Indice dei contenuti per Issue 708 in Grazia

1 FANTASY FAIR ISLE THIS IS HOW YOU nail Christmas cool. Team a kitsch knit with sharp tailoring and tonal accessories. Jumper, £290, trousers, £240, shoes, £365, belt, £110, Vanessa Bruno (vanessabruno.com) 2 TRENCH WITH A TWIST TAKE THE CLASSIC mac up a gear with this hot hybrid. A statement maker in its own right. £579, Claudie Pierlot (claudie pierlot.com) 3 DAY-TONIGHT DREAM WEAR THIS CHAIN-print dress with a cami underneath for a strong 9-5 look; then reveal the back split to nail a 5-9 smoulder. £79, & Other Stories (stories.com) 4 PIN UP PARTY HAIR doesn’t get chicer than this. Dress up buns, braids and ponytails with a metallic Syd Hayes Hair SydCuff, £100 each (sydhayeshair.com) 5 BE CHARMED KEEP IT PERSONAL by customising your chains. We’ve got our…

AS Christmas party season hits us like a FREIGHT TRAIN, so I congratulate myself on perhaps my greatest ever achievement: giving everyone the impression I’m this massive party girl, when what I actually am is a massive Go To Bed Early girl. A girl filled with a sense of doom if the possibility of going ‘on’ anywhere is ever mooted (two venues in one night? Two ?). And yet: for years, my rep has been of a rager. A raver. A non-stop giddy whirl of decadence, dancing on tables, goosing the maître d’, meandering home barefoot accompanied by some guy I just met who used to be Big In Brit Pop. People are constantly reminding me of naughty things I didn’t do, at parties I was never at. This is…

ONLY THE MIGHTIEST fashion brand in the world could persuade the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to host a fashion show within its hallowed halls. For the first time in 36 years, the Met – scene of the famous ball and countless sell-out fashion exhibitions – allowed Karl Lagerfeld to present Chanel’s annual Métiers d’Art collection inside the famed Egyptian Wing, at the foot of the 10 BC Temple of Dendur, no less. The 2,000-year-old backdrop – flanked by a belt of stars, from Margot Robbie and Blake Lively to Julianne Moore and Penélope Cruz – can’t have come cheap. But then, Chanel is hardly known for ignoring financial limitations when it comes to putting on high-wattage spectacles. Particularly for this, its annual Métiers d’Art collection, which doubles…

PHOTO: GETTY. * NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED FEW PEOPLE from the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community would be surprised by last week’s Guardian survey, which looked at the scope and impact of unconscious bias. Sampling 1,000 people from BAME backgrounds and comparing the results to 1,797 white people, it found that over half of BAME people feel they experience racial bias. It also delved deep into how that bias manifests and what it feels like across daily interactions that non-BAME people take for granted. A staggering 75% felt they experienced negative customer service because of being BAME; 50% felt it affected whether someone would sit next to them on public transport. The gulf is huge: 32% of BAME women feel they are treated differently for their appearance and…

SHOPPING: SOPHIE HENDERSON.PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY ACCORDING TO Coco Chanel, the secret to chic was to take one thing off before leaving the house. This December, however, we’re daring to be contrarians and advising you put one thing on before getting in your Uber. Earrings. Earrings are big news right now. Huge in fact. Shoulder-grazing, face-framing, spotlight-stealing jumbo earrings serve up major fierce factor. Move over dainty hoops and pretty studs, these come with their own hazard warning (not to dance too vigorously). A bit much? That’s the point. Seen on everyone from Beyoncé to Blake Liveley last week, OTT ear adornments are trending hard as we hurtle through party season. It’s a fitting conclusion to the style year. After all, 2018 has been all about the XXL accessory, from Jacquemus’s…

