HTSI editor’s letter: Victoria Beckham leads an issue about couple goals, creativity and kajal eyeliner…

How’s dry January going for you? We’re now at the end of a month that has seen swaths of us committing to sobriety, vegetarianism, non-smoking and other attempts to self-improve. Congratulations to all those who have fulfilled their resolutions – sticking to a promise makes for a satisfying win, however small. 

My relationship with abstinence depends on my mood. Sometimes I can go for months without a sniff of alcohol, other times I fall off the wagon after only a few hours. This month has been relatively straightforward – perhaps because I’ve been very antisocial and spent the vast part of it on the sofa. Nonetheless, after the general torpor of January, it’s now time to start re-engaging with the world. 

I was only introduced to the work of Andrew Cranston last autumn – his paintings at Ingleby Gallery were some of the standout works at London’s Frieze art fair and he is currently the subject of a solo exhibition at Yorkshire’s Hepworth Wakefield. His partner is Lorna Robertson, an equally accomplished artist, currently working towards a May exhibition, who paints in the studio next door to his, in Glasgow, where they have both lived and worked for almost 30 years. 

Fame didn’t happen quickly for the couple, now in their 50s, who have both supplemented their creative output as teachers over the years. “When you start making money you’re seen completely differently,” says Robertson. “But for me and Andy, we were defined by the 25 years that we weren’t that successful.” Together, the couple share a creative rhythm, very different and yet in tandem, in their next-door studios. They speak to Natalie Whittle about their practice and their processes, and who keeps the more ordered space. 

Another husband-and-wife team who have built careers alongside each other, Cornelia Lauf and her husband Giuseppe Catalano di Melilli have, for the past 15 years, lived in the stunning Castel San Pietro pursuing their separate but converging interests. He has tended the fields and the vineyards; she has written many art books and helped him create their olive oil and wine brand. Acting as custodians of a historic property requires constant and somewhat relentless work. This year, the couple have decided to leave their agricultural idyll, and make a new life in the city once again. Leaving behind a family home is always a huge emotional wrench: Cornelia writes a candid piece about her life in a hilly village in Sabina and her quest to find a new caretaker of their enterprise.

Do you like carnations? I am ambivalent at best. Nevertheless, as Simon Chilvers argues, their frilly petals are returning to the centre of the cultural frame. From the new John Singer Sargent exhibition at Tate Britain, via Pina Bausch at Sadler’s Wells, to Carrie Bradshaw’s walls, he makes a compelling argument for the petrol-station “filler flower” and calls for its rehabilitation. 

Lastly, Victoria Beckham, another resilient species, often derided, who has proved her critics wrong. After 16 years in business, she’s now in profit, she’s still independent, and she’s posting double-digit growth. Posh Spice should never be underestimated, and we at HTSI are long-term fans. We’re delighted to have her on the cover as she looks forward to what should be a banner year. 

@jellison22

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