An uplifting force on the London Fashion Week schedule since 2005, Ashish's sequin-strewn shows are undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited each season. In February, for AW17, the collection was a colourful, optimistic extravaganza celebrating love, diversity and unity, and today Ashish has unveiled a preview of his latest offering: a playful, equally colourful collaboration with high street store, River Island.
The gender-neutral 15-piece collection offers a tongue-in-cheek take on loungewear, outerwear and dresses. Fridge-magnet alphabet sweaters and embroidered pyjamas feature comic slogans including “sick of all this chic” and “good in bed”, while XXL sleeping bag puffa jackets and Ashish’s signature glamour, in the form of sparkly slip dresses, complete this unconventional but highly covetable range. Describing the line as "something lazy and a bit dreamy," Ashish wanted to inject a sense of humour yet provide an easy-wear concept, adding "something relaxed enough to slouch around the house in, yet stylish enough to be taken out."
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Following the lead of brands such as Katie Eary, Eudon Choi and Sibling, who have previously designed capsule collections for the high street retailer, Ashish's River Island Design Forum line will launch via a short film, screened during London Fashion Week Festival this September. The collection will then go on sale exclusively on River Island's website, with prices ranging from £30 to £180. "I think it’s great to be able to bring a fashion point of view to a wider audience by being able to design and produce it for a more accessible price" Ashish explained. And judging by the popularity of Ashish's sell-out Topshop collections (who remembers those must-have LED platforms?!), this new range for River Island will be an instant success. Roll on September when we can not only get our hands on everything from this collab but see Ashish's next genius offering from his own brand for SS18, too.
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I'll be the first to admit that ever since the music video came out, I can't walk down the street while listening to HAIM's "Want You Back" without pretending I'm in one of my own. With three new singles already dropped and a full album on the way, this is truly the summer of HAIM — and now, they're getting a documentary.
Available on Apple Music July 14 — one week after the release of Something To Tell You — Behind The Album takes a deep dive into the past two years of songwriting through the lens of the band's secret London performance back in May.
"When we write songs, it's very much a democracy and we all contribute to it," they explain in the trailer, which shows the three sisters, Este, Danielle, and Alana, alternately practicing in a recording studio and strutting through London in some truly incredible outfits. "We've spent the last two and a half years working every day on these songs."
"This is one of the first times we have people waiting to see us play new songs," they continue over footage of the L.A.-based siblings taking the stage in London. Why London? It's kind of where it all began.
"London is a very special place for us," Alana explains.
"People have such an open mind here about new music, and a thirst for new music, I kind of can't imagine doing it anywhere else," Danielle adds.
While we may not all be in London, at least now we'll be able to experience the magic as if we were. And if you want to hear the sisters premiere some of the tracks from their London show, they'll be calling into Beats 1 9am PST/ 12pm EST to do just that. Until then, get psyched for the full release, and watch the documentary trailer below.
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Update: Tennis legend John McEnroe has declined to apologise for his controversial remarks to NPR regarding Serena Williams' abilities as a tennis player. When asked by CBS This Morning co-host Nora O'Donnell earlier today whether he'd like to apologise, McEnroe simply said, "No."
He bolstered his opinion by saying, "I respect Serena very much...she’s the greatest player, female player, that’s ever lived."
Emphasis on female.
In an interview this week with NPR, tennis legend John McEnroe shared several soundbites worthy of being picked over. For starters, he dished about how the iconic Andy Warhol screwed up his sex life, and how his wife, singer Patty Smyth, once put him in his place after he assumed he could be a guitarist in her band. Though the most controversial bit of his interview came when he commented about fellow living tennis legend, Serena Williams.
When the interviewer asked his thoughts about whether Williams was the best “tennis player” in the world, McEnroe felt Williams’ performance was the best of the women. “If she played the men's circuit she'd be like 700 in the world,” he said about Williams.
He continued, explaining to NPR that he felt Williams was an “incredible player” and how, “[O]n a given day, Serena could beat some players. I believe because she's so incredibly strong mentally that she could overcome some situations where players would choke 'cause she's been in it so many times, so many situations at Wimbledon, The U.S. Open, etc. But if she had to just play the circuit — the men's circuit — that would be an entirely different story."
Today, Williams responded, "Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based. I've never played anyone ranked 'there' nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby. Good day sir," she tweeted.
Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.
Whatever your thoughts on both tennis and the division of men and women in sport, you have to admit the comment, "700th place" is, well, shady considering Williams' many accomplishments. Not to mention, this is also coming from an individual who thought he could retire and just pick up a guitar and join his wife's band.
Williams' response was concise to say the least. Well played, Serena. Considering that Williams is currently in her third trimester of pregnancy and busy making moves in Silicon Valley, it's not hard to see why she responded with such brevity.
Though it does make you ask, perhaps it's time to have men and women on the same court?
Like many roads, in Haiti the path to Borgne, a town on the northern coast of the island, is a long, hot, and uneven one. In favourable weather, a sturdy Toyota 4X4 could make the westerly trip to Borgne from Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second-largest city, in two body-rocking hours. Deft motorbike taxis, technicolor “tap-tap” pick-ups, and massive trucks transporting construction materials stir up enough dust on dry days to make a bandana surgical mask a valuable accessory on what will still be a doable ride. On rainy days, however, the pockmarked routes fill up with water and run, leaving travellers to wade through waist-deep byways at their own risk or stay put until any floods have passed.
When V. Simeon recently journeyed north, she didn’t have to contend with the harshest elements, but she did have to worry about how to safely transport the ill child strapped to her body from southern Haiti up to Borgne’s specialised hospital for pregnant and nursing mothers and their children in the Nord department. The trip took a toll on both of them.
Simeon’s 3-year-old son Narkendor Dorval is one of 22% of children in Haiti who suffers from chronic malnutrition. Eleven percent of children are considered underweight, and 65% of children under five years old (and 49% of women of reproductive age) have anemia. These are lifelong problems that contribute to Haiti having the highest child and maternal mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Narkendor was born in fair health, Simeon says. He appeared jaundiced at first and always had some difficulty moving around since one of his legs is longer than the other, but she saw no obvious signs of the turn he would take by eight months old. Despite starting to crawl as he got older, Narkendor’s health began to backpedal along with his mother’s.
Simeon and her son Narkendor in Borgne.Maxence Bradley for UNICEF USA.
Until recently, Simeon split her time between Port-au-Prince and Léogâne, a coastal city roughly 25 miles from the capital that was at the epicentre of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti in 2010. An estimated 80% to 90% of the buildings in Léogâne were destroyed, leaving one-fourth of the local population dead or missing and crushing many opportunities for people to work or support themselves.
Simeon later moved to Port-au-Prince, where her parents lived. They helped take care of Narkendor when she went out for work, and after she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and unable to do much else. When she felt well enough to travel herself, Simeon tucked her son into an infant carrier and paid a mototaxi driver 150 gourdes (50 extra for a smoother ride) to drive them to Borgne. They left at 5 a.m. on a Monday morning, with Narkendor sore, small, and unable to walk any of the distance, as many people who go to the clinic do. The pair arrived by 10 a.m. and were seen almost immediately by the Ministry of Health nurses, who were already shorthanded.
“Both of us are receiving treatment because I haven’t finished mine yet,” Simeon said through a translator.* “When I first arrived, I was very sick, like many other people. Some of them lost their lives but I’m still here and, aside from God, if it weren’t this group of nurses, I would have lost my life as well. Even my parents were completely discouraged, but the nurses here are intelligent and efficient, and it’s thank to them that life is continuing for me.”
Nonetheless, Simeon is realistic about her situation, even if she is increasingly optimistic. Her father died recently, making money even tighter in her family. Focusing on her and Narkendor’s health takes a toll on her ability to earn an income while she waits for him to completely recover. Simeon’s story echoes that of the other two-to-three dozen women also waiting at the clinic. The perfect storm of manmade and natural disasters has exacerbated all of their problems.
The 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed more than 220,000 people, left about 300,000 injured, and displaced 1.5 million others — roughly 15% of the country’s entire population. Later that year, thousands of people’s health conditions worsened when one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern history emerged in Haiti as a result of improper sewage disposal by UN peacekeepers stationed on the island as part of the rescue efforts. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon admitted wrongdoing and accepted fault for the epidemic for the first time last December amidst calls that the organisation compensate Haiti for the impact of the devastation, but the damage was done. Since the 2010 outbreak, 807,273 suspected cases of cholera have been reported, and more than 9,500 people have died.
