AUGUST 2026 | August has always felt like a month of escapism. A time when it’s okay to disappear for a while, read books instead of emails, and spend entire afternoons around long tables with your favourite people. It’s perhaps why so many UK weddings find their natural home here: they're one of the few occasions that still invite us to step away from everyday life and be completely present.
The theme of escapism runs throughout this issue. As our lives become increasingly documented, optimised and shared, we're drawn to the moments that resist all of that - like the couples choosing to 'go dark' on honeymoon and switch off from social media entirely.
Our August cover stars, Leila and James, are the perfect example of a couple who created their own playbook. Married among the bamboo gardens of Ladbroke Hall, their wedding was deeply personal, effortlessly creative and, above all, an opportunity to slow down and savour the day. Designing Leila's dress was one of the highlights of our year: a piece that reflected her remarkable sense of style and the confidence to do things differently. In conversation with Amy de Klerk, she reflects on balancing the demands of running her own events business while planning the most personal event she’s ever produced.
That same instinct - questioning what’s inherited rather than accepting it by default - runs through Eva Wiseman’s essay in this issue, as she asks whether taking your partner’s name still holds meaning in 2026, or whether the time has come for a rethink.
Elsewhere, our fascination with the 1990s shows no sign of fading. As anticipation builds for Edward Enninful's forthcoming exhibition, The 90s: Art and Fashion, at Tate Britain this autumn, Phoebe Luckhurst considers whether the decade really was the last age of innocence before algorithms began shaping our taste, or whether we’ve applied a rose-tinted filter to our memories.
Alongside that, you'll find our fashion team’s edit of the best wedding guest looks, the beauty creators who’ll teach you how to do your makeup like a pro, and the sunglasses worth wearing from the ceremony through to the last days of summer.
Here's to making the most of a month of taking it slow, and escaping for a little while.
Rosie and Jess x
@rosiewilliams_own and @jesskaye_own
