If we were to review the first batch of the fall 2018 haute couture shows like a sports commentator, it'd sound a bit like this: "And we're off! Following a swift start from Ronald van der Kemp (thanks to a sustainable sneaker collaboration), Sonia Rykiel picked up the pace with a stride that felt more light than haute! Later, Schiaparelli took the lead — nice moves, Stephen Jones — though Iris Van Herpen is still the oddball contender! But Dior may prove that slow and steady could take the race!"

But hey, this is haute couture we're talking about — the only week of the fashion calendar when the industry slows down and brings fans from all over the world to take in the magic that is clothing that took more than a few months to put together. And what better time and place to peacock than Paris in July? We're talking about the street style moments outside of the shows that, if you ask us, bring the heat unlike any other season.

Apart from the supermodel lineups on the runways — see: Jaime King, Erin O'Connor, and Adriana Lima, who don't usually strut their stuff at couture week — the frenzy around the annual spectacle is a little more controlled. Think: fashion without the chaos (and a front row that may not have a million followers on Instagram, but who have more than a few million in the bank). It's why, like a very chic spectator's sport, we love to post up outside of the shows to people watch. Double the clothes, double the fun.

In the slideshow ahead, we'll be keeping you posted on the best street style moments outside of the Paris haute couture shows until the finish line. So far, it seems showgoers are pulling out all the stops when it comes to flexing for the 'gram — there's (still) plenty of Vetements and Balenciaga to go around — but stay tuned to see why, when it comes to street style, haute couture is where it's at.

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We're used to curating our dream designer wardrobes on MatchesFashion.com, but now the site is serving up some serious homeware goals, giving us even more reason to spend our lunch break trawling through its pages.

The aspirational fashion platform has launched a brand new homeware category, featuring everything from candles and plates to cushions and printed throws from designers and brands including Bella Freud, Pendleton, La Double J and, of course, our favourite purveyors of maximalist homeware, Gucci and House of Hackney.

The company says the launch was in direct response to analysis by its buying team, which noticed that style today isn't confined to our clothes and accessories – thanks to the rise of Instagram, style permeates all elements of our lives and environments. So, of course, we want our homes to reflect our taste and look as camera-ready. Here are seven items on our wish (and we really mean wish) list...

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Scotland Yard is investigating three new assault accusations against Kevin Spacey, bringing the total number of open cases in the UK against the actor to six. The new accusations paint a portrait of a serial attacker, spanning time and place, allegedly occurring in Westminster in 1996, Lambeth in 2008, and Gloucester in 2013. Across the pond in America, one claim that Spacey sexually assaulted a man in 1992 is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Spacey has been quiet about the accusations, but his representatives told People the actor is “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment.”

The actor was artistic director of London’s Old Vic theatre from 2004 to 2015. The Guardian reports that the theatre has received 20 reports of inappropriate behaviour during that time.

Actor Guy Pearce added to the press surrounding Spacey’s behaviour, suggesting he was groped by Kevin Spacey on the set of 1997 film LA Confidential. In an discussion with Australian host Andrew Denton on talk show Interview, Pearce said, “He’s a handsy guy,” adding, “Thankfully I was 29, not 14.”

Spacey became one of the first actors ousted from Hollywood as part of the #MeToo movement after revelations about Harvey Weinstein. Actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him when he was just 14 years old. In response, Spacey was quickly removed from his starring role in hit Netflix drama House of Cards and was erased from Ridley Scott’s film All the Money in the World. Spacey came out as gay in a public response to the accusations, igniting outrage that the actor would draw connections between homosexuality and paedophilia — a false argument that was historically used to support persecution of the gay community.

Refinery29 will update this story with any statement from Kevin Spacey’s representatives as it becomes available.

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This year, the National Health Service turns 70 years old. It's a big milestone for an institution that, in the beginning, wasn't very popular at all. Taxation-based healthcare for everyone under the control of the government has always been, it seems, a contentious issue for some.

Today, the NHS is one of the biggest employers in the world; nearly 2.5% of the UK population work for it and our relationship with it is nothing if not thoroughly British. Yes, we will complain about it merrily, but should it come under threat from any outside force, we'll self-righteously defend it until the cows come home.

Over the past few years, the NHS has had a rocky ride. Government cuts, an ageing population, the mental health crisis and much more has meant it's been sorely tested, its future uncertain. At the moment, there are a lot of unanswered questions, and that's before we even get started on Brexit; because who knows what will happen to the 11% of NHS doctors who hail from EU countries after that goes through?

One thing remains certain however, which is that the people of the NHS are some of the most incredible in the world. From trekking miles through snow to get to work this past winter to the 59% of staff who work unpaid overtime each week, sacrifices upon sacrifices are made every day to keep the UK well.

Actually, it's worth noting that the NHS is overwhelmingly staffed by women; they make up 77% of the workforce. Which is a huge amount when you consider that women account for just 47% of the UK's overall job force. And so, to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS, we spoke to a family of women who've been working in it since day one. Matriarch Lorna Glover, now 92 years old, qualified as a nurse in 1946 and became part of the NHS when it was created in 1948. Lorna even met her husband, also a nurse, on the job. Since then, over the past 70 years, Lorna's daughter, Carole Aherne, and her daughter, Jennifer Aherne have signed up and kept the tradition going.

Here's what they had to say about how things have changed over the past 70 years, what their jobs look like now, and what their hopes are for the future of the service.

Jennifer Aherne, 33

I qualified as a band five staff nurse in 2010 and began my career on a busy cardiology/neurology mixed medical ward. I currently work as a nurse consultant for a healthcare IT company, and work a day a month clinically at a large London hospital trust.

If I am working on a clinical day, this typically begins at 8am, receiving handover from the night staff, and commencing a morning medication round. This is followed by addressing the needs of the patients I am caring for, washing, wound dressing, discharge planning, liaising with the multidisciplinary team. Breaks are typically 30 minutes on an eight-hour day and are fitted in where possible.

Being from the family I am from, the amount of pride expressed when I decided to do my nursing was overwhelming. I was never pressured to join the NHS yet when I did it was so obvious how very proud my family were, especially Mum and Nan. I have generally received very positive responses from people regarding nursing; a lot of people say "Oh well done, I couldn’t do it" yet I think that about many other jobs! However it is very easy to tell who has interacted with the NHS and who hasn’t. People who have been 'well' tend to have a much lesser understanding of what the NHS does, and especially the role nurses do now; many seem to think our job hasn’t changed since my nan started!

I have so many amazing memories of working in the NHS, the vast majority of which are patient-centred; as nurses we 'collect' patients in our heads, an incredible selection of people we have been fortunate enough to meet who stay with us for years. From watching a young patient walk for the first time following a stroke, to holding a patient’s hand just before they go into surgery for a very high risk operation. Then greeting that same patient when they return to the ward from ITU 10 days later. Personal successes are intertwined with patient care.

I have been lucky enough to have worked with the most amazing teams through my career. In nursing, bonds with colleagues are formed very quickly as the need to depend on them in an emergency can happen at any time. We also are involved in situations that many people cannot imagine, so a sense of humour is essential. The long hours and often very tense and difficult situations create bonds that last and allow us to support each other, whether we need to laugh or cry. And we do laugh, a lot.

It is hard to think of a funny memory that doesn’t involve bodily fluids! There are so many times I have laughed at work, from karaoke to the radio with a room of gentlemen, to finding creative ways to dress some interesting wounds, to a colleague accidentally headbutting a junior doctor in the bum through a curtain!