Six years later, while a mix of national government institutions, private enterprises, and international organisations continued to rebuild the country, southern Haiti was struck again by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that left an additional 175,000 people homeless. 70 to 90% of the livestock and crops in affected areas were destroyed. It is a loss that may be extended for another decade, and will be felt much sooner than that.
The price for food and produce in local markets has skyrocketed in recent years. Nearly 75% of Haitians live on $2 USD per day (about 63 gourdes), however, the majority of marketplace prices are unregulated by the government, leaving vendors to sell the foods people need most at the cut-rate prices they choose. Meanwhile, a vast number of Haitian business owners earn their revenue in dollars, but pay their employees a less-than-liveable wage in gourdes, further compounding inequality across the country.
After the earthquake, UNICEF Haiti implemented two consecutive programs to help stabilise the country, focusing on emergency relief, recovery, and development. In 2014, UNICEF USA launched the Kid Power program, which links global initiatives that combat malnutrition with domestic work that centres on children’s health. For example, research has shown that only one-third of children in the United States are physically active each day, which can lead to a number of juvenile, and eventually adult, health problems. With the Kid Power program, participants buy Fitbit-like bands online or at Target that serve as a watch and a pedometer. (They can also download the Kid Power app for free and link it to the pedometer on their iOS or Android phone.) The more active users are throughout the day, the more points they rack up in the Kid Power app, unlocking funding from friends, parents, partners, and other donors. Some of the program's participants include students in traditionally underserved areas like like P.S. 5 Ellen Lurie School in Inwood, New York.
"Parents love that their kids want to walk more and go to the park more," says Kristen Sabatini, a fourth-grade teacher who applied for and received a grant to bring Kid Power to her students at P.S. 5 as they learn about Uganda. "We are a Title 1 school in an underserved community, but things like respect and being helpful are all free, and are things that that kids universally can do."
UNICEF’s current programs in Haiti will run through 2021 and focus on issues such as health (vaccination, immunisation, paediatric and postnatal care), child protection (decreasing children’s exposure to violence and abuse, neglect, and abandonment), education (improving enrolment, sanitisation, safe access to water), and nutrition. The latter is an area that could have a tremendous impact on children like Narkendor, but that UNICEF says is drastically underfunded. That is especially true given the massive impact that malnutrition can have on populations for generations.
"The consequences of insufficient nourishment continue into adulthood and are passed on to the next generation as undernourished girls and women have children of their own."
In 2008, medical journal The Lancet issued a series of reports on maternal and child undernutrition, which indicated that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life (and the first 1,000 days of motherhood) play a crucial role for individuals and whole communities.
“By the time children reach their second birthday, if undernourished, they could suffer irreversible physical and cognitive damage, impacting their future health, economic well-being, and welfare,” the researchers wrote. “The consequences of insufficient nourishment continue into adulthood and are passed on to the next generation as undernourished girls and women have children of their own.”
If left unchecked, undernutrition in pregnant women can result in low birth weight postpartum, stunting, chronic restriction of growth height, micronutrient deficiencies, and more. Many of these are issues from which Narkendor suffers.
The researchers explained that rapid weight gain after ages 2 and 3 could lead to a spate of chronic illnesses and result in permanent cognitive impairment. “Children who are stunted or born with IUGR are also shown to complete fewer years of schooling and earn less income as adults, hindering their cognitive growth and economic potential,” the researchers continued. “Lower income, poor health, and reduced access to proper nutrition then continue to impact the health of children born into the next generation, establishing a repetitive cycle.”
And if children don’t build the cognitive foundations necessary to learn, retain information, think critically and creatively, or even simply concentrate — no number of donations of textbooks will make the difference necessary to help young people develop into self-sustaining and self-advocating adults. It’s one of the reasons so many researchers continue to look into the impact of school lunches and performance. It is also a reason that other researchers have started to consider the impact that ingesting poisoned water can have on children’s families even two generations from now.
Marie Rhudnie B. Angrand, an MSPP representative in the Nord Department, points out a nutritional diagram that is used to instruct mothers.Maxence Bradley for UNICEF USA.
In Haiti, there are various plans of action in the works. From June 2011 to April 2013, a Haitian NGO called FONDEFH and UNICEF worked together in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Population (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, or MSPP) to establish triage-based systems across the country to handle cases of moderate malnutrition through severe acute malnutrition.
Their reach previously extended to areas in the north and remote locations where resources were more limited, to help people like V. Simeon and Narkendor. One level focused on children with cases of moderate malnutrition to prevent them from worsening. The children were evaluated by height and weight, and then given a variety of supplements and medicines, chiefly iron, vitamin A, and Albendazole for parasites. A second component involved ambulatory patients making regular visits to clinics every eight days for four to six weeks. The third focused on treating cases of acute malnutrition that required hospitalisation and regular doses therapeutic medicine and supplements until patients were healthy enough to be discharged.
The nurses instruct all of the women on proper breastfeeding methods, and about the foods that consist of a well-rounded diet. They also give out therapeutic milks supplied by UNICEF, as well as Plumpy’Nut, a peanut butter paste high in calories that is fortified with powdered milk, sugar, oil, vitamins, and minerals. The packets have a shelf-life of about two years and are far less susceptible to contamination than food options that might need to be mixed with unclean water or require intense storage methods. All anyone has to do is knead the sachets until the paste is smooth and pliant, similar to agitating organic peanut butter when the oil separates from the base. Older babies can easily squeeze the Plumpy’Nut up the sachets themselves (think Go-Gurt with the flavour and consistency of a peanut butter cookie dough), or mothers can help them along after tearing the packets open.
A nurse holds RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic foods) milk and Plumpy'Nut packets.Maxence Bradley for UNICEF USA.
On a wider scale, the Plumpy’Nut factory in Cap-Haïtien, which opened in 2012, employs 65 Haitians and works with farmers in an extensive agricultural program to help them produce better, healthier yields. UNICEF buys 80% of the world’s Plumpy’Nut stock and supplies it free of charge to clinics across the world like the one in Borgne so that patients don’t have to worry about the cost.
Additionally, UNICEF uses funds generated from the Kid Power program to distribute more therapeutic packets including Plumpy’Nut (6.4 million through Kid Power to date). The sachets range in price depending on product type, from $49 per box to $80 per box for a full course of treatment. (A full course is considered to be one full box of sachets — 150 — consumed across eight to 12 weeks.)
Unfortunately, funding for the MSPP/FONDEPH program has largely dried up now that UNICEF’s contract has expired. The Haitian government has yet to fill that gap, in terms of financing, personnel, materials, or medicine. Even so, dedicated staffs of nurses and health agents — often unpaid and working on a volunteer basis — continue to try to find women and children in their local communities who need help, resources, and information, and direct them to clinics like the one in Borgne where they can make some progress. Inter-community efforts like that can make a difference in the lives of people like Simeon, who was referred to Borgne herself when a health agent met her and learned about Narkendor.
The majority of the health agents working on the day Simeon and Narkendor arrived were from arrondissements in Côtes-de-Fer, another coastal town near Port-au-Prince. Two agents, Pierre Solis and Lafleur Josean, say that their work has become more difficult over time as funding has diminished. Fewer parents are willing to make the five-hour (or more) journey to Borgne when there is less medication available, and less staff on hand to see them. If they have more than one child, someone would need to be left behind. If they are working, missing out on pay would be another burden. If they bring their children only to find out that treatment will take days or weeks, they might have to leave their child behind under the care of pre-teen or adolescent relative and staff, as was the case with Darling, a 12-year-old girl charged with staying with her severely malnourished baby brother.
Health agents Pierre Solis (far left) and Lafleur Josean (third from left) stand at the hospital in Borgne with their colleagues.Maxence Bradley for UNICEF USA.
Despite the difficulty of their assignments, all of the agents feel passionate about their work and are doing their best to continue it, even under-or-unpaid, on a skeletal organisational budget, and with dwindling numbers of new recruits.
“What keeps us doing this work is that these kids are from our neighbourhoods, and when we see them dying, we accompany them and try help,” Solis said. “Helping them encourages us.”
*All quotes interpreted through translator.
Editor's Note: Refinery29 traveled to Haiti in early June as a media guest of UNICEF USA. The organisation paid for travel and accommodation.
