Table of contents for Issue 816 in Grazia

HAS YOUR SOCIAL media feed been full of pumpkin patches and spiced lattes? If so, you’re not alone. On page 44, we delve into why our love for autumn has gone overboard this year. (Clue: anything feels worth celebrating right now.) And if it’s put you in the mood to hunker down, there’s plenty of other inspiration in the issue. From your winter-wardrobe edit (page 48), to how to entertain in style this Bonfire Night (page 86). Plus, TV binge-worthy watches if you, like the Queen, are a bedtime revenge procrastinator (page 22). Glad it’s not just me…! @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

“Any conversation around male violence always seems to come back to the same recommendations, which see women having to change tack to stay safe. We recently saw the Girls Night In protest take place, where women boycotted nightclubs to make a point about drink spiking. Again, it fell to us to stay home. So when the Duchess of Cornwall said we need to get the men in our lives on side to tackle sexual violence, it felt powerful. ‘Rapists are not born, they are constructed,’ she said. And she’s right: it’s men who must fight this. Not all men are responsible for sexual violence, but all men can speak up and help dismantle a culture in which it thrives.”…

skin saviour Cold weather can take a toll on my skin, but this clever cleanser is enriched with cocoa butter, keeping skin moisturised and gently exfoliated, and gets rid of stubborn make-up without drying it out. I’m stockpiling. Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, £16.50, Boots RISING STAR With acclaim from Billie Eilish and Willow Smith, Icelandic singer Laufey’s elegant and laid-back style is inspiring the next generation with her unique blend of jazz, pop and classical music. ‘Love Flew Away’ Laufey Ft Adam Melchor is out now RAISE A GLASS I’m looking forward to toasting the reopened Punch Room at The Barcelona EDITION. Known for its cocktail menu, this is top of my travel checklist. Rooms at The Barcelona EDITION from €375pn…

PHOTO: DAVID REISS. STYLIST: OLGA TIMOFEJEVA. HAIR AND MAKE-UP: MARIA COMPARETTO THE FIRST EPISODE of new BBC series Showtrial saw duty solicitor Cleo Roberts begrudgingly representing the spoilt daughter of a wealthy socialite who’s accused of the murder of a university student and friend. From the producers of Line Of Duty and Bodyguard, it’s set to be the latest whodunnit to grip the nation – and a sign that interest in crime drama shows no signs of waning. All of which means its star, Tracy Ifeachor, who plays Cleo, can expect fandom – and lots of requests for spoilers. The strange coincidence is that Tracy might have been a lawyer in a parallel life. ‘I really wanted to be one!’ she laughs over Zoom. ‘I have this natural love for…

WHEN GRACE VICTORY first properly met her baby boy, Cyprus, he was already three months old. He was delivered two months prematurely by Caesarean on Christmas Eve, just before Grace was put into a medically induced coma to help her body fight Covid-19. The last thing Grace remembers before being taken into the ICU was hearing Lee, her partner and Cyprus’ dad, crying. ‘That’s when I knew it was bad,’ she says. The 31-year-old influencer, previously known to her 254k Instagram followers and 224k YouTube subscribers as a leading voice on everything from mental health to body confidence, was in a coma for three months. While in the coma, Grace suffered a cardiac arrest, underwent a tracheostomy – where a tube was inserted into her lungs to help her breathe…

A MOMENT OF SISTERLY solidarity with Meghan Markle, please. On her visit to New York in September, much mockery was bounced at the duchess for wearing her autumn wardrobe when it was still warm (proof her detractors will tear into her over anything). There she was in camel coats and russet cashmere co-ords in the 20ºC+ sun. But she was not alone in wanting to fast forward to autumn. It’s been over 200 years since John Keats wrote To Autumn and yet the oft-quoted ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ still makes a compelling bio for the season. What’s different in 2021 is we’re making autumn – specifically the charming, Americanised ‘fall’ of Nora Ephron movies – into an event. And is it that surprising? After almost two years of…