The NHS has been there my entire life. I was born into it, and have developed personally and professionally while working for it. Friends and family have received incredible care, from world-leading teams who are there 24/7 regardless of personal, socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or psychological circumstance.

Carole Aherne, 60

I started in 1976 as a pupil nurse at the old York School of Nursing. My first job following qualifying was as factory nurse at York sugar beet factory before dual training as a psychiatric nurse.

I usually start at 7.30am and this involves setting up clinical areas with drops and lotions, prescriptions, calibrating some equipment, checking the crash trolley, checking which consultant is in which room and that all consulting rooms and clinical areas are cleaned down, as well as identifying if all required patient notes are present. We cover everything from glaucoma, minor surgery, surgery follow-up, cataracts pre- and post-op... The day officially ends at 6pm but frequently the urgent clinic can run over, up until 8pm.

The most significant change has to be using first names and not just a surname or "Nurse(!)" when being addressed. We call the sister by name too now, as opposed to her title. The relationships that nurses now have with consultants has also changed massively. Doctors actually speak to the nurse they’re working with as opposed to dealing directly with Sister.

Nurse’s opinions and experience are definitely respected more now; we are very much part of the clinical care team. There has also been a vast modernisation of the equipment used. When I began nursing, all blood pressures etc were performed manually; now most of these things are electronic. Though I am sure some of the trolleys and tables have been there since the 1970s!

We had fun too; while living in nursing accommodation we had to ask permission to stay out on an evening, and we often used to sneak friends and boyfriends into our rooms. One visitor accidentally used the internal phone to try and call a taxi, and connected to the porter which gave the game away – all the forbidden guests had to run and hide!

When I started in general nursing, everyone thought I was marvellous, an 'angel'. But when I did my mental health nurse training, people couldn’t understand why I would want to do such a job. Stigma at the time was huge and became even worse when I went into social services and learning disabilities.

The NHS has been the backbone of our family. I am immensely proud of how far my daughter has gone with her career, something I don’t think I could ever achieve. I am proud of my mum and dad who worked for so little money. The NHS has been there for my family throughout their lives, and I hope it continues to do so. The care they provide is exceptional and I hope this continues to be the case for future generations.

Lorna Glover, 92

I qualified as a state registered nurse in 1946, after three years of training at Haywood Hospital in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. I did two years' work before the NHS came into being. We started work at 7.30am and had two hours off during the day, three on a Sunday. We worked 12-hour shifts through the day and the night. First job on the morning was to get report from the night staff, then Sister would give out the duties, be it bed-making, dressing, medications. We would wash the patients who needed it, which, alongside the wash, involved rubbing the patient’s back with methylated spirits then talcum powder to prevent bedsores. If the patient got bedsores, woe betide you! Meals came up from the kitchen, and Sister gave them out. If the patient needed assistance, it was the duty of the nurse caring for them to support them. During the late 1940s my husband also qualified as a nurse, which was very rare for a man at the time; he even joined the RAF as a nurse. I retired in 1985.

I decided to train as a nurse during the war. I wanted to do something to help people, as opposed to killing them. I remember my father saying to me if I did my training he would be proud of me for the rest of my life. I remember the NHS coming into force, and everyone was overwhelmed by the fact that things would be free. In this time, many people took advantage and would go to the NHS for very small things; this settled after a few years – it can take a while for things to get through to people! When the NHS first came in, we also got a small pay rise as nurses, which was nice.

The ward changed a lot over the years. All the cleaning, washing of patients, and nursing care was split between the nurses. One change I noticed for women was that pre-war, nurses would all have been married women; when I began my training in 1943 during WW2, I was single. Another big change was in midwifery training – it used to be three years for nursing and two years for midwifery. Now midwifery takes the same amount of time to train as a nurse.

All the nurses lived locally to each other, with many of us in a nurses' home together. The nurses' home was very nice! We had our own rooms and built-in wardrobes. We had a living room to gather for a chat. It was lovely. The sister on the local surgical ward was abrupt and intimidating but our ward sister was lovely. The paediatric sister was also fun, and would have a laugh with the staff. I had a lovely group of friends on the medical ward and I really enjoyed going into work there. Good nursing teams are very special, especially when led by a good ward sister.

My funniest memory is of a patient we had in who used to talk out loud and always say the daftest things that came into his head. He always saw the funny side of things and would have the nurses in absolute stitches.

The NHS are recruiting for nurses now. If you've been inspired by any of these stories and are interested in learning more, click here.

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Beauty buzzwords are thrown around all the time; it can be hard to keep up and to know what's worth exploring further. We're here to break down the industry's latest obsession by tackling the science, talking to skincare and makeup pros, and getting real about what works and what doesn’t.

We're seeing a lot of chat about skincare filled to bursting with ceramides, but just what are they, and why are they so beneficial?

Let’s break it down...

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"Interesting tattoos! What do they mean?" The sun’s out in London and so are my arms, and people have questions.

I have 13 scratchy black line tattoos, gathered slowly over many years, and they all carry personal significance to me. My usual comeback to that question is to ask how long they have. "They're basically a map of my life, so we’d be here all night!" Because I assure you, person who I’ve just met, it would be far more information than you’re looking for.

There are certainly people out there with more tattoos than me – ink that’s bolder and more colourful – and they get "tat-called" far more than I do when they walk down the street. But while an elaborate skull or sailor are things to remark upon, a tattooed rose is most probably just a rose. The circle on my right wrist, however, is an enigma – what does it mean?

Once in a blue moon, commenting on a tattoo can be a bonding moment, say, if you recognise that "weird ladder" on my inner arm as the Sutro Tower – the insider’s choice of San Francisco landmarks. But the triangle on my other arm has less obvious meanings. Meanings I don't want to go into with just anybody. It’s simply not appropriate small talk material.

But the questions keep coming. And then – not every time, but when it happens it’s often a man – a hand reaches out to touch my tattoos. I shouldn’t be shocked anymore but I always am. To have the nerve! To reach out, across a table or an armrest, to just poke at someone. Is it flirting? Or is it just lack of awareness about the fact that other people have inner lives? I wonder about these things when a stranger’s uninvited fingertip traces my inner wrist, along the circle that I got tattooed onto my skin years ago as a symbol of my personal autonomy.

"In a culture where surfaces matter, skin, the largest organ, is the scrim on which we project our greatest fantasies and deepest fears about our bodies," Margot Mifflin writes in her book, Bodies of Subversion. Mifflin explains how ink went from being associated with aggressive men and sexually available women to an expression of self-determination: "No form of skin modification is as layered with meaning as tattooing, especially for women," she writes. "Tattooed women of the 19th- and early 20th centuries flouted Victorian ideals of feminine purity and decorum."

In other words, tattoos are no longer a rarity. In fact, one in five Britons have been inked, according to a 2015 YouGov survey. But while these Victorian stigmas are now on their way out, they’re not quite gone. A French study from 2013 found that men were more likely to chat up women adorned with a fake tattoo, and also, estimate their chances of having sex with her to be greater. This is ironic when considering the reason many women often get tattoos: as a symbol of taking ownership of their bodies.

I was 19 years old when I got my first tattoo – a handprint just below my right knee that’s aged reasonably well. But even if it had been rubbish, it would still have been meaningful, because it was one of the first times in my life that I made my own decision about my own body. It was a big deal at the time – this was permanent, and it was myself and no one else who had made that call.