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Close to two-thirds (61%) of all women in the UK have used emergency contraception at some point in their lives – a higher rate than any country in the European Union – yet until now we’ve had to pay up to five times as much for the morning-after pill as our European counterparts.
The pill can cost upwards of £30 in the UK, while in France it can be bought for as little as £6, according to research from the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception. It’s possible to get it for free in the UK from sexual health clinics, some pharmacies and elsewhere, but often it’s easier and – crucially – quicker just to bite the bullet and shell out the ridiculous sum.
But one high street retailer has just made our lives a whole lot easier – and cheaper. Superdrug has launched a generic emergency hormonal contraceptive pill (EHC), which will be available at half the price of the current branded morning-after pills.
At just £13.49, it costs less than half the price of what it could cost at a pharmacy. Sure, it's still more than twice as expensive as it would be in France, but it's no doubt a step in the right direction.
The new, cheaper pill is already available at over 200 Superdrug pharmacies and from Superdrug Online Doctor. It'll also be available on the company's website later this year.
The pill contains levonorgestrel 1.5mg (the same active ingredient found in the branded Levonelle One Step). It can be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or if a usual contraceptive method has failed, but it's recommended to take it as soon after unprotected sex as possible. It works by delaying the ovaries from releasing an egg.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has welcomed the move. Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said the organisation was "delighted" by Superdrug's "trailblazing step" and that it looks forward to other major retailers following its lead.
"We know the high cost of emergency contraception can be a major barrier to women accessing it when their regular method fails. Superdrug has illustrated that where appropriate it's perfectly possible to sell this safe and effective medication to women at a significantly more affordable price than is currently on offer."
Furedi continued: "There is frankly now no excuse for others not to do the same. We will keep campaigning on this issue until all retailers do the right thing and offer women a fairly priced product, as Superdrug is doing today."
Michael Henry, Superdrug's healthcare director, said the company is "committed to leading the way in sexual health and offering a generic emergency contraceptive pill at half the price of what’s currently available on the high street."
He added: "Its availability will give women more choice and access to this medication at a time when they are most in need.” Too right. Your move, Boots.
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Earlier in my career, I was working as a marketing manager at a beauty company — a position that I thought would check every box on my “dream job” checklist.
But, as it turns out, I wasn’t great at marketing, I wasn’t fulfilled by working in that industry, and I realised that what I really wanted was to build a career doing the one thing I’d always loved: writing.
There was one problem, though, and it was a big one: All of my previous experience had been building toward my marketing role. Making a major change would mean scrapping everything I had been working for and heading back to square one — not exactly an inspiring thought.
But fast forward a few years later, and I was starting my position as Editor in Chief at The Muse, a website dedicated to helping people find jobs that they love. I had pivoted my career into a role that perfectly matched what I was looking for, and I was able to do so by building on my past experience — not starting from scratch.
So, I’m here to tell you that, if you’re not happy, but you’re daunted by the prospect of making a career 180, I’ve been there. And throughout my own experience, I’ve identified three steps that can help you get closer to your goals.
You may or may not have an idea of the field you’d like to transition to, but either way, there’s probably more you need to know about it. After all, the grass tends to look greener, but it doesn’t necessarily feel that way once you’ve hung out in it for a while.
So your first step is to get your hands on as much information as you possibly can. Not only will it help you figure out whether you’d truly enjoy this career path, but your new knowledge will allow you to tackle your transition more strategically.
There’s all kinds of research you can do: Read articles and sign up for newsletters from websites in that field. Follow industry leaders on social media. Stalk people on LinkedIn to find out more about their career paths. Even take some classes to get a feel for whether or not you like that path. (This last one was key for me — taking several different courses quickly showed me which types of writing I loved and which I didn’t.)
Another piece of the puzzle is talking to everyone you can, whether that’s friends-of-friends, fellow alumni, or folks you meet at events or conferences. Your goal? To learn about people’s career paths, discover interesting companies and positions, and build relationships that might be helpful later when you start looking for jobs. Which brings me to...
Paula Volchok
Remember trying to land your first job? You probably encountered this catch-22 at least once: You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience.
Unfortunately, making a career change is similar. Not many employers are willing to take a chance on someone who’s green — especially when there are other qualified candidates. So, it’s true: You need experience.
However, that doesn’t necessarily need to come from a full-time job. You could take on freelance work or a side project. You could join a board or volunteer. You could start a blog or podcast, or see if you can take on something new in your current position. You could even try the adult version of an internship: At The Muse, I’ve hired several part-time writers who used that nights-and-weekends experience to transition into editorial positions — the same approach I used myself.
No, it’s not the same as having a jam-packed resume in your new field, but getting creative with your experience can help you land that first necessary position, or even a “ bridge job ” — a role that’s not exactly where you want to be, but a step in the right direction.
Paula Volchok
So, I’m not referring to your wardrobe here (unless you’re trying to move from big law to startups or vice versa), but rather, how you present yourself and tell your story to the outside world. In other words, when someone meets you at an event, checks out your LinkedIn profile, or Googles you, you want to project not just where you’ve been, but where you’re going.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you’ve spent your whole career in pharmaceutical sales, but you want to do business development for wellness startups. When someone asks you what you do, you’re probably used to answering with your current job title and company — and stopping there.
But why not try something like, “I’ve always worked in healthcare, and currently, I’m in pharma sales. But what really excites me is how people can take charge of their own health without those drugs. So I’m spending my time now looking for startups who could use my industry knowledge to help with their sales and BD efforts.”
Want to try it for yourself? Consider the following:
Your Transferrable Skills: What abilities do you bring to the table, no matter what job you have?
Your Additive Skills: What can you offer to the job you want that more traditional candidates can’t?
Your Goals and Future: What are you actively working toward?
Once you understand those elements, you can pull them together into a story about yourself that shares where you want to go — a story that you can weave through your social media profiles, your LinkedIn summary, and the conversations you have with everyone you meet.
Believe me, I know how overwhelming making a career change can feel. And, I won’t deny the fact that it takes time, energy, and hard work — it doesn’t happen overnight.
However, little by little, as you learn, meet people, gain experience, and refine your brand, things will start to happen for you. And, if you’re truly committed to making a move, all these efforts are bound to pay off in the long run.
Adrian Granzella Larssen is a career expert and Editor-at-Large at TheMuse.com, the career site that’s helped more than 50 million people find and succeed at their dream jobs. Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Paula Volchok
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When Margaret Cho and Tilda Swinton had a come-to-Jesus moment late last year about the whitewashing of Asian characters in films like Doctor Strange, Swinton boasted about an upcoming project that would show the world that she was on the right side of the diversity fight. According to Jezebel, Swinton gave Cho an exclusive scoop on the project she had been working on for two years with Bong Joon Ho. That project is the upcoming Netflix original film, Okja, which will hit Netflix and selected cinemas tomorrow. The film is about a Korean farm girl who befriends a giant pig and, when a big corporation wants to eat it, she has to fight to be reunited.
On the heels of backlash about Scarlett Johansson’s role in Ghost in the Shell and its very own Iron Fist, Netflix was keenly aware that it was treading on thin ice with this movie. From the trailers, it appears that the streaming site — and Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company, which partnered with them to produce the film — had at least a few of its ducks in a row. First of all, Bong Joon Ho directed, wrote and co-produced the film. Letting people of colour tell the stories of people of colour is always a good idea. They also cast a Korean actress, 13-year-old Ahn Seo-hyun, to play the lead role of Mija.
But the question of whether or not Okja is whitewashed is still valid. Trailers and teasers from the film — including a particularly weird commercial for the Mirando Corporation featuring Swinton — show that there are plenty of white people in the film. But they are portrayed as generally horrible, which is refreshing. Large corporations led by white people, swooping in to wreak havoc on the lives of people of colour sounds about right. So-called liberals who want to help people of colour when it’s in their own self-interest is also spot on.
So yes, for a film about a Korean girl, Okja is pretty white. But in this case, it appears to be for the best. I look forward to seeing the film and hopefully getting an answer to this question: if Okja is supposed to be a giant pig, why does he look like a puppy?
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Lindsay Lohan knows everyone is wondering about what her day-to-day life looks like now that she's been attached to two new television projects, separated from her Russian boyfriend, and briefly lost her grip on the English language. At 30 (nearly 31), the actress seems to be in a great place. So, what's been behind all this good juju? We're finally going to find out — for $2.99 (£2.39) a month.
