The Lady Magazine

2 December 2016

Dear Readers, TRY: our Christmas recipes with less sugar WIN: a Dahlia tote bag worth £350 from VVA This week, we have decided to embrace the cold and wrap up warm in luxurious fur – all fake, of course. No longer the tacky poor relation, simulated fur is now more glamorous than the real thing, with HM the Queen, as is often the case, leading the way. Thomas Blaikie’s delightful piece on Her Majesty’s graceful style and her past relationship with the real thing is full of wonderful royal anecdotes. Liz Hodgkinson doesn’t have any fur, fake or otherwise, as far as I know, but she does have a growing credit card bill brought on by ‘face inflation’ – the mounting costs of continuing to look beautiful as time races on. Is it worth it? In her case, yes, and she certainly deserves a medal for trying. Subtle persistence is something that has stood Charles, Lord Hindlip in good stead for the past 50 years as one of the world’s most famous auctioneers. As Rebecca Wallersteiner discovers, how else would he have cajoled someone into parting with a world-record sum for Van Gogh’s Sunflowers? Megan Hess is known more for her drawings of women, and her latest series about the New York fashion world is no exception. They are captivating images that make you want to splash out on a little luxury item like one of the irresistible new perfumes in this week’s Christmas gift guide. There’s even something for the boys. Until next week, best wishes, Sam Taylor,