all fallen out of the habit after a year spent in joggers. But fear not – while you’ve been on a wedding guest sabbatical of sorts, designers have been busy creating some wonderful options to make sure you’re the person everyone wants in the photographs. There are rainbow-bright mididresses from the likes of Aje and Matteau, which require minimal accessories, or a pretty take on the shirtdress from Uterqüe. For an alternative to a dress, Ghospell has a chic two-piece that feels more Emma Corrin than Princess Di. Invitations pouring in but \RX GRQoW ZDQW WR EX\ D QHZ RXWƮW IRU every event? Consider renting – you could have a designer dress from just £12 or nab statement accessories from the likes of The Vampire’s Wife from £25, all while saving the planet as well as your money.

Shoes, £710, Versace at farfetch.com

Dress, £402, Matteau at net-a-porter.com

E V E NT- R E A DY MASKS

£35, Emilia Wickstead

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

ARE YOU A LOW-KEY OR Necklace, £69, Ania Haie

UNDERSTATED slinky silhouettes, chic suits and paredback accessories govern this bride’s approach. According to Bridebook, in the last year the search for ‘casual wedding dresses’ surged 158%. From separates you can wear long after the day to ’90s-inspired slip dresses and capes in place of a veil, simple doesn’t mean boring.

THE OWN STUDIO ‘Brides are really liking the idea of the cape as an alternative to a traditional veil – our QHZ VLON FKLƬRQ FDSH has been very popular.’ The One Studio team

HARMUR ‘Our best-sellers have been the Party Bride, the Minnie Jumpsuit and the Cocktail Bride. :H DOVR RƬHU EHVSRNH and a lot of our clients love to come in and pick necklines from one gown and the skirt of another with a slit or a bow there.’ Constance Murphy, co-founder and managing director

DANIELLE FRANKEL ‘This collection was a response to

Dress, £935, H

GLVVHFWLQJ to evoke the Danielle

JACQUEMUS

Earrings, £190, Faris at ssense.com

DANIELLE FR ANKEL

Top, £285, Paris Georgia at brownsfashion.com

Cape, £600, The Own Studio

BITE ‘Our pieces can be re-worn and restyled. Pre-fall ’21 has the ELJJHVW EULGDO RƬHULQJ ever, with silk suits, shirts, skirts and dresses.’ William Lundgren, co-founder and CEO

Skirt, £385, Bite

Dress, £585, Christopher Esber at net-a-porter.com

Earrings, £327, Meadowlark

Bag, £145, Lulu Guinness Blazer, rent from £16, Racil at MyWardrobeHQ Shoes, £150, Dune London

ALL-OUT BRIDE?

UNLOCK

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

BELLS & WHISTLES forget less is more, this bride is embracing annual wedding report, we are entering the year of the after-party, as searches for mini bridal Dress, £2,795, Christopher Kane

CHRISTIE NICOLE

increase in searches for rhinestone heels.

‘A Christopher Kane bride has the strength of character to do whatever they like on their wedding day. They embrace their own personality and style to make their day unique.’ Christopher Kane, designer

G I A M B AT T I S TA VA L L I

Dress, rent from £43, Georgia Hardinge at HURR

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Bag, £195, 0711 Tbilisi at Khoeo.com Hair bow, £575, Lock & Co Hatters

Earrings, £350, Alighieri

Headband, £1,260, Jane Taylor London

ERDEM Veil, £390, Erdem

H AT T E R S

silk gazar and

‘I wanted to create accessories that felt modern and playful, like the short polka-dot veil with the white bow on the back and the wonderful embellished headband.’ Erdem Moralioglu, designer

aisle.’ head designer

Mules, £1,425, Jimmy Choo

Top, £435, Shushu Tong Bag, £550, Simone Rocha Earrings, £95, Shrimps

'UHVV ~ headband, ~ Rixo

~ LoveShackFancy at matchesfashion.com

~ Whistles

£360, Self-Portrait

£1,000, Clover London

~ Ghost

£620, Rebecca Valance at mytheresa.com

SAY Y ES TO TH E A F FO R DA BL E DRESS The pandemic meant a dearth of weddings, and those that were taking SODFH ZHUH PLFUR DƬDLUV %ULGDO designers were forced to adapt to VXUYLYH ,W DOVR OHG WR VHYHUDO QHZ labels emerging, and other brands ODXQFKLQJ EULGDOZHDU OLQHV 7KH FRPPRQ WKUHDG" $ƬRUGDELOLW\ %ULWLVK ODEHO +DUPXUoV GHEXW OLQH RƬHUHG ưRRU OHQJWK JRZQV MXPSVXLWV minidresses and separates from ~ $IWHU VWUXJJOLQJ WR ƮQG KHU RZQ ZHGGLQJ GUHVV $OO\ 9RVV ODXQFKHG Clover London, to bridge the gap between high street and bespoke DOO SULFHG DW ~ 5L[R PHDQZKLOH introduced wedding dresses, and DFFHVVRULHV IURP MXVW ~ ASOS reports selling around 800 EULGDO GUHVVHV D GD\ VLQFH 0DUFK ZLWK LWV HPEURLGHUHG JRZQV SULFHG ~ :KLVWOHV 0RQVRRQ DQG *KRVW KDYH HQMR\HG VXFFHVV ZLWK EULGDOZHDU VR LWoV QR VXUSULVH WKDW RWKHU KLJK VWUHHW brands are beginning to introduce it, WRR 6LVWHU -DQH IRU H[DPSOH KDV LQFOXGHG VRPH GLVWLQFWO\ EULGDO GUHVVHV LQ LWV ODWHVW FROOHFWLRQ

~ Bernadette at matchesfashion.com

£220, Sister Jane

~ ASOS Design

~ Monsoon

~ Galvan at net-a-porter.com

5HQW IURP ~ Ganni at By Rotation

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

GRAZIA

C HO OS E YO UR SH O ES

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

£795, Jimmy Choo

What you’re aiming for is a beautiful pair of shoes with a shelf life longer than just one day. Jimmy Choo has put a twist on classic courts with a bejewelled ankle strap for added glitz, while Brother Vellies’ frilled mules are hard to resist. There’s also been a rise in brides choosing shoes in other hues, with Manolo Blahnik noticing more women opting for its iconic Hangisi heels in shades of dark blue and green. Don’t think you have to stick to heels, either – there are HPEHOOLVKHG ưDWV MXVW PDGH WR NHHS \RX RQ WKH GDQFH ưRRU DOO QLJKW ORQJ

£645, Prada at net-a-porter.com

£288, Loeffler Randall

£149, Ted Baker

£119.99, Mango

£850, Miu Miu at farfetch.com

£795, Manolo Blahnik

Rent from £20, Amina Muaddi at By Rotation

£270, Manu Atelier

£865, Rene Caovilla

£514, Brother Vellies

£79, Office

£550, Gina

£535, Malone Souliers

£845, Christian Louboutin

Rent from £76, Gucci at Hurr

FA B U L O U S F L AT S

£139, Kurt Geiger London

£300, Cult Gaia

£205, Sleeper

£360, Cecilie Bahsen x Hereu

TA S A K I

Ring, £850, George Jensen

+ THINGS The latest bridal jewellery trends

Bracelet, £595, The Alkemistry

WEDDING WINS

Ring, £6,000, Rachel Boston

Bangle, £79, Thomas Sabo

ALIGHIERI

Ring, £3,350, Jessie Thomas

In their minidresses and trouser suits, modern brides no longer feel confined to classics. This unpredictable, defiantly untraditional attitude is also translating to big day jewellery. Because while a solitaire diamond always has fairy-tale charm, sculptural earrings, tough-luxe bangles and subtly twisted rings are equally deserving of an ‘I do’ now. Take inspiration from Tasaki, which gives pearls a quietly subversive spin via modern, unexpected shapes. Or why not opt for a watch? After all, wouldn’t the most unconventional move of all be to arrive perfectly on time?