Yes, Lohan is joining the ranks of the Kardashian-Jenner family, Zendaya, and Jeremy Renner by connecting with fans personally and sharing secret information with her biggest fans, E! News writes. The site is called Preemium, and appears to be a hosting platform for different celebrities and influencers to share personal blog posts, videos, and more.
As of now, Preemium promises that there are four more stars joining Lohan to share their knowledge on fitness, sports, music, and lifestyle. Her monthly cost is also currently the same as the aforementioned Kardashian-Jenners', except she does not appear to have a correlating app (yet).
Screenshot of Lindsay Lohan's Website on Preemium.
According to a description on Pret-A-Porter, Lohan's site promises the following: "You will get personal diaries, video updates, exclusive personal photos, breaking news, fashion and beauty tutorials, shopping guides, behind the scenes content and much more." At the moment, Lohan is teasing a few upcoming videos featuring behind-the-scenes footage from a photo shoot (one alone, one with a male model). She also already has a few selfies up because #2017.
While we're busy waiting ever so patiently for Stranger Things season 2 to drop, Netflix has announced another TV show that's got us excited. Likely based on the success of the previous cult hit's '80s vibe, the new show, called Everything Sucks!, is set firmly in the '90s. 1996, to be exact, and it stars another cast of adorable child actors.
Everything Sucks!, created by writer Ben York Jones ( Like Crazy) and Michael Mohan ( Save The Date), will consist of ten half-hour episodes about an A/V club and a drama club in Oregon that meet head-on, and a likely touching and quirky coming-of-age story ensues.
"Some of our favourite shows of all time — The Wonder Years, Happy Days, That 70s Show, Freaks and Geeks — looked back at bygone eras with 20 years of hindsight," Jones and Mohan said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "We think this is a great time to take a look back at high school and relive the fashion, music, and attitudes of the mid-’90’s the way we remember it. Not sensationalised, not watered down; but desperate, heartfelt, awkward, and exciting."
The cast includes young actors Peyton Kennedy ( American Fable), Jahi Winston ( The New Edition Story), Sydney Sweeney ( Sharp Objects), Elijah Stevenson ( Captain Fantastic), Rio Mangini ( Teen Wolf) and Quinn Liebling. Patch Darragh ( Sully) and Claudine Nako ( Grimm) also star as parents on the new series.
The show isn't slated to hit the streaming service until 2018, so we'll get all the '80s nostalgia of Stranger Things out of our system before we swap out our neon leggings for patterned scrunchies. Luckily, Eggo waffles are timeless.
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Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, there's no shortage of benefits to the experience of travelling solo. It allows you to create your own itinerary, operate on your own schedule (when you're a night owl travelling with a morning person, the struggle is real), meet new people, and gain a sense of independence and self-sufficiency.
We'd recommend going on at least one solo trip in your lifetime, but if you're already a major fan of travelling alone, chances are you're always on the lookout for new places to visit. Airbnb has released a list of the top 10 cities for solo travel and one look at the photos has us clamouring to hop on the next plane to one (0r 10) of these destinations.
Data from the popular home rental site shows that solo bookings are rapidly rising in a number of cities and the winner is (*drum roll please*) Cancún, Mexico.
Despite its reputation, Cancún is far more than a destination for spring breakers. The coastal city has seen a whopping 170% increase in solo bookings over the past year, and travellers should definitely check out tourist-free markets like Mercado 23 and Pewter Mexicano. There's also Museo Subacuático de Arte, an underwater art gallery that has seriously piqued our interest.
Grabbing the number two spot is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, followed by Cologne, Germany; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Johannesburg, South Africa; São Paulo, Brazil; Auckland, New Zealand; Mexico City, Mexico; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Busan, South Korea.
Solo travel enthusiasts, it's time to update your bucket lists.
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Donald Trump, the man who decries "fake news" every chance he gets, literally has fake Time magazine covers celebrating himself adorning the walls of at least five of his golf clubs, according to a damning report by The Washington Post.
In The Washington Post's tweet from this morning, the outlet cleverly pointed out some of the fake cover's style mistakes, including the thinner border, the placement of the secondary headlines, and the incorrect date in the upper-right corner (there was, in fact, no Time edition released on March 1, 2009, as the phony copy suggests).
For those who need a quick reminder, the president has been aggressively tweeting about fake news since even before he took office, letting out his latest tirade this morning.
So they caught Fake News CNN cold, but what about NBC, CBS & ABC? What about the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost? They are all Fake News!
The childish rant was in reference to CNN's firing of three employees after they retracted an article regarding the Trump administration's ties to a Russian investment fund. Instead of interpreting the firings as the network's way of taking responsibility for its errors, Trump persecuted the entire organisation while also lumping in NBC, CBS, ABC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post for good measure.
It's a welcomed coincidence that on the exact same day as said rant, The Washington Post's David A. Fahrenthold slammed Trump for his ridiculous attempt at self-praise and got the internet to erupt into a cacophony of cries asking "who posts fake news now, sucker?"
To make things even better, Time later responded to The Washington Post confirming that they never published exclamation-laden cover. A spokesperson also told the paper that the magazine had also contacted the Trump Organisation and asked for the removal of the photoshopped glossies from Trump Golf clubs.
Though the embarrassing revelation isn't likely to deter the president or his administration from blasting the wicked mainstream media, we fully support everyone taking a moment to savour just how good the delicious irony tastes.
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With the temperamental British weather and frequent summer showers, sometimes we need a little help in achieving a golden glow. Whether you have a porcelain complexion, olive or dark skintone, there's a whole host of hero products to ensure your skin pops in the summer with a convincing "sun-kissed" radiance, even if it is only 16 degrees outside.
Who cares if it's pouring (cheers England!), here are the bronzers, blushers, highlighters and oils you need to fake that summer glow.
Dot this liquid highlighter on the top of the cheekbones and Cupid's bow to accentuate bone structure and the lips, or mix into foundation, primer or moisturiser to create an all-over luminous finish.
Topshop Glow Liquid Highlighter in Phoenix, £12.50, available at Topshop
Just come back from a fortnight in the Maldives? No, us neither. Mimic a post-holiday glow with Hourglass' illuminating, highlighter-infused bronzer. This warm, golden-bronze shade is hand-blended to create the most flattering balance of pigments. Say goodbye to dull skin forever.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer – Radiant Bronze Light, £45, available at Net-A-Porter
Enriched with skincare ingredients, the lighter powder offers a protective shield against external factors such as environmental stress and pollution, while the deeper shade provides the perfect bronzing powder. Use the mini kabuki brush to take up the powder and apply on facial contours, moving in a C from the temple to the cheek.
DIORSKIN Nude Air Care & Dare Protecting Glow Powder – Natural Healthy Glow, £40, available at Boots
This new tinted moisturiser brings tired skin back to life. Wear on its own for a barely there, subtle boost, or apply under your foundation for flawless dewy skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow, £35, available at Charlotte Tilbury
It may not win points for packaging but this much-loved product does exactly what it says on the tin. Velvet-soft in texture, sweep this all over the face for a natural and even bronzed look.
Rimmel Natural Bronzing Powder Sun Bronze 22, £5.99, available at Superdrug
This highly pigmented, iridescent multi-use powder can be used as an eyeshadow or a facial highlight.
Topshop Chameleon Glow in Changeling, £9.50, available at Topshop
This Sunset Bronzing Crayon glides onto the skin, enhancing an existing tan or adding a convincing glow and contour to tired skin.
Laura Mercier Sunset Bronzing Crayon, £25, available at Space NK
This transfer-resistant tint won't leave any marks on your clothes and bronzes the body instantly. Featuring antioxidants Oceania saffron, Tahitian vanilla, and a hydrating mix of monoï and tamanu oils, slather this on after the shower.
NARS Laguna Body Tint SPF30, £30, available at Space NK
Huile Prodigieuse is one of the number one body oils in France and there's a reason this product is cult. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, its iconic formula has been reinvented for improved efficacy, now enriched with highly nourishing tsubaki oil, repairing argan oil and vitamin E.
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® 25th Anniversary Limited Edition – Beauty, £29, available at Space NK
Think of blusher and NARS' bestselling Orgasm blush probably springs to mind. This natural, healthy-looking colour adds the perfect flush to any face.
Featuring six sparkling shades that act as bronzers, blushes and highlighters, sculpt, brighten or correct with this gorgeous summer palette.