THE HEADLINES HAVE been relentless. The nation’s most glamorous sisters-in-law engaged in a monumental catfight. Two princes torn apart by their warring wives, amid tears and tantrums over tiaras. And then last month’s report that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen to ‘split’ from the Cambridges and up sticks to Windsor (they’re currently neighbours at Kensington Palace). There’s no doubt the recent stories of the Duchess of Sussex and Duchess of Cambridge’s alleged falling-out have been juicy. And yet, has anyone else noticed the pervasive misogyny served up with the daily headlines? ‘Don’t make an enemy of Kate, Meghan, she’ll be top dog one day,’ one (female) Sunday newspaper columnist advised last week, before rounding off with: ‘Driving a wedge between two brothers who have supported each other unflinchingly…

1.Arguments are good When couples arrive in my office saying ‘we never row’, I know I have a tough case on my hands. Problems don’t disappear just because you love each other and swallow your annoyance. They go underground. Tackle things as they happen, rather than bottling up and later blowing your top. It’s easier to solve one issue than letting it build up into a list of accusations. 2. Learn to listen Everybody thinks they know how to listen. Repeat back the main points that your partner has said to you. It will make him or her feel heard, be more likely to engage and de-escalate the situation. 3.The little things count It’s not the big things that make or break a relationship but how well you handle the…

PHOTOGRAPH MARCO VITTUR * NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED OVER THE PAST DECADE, I’ve ditched that itchy Agent Provocateur bra I wore for every hot date when I was 27 in favour of a cotton crop top. I’ve also stopped getting a wax every time there’s a slight chance I’ll get some action and I’ve started adding lube to my shopping basket when I’m buying shower gel in Boots. Writing that makes me cringe. In fact when, in my early thirties, I realised I was going to need to start using lubricant, I became convinced it was a sign of early menopause. I started dreading sex in case I couldn’t ‘perform’ (which was how I viewed it) and, when I finally gave in and went to the chemist to buy a…

COMING IN from the bitter cold and lighting your favourite wick is practically medicinal in the winter months. Which explains why Net-A-Porter notice a seasonal 180% spike of scented candle sales during December. ‘Candles are part of our armour against winter,’ explains Tom Daxon, founder and creative director of his eponymous fragrance brand. ‘The trick to making them last is to burn them for two hours on the first lighting.’ This way the wax will melt into a pool all the way to the edge, encouraging an even burn. ‘Also, before each burn, trim the wick to about 5mm to stop the flame from being too strong, preventing that black smoke.’ To help you choose your perfect match, we’ve collated the most moreish Christmas candles, from warming spicy scents to…

The Mother Of All Christmases Milly Johnson (£16.99, SIMON & SCHUSTER) Johnson is a bona fide commercial blockbuster author and her latest offering is a treat. Three women find themselves pregnant in very different circumstances as Christmas approaches. One is proprietor of the Winterworld theme park, facing her busiest time of year, one has mistaken pregnancy for menopause and is facing a big mental adjustment, and the third is a surrogate who discovers the couple she’s helping are on the rocks. It’s nearly unbearably cheesy but actually has a nice bite to it, making it a properly juicy novel.…

URBAN LUXE VIRGIL ABLOH FOR OFF-WHITE Virgil continues to redefne what luxury looks like now. No wonder he also scooped the same award last year. ACCESSORIES DESIGNER OF THE YEAR DEMNA GVASALIA FOR BALENCIAGA From the Triangle bag to platform Crocs, Demna never plays it safe. It really was the year of the Triple S sneakers, which sold out faster that you could say ‘dad trainers’. BRAND OF THE YEAR GUCCI AND BUSINESS LEADER MARCO BIZZARRI FOR GUCCI Under Bizzari (who won this category for the fourth year in a row), Gucci isn’t just a commercial powerhouse but also a creative agenda-setter. SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR POSITIVE CHANGE DAME VIVIENNE WESTWOOD She’s the national treasure who would probably hate to be called that, and the fashion industry’s ultimate rebel. Over the…