Bangle, £2,740, Cartier

Earrings, £365, Sophie Buhai at net-a-porter.com

ALL FOR E TIM Watch, £9,450, Omega Earrings, £45, Astrid & Miyu

WORDS: LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN. SHOPPING: MOLLY HAYLOR

Ring, £1,475, Spinelli Kilcollin at brownsfashion.com

Top, £24.99, jeans, £24.99, and shoes, £17.99

shortcut your way to a guaranteed summer romance. LA brand Brock Collection has lent its signature design details – think corseting, bucolic florals and ribbons – to a heart-flutteringly lovely new collaboration with H&M. Brock Collection x H&M

Charm bracelet, £17.99

TAKE NOTE

Dress, £24.99

Dress, £39.99

Your need-to-know fashion news

WORDS: LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN. PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

Top, £12.99

the fashion Museum Bath has reopened with Shoephoria! a new exhibition dedicated to fabulous footwear from the past 300 years – from 17th-century mules to glam-rock boots, sneakers to styles worn by Queen Victoria and Margot Fonteyn. Until 2022, fashionmuseum.co.uk

Beach cover-up, £195

‘oh, this old thing?’ is now the ultimate fashion flex thanks to the growing might of the pre-loved market. Check out luxury resale site Cudoni for fabulous finds from the likes of Hermès, Gucci and Chanel. cudoni.com

your 2021 mantra: More Joy. Pledge allegiance to optimism with the latest drop from Christopher Kane’s cult capsule, including Breton striped pieces, pool slides and sunglasses – a collaboration with Le Specs. A four-week More Joy pop-up opens at Selfridges London, Manchester and Birmingham

granted, you’re more likely to be spotted in an Uber than on a white horse, but if you’ve binged Halston and are ready to get dressed up and go out then Bianca Jagger’s languid ’70s glamour is an essential reference. 63

ICKER HAIR TH

health+

BEAUTY

WORDS: JOELY WALKER. JO MALONE LONDON LIME BASIL & MANDARIN HOME CANDLE, £49, JOMALONE.CO.UK

IT’ S N E W + WE WANT IT!

W H E N C A N D L E S A N D I N T E R I O R S CO L L I D E , FABULOUS THINGS HAPPEN. CASE IN POINT: JO MALONE LONDON’S NEW HOME ACCESSORIES COLLAB, WITH CREATIVE AND SET DESIGNER SHONA HEATH. THE LIMITED-EDITION DAISY CHEEKS CANDLE LID, £98, IS DESTINED FOR SELL-OUT SUCCESS (AND A SPOT ON OUR DRESSING TABLE). PHOTOGRAPH DENNIS PEDERSEN

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

GRAZIA

Out of hundreds of new launches over the past year, these smart formulations and innovative creations are truly the cream of the crop. Meet the 15 hair heroes we can’t get enough of...

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

BLONDE BOOSTER CHARLES WORTHINGTON COLOURPLEX UV T R E AT M E N T, £ 9 . 9 9 boots.com

2021

HAIR AWARDS

Battling brassy tones during lockdown, I tried dozens of purple products (as purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, they cancel each other out). This was the standout, leaving my colour more vibrant, without any telltale staining, all in just one minute. A godsend between salon appointments, the formula includes the brand’s Plex-Repair system to strengthen strands, too. ES

THE JUDGES

Joely Walker beauty & health director 66

Kenya Hunt deputy editor

Annie Vischer beauty editor

Emma Stoddart Remy Farrell, senior beauty fashion & beauty writer assistant

2 CURL ENHANCER CHARLOT TE MENSAH MANKETTI OIL HAIR POMADE, £52 charlottemensah.com

This pomade saved my curls during lockdown, keeping my hair hydrated and happy until salons reopened. It’s that rare one-stop do-it-all cream. I’ve used it for everything from a standard wash-and-go to edge control. It even works well as a heat protector for blow-dries. Win, win, win. KH

3. £14 ghdhair.com

I’m overly picky when it comes to hairsprays, but this new launch delivered on all fronts, offering great hold, movement and definition, all while deterring fly-aways. Pleasingly versatile, the lightweight formula (which, by the way, is humidity-resistant) helped sleeken my updo, added gloss to a bouncy DIY blow-dry and kept my loose waves in place all day long. AV

D O E S - I T-A L L O I L KHALI MIN RESCUE OIL, £38 khalimin.com

hibiscus and jojoba oil blend can be used to style, strengthen and repair hair. Or, as I discovered, use it as an overnight treatment and wake up to your glossiest, healthiest hair yet. RF

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

DYS O N CO R R A L E H A I R STR AIGHTENER , £399.99 dyson.co.uk

Aside from being conveniently cordless (big tick) the Corrale – which has three heat options, so every hair type is covered – has flexible plates that reduce drag and snagging, meaning one glide is enough to straighten (or curl!), therefore minimising heat damage. Yes, it’s expensive, but if heat styling is your thing and you want to upgrade, it’s well worth the splurge. AV

B E S T I N N O VAT I O N L’ O R É A L PA R I S E LV I V E DREAM LENGTHS WO N D E R WAT E R , £ 9. 9 9

8 BEST ECO LAUNCH G A R N I E R U LT I M A T E BLENDS SHAMPOO BARS, £3.99 EACH

boots.com

I’m not being overly emphatic when I say this conditioner is AH-MA-ZING. A total game-changer for me, the liquid formula is unlike anything I’d used before and it genuinely works in just eight seconds, leaving hair feeling soft and shiny (no mean feat with my mane). After I finished my first bottle, I stocked up on five more – and that says it all. JW

boots.com

6 STYLING CREAM OF THE CROP L’ O R É A L PROFESSIONNEL SERIE EXPERT BLOW-DRY F LU I D I F I E R , £16 lookfantastic.com

It’s not often that I’m blown away by a heat protection product, but this is so much more. Yes, it protects up to 230°C (a must for heat styling) but it also holds your blow-dry in place all day long, thanks to vegetal proteins that are activated via heat. Simply smooth two to three pumps through towel-dried hair, then blow-dry. ES

Big statement: this is the best shampoo bar I’ve tried (and believe me, I’ve done the rounds). Out of the four in the range, my favourite is the Delicate Oat Softening Shampoo Bar, with soothing oat milk and rice cream that leaves my hair feeling cleansed and soft, all without irritating my sensitive scalp. With zero plastic waste and up to two months’ usage, it’s a smart sustainable swap. AV

10 B E ST- I N - S H OW DRY SHAMPOO L E E S TA F F O R D S C A L P LOVE SKIN-KIND DRY S H A M P O O, £ 6.99 boots.com

I’m obsessed with this ultralight, gentle dry shampoo, which delivered a refreshing boost to my hair without weighing it down with chalky residue. Designed with sensitive scalps like mine in mind, it contains hyaluronic acid for a gentle formula that absorbs oil without drying out hair – the perfect pick-me-up when you’re between washes. RF

11.