FOR THE ROSE REFUSENIK Stories Parfums No02 Eau de Parfum, £70 for 35ml A layered and rich scent, Bulgarian rose takes on a new depth when mixed with ginger and cardamom and finished with delicate but discernible hints of tobacco. FOR THE DIE-HARD HOMEBODY La Perla Just Give Me Roses, £88 for 30ml, £254 for 120ml If you switch to hibernation mode faster than you can say ‘White Company slippers’ then snap this up. If this were wine, it would be warm and full-bodied. Think damask rose, musk and spicy pepper. FOR THE PURIST Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, £59 for 30ml, £83 for 50ml, £118 for 100ml A reworking of the 1947 classic, lily of the valley and creamy centifolia rose are the focal point of the revamped Miss…

BODY MAKE IT A DUVET DAY A pioneer in sustainable sportswear, adidas by Stella McCartney is back with new collection Earth Explorer. ‘We really wanted to support next-gen explorers on their adventures within nature through a multi-functional collection,’ says Stella. Our pick is the Sleeping Bag Puffer Jacket, £400, made from eco-friendly materials with easy-to-remove sleeves and reflective panels. TAKE A HIKE Searching for a new season shoe? Look no further than Sorel’s Out N About III Conquest ankle boot, £115. Sturdy yet stylish, the classic laced hiking boot can be worn with almost anything and, more importantly, in any weather. With cushioned soles and in waterproof suede, they’re the perfect pick for up hill, down dale, on pavements and slopes. SPIRIT OLFACTORY OPULENCE Ready to de-stress? Turn your bathroom…

IN THE SUMMER OF 2017, the town of Charlottesville, Virginia, was targeted by White nationalists for a rally. ‘Ostensibly in defence of Confederate statues,’ remembers the author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, who lives in the town. ‘They showed up wielding machine guns or emblems of past genocides. One rally participant killed a local counterprotestor. Many others were injured.’ The ‘Unite the Right’ inspired Johnson, who had been a teacher at an elementary school for 20 years, to write her first novel. After the rally, she told Grazia , she began learning more about her local history, including ‘the legacy of inequality and racist violence toward Black people that went back to the days of America’s founding fathers – men like Thomas Jefferson, our third American President, whose plantation home, Monticello, sits…

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk ■ Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK feel they have to justify it. I choose not to. Even though I’m in a long-term relationship. And thankfully my partner does not feel rejected and think it is a personal affront against his masculinity. Bylinda THE POWER TO CHOOSE I read with great interest, your article, Telling women to remember to have a baby isn’t ‘empowering’ (1 Nov) and totally agreed with the writer. Looking round at the state of this country, and the world, it doesn’t seem particularly surprising that the birth-rate is declining. Parenting is costly and difficult. Then there’s the climate crisis. I’m in my thirties and a significant majority of my friends still don’t have children. Since the pandemic…

THIS ISSUE, inspired by the mighty Nicky Haslam (old Etonian, socialite, interior designer), whose annually updated printed tea towel listing of all the things he currently finds common has become a highly anticipated event, no: an institution! No! A delicious advent calendar of snobbery – except it’s not actually snobbish at all, more: an immaculate skewering of pretension with some deliciously arbitrary random shizzle thrown in for good measure, which costs £28 a pop, and this year peaks with ‘baby showers’, ‘art’, and the unconscionable act of ‘knee-jiggling’… I should like to offer for your consideration my own, derivative, deeply heartfelt list of All The Things Polly Vernon Finds Common, which isn’t available as a tea towel. Yet. Herewith: Linner.* Caring when someone unfollows you on social media. ‘I don’t…

KIM KARDASHIAN WEST is one half of a new power couple. But this time it’s of the fashion variety. Joining forces with her fellow Kim (surely a sign this was written in the stars) – Kim Jones, the artistic director of Fendi – this month sees the release of the Fendi x Skims capsule collection. Billed as a ‘capsule wardrobe for the modern woman’, it stars the formfitting silhouettes that has made Kardashian West’s brand into a knockout success, blending it with the codes of the Italian luxury house. According to Jones, the idea emerged when he and his team were in the studio in Rome. ‘Suddenly, all the women went silent and started looking at their phones. I didn’t know what was going on, but they were waiting for…

