Breakfast at Tiffany's
With Christmas shopping followed by January sales, it is unsurprising that retail fatigue begins to set in by this time of year and that many people therefore forget, either intentional or unintentionally, to buy presents for Valentine's Day. Luckily this year, Brummell has teamed up with Tiffany & Co to make the last minute dash to the shops far less painful and ensure you turn up on the doorstep with something more impressive than a bunch of tired flowers in your hand.

Avoid the scrum: Brummell’s Christmas online shopping guide
Shopping for presents is always one of the more tortuous elements of the festive period. But with the internet, a little forward thinking and the inside scoop on which sites to head for, the whole process can be infinitely less painful. With the inaugural Brummell online Christmas shopping guide you can click, browse, pay and wait for your gift wrapped purchases to be delivered to your door.

Cuvées of distinction
When the global economy fizzes so do Champagne sales. In Reims or Épernay, evidence of the boom being enjoyed by the Champagne industry is not hard to find. At Pol Roger, work is due to start shortly on a €3m extension to the cellars. Krug is building a new tasting room and visitor reception area. Even small, relatively unknown producers such as Roger Coulon are investing in new vats and bottling machinery.

Objects of desire
One of the biggest stories in the art world over the last two years hasn’t strictly been about art; it’s been about design. Auction house sales of such work have reached record levels. Such sales are just the headline figures in a dramatic rise in value and interest in contemporary and 20th century design. The art collectors who invest in contemporary art have decided that they want furniture that is just as rarefied, collectable and cuttingedge and is a fitting domestic accessory to their art. They are suddenly interested in design as object and investment.