Observer Magazine | Life and style

Regulars p5

Once upon a life: David Flusfeder

Born in New Jersey, David Flusfeder had been an unhappy child prone to running away. But when his parents separated, he moved to London in 1967, aged six, and had the chance to reinvent himself. Suddenly exotic, and popular with girls, he just had to work out which football team to support...

Celebrity style: Robbie Williams

Gallery (5 pictures):
Some headline puns that we've seen since Robbie rejoined Take That: "A million love songs later, they are back"; "Re-take That"; "Could it be magic again?"
The fashion line-up: Autumn dresses

Gallery (7 pictures):
Observer fashion editor Jo Jones picks the best pre-collection dresses for autumn/winter 2010
What I bought this week: holiday clobber

I am going on a trip and in my bag I pack: a kaftan, harem shorts, some maxi tube dresses…

Face hunter: Our style scout in Iceland and Paris

Gallery (7 pictures):
Yvan Rodic takes in an inspiring Icelandic festival and Norwegian art in Paris

Gizzi Erskine: five things I know about style

The food writer on beehive hairdos, frayed hems, and rockabilly
Kiss and make-up: matte nails

Get your hands on the lacquered look

Ideas for modern living: sitopia

Food for thought about shaping our world through food…
This much I know: Max Clifford

The PR guru, 67, on John Terry, prostate cancer and having affairs

Nigel Slater's crab salad, radish salad, and peach salad recipes

Can't stand the heat, but don't want to stay out of the kitchen? Then turn off the oven and tune into simple cold meats, marinated fish and summery fresh fruit

Restaurant review: Zucca

Hard on the heels of a good Italian in north London comes a restaurant worth crossing the river for

Gardening jobs for August

From making hay to deadheading, here are seven ways to make your garden magnificent

Dear Mariella

I have a very close relationship with my grandma. She wants me to call her twice a day, but I feel exhausted constantly having to account for what I am doing. I often feel mad – why is a 10-minute call becoming such a problem for me?

Let's stick together

Tamzin and Matthew Powell, 42 and 44 respectively, have been together for 29 years. They have a 10-year-old daughter and live in the Wye Valley, Wales

Geoff Rowe's innovation: low-energy comedy

The producer, 38, on lessening comedy's carbon footprint
Can I buy milk and be green?

Have the bottle to ditch milk cartons for milk pouches

Cottages with cachet

The new "super cottages" combine spectacular locations with luxurious facilities. Here are 10 of the UK's best…

Stewart Lee: my life on the shelf

What happens to a man who compulsively collects comics, books, records and CDs? He becomes very good at building shelves… Comedian Stewart Lee on the challenges and hazards of extreme storage

Tuna meltdown: is there an alternative?

Our taste for bluefin tuna is driving the fish to extinction. But what if there was another, more abundant, equally delicious fish to share the load? Paul Greenberg reports on a novel approach to saving the tuna

Holiday fashion: Trip tease

Gallery (7 pictures):
Arrive in style this summer, with a wardrobe of chunky tribal jewellery, dazzling silks and shorts - and killer heels