EDITOR’S LETTER
How much Christmas is too much Christmas? This is the question I’ve been asking myself. Happily, I’ve decided there’s no such thing as too much Christmas! So, this month, we’ve gone unashamedly all-out festive. We’re celebrating the most magical time of the year in many ways, from our twinkly Scandi-inspired decorations on page 132, to our classic-with-a-twist Christmas menu (turkey infused with maple and clementine) on page 154, to elegant-but-easy wrapping ideas on page 144.
But there’s so much more, too! Garlands (they’re the new tinsel), wreaths, baubles, cheeseboards (what’s Christmas without a cheeseboard?), snowy escapes, the best ballets, smokey eyes and claret lips, Craig David’s Yuletide plans (spoiler: he spends it with his mum) and a gift guide so glorious it will take all the stress out of your shopping. We have fashion director Oonagh Brennan’s perfect black party dresses on page 100, Debbie Harry’s fondest festive memories on page 68 and, in the last of her year of columns for Red, some well-timed words of wisdom from the gorgeous Fearne Cotton on page 51.
Even our cover star, Sophie Ellis-bextor, got the memo, donning a profusion of tulle and climbing up a stepladder to pose beside a Christmas tree for us. Despite being impressive in many other ways (22 years in the music industry, five kids, etc), she totally won my affections when I heard how she spends the Big Day, ‘We always do a conga round the house chanting, “Here comes the Christmas pudding,” to the tune of For He’s a Jolly-good Fellow,’ she tells Laura Craik on page 54. If that’s not getting into the festive spirit, I don’t know what is!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
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