Humans are really good at justifying things to themselves. Like telling yourself it's okay to buy that new jacket because, really, you've spent very little money on makeup recently, or convincing yourself that you'll sort out your internet banking later when in reality you know it'll never happen.

It's the same with exercise. You will always, always be able to find a reason not to exercise: it's too cold outside, it's too early, you don't have the right kit... the list goes on.

We spoke to three women from this year's This Girl Can campaign – all of whom had totally understandable excuses for swerving their workouts – but who chose not to let that get in their way. From not having the funds for the gym, to working unpredictable hours, to having an actual baby growing inside them, here's how three women refused to let the tough stuff get between them and feeling their best.

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Everyone’s favourite Time Lord is back, with a brand new incarnation, fresh adventures and more fantastical aliens to keep you up at night. To celebrate we met the real life Doctor Whos: three women breaking moulds and reimagining the status quo in the fields of science, tech and space exploration. While women still only make up a depressing 14.4% of the STEM industry, the number of girls studying these subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at school is on the rise, with the number of female students taking computing at A-level up by 34% this year. With a renewed focus on breaking down gender barriers, and a certain new owner of the sonic screwdriver, it is little wonder that more girls are encouraged to embrace the exciting worlds of STEM. We caught up with these amazing women, at London’s inspiring Science Museum, to find out more about what it takes to be a STEM superstar…

ANISAH OSMAN BRITTON, founder of 23 Code Street, an all-female coding school which uses tuition fees to fund the digital education of impoverished girls in India.

What drew you to tech and an entrepreneurial career?

After school I took a year out before starting my first company: POCKETMUNI. With that I then moved to London to do the Start Up Games during the Olympics. When I was there someone said: "Oh Anisah, you’re the founder of a tech company." I never thought of it like that. That was when I started learning how to code, and that was the start of my technical career. I think for me, what was incredible was that technology was shaping so many aspects of my life, but I had no idea what underpinned it. It was an eye-opening moment for me!

Did the lack of diversity in the industry make you nervous to start your own tech companies?

I have this belief that I deserve to be anywhere I choose to be, underpinned by my core belief of feminism and equality, so I have always felt like I deserve to be in the positions I am in. But so many times I have not been viewed the way I wanted to be viewed. I was frequently asked to go off and make coffee when I was an operations director. I have never let these things affect me, because I think if I believe in my position in these places, I can make it happen. I have then been able to use my power to make it happen for other people in the same way.

Why did you set up a coding school just for women?

I wanted to create a space where people could build confidence and skills before going out into the world, knowing that you know this stuff. I don’t want people to have to deal with competition and ego when they’re learning. I wanted to target women who didn’t necessarily want to be programmers but they wanted to understand technology more, they wanted a seat at the table, they wanted to build companies like I had. I found that people who looked like me, especially young Indian women or young black women, were saying: "We haven’t seen anyone like us, there are no women of colour." I hadn’t expected that to be such a big deal.

How do you make tech inclusive? And why is that important?

People have always said to me that getting diverse people through the door is difficult but we’ve actually never found it difficult and I think that’s because we are built for everyone: we don’t have alcohol, we have vegetarian food, we’ve always had a prayer room or a place to sit to sort of be away from people so that introverted people can come too. One of the things I noticed as a Muslim woman is that we didn’t really have many Muslim women applying, so we partnered with Muslim women's site Amaliah and now we have at least two Muslim women on each course. It shows other women that they can do it too.

23 Code Street’s focus is on empowering women, both here and in India. Are you a real life Doctor Who, helping people through tech?

Ha, well it is so important to me! I lived in India and I think you need to work there, on the ground, and make sustainable change; empower not just give charity. We partner with NGOs on the ground that work with girls aged 6-14 and who work with disenfranchised women over the age of 18-35. I think tech is key to empowering women. I hate saying it, but I think so many companies built by women and people of colour and the LGBTQ communities are built by anger and necessity. We see what is missing, we see where we are being overlooked and we think: If I can see it, other people must see it too – and need it. That is quite powerful.

ANUSHKA SHARMA has had a career spanning everything from politics to technology, including work with the Olympics and NASA. She is now the founder and director of NAAUT, which aims to invigorate, democratise and diversify the future of space travel.

What is it about space that you have always found so enticing and inspirational?

I feel like space is the equaliser. Space has always been there for everyone to look at. If you grew up in a shanty town in Mumbai, you could still look up and see space. That’s why I think it is so important we get involved in the conversation about space travel because we need to make sure we are designing pathways to access space that make it fair and equal to all.

What led you to create NAAUT?

It is really a culmination of the last three or four years’ work in the space sector and also my lifetime curiosity of it. It all kicked off when I got chosen by NASA to attend the launch of a new satellite in America after I had been doing some communications work on social media for them. Through that I realised that you didn’t have to be an astronaut or a rocket scientist to work in the space sector, or to access it. With NAAUT, I have finally found my place in the sector; creating innovation and frontier technology for strategic impact, to wake up this world, and make sure that technology is applied on Earth as well as helping us with our human explorative endeavours.

What would you like the future of space to be?

I genuinely would love to see much more collaboration because there are some countries that don’t have space agencies. It shouldn’t mean that if you come from a country that doesn’t have a space agency or agenda that you can’t see space in your future. I want to work collectively with lots of different people from all sorts of industries to really deliver a space that is equal and fair for everyone to be a part of. We need so many diverse opinions, and skills. We need so many different sectors – artists and designers, not just scientists! What are we going to wear when we go into space? We’re going to care! I want my favourite brand of trainers to be space-safe and space-proof! That’s the next step.

If you could go anywhere in the TARDIS, where would you go and why?

Oooo probably Antarctica on Earth, and anywhere in space where I could see Earth! Even though I love space, I still have so much curiosity about our own planet.

JODIE AZHAR has worked in the video game industry for over 10 years as a technical artist. She is now an independent game designer, setting up her own development studio.

What got you initially interested in this as a career path?

I grew up playing video games with my mum and sister. It was a bonding experience for us, interacting together. At school I really loved maths and science but I didn’t know what career I would be interested in. I really liked art and maths, so I did both at A-level and then when it came to university courses, I managed to find a course that did programming, maths and 3D art. It was only in my third year that I realised that people actually make video games! Being both technical and creative really appeals to me – because I can write something and immediately see it on screen.

What does it take to get into the video games industry?

These days it is really quite competitive to get your first job in the industry. I got my first job by going to a careers fair at a video games event. I got to chat to people in person and luckily one of the companies I spoke to had a position available for a junior animator role. These days there are a lot more internships and paid internships. I still think networking and meeting developers and actually meeting people face to face is really valuable. University can teach you how to make a video game – all the technical stuff, or the art side – but it is still only when you are making them for a living that you really learn so much.

What inspired you to set up your own game design studio, and what will it be like?

When I was working at a big studio I had a really great time and I got to lead a team, but I felt that I would have more impact setting up my own studio – so that I can push the values that I care about from the top, and ingrain it in the studio’s mission.

Diversity will be a really big part of that, too; at the moment, only 19% of game developers in the UK are female. In my studio I want people to share ideas and tell stories that aren’t necessarily being told in mainstream games. I want people to draw on their own experiences and the games to be representative of that. In the future the people I hire may be those wanting to work in tech, or just simply some young girl who wants to be the heroine of the story she creates.

What would you like the future of gaming to look like?

I would like it to be more inclusive and accepting. In the UK, around half of game players are female and a lot are over 40. I don’t even really like the term 'gamer' because so many people now play video games, it is a lot more a part of our daily lives, in the same way that people watch films. I’d like to see a lot more video games become accessible, because there is still this technology barrier of people who aren’t particularly tech-savvy. Games and gaming experiences are just as legitimate in terms of culture and storytelling as film and books, but they have the added benefit of being interactive.

Would you ever want to create a video game for the new Doctor Who?

Oh it would be the most amazing character to create a video game for, because it has the brilliant sci-fi/fantasy element: you can create these different and unique enemies, Doctor Who’s companions, the people she meets, you can really get that chance to give character to the people you put in that video game. You could make something that is really quirky and fun but you could also, at the same time, take it from so many different angles. That’s one of the best things about being a developer: you get to create these amazing, immersive worlds that players from all over the world get to experience.

From empowering women on Earth to championing the equality and accessibility of space travel, these women provide much-needed diverse representation for young girls thinking about their future in tech, science or even the exploration of the galaxy. The Doctor would be proud.

Doctor Who is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sundays

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It looks like Hollywood took one look at Twitter and decided to make a movie with our dream cast: John Boyega and Letitia Wright are slated to star in a sci-fi romance that is pretty much a blend of all of your favourite things, according to Deadline. It's the best part of Star Wars combined with the best part of Black Panther mixed with a dash of...terror.

