The Guardian - Life & Style • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

Forget draughty bunk rooms and awkward social encounters, hostels now provide home comforts and a sense of community private rentals will never match ‘Penguins? In Snowdonia?” I asked incredulously.

“That’s right!” came the enthusiastic reply from our newest hostel companion. We were standing in the large kitchen of The Rocks hostel in Capel Curig, a village in the north-east of Eryri national park (Snowdonia), chatting amiably while waiting for our teas to brew.

“Head up Moel Siabod to the lake, and that’s where the penguins are. You’ll see a sign warning about feeding them,” he said.

The Guardian - Life & Style • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

The Glory was a haven for outlandish self-expression and the early stomping ground for many of the UK’s most infamous drag queens. It made me ready for life In a packed pub, revellers chat, sip lager and look at their phones.

Suddenly a side door crashes open, and in walks drag sensation John Sizzle, dressed as a hair-raisingly accurate Diana, Princess of Wales. She saunters demurely to a halo, fashioned from tinsel and coat hangers and stuck to the wall, stands under it, and starts lip-syncing to Beyoncé’s Halo.

The crowd erupts. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Life & Style • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

For three weeks, I wore stickers on my skin supposed to address all sorts of conditions. Are they a panacea, problem or performance?

This morning, I woke up feeling a little groggy. My go-to remedy is usually a coffee and cold-water face plunge, followed by a compulsive phone scroll.

But today called for something more, so I unpeeled a small, yellow “energy” patch the size of a walnut, popped it on to my upper arm and hoped for the best. The patch (£12 for 30) contains – so the packaging says – vitamins B5, B3 and a “microdose” of caffeine.

The Guardian - Fashion • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

New menswear director Leo Dell’Orco appears to have ditched the ‘greige’ while embracing the brand’s history What exactly Giorgio Armani looks like without its eponymous founder at the helm has been the burning question in the fashion industry since the designer’s death in September . In Milan on Monday afternoon, it got its answer as the designer’s collaborator and right-hand man of four decades, Leo Dell’Orco, made his debut at the Italian fashion house where he will oversee menswear for the foreseeable future.

It was the first Armani collection in which the late designer had no involvement. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Fashion • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

His eponymous label is renowned for its opulent, elegant take on women’s fashion and has a legion of famous fans Valentino Garavani, the designer central to pioneering Italian glamour with his eponymous fashion house, has died aged 93. “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” his foundation said on Instagram on Monday.

“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” it added. Continue reading...

Design Milk • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

The new FiiO DM15 R2R portable CD player is equal parts retro Discman and future-looking wireless music player for today's listeners.

Design Milk • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

Formafantasma’s SuperWire for FLOS transforms planar glass into a glowing architectural system, reimagining the LED filament as a poetic light source.

Design Milk • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

Studio Papaya’s SBC Apartment, a 538-square-foot São Paulo duplex, uses custom furniture and bold color to make a small space feel expansive.

NYMag - The Cut • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

On Tuesday, Saturn sextile Uranus will illuminate what you really need to do for yourself and push you to act.

NYMag - The Cut • Jan. 20, 2026, 10:47 a.m.

The author of The Waterbearers seeks luxury in life’s simple everyday practices.

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