BREAKTHROUGH BRAND UNDONE BY GEORGE N O R T H WO O D, £12-£18 georgenorthwood.com

9 S O S T R E AT M E N T AV E D A N U T R I P L E N I S H D A I LY M O I S T U R I Z I N G T R E AT M E N T, £ 2 8 . 5 0 aveda.co.uk

If, like me, you’re fuss-free in your approach to haircare and want to streamline your kit without compromising on those vital healthy hair benefits, this leave-in treatment is one to check out. A small amount

Oh, George! You’ve absolutely nailed it. And, in truth, I’d expect no less from the scissors behind the strands of Stella McCartney, Alexa Chung and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (whose hair he styled for her wedding reception). With 14 products at launch (and more to come) there’s a line to suit all hair types, but my go-to has to be Undamaged – a blessing for sensitised hair (think bleach and heat styling). JW

The formula is 99% naturally derived, too. AV

H E A LT H + B E AU T Y G R A Z I A 12 MANE-CHANGING MASK HERBAL ESSENCES ESSENCES OF LIFE A R G A N O I L R E PA I R & RENEW INTENSIVE MASK, £9.99

13.

superdrug.com

Matching up to those twice and even thrice its price point, this three-minute mask delivers great bang for your buck. The nourishing aloe, sea-kelp and argan oil formula softens, detangles and smooths dry, damaged ends without any weighty residue. A cult classic in the making. ES

TOP TEXTURISER N I N E YA R D S E A S Y S I D E S A LT W A T E R S P R A Y, £19.50 nineyardsuk.com

If, like me, you thought truly nonchalant beachy waves could only be attained by the sea – think again. New in from Nine Yards, this spray contains salt alongside castor seed oil to give hair that matte, tousled texture without drying it out. Mist all over damp hair before blowdrying and enjoy the sunny citrussy scent as well as a fuller, thicker finish. ES

14.

S AV V Y S H A M P O O REDKEN ACIDIC BONDING C O N C E N T R AT E S H A M P O O, £ 2 1 . 5 0 lookfantastic.com

S U P E R S TA R CONDITIONER DOVE 1 MINUTE SUPER CONDITIONER, £4 superdrug.com

My hair needs a lot of TLC and this has been delivering the goods. Incredibly hydrating and super-softening, it doesn’t weigh my fine hair down – even when used daily. Plus, I know that the high-grade formula is working wonders on my hair’s condition long-term. Top marks.

STILL LIFES: MARCO VITTUR

If healthier hair is on your summer beauty agenda, I’d recommend trying this. Featuring Redken’s most strengthening formula to date, it claims to deliver 82% less visible split ends. While it’s not been in my routine long enough for me to vouch for that part, I can say that my hair feels healthier, and my colour more vibrant, after just two weeks. I’m impressed. JW

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

BABY-PROOF BEAUTY

MY HAIR CAN GO WITHOUT WA S H I N G

For five days. OK, make it six. At the start, when I was clueless about how to structure my days, showering fell right down the to-do list. Who knew a topknot gets better with age? And with Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo [7], £20, and some hairspray on the sides to hold the bedhead in. I conditioned with L’Oréal Paris Wonder Water [4], £9.99, which only needs to stay on for eight seconds which is great because the baby is crying…

Sophie Beresiner, beauty journalist and author of The Mother Project, shares the make-up lessons she’s learned as a new mum

LIPSTICK IS THE STILETTO OF MY MAKE-UP BAG

my original job, the one before ‘mother’, was beauty director, so I know what to do with this stuff. Only, there comes a time – or in my case, two times – when your subject matter expertise may not actually come so naturally. My first instance was during chemotherapy. Suddenly, my whole appearance and beauty needs changed, so I learned on the job, as it were; how to cheat the illusion of eyelashes by pressing a dryish mascara wand against my naked lash line, how to colour in the parting on my wig with brow pencil so it looked more natural. The second time is now, as a first-time mother. Most of this experience has been spent in an ain’t-going-out pandemic. So where does beauty even come in, really? As I’ve discovered, it is ridiculously important. And I realised that after a lockdown in which I did without make-up and (shh) even sometimes skincare, until I reached the point where I stopped recognising myself (only this time the reason was much more positive than cancer). Yes, having a baby has fundamentally changed me for the better, but the past year has also revealed that I don’t want to lose the part of me that loves making an effort, that marvels at the transformative, moodboosting power of products. Here’s what I have learned…

I WEAR MAKE-UP FOR ME

3+2726 ,167$*5$0Ǭ623+,( %(5(6,1(5

I F YO U H AV E E Y E B R O W S , YO U H AV E E N O U G H

In a year when no one was looking at me except this tiny person, why did I even bother? Because I’m looking at me, and I want to see the same person I was before. And so, I found myself putting on mascara. But make it one that slides off at the end of the day, because by then I’d invariably be too tired for any form of make-up removal. Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara [1], £29, is my mat-leave godsend. T H E H O LY G R A I L I S G L O W

If a video call comes in, I am fully confident in my level of put-togetheredness if my eyebrows have been filled in with Benefit Microfilling Pen [2], £22.50, lacquered with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze [5], £24, and brushed up into a fashionable feathery place with the spoolie. The whole thing takes about six seconds.

That is to say, I’m shelving it until I have more glamorous places to go than the park. For one, I forget that I’m wearing lipstick and so it goes everywhere, including the baby. And she smears what is left all over my chin. Instead, I might add a tiny touch of NARS Multi-Use Gloss in Redemption [3], £20, for a perky tint that isn’t sticky. My husband asked me what I’d had done when I wore it for the first time. The cheek! But also, brilliant.

Not bronze or blush, as I’d assumed. A gentle sheen when I turn my face in the light makes me feel fresher and, essentially, younger. I’m obviously achieving it with make-up because god knows my real glow took its own maternity leave. I put it on first rather than last, for longevity, so a glowboosting base like Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter [6], £24, is perfect, just on my cheekbones and buffed in with my fingers – and nothing else. (Except the brows, of course.) ‘The Mother Project’ (£14.99, HarperCollins) is out now 71

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

TONE UP – HOW TO TACKLE

HYPERPIGMENTATION It might be one of the most common skin complaints, but research into hyperpigmentation is woeful. Grazia’s Kenya Hunt goes in search of scientific solutions that work

black don’t crack, the age-old saying goes, describing how Black and brown skin is often slow to wrinkle. But it does hyperpigment, a fact I discovered first-hand when I had my first ever spot during my pre-teens. It was an unforgettable experience, mainly because it rudely appeared on my nose (so prominent, so impossible to ignore). And when it finally shrank in size about a week later, it left a dark brown, birthmark-style smear as

a parting gift. The mark lasted twice as long as the spot did. Outrageous. In my adult years, I’ve learned that it doesn’t even take acne to cause my skin to hyperpigment. It could be as simple as a moment in the sun that stretched a few minutes too long, or an exfoliating face wash that was a bit too abrasive, or even simply touching my face. Many of you no doubt feel my pain. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is the medical term for what happens when trauma to the skin triggers it to produce more melanin in defence, happens