When you take a closer look at the plot of Hold Back The Stars, based on the book by Katie Khan, it's actually a high-stakes drama set in outer-space that looks like it will be as sweet as it is heartbreaking. Mike Cahill will direct the story of a man and a woman, played by Boyega (who plays Finn in the recent Star Wars installments) and Wright (who played Shuri in both Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War), who are trapped in space with only 90 minutes of oxygen remaining, and use the time to reflect on their Earthly romance.

Christy Hall is slated to write the story, with Shawn Levy's 21 Laps producing. Not many other details are known, such as when production begins and when we can expect the feature to land in movie theatres, but this is exactly the fuel the Star Wars and Marvel fandoms need to keep them going while we wait for Stars Wars and Black Panther to return.

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This week on Refinery29, we’re filling your screens and consciousness with inspiring women over 50. Why? Because living in a culture obsessed with youth is exhausting for everyone. Ageing is a privilege, not something to dread. Welcome to Life Begins At...

Incidentally, four out of the five women in this series shaved all their hair off in their 20s and 30s. Sharon, now 54, shaved hers on a whim and loved it so much she kept the style for a few years. "It commanded attention without sexualising or feminising me," she says. Scarlett, 55, pictured above with her lovely dog Maude, had a shaved head with a cross-shaped black fringe, designed by the '80s hair genius Ross Cannon. "I was completely fearless," she says of the iconic cut, "I couldn’t work out why I hadn’t shaved my hair before." People mistook actor Olwen, now 64, for a man when she shaved hers at 30 because she fancied a radically different, more punk look. The primary reason we approached the women in this shoot is because now, in their 50s and 60s, they have long hair, which is the thing that’s unusual. Instead of opting for highlights and a bob, or a short do, as the majority of women in this age group do, they wear their hair long and free, in plaits or locs, grey or dyed pink. The shaved head trend emerged from the interviews, but it’s interesting because it proves they didn’t conform to convention then either. Another thing these women have in common is that they are creatives, enjoying impressive and varied careers in fashion, beauty, art, theatre, film and television. They also all advocate washing your hair infrequently if you want to keep the condition good long-term.

Since Samson and Delilah in the Old Testament, long hair has been associated with strength, wisdom and power, words entirely befitting this distinguished bunch. Read on for their fascinating hair histories, and views on hair as an expression of identity. Who knows what they may inspire you to do...

Caryn Franklin MBE (59), Fashion Activist, Journalist, Professor of Diversity

Tell us a little about your hair history… The '80s was my most prolific experimentation time. I had a massive dyed black quiff. It was about six inches high. I used to go to a barber called Andy’s in Brixton for a number one, which means a very close shave back and sides. I’ve been peroxide blonde as well as red. I’ve even been completely bald. I shaved it all off for a Nick Knight i-D shoot when I was fashion editor there and kept it for six months, I liked it so much. In my 30s my grey streak grew into my dark hair and I really loved the contrast. My strangest haircut may have been when I had pointy hair extensions at the back of my head and some strange shape going on at the front of it, built from hair extensions by Kevin Ryan at Antenna in the mid '80s. He was my i-D session hairdresser for many years… we mucked about in between shoots of course!

How does your long hair make you feel, at the age you are now? I like my wisdom and experience to be visible. Grey hair isn’t for everyone and it can age you, but I’m okay with that. I like being old and I like being unrepentant about getting older. Anyway, it’s a privilege to grow old when you think of the alternative. Hair has power and age has power. I see my long grey hair as a magical mane. Other women love it and comment on it in the street. It’s not for nothing that middle-aged and probably grey-haired, medieval women who were accused of witchcraft (they were actually feminists fighting for independence from patriarchy) had all their hair forcibly shaved off when they entered prison. The power that female hair represents can still be seen in most faiths that require women to cover their heads. I grew up seeing my Western mum put on a headscarf as soon as she entered a church when we were sightseeing. That act always struck me as highly significant when I was a child.

Why do you think this stereotype of women cutting their hair over 50 exists? I’m duty bound to start by saying something provocative, like: It’s just possible that there is some kind of trauma connected to women and long grey hair. Women have been conditioned to feel apologetic about getting older, even frightened. This may have something to do with the 300 years of persecution of women as witches in the middle ages, and the disregard of their tribal-elder knowledge of herbalism, ecology and community. Epigenetics – the term used to describe our inheritance by mechanisms other than through DNA – indicates that we may hold trauma in our bodies and pass it down through generations. But then I think there are also just plain simple reasons like it might seem easier to look after when shorter, perhaps. I always found longer hair easier, I just shove it in plaits, a pony or I wear a lot of fabric in my hair. I throw it up on top of my head and wrap it in scarves if I’m making an effort. It only takes five minutes to do, then I’m off. No irritating blow-drying for me!

What tips do you have to keep the condition good long-term? I hardly ever wash my hair. Say once every two months, sometimes even longer. Occasionally I rinse the top of my head under the tap in plain water. I use an organic coconut oil serum from Boots on a daily basis because I have very dry hair. That’s about it.
@caryn_franklin

Mouchette Bell, Fashion Editor, Stylist, Model

Tell us a little about your hair history… As a child I always had my hair cut very short. I hated that style as I felt it made me look like a boy and I wanted to have long, flowing, girly hair. My mum could not quite grasp afro hair; she is white with straight hair. She did her best but it was difficult for her as a working mum. I remember once hiding under the bed all day, traumatised as she had cut it too short. I started growing it out at about 12. It was the time of Angela Davis and Marsha Hunt and afros were in. Suddenly, my hair was amazing! What a turnaround from the torture of childhood hair days in Dublin. Plus, we had moved to London.

How does your long hair make you feel, at the age you are now? I love my long hair now, it is a lot of work as I do not straighten it so it takes a lot of time to manage and the water is very hard in England. There are some good products out there. Oribe has a great range, or most pure oils are softening. Add a little essential rose oil to something like grapeseed oil. Or indeed olive oil – the ancient Greeks knew what they were doing. I once had a boyfriend who actually asked me to wear my hair short; 'Cut it', he suggested. I knew I had to get away from him. Hair is powerful. The story of Delilah comes to mind.

Why did you choose to wear your hair in plaits for the photo? I wear my hair in plaits most days as it stops my hair from getting into knots and I think it looks not too bad on me. I have been wearing plaits in one form or another for over 40 years. Plaits literally control the hair and save time because you can leave them in for days.

Why do you think this stereotype of women cutting their hair over 50 exists? The stereotype comes from some weird place – I don't know and I don't want to know. Maybe it's innocent as hair can thin out a little or a lot as you get older. Maybe it's a coping thing. But my desire for long hair is too strong to give the over-50s short hair notion any airtime in my head.

What tips do you have for younger women regarding hair care, to keep the condition good long-term? Careful not to use too many chemicals – keep the products as natural as possible. Let it 'rest' sometimes by styling a headscarf or saturate in some lovely oil or conditioner and tie it back.
@mouchettebell

Sharon Lloyd (54), Academic, Course Leader for BA Hons Makeup & Hair Design

Best haircut? I had a shaved head for a few short years. The decision to cut all my hair off wasn’t earth-shattering, I simply realised I had wasted a lot of my time in front of the mirror wrestling with hair that never seemed to look right and I had better things to do with my time. I remember it clearly, I was on a train to London when I made the decision and immediately went to the hairdressers and told them to shave it all off – at first they hesitated but when they saw I was up for it, they found it equally thrilling. I think I loved my shaved head because it commanded attention without sexualising or feminising me.

Worst? Where do I start… The afro that wouldn’t stay up at age 11, my punk pink candy floss hair job at 17, the Vidal Sassoon cut and blow dry at 24… I think the wet-look perm so drenched in curl activator I looked like a bad mimic of Michael Jackson wins. I was 20 and it was literally dripping down my neck and onto my clothes as I left the hairdressers. I was terrified in case my head touched the window of the bus going home and it left an awful, greasy Jheri curl imprint; that was a telltale sign of a hairstyle gone wrong. In addition, on the way home I caught myself in the reflection of a shop window and was deeply mortified that anyone would think I deliberately wanted to look like this. Consequently, I wore it up in a bun for the next five years!

When did you start wearing your hair in locs? I got married and was pregnant six weeks later. I knew immediately that there was no way I was going to spend time on my hair when I could be focusing on my baby. Judith is my wonderful and very patient hairdresser, and at the time we discussed how I wanted to grow locs but still look alternative – so we also bleached it. A little at first just to lighten the colour, but by the time my son was two it was almost white after regularly bleaching it and then living in Lisbon for two months. I think the reason I dyed it black in the end was because I wanted to be taken more seriously. I don’t dye it now – I’m looking forward to growing into my grey years.