The tattoo that I get asked about most often is a feather just above my left elbow – a terrible piece of ink really, something I drew myself and had the tattoo artist copy directly, pen snags and all. I love it. It reminds me of some bad times – the wilderness years, if you will – but I’m glad they are over. The last time I told that story I was in bed, naked with someone who I was happy to spend hours sharing anecdotes with, meandering back and forth over the random details.

But when I was asked about my feather by a random dude on the bus a few years back, it went a little differently.

"Nice fern," he said. "Are you Kiwi?"

"No, it’s a feather," I responded.

"You know, it looks like a fern."

"Yes I know."

"So what's it for then?"

"It’s personal," I said defensively; the bus was full and moving slowly through traffic. The man was undeterred. "But I want to hear about it!" Feeling too irritated to be worried about any negative repercussions, I snapped back: "But I don’t want to talk about it!"

The tattoo that I get the most compliments on is a paper bird. It’s big enough to be clearly visible as I walk down the street, resulting in the odd "Nice origami!" shout. I don’t mind that so much, actually, as it’s one of the better things to say to someone whose tattoos you like. Just go with a simple: "That’s really cool/pretty/unusual!" And if that person wants to tell you about it, they will.

Sure, to draw an image on your skin is a public statement, and maybe it’s a contradiction in terms to demand privacy about it. For an introvert who won’t even wear a logo T-shirt, it’s a paradox. I’ll get a tattoo as a symbol of self-determination, but then that symbol – and sometimes even my whole body – is viewed as public property. But ultimately, I love my tattoos – even the ones I say I don’t – and as life keeps happening, I’ll keep adding to the map on my body.

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For many millennials, sorting out personal finances and (maybe) checking your credit score is on the to-do list – but if you’re anything like me, it’s right at the end, somewhere after colour-coding your bookshelf, binge-watching a new series and finally returning that late-night, ill-judged clothes order.

But, like most things, it’s best not to put it off, so getting in the know about your credit score deserves to be bumped up the list a few places. The good news is that checking your score and seeing your full credit report is totally free and easy to do thanks to CreditWise® from Capital One.

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If you post pictures of your home online, even if you're renting a shoebox, it's expected to look Instagrammable: with white walls (bonus points for a coloured "accent wall"), expensive-looking rugs and houseplants aplenty. Our generation places a premium on Pinterest-worthy homes and even if we can't afford to deck out our own places, many of us love browsing designer homeware online and following the new crop of interiors influencers.

Enter: Anthropologie's new homeware collaboration with Welsh designer Bethan Gray. The luxurious collection, launching in stores in September, features elements of most of the homeware trends beloved by millennials: there's velvet, marble, gold and of course, millennial pink. But unfortunately it won't suit a millennial's budget, with prices ranging from £30 for a stationery set to £2,098 for a bed. Still, it doesn't cost a thing to look...

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ASOS has gained a reputation for inclusivity over the years. From refusing to airbrush models' stretch marks and showing how clothes look on different body types, to using a more diverse range of models than most brands, it has led the way – and now the brand has made its fashion even more accessible.

The online retailer has launched a tie-dye waterproof jumpsuit with wheelchair users in mind, ahead of festival season. It enlisted the help of BBC reporter and GB Paralympic hopeful Chloe Ball-Hopkins, 21, who is also shown modelling the jumpsuit on the site.

So over the last several months I have been working with @ASOS to create a fashionable, yet practical waterproof all in one! Not just for people like me in a chair but for anyone. It's about making fashion accessible! So what should be next?! https://t.co/1gzzkRlED9 pic.twitter.com/7yS57QEmpD

— Chloe Ball-Hopkins (@chloe_ballhopzy) July 4, 2018

"So over the last several months I have been working with @ASOS to create a fashionable, yet practical waterproof all in one!" Ball-Hopkins tweeted. "Not just for people like me in a chair but for anyone. It's about making fashion accessible! So what should be next?!"

The project came about after Ball-Hopkins, a BBC Bristol sports reporter who is also training for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, emailed ASOS with her suggestion. She had the idea after getting wet at a festival last year, she told the BBC. The jumpsuit is designed with a zip around the waist, making it easy to get in and out of, and a waterproof breast pocket.

"Whether that's to put your phone in, or you've got medication or information you need to have on you in case of emergency, you can have it on you and know that it can stay dry," she said. "It was just literally those little tiny details that make the difference to people like me. We don't want to have to look like we're just doing practicality, we still want to be able to look fashionable."

The reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly among people with disabilities, campaigners and the charities fighting for their rights, suggesting that such a product is long overdue.

This is so awesome @ASOS! Everything I’m fighting for!! #disabledfashion https://t.co/vtkzCJlhU2

— Sophie Bradbury-Cox (@fashionbellee) July 4, 2018

Yes, yes, yes. We do exist. And we buy clothes. Who knew?!! https://t.co/XuOOy3nMvR

— Sarah BF Marl (@SarahBFraser) July 4, 2018

Just ordered from ASOS for the first time! Love that they’re collaborating for accessible fashion! https://t.co/WCAprjwFFf

— Rachel Martens (@RaeofSunshine79) July 4, 2018

This is great to see!! Everyone in fashion take note!! Well done @chloe_ballhopzy @ASOS do you need any male models? Give me a shout 😉😂 https://t.co/mNmbbeNFqb

— Jack Hunter-Spivey (@jackhstt) July 4, 2018

Well done to our amazing @MD_Trailblazers @chloe_ballhopzy for producing this fantastic and inclusive piece of clothing with @ASOS. It's great to see another mainstream retailer recognise the #PurplePound by designing adaptive but inclusive clothing. https://t.co/kCfxLRQ55S

— Trailblazers (@MD_Trailblazers) July 4, 2018

Yes. Yes. Yes! This is so good to see. This is what our young people keep asking for and it is great to see @ASOS leading the way with models who are wheelchair users AND fashion which is accessible! Great job @chloe_ballhopzy https://t.co/jH63getEui

— Whizz-Kidz (@WhizzKidz) July 4, 2018

The disability and lifestyle blogger Shona Louise, 20, wrote a moving post about the importance of the jumpsuit in a world where progress on disability-related issues often feels slow.

NEW: Why That Accessible ASOS Jumpsuit Is So Important | https://t.co/oQuB9OYqFp @ASOS @chloe_ballhopzy #DisabledBloggers

— Shona (@shonalouiseblog) July 4, 2018

Countless others also applauded ASOS for its move towards even greater inclusivity, with many calling on other fashion brands to follow suit by catering to differently abled people.

Fashion brands - please read the comments on Chloe's post. So many unmet needs from women with health & disability issues who just want practical, fashionable clothes. Bravo @chloe_ballhopzy and @ASOS for leading the charge. https://t.co/60ssrl6c6G

— Thea McGovern (@TheaMcgovern) July 5, 2018

AWESOME NEWS!!
WELL DONE @ASOS
ASOS release specially designed jumpsuit for people with disabilities https://t.co/6L66FDJSQw pic.twitter.com/gvvngTIdKk

— Models Of Diversity (@ModsOfDiversity) July 4, 2018

Go on @ASOS ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/pl8fpuksgH

— Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamil) July 4, 2018

Diversity without tokenism. Always using POCs, plus sized models, models with disabilities etc. Well done @ASOS! pic.twitter.com/Cz5pXxHmDz

— Rore Erica Okoh ✨👩🏾‍💻 (@rorerorerore) July 4, 2018

Great to see this sort of representation on the @ASOS website. Shopping is something most of us take for granted in terms of representation. Seeing disabled people in the media through campaigns, as actors, singers is so important as it challenges the stigma around disabilities. pic.twitter.com/asQAprWFxS

— Gurls Talk (@gurlstalk) July 4, 2018

Which fashion retailer will be next, we wonder?