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

to most Black and brown women that I know. At best, it can leave an uneven skin tone. And at worst, it can cause a highcontrast, patchy appearance that can bring even the most confident woman to the brink of depression. (See actor Keke Palmer’s poignant Instagram posts about her own battle with breakouts and discolouration.) I’ve had friends who suffered from pigmentation so badly they wouldn’t allow friends or even lovers to see them bare-faced out of embarrassment about the discolouration. An old work mate wouldn’t wear swimsuits because she felt insecure about the brown spots on her back and arms. Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe, a London-based medical and cosmetic doctor and clinical expert in skincare and non-surgical enhancement known for her client base of high-profile Black British women, tells me hyperpigmentation is the single most common complaint among her patients. ‘When a woman walks through the door, I know she’s going to want to talk about post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation,’ she says. Yet, while writing this article, I shockingly couldn’t find any hard statistics to back what I know to be true from lived experience and from speaking with countless dermatologists about it over the years. Data about hyperpigmentation in Black and brown women is shamefully scarce. To make matters worse, many of the products on the market to address hyperpigmentation aren’t tested on melanated skin. ‘To some degree, I feel like skincare brands inadvertently cheat women of colour because, first of all, they are not obliged to test for skin colour at all. And when I work with some brands and ask them to send me the research they’ve done, it says, “Tested on 30 Caucasian women between the ages of 30 and 50.” I’m like, “Pardon? What?”’ Ukeleghe says. That dearth of solutions for women with darker skin tones is what inspired Noelly Michoux to co-found 4.5.6 Skin with the popular medical skin expert Dr Carlos A Charles, in 2019. The skincare line, which includes a tight line-up of six products – all specially formulated for dark skin – has since become a cult hit among Black fashion and beauty editors on both sides of the Atlantic. ‘The skincare industry is

lagging way behind in its melanin-driven research and development process,’ Michoux says, adding that Black and brown skin has specific needs that differ from white skin. What’s most striking about 4.5.6 Skin is that it’s all made to order. You select a product (a cleansing oil, cleansing gel, exfoliant mask, treatment lotion, brightening concentrated serum, or matte moisturiser), complete a questionnaire about your skin’s unique characteristics and then choose from a selection of thousands of formulas. I received mine in a series of recyclable bottles with my name and an expiration date printed on the label. ‘We believe that beauty needs to be defined by each person on their own terms,’ Michoux says. After six weeks of use, I was impressed with the results. A series of brown spots on my jawline from an at-home facial peel gone wrong had faded significantly. It’s notoriously difficult to treat hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. And Ukeleghe says the ingredients matter. ‘What you really want are products like azelaic acid and retinol,’ she advises. My own personal experience backs this up. I’ve found that my face responds best to products that are powered by science that is a little more robust. In testing out solutions for this article, my pigmentation faded the fastest with skincare ranges known for their skin renewal technology – Augustinus Bader’s The Cream, for example, and Dr Barbara Sturm’s entire Darker Skin Tones range. Ultimately, though, the biggest investment to make in clearing up hyperpigmentation is patience. No matter what anyone says, there is no quick fix. It took roughly seven weeks for me to finally see results. ‘I always encourage my patients to look at what’s causing the hyperpigmentation in the first place,’ says Ukeleghe who, in addition to a list of products, suggested float therapy and acupuncture to manage my stress levels. ‘I can give you pills and peels and this and that, but I’d just be putting a plaster on the situation. It makes more sense to treat what’s causing the problem; to do that you have to put in the work and time.’

TO TRY

Augustinus Bader The Exfoliating Toner, £65, and Cleansing Gel, £50

4.5.6 Skin Green Bae Cleansing Gel, £25

Dr Barbara Sturm Sun Drops, £110

Dr David Jack Face Paint Peel, £139

La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50+, £18

DR UKELEGHE’S T O P T I P S No picking! Or haphazard DIY extractions. Q Avoid touching your face unnecessarily. Q $YRLG KDUVK WRZHOV ưDQQHOV scrubs and electric brushes. Instead, use medical gauze. Q Cleanse for at least 60 seconds, using your hands and avoiding piping hot or freezing cold water. Q Avoid or minimise use of products with perfume, essential oils, alcohols and sulphates/SLS. Q

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

Sustainable sneakers, mood-boosting essential oils and demystifying the menopause

BODY

FEELGOOD FILES

NEW KICKS

there’s nothing quite like a fresh pair of trainers to spur you on. Whether you’re a regular gym-goer, a daily walker or a member of your local running club, Veja’s first ecological running shoe will inject your workout with new impetus. Four years in the making, the Marlin, £145, is made from

MIND Listen up Placing the menopausal experience of Black women front and centre, podcast Menopause Whilst Black, hosted by Karen Arthur, drives a more inclusive and open conversation around this traditionally taboo transition with relatable stories and sound advice. New tech Ovira, £109, is a wearable device that relieves period pains with clever electrotherapy technology. Simply stick the ‘Love Handles’ on your tummy or back, turn on the device and let the electrical pulses overload your nerves to block pain signals travelling to the brain. ovira.com Mood boost Moody: A Woman’s 21st-Century Hormone Guide by Amy Thomson will help you better understand your hormones and how to optimise your life around them. It’s packed with incredibly useful insights from nutritionists, gynaecologists and endocrinologists.

FRAGRANCE THERAPY

exercise bikes are in high demand and the latest launch – from Apex, in collaboration with London spin studio Boom Cycle – is set to fly. Expensive, yes (although less than its competitors), this bike comes with over 100 high-energy classes led by expert instructors. Choose between four shades to suit every interior. Bike, £1,200, Apex app subscription, £30 per month, apexrides.com 74

SPIRIT

research shows that essential oils can significantly reduce our perception of stress and decrease cortisol levels. Invest in Aromatherapy Associates’ sleek ceramic Atomiser, £120, and you’ll quickly see why. Unlike most, there’s oils’ potency is

taking an antioxidant supplement alongside a topical SPF is a great way to dial up your defence, while still reaping the sun’s wellbeing benefits. Wild Nutrition’s Natural Glow, £90 for 60 capsules (refill pouch £75), contains melanine and vitamins C and E to reduce skin damage, boost collagen production and increase your natural melanin levels for a deeper tan. wildnutrition.com

bed, £25 each. aromatherapy associates.com

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

EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT... THE MICRO FRENCH MANICURE

Elie Saab. ‘My goal has always been to make women feel beautiful,’ says Saab, whose influence sees a nine-shade-strong eyeshadow palette, four new colours of Color Riche Lipstick and the new Le Volume Haute Couture Mascara hit shelves. From £9.99 at Boots

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BEAUTY BUZZ :25'6 $11,( 9,6&+(5 3+2726 *(77< 526,( +817,1*721ǫ:+,7(/(<Ǭ,167$*5$0

Your need-to-know news

APPLY THIS GLAMGLOW BRIGHTMUD DUALTREATMENT, £45

Recharge your radiance with GlamGlow’s new mask-meets-exfoliator hybrid. The formula combines gentle chemical exfoliants (salicylic and lactic acids) with microfine pumice, vitamin C and niacinamide to do away with dullness, leaving smooth skin. Leave it on as a mask or use as a rinse-off exfoliator two to three times a week.