What does this hairstyle mean to you? I have thought about the significance of locs for some time. It was such a taboo growing up, and now it signals ownership of myself, my body and my image. For a while I was concerned that it would look 'untidy' or 'unprofessional' but I can look back on my various hairstyles in my younger years and see that the majority of my hair looks have attempted to mimic a style that denied my black heritage, and more importantly while these looks may have made me appear more 'acceptable' to others, they didn’t enhance how I felt about myself. My current hairstyle doesn’t feel smooth or silky, it isn’t tangle-free or shiny – it doesn’t fit any current commercial label that highlights hair as 'beautiful'. And I’m okay with that, because I don’t need to be told it’s beautiful – I know it is because it reflects me.

How does your hair make you feel, at the age you are now? I stand in front of the mirror and can see that the length of my hair is a marker of time. Since black hair appears to grow slowly and breaks easily, this particularly influences how I feel about my age. It has taken years to grow it this long (my son is 15 now), and ironically the length of my hair is a signal of my maturity, experience and patience. This seems completely at odds with the advice that is spouted about older women cutting their hair because long hair is 'ageing'. What’s wrong with ageing?

How do you care for your hair? Any tips on maintenance for locs? My hair is pretty low maintenance. I don’t believe in constantly washing hair – stripping hair of its natural oils really doesn’t help maintain its condition. I use a variety of products that are paraben-free, but equally loading your hair with products is problematic. A lot of the time they (particularly creams) sit on top of the hair, which only makes the hair appear ashy and dry. I love hair oils that seep into the locs themselves – there are several oils from India that I use, I’m not fussy really. As long as it smells good!
@faceculturalist

Scarlett Cannon (55), Model, Muse, Writer

Most radical haircut? Ross Cannon, the genius of hair, was my hairdresser until he died in 1992. He was the person responsible for creating all of my looks. The most radical was the crucifix fringe. It’s such an iconic look, it still causes people to go 'wow' today. I was 18 when I got that, I was completely fearless. I thought it was fantastic. I couldn’t work out why I hadn’t shaved my hair before.

Worst haircut? The in-between stages when I was growing my hair out from short to long. I didn’t hate my hair in the in-between stages but I didn’t love it, either. That’s why I’ve always enjoyed wigs. I had a nice couple of wigs that I used to pop on. Ross did a few Marcel wave numbers for me as well, and we needed length for that, so it took a while to grow it that long. I first started growing it long in the late '80s.

Why did you decide to go pink? I met Jean Vial [fashion and celebrity hairstylist] when I modelled for the Gareth Pugh show. I got on with him like a bomb. Now he cuts my hair, and he’s a global influencer for Revlon so he sent me Revlon Nutri Color, which is a conditioning rinse. Because my hair is naturally white, it has a really interesting grab. I did it dark pink this time for Alternative Miss World because I wanted it to look really strong on the stage. I’ve been having quite a bit of fun this summer with the Nutri Color – I did violet, then pink, then orange, then another pink, a couple of lilacs and pink again.

When did your hair go white? It was dirty blonde when I was young, I had to bleach it to make it look like anything. I started going white about 14. And I stopped colouring it in 1997 when I was 34. I used to colour it Arctic Silver Blonde and then I realised my hair was growing out that colour anyway. It’s got whiter and whiter and whiter and now it’s all white, which I adore.

How does long hair make you feel at 55? I wouldn't dream of cutting my hair. A couple of people suggested I get a 1920s bob and I think: I’ve gone my whole life without having to succumb to a fucking bob, thank you very much. Ross would turn in his grave and come and haunt me if I cut a bob. I think it would make me look older, and I love my long hair. I’m like Samson, it gives me power.

How do you keep your hair in good condition? Ever since it’s been long, my hair care has always been: wash as little as possible. I went from washing my hair a couple of times a week to washing it once every two or three weeks. That’s my top tip for long, long hair. I use gallons of conditioner. Tie it up or plait it if it’s windy because if it blows around it gets damaged. Limit your use of heat appliances.
@scarlettandmaude

Olwen Fouéré (64), Actor, Creative Artist

Tell us a little about your hair history… I had very thick, long dark hair, usually kept in a plait, all through my childhood. When I went to boarding school, pressure was put on my mother to have my hair cut. Eventually it was cut to shoulder length but we kept letting it grow. White hair began appearing in my dark hair when I was in my early 20s, if not before. When I was around 30 I felt like making a big change to my looks, something more punk and pared back, and I was playing a couple of male roles so I had my hair cut extremely short. It felt very liberating at the time and people often mistook me for a guy. After that I played around with lots of styles and colouring, letting it grow a bit, cutting it again, mainly settling on a very short peroxide white, triggered by playing Ariel in The Tempest. It was always difficult to get the perfect short cut and it meant having several haircuts a year to get the androgynous style I wanted. Then it was dyed dark for another role and eventually I began to let my hair grow long again. I got tired of colouring it dark – and felt it was unhealthy – so I began turning blonde again about 13 years ago and, as my real hair was an almost perfect white by then, I stopped colouring it completely. And I kept letting it grow. I hate getting it cut now. I get it trimmed maybe once a year when I feel it has gone too wispy at the ends but even a trim can be mildly traumatic unless it is done brilliantly by someone who really understands an individual person’s hair.

How does your long hair make you feel, at the age you are now? Great. Free. It’s interesting to note that in several cultures long hair is respected as a manifestation of physical and spiritual strength. I feel that strength.

How has your definition of beauty changed over the years? I don’t think I've ever had one! There are so many factors involved in how I might respond to something or someone as beautiful. It's a feeling.

What tips do you have for younger women regarding hair care, to keep the condition good long-term? It partly depends on the kind of hair you have but generally I don’t brush or comb because both actions simply cause frizz and split ends in my hair. I never blow dry and dislike using any styling products. I lightly finger-comb my hair in the morning with a small amount of coconut oil and when I wash and condition it, which is every three days. I coat my hair with coconut oil in the sun and before swimming in the sea and I keep the salt in my hair and on my body afterwards. I love the nourishing feeling of all those minerals from the ocean. My advice is: Respect your hair. Its condition can tell you things. Good nutrition is important and it shows in your hair. Don’t smother it with chemicals and above all, wear your hair whatever way you like, not how anyone else tells you. It is part of who you are.
@olwenfouere

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Even if bricks and mortar stores are in decline, interest in fashion hasn't waned one bit. In fact, curiosity for clothes is at such a high that even if we can't buy it, we'll still show up to see it on display. In recent years, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has seen its highest numbers —  ever — and they're not slowing down. It makes sense, then, that even smaller exhibits focused on certain designers, like the Rodarte exhibition at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., are just as captivating and hold the potential to draw similarly endless lines.

When Rodarte burst on the scene — first, on the cover of WWD, and secondly, as a runner-up in the 2006 CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund — Californian designer sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy made a profound impact on the industry. Their backgrounds in art history and literature may not have lent them the technical skills expected of conceptual designers, but their demi-couture style of design and construction prove that none of that has ever mattered. They've since won dozens of awards, designed the costumes for Black Swan(which are featured in the show), made their own film, moved their catwalk shows to Paris, and so much more.

The show, which will "explore the distinctive design principles, material concerns, and recurring themes that position the Mulleavys' work within the landscape of contemporary art and fashion," will span the first 13 years of the American label. That means 90 complete looks, presented as they were shown on the runway, from their most pivotal and headline-making collections (yes, including that Star Wars -themed show) . Oh, and there's going to be a selection of Mulleavy-designed objects in the museum shop available for purchase, too, so you can get your hands on a piece of the magic. No word on the prices of those just yet, but we suggest you save your pennies just in case.

Of the show itself, Jill D'Allessandro, guest Rodarte curator and curator of costume and textile arts of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, said "The exhibition celebrates the Mulleavys’ pioneering approach and explores their use of narrative to convey complex thoughts on a wide range of subjects, including film, literature, art history, nature and the California landscape." Pioneers, indeed.

In the slideshow ahead, take a peak at the Rodarte exhibition , which is on display from November 10, 2018 to February 10, 2019. We promise it's worth the trek.

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A woman is facing 20 years in jail charged with attempted murder after she gave birth to her rapist's baby, in a toilet, in a case that shines a spotlight on the cruelty of abortion laws in El Salvador.

Twenty-year-old Imelda Cortez, from a poor family in San Miguel, was raped by her 70-year-old stepfather, who had been abusive since she was 12 years old, and was unaware she had been pregnant, the Guardian reported. She has been in custody since giving birth to the healthy baby girl in April 2017, with the criminal trial against her beginning today and a ruling expected within a week.

Last year, a then-teenage Cortez was rushed to hospital after her mother found her bleeding heavily and in severe pain. Her baby daughter was found alive and healthy in the toilet. However, emergency room doctors suspected Cortez had attempted to abort the baby and called the police, after which she was charged with attempted murder, denied bail and sent to prison after spending a week in hospital, reported the Guardian.

