Fairlady July 2020

I clearly remember the first time I read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, because the horror of it has never left me. If you happily can’t remember it, here’s a one-line summary: a group of boys stranded on a desert island instantly form power hierarchies and, in the absence of external civilising influences, become brutal and vicious. The idea is that civilisation is a thin veneer, easily stripped away – and when it is, the real nature of humans is base and cruel. In the many years since, that hasn’t really been the way the world seems to me. I think that generally, people are pretty kind and want to cooperate, even in dire circumstances. So I’m delighted to hear about Humankind, a new book by Dutch historian and…

My dad July is the month my beloved dad died, 14 years ago. It was also his birthday month – and I took over his birthday after his death because mine was so terrible (January 10). It’s worked for me – not even my close family regard January 10 as my birthday any more. The added bonus (other than being six months younger, naturally) is that my new birthday reminds me of my dad, whom I adored. Here’s to you, you clever, funny, warm, irreverent, magnificent person. Love you. You, our reader Thank you for supporting us. We know money’s tight, and we appreciate it. As Mervyn Sloman, owner of The Book Lounge (aka the best book shop in the world) put it to his customers: we all need to…

WINNING LETTER MONTHLY TREAT Firstly, I am loving the new-look FAIRLADY – the subtle refresh in layout is brilliant. I have been a reader of FAIRLADY for many years. Your magazine is not only intelligent, interesting and well put together visually, it is also entertaining and relevant to me, a 41-year old South African woman. But on to my reason for writing: Even before Covid-19 changed all our lives, the magazine industry was in turmoil. What people don’t realise is that it is not magazine sales that make publishers money, but advert sales. Sadly, advertisers are lured away from print advertising by the sparkly promise of cheap (or free) social media advertising – ‘influencers’ and the like. So yes, the cover prices of magazines have had to steadily increase in…

Dazzle like nothing else – Lady Million is a disarming fragrance that awakens the skin with fresh floral notes and exudes an intimate woody warmth. Top notes of bitter orange and raspberry are followed by jasmine, orange flower and neroli at the heart, and honey, patchouli and amber at the base. This seductive, sensual scent is inspired by the opulence and elegance of gold, and is for the woman who is ready to succeed. Hamper contains: Lady Million EDP (50ml), Lady Million Empire EDP (50ml) and Lady Million Lucky EDP (50ml)…

Art on the go Who would have thought that sipping a takeaway coffee would suddenly become the height of excitement? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this beautiful collab between Ecoffee and Wanderland: they got South African artists to create locally inspired designs for their reusable bamboo/non-GMO cornstarch takeaway coffee cups. Faatimah Mohamed-Luke created Mother Tongue; Zhi Zulu designed Mageba; and Nicole Levenberg came up with Oceanum and Safari. The designs are beautiful, it’s so nice to support local, and every time you use your cup, you’re helping make a tiny dent in the 100 billion single-use coffee cups that go to landfill every year. Win-win-win. R227 each (400ml); ecoffeecup.co.za – Liesl Beloved landscapes I discovered a truly wonderful local artist not so long ago and have bought two…

Nicola Cooper TREND ANALYST & FOUNDER OF NICOLA COOPER & ASSOCIATES ‘My style inspirations are stylish career women like Victoria Beckham. Her style is formal but there’s a casual aspect to it. I generally wear a two-piece. I will wear a T-shirt or blouse with a skirt or trousers, then throw over some form of jacket or blazer.’ Bev Nates INTERNATIONAL FASHION STYLIST ‘It takes me a nanosecond to select what to wear – I never overthink my look. I’m incredibly spontaneous and decisive. Every day is an occasion; I never need an excuse to dress up.’ Andi Manxiwa FASHION SHOW PRODUCER & FORMER MODEL ‘I’ve learnt it’s better to do something properly or not at all. I would describe my style as very authentic – it’s all very me.’…