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rochelle Humes have both showcased this newgen take on a classic French manicure in recent months. It IHDWXUHV D YHU\ ƮQH ZKLWH s RU FRORXUHG s WLS LQ SODFH RI WKH long, white ones we became used to in the noughties. Rosie and Rochelle’s go-to nail artist and the manicurist leading the micro French manicure charge is Harriet Westmoreland. Here she tells us how it’s done... What’s involved? n$ WKLQ WLS LV NH\ WR WKH PLFUR French manicure. Bring the WLS GRZQ WKH VLGH RI WKH QDLO for a more obvious look or NHHS LW ưDW DFURVV WKH WRS IRU D VXEWOH ƮQLVK , XVH D VKHHU SROLVK IRU WKH EDVH PDWFKHG to my client’s skin tone.’ How can I do it? n)LUVW DSSO\ \RXU EDVH FRDW colour. When creating the WLS GHFDQW D VPDOO DPRXQW RI SROLVK LQWR D PL[LQJ SDOHWWH RU D SLHFH RI WLQ IRLO 'LS D WKLQ OLQHU EUXVK LQWR WKLV DQG SDLQW across the free edge of the nail. Remove any mistakes ZLWK D OLS EUXVK GLSSHG LQ QDLO SROLVK UHPRYHU o

, £45 Think QHG ZLWK VRIW ưRUDOV L’Eau 100ml, £71 'HVLJQHG to be misted liberally over ERG\ DQG KDLU <HV SOHDVH Tom Ford Rose Prick All Over Body Spray 150ml, £75 For all rose devotees.

The Rosie H-W look n5RVLH ZDQWHG D VKHHU SLQN EDVH ZLWK D PLFUR )UHQFK WLS :H EURXJKW WKH ZKLWH WLS down the sides slightly to elongate the nail bed.’

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

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PHOTOS: AMIT LENNON, BEN BROOMFIELD, GETTY, INSTAGRAM

And a take on the day’s biggest talking point

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

Â S TAY I N , AG A I N , WITH…

Locked Down, a slick caper filmed in lockdown starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a couple planning a heist. On DVD from 7 June

FIND MEANING IN…

Ritual, a stirring new season of films – including the Tilda Swinton must-see, The Seasons In Quincy – curated by TankTV. Streaming through June

LOOK TO THE S TA R S W I T H …

What Planet Can I Blame This On, Ellie Pilcher’s funny new novel which asks if astrology is really responsible for love woes. Out 3 June

RISE UP WITH…

WORDS: GUY PEWSEY

SEE AN OSCAR-WINNING PERFORMANCE IN…

The Father, a moving drama about memory and loss, starring Olivia Colman and Best Actor winner Sir Anthony Hopkins. In cinemas 11 June

Women Making History, an exhibition of banners made for 2018’s centenary of women winning the right to vote. London Scottish House, until 11 July

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

AJ in her south-east London maisonette

PHOTOGRAPHS CHRISTOPHER TUBBS

‘Renovating my home taught me that I had to stand up for myself’ grazia contributing editor and presenter aj odudu reveals the roller-coaster ride of transforming a wreck into her dream home

i’ve never lived in a ‘fancy house’. I grew up in Blackburn with my five brothers, two sisters and both parents, where all 10 of us squeezed into a three-bedroom home with no back garden. We didn’t have designer furniture or a bespoke kitchen, in fact, we didn’t even have a microwave or shower. But this home is where all my fondest memories still live on. At university, I stayed in campus student accommodation with a wipe-down mattress, stained carpet and plastic curtains, yet I adored my student digs because it was the first time I had my own bedroom. When I was 21 and rented in London for the first time, I was in a flat with visible damp down one wall, a single bed, a pokey bathroom and kitchen shared with six strangers and even, for some months, no hot water or central heating; still, I found happiness there because I was standing on my own two feet. My point is, home for me has never needed to be picture perfect. I’ve always found ways to transform what may not look pretty into somewhere that instantly feels warm. So when I bought my first home in 2019, spending 10 years’ worth of savings on a Victorian-era, three-storey maisonette that had windows hanging on by a hinge, electrical work so outdated it was a fire hazard, a boiler that needed immediate replacement and a bathroom that made my student halls look like a five-star hotel, I knew I could make this place look and feel like a home. I was buzzing about the location as this is an area of south-east London I know 79

and love, and although so much work was needed, my new home had high ceilings downstairs, loads of natural light throughout, parking and a loft for storage. The biggest selling point, though, wasn’t the bonus third bedroom but the maisonette’s three flights of stairs – having always lived in one-floor flats, stairs were, and still are, a real treat. My renovation budget, though, was tight and that meant a whole lot of compromise. The first priority was making the house safe and habitable. Sadly, nobody comments on how beautiful my new boiler is, yet a big wad of cash was spent on it. No one sees the new wires buried in the wall or my new, safe junction box, but again this was part of my essential spend. I also replaced all the doors and changed all the locks because, true story, I once viewed a property that had already been sold and exchanged on, but my estate agent didn’t know and still had a key! Surprising to me, though, was that I also had to learn to stand up for myself, as

contractors could be dismissive when being instructed by a single woman. Often, I was spoken to as though my suggestions were ridiculous and things would only happen if I was with a male friend or asked my dad to help. Even that was frustrating as I’d be told, ‘Your dad says it’s fine’; my response: ‘Well, my dad isn’t paying, nor does he live here so all sign-offs and approvals come from me.’ Worse, one contractor disappeared with £1,000 of my money – he blocked my number and I had no other way of tracking him down so I had to get someone else to do the work. That left me feeling furious with him and myself, but I learned a lesson on how to become firm but fair. Finally, though, after five months of wrangling, the practical, essential bits were done and I was able to move in and focus on styling my home the way I wanted it. Here too, though, budget was an issue. I slept on a mattress on the floor for months, saving up to afford a bed frame; the roll-top bath I loved was more than the cost for the entire

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I INTEND MY G A L L E R Y WA L L T O G R O W, ADDING MORE SPECIAL MOMENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

AJ’S R E N OVAT I O N ADVICE Call in the experts early. Builders and engineers can help you understand what you’re looking at before you dive into a project and most come round free of charge. They can also give you a rough estimate so you can decide whether to do it yourself or employ a builder, and knowing ahead of time what you might face makes everything so much easier – no one likes nasty surprises in the middle of a project.

Below: the second bedroom has been turned into a gorgeous dressing room

bathroom, so I settled for a J-shape bath with a shower over it; oak window frames were five times the price of UPVC sash windows, so the latter are now installed, as is engineered wood flooring instead of an oak parquet floor. What I didn’t compromise on, however, was turning the second bedroom into a dressing room so my bedroom would be zen and clutter-free. I asked the builder to replace the hinged doors of the existing inbuilt storage with sliding ones, which gives me space for a make-up station and a settee that folds out into a guest bed. I have a cupboard filled with shoes, shelving for all my perfumes and I just go and play dress-up in there. I also knew I wanted a gallery wall as it fills a space with interesting stories and positive energy. My mum’s living room wall has forever been filled to the brim with photos in mismatched frames. While mine is minimal by comparison, I intend my gallery wall to grow, adding more special moments year after year, just like my mum. I also have plants because they bring my home to life in the most decorative way and they’re especially important living in a city. They also give me something to care for and seeing them grow is very satisfying. Now that my home is largely done, I can hand on heart say that all the hassle was worth it. I have learned so much – such as agreeing a snagging fee with your builder that means they only get paid when they do as you ask. Even if you’re a single woman!