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Pride is everywhere in 2018. E-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. Not 'pride' in its original, positive and political sense as a visible opposition to fear and shame, but 'Pride' with a capital, capitalist 'P'. Much like feminism and mental health in recent years, Pride (and other catch-all phrases like 'equality' and 'love is love') has become a slogan to literally wear across your chest, supplied by any fast fashion brand you care to think of.

Visibility, and visible support of LGBTQ+ people, is fundamental for us. Seeing people like you on billboards and feeling seen can make a concrete change in a queer person’s life, especially at a young age. That representation can be the difference between isolation and fear, and feeling normal, connected and even empowered in who you are. Likewise, visible allyship from cis straight people has the capacity to be life-changing. And slogan T-shirts can act as a vehicle to communicate allyship in public. It’s a non-verbal communication tool, and it’s powerful.

But when I look at who is making these collections, it gives me pause. Sometimes, it makes me actually really angry. Because it can be hard to thread the needle of how, beyond this easy sloganeering and a nominal donation to an LGBTQ+ charity, these collections are actively supporting us. From intention to manufacturing methods to sizing, many fall conspicuously short.

Having collections designed and modelled by LGBTQ+ people is often a good start. To not only create the clothes but give designers and models a platform for their creativity is supporting people in the most literal way, both financially and in terms of a platform. This can also produce the most interesting, creative collections – take Topshop's collection of T-shirts with Charles Jeffrey, featuring original artworks from five young LGBTQI+ artists. Each of the artworks, personally commissioned by Charles, celebrates one of five rights that have been fought for by the LGBTQI+ community in the UK: the right to gender recognition; to adopt; to marriage; to serve (in the military); and to intimacy. However, other designs range from dull to questionable to actually offensive. The Pride rainbow is lovely but there is little to differentiate one collection from another when the variations are minute and have been made by many others, many times before. I don't want to disparage these designs – they're well intentioned, and would probably be nice to see when walking home – but they don't really inspire you to wear them.

Then again, when a brand endeavours to be more creative, the well meaning behind it can fall flat when it prioritises celebrity names – as has happened with adidas' collection, where supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, musicians Skin, Elton John, Pharrell Williams and Liam Payne, designer Marc Jacobs, global mega-brand David Beckham, and nightlife icon Amanda Lepore each made over a pair of Sambas, working to the 'prouder' theme. Many of the designers chosen aren't a part of the LGBTQ+ community (and Skin, the only lesbian among them, isn't included in the majority of the press release copy); Liam Payne, meanwhile, doesn't seem to understand what Pride means, given his quote in the Evening Standard. And the man behind the campaign says he wanted to show that Pride "is not about feather bowers [sic] or walking the streets in drag" – as though this is something we should be ashamed of. This manifestation of Pride, clearly, is not for all of us.

Incidentally, it's another big sportswear brand whose designs have caused some of the most backlash. One part of Nike's 'Be True' collection is argued by some to be the most tone-deaf of 2018: choosing to feature the pink triangle. The same pink triangle that was used to mark LGBTQ+ people (mainly queer men) who were murdered by the Nazis, and was then re-appropriated and inverted during the AIDS epidemic to draw attention to the murder of those affected by AIDS by wilful and phobic state neglect. This is a symbol that is explicitly political and oppositional, unlike the rainbow flag. As my friend Ben Weil, a PhD student investigating men who have sex with men's blood donor activism, explained to me: "The 'good intention' [behind this design] is replaced by a kind of wilful ignorance, evinced by the appropriation of a symbol (the pink triangle) that requires more than just a brand’s-eye view of queer history (ie. some research beyond the well-trodden rainbow signifier) and, at the same time, a flagrant disregard for this history — the meaning of this symbol, the lives and lost lives it stands for."

Moving beyond the designs themselves, who wears them on screen (and who can wear them off screen) is another area ripe with problems. Oftentimes, it is only one vision of queerness we see in the look books: a slim cis woman with short hair or a slim cis man in lipstick. This vision gets even narrower in product shots. While some collections have diversity of both size and skin colour in their look books and product shots (like the ASOS x GLAAD& collection), they are the exceptions, not the rule. The wealth and range of what queerness is and can be is still, if not completely confined to, then tempered by the narrow, exclusionary and uncreative beauty standards that still dominate western media. And that's only the models – the diversity problem extends to sizing as well. Fat people are queer too, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a straight size thing (no pun intended). When your collection doesn’t cater beyond a size 16 (and several don't), you are reinforcing the idea that there is one acceptable version of queerness, and that fat people are not part of it.

There is also the question of how the brand treats LGBTQ+ people when they aren’t in front of the camera. It’s one thing to create a campaign that supposedly centres us, but how are we treated in your shops? There is a bitter irony to Pride campaigns coming from retailers that have actively discriminated against queer people. Folk like Travis Alabanza, who was subjected to a smear campaign for trying to use Topshop changing rooms as a gender-nonconforming person. Travis says the retailer did little to support them following the incident and has only just apologised – at the end of Pride month – but the brand does, of course, have a Pride campaign. As Travis told us: "I think this is a wider symbol of how brands deal with 'pride' – hollow gestures with no actual follow through."

Then there are the facts of 'fast fashion' itself. The countries where the majority of fast fashion is manufactured are places that have a history of explicit discrimination towards LGBTQ+ people. Take Bangladesh, the second largest garment exporter in the world and where the vast majority of fast fashion companies will have their clothes produced. Homosexuality has been illegal in Bangladesh since 1861 – a law that was actually inherited from the British Empire. Colonialism established a legacy of pervasive discrimination against LGBTQ+ people – and now the same people are making Pride T-shirts for companies that often don’t even provide safe working conditions, let alone support queer communities. It is a bitter irony.

Call me nit-picking, call me joyless, call me whatever you want, but I want the branding of Pride to be fully for the benefit of all LGBTQ+ people. And what ultimately connects a lot of these collections is that they aren’t doing enough; in several cases, they are doing the bare minimum. There’s something to be celebrated in the fact that there are so many Pride collections. Fifteen, ten, even five years ago, it just would not have happened. But that’s because it is no longer a radical act to publicly, outwardly, support our marginalised community. Brands are not sticking their neck out to support us, they’re just aligning their neck with the rest of the market. The fight for rights, acceptance and freedom for all LGBTQ+ people has so many more battles left to win. Battles that could be helped by brands taking an actually radical and courageous stance.

Trans and non-binary people deserve to feel safe when they’re shopping. LGBTQ+ people of all sizes deserve to be fully loved, valued and integrated into our community. LGBTQ+ designers and artists deserve to be celebrated all year round. And we should actively fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world – not just those in front of us.

This 'celebration' of us isn’t actually a celebration of us. It’s a capitalist strategy to make money out of us, by appropriating yet another political movement. It’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask for more. Though some brands are pledging 100% of sales, or even 50%, a donation between 10% and 30% to a single charity (as with most of these collections) is not enough. Pride was a protest, not a party. And the inequalities and injustices that our community were protesting about then still happen now, all around the world, every day. Rather than letting fast fashion provide our party outfits, we must pressure these multinational brands (some of the richest businesses in the world) to give us something to really celebrate.