Cortez's stepfather visited her in hospital and threatened to kill her, her siblings and mother if she reported the abuse, according to a fellow patient who overheard his outburst and told a nurse, who called the police.

One of Cortez’s defence lawyers described the case as 'the most extreme, scandalous injustice against a woman' she had seen.

Bertha María Deleón, one of Cortez’s defence lawyers, described the case as "the most extreme, scandalous injustice against a woman" she had seen. "The state has repeatedly violated Imelda’s rights as a victim; she’s deeply affected but denied psychological attention." In a psychological evaluation of Cortez's cognitive and emotional health, evidence was found of effects consistent with abuse and trauma. Yet during her 18-month detention she has received no psychological help.

Prosecutors initially accused Cortez of lying about the abuse to justify her crime, but a DNA test confirmed her stepfather's paternity. He is yet to be charged of any crime.

Abortion law in El Salvador

The case highlights the rigidity of El Salvador's abortion laws. Abortion has been illegal under all circumstances in the Central American country since 1998, even in cases of rape or when a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman's life. It also recognises the right to life from the moment of conception, "further criminalising abortion by providing the legal basis for the state to prosecute abortion related crimes as homicide," says the US Center for Reproductive Rights. Women accused of undergoing the procedure can be sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

According to the UN and charities around the world, the situation violated women's human rights and puts women and girls at risk, because so many of them "may resort to illegal and clandestine abortions".

The impact on women

Women have been aggressively persecuted in the country as a result of the total ban, with poor, single women of low socioeconomic status most likely to be affected, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Dozens of women are languishing in jail – many with 30- or 40-year sentences – accused of having abortions and charged with aggravated murder when they suffered miscarriages or stillbirths. In March this year, Maira Verónica Figueroa Marroquín was released from jail after serving almost half of her 30-year sentence, which she received after suffering a late-term miscarriage.

More than 40% of the country's households are impoverished – a figure that rises to 50% in rural areas – and sexual violence is rife in the country, making the lack of access to safe and legal abortion particularly devastating. The country has been described as "one of the world's most dangerous places to be a woman".

While El Salvador's abortion laws are among the world's harshest (many other Latin American countries have similarly strict rules, such as Argentina and Brazil), some are thankfully introducing more liberal measures. Chile eased total abortion ban last year, allowing terminations after rape, if the mother's life is at risk or if the foetus is not expected to survive the pregnancy. While Bolivian lawmakers voted to ease its tight restrictions last December, allowing "students, adolescents or girls" to terminate pregnancies up to eight weeks.

A change.org petition calling for justice for Cortez has garnered more than 52k signatures at the time of writing. Sign it here.

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Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Little Drummer Girl.

Three weeks, three hours and three very tense episodes later, we've reached the halfway point of BBC One's The Little Drummer Girl series. This TV adaptation of John le Carré's novel is undeniably stylish, beautifully shot and has a killer cast, headed up by Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Shannon. So why, then, are people starting to switch off?

Last night's episode was a difficult one. The "performance" that Kurtz (Shannon) and Becker (Skarsgård) had been preparing struggling actress Charlie (Pugh) for finally happened – she drove the red Mercedes across multiple European borders without being caught, with a huge amount of Semtex hidden in the roof. She dropped the car off in an Austrian town where it was later collected by the Palestinian terror group that Kurtz and his team of Israeli investigators are trying to bring down. After a brief, rigid snog with her mentor-cum-protector Becker (who is also undercover, pretending to be Palestinian radical Salim as part of an elaborate plan to immerse Charlie in the world they want her to infiltrate) back at her hotel room, she goes home to London to await the next chapter of her assignment, playing the part of Salim's lover.

Confusing, right? The first two episodes were equally as puzzling, skilfully layered with flashbacks and split scenes between the real world and "the theatre of the real" in which Charlie and Becker are playing. But viewers seem to have lost their patience with the lack of straightforward explanation after so much deliberate disorientation.

Feel like I need study notes to read alongside #TheLittleDrummerGirl

— Claire Greenham (@Claire_Greenham) November 11, 2018

Still not sure what is going on in #TheLittleDrummerGirl but I’ll stick it out cos it’s BBC! Can anyone help me #explainplease 😂

— Jane Rutt-Howard (@rutty4) November 11, 2018

Please someone explain what is going on in #TheLittleDrummerGirl so I can get on with the important job of drooling over #AlexanderSkarsgard in peace

— Nel Mel (@NelMels) November 4, 2018

"I feel like I need study notes to read alongside #TheLittleDrummerGirl" wrote one Twitter user, while another pleaded for someone to please "explain what is going on in #TheLittleDrummerGirl so I can get on with the important job of drooling over Alexander Skarsgard in peace".

I know it's not what you want to hear if you're partial to binge-watching, but the slow reveal is kind of the point, you guys. And not knowing everything about what is going on is the beauty of such a clever narrative. If you're one of the people who had no idea Killing Eve was on every Saturday night for eight weeks because you'd watched it all in one go on iPlayer, The Little Drummer Girl is going to be difficult for you. There's no instant gratification in solving a complicated case and you have no choice but to be patient with the plot if you have any chance of getting your head around why everything is happening the way it is. But stick with it.

It's not helped by the fact there was no cathartic release at the end of episode three. The carefully executed car explosion only gave us more doubt about Kurtz's real intentions, Charlie arriving home in England only filled us with more dread about what (or who) might be coming for her, and no, we still don't know what big secret Becker is hiding, except that it has something to do with a girl like Charlie who didn't make it through a similar "performance".

So we're just as in the dark here at the series mid-point as we were when Becker first recruited Charlie back in Greece two episodes ago, which is frustrating, sure, but aren't the best thrillers a bit of a pain in the ass? That's why we bother pursuing them; to get through to the other side, past the red herrings, finally arriving at the answers to questions the show has been teasing all along. Three episodes in and it's clear those answers aren't just going to be handed to us – that'd be boring. But you can be sure that something big is on the way. All the tension that has been built so far, the pressure bubbling beneath the surface every time Charlie hallucinates being with Salim...there are only three more episodes to unravel. You'd be silly not to want to know where everything is going to land, and who will actually make it through to the end.

The Little Drummer Girl is on BBC One, Sundays at 9pm

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You’d be forgiven if the words 'vegan shoes' conjure up images of clunky, ugly footwear (we’re not talking the trendy form of 'ugly' here). For a long time, vegan shoes have been more closely associated with hemp-clad eco-warriors than à la mode. But things are changing.

Increased interest in ethical and sustainable fashion, rising demand for cruelty-free products and sophisticated innovations in leather alternatives have created an evolving range of vegan clothes and accessories that have caught the attention of brands and consumers alike.

"Brands (new and old) are really stepping up to the bar, offering more 'aware' wares that are directional too," writes Hannah Almassi of Who What Wear, in her piece on conscious fashion brands. "Until now, I have felt that being conscious alone wasn’t enough to break through: Each piece has to be just as gorgeous as anything else. Let’s not beat around the bush – design should never be the second motivation; a product’s aesthetic will always be a priority for the majority of style-savvy consumers out there."

Not to mention the high-profile platform offered by celebrity advocates. Sustainable fashion enthusiast Emma Watson showcased a range of stylish options last year during the press tour for Beauty and the Beast. Spotted in trainers and boots from vegan French brand Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, she’s also a fan of the animal-free SUSI Studio and eco-conscious brand Veja (as well as a vegan line, they offer recycled leather options), whose trainers have also been spotted on the Duchess of Sussex during her first royal overseas tour.

Combine that with a host of established brands branching out – from Dr. Martens' vegan line to the adidas and Stella McCartney Stan Smith collaboration – and there’s never been as much choice of animal-free footwear. It’s set to become big business, too. By 2025, the faux leather market is expected to be worth $85 billion, with footwear seen as a major driving factor in market growth. "Increasing focus towards animal rights led by several organisations and rising stringency in laws governing real leather are propelling demand for synthetic leather," the 2017 report by US-based market research and consulting company Grand View Research states.

Global fashion search platform Lyst has seen a 47% increase, year on year, of searches using sustainable-related keywords, such as 'vegan leather', 'organic cotton' and 'econyl'. Over the last three months, meanwhile, searches for vegan trainers have jumped by 31%.

Booming interest in a vegan diet and higher awareness of sustainable consumption are also influential drivers. The number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2018, according to the Vegan Society, now totalling over 600,000. Increased awareness of environmental issues and global sustainability has also seen more and more of us cutting down on our meat consumption – 12% of Brits now follow a meat-free diet, according to research published by The Grocer, which notes that younger consumers are driving the trend.

From alternative leather materials made from banana leaves, to pieces crafted using ethical production techniques and local craftsmanship, the advancements of vegan shoe design and innovations are ever increasing. And although no pair of shoes is truly made without any environmental cost, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Click through to see styles from nine of the chicest vegan brands out there.