Be careful, though. As I found to my cost, you need to know they’re legit. Get proof of address so you can DOZD\V ƮQG WKHP Communicate and stay positive. Don’t let renovation stress ruin the experience for you. Adaptability and a sense of humour will get you far in a renovation project. That’s easier said than done but it really does PDNH DOO WKH GLƬHUHQFH , ZRXOG literally draw pictures and take round shoes to measure how deep I wanted my shoe cupboard. Go slow. You don’t have to do everything at once, so the key is to make it habitable with safe locks and central heating. Have wriggle room in your budget. Give yourself a healthy margin – at least 10% – for any unanticipated expenses. This way, if your renovation exposes unexpected issues, you don’t have to change \RXU SODQV RU FXW EDFN RQ ƮQLVKHV Agree a snagging fee at the beginning of your job. This is money you can legally withhold from contractors up to three months DIWHU WKH\ KDYH ƮQLVKHG ZRUN ,WoV a great incentive as the contractor only gets the fee once you’re happy. Follow your own trend. Create a VSDFH WKDW LV D JHQXLQH UHưHFWLRQ RI you and you’ll feel amazing in it.

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Staycation stars with uk breaks the fuss-free way to holiday this year, a few of our favourite influencers tell us where they love to escape to COMPILED BY SAR A LAWRENCE

OLIVIA VON HALLE FAS H I O N D E S I G N E R

SCOT TI SH HIGHLANDS highland carbon is a brilliant organisation that restores wild landscapes to their former splendour and this year we have partnered with them to measure and neutralise our carbon emissions, sponsoring a rewilding project in the countryside of Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. There is a vast glacial river to the south of the project and uninterrupted wilderness to the north and two golden eagle nests have been spotted nearby. It looks to be the most unspoiled rural idyll which, after more than a year in lockdown in London, sounds like heaven. I can’t wait to see it for myself. oliviavonhalle.com; visitwester-ross.com

Above: Loch Maree, Wester Ross. Right: St Mawes, Cornwall. Below right: the New Forest

R E J I N A PYO FAS H I O N D E S I G N E R

Glamp it up like Rejina Pyo in Wales

i’m not the type to take to a sodden field and pitch a tent, so the beautiful and hand-crafted dome tents, cabins and shacks at Fforest (coldatnight.co.uk) are the perfect middle ground. There’s a cosy pub on-site, as well as a deli, shop and the most delicious

PHOTOS: ALAMY, GETTY

FFO R E ST FA R M , C A R D I GA N , WA LES

St Agnes on Scilly. Left: the Georgian architecture of Bath

al fresco pop-up supper clubs are held each week. On the banks of the River Teifi, you can rent kayaks and the Irish Sea – with spectacular beaches and cliff walks – is only a 10-minute drive away. We had Traeth Bach, more commonly known as the ‘secret beach’, entirely to ourselves; it was incredible. rejinapyo.com

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BATH i love to head straight down the M4 to Bath for a weekend. It’s the perfect-sized city for pottering aimlessly. I usually check into the Royal Crescent Hotel (royalcrescent.co.uk) and maybe have a heavenly treatment at their spa before strolling down to the antique and flea market on Walcot Street to scout for goodies. In the evening, I’ll see whatever is on at the Theatre Royal – if I could choose, it would be something clever and funny like Noises Off by Michael Frayn. Next morning, I head to Toppings Bookshop (toppingbooks. co.uk) where they make you a coffee as you browse their wonderful selection and then, assuming it’s a Sunday, finish up at the cosy Marlborough Tavern (marlborough-tavern. com) for the delicious vegetarian roast. @janefallon2; ‘Worst. Idea. Ever’ out now

to spend a couple of nights at the beautiful Hotel Tresanton (tresanton.com). For culture, there’s the Barbara Hepworth studio and the Tate in St Ives with its impressive collection of British early to mid-century art. I enjoy browsing for locally made ceramics for my home and shop, eating fish and chips at the Porthminster café on the beach and ending the day with Cornish ice cream. @alexeaglestudio; alexeagle.com

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I S LES O F SCI LLY if you love nature, these beautiful, charming islands are the place to go. I’ve been twice and each time stayed at Westward Farm (westwardfarm. co.uk) on St Agnes – the accommodation is beautiful and it’s also home to the 28 Miles brand of soaps and award-winning gin and apple juice. Visit Abbey Gardens on Tresco (tresco.co.uk) then walk to Ruin Beach Cafe for a sunset supper with a view. On Bryher Island, have a seafood lunch or buy supplies from Island Fish and the Hillside Farm fruit, veg and honey stand. There are also lots of artist-run workshops and check local listings for fun events on the beach. @melissa.hemsley; ‘Eat Green’ out now

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CO R NWA LL my stay begins in Roc at the St Enodoc hotel (enodoc-hotel.co.uk) with its gorgeous views, swimming pool and the best oysters I’ve ever eaten. From there, it’s on to St Mawes, via St Justin in Roseland with its charming surreal tropical garden,

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LI M E WO O D H OTEL, N E W FO R EST i’ve spent a lot of time dreaming about visiting here during lockdown. There’s something so serene about going for a walk in this national park, with its ponies and cows and wide open spaces interspersed with densely packed trees. Originally a medieval hunting lodge, the stately pile that is Lime Wood (limewoodhotel.co.uk) is surrounded by beautiful grounds. Angela Hartnett runs the in-house restaurant and my idea of heaven is a spot of people-watching with a drink in the bar followed by a plate of lobster spaghetti in the dining room. @DrZoeWilliams

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UNLOCK

I T ’S T I M E TO. . .

Our

! h t n o m e h t f o k o bo

us three, by ruth jones, had grazia’s book club laughing and longing for their friends first loves, broken hearts, mistakes, laughs, grief and motherhood – there’s a lot covered in Ruth Jones’s second novel, Us Three. But then, over 40 years of friendship, a lot does get covered. While love and romance are part of the lives of Lana, Catrin and Judith, at the forefront of Us Three is their friendship. Avowed best friends for life (on a Curly Wurly wrapper no less), the book follows the Coed Celyn girls as they become women, stretch their wings on a post-school holiday of a lifetime and enter the real world outside their Welsh hometown… and realise that even the biggest promises can be hard to keep.

Grazia, ‘My debut novel Never Greener had been a love story of sorts – albeit a bit of a messed up one! I wanted to move away from that and explore a different relationship arena, the arena of lifelong friendship. I’ve been very blessed with solid, loyal friendships in my life – I’m still close friends with girls (women!) I knew as a child and we have shared the good as well as the bad times in life; passed the happy and sad milestones. So the friends I celebrated passing my driving test with are the same friends who were at my wedding and my dad’s funeral. These friendships are a gift and I don’t take them for granted. That’s why I dedicated Us Three “To my bold and beautiful bad-weather friends”.’ And ultimately, Ruth hopes readers will come away from her book uplifted. ‘I’d like people who read Us Three to feel they’ve made new friends in Catrin, Judith and Lana. Essentially the novel has compassion and camaraderie at its heart with a few laughs on the way, especially with some of the secondary characters like Judith’s awful mother and the Kelly family’s comedy priest. It’s a bit of a love letter to Welsh characters and some of the wonderful people I’ve met growing up who’ve inspired my writing.’ ‘Us Three’, by Ruth Jones ( £8.99, Transworld) is out in paperback now

GRAZIA BOOK CLUB GIVES ITS VERDICT

WORDS: RHIANNON EVANS. PHOTO: GETTY

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME,

Realistically capturing the essence of close female friendship between three very different women in a way most of us will recognise, Ruth’s novel has already been a Sunday Times number one best-seller, but is now available in paperback – the perfect read for wherever summer might take us. From the very beginning, Ruth – best known for writing and starring in Gavin And Stacey – knew it was key that the book focused on friendship, most of all. She told