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As with every fashion house appointment, much of the industry found itself split when news broke that Hedi Slimane would take the reins at Céline. After more than a decade at the French label, its fearless leader Phoebe Philo quietly stepped down, and, in typical Philo form, without word on what she'd do next. Now, a man who's known for a fantasy type of heroin chic and backstage rebel aesthetic, who bans journalists who aren't quiet about their distaste for his collections (and barely speaks to them, anyway), whose runways are notoriously white, has been tasked with continuing the legacy of a woman who designed for real life.

Though his first collection for Céline is set to debut in September, predictions of what lies ahead are already rolling in, setting the tone for what's sure to be the most talked about show of the season. But for someone who's heralded as one of the industry's most controversial creators, will his return to the industry be as successful as his stints at brands like Dior Homme and Saint Laurent? While he works to get his head (back) in the game, his intentions, as announced by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, are loud and clear.

Upon his arrival, Slimane will assume the role of artistic, creative, and image director of Céline. While his contributions to womenswear will surely be the target of most of the industry's curiosity, given the Céline woman we've come to know and aspire to, Slimane will also introduce menswear, couture, and a fragrance, in addition to revamping advertising campaigns and stores. It's a type of crash landing we've seen Slimane pull off in the past, given his complete and total remodel of Saint Laurent that resulted in high sales for the brand, but it's also a feat very few who've set out to do the same have achieved. His quest for newness surely won't fail him now.

The biggest question, though, is: Is this really the right move? Especially for a designer who's reclusive ways have made him more of an industry shadow than an industry star? Sure, Slimane's glam rock collections for Saint Laurent have earned him enough clout to be recruited for his next great venture. But at a time when the map to a more empowering and realistic approach to fashion is being redrawn, what place will the working women Philo strived so hard to cater to have in Slimane's vision? We can't yet be sure, which feels more uneasy than it does hopeful. But, as goes with these sorts of things, optimism is key — and a maturing of Slimane's obsession with "young" and "cool" could be a part of the plan.

For now, Slimane's studio for Céline will be based in Los Angeles, where his Saint Laurent quarters sat in a bubble of West coast trends. Additionally, a prototype studio and atelier will stay in Paris, and Philo's studio in London will close. As we wait for Slimane's takeover to commence, we're looking back at his signatures during his time at Saint Laurent that could very well show up in his collections for Céline. See: nudity, grunge, asymmetry, a (mostly) black colour palette, leather, and more. Whether that's a good or bad thing, especially for a brand that practically defined contemporary minimalism, well, we'll have to wait and see.

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We know what you’re thinking (because we thought it, too): another Chanel haute couture show about Paris. But before we put out a call for newness to the storied French fashion house, you’re better off asking yourself if there’s anything left to learn about the institution and the city that made it. For Karl Lagerfeld’s autumn 2018 haute couture collection, he drew upon early memories, a post-war Paris that was struggling to dust itself off and move forward, and the bouquinistes that helped bring the joie de vivre back to the city.

At the Grand Palais, the scene — er, Seine — was set. Lining the runway as they do the historic river, like the Quai d’Orsay and Cours la Reine, verdigris coloured stands that may look familiar to Parisians and tourists were filled with replicas of the books, posters, and old Vogues. (Unlike real life, however, these Chanel-themed memorabilia were not purchasable via cash.) This made for a torrent of Instagram opportunities and didn’t draw too much away from the clothes, as Lagerfeld’s larger-than-life ready-to-wear sets so often do. Celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, Lily Allen, Penelope Cruz, and more queued up to get their shots.

For an haute couture show that’s meant to be the best-of, so to speak, Lagerfeld’s latest offering was sturdy and stoic. The silhouettes were tight, framing bodies instead of extending them outward via tulle and chiffon — or all the things we love about the flou of a garment (made by the flouncy, party dressing arm of a couture atelier) — and hems were practical, no longer dragging behind or adding any unnecessary drama. We’ll assume this was meant to reflect the city’s quest for normalcy after a period of postwar trauma. And in terms of colour, well, there wasn’t much outside of a stream of greys and black; save for a shimmering Adut Akech in pale green who closed the show as Chanel’s latest and greatest bride.

It’s this return to its Parisian roots that Chanel, founded in 1910, sends a friendly reminder to those who indulge themselves in haute couture that an outfit can carry a past just as precious as whoever wears it. That the garments are made by hand and include top of the line embroidery (for Chanel, this means by Lesage) is standard; that they understand the history of the garment, too, is worth just as much as its price tag — especially at a time when clothes just feel like clothes. Ahead, we photographed the cooler moments of Chanel’s UTUMN 2018 haute couture show for your viewing and pleasure. It may not be the most memorable offering from Lagerfeld, but it is one of his more complex — an homage to the beautiful and ugly parts of a most romantic city.

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It’s never been a better time to be a woman, or so say 84% of women around the world. Yet for all our success in popular culture, women are still defined in binary terms: the 'busy working mum' or 'sassy singleton' desperate for marriage and babies. Remember the way acclaimed actress and producer Jennifer Aniston was reduced by the popular press to 'poor Jen', due to the fact she was unattached and childless, or, more aptly, child-free?

Working as an advertising strategist, these stereotypes became horribly familiar and a source of frustration, which is why I decided to research contemporary femininity. What does it mean to be a woman today? What is our value or 'Female Capital'? And so, New Female Tribes was born. The research: the J Walter Thompson Women’s Index encompasses over 8,000 women aged 17-70 years across 19 different countries, shattering the stereotypes of old school 'pretty and passive' femininity, and is the foundation of my book, New Female Tribes.

With the Female Tribes I characterise femininity according to four key master tribes, depending on whether one is achievement- or enjoyment-focused and whether one prioritises self-development or focuses on those around them, the four master tribes being Alphas, Altruists, Hedonists and Traditionalists.

Alphas are focused on getting to the top of their career. Ambitious and driven, they are much more likely to feel defined by their career and are highly entrepreneurial; think Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter, Victoria Beckham, or the women of the Kardashian empire. They’re alphas and savvy businesswomen. More than two-thirds of women in our research bore alpha characteristics, with 72% of all women saying they were proud to be a good provider – what does that tell you about contemporary femininity? And these characteristics were independent of age, income, or maternal or marital status, so motherhood doesn’t dull our drive.

However, they are not the 'bitch boss' some like to imagine, adopting a highly participative and consultative management style and keen to mentor other women. In Asia, however, alphas are often single and child-free thanks to punishing working hours and a hostile work culture when it comes to family life; it’s no coincidence Japan’s birth rate is falling off a cliff.

Of all the Alpha Tribes, the Mumbai Millennials were most confident of their potential for success, and we witnessed women in India and the Middle East who were extremely ambitious and used words like 'fearless' to characterise what femininity meant to them.

Hedonists – like Alphas – are self-focused but pleasure and enjoyment is their goal in life. Within Hedonists we have the Explorer Tribe, driven by the desire to see the world, take risks and challenge themselves, much like a female Indiana Jones; think Pippa Middleton. The Pleasure Seekers, however, crave sensory and social experiences to fuel their self-fulfilment, such as Cara Delevingne or the Hadid sisters. The Hedonist Tribes are highly digitally connected and often merchandise their lives on social media. Both tribes thrive on the thrill of the new and being seen in the right places is important to them: these are the early adopters and influencers.

