Shopping

Luxury brands are splashing out on what they call “VICs”, or “Very Important Clients”, says Elena Clavarino in Air Mail. These customers aren’t measly celebs, but heiresses and tycoons with a shedload to spend: Dior’s VICs must shell out at least $100,000 on garments per year; designer retailer Mytheresa’s threshold is “in the high seven figures”. In return, these top-tier shoppers are treated to all-expenses-paid trips to the Oscars and regattas in the Caribbean. Haute couture jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels jetted their clients to Versailles, where they were served dinner “in the palace’s gilded halls” by a Michelin-starred chef, before fireworks and champagne in the grounds. The idea is to cultivate a ready-made community among ultra-rich brand aficionados. “When I moved to London,” one client says, “[Dolce & Gabbana] introduced me to a new group of friends. They even brought me medicine when I was sick.”

Books

By the time Nöel Coward reached his thirties, says Tanya Gold in The New Statesman, he was “the highest paid writer in the world”, cashing in £50,000 – around £15m today – every year. This commercial success was anathema to the Bloomsbury Group, who made considerably “fewer jokes and less money”. He sings “like a tipsy crow”, Virginia Woolf snobbishly remarked, “quite without self-consciousness”. But Coward’s riches didn’t diminish his sense of duty. When the Second World War broke out, he begged Winston Churchill, his friend and fan, for a job as a spy – only to be rejected because he was “too famous”. Instead, at Churchill’s suggestion, he toured the world performing for troops. His efforts impressed the enemy so much that his name was put on a list of people to be immediately arrested should the Nazis invade Britain.

Masquerade: The Lives of Nöel Coward by Oliver Soden is available to buy here.

The beach house

This light-filled six-bedroom home overlooks Brighton Marina. It has a huge kitchen-diner and bespoke timber features. Outside, a terrace and balcony both have dramatic sea views. The beach is a few minutes away on foot, and the train station, with 50-minute services to London, is a 10-minute drive. £3m.

The country house

This cosy Grade II listed home in the historic town centre of Leominster in Herefordshire dates back to the 18th century. It has six bedrooms, a large kitchen with Georgian cabinetry, and an array of quirky period features, including service bells, ornately patterned plasterwork, and a marble fireplace. Outside, there’s a south-facing walled garden and two patios, perfect for al fresco dining. Hereford station is a half-hour drive, with trains to London in around three hours. £575,000.