‘A riveting read from start to ƮQLVK Us Three KDV FDSWLYDWLQJ FKDUDFWHUV DQG EURXJKW RQ ERWK WHDUV RI ODXJKWHU DQG VDGQHVV :RXOG UHFRPPHQG o &KORH Dont miss Grazia’s June Book Club pick The Stranding by Kate Sawyer. When a romance ends, Ruth travels to New Zealand to pursue her dream of working with whales. To join the Grazia Book Club, visit graziadaily.co.uk/book

P R O M OT I O N

Yo u r d r e a m h o m e Unlocking the value of their home meant Fran and Chris could afford their ideal village location near Market Harborough offered the perfect balance of space and location for Fran and Chris Dalziel. ‘We’ve got room for us, our three children and two pigs, but we don’t have to get in the car to get a pint of milk,’ says Fran. It wasn’t always this way. The couple’s first home was a new-build. ‘The house was on the edge of an estate but we still felt hemmed in,’ says Fran. So the couple sold up and bought a barn conversion in the country. They had space galore but, over time, found it wearing having to drive everywhere. ‘It got even harder when we had children,’ says Fran. The couple had their home valued and were thrilled to learn it had increased by £100,000 – meaning they could afford to move to their dream forever home. Fran had spotted the pretty village house was up for sale – it needed work but backed on to fields and had ample space for Chris’s pigs. ‘Being in a village, it was within walking distance of a shop, pub and park,’ says Fran. ‘Life is so much easier and we feel part of a community,’ she says. ‘Not driving all the time means we’re doing something for the environment too.’

The Dalziels’ stylish new home has space and a village location

MOVING TO A VILL AGE

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. . .

Mae’s in a darker new mood as Feel Good returns for subtler series two OUR POP CULTURE EXPERT PAUL FLYNN HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT TV FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS…

Â 1 4 D AY S OF TV Mae Martin two years ago was one of the pre-pandemic joys of our TV celebrity system. Mae (pronouns: they/them) is a non-binary Canadian comic whose material presses the bruise of Millennial anxiety until it hurts. Gender, sexuality and addiction troubles were all given a thorough, deeply personal rinse out in their semi-autobiographical romcom Feel Good, an ironic title for a funny show driven by mercilessly hard subject matter. The skill of the writer and performer at its centre made Feel Good live circuitously up to its title. Squint a little and season one was even family viewing. For season two, Mae has switched networks from Channel 4 to Netflix. If anyone expected a less nuanced approach to the hard love story of Mae and George (Ghosts’ Charlotte Ritchie) in the transaction, buckle up tight. We begin our action in a Canadian rehab facility, with Mae dropped off by their taciturn parents, one of whom is played by one-sixth of the stars of the week’s other major TV event, Lisa Kudrow. Mae is physically pining for their dumped London lover, while George quickly becomes embroiled in a relationship with a bisexual male so keen to express his lack of toxicity, he cannot help but fail to satisfy on every level.

Catch up on…

THE EMERGENCE OF

When our star-crossed lovers meet on George’s doorstep, the generational angst is piled on thick and fast. A new agent wants to position Mae’s comedy as emblematic of a lonely, lost, irrational generation who want to bang away the pain. The host of their regular comedy gig, himself now in a 12-step programme, has begun to make his apologies for past misdemeanours. The weakest character, George’s flatmate, Phil, makes intermittent appearances in a dressing gown, clearly lost. It takes a couple of jumpy, stop-start, oddly storylined episodes for Feel Good to really bed in again, to start caring about what might happen to Mae and George. When it does, an even darker curveball is sewn into their backstory. I’m not even sure by the end of this jittery second season that viewers will see Feel Good as a comedy. It’s transposed into a fractured, dark new world, where damaged characters cling to one another because there is nothing and nobody else to hold on to. The rewards are still there, if less immediately noticeable. Begins Friday, Netflix

Breeders Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard play irritable parents from hell in this underrated and hugely enjoyable show about the downsides of parenting young kids at impossible ages. In terms of jolly family values, it makes Motherland look like Call The Midwife. Sky Boxsets

Watch live… We Are Lady Parts The story of the assemblage of the Muslim riot grrrl band is conceptually brilliant, televisually radical and, most importantly, super-funny. In Anjana Vasan, a star is born. In Nobody’s Gonna Honour Kill My Sister But Me, an anthem is screamed. Love this show. Channel 4, Wednesdays

Wallow in… Special Ryan O’Connell’s beautifully hilarious story of a gay boy with cerebral palsy learning to ƮQG LQGHSHQGHQFH IURP KLV mother is like peeking into someone really likeable’s diary. Blimey, TV’s doing some really good, hard work at the moment. 1HWưL[

grazia’s life skills ASK THE EXPERT

How to create a statement hallway <RXU KDOO LV WKH ƮUVW VSDFH DQ\RQH VHHV ZKHQ WKH\ HQWHU \RXU KRPH VR LWoV ZRUWK VSUXFLQJ LW XS +HUH D :LFNHV H[SHUW WHOOV \RX KRZ WR GR LW

When revamping your hall, start with the flooring, as this allows you to build your look from the ground up. Solid wood looks smart and stylish and, as it’s more of a financial investment, can add value to your home. Laminate flooring is a great alternative with a lower price tag, and there are many options that resemble wood, so you can get a similar look for less. To make your floor the star of the show, opt for tiles; these also have the advantage of wearing well, making them long-lasting. Choose from geometric or other patterned tiles or go for a solid block of colour. Next, consider your wall decor. If your hallway has period features, these can be given a new lease of life with a simple sand down and lick of paint. A fast and easy way to add a brighter touch to the space is to paint them in a colour, rather than white. Do also consider the doors that lead

off the hall; there is so much that can be done with them to transform them and make them a feature – adding colour, panelling, gloss, or new handles. Contrasting interior doors will add eclectic elegance, while plain doors in the same shade as the walls will create a streamlined look. When it comes to furniture, a side or console table is a must. In a small space, add a mirror, to create the illusion of more space. The best choice of colours for your furniture will

depend on your flooring and wall decor, however, the more clashing and bold the colour, generally, the bigger the statement and impact. Dark colours, such as Wickes’ Seafoam Green or Purple Passion, are on trend right now. Conversely, if your hallway is naturally a bit dark, light, neutral shades, such as beige, stone or white, will allow light to bounce around the space, making it feel brighter.

WORK WISDOM

Slay your way back into office life <RPL $GHJRNH DQG (OL]DEHWK 8YLHELQHQÆ KRVW WKH SRGFDVW 6OD\ +RZ 7R 6XFFHHG ,Q <RXU &DUHHU DQ $XGLEOH 2ULJLQDO

Those who worked in offices prepandemic are gradually starting to return to them, or at least plan for it. But after more than a year away, for many, the very idea is daunting. So first, set clear boundaries and understand what you want from work. Articulate this to your bosses and ask for those boundaries to be respected. Self-impose boundaries by not replying to emails out of hours.