If Hedonists are all about the self, Altruists are all about others, driven by a strong desire to make the world or their community a better place, perhaps as a Social Pioneer' through philanthropy or activism or even creativity.

Stella McCartney’s work in sustainable and ethical fashion is one such example, together with Laura Bates, the woman who opened our eyes to Everyday Sexism, or the women of the #MeToo movement. Not content to sit on the sidelines, the Altruist is driven to action. With her campaign to tackle period poverty, Amika George is a great example of the rise of activism among young women.

In the case of activism, social media has played a powerful role in giving women a voice and making them feel like global citizens. Within the Altruists, I also include the Culture Shapers: women who are impacting the world through the creative sphere. Women like Zadie Smith or Shonda Rhimes stand out as great examples of women creating a cultural ripple effect through their work.

But as women, the Altruist is in all of us. Over two-thirds of women felt working to improve their community was important, illustrating how we’re programmed to think outwards. Ninety-four percent believed that women can make the world a better place.

The Traditionalists, meanwhile, bring their focus closer to home, towards family or their spouse. The Nurturer tribe defines their success around raising happy, healthy children – for instance Jools Oliver, the former model now raising five children. The Spouse Focused tribe deprioritise their own needs in favour of a happy other half; political wives and first ladies often fell into this category until Michelle Obama happened. However, one could say that in many ways Melania Trump, content to stay in the shadows, is more akin to the Spouse Focused tribe.

It’s important to note that women can embody many different tribes, but in today’s media landscape, creating a new language to describe the diversity of 'Female Capital' should, I hope, put an end to the binary stereotypes and reclaim some as a positive term, such as the Alpha Female. Because it’s true: it’s never been a better time to be a woman.

New Female Tribes by Rachel Pashley (Virgin, £20) is out now.

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"I love your armpit hair! I’ve been trying to grow my own!" shouts a very enthusiastic and probably quite drunk girl just as I get down from my friend’s shoulders in the crowd at a music festival. "Thanks", I say back, feeling awkward.

Unlike "Your hair looks nice" (possible responses: "Thanks! I just had it cut"; "Really? I haven’t done anything different"; "OMG, no it does not, but thank you"), there is no template for how to respond to a compliment about body hair that many people believe should neither be seen nor discussed. I was suddenly self-conscious, when just a second before I was lost in the moment. It might have been less confronting coming from one of the hippy types I knew at university (where there was a mutual acknowledgement that we were against The Man in a wider sense), but a giddy 20-year-old at a one-day city festival? The times they are a-changin’.

In London showing unexpected body hair is now A-OK. Or at least your colleagues know it should be, even if they can’t help but stare

Change is good. In a digital-first age, with the retreat of traditional media establishments that previously had a tight control over women’s body and beauty standards, youth culture has created the representation it wasn’t getting from the old guard. Since the early 2010s, DIY feminist zines like Polyester have presented a more radical and inclusive vision of beauty; a plural vision that says boo to the ghosts of fat-shaming, femme-shaming, transphobia, racism and a squeamishness about bodily functions like periods and skin-deep issues like acne and stretch marks. A measure of their success is how the aesthetic – if not always the message – has been co-opted by commercial culture. Today, in the lovely little liberal bubble we’ve created for ourselves in London and other diverse major cities, showing unexpected body hair is now A-OK. Or at least your colleagues know it should be, even if they can’t help but stare.

But let’s be real. The bubble is small. Really small. Armpit hair has become way more accepted since Julia Roberts displayed hers at the 1999 London premiere of Notting Hill, making international newspaper headlines. But when the artist Arvida Byström appeared in an adidas advert with her leg hair visible at the end of last year, she received rape threats in her DMs. And despite what the new right-wing will have you believe, even London is not a total refuge for those who visibly challenge heteronormativity. Just the other day a man shouted abuse at my colleague and her girlfriend for holding hands in the street. Trans women fear violence and murder; women like Naomi Hersi, a black trans woman who was subsequently misgendered in the press. People in the capital may be more accepting relative to many other places, but it can still be frightening and dangerous when you don’t fit someone’s narrow expectations of how you should look and behave.

A post shared by arvida byström (@arvidabystrom) on Sep 25, 2017 at 6:46am PDT

As female body hair slowly gets more screen-time and advertiser co-signs, it becomes easier for a white, cis-gender, able-bodied person like me to show it in real life, among my comparably woke friends, and in my job at a feminist publisher. That is a privilege. For transgender women, visible body hair can lead to threats from bigots. As Juno Roche explains in a Refinery29 article on this topic, "Trans women with hair are not marked out as 'hairy' – we become real targets, often for abuse and violence, because people read us as 'men pretending to be women'."

As a person who is read by others as a hairy cis-woman, I am far less likely to face this kind of violence and abuse. It is a privileged position to be in, but that doesn’t make it a walk in the park. I will never forget the time, years ago, when a close friend visibly recoiled at the sight of my armpit hair, and asked me, only half joking, "Why can’t you just be normal?" For most of the winter, I do appear 'normal' – the hair is covered by clothes, so no one can tell. But come summer, and the lure of cool skirts and light dresses, suddenly I wonder whether it would just be easier to shave it all off. To just look 'normal'. There’s no magic solution for how you push through that fear and uncertainty. Yes, it would be more pleasant to take the Tube and not be stared at by grown adults, whispered about by straight couples, or sneakily have pictures taken of you by people who haven’t worked out that their phone screens are reflected in the glass behind them.

A post shared by Polyester (@polyesterzine) on Nov 27, 2016 at 9:31am PST

But keeping my body hair is a philosophical and feminist choice, not an aesthetic one. I don’t have hairy armpits and legs in order to look edgy or cool. I leave the natural hair where it is because I want to accept myself and my body exactly how it is. I would rather spend time working on my mind, rooting out, challenging and unlearning the oppressive assumption that women must pluck and shave and wax themselves bald in order to be acceptable, fuckable and deserving of love. It’s an oppression that’s probably impossible for me to completely eradicate, because it has been socially enforced and culturally reinforced every day of my life, for over three decades.

Deprogramming is difficult, but I think it’s important. When I’m being stared at, laughed at, or yelled at, I hold that in my mind, and try to remember that this may be one of the first times the person has been confronted with gender nonconforming body hair in real life. They have been trained to see it as disgusting and embarrassing their whole lives too – and if they don’t react in a way that acknowledges that, they open themselves up to scrutiny about their own allegiance to the gender binary. But the more frequently they see it, the less shocking it will be, and the impulse to react should begin to fade away. Like seeing women with short hair – or wearing trousers, or driving – eventually it will become completely unremarkable. Until then, it’s my privilege to gross people out all summer long.

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Alert: Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) has taken office. In a new promo for House of Cards season 6, Claire sits in the Lincoln Monument's massive chair, looking sleek. (She is, of course, sporting a sleek bob.)

"Happy Independence Day," she says straight to camera, adding, "to me."

Claire will be the focus of season six of HOC following the dismissal of lead actor Kevin Spacey. Netflix fired Spacey in November of last year following the publication of several allegations of sexual assault. In December, the series announced that it would begin filming again in early 2018, sans Spacey. In his stead, Wright would take the lead. (Three more men recently came forward with accusations against Spacey.)