PHOTOS: CLAIRE WOOD, SHUTTERSTOCK LAST MONTH, I was about to start judging a school scarecrow competition when my phone started going crazy. News had broken that the Conservative MP Sir David Amess had died after being stabbed multiple times while holding a surgery in his constituency. Colleagues and loved ones were getting in touch to check I was OK. In shock, I rang my partner and parents to let them know I was safe. Emotions from the day in June 2016 when my sister Jo was killed – also while holding a surgery – came flooding back. I couldn’t stop thinking of David’s family. I knew the horrific journey they had just begun – the disbelief and agony. I finished the school visit and then went straight home. But that…

I’VE BEEN DRIFTING away from my pandemic pod. It made me panic at first. And feel a horrible sort of guilt and betrayal. But I’ve had to remind myself of a few things: not least that it takes more than one person to drift – and probably the others in the pod feel the same. But also that friendships come and go like the seasons, and you’ll feel a push and pull with most of your friends as the months and years go by, and there will be relationships that change because of environmental factors, as well as your evergreens. Besides, it is not sustainable for every friendship you’ve ever had to be maintained at its highest level of intensity forever. Things ebb and flow. I think I’m clinging, fearful…

1. LADY AND THE VAMP IF YOUR Hot Girl Summer was a washout, make way for Hot Goth Winter (your reference: Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly sans the Tumblr-esque Instagram captions). Start perfecting your red lip and bulk-buy liquid eyeliner: this emo dress code is sticking around for spring. CANDY CRUSH THERE’S NO need to save pastel shades for spring – let them brighten up winter first. No holding back, go all-in and indulge your sartorial sweet tooth by wearing them head-to-toe. THOROUGHBRED WE’RE NOT horsing around here (sorry), all things equine are having a moment, from long sleek riding boots to Barbour-style wax jackets and actual riding helmets at Gucci. Stallion optional. GOOD SPORT PRINCESS DIANA’S iconic sweatshirts + Squid Game tracksuits = a marriage made in fashion…

JONATHAN SAUNDERS is expanding his line of made-to-order furniture with Bauhaus-inspired home accessories (think blankets and fringed cushions) and knitwear. Worth staying in for. matchesfashion.com A COMPELLING reason not to save your health kick until January: RM Body, Roland Mouret’s first foray into activewear. Expect high-performance pieces with his signature design details like cut-outs, colour-blocking and darting. From £95, rolandmouret.com FACT: VICTORIA Beckham knows good knitwear. Now, she’s teamed up with The Woolmark Company for a collection of fully-traceable, plant-dyed collection of colour-block knits, cardigans and accessories. There’s even a childrenswear collection for the Harper in your life. From £285 (childrenswear from £185), victoriabeckham.com FLORALS, FRILLS and major frocks. Batsheva’s new collaboration with Laura Ashley is a match made in fashion heaven. From US$50, batsheva.com PHOTOS: ALEXEI HAY, DAVIT GIORGADZE…

FOR THE COOL KID Byredo Young Rose Eau de Parfum, £178 for 100ml First a heady and nostalgic hit of what smells like sherbet but is billed as Sichuan pepper, then an enveloping wash of rose. Smells like teen spirit. FOR THE TRADITIONAL FAN Givenchy Irresistible, £52 for 35ml, £75.50 for 50ml, £88.50 for 80ml Light, fresh and not at all powdery, consider this a new-gen classic. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, one of Hubert de Givenchy’s greatest friends, it’s got an iconic muse, too. FOR THE PEACOCK Boy Smells Rose Load, £105 for 65ml One for taps on the shoulder and stops in the street, this pink-pepper and rose scent, cocktailed with raspberry and rhubarb, is a heady mix with staying power. FOR THE LABEL LOVER Chloé Naturelle Eau de…