We’ve struggled with boundaries in lockdown because the rules while WFH are quite blurred. Bear in mind the things you enjoyed about lockdown: how you like to work, the things that were beneficial to your mental health. It’s easy to go into a different setting and forget what you’ve learned, so communicate this to foster a productive, supportive environment. On our podcast, Sharmadean Reid, founder and CEO of WAH Nails and Beautystack, spoke eloquently about the importance of having a coherent

personal brand that shows people who you are and what you stand for. Whether you’re self-employed or an employee, it follows you from job to job, so make sure it aligns with your personal values. Consultant and public speaker Serena Abassi spoke on empathy and explained that if you don’t understand the people you work with, you won’t get the best out of them. People are turning up to work with so many other challenges, so making sure we value and practise empathy will help everyone ease back into it.

GRAZIA LIFE SKILLS LIFE ADMIN

£1,000 on a credit card with a

Don’t get stung by credit card interest

typical interest rate of 21.9%, and you clear only the minimum

have been withdrawing 0% deals, but the good news is that

balance each month, it will take you nearly 19 years to pay it

the balance transfer card is back. Most cards come with

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booking a holiday cottage in Cornwall this summer) is

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card balance, then forget all about it.

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you’ll pay a fee, but MBNA has a card at 0% for 26 months,

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Laura Whateley, author of Money: A User’s Guide

For example: if you’ve got

WELLBEING

I’m gay, but I’m nervous about coming out To mark Pride Month, Matt Cain, author, former editor-in-chief of Attitude and patron of LGBT History 0RQWK RƬHUV KLV DGYLFH After spending years in the closet, coming out can seem daunting. Often we build up objections in our head until we convince ourselves it can only end in disaster. But, in the vast majority of cases, the opposite is true. We can only start being happy and comfortable in ourselves once we’ve accepted who we are – and stopped wanting to change it. When we come out, a whole new landscape of opportunity opens up. It can boost our professional or academic lives. It can DOVR DƬHFW RXU UHODWLRQVKLSV +RZ FDQ you expect someone else to love you if you’re ashamed of who you are? +RZHYHU LI \RX WKLQN FRPLQJ RXW may lead to parental rejection, violence RU KRPHOHVVQHVV VHHN KHOS ƮUVW 7U\ the charity akt, Stonewall or support services in your area. Good luck: I look forward to welcoming you into our gloriously diverse LGBTQ+ family! Matt Cain’s ‘The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle’ (Headline Review) is out now

During the pandemic, banks

TH REE STEP S TO...

calling out racism

By Rasha Barrage, author of Say No To Racism (Summersdale; 10 June) 1. Be self-aware. 5DFLDO LQHTXDOLW\ is embedded in society, so you will inevitably have unconscious racial biases. Educate yourself to gain an understanding of how systemic racism has impacted you and the people in your life. 2. Stay calm. If you encounter racist jokes or stereotypes, let people know that you disagree and calmly explain your reasons. Don’t shame others as this causes defensiveness and will prevent progress. Strive for conversation not confrontation. 3. Instigate change. If policies within an organisation are causing racial LQHTXDOLW\ DSSURDFK WKRVH UHVSRQVLEOH for policy or compliance directly. Explain your concerns and remind them of their company’s stated values and any diversity and inclusion goals.

Need some expert advice on money, work or anything else? Let us know what you’d like to see on this page at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk

DILEMMA OF THE WEEK

It’s been a year without softplay – and I’m not sure I can go back Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka

I didn’t think I’d see myself saying this, but I can’t wait to get back to that multicoloured ball pit that smells of feet. Sure, it’s not the best experience on a hangover, but, after a year of lockdown, I’ve come to appreciate the briny coffee and cacophony of other people’s children. I’d even take the occasional ball-to-the-head if it gets me out of my four walls. But there’s a subtext of anxiety, perhaps, to your question – which is totally understandable. For all the face masks and sanitising gel the world can muster, it’s still a huge leap from playing on the lounge floor with some Duplo to jostling with a horde of strangers. So perhaps heading there with a friend could help to ease any stress? Equally, try giving your local softplay centre a call to find out the busiest times. Our local one is empty around lunchtime when most of the small ones hit the sack. If you have an (arguably justified) hatred of softplay, one thing I would say is find one where you can sit nearby and have a coffee while the kids pinball about the mad house. You need distance from the main arena. At least five metres. Then, and only then, have you found softplay utopia. Without a whiff of feet, too. Anna’s debut novel ‘Underbelly’ is out 5 August. Available to pre-order from Amazon @mother_pukka 89

AT THE END OF THE DAY… C AT DEELEY 44, TV PRESENTER

on breakfast cupcakes, trawling vintage shops and channelling robert redford

LA, we turned it around in two months. Milo [her eldest son] was at school and loved it. Paddy [Kielty, who Cat married in 2012] and I were high-fiving each other and then: record scratch… the pandemic happened. But I taught Milo to read and ride a bike. And our littlest, James, has just started school, so I’ve been taking him in every day for an hour. I wouldn’t necessarily have been able to do that, so I’m revelling in it a little. All you can do as a parent is try your best.

Just when you think you’re winning, the little people go, ‘Ha, you think you’ve got it sorted? We’re going to change.’ They evolve all the time and all we can do is try to evolve with them. Sometimes that means we’re in bed on time, sometimes not. Sometimes grandma and grandad come over and allow cupcakes for breakfast. That’s life. I have a huge wardrobe.

I don’t throw things away, I don’t like disposable fashion and I love finding treasures at vintage shops and flea markets. I’ve always loved clothes, so designing Knit for Winser has been a pinch-me moment. Because I’m enthusiastic, my lack of knowledge is kind of OK. I asked the most inane questions, but no one rolled their eyes at me: they just got excited. I don’t have the technical lingo, but I can show them pictures, like of Marilyn Monroe or Robert Redford and their knitwear. When Milo gets his hair cut, 1970s Robert Redford is my reference. I cook. Paddy doesn’t cook. So I’ve got

quite used to hiding things in sauces and 90

pastas. We have a very early dinner, at 5.30 or 6pm, and we all eat together. I like having a kitchen table and everybody coming and talking about their day. In LA, I had a balcony built around this beautiful big tree, and we’d sit and have barbecues and salads in the dappled sunlight. I’ve been doing yoga for over 20 years. It

really works for me. I’m not very flexible, so it makes me as flexible as a normal person instead of being like an 82-year-old. I also like the way it makes me breathe, how it stills my mind and makes me strong. It’s dropped off since we’ve moved, though, so I’ve got to get back into it. My kids are not very aware of what we do.

But when I did Saturday Night Takeaway and Ant and Dec pranked me, the boys did not like that. Milo said, ‘Mum, why were your brothers trying to set you on fire?’ I called the lads up and said, ‘When my kid has to go to therapy in about 10 years, you’re paying for it!’ I go to bed really early, because if

the kids wake in the night it takes me ages to go back Q U I C K- F I R E to sleep. If I can, C AT I’ll take a bath with some 6XVKL RU ƮVK DQG FKLSV" magnesium Sushi salt and bath 3XOS RU %OXU" Pulp oil, maybe +HHOV RU ưDWV" have a glass of Heels wine and put )ORZHUV RU FKRFRODWHV" an audiobook Both! on. I’m currently listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming, and very much enjoying it. What a woman. I find it very difficult to turn off my brain,

but Paddy could sleep anywhere. You know those annoying people who get on a plane, take their shoes off and then they’re asleep, dribbling? That’s him. Knit by Cat Deeley for Winser London is available exclusively at winserlondon.com

AS TOLD TO GUY PEWSEY

When we first moved back to London from

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