By Terry Sun Designer Palette, £65, available at Space NK
Featuring the same ultra-flattering apricot-gold powder as the original, this limited-edition update is packaged in a chic gold-edged compact that you'll want to carry with you everywhere.
Becca Limited Edition Shimmering Skin Perfector – Champagne Pop, £32, available at Cult Beauty
Free from OTT sparkle or shine, sweep this matte bronzer over cheeks, chin and forehead for a natural radiance, even for the palest skin.
Benefit Hoola Lite, £24.50, available at Cult Beauty
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There's a line in the upcoming summer blockbuster Baby Driver that sums up how many of us feel at this time of year. "Sometimes all I want to do is head west on the 20 in a car I can't afford with a plan I don't have," says Debora, played by British actor Lily James, more than once. Indeed, when the sun's blazing down, lunchtime drinking is no longer a sackable offence and 80% of work emails are met with an out-of-office reply, it's tempting to pack it all in and take a spontaneous road trip far away.
But if that's not possible and you have, er, actual responsibilities, you could do a lot worse than head to the cinema to watch the aforementioned Baby Driver. From British director Edgar Wright ( Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), starring Ansel Elgort as protagonist Baby, Kevin Spacey as a crime lord, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Lily James, the film is two hours of pure escapism. The "action-musical" – so-called because of its gripping, fast-paced car chases and electrifying soundtrack – is both a classic all-American car movie and a charming romance between Baby and young waitress Debora.
Until now, James was arguably best known for her part in Downton Abbey and title role in the 2015 Disney film Cinderella, so Baby Driver marks a bold departure for the 28-year-old from Esher, Surrey, hailing a move away from pretty dresses and the dawn of a new stage in her burgeoning Hollywood career. Refinery29 spoke to the actor about music, American accents and hitting the open road.
Hi Lily, how much do you identify with your character, Debora?
I identify with her a lot. There’s something missing in her life and she’s working in a diner and rattling around but really hasn’t got much going on. She lost her mum and there’s this hole [in her life] and she’s trying to fill it and hasn’t found who she wants to be or what she wants to be or what she wants to do. I think that’s the reason why, when this guy walks in and this crazy world descends upon her, she’s so impulsive and she’s like, "Right, I’m going with you". I’m quite impulsive and she’s a real dreamer, she loves music. You feel like she’s an old soul, so there was a lot for me to latch on to.
Debora doesn’t really ask Baby what he’s up to. Do you think you would have been as unquestioning as she is in those circumstances? Would you have just gone along with it like she did?
Well, I think that probably all would come later. I think it’s credit to how brilliant Ansel’s Baby is in that I don’t ever question, as a member of the audience when I watch it, that he’s a good, kind-hearted person and I think she can really see that. She can see that he shouldn’t really be in that world and I think it’s more to do with her own boredom with life as much as it is to do with the fact that she’s fallen in love with this guy, that she’s like, "It’s better than rattling around in that diner for the next 25 years".
What was it like working with Ansel? How did you manage to build such great chemistry?
I don’t know – it’s funny, we found it really easy. I think it’s credit to Edgar Wright – his script is really beautifully written and constructed and he’s really clever. He’s such an amazing storyteller and he does it through images and shots, so he makes us care for Baby and then Debora and then puts them together. He’s manipulated it all, so I think our chemistry is real – not to give too much credit away, we owned it [laughs] – but I do think Edgar was very clever at constructing that.
Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
How did you manage to nail your American accent? Did you do much training, or base it on anyone in particular?
I worked with an amazing dialect coach who I absolutely adore and we really drilled it a lot. It was the most I’ve ever worked on an accent. I tried to stay in an American accent throughout the whole shoot and Ansel was brilliant – he helped me slip into Americanisms and I tried to slip into his rhythm.
Are there any words or phrases you find particularly challenging?
I hate saying "holla". Like, "If you’ve got any questions just holla". It’s just like, I would never say that. A lot of words, even "Baby" and [for "Mary"] they say "merry", they don’t say "mare-ee", and I had to say "Mary" about 10 times in one speech so I was like "merry, merry, merry".
There are a lot of action-packed scenes in the film. What were they like to shoot? Did you do your own stunts?
Edgar had such a clear vision in his head and and he’s so amazing at editing. The editor, Paul, was on set doing it as we shot which was incredible, so you could go up and see what you’d just done, but it means it’s covered from a lot of angles. There was a lot of like, "Turn and scream" or "Turn and jump", so it’s hard to keep a sense of momentum and continuity to it all, so I struggled with that. Also, we were doing night shoots outside in a freezing cold car park in Atlanta. I had some stuff that was really high up, where I had to wear a rope, and I did a lot of driving at the end, but nothing that was too extreme really.
Did you do any physical training for the film?
I wanted to go and work in a diner. I wanted to get a waitress job because I worked in a pub when I was 18 for a year or so when I went to drama school, but I never waited tables. But I didn’t end up having time.
Debora is so polite to the customers…
Yeah, that was something I thought about – in America the service is obviously so different. Waiters want their tip and can live off their tips. Obviously in America they tip so well. When I was in America doing press, in LA, I watched the waiters and they are mostly actors. Everything is so sweet and kind and you’re like, "Oh my god"…
Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
I always wonder how they find the energy. Do you find it quite tricky as an English person in Hollywood to maintain all that energy and politeness?
There’s a lot of energy and there’s a lot of “We love you”. If producers loved me as much as they said they did, I’d be working non-stop for the rest of my life, but that’s not gonna happen. I also find that you get your meal and they come back at least three times and go, “Is everything ok? Are you enjoying your meal?” and [in my head] I’m like "I would be if you would let me eat it" [laughs].
Do you drive?
I don’t have a car in London but I did pass my test when I was 17. I was so eager to learn, I wanted the freedom and independence, but I haven’t driven in the last few years so I think I’d be a bit nervous.
Where are your favourite places to drive?
Well I just drove on the weekend, not me but my boyfriend [actor Matt Smith], to Palm Springs and we went to Joshua Tree, which was incredible and it was very Baby Driver -esque. We were DJ-ing in the car and playing all these really great tunes while driving in the desert. There were all these massive wind turbines and we were listening to [composer] Max Richter – he did Shutter Island and stuff – we were playing this music and driving through the desert, it was very epic.
What’s your favourite music to listen to?
I’m going to Glastonbury this weekend. Oh my god, I can’t wait. I’m very excited about seeing Radiohead and I’m excited to see Liam Gallagher, yeah loads of stuff. I’ve recently been listening to Imelda May – she’s amazing. I love Elbow – I’m obsessed with their album Little Fictions.
What did you think about the portrayal of women in the film? There are only two main female characters and not many others – do you think there could have been more of them?
Erm, no, I think the story is told brilliantly and I think Darling [played by Eiza González] and Debora are two very different women – you’ve got my character, who’s much more the heart and quite pure, and then you’ve got Eiza’s character, who’s firing double machine guns and is as badass as the rest of the men in the gang, but still maintaining this femininity which I liked – her using her sexuality but in a very cool, powerful way. So, you know, the more women the better but for this, I think it rocks.
Baby Driver is in UK cinemas from Wednesday 28th June.
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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week we're with a 27-year-old who works in banking in London. She earns well but says she has now sort of lost the ability not to waste money, as she doesn't see the consequences of running out. She is hoping that keeping this record will shame her as she thinks she should be saving much more than she currently is...
Industry: Finance/ Banking Age: 27 Location: London Salary: £75k Paycheque amount per month: Varies by month (depends on bonus), but usually £3.6k (I think?!) Number of housemates: 3
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £720 Loan payments: £0 – paid off my student loan last month! Utilities: Around £110 – including £25 a month for a weekly cleaner for the communal bits of the house. Transportation: Usually I buy a monthly zone 1-2 travelcard for £130, but this month I’m doing without. Phone bill: £45 Health insurance: £0 Savings? I have set payments into a help-to-buy and a savings ISA each month where the maximum I can put in is £700. The idea is then to transfer anything else remaining at the end of the month into another savings account but due to lots of upfront costs for holidays, festivals, hen parties, etc earlier this year (plus an ability to leak money constantly!), I haven’t done this for a while. Other: Insurance £6 monthly, Gym membership (with a hefty corporate discount through my company) £50, Times subscription + other magazine subscriptions – around £40 month, discounted ClassPass subscription £19.