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Update (12th November): The death toll has in the California wildfires has risen to 31, with over 200 people still unaccounted for, the BBC reports.

Update (11th November): The death toll in California has risen to 25 as fire fighters race to slow down what is now considered the third deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. Authorities say that there are at least 110 people still missing in the area, CNN reports.

Hill Fire, the smallest of the three wildfires, is reportedly 65% contained, while larger fires Woolsey and Camp are at 5% and 20%, respectively. In total, approximately 192,806 acres have been burned and more than 300,000 homes have been evacuated. According to NBC News, the Santa Ana winds, which are fuelling the fires, are expected to increase over the remainder of the weekend, which could pose a threat to further containing the fires.

This story was originally published on November 10, 2018 at 12:00pm and has been updated.

At least nine people are dead as a result of wildfires in California that have decimated over 100,000 acres of land. According to CBS, it is the deadliest wildfire outbreak since record-keeping began.

The wildfires are comprised of three separate fires. Camp Fire, the largest, is in Butte County, which is north of Sacramento in the California Central Valley. It is also the fire that caused the death of nine people, five of whom were seemingly overtaken by the blaze in their cars while trying to evacuate, according to the Sacramento Bee. As of Saturday morning, the fire was 20% contained, according to ABC.

The Woolsey Fire affects Malibu, Topanga Canyon, and the San Fernando Valley, and, according to the Los Angeles Times, has forced at least 250,000 people (including many celebrity residents, such as Kim Kardashian West) to evacuate. According to NBC Los Angeles, the fire has burned through at least 70,000 acres and was 0% contained on Saturday morning. The smaller Hill Fire is in Camarillo Springs and the Cal State Channel Islands and just a few miles away from Thousand Oaks, which is still reeling from a deadly mass shooting in a bar. It has burned through 6,000 acres of land, according to the Los Angeles Times.

For all the fires, poor conditions – including dry weather and fierce winds – have contributed to the difficulty of fighting them, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The wildfires have also affected the Los Angeles Zoo. On Friday morning, a brush fire erupted in nearby Griffith Park, causing employees to close the zoo to the public and evacuate some animals, according to CNN. By late morning, the fire was extinguished. No structures were burned down and no animals or zoo employees were hurt. One firefighter was injured, though fire department officials said he wasn’t burned, according to the Los Angeles Times.

President Donald Trump remarked on the fires, issuing a deceleration of emergency for California and then threatening to cut federal funding to the state on Twitter citing poor forest management.

Here's how you can help the victims of these California wildfires.

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We may be ostensibly living in an era of "flexible working" but fixed working hours and presenteeism are still a fact of life for huge swathes of the population. While many of us could ask our bosses for greater flexibility, the fact is, some companies still prefer to see their employees physically sitting in their office chairs as "proof" of productivity.

And yet we know that a fixed 9am-to-5pm schedule clearly isn't working for everyone. We all have different schedules, demands at home and natural sleep patterns. Now one sleep expert is calling on workplaces to allow employees to start work as late as midday in some cases.

Dr Paul Kelley, a research associate in sleep science at the Open University and former headmaster (who began his own lessons at 11am and reported increased concentration levels from students), says that while a midday start would be best for some, a 10am start would suit most people.

In his new book, Body Clocks, published this month, Kelley argues that employees who ignore their circadian rhythms risk their health, and that employers who want healthier, happier and more productive employees should allow them to delay start times by at least an hour, the Sunday Times reported. Inflexible workplaces, he argues, could even find themselves being sued for making employees ill.

"Across the western world, adults are averaging 6½ hours sleep a night during their working lives, when science shows we need at least eight," Kelley writes, pointing to the growing number of studies linking a lack of sleep to everything from obesity and weight gain to mental ill-health, cancer and early death.

He says a 10am start would suit most people's natural sleep patterns, although a fifth of people who would otherwise wake up naturally at midday or later would still suffer. "Start times of 10am are the fairest (and best) if everyone had to choose a single starting time. That would reduce sleep loss for the population as a whole. It would suit most, though not all, of the five types [of people] we have identified," he says.

The groups of sleepers identified by Kelley range from "definitely morning" larks (who wake up naturally at about 5am) to "definitely evening" owls (who don't wake up until 4pm). "Throughout working life, morning types benefit while evening types are afflicted by a range of disadvantages and are more likely to die earlier," he argues in the book.

A 10am start would allow people to wake up at around 8am, which, he claims, "would have an immediate positive impact on current levels of adult sleep deprivation caused by early workday start times. It would reduce sleep deprivation by 70%, to 36 minutes on average a day."

Kelley encourages people to find out their own sleep chronotype in a quiz published on the Sunday Times website. While interesting, this knowledge would, however, be little use to many full-time workers who lack the option of greater flexibility when it comes to working hours. Maria Stafford, 27, an estate agent in north London, is a fan of Kelley's proposal but has no choice but to work her current hours of 9am to 6pm. "A 10am start sounds realistic with most people's sleep patterns. It would make me more productive, potentially healthier and I'd be happier with a lie-in."

It also takes people's work travel time into account, Stafford adds. "I’m lucky to live a 30-minute drive away from work but other people in my office have to commute into central London, so they have to be up before six to get ready and take up to two hours to get into work on time. The morning rush hour is the worst and always causes delays." Then, by the time people get home in the evenings, there aren't enough hours in the day to get a minimum of eight hours sleep, she continues. "And that’s if they don’t even have a family to raise at the same time!"

Seetal Savla, 37, a digital marketing account manager in London, describes herself as "a terrible sleeper" so a slower start to the day would suit her better, too. Her current hours are from 8.30am to 5.30pm but she would prefer 10am to 7pm, which she worked in a previous job. "I don't feel very awake until around 11am-12pm, so I'm not at my most productive before this time."

A 10am start would also give her time to work out before work, freeing up her evenings for other activities, like seeing friends and family, relaxing or working on her blog. While Savla believes her boss might be receptive to her working more flexibly, given that a colleague already works her preferred hours, she drives to work with her husband and they only have one car. "It would be really difficult to get in otherwise."

Similarly, Cecilia Adeline, 26, a marketing executive, would favour a later shift of 10am to 7pm. Currently, she starts work at 8.30am and finishes at 6pm, but also identifies as a night owl. "I'm not a morning person, and would like to avoid traffic on the way to work. It would mean I could go to the gym before work, as the gyms near me don't open until 8am."

Unfortunately, it's very unlikely she'd be able to request greater flexibility, however. "My boss is very into replying to customers quickly, so starting work at 10am is probably unacceptable. Although I think I – and everyone else – should have the option."

Some people are lucky enough to have bosses who are more receptive to the idea, however, and are already reaping the benefits of more sleep. Hela Gacem, 22, a recruitment consultant in West Yorkshire, believes her working hours should become the universal norm. She clocks in at 10am five days a week and and finishes no later than 5pm, which works for her, although she'd always welcome an extra hour in bed.

"I'd rather start work later for the obvious reason – you get a lie-in, but also because it allows you to have enough sleep without having to go to bed so early. At this time of year most people go to work in the dark and come home in the dark to have their tea and then go to bed again, because they have to be up at 6am for the next day," she says.

Starting at 10am rather than 9am "definitely makes [her] more productive," and she has the option to come in early and stay late if necessary. "When your hours are so good you don't mind coming in an extra hour early to get bits done." Her boss has a flexible approach to the hours she and her colleagues work, largely because the industry is "hectic 24/7" and they often end up bringing work home with them in the evenings anyway.

By contrast, she believes, "when managers work you to the bone, don't look after you and pay you peanuts, you don't want to work there and you'll happily look for another job with better hours and benefits." In a world where remote and flexible working from Bali beaches and trendy shared workspaces is fetishised, it's a shame more bosses aren't as trusting as hers.

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Modern life is stressful and just getting on the property ladder can feel like a pipe dream, so it's no surprise that wellness holidays are becoming increasingly popular. Let's be honest: many of us don't just need a break, we thoroughly deserve one, too.

So it's very interesting to check out a list of wellness travel trends for 2019 compiled by Health and Fitness Travel, a company which specialises in wellness-based vacays.

One such trend is the "painmoon", a sort of anti-honeymoon which someone might take to help them grieve a loved one, rebound from a bad break-up, or relax following a period of poor mental health or anxiety.

It actually sounds like a very good idea – though one person on Twitter has already pointed out, hilariously, that the word "painmoon" does sound a bit like a goth band.

Divorce and menopause retreats are also predicted to become a big thing, as is the "fertility trip" for couples looking to boost their chances of getting pregnant.

More of us are also expected to be tempted by a sugar detox holiday. (Just be warned that according to rumour, it was on the way back from a detox trip that Kate Moss famously called an easyJet pilot a basic bitch.)