TRUE GIRL POWER I have a very dear friend who was trapped in an abusive relationship for several years (Drink, drugs, the glamour and the gutter. Inside my year with Mel B, 10 Dec). I am so proud of her for finding the courage to leave him. So many people make judgements on those who stay in these relationships, but it isn’t possible to understand how these people can worm their way into your head and begin to destroy you unless it has happened to you. I suspect that abusers target strong women because they get an added kick of dominating them. So well done, Mel. I read your book in one sitting and agree it should be required reading for young girls. I admire you both for getting out…

ANDY MURRAY: Wimbledon champion, Olympic gold medalist and committed feminist ally. Last week, the 31-year-old lambasted the sports industry after Ada Hegerberg (far right) was asked if she knew how to twerk at an awards ceremony. (Apparently, that was an appropriate request for the first woman to be awarded the Ballon d’Or, which recognises the world’s best football player.) ‘Another example of the ridiculous sexism that still exists in sport,’ Andy angrily wrote on Instagram. ‘Why do women still have to put up with this s***?’ he added. ‘What questions did they ask Mbappé and Modric? I’d imagine something to do with football. ‘And to everyone who thinks people are overreacting and it was just a joke… it wasn’t. I’ve been in sport my whole life and the level of…

We’ve all stared miserably at our bank balance, fantasising about life with a few more zeros on the end of our salary – especially at Christmas, when we worry about making it to the end of the month. But a study by Harvard Business School has found that even millionaires say they’d need at least double their wealth to be truly content. It hammers home the message that we all know but often forget: money really doesn’t equate to happiness. So let’s stop chasing that dream and be happy with what we’ve got – after all, you only need a cheap bottle of red, some mulled wine spices and a copy of Love, Actually to have everything you need for a very merry Christmas.…

FOLLOWING FIVE YEARS of dating in secret, rumours that Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx are set to marry have hit fever pitch. Last month, a US report claimed the couple have been planning a winter wedding in Paris. Then, last week, the pair – who are rarely pictured together – were seen laughing as they walked together in New Orleans. However, insiders inform Grazia that while both Katie, 39, and Jamie, 50, have indeed been discussing marriage, there are still issues holding them back. ‘Katie has been really pushing for them to lock things down this year,’ said a source. ‘But Jamie’s reluctance to publicly spend much time with her, Suri and their family continues to slow things down for them as a couple.’ Indeed, while most families gather to…

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS more like a rock concert than a literary event; the 2,700-strong crowd, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and model Adwoa Aboah laughing, cheering and taking selfies as former First Lady Michelle Obama took to the stage to discuss her memoir, Becoming, with author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She covered everything from dating Barack Obama – who, we learned, turned up late for their first date and a little soggy after forgetting his umbrella – to her frustrations with the White House’s obsession with optics, even admitting she had to tell the President’s team when she dared to get her fringe cut. ‘Don’t look too expensive, don’t look too cheap, don’t look too dull but don’t stand out,’ she said she was told during her time in administration. She…

PHOTO: DENNIS PEDERSEN/THE LICENSING PROJECT DATING IN YOUR twenties is easy. Not everybody’s married, there’s more choice than at a cheesemonger’s. But, BANG! You hit 30 and the men seem to dwindle. I recently went to a wedding where there were 27 single women and two single men. But don’t panic – the good news is there are still some out there; the bad news is that they’ll likely fall into one of these categories. 1. THE TINDER WARRIOR He’ll have a practised opening line to spark conversation on Tinder or any/all of the other apps he’s fishing on. One swarthy, stubbly Tinder Warrior I know is having huge success with the line, ‘Uh oh, we can never have children because they’d literally be just eyebrows.’ Women find this weirdly…

