Of course I went out and bought Lui. I've been buying the first issue of men's magazines all my life. My addiction began with my father's Signature magazine (sent to holders of the Diners club credit card). With its photos of posh restaurants and exquisite hotels, it was my introduction to the world of "aspirational" reading. When I was a teenager I worked out where he hid his Playboy. But I only looked at it for the articles.
By the 1980s, I was spending my own cash on lifestyle literature. I bought the first issue of FHM, which was then called For Him magazine. Its combination of expensive cars, fast women and suits with big shoulders was a perfect fit for the Margaret Thatcher era. A little later, in December 1988, British GQ launched with Michael Heseltine, the Conservative politician and Thatcher rival, on the cover. GQ had competition in the form of a more intellectual title called Arena. It had a cool layout by the designer Neville Brody and articles about art and architecture. It was a little less Armani and a little more Helmut Lang.
These days, I indulge my craving less frequently. Because to be honest, I don't really need to buy a men's magazine. I can source the elements online - a bit of news, a bit of culture, a dash of the arts, a smattering of sex - and assemble them on my mobile. Lui is not bad, but the perfect magazine is the one you create for yourself.