Day One
8.30am: Grab my usual (free-ish) Waitrose coffee on my way into work. I pay 50p for an extra shot of coffee. A double shot is especially needed today as it is my first day back at work after holiday. Full of good intentions, I have brought in some food from home – yoghurt and some cashew butter. My boss arrives just as I’ve finished my food, with lots of pastries for the team – which I can now resist.
11.30am: Morning dragging, grab another coffee and a bottle of water from work café between meetings as a reason to have a break from my desk. £3.15
2pm: Go for a quick lunchtime run and decide lunch made up of salad leftovers brought in from home is too measly. Buy a protein smoothie and raw avocado cheesecake to top up. Sort of healthy, even if annoyingly millennial. When I get back to my desk realise I was charged £2 too much. £8
4.15pm: Another random trip to escape the desk. Large overpriced tea from the work café. £1.80
6.20pm: Buy some stuff from Waitrose on way home including tonic water, fruit salad packs, yoghurt... I've got to do some interview prep when I get home tonight and a few G&Ts will make it less of a mindless way to spend the evening. £7.19
6.40pm: I put off going home by wandering into a few shops. Pick up some Nike leggings in the sale. Too lazy to try them on, I’ll return them later in the week if they’re no good. £25
6.40pm: Oyster top-up, usually I always just buy a monthly travelcard, however as I’ve only just got back from holiday and am out of London lots in the next month, better to just eke along on top-ups and weeklies. £38
Total: £83.64
Day Two
7.20am: Out of the house early for my interview. It’s before work, but luckily not too far to travel to. Pick up a Nero coffee en route, and eat with the fruit salad pack I picked up last night. £2.10
9.45am: Grab my Waitrose coffee on my way into the office. I snack on free fruit provided by work when I’m at my desk (interview adrenaline has made me hungry). 50p
11.30am: Grab some bottled water and chewing gum from work café. £1.99
1pm: I go to a free lunchtime talk in my building and pick at some of the free crisps and flapjacks on the side. I don’t fancy the free sandwiches so instead grab a smoked salmon and grilled veg salad on my way back to my desk. I buy it from the place I got overcharged for my smoothie yesterday and explain (with a bit of a flirt) to the male cashier, and get the salad for a discounted price. £3
3.30pm: Fill up on free fruit and chocolates from colleagues' holidays. Remember I brought in a weird homemade oaty smoothie yesterday that I forgot to drink. Tastes rank, but finish it anyway. Pop out to buy bottle of sparkling water as something to do/ break from desk. 56p
5.30pm: Leave work on the dot and fit in a barre class. Grab a bottle of water and sushi pack en route. £2.10
7pm: Buy a protein smoothie post-class, and two granola yoghurt pots. Eat one, save one for tomorrow's breakfast. £11.50
8pm: Pub quiz with old housemates. £2 entry. We don’t do rounds as not everyone’s drinking, but I get two glasses of wine for me and my housemate as I end up eating half her squid when it arrives. £20.45
Total: £42.20
Day Three
8.40am: Waitrose coffee en route to work. Eat yesterday’s granola pot at desk. 50p
10.45am: Run out for 15 minutes to return Nike leggings to assuage some money guilt (+23.95!). Already keeping this money diary has shown me how much money I leak – and so far I’m having a far cheaper week than usual. Grab bottle of sparkling water and some gum on the way back – know I buy lots of water, but cool with it as it's meant I’ve kicked my Diet Coke habit.
2pm: Weather is amazing!! Go for a run at lunchtime along the river, and I grab food afterwards en route back to my desk. I overspend on a mixed pay-by-weight salad bowl, and piece of homemade carrot cake. Clearly there is nothing subsidised about our work canteen. £11.85
3pm: Buy a candle and perfume from the White Co using an old gift card. Gift card covers everything except basically the P&P. Smug. £4
3.30pm: Iced frappe. £3.15
6.30pm: Diet Coke and some sweets for cinema with friends. £1.82
7pm: I bought tickets for the cinema ages ago because it’s a premiere screening. I buy a large glass of house red from the bar, and get given free ice cream. £7.25
9.45pm: Run into Whole Foods and grab a (very) modest serving of pulled pork and chipotle sweet potato. Eat it on the bus home, and feel guilty for being that person on public transport who stinks the bus out. Whoops. £5.18
Total: £9.80
Day Four
8.15am: Working from home today as I’ve got a doctor’s appointment, but annoyingly wake up at my normal alarm time (after a night of insomnia) and can’t go back to sleep. Get up and cycle to the shops to pick up some snacks for the day, including chocolate and fruit. £3.47
12.30pm: Cycle to shops at lunch. Buy toiletries, coconut frappe, a Curly Wurly, and a chicken salad meal deal. £14.03
7pm: Not a week I should be diarising if I want to look good! Swerved out of a Bumble date (sorry!) earlier in the day as I’m so tired and would have zero chat. Do drinks with friends and sink two wines on a happy hour very quickly. £6
8.30pm: I can hardly keep my eyes open and head home early even though it's broad daylight and haven’t had a wild week. God knows how I’m going to deal with summer. I do a comfort shop including chocolate, shitty magazine, sweets, and smoked trout. I have a loyalty voucher to use so only costs 31p actual cash. I go home and eat it all alongside wine from the fridge leftover from my housemate’s dinner party last week. 31p
Total: £23.81
Day Five
8.45am: I pick up coffee, and almond sea salt bar from Waitrose on way into office. £3
1pm: Sweet chilli halloumi strips, caesar side salad, fruit smoothie. Yummy, although I thought the strips were chicken and therefore (relatively) healthy. One bite in I discover they’re fried halloumi. £7.25
4pm: Chewing gum and caramel latte from work café. Barista upgrades me to a massive bucket-size coffee for no reason. Sort of embarrassed bringing this size coffee back to my desk. £2.95
6.30pm: Get some mixers to bring to a friend’s office rooftop in central. His boss left us a couple of bottles of Belvedere vodka for us to do after-work drinks (job envy much?). £1.10
8pm: Buy a bottle of white wine at bar at a gig with friends, we take it in turns to buy rounds. Tickets were pre-bought. £14
11.30pm: We don’t want to head out out but too early to call it a night so we head to Wagamama. I don’t want to eat so just drink wine and chip a tenner in at the end. £10
Total: £38.30
Day Six
11.20am: (Free) Waitrose coffee and some fruit before I jump on the Tube and head to meet a friend in the park because it's such good weather. 61p
2.10pm: Don’t feel hungry yet, and just grab a water, frappe and big bag of spicy nuts when I get to the shops. £5.61
2.30pm: Pick up some shoes in the sale. They're cheap so it doesn’t matter that I’ll probably only wear them a few times. £18
3.20pm: Free John Lewis voucher for cappuccino and millionaire's shortbread.
4pm: Go to a wine car boot sale with friends. Spend £10 but get free tote, and lots of free samples! £10
5.35pm: Mango frappe and pot of mango plus some mixer for drinks with housemates back at the house. Finish the rest of the nuts. £5.75
8.30pm: At the pub for my housemate's birthday. Take it in turns to buy bottles of house white with friends, and head home at midnight in cab with housemate (she pays). £14.60
Total: £54.57
Day Seven
10.45am: (Free) Waitrose coffee and some fruit. 61p
12.50pm: After two back-to-back studio classes – a spin and a cardio – pick up a protein smoothie which I pretty much down. £4.50
1.30pm: Buy some fake tan from Boots, and buy my usual foundation to stock up as it's 20% off due to a promotional offer in store. £26.40
2pm: Buy loads of bits too boring to list for Glasto and vitamins from Holland & Barrett. £13.87
2.30pm: Hungry again, so I grab snacks to go from Whole Foods (plus loads of free samples while I'm there), and a frappucino from Starbucks. This is what I meant by leaking money at weekends! £10.97
3pm: Buy two much-reduced skirts in the sale from Urban Outfitters. Love them both! Know what I’ll be wearing to work tomorrow. £50
4pm: I go to an afternoon talk promoting a book release. It's supposed to be £6 but due to problems with their card reader they let me sneak in for free. I also get a free piece of ridiculously yummy banana bread from the author.
5.45pm: I meet my brother in central. We grab a char siu bun from Chinatown, plus wine and water in a bar afterwards. He pays for all as he owes me for some theatre tickets I booked for us recently.