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK,CATWALKING, © COURTESY OF BURBERRY: DAVID SIMS. GIVENCHY, 165NEW BOND ST, LONDON W1 Google Jane Holzer, Cornelia Guest and Edie Sedgwick. Warhol’s Factory girls are the ultimate party style inspo. Top off your look in style. A furry bucket hat brings festival spirit to freezing days (check out Emma Brewin’s). Redirect Santa to the new Givenchy London store, the maison’s first in the UK. We’ve been nice, promise. Revive the art of the literary salon. Catherine Quin’s Women of Grace collection launched with a literary tea. How chic. Make like Mossy and #TBT to the ’90s in head to toe check, as seen in the Burberry x Vivienne Westwood campaign. Say yes to the winter sandal. The way to wear now? With 10-denier tights.…

IF YOU’RE A fan of anti-ageing moisturisers and serums (and let’s be honest here, who isn’t?), you may think you know all there is to know about the secrets of smooth, wrinkle-free skin. But the name ARGIRELINE® probably doesn’t trip off your tongue, even though it’s bound to be a key ingredient in your most effective anti-ageing weapons. ARGIRELINE® (aka acetyl hexapeptide-8) was introduced to the beauty industry back in 2001. After 10 years of scientific research, LipotecTM came up with the peptide as a non-invasive, safer alternative to using injectables such as botulinum toxin to reduce the appearance of expression wrinkles – and with the bonus of noticeable effects on skin within one week of use. Today, 17 years on from its groundbreaking launch, ARGIRELINE® is a vital element…

BOOKS: ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY. PODCASTS: HARRIET KEAN. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Gurls Talk The mental health platform launched by model Adwoa Aboah has branched out. Every week a new guest discusses topics such as race, sport and religion. West Cork Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey examine the unsolved 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and the case against reporter-turned-suspect Ian Bailey. The Making Of A Massacre Pulitzer-winning Texan journalist Ginger Thompson explores the 2011 mass killings in Allende, Mexico and argues that the US Drug Enforcement Agency should be held accountable.…

IMAGINE THE summer of your life. Among a crop of handpicked beauties, you’ve dated, you’ve kissed, you’ve finally found The One and you’ve done it all against a glorious Balearic backdrop. You have a sort of fairy godmother and father in the shape of Caroline Flack and Iain Stirling, on whom to offload the narrative of your quite literally banging season. Moreover, the people of Britain have fallen hook, line and sinker for your romance and crowned you and your beau this year’s Shirley and her Valentine. You are now, officially, Dani Dyer. Somewhere amid the turbulent coupling, the speedy lustfulness and insane levels of personal competitiveness that make up the greatest dating show since Cilla presided pruriently over the parting curtains of Blind Date, actual love has been injected…

DESPERATELY SEEKING… I’ve just read What social media really does to your brain (3 Dec) with great interest. The idea that it is an ‘ontological addiction’ really struck a chord. My children and I recently completed a programme to inhibit our retained primitive reflexes (google it) having become aware of it through various issues my children had at school. What really struck me was firstly our therapist reckons the number of people with retained primitive reflexes has reached epidemic proportions, but also that this issue can have a massive impact on your sense of self. Which made me wonder if this was why we seek validation in social media? Sandy THE GRIEF CAN BREAK YOU I want to thank Jennie Agg (The silence around miscarriage, 3 Dec) for her brave…

OLIVIA VON HALLE SHOPPING: SOPHIE HENDERSON TOAST IT’S THE MOST wonderful time of the year. Aren’t the lights lovely? The carols charming? And have you seen A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding yet? But – whisper it, grinches – isn’t it all a little tiring? Well fear not, because there’s a fa-la-la-la-lazy fashion option that’s offering welcome respite from a jam-packed social season. All hail the cashmere tracksuit. If you’re hankering after something comfy, you’re in good company. Fashion search engine Lyst has seen searches for cashmere tracksuits soar recently, up 33% year on year. It also predicts another surge just before Christmas. So get in quick. Not least because the cashmere trackie may be the perfect Christmas outfit. Like drinking champagne in your PJs, they’re an irresistible blend of…

