Stylist May 11, 2022

I have had several great loves of my life, yet very few have been romantic. In fact, among the shards of broken promises and faded passion that made up so much of the pursuit of romantic love, it has been the far more constant and unflinching love of friends that has seen me through. My friends know all of me; the unedited version. The version of me I wouldn’t put on Instagram or present to you on this page, that has involved rosé wine, tears, major cock-ups and a healthy expletive or two. The most remarkable thing to me, is that with all that knowledge, they still choose me. The real me. And I in turn choose them, knowing – and loving – each gnarly thing that makes them special,…

fashion A monochrome minimalist at heart, can features editor Meena Alexander find the joy in colour blocking? You couldn’t call me a colourful dresser. The majority of my wardrobe is black, thanks to a deeply ingrained belief (which I’m sure I picked up on a school trip to Paris) that a muted palette equals sophistication. So, when style director Polly challenged me to roadtest the key trend of s/s 2022, I balked at the idea. I hadn’t worn eye-watering brights in daylight hours since I was a kid, and now she was telling me I had to wear multiple tones at once. “How do I know which colours to put together?” I panicked. “Whatever makes you happy!” she said. From Versace and Dior to Brandon Maxwell, this season’s shows…

beauty Is copper-coloured hair as easy to wear as celebrities would have us believe? Hair trends come in waves, particularly when it comes to colour. The pandemic brought out the best and worst of our at-home kits and once we were released back into the open most of us played it safe – topping up blonde hair with nectar highlights and deepening dark brown with rich tones. Now, there’s a new, cooler, playing-it-less-safe trend in town: copper hair. Like most hair colours, it’s not just one shade but rather various tones of copper emerging. It started when Kendall Jenner (not known for veering far from her natural dark hair) debuted a cinnamon-orange shade on the Prada catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, and since then it’s been all aboard the…

culture Put down the rosé and head to one of these must-visit shows Tracey Emin: I Lay Here For You Reflecting on love after her cancer all-clear last year, Emin has sited a six-metre-long bronze sculpture in the grounds of Jupiter Artland (above), as part of her first Scottish exhibition since 2008. Also on display in the manor house are never-before-seen drawings and paintings focusing on beds. Opens 29 May; £10; Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh; jupiterartland.org Welcome To Queer Britain After a four-year mission to establish the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, Queer Britain has finally thrown open its doors. Based in Granary Square, the initial display is an introduction to LGBTQ+ history. Look out for the black-and-white photograph from the 1870s showing the secret history of Victorian drag kings. Open now;…

food With sunny long weekends on the horizon, swap hastily sliced sandwiches for a decadent ready-made spread that will make you the envy of your local park For a veggie feast Panzer’s Vegetarian Picnic Jenny Tregoning, Food Editor What’s inside: Crudités and humous, tahini cauliflower salad, ricotta pastry rolls and brownies from this much-loved north London Jewish deli.Star of the spread: It’s a toss-up between the super-soft challah rolls and Geofoods white truffle flavour crisps. Addictive.Final verdict: A brilliant ready-to-serve picnic that balances fresh salads with hearty treats. Available nationwide, £65, panzers.co.uk For organic treats Daylesford The Picnic Hamper Amy Davies-Adams, group Production Director What’s inside: A sophisticated afternoon tea with the emphasis on sweet rather than savoury: lemon cake, white chocolate biscuits and apricot nectar for…

A ONE-DAY DIARY FROM FLAT WHITE TO LIGHTS OUT Sahra-Isha, 22, is the founder of Asra, a running club and community space that centres Muslim women in sport. She lives in South London with her family and cat, Luna My alarm goes off… I’ll make a cup of herbal tea with honey and sip it while I play with my cat. Next, I write out my to-do list before I start work at 10am, often catching up with the Asra team on WhatsApp, then jumping on a quick Zoom call to discuss everything from the logistics of our weekly runs to funding and partnerships with brands. I loved sport as a child; sprinting was my thing. I stopped doing athletics to focus on my school exams, but when I…