9.05pm: Hungry (again) as we make a move to head home. Pick up a 7up, vegetable samosa and popcorn from the gross newsagents inside the Tube as nothing's open in central. Forget to eat the popcorn, and drink some leftover rosé from the fridge when I get back home with my housemate. £5.46
It’s 2017 and for those in the public eye to captivate us, we need more than good looks and a great aesthetic. From Adwoa Aboah speaking out on addiction and mental health, to Hari Nef fighting for trans issues, the models we admire stand for something and use their platforms to encourage change. Leomie Anderson is one such role model. The 24-year-old south Londoner has an impressive CV: she began her modelling journey with Premier back in 2011, starring on The Model Agency; she’s been front and centre of Yeezy Season One and Two; has walked for everyone from Fenty x Puma and Vivienne Westwood to Jeremy Scott; and, of course, is a Victoria’s Secret model.
But while her past work is testament to her dedication to the industry, Anderson has caught our attention more recently with her collective LAPP. Started as a blog in 2012, Leomie has used it as a platform to talk about everything from racism in the industry to empowering women in the workplace. It’s evolved into a fashion and feminist platform, with her first clothing collection tackling the issue of consent via slogan T-shirts modelled by a host of babes. A self-described “safe space on the internet for women to express their views and perspectives, free of judgement”, Refinery29 caught up with Leomie and chatted body shaming in the modelling industry, the way the media treated Kim Kardashian post-armed robbery, and her work styling the Nike Beautiful x Powerful collection.
Can you explain how LAPP The Brand came about? I wrote about consent and the pressures young girls are under on my personal blog and it went viral. I realised how much influence I could have and how powerful my voice could be. When I had the opportunity to speak at a girls' school I asked them who they would turn to for advice – those who didn't have an older sister or family member felt that they had nowhere to go to hear a female perspective. I felt inspired to use my voice and influence for good; that's how LAPP really began.
Why did you want the brand to be both a fashion and feminist platform, and how do you think the two interconnect? I see fashion as a universal language that can be used to convey all types of messages; look at Vivienne Westwood using her designs to discuss climate change. I love fashion and have always enjoyed designing so wanted to bring together all of my loves into one place. My first collection was the 'Consent Collection' and it featured phrases inspired by the girls I spoke to at the school – really, they were to let them know that it's okay to say no. Then there's the infamous 'This Pussy Grabs Back' hoodie that Rihanna wore to the Women's March in NYC; they were to hit back at the face of misogyny at the time, Trump! Our latest collection is the Nudi-tee Collection, which explores the way that we subconsciously view women's bodies.
Photo: Courtesy of Nike.
Tell us about your work with Nike’s Beautiful x Powerful campaign: The amazing Nike London team reached out to me to shoot a look book with LAPP clothing and the Cortez from their second Beautiful x Powerful collection, and host a LAPP event at their King's Road store. It was a huge opportunity for LAPP and they gave me free rein to create something that truly represented the brand. The event was such a success! We had a panel discussion with myself, singer Bree Runway, photographer and stylist Erika Bowes and British athlete Morgan Lake. It was the first of many events I want to do to bring together contributors and supporters of LAPP to discuss issues that really matter to us.
You've spoken out before about the way in which Serena Williams’ strong physique has been used against her. How do you think prejudice and misogyny plays out in the way the media presents women? If a woman removes herself from the male gaze, they are chastised for it. The media pushes unrealistic views of women to the public – these are the images that young women grow up with and internalise. This is why I'm such a strong advocate of getting real women's voices heard: because the majority of the people in the media creating the voice and perception of women are middle-class white men.
Photo: Courtesy of Nike.
Another topic you've talked about is the fact that people spoke about Kim Kardashian as a mother over a human being in relation to her hotel attack... It really sickened me to see how many people only had sympathy for Kim when they remembered she had children – a thought pattern I've seen in many situations with women. I think it says a lot about how we as a society view and value women's lives.
You’re vocal about issues like racism and body shaming in the modelling industry – tell me about how you’ve fought back against that... The day I started being vocal is the day I became much happier. When I was younger I was sometimes scared to speak up in fear of being labelled a 'diva', 'fierce' or whatever stereotype people could apply to me because I was a black girl; I didn't want to live up to any of those phrases. But I realised that it made me insecure; I would hate seeing my runway pictures knowing that I was the only black girl in a show or had the worst hair just because I was too scared to say something [to a hair stylist]. So now I speak up when I don't feel happy or comfortable, and in turn I've opened the door to make other young, black models speak up too.
What advice do you have for young women looking to gain self-confidence? Stop following people that make you feel insecure on social media!
And for young women looking to follow in your footsteps? Write for LAPP! But also, my advice would be to take risks and remember that you can't put a time limit on true success. Just because it doesn't happen when you thought it would, doesn't mean it can't happen.
Nike Beautiful x Powerful collection is available at Nike.com
Miu Miu campaigns are always a sumptuous, colourful feast for the eyes but the just-released images for AW17, entitled 'Preservation Hall and Other Stories' are particularly special. Featuring a star-studded cast of actresses and models including Moonlight 's Naomie Harris, Kate Moss, sisters Adwoa and Kesewa Aboah, Jean Campbell, Eliza Cumming and Jasmine Daniels, alongside the Preservation Hall Brass Band, the diverse array of powerful female faces embodies the maximal, eccentric spirit of the collection, which Miuccia Prada described after the show as “the madness of glamour in this time, in front of a very uncertain future.”
Styled by LOVE editor-in-chief, Katie Grand, and shot by photographer Alasdair McLellan (his fifth campaign for the Italian fashion house), the striking cast is captured in locations around New Orleans. The campaign imagery consists of collages of black-and-white and saturated colour photographs, juxtaposing landmarks and landscapes, the old and the contemporary. The intensely coloured images emphasise the vibrant faux-fur coats, hats and shoes, the clashing psychedelic prints, glittering earrings and headpieces and '70s knits that comprise the collection.
A Miu Miu press statement explains the story behind the vivid images: "In certain places and amidst certain sounds, time seemingly circles itself. Throughout the untamed, thick-aired Mississippi bayou, draped with Spanish moss, the siren of insects is interlaced with jazz melodies somehow both timeless and avant-garde. In the deep American South, and more specifically the port of New Orleans, patois more than a dialect, it’s a way of life. Everything here is a deeply textured bricolage, full of tension and wild energy."
It may be the height of summer (though the British weather says otherwise) but these captivating images, featuring our favourite models – from fashion's latest obsession, Adwoa Aboah, to the original supermodel, Kate Moss herself – mean we can't wait to pile on the boldest faux fur possible this autumn.
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The next time you fancy a refreshing iced coffee on a hot day, you might want to put some extra thought into choosing where to part with your cash – because faecal bacteria has just been found in ice at three major coffee shops.
Researchers visited Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero to test their cleanliness and ended up finding “concerning” levels of faecal bacteria in samples of iced drinks. We have no words, aside from: vom.
The investigation, carried out by the BBC's Watchdog, found faecal coliforms, which contain disease-causing pathogens (i.e. they could make people ill), in 70% of samples in Costa, 30% of Starbucks samples and 30% of Caffe Nero samples.
The researchers also tested tables, trays and high chairs for their cleanliness at over 30 branches.
Tony Lewis, an expert from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, called the levels of faecal bacteria "concerning" and said they "should not be present at any level – never mind the significant numbers found," the BBC reported.
It's unclear exactly how these bacteria made their way into the ice, but all three chains affected said they had now taken action. Thoughtful of them, eh?
A Costa spokesperson said the company was "disappointed" by the findings and that it had reviewed its food safety procedures and updated its ice-handling guidelines. It's also introducing new ice equipment across its stores, reported The Telegraph.
Starbucks said "nothing is more important" than customer safety and that it's conducting its own investigation into the claims. "All employees nationwide have received updated training on our high standards of hygiene including ice handling," its spokesperson added.
Caffe Nero also said it was undertaking "a thorough investigation" and that it would take "appropriate action".
Just to be safe, it might be worth perfecting your own iced coffee recipe. You'll save money – and possibly your health – in the process.
If you've got a strong enough stomach, check out the episode of Watchdog tonight at 8pm on BBC One.
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Legendary broadcaster and all-roundgood sport Jon Snow attended Glastonbury for the first time this weekend – and it seems he may have got a little caught up in the festival spirit.
According to reports, the 69-year-old took part in a chant of "F*** the Tories" and sarcastically reminded his fellow festival-goers that he's "supposed to be neutral" as part of his job as a newsreader for Channel 4 News.