At the end of season 5, Claire Underwood assumed the presidency after Frank Underwood (Spacey) resigned from the role. The season ended with Claire looking directly at the camera and proclaiming: "My turn."

It's as if she knew.

See the full teaser, below.

A message from the President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/yx0P3qyHfW

— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) July 4, 2018

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Our summer of retrogrades is about to see its first exit. Next Tuesday, July 10, Jupiter will end the retrograde that it started back in March. As you might recall, this isn't your average, chaos-inducing planetary retrograde. In general, Jupiter's backspins are thought to have a decelerating effect on our lives, urging us to look before we leap and make time to reflect on past actions. All in all, it was hardly terrible to live under this extra thoughtful influence.

But, for how forgiving the last four months might have been, some of us may make the transition out of this retrograde period more seamlessly than others.

If you struggled to adapt to the slow-motion effects of Jupiter retrograde this past spring, you'll probably be relieved to pick up the pace next week. And, if you're lucky, you won't just return to your everyday life's normal rhythm — you'll come back with a major spring in your step.

According to astrologer Jamie King's blog Astrology King, a common result of Jupiter going direct is a heightened sense of drive and motivation, especially among those whose normal approach to life could be described as "breakneck" ( cough, Aries, Sagittarius, and Capricorn). If you count yourself as a member of this group, feel free to enjoy the unstoppable feeling that comes with direct Jupiter. But don't let those vibes erase your memories of the retrograde entirely. As tedious as it may have been for you, hopefully Jupiter's backspin reminded you to enjoy the ride (and forget your ultimate destination) every once in a while.

On the other hand, after four long months of taking life at a leisurely pace, some of us may feel left in the dust come Tuesday. The main lesson of any Jupiter retrograde is to make peace with gradual progress and delayed gratification, but that shouldn't be your only mode of behaviour (even if you're a Taurus, Cancer, or Pisces, and prefer slower speeds anyway).

If you closed out this retrograde a more patient person (one who doesn't demand instant rewards and instead focuses on finding the time and space to do good work), that's great. But do remember that deadlines still exist and sometimes additional projects come out of the ether to throw off our best-laid plans. The start of this retrograde was meant to remind you it's okay to wait. Let the end of it remind you of your flexibility.

As the planet of wisdom, it's no wonder that Jupiter's retrogrades are often viewed as learning opportunities. Whatever your personal lesson was, keep it in mind after this planet goes direct next week. Your newfound Jupiterian wisdom will help keep you afloat when Mercury retrograde arrives later this month and Uranus' retrograde hits in early August.

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Whitney knows it has a scoop on its hands. Kevin Macdonald's ( The Last King of Scotland, Marley, Touching the Void) eponymous documentary about the late Whitney Houston, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to mostly positive reviews. It unspools the singer's rise to fame, and muses on her legacy through unprecedented interviews with her friends and family, as well as archival and never-before-seen home video footage.

From them, we learn about Whitney the person, often obscured by Whitney the icon, or Whitney the tabloid headline. We see her clowning around with her brothers before a show, lounging backstage with her mother — soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston — badmouthing rivals Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, and later, frantically trying to juggle hair and makeup while cuddling her young daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. We also get a fresh look at her long-rumoured intimate relationship with best friend Robyn Crawford, who declined to participate in the project.

All this paints a fascinating and human —  if unsurprising — portrait of the singer, who was tragically found dead in a hotel bathtub in 2012, at the age of 48. It's a compelling story, but it's familiar territory, and Macdonald knows that.

Perhaps that's why the big revelation drops like a bomb about two-thirds of the way into the film: In an interview, Houston's brother Gary Garland alleges that he and his sister were molested by their mother's cousin, singer Dee Dee Warwick, sister of legendary performer Dionne Warwick, when they were children. It's a twist that certainly makes the film stand out —  and in light of the glut of Whitney content out there, including last year's unauthorised documentary Whitney: Can I Be Me, directed by Nick Bloomfield and Rudi Dolezal , and a 2015 Lifetime biopic directed by Angela Bassett , that's a difficult trick to pull off.

But what's disappointing is that the allegation just kind of sits there, weighty and present but not fully explored. Partly, that's due to the fact that two of the people involved are dead. Macdonald gets corroboration on Garland's statement from Houston's manager and sister-in-law Pat Houston, as well as longtime assistant Mary Jones, but there can be no real debate, and we can only speculate about the potential effects that these alleged actions may have had on the singer.

Having obtained this information, I'm not faulting Macdonald for using it, but since the magnitude of the allegations automatically makes them the main takeaway from the film, I almost wish he had fully committed and made an effort to frame Houston's life in that context. We are shown one narrative, of an "idyllic childhood," followed by a magical rise to fame, and then a darker one, full of warring factions and shadows lurking under the surface. But it's still up to the audience to put the two together, and tease of the strands of truth.

That's not to say that the director shies away from the singer's other demons. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is the fact that it feels as much an effort on the part of Houston's entourage members to rehabilitate their own images, as well as hers. Macdonald doesn't let them of the hook; however, which leads to some tense conversations, like the one in which he presses a very uncooperative Bobby Brown to discuss Houston's drug use, which he continuously denies. He also claims that they were equally famous, which only reinforces the point made throughout the film that Brown pressured his wife to self-efface in order to soothe his ego. To his credit, Macdonald doesn't settle for an easy position where Brown is concerned — while the audience is definitely left with the feeling that Houston might have been better off had she not become involved with him, the film doesn't lay the blame in one place.

Nor does Macdonald absolve Houston herself. Some of the most emotional moments deal with the singer's fraught relationship with her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who also struggled with substance abuse issues and whose death by drowning in 2015 s adly mirrored her mother's.

Less present is any kind of real insight into what Houston's fame meant (or didn't) to Black Americans. We learn that she was teased for being light-skinned as a kid, and that she was hurt by criticism that her music was "too white." We also hear from a pastor recounting the crowds of people who responded to his call to pray for the singer in her time of need. But it all still feels a little superficial. The film's most startling comment on race appears unintentional: that fateful interview with Diane Sawyer, in which Houston coined the phrase "crack is whack," has aged poorly, and comes off as painfully exploitative today.

What does shine through is the music. Houston's voice is the soundtrack of the film, which delves into her greatest hits but also manages to isolate the qualities that made her such a compelling performer. She filled up every room, which is why Macdonald's shrewd use of empty space (shots of Houston's abandoned New Jersey home, interspersed with video of her cooking, laughing, living) is so gut-wrenching. Her absence makes us realise just how vibrant she appeared to us — and what a toll it ultimately had on her.

Whitney is out in cinemas July 6

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What’s the most amount of money you’d spend on a water bottle? £20? £50? £1,000? Believe it or not, the latter is not some far-fetched fantasy number. It is an actual, purchasable option, thanks to a recent collaboration between S’well and Swarovski, which asks four figures for a water bottle festooned with over 6,000 crystals, or a somewhat more manageable £110 for one with a crystal-embellished top. That’s right, you could easily drop the equivalent of your monthly rent — and then some, depending on where you live — on what amounts to a bedazzled water bottle. (Albeit a very, very beautiful one.)