The sugar detox holiday forms part of the "preventative wellness" trend for retreats teaching people how to avoid alcohol, cigarettes, junk food and other substances they wish to cut down on.

Meanwhile, "wellness mumcations" are also expected to grow in popularity as more new parents take a short break from raising their families. The word "mumcation" might make you cringe, but the idea of enjoying a bit of "me" time away from nappy-changing and 3am feeding calls certainly sounds appealing.

Another wellness travel trend which makes a lot of sense is the "sleep performance retreat" aimed at insomniacs or anyone who wants to improve their sleeping patterns. Equally self-explanatory is the "silence retreat"– aimed mainly at city-dwellers craving some peace and quiet.

But of course, wellness holidays aren't 2019's only major travel trend: in recent weeks, we've also seen a very intriguing list of 10 up-and-coming global destinations which range from a historic Dutch city to an unspoiled island bird sanctuary off the coast of Bali.

Here's the full list of wellness trips predicted to rise in popularity in 2019:

Nature Immersion Getaways
Preventative Wellness
Active Lifestyle Retreats
Divorce Retreats
Painmoons
Tough & Transformative Wellness
Wellness Mumcations
Menopause Retreats
The New Middle-aged Man Trip
Fertility Trips
Sugar Detox
Sleep Performance Trips
Silence Retreats

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If you are a Facebook user, you may have noticed that the site was down for some time on Monday. And though, as of 7:30 p.m., the social media site seems to be back up and running, the topic was trending on Twitter for some time after.

Facebook has yet to release a statement outlining what exactly happened, but for a window of time this morning and early afternoon the social media site displayed an error message for some users that read: "Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on it and we'll get it fixed as soon as we can."

Refinery29 reached out for comment and a Facebook spokesperson said: "Earlier today, a routine test caused users to have trouble accessing or posting to all Facebook services including WhatsApp and Instagram. We quickly investigated and restored access for everyone. We’re sorry for the inconvenience."

In true Twitter fashion, users got the hashtag #FacebookDown to achieve trending status worldwide. Reactions to the outage were mixed; some were indifferent, others were freaking out. No matter how one was feeling, though, it's clear that during and following the outage, Twitter provided the perfect platform to gripe about and poke fun at the social media giant's mishap.

Is it time to #panic yet? #FacebookDown pic.twitter.com/YLrrOwjqMp

— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) November 12, 2018

IN THIS MOMENT #Facebookdown pic.twitter.com/sL65FnLjti

— John Zuluaga (@johnz7g) November 12, 2018

Facebook is down! Everyone stay calm! #facebookdown pic.twitter.com/8X4jalgx9v

— Susan Reid (@SooziiQ2) November 12, 2018

When you in the middle of writing a fye Facebook status and it shuts down:#FacebookDown pic.twitter.com/XAmIu6F4uJ

— Mamba Out ✌🏾✌🏾 (@LakerChick_Kee) November 12, 2018

What #Facebook headquarters looks like right now. 🤣 #facebookdown pic.twitter.com/tD9wIYdX9c

— Coffee. Mom. Repeat. (@coffeemomrpt) November 12, 2018

Aaaaaand it's back... whatever did we do without it? #FacebookDown

That 30 minutes of real human interaction was real tough guys, but we survived. pic.twitter.com/EsosD5RtWE

— FOX19 (@FOX19) November 12, 2018

This story is developing. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

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When transgender models began walking the runways — back in the '80s, mind you — they walked with confidence, like any other model, but they walked in stealth mode. The fashion industry had not yet embraced the reckoning we're witnessing today, which meant that transgender models who revealed their gender identity, or were "outed," did so at the risk of losing their careers. Thanks to a new wave of transgender pioneers, however, the modelling industry is changing. But the gender conversation is vast, and genders themselves are more polysyllabic than ever — so what about all the others?

Enter: Oslo Grace, the 21-year old, Californian model who happens to be non-binary transgender. Fun fact: After a bad rugby accident in school derailed athletic ambitions, Grace took up modelling as a hobby. Today, they straddle both the male and female boards of their agency and walk both men's and women's runways. In their own words, being transgender and non-binary means they consider themselves "the ultimate mix of a boy and a girl." Grace's big break was the fall 2018 Gucci show where they carried a baby dragon down the runway (yes, you read that right). And, after last Fashion Month, which saw them walk every show from Armani to Courrèges and more, their star continues to rise.

But the industry remains ill-equipped to confront other genders on the spectrum. Grace, along with many others, frequently experiences misgendering on set and off (which is easy to avoid, if industry makes the effort to brush up on gender terminology) and has to do most of the legwork when it comes to educating those around them. In the interview below, Grace opens up about fashion's gender renaissance, why they aren't hard-pressed to settle on one gender, and how the industry can cater to models who don't always see themselves in a designer's vision. Oh, and they had something to say about that Victoria's Secret interview, too.

In your own words, what does being transgender non-binary mean?
OG: "Transgender is the big umbrella that I'd consider myself under. And that's where my gender identity doesn't match up perfectly with my sex assigned at birth. Ultimately, how that manifests is ... a childhood that was incredible but also filled with a lot of clear examples of what I now can point out as blatant gender dysphoria that I just didn't have the vocabulary to describe when I was that young.

"Non-binary is sort of an umbrella term underneath transgender that means I'm somewhere in between the binary of a girl and a boy. I feel like I am a mix of the two, which makes me non-binary."

How is it decided which castings you go to and which runways you walk?
OG: "Within each agency I belong to, I'm signed to both their men's and women's boards. For each men's and women's board in an agency, there are men's and women's bookers. So, let's say, around 12pm my women's booker will email me so I know that I have to wear the women's casting attire, and then I'll get an email from my men's booker at 1pm saying that I have to show up for a men's casting, so that's sort of how that manifests into an actual job.

"But yes, I usually present very binary on the runway because runways aren't usually non-binary. But I present more masculine in my day-to-day."

Does that ever make you feel dysphoric?
OG: "Yes. In the beginning, I had incredible amounts of crippling dysphoria every time I had to wear a dress at a shoot or on a runway, but I did it knowing that, eventually, I'd be able to choose my jobs (which would end up being more masculine). But along the way, I was actually able to get more comfortable with my femininity and that's why it's not as much of an issue anymore. Through this, I'm still exploring and experiencing my genders."

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I stan my own forehead

A post shared by Oslo (@oslograce) on Jul 8, 2018 at 3:08pm PDT

How do you feel about male and female boards at agencies in terms of labels?
OG: "I actually find it sort of gratifying that I'm able to disturb both boards because it shows me that kids like me have the opportunity to somehow disrupt the system even though we're subscribed to the system. So, even though I'm modelling and it's a binary world, it's just almost funny to me how that translates into mixing that up to where the fashion industry maybe isn't comfortable with it or used to it yet."

What's your experience like off the runway?
OG: "You really have to develop thick skin. I'm constantly misgendered in the workplace and it is still something that I really have to learn how to deal with. But other models are usually very kind. It's moreso the older people in the technical jobs. I've worked with some incredible makeup artists and hair stylists but those are usually the people that give me the hardest time, or quiz me on my gender, or say, 'Hey, didn't you walk a men's show this morning? Why are you a woman now?' It's a lot of misgendering — point blank."

So, how can the fashion industry do better?
OG: "It can happen in a bunch of different ways. Most recently, I've been trying to figure out my own way of confronting people about my pronouns that's in a gentle, affirming, and encouraging way instead of in an abrasive way. We could have call sheets that have gender neutral pronouns on them and how to do it, models with name tags and their pronouns, not hiring transgender model just because they're transgender and hiring them more than once (and not for diversity points) — just stuff like that."

What are your thoughts on the recent comments made by Victoria's Secret's chief marketing officer of L Brands, its parent company, Ed Razek?
OG: "The use of 'transsexual' shows how outdated and uneducated the vocabulary of some people can be. But honestly, I wasn't surprised. I hate to say that but Victoria's Secret has been one thing for a very long time and I don't know if it's gonna change. I sort of think the avenue to that, though, is education. It's the only avenue I've seen to push someone who isn't with it, who isn't aware of us, or doesn't know we aren't something to be fetishised or put to the side.

"We are people like everyone else. It's a shame that this person thinks we can't be seen in that light because we definitely can. But ultimately, we're going to have to go at this from the ground up. That's why people like me and others in the industry are trying to infiltrate it and then talk about our identities so we can change these bigger corporations."