IT ALL BEGAN with a friend request. ‘There was a man who used to chat with my sister online,’ Chandani* explains. ‘He started messaging me, and said he could get me a well-paid job in Iraq. I never met him. One day, he sent his “brother” to my house with a visa and passport.’ Just over a year ago, Chandani, now 35, became one of the women trafficked every single hour from Nepal, one of the worst places for people-trafficking in the world. Social media stands accused of helping people smugglers – known as ‘didis’ or ‘dalals’ in Nepali – target those they know are in desperate situations. Online grooming and the rise of mobile phones are acknowledged as a growing problem since traffickers no longer have to go to…

I was never indifferent – that isn’t fair – but I was cold. Looking back now at the years after I left home, aged 18 and two weeks, I feel ashamed at just how deliberately cold I was. I went to university in London, ushering my mother out of my halls of residence and never looking back. The youngest of five children, my teenage years felt loud and claustrophobic. Leaving home was my release; and I felt I had so much to prove. Not least of which was that I didn’t need my mum any more. I didn’t call home that first year, not properly. I would check in with texts every now and again; there were the occasional emails. After my first year of studying, I went to Australia…

WHEN LIZ GOLDWYN was working a corporate job in her twenties, she liked to wear a lot of vintage Courrèges. The French designer’s modernist aesthetic made him an architect of the ’60s – all miniskirts and go-go boots. Liz, however, favoured the pieces because their boxy shapes hid her body and squashed her boobs. She says it was a no-brainer for a young woman trying to make her way in a world dominated by older, more powerful men. ‘I felt I had to subvert any aspect of my sexuality in order to be taken seriously.’ Fast-forward 20 years, however, and now Liz, the writer, filmmaker and founder of sex positivity platform The Sex Ed (thesexed.com) wears whatever she wishes, which often means old Hollywood glamour meets an avant-garde edge –…

The blow-dry One of the best we’ve come across is Rahua’s Voluminous Blow-dry, available at Hari’s Hairdressers in London. It uses the natural haircare brand’s shampoo, conditioner and dry shampoo to boost volume and texture, all with a side of expertise from the excellent stylists. From £30. The hi-tech treatment EF MEDISPA’s Dermastamp uses microneedling to boost cell production and blood circulation, to trigger hair growth. £1,500 for a course of five treatments. The hair helper A Protein Pick Me Up at Redken’s Mask Bars will strengthen hair. From £5.…

Little Women Louisa May Alcott (£14.99, PENGUIN CLASSICS) There are fewer treats more Christmassy than getting yourself braced for the festivities by sneaking away with this ultimate sisters story. Issues of identity, ambition, love (as well as tedious domesticity) are dealt with, and we’re all treated to a surprise on Christmas Day in the final chapter. Aunt Sass Christmas Stories PL Travers (£9.99, VIRAGO MODERN CLASSICS) A lovely collection of short stories from the Mary Poppins author. Originally written as gifts for friends and each with a Christmassy theme, they’re charming, darkly humorous and strangely moving. The book itself is a beautiful, tiny hardback that would double as a festive decoration. The Fir Tree Hans Christian Andersen (£9.99, HUTCHINSON) In this cautionary tale about stopping to appreciate the moment you’re…

DIY with DKNY WHEN DKNY dropped its ‘100% DKNY’ bespoke tees earlier this year, stars including Kim Kardashian and Sofia Richie showed theirs off on the ’gram. Now, for a limited-time only, you can create your own version – which is, of course, 100% fabulous. $50, iamdkny.com A HEARTFELT plea for Pete HOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK ARIANA GRANDE has told her fans to be ‘gentler’ to her ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson, following the release of her break-up anthem Thank U, Next. ‘I care deeply about Pete and his health,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘I’m asking you to please be gentler with others.’ CHRISTMAS at the riviera BABY IT’S cold outside, but Dior’s new capsule collection has us dreaming of the beach. The Diorviera collection includes towels, sarongs, swimwear, sandals and the much-loved…