In a statement, Snow didn't deny taking part in the Tory-bashing but said: “After a day at Glastonbury, I can honestly say I have no recollection of what was chanted, sung or who I took over 1,000 selfies with," reported the Independent.
On Monday evening, a photo emerged on Twitter of the journalist with his arms around a group of students at the festival but the tweet has since been deleted, possibly because people started commenting on it and the accompanying tweet.
One of the students, Danny Millea, wrote: “Boss place that Glasto. Having a dance with Jon Snow and hearing him shout f*** the tories is what dreams are made of.” He also said he was impressed when the veteran broadcaster “turned around just after he got off and sarcastically went ‘I’m supposed to be neutral’.”
Snow is alleged to have made the comment after throwing some shapes with the students. Millea added: “He was proper sound, had a good little boogie with him and a good laugh, walked off and he sarcastically said he’s a neutral hahahah.”
Aside from the questions over his professionalism, Snow appears to have had the time of his life at his first Glastonbury. He tweeted about the "dusty selfies; great music; loads of longing for a decent poltics [sic]" and said it was "amazing" to be "amid a real energy for a better politics", presumably referring to the Corbynmania that swept the festival.
First trip to Glastonbury: dusty selfies; great music; loads of longing for a decent poltics
He also retweeted a Channel 4 News clip of Corbyn's speech on the festival's Pyramid stage, in which the Labour leader quoted Shelley and made a plea for a "decent, better society" to a rapturous response from the packed-out audience.
"Oh, Jeremy Corbyn, Oh Jeremy Corbyn". Glastonbury crowds cheer the Labour leader as he delivers a political speech. pic.twitter.com/uULZIoRWBG
Luckily, despite calls from the political right for him to be sacked, it doesn't look like Snow's job will be at risk. Ofcom, the communications regulator and media watchdog, said it only ever considers complaints about content aired over its licensed services, and its neutrality guidelines don't relate to what journalists do in their own time.
Channel 4 hasn't commented on the allegations at the time of writing.
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Over half a million women and girls in America are affected by female genital mutilation (FGM), and thankfully, people here are finally starting to talk about it and take action — the first-ever US trial against doctors who perform these procedures is about to take place in Detroit. But much more needs to be done to end FGM in the US and worldwide.
Currently, more than 200 million people around the world have undergone FGM, and where I live in rural Somalia almost every single woman and girl has undergone the procedure. In fact, 98% of Somali women and girls have been affected, which is the highest prevalence rate of anywhere in the world. Over 80% are cut between the ages of five and nine — old enough to remember what happened, but not “too old” that they have already experienced much independence. Almost two thirds of Somali women undergo infibulation, the most extreme form of FGM, which leaves girls with their labia stitched together following the excision of the clitoris. This makes urinating and menstruating almost impossible, as a girl is forced to do so through a hole the size of a matchstick. Of course, that's not to say that any form of FGM is more acceptable than others; it is always a human rights violation.
Last year, I met a 15-year-old named Istar, who had been married off to a 70-year-old man in Eastern Somalia. He paid 10 camels and a gun for her. Istar had been subjected to infibulation. Like many girls who have undergone this type of FGM, her new husband was unable to penetrate her during sex. So he used a dagger to cut her open. But he did it with so much force that the dagger went deep, affecting the vaginal walls and cutting into her cervix. Istar started bleeding profusely, forcing her family to seek medical help and counselling for her. Although she is now out of immediate danger, Istar is deeply traumatised and, unsurprisingly, does not want to go back to her husband.
Although religion is sometimes used as an excuse, there is no religious obligation for girls to undergo FGM. And unfortunately, it doesn’t happen in a vacuum: FGM is directly related to other forms of violence against women and girls. Domestic violence is also prevalent in Somalia, and over three quarters of married women aged 15 to 49 think that a beating can be justified in certain circumstances. So-called “child marriage” is highly prevalent, too, and is often seen as a driver for FGM occurring in the first place.
Over 80% are cut between the ages of five and nine — old enough to remember what happened, but not 'too old' that they have already experienced much independence.
And now, there seems to be another, more timely cause for concern: After several months of extreme drought, it has finally rained in Somalia. This is a huge relief to many, but it also means that girls now face an enormous risk as families, which had previously been preoccupied with getting enough food, have refocused their energies. Schools are now also closed for the summer, and many town dwellers have moved back to rural areas. Families are more likely to think it’s the “right time” for them to hold FGM ceremonies, and girls are at extreme risk.
As a survivor myself, I know the effects of FGM firsthand, and I wanted to do something to help end it. So, in 1999, I set up The Galkayo Center, which aims to end FGM and other forms of violence against girls. We work at various levels, but our main focus is on education. We provide free schooling to more than 800 poor, orphaned, and displaced girls in primary school, and to around 1,600 girls over the age of 13 who are in “non-formal” education. Nationally, only 24.6% of girls in Somalia attend school, but as a result of our work, girls’ enrolment in northeast Somalia has increased to 40%, the highest rate in the country. We teach each of these girls about the harms of FGM and how it can be ended. We try to persuade these girls that their destinies are their own to make – they can help break the cycle of abuse in their own lives and in their families.
The Somali government has promised to ban FGM for several years, but has yet to follow through on doing so. Since 2014, however, the most severe form of infibulation has been illegal in the Puntland region, thanks to a presidential decree. This is part of a recent wave of bans across the African continent. Nigeria and the Gambia both made it illegal to perform FGM in 2015. This leaves Somalia in a small group of countries — including Liberia, Mali, Sudan, and Sierra Leone — which have yet to enact laws against it.
Unfortunately, only 33% of Somali women and girls think FGM should end, although this number is somewhat higher for wealthier and more educated demographics. Among that 33%, though, there’s no reduction in prevalence between middle-aged women and adolescent girls. I know that we must still climb a huge mountain if this abuse is to be eliminated within our lifetime.
But I’m not deterred — my eyes are firmly on the goal. We can speed things up by getting money to the front lines, where it can be used effectively. There are so few of us working on this, and we cannot always reach everyone with such limited resources. To date, we have seen a big increase in awareness of the issue in the US and discussion at the international level, but those of us working at the local level have not been able to access enough funds to carry out our urgent work.
Changing the futures of girls in this region is my life’s mission, and I won’t stop until I have done my part to protect every single girl at risk. Hearing the experiences of girls like Istar — as I do almost every day — terrifies me, but it also drives me to keep going. I have no other option. The lives of Somali girls and women depend on it.
Stop what you're doing: we’ve just reached peak Corbyn. We thought we hit it this weekend when the Labour leader became the star of Glastonbury, what with the chants of “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” and reports that he drew a bigger crowd than headliners Radiohead.
But no. So how do we know Corbynmania has reached new heights?
Apparently more than 50% of parents would consider naming a child Corbyn after the Islington North MP, according to a survey by Channel Mum. 15% said they would also consider the name Jeremy.
The survey of 1,305 parents across the UK suggests the beginning of a bizarre politically inspired baby name trend that could overtake the recent craze for animal-themed names.
Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com, said: “Corbyn is the stand-out naming trend this year, and we expect to see lots of babies over the election period named after the Labour leader,” reported the Huffington Post.
The trend is revealing because names “reflect both changing fashions and our changing society”, Freegard added. However, she cautioned against naming a child after a politician on a whim. “Remember a week is a long time in politics and your child will have that name for a lifetime, so do consider the effects of naming a child after any politician.”
Fewer of those surveyed said they would consider the name May (38%) but its popularity is stronger and more stable than Theresa, which only 4% of parents would choose for a newborn. The names Boris (as in Johnson) and Diane (as in Abbott) also proved unpopular.
A third of parents said they would consider the name Cameron. One can only hope they weren’t considering picking it as a tribute to the disgraced former prime minister.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of parents said they had noticed other parents choosing politically inspired names in recent times – could the seemingly never-ending cycle of national ballots be to blame?
Other current baby name trends highlighted by the research included surnames as first names (noticed by 66% of parents), traditional English names (61%), gender-neutral names (41%), and names with an 'x' in them (35%).
The survey also made some predictions about upcoming baby name trends. Along with political names, Channel Mum reckons there will be an increase in Viking/Scandinavian-inspired names, "tough" names, Muslim names among non-Muslim families, '70s-inspired names and names inspired by places in the US. Hey, anything's better than baby Boris.
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