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something reallyy cool is going down tomorrow night. we just finished rehearsals and, wow. some probably know by now but I’m hypED for it. the set is insane. anyways, I’ve been thinking of addressing some of the bigger/repeated questions I receive in a mass question and answer forum. not sure how I’ll do it yet but if anyone has any questions on my journey, modeling, identity, etc drop them in the comments. I’ve never really done this before and I try to answer every single dm I get but I think this would be more effective. all love

A post shared by Oslo (@oslograce) on May 29, 2018 at 2:00pm PDT

Do you find it's easier to model without bringing up your gender identity, i.e. in stealth, at the start of your career and then start to spread that message later?
OG: "That is how I've done it, from the beginning but it's more a comfort thing for me. I don't think you can be more or less successful when you talk about your identity or don't. I do sit in my cis-passing privilege for both genders quite comfortably. I'm not, and never have been, completely comfortable voicing my gender identity online or in interviews because everyone has a different level of comfort with that.

"But when you do speak out, you are quickly put into a box, as ironic as that is. You become a niche model and I have been trying to avoid that just so I can infiltrate the cis, binary fashion industry as much as I can."

To that point, what do you say to those people who might ask why you want to be a part of that space anyway, as opposed to creating a new one? Especially since cis and binary people haven't been accepting of non-binary people until recent?
OG: "We don't want to normalise being transgender, but we want to normalise our existence. And to do that, we have to learn to build bridges with the cis community. Trying to branch off is a beautiful thing but I think trying to burn bridges with them and face them in a way that is defiant, I agree with, too, but ultimately: if we want to make a change within our everyday society, we need some warriors to go in there and try and fuck shit up."

So, what's next?
OG: "I'm going to continue my work as a high-fashion model. That's a level that I've wanted to put myself on since the beginning and I've been fortunate so far that it's worked out. I'm going to take a few months to continue working, but also to prioritise my physical transition — which is very exciting to me but also daunting, as every trans person can relate to — and just staying true to myself. That's what I try to tell every trans and non-binary person when they're starting a platform or business: You have to be yourself because you can't let anyone dictate your voice. That's not going to get you anywhere and you're eventually going to sell yourself out."

The Beaumont Society is a national self-help body run by and for the transgender community. If you need some advice – or just a friendly ear – contact their information line on 01582 412220.

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Donald Trump has never made his contempt for the press a secret. In recent weeks, as the US has seen multiple mass shootings, a groundbreaking midterm election, and devastating wildfires, the president has used his platform to hammer home his belief that the greatest threat facing America is the "Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People."

At a press conference last Wednesday, after the midterm election results revealed that Republicans would maintain control of the US Senate but lose their majority in the House of Representatives, Trump spoke with reporters for nearly 90 minutes. In that time he told a Black journalist that her question about white nationalism was "so racist" and used the body of a young female intern as a weapon to take away the microphone from CNN's Jim Acosta.

On Friday, while giving an address on the south lawn of the White House, Trump stayed on message, telling another journalist that her question about Robert Mueller was "stupid." In a tweet, MSNBC political analyst Joy Reid pointed out this was the third Black female journalist he'd berated in 48 hours.

We asked Dr. Jack Brown, a body language and emotional intelligence expert, as well as a physician, to break down some of Trump's most recent interactions with the press so we can further understand the president's behaviour. Dr. Brown explained that body language analysis can be a useful tool for countering our own personal confirmation bias of a "familiar" person, such as President Trump.

"Using nonverbal tells is an objectivity tool — a way of checking our own opinions when, as human beings, we are inherently biased," he told Refinery29.

Ahead, Dr. Brown breaks down Trump's latest spars with journalists.

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As soon as I decided to bleach my hair last year, people started warning me that once I did, I'd never want to go back to black. Since then, I've been three different colours: pink, purple, and now, blue. It sounds fun, but I have the breakage to show for it, from little wispies around my face to short strands through my crown and plenty of dry ends. But for the most part, my hair is healthy — or at least as healthy as double-processed hair can be.

It turns out, that first warning is proving to be very true. So much so, my colourful hair has become a huge part of my identity. I like to think of it as a built-in accessory that makes me feel confident and put together, whether I'm all dolled up or just rolling out of bed.

My colourist Madison at Spoke & Weal does an incredible job minimising damage to my hair, but it's the at-home work that can mean the difference between a straw-like feel and a soft, healthy one, no matter your natural texture. After dying my lilac hair blue last month, I really looked at my hair care routine, throwing out all the lacklustre products I'd been trying, and just sticking to things I know actually work. You can watch the full transformation above, then stick around for my updated hair routine in the second half of the video.

Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo, £13.85, available at Look Fantastic; Pureology Strength Cure Conditioner, £16.10, available at Look Fantastic; Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, £24, available at Cult Beauty; Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, £24, available at Cult Beauty; Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, £18.55, available at allbeauty; Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Mask, £62, available at Revolve; Ohii Magic Hair Wand, £10, available at Urban Outfitters.

Beauty with Mi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in the beauty world. Never miss an episode by subscribing here.

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Lorde certainly does not need any encouragement to accuse Kanye West of stealing her ideas. On Monday, the singer took to her Instagram stories to share the apparent beef that she has with West. Unusually, Lorde’s issue with West had nothing to do with a MAGA hat or very chummy Donald Trump meeting. Instead, Lorde claims that he stole one of her stage designs during a performance over the weekend.

Lorde’s Instagram story reveals photos of her performances in comparison with West’s live debut of his Kids See Ghosts collaboration with Kid Cudi, which took place at Los Angeles-based music festival Camp Flog Gnaw on Sunday night. In a series of photos of both West and Lorde’s concerts (one of which is her 2017 Coachella performance), a large glass cage can be seen dangling over the stage.

“I’m proud of the work I do and it’s flattering when other artists are inspired by it, to the extent that they try to do it themselves,” Lorde writes on her Instagram story. “But don’t steal — not from women or anyone else — not in 2018 or ever.”

Though the glass cage is seemingly new to the Kids See Ghosts collaboration, West has used a similar elevated stage for years now. Many interpreted a line in Lorde’s friend Taylor Swift’s 2017 song “Look What You Made Me Do” as a dig at West.

“I don’t like your little games / Don’t like your tilted stage,” sang Swift in the single off her Reputation album, which many saw as a reference to West’s concert theatrics.

Lorde's performances are the left and right image. West's is the middle.

Refinery29 has reached out to Lorde and West for comment.

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Let's talk about sex, baby. When designer Christopher Kane sent his AW18 collection down the catwalk back in February, he sparked conversation at a time – post-#MeToo, post-Time's Up – when talking about sex and sexuality felt tricky.

Inspired by The Joy of Sex: A Gourmet Guide to Lovemaking, an erotic manual first published in 1972, Kane's show explored varying notions of sex, from provocative fabrics like leather, lace and marabou feathers to the dress that rounded off the show, featuring an explicit line drawing from the manual.

"I first came across the book in my college library around 16 years ago," Kane tells Refinery29. "Years passed, and I have always looked into the world of human behaviour and science and nature as a source of reference. I have done so many collections based on sex: Resort 2014, Sex Education (SS14), life drawings made into lovers lace (AW15). My love of drawing made me remember the famous book that contains the most beautiful life studies by the artist Chris Foss of lovemaking. They serve a purpose and really educate you in the art of being a better lover."

While sex most certainly sells, the piece that has emerged triumphant from Kane's collection is his 'More Joy' slogan T-shirt. "I thought it was a very powerful statement, and it has surpassed its original connection to the sex manual," Kane explains. "It’s became my daily mantra. Don’t we all need a little More Joy in our lives?"

If Dior's We Should All Be Feminists tee ruled 2017, then Kane's rules 2018. Worn by everyone from off-duty models to Susie Lau and Julia Restoin Roitfeld, the joyful call-to-arms is a reflection of how we're all seeking a little more positivity. We asked the designer what and who brings him joy, and why we need it more than ever in 2018.

What has been the most joyful time in your life?

I’m generally a happy person. Showtime is always a real high, and after any show you feel so much relief and joy at the idea of closure and pride to have accomplished another collection.

What are three things that always bring you joy?

My family and friends. My dog, Bruce Tito. Working in the studio with my sister Tammy and an amazing team around me.

If we're struggling to find it, how can we experience more joy in our lives?

I think today we are so involved in everyone else's business, thanks to social media opening our eyes to others, that we need to focus on ourselves more and stop comparing ourselves to everyone. I also find travelling to other parts of the world, especially places that have a completely opposite way of life to me, helps to really ground me and prove how lucky I am.

Which song or album brings you joy?

I really love the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, and her version of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" is truly a remarkable song and it gets me every time.

What is something that brings you joy but shouldn't?

Lots of things, but at the moment I’m enjoying being back in the gym and working out. Endorphins from the workouts are giving me a new lease of life.

How does fashion bring you joy?

Fashion is full of surprises so it always keeps me on my toes – that's the fun part.