Fifteen years or so ago, reusable water bottles were pretty much a crunchy-granola accessory, used chiefly by regular shoppers at the local health food store and the kind of people who think sleeping in the woods for a month sounds like a fun vacation. In the 1960s, outdoorsy folks began using durable polyethylene bottles from a Rochester, New York-based laboratory supply company called Nalge for storing water and other liquids during hiking trips. Word got back to the company’s president, who fashioned his son’s Boy Scout troop with them, and Nalgene Outdoor Products was born. Perhaps you’ve tried to destroy one of their famously unbreakable bottles.

Today, bottles are a booming industry, valued at £5.5 billion in 2015 and expected to rise to $10.19 billion by 2024. It’s likely that almost everyone you know owns at least one reusable bottle, if not a few. And while there are plenty of inexpensive, bare-bones options out there (like the ones you get for free at sponsored events), companies like S’well, which has also collaborated with Lilly Pulitzer and Liberty London, rely on the fact that people are willing to pay a premium for a product that’s not only high-quality but also aesthetically pleasing. It doesn’t hurt if it’s the same one they see celebrities and influencers carrying.

“People are taking photos of their wellness activities, so of course photos are going to include hydration, and they want it to look cute. A [disposable] water bottle is not cute. So I think that’s a huge influence,” Taryn Tavella, an associate editor at trend forecasting firm WGSN, tells Refinery29.

Tavella says that, according to the WGSN archives, must-have water bottles first appeared on their radar around 2011. She credits a company called Bobble with helping to really put reusable water bottles on the map. Perhaps you remember Bobble: those clear plastic bottles with a filtration system built into the drinking nozzle, which came in a rainbow of colours. When you drank out of them, they made a kind of wheezing noise that proved especially conspicuous (audible virtuousness!) in classes or meetings. Bobble came onto the market in 2010, and just a couple years later, they were seemingly everywhere, from hipster meccas like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters to Bed Bath and Beyond to their own flagship store in New York’s SoHo neighbourhood.

Bobbles were cool looking, and it helped that they had an element that seemed a little tech-y and promised the benefit of filtered water. The company still exists; you can buy one of their “classic” bottles for just £8.99, and they’ve also developed a range of other options. But it’s safe to say Bobble has been a bit eclipsed, not only by the sleek, style-conscious designs of brands like S’well, Soma, and bkr, but even by smaller, niche companies offering more customised drinking experiences. For example: VitaJuwel, which sells glass bottles with “interchangeable gem pods” for between £60 and £140 on festival girl-facing sites like Free People and Revolve. Compared to that, Nalgene and once-trendy Bobble seem downright pedestrian.

Tavella predicts this kind of semi-personalised luxury may be the future of the industry. “There’s a wellness aspect, but it also is a gorgeous collector’s item, if you think about it,” she says. “I really think it would be a great if a lot of them had more technological integration, and I think that’s where a lot of them are going. I saw some at trade shows that had removable speakers, you could hang it on your bike.”

But by far the most common, and in some ways the most conducive to interpretation by design partners, is still the metal style popularised by S’well. Founded in 2010, S’well has spawned many imitators, though none have enjoyed the name recognition and popularity among everyone from college kids — the brand’s site offers student discounts — to celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Kaley Cuoco. According to Kendra Peavy, the company’s global VP of communication, CEO Sarah Kauss was on a hike when she had the idea for a bottle that would look more sophisticated than the other options on the market, and would also have the technology to keep cool things cool and hot things hot for several hours.

“She realised, wait a second, if I can create a reusable water bottle that not only looks better — because she needed something to keep up as she was going up the corporate ladder — but something that works better too, I might be able to do more good in the world,” Peavy tells Refinery29.

Just six years later, in 2016, the company brought home £75 million in revenue, according to Inc. In its relatively short lifetime, S’well has raised significant funds for major charities including UNICEF, (RED), and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. And its bottles, which typically sell for between £25 and £40, are now sold at prominent fashion retailers like Neiman Marcus, Revolve, and Urban Outfitters.

This fashion world connection comes as the wellness industry ballooned to £2.79 trillion in 2015, up more than ten percent from just two years prior, according to the Global Wellness Institute. While the global apparel and footwear industry grew 4% in 2017, the hunger for bespoke water bottles and yoga mats may be surpassing that for designer dresses and heels. After all, everyone just wears athleisure now anyway, right?

Tavella points out that kitchenware has simultaneously become more design-oriented. “It’s super interesting, because normally you wouldn’t think of having knives be gorgeous, but now they’re beautiful with the rainbow colours, [they come in] bronze or gold, it’s really interesting to see that everywhere, people are a lot more conscious of aesthetics,” she says.

From sterling silver and fur-trimmed keychains to the long tradition of pricey pens and fancy lighters, transforming utilitarian items into status symbols is far from new. But the high-end reusable water bottle — excuse me, that’s “hydration vessel” in industry-speak — feels, in many ways, like an especially ironic addition to the canon of items that have undergone a conspicuous luxe-ification. Chalk it up to their outdoorsy roots, or the very real role they play in preventing disposable plastics from filling up landfills, polluting the ocean, and generally destroying the planet, but something about the reusable water bottle feels like it’s too pure to be corrupted.

But, then again, a portion of the proceeds from S’well’s Swarovski bottles (100 percent of the £1,000 bottles and 20 percent of the £110 ones), for example, go to support the Swarovski Waterschool, which teaches children about sustainable development. In fact, in addition to S'well, tons of reusable water bottle companies participate in charity or sustainability initiatives. And the trendier reusable water bottles become, the more likely people are to use them, which saves the planet and in some cases, directs money to these worthy causes. So it’s kind of a win-win for everyone. Unless, I guess, you’re the type to lose that personalised bottle you just spent £40 on.

Speaking of the fashion industry, Tavella also notes that it feels like only a matter of time before more big-name brands want to get in on the action, whether that means partnering with a company like S’well or creating a hydration accessory of their own in-house. “I’m really surprised Vetements doesn’t have, like, a Poland Springs water bottle,” she laughs.

A funny image, yes, but anyone who watches the runway — or the water bottle world — knows it’s probably not that far afield. Demna Gvasalia, if you’re reading this, we promise not to say anything (or alert Diet Prada) if you take the idea.

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In case the heat, humidity, and out-of-office emails haven't tipped you off, we're officially in the dog days of summer. Getting through the long weekdays can feel hard enough, without the added challenge of actually getting stuff done during them. Luckily, in the same way that there are crystals to help us date, garden, and deal with bad vibes, there are ones that may prompt greater concentration and productivity in their users.

If browsing for a whole new set of crystals sounds daunting, you may already have some focus-friendly stones in your current collection. You might not have known it when you purchased them, but quite a few energy-boosting varieties of crystals are also associated with increased focus and concentration, since they're thought to help you wake up and channel your energy toward productive ends.

Read on to learn about which stones will help promote the focus you crave. And keep in mind that, if you're dealing with mental fog day in and day out (and it isn't just vacation brain), you might need something besides a crystal to clear your thoughts — make sure you're getting enough sleep and drinking enough water, then consult your crystals for assistance.

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It might be time to replace the tasselled pieces occupying pride of place on your jewellery stand because there's a new statement earring in town. Whether you call it resin, acrylic or tortoiseshell, this style, a favourite of mums in the '80s, is popping up all over our Instagram feeds.

Being lightweight – they're essentially made from plastic – the retro resin earring is an inexpensive addition that will up the ante of your spring wardrobe. Designers, indie brands and the high street are offering an array of pairs that we're quickly adding to basket (although you could always ask your mum if she still has hers from back in the day).

Click through for our edit of the best pieces out there.

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