MAKING THE CUT
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Style British Vogue called platform heels “the ultimate re-emergence shoe” to wear after most of us have been locked down and wearing our bed socks for too long. And when Sarah Jessica Parker wore YSL platforms during filming of the Sex and the City reboot in July, demand went sky-high. Gucci’s black-andgold pair (above) is a chic take on the trend, $1175 (net-a-porter. com), while the rainbow leather and suede platform sandals from Salvatore Ferragamo, $3590 (matchesfashion.com) are for those who won’t hold back.
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Book We know that she can write compelling memoirs but can Hillary Rodham Clinton also do fiction? Her debut novel, State of Terror – co-written by best-selling crime author Louise Penny – seeks to answer that question. Based on what Clinton calls her worst nightmare, the book follows a newly appointed United States secretary of state as she combats an intricate international terrorist conspiracy.
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Gadget Ordinary speakers – the kind discreetly positioned in the corner of a room to amplify your music – are out. Levitating speakers? So very in. They use magnetic forces to be literally suspended in midair. The latest, the Infinity Orb, $288 (amazon. com.au), connects with your phone and offers surround sound as well as a lightshow.
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TV The Roys, everybody’s favourite dysfunctional family, are back in a third season of Succession this month. This dark satire about a tyrannical media mogul (played by Brian Cox; above, centre) and his three power-hungry children unspooled like a Shakespearean tragedy in 2019, with Kendall, (Jeremy Strong; above left) exposing his father’s misdeeds at a press conference. While this season’s plot points have been tightly guarded, the Emmywinning show will feature new guest stars, including Alexander Skarsgård, Hope Davis and Adrien Brody. Stream the high drama on Binge and Foxtel.
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Movie Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise) and co-written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon – who also co-star – The Last Duel is a historical tale of the last legally sanctioned duel in 14th-century France. Dripping with present-day political references and #MeToo subtext, it also stars Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer (above) as a woman who accuses her husband’s best friend, Jacques LeGris (Adam Driver), of sexual assault. Her mission to tell her story has vast consequences for the entire country – and herself. In cinemas 14 October.
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Podcast In December 1963, the most celebrated singer in the world faced a near tragedy – the kidnapping of his only son. The star was Frank Sinatra and his son, Frank Jnr (above), who was 19 at the time, was freed for US$240,000. Almost 60 years later, the real story behind the dreadful crime can be told – by one of the kidnappers – on The Grand Scheme: Snatching Sinatra. It lands somewhere between The Godfather and the more outlandish parts of Fargo, not least because it’s hosted by actor and Hollywood insider John Stamos.
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Drink For those who skipped Dry July this year, there’s always Sober October – aka Ocsober – the month in which to ease off booze while raising funds for your favourite charity. If you miss the taste, there’s now a zero-alcohol option for just about any preference. Our picks? New Zealand’s Giesen 0% Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (top, left; giesen.co.nz) or go a bit more elaborate with an Espresso Martini or Negroni set by Lyre’s (top, right; lyres.com.au).
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Beauty Shake off your winter skin with a vitamin C serum – popular for its ability to brighten a dull complexion in the short-term and minimise signs of ageing over time. Try Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum, $70 (mecca.com.au), Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, $110 (above; sephora.com.au), or ultra-rich EmerginC Vitamin C serum, $119 (adorebeauty.com.au).