Ready, set sparkle! THIS TIME LAST YEAR, getting together with friends and family meant gathering outside and many of us discovered that it was rather fun snuggling under blankets and gathering around a crackling fire. If you want to do it again this year, Bonfire Night is the perfect occasion, fireworks giving the evening focus and fun. Cast iron firepits cost a bit more but are worth it for the extra, longer-lasting heat they give out. Choose one with a stable base so there’s no danger of it tipping over (and make sure you place it on an even surface). Dress warmly and provide your guests with a blanket to wrap themselves in, or suggest they bring their own. No Bonfire Night is complete without sparklers. Make it easy for…

‘This short novel has a hugely inventive premise that slides around from the present to the past. The author is like a butterfly, who alights upon an issue, draws out the nectar for her readers and then moves on, tying the story together with a very capable and assured hand. A future classic in the making, perhaps?’ Tina ‘For such a short book, My Monticello manages to evoke countless emotions. There is humour, grief, trepidation and hope. Beautifully written and thought-provoking, the author leaves the reader with many questions about the past and the future.’ Michaela…

PHOTO: ANTONIO OLMOS, GUARDIAN, EYEVINE 1 Try to write every day, even if it’s just a paragraph, but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen. Some days it will flow and others it won’t. I suffered from writer’s block because I went from book to book without a break – I was burnt out. It was frightening; I thought it was the end of my career. I got around it by turning off my PC and surrounding myself with other creative activities. I went to galleries, watched films and restarted piano lessons. After three months I was burning to write my own story. None of us is invincible. I needed a break and to be kind to myself. 2 Don’t wait for inspiration to strike before sitting down to…

PROTECT YOURSELF In the article When you’ve got all the big hits: why self-defence is defensible (1 Nov), Polly Vernon nails it. Every woman should learn self-defence. I did karate for a year at uni… but when I was attacked by two different men – the first time in Barcelona, the second, in Manchester (both times in daylight), the ability to hold my nerve and take swift, decisive action saved me. I knew how to use my body-weight, voice and throw a punch to surprise and/or destabilise my assailant. Yes, men should stop raping, but until they do, boxing or martial-arts classes are a great way to help ourselves feel safer, more confident, and keep fit, too. Sapna…

1. New in LIZZO FT SARAH PAULSON Two of our absolute faves collaborate on a viral TikTok lip synch revisitation of a thing Paulson once screamed on an American Horror Story. Nearly enough to make us download TikTok. 2. New in SARAH PAULSON FT LINDA TRIPP She’s unrecognisable in Impeachment: American Crime Story, the dramatisation of the Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky situation (iPlayer), though her brilliance is recognisable. 3. New in GERI HORNER, HER HUSBAND, AND MEGAN THEE STALLION In Texas, posing for a picture we cannot stop staring at cos it totally looks like at least one of them was photoshopped in, though apparently not. 4. Up HOMER SIMPSON Confused with the Greek poet on a recent Tipping Point. ‘Homer often refers to nectar as the drink of gods…’…

VICTORIA BECKHAM THERE COMES A week in November – usually just after the clocks have gone back – when you start to interrogate everything in your wardrobe with the million-dollar question: is this weather-appropriate? It’s definitely time for tights – but we haven’t yet reached the multi-layer deep-freeze stage. What now then? Well, this is the moment to get as much wear as possible out of your dresses, specifically your autumn dresses. These are the styles with sleeves and slightly longer hemlines that can easily be optimised for autumn with the addition of a polo neck (take your cue from Victoria Beckham), a transitional coat or a pair of knee-high boots. Keep reading for the four key styles – some of which will already be in your wardrobe – and…

