As I find myself hurtling into another festive season, there’s only one ‘C’ word I’m going to be using, this year more than most: celebration. I know it seems hard, but even at the darkest times there are always even the smallest of joys to be found around us, to be clung onto, to be raised up and marked for whatever level of positivity they bring.
At a time when our world is riven by differences of opinion, ideology, faith and politics, we have tried to keep this issue of the magazine as universal as possible. The act (and art) of celebrating is something everyone can hopefully appreciate and connect with. It crosses cultures, boundaries, religions, ages, classes and backgrounds… nobody has a monopoly on joy and cheer.
Rather than a tinsel-strewn affair, we’ve gone for a more subtle approach focused on the uniting of friends, families and communities. Specifically, this comes in the form of a bumper entertaining section. In it, we’ve quizzed some of our dearest friends in the design world for creative tips on how they let loose when they finally get to relax – tipsy UNO with Henry Holland, layering incense recommended by Mimi Shodeinde, drag shows with Bryan O’Sullivan and his team and more. I’m so in when it comes to their cool and quirky suggestions.
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You’ll also discover a wonderful warehouse-rave of a shoot, where we’ve brought together the shiniest and most high-energy pieces. Consider this look the perfect way to go out-out (even if you’re staying at home). And yes, if anyone asks, my crush for the season is a six-foot inflatable silver ball that you’ll find playing a starring role.
The best festivities undoubtedly revolve around loved ones bonding over food and drink – another great unifier – so we’ve also collected up the best cutlery, crystal glassware and impressively interior-designed dining rooms where the most chic parties look set to sparkle this winter.
And speaking of sparkle, we close this edition with a section on lighting – the latest products, the innovators, the tech. It’s a pertinent way to get the design fix you expect from ELLE Deco, but also holds particular resonance given the current climate. Looking for love and light in the darkness (whoever you are, wherever you are, however you celebrate) – surely that’s what life is all about, not just for these two months, but every single day of the year…