Christopher Kane 'More Joy' T-shirt, £175, available at Christopher Kane  

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Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop has received a bad rap since its launch 10 years ago (think jade eggs meant to sit inside your vagina for whatever reason, to name just one completely WTF item on sale). But the strange objects (and some very questionable claims) didn't deter wellness obsessives from flocking to the brand's UK flagship store opening in London's Notting Hill in September.

Despite the buzz, I wasn't one of them. I don't really believe in taking dietary supplements (FYI, Goop sells over 30 different kinds of those) and I think 'detoxes' and 'cleanses' are bullshit. But skincare? I'm all over that. You'd be forgiven for not knowing much about Goop's own-brand line – Juice Beauty – which consists of cleansers, moisturisers, exfoliators and oils, because the whole wellness vibe seems to overshadow everything. So when invited to the store to experience a signature Goop facial with skin expert Anastasia Achilleos, I was intrigued. In all honesty, I had an inkling it'd be a bit woo-woo but I'll eat my words, because it wasn't dubious, annoying or typically Goop-y. In fact, the facial gave me the glowiest skin of my life – and it only took 30 minutes.

Of course, in true Goop style, all the skincare products are natural and organic – but don't roll your eyes just yet. Anastasia has been working with the brand for yonks and pinpoints the meristem technology (essentially plant stem cells, found in all the products) as the main component which helps fight pigmentation, firm up slack skin and more. But it doesn't matter how good the skincare is – it's how you use it that makes the most difference. Here's how Anastasia transformed my skin.

Step one

I usually use micellar water to eradicate my heavy makeup but Anastasia employed the Luminous Melting Cleanser. "It's almost like a moisturiser," Anastasia said, before telling me that we really need to stop rushing so much when it comes to applying skincare. For almost five minutes, she used the pressure of her palms to massage away my makeup in sweeping, circular motions. "It's a 70% solid base, made from aloe, almond and olive oils – it's almost like a skin food. You need the tiniest amount to take all of your makeup off, including mascara, and you can even leave it on for hours before you take it off." Despite the £80 price tag, I can't deny how luxurious it felt on my skin – ever so slightly textured and warming. It definitely does the job better than micellar water or wipes, and because it doubles up as a mask, the glow it gives is impressive.

Step two

My complexion is very acne- prone and lately, I've been getting lots of closed comedones – those tiny colourless bumps under the skin that inevitably turn into blinders. But I'm chuffed with how a once-over with the next product made my complexion a hell of a lot softer, smoother and brighter. "Instead of taking off the cleansing balm, apply the Instant Facial on top of it so you can really massage it in," advised Anastasia. "It consists of five alpha hydroxy acids, as well as BHA, salicylic acid," she added, which both slough away dead cells to uncover clearer skin, unclog pores and reduce inflammation. Contrary to Goop's alternative philosophy, these derm-approved ingredients are really proven to work. "Leave this on for three minutes before taking it off," continued Anastasia. "It’s a strength of 10% and you can use it up to three times a week. I wouldn’t recommend putting it on neat, though, and if you’re buying the smaller version, don’t use it in one go – it’s a waste and it might be too much for your skin." In my opinion, £38 for the 0.5 fl.oz version isn't bad at all, considering a good exfoliating mask can be pricey. I'm sold on the effects of this and it's now a solid in my skincare routine.

Step three

Before rinsing both products off, Anastasia hit home the importance of a facial massage and its transformative powers. "Take your forefinger, middle finger and thumb – like a crab pincer, then press these to the skin and sweep down the nose bone and then outwards to the cheekbones or up to the temples," Anastasia said. "This is where your sinus collects every day. To go over this area would give you both a lifting effect around the cheekbones and a release from sinus congestion. Do 10 of these, then, keeping your fingers in the same hold, do 10 circles all around the eye and over the brow. We’re not always going to have equipment at home but you can ignite the innate way of igniting change in the body with your hands." But it's the next step which impressed me the most. Using her forefinger and middle finger, Anastasia continued to press the skin firmly above my top lip 10 times, releasing for a few seconds in between. "By pressing the gums like this, you're pushing the blood to the surface and releasing tight, pursed lips, so they naturally inflate," said Anastasia. The visible results speak for themselves.

Step four

By splashing product off with water, you're cheating yourself out of a proper facial experience – trust me. "I’ve been using warm, damp cloths in facials for 25 years," said Anastasia. "Firstly, because it feels so great, but also because of the heat, the blood supply comes to the surface and makes skin flush and glow naturally." She continued: "There's an ingredient in the blood that most skincare brands wish they could formulate their creams with effectively – oxygen. It’s so challenging to create inside products but every time you stimulate your skin like this, it’s there. Plus, the use of the warm cloth helps attach dead skin cells so it gives you great exfoliation. Just place the towel over your face and press. When you take it away, you’ll see what glowing, flushing skin looks like and you can really see a lift. The blood also disperses which will provide you with a more even skin tone." I hate to head outside without a bit of concealer on at least, but I skipped makeup all day after this step.

Step five

I have incredibly acne-prone skin, so adding oil to an already oily situation is always a no-no, but the Enriching Facial Oil, £98, felt light, not greasy, and made my skin radiant, not spotty. Yes, it's expensive, although one to two drops is ample and it smells divine (like orange blossom and verbena), adding to the aromatherapy experience. Anastasia enlisted the same massage technique as she did in step one – using her fingertips and the pressure in her palms. "Don’t find the time to apply your skincare in this way," Anastasia told me. "Swap the quick approach of slapping on moisturiser for something that’s just a tiny bit longer but a hell of a lot more beneficial." And if you don't want to use an oil, it works with moisturiser, too. "Take all your pots of creams, put them to the side of your bed and lie down – this is the optimum position in which to really apply skincare," added Anastasia. "You’ll think it’s the biggest revelation. There is power in touch. Don't add it in as a luxury – change the technique, instead."

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The other day I wandered into a supermarket and picked up my usual deodorant. It's Mitchum, roll-on, and it works a treat. As I went to move onto the next aisle though, another deodorant caught my eye. It was Mitchum's men's roll-on... and it was 10p cheaper.

This, my friends, is the 'pink tax' – in which, as a female consumer, you are no doubt already well versed. It's not a literal tax imposed by the government. Instead, it is the extra cash that women fork out each month to deal with a) the fact that products marketed toward women usually cost more, b) the expectation they may feel to spend on products and services in order to look a certain way, and c) the fact that we're still paying tax on those 'luxury items' known as tampons (unless you're shopping somewhere like Tesco).

Earlier this year, a study by RIFT, a tax refund company, found that women can pay up to 35% more for everyday items than men. This is on everything from razors and deodorant all the way to kids' uniforms! Yes, it costs more to clothe a little girl for school than it does a boy.

It's easy for some people to completely miss the point of why the pink tax is so unfair. Women don't have to wear makeup or buy clothes or indulge in various methods of hair removal, they'll say, viewing the whole thing as frivolous. But many women feel like they do. Years and years of conditioning from men, the media and more has so deeply instilled the notion of how a woman 'should' look that women who do forgo things like hair removal have to explain themselves on a regular basis. Studies show that women who wear makeup at work are getting paid more. The whole thing is so firmly ingrained in society that to call any woman frivolous for partaking in beauty or self-care regimes is to misunderstand where society is at with gender expectations.

Which was why I was thrilled when I came across my new favourite couple, Eliot and Livvi*. See, for the past year (they've been together for five-and-a-half) Eliot has offered to pay Livvi's pink tax for her. Really. When it comes to beauty and wellbeing regimes, or late-night Ubers home, he offers to contribute 20% of the overall cost. She doesn't always take him up on it and, in return, she chips in for his therapy – believing this to be a 'blue tax' because, as a man, he doesn't have the same support network as her when it comes to mental health issues.

Below, they explain to me how this excellent arrangement came about and how they make it work.

*Names have been changed as Eliot explains below...

Eliot

I remember bits of the initial conversation: Livvi was frustrated about the amount she felt pressured into spending on makeup for work, or on haircuts at a salon. I had read about the idea of the pink tax earlier in the week and agreed with her that it was an issue. So I offered to partly subsidise her expenses on items that were affected. She seemed to really like the idea, so we went with it.

When we first put the new system into practice, I suggested that she should choose which items would be subsidised. We have a high level of trust in our relationship – and I am sure she understands the effects of the pink tax better than me, so is best placed to decide what should be included.

I really like our system. I have read a lot about the different ways in which people are made to effectively pay hidden taxes. Alongside the pink tax which affects women, there is evidence suggesting many people pay higher costs for everyday things because they are poor (high interest credit agreements to purchase expensive things in instalments, for example) or live in a poor area (less money means fewer jobs and more spent on travel). These sorts of situations strike me as very unfair, so I am pleased to get the chance to fight one of these hidden 'taxes' while supporting my partner.

I haven’t really spoken to friends and family about how we handle the pink tax, though not because I think they would react negatively. Personal finances just aren’