GUCCI AND BALENCIAGA Billed as a ‘hack’ rather than a collaboration, codes from both houses are remixed in this game-changing partnership, which was unveiled during Gucci’s 100-year anniversary Aria show (think, Balenciaga Knife boots in the Flora print; Gucci’s Jackie 1961 bag covered in the Balenciaga logo). Judging how much demand there was for Gucci’s North Face pair up, expect this to sell out – fast. VERSACE AND FENDI: THE SWAP Milan Fashion Week’s jaw + floor moment saw Donatella Versace and Kim Jones job swap. The result? The rather nattily named, Fendace. Guaranteed to turn heads in fashion circles… and beyond. MULBERRY EDITIONS For its 50th anniversary, the much-loved Brit brand has introduced Mulberry Editions, where three designers were asked to create limited-edition capsules and given carte blanche to…

FOR LIANNE HARRIS, it was a question of odds. She and her husband Ashley had planned to have two children: they ended up with three, welcoming twin boys when their son was two. At that time, Lianne learned that her age (32), combined with her family and medical history, meant that if she were to conceive again, her chance of having more twins was higher than 40%. ‘No way did I want to jump to five,’ says Lianne, now 35, from Essex. Together for over a decade, and adamant that their family was complete, the couple decided that Ashley would get a vasectomy. ‘The snip’, as it’s known, achieves permanent sterilisation by severing or sealing the tubes that carry sperm. It’s straightforward and swift, carried out under local anaesthetic in…

In our regular column, Sophie Walker, feminist campaigner and author of Five Rules For Rebellion: Let’s Change The World Ourselves, spotlights women fighting for change. This week, she talks to Mercedes Baptiste Halliday, 21, a UCL student and fencing coach for Muslim Girls Fence, a grassroots organisation that works to expand the sport beyond its elite reputation. Sophie spoke to her after a summer in which diversity and the representation of female athletes came under scrutiny. Hello Mercedes, how long have you been working with Muslim Girls Fence (MGF)? Since 2018. I’ve been fencing since I was 15 and was later introduced to the organisers of MGF. I loved the project, which shows the capacity of women to do anything when given the opportunity to flourish. How did you get…

MORE THAN ANY other item of clothing, jeans define a fashion era, and a generation’s style. This dates back to the ’50s, when denim – until then largely seen as the clothes of workers – became fashionable for teenagers, much to the disapproval of their parents. Fast forward 70-odd years and denim remains at the heart of generational wars. Think of last year’s viral TikTok videos where Gen Z creators roasted Millennials for their love of skinny jeans. In a post-restrictions, post-sweatpants moment this autumn, we’re rediscovering our jeans. But, with the skinny cancelled, what’s next for denim? Mom jeans – once seen as skinny’s successor – have gone down the rankings recently, with straight leg and flares threatening to take the crown. And, with the wider Y2K trend now…

IT MIGHT seem surprising that a rhinestone bra would become one of A/W ’21’s most-wanted pieces. But isn’t that exactly the sort of sexy razzmatazz we’re in the mood for after 18+ months of loungewear? Viktoria Udina, the founder of Nué Studio and the designer of said bras thinks so. ‘People want to go out more now and have fun. They have missed the feeling of joy and freedom,’ she says. ‘And here we are to make them feel happy, carefree, ladylike and glamorous at the same time.’ Founded in Kiev in 2019, the satin minis, halter tops and sassy blazers have become a cult hit with women hungry to go out-out again. Mixed in with the Studio 54 glamour is a hefty dose of kitsch Y2K energy. But the…

CURATE YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED …says Sadie Perry of @shopmantel The place to head for seriously cool pieces of vintage is Instagram. During lockdown, many dealers took to the grid, including a posse of young, new sellers offering highly curated, covetable collections. Sadie Perry is one of them. She was an interiors and fashion trend forecaster for WSGN when, last August, she launched Mantel. ‘I wanted to do something social and, as people were spending time at home and investing in their home, this seemed the right thing to do,’ she says. ‘Before, vintage was mostly about buying a specific period, but today there’s a fearlessness about mismatching eras and styles. It feels like a movement.’ Sadie sources her pieces from car-boot sales and markets. ‘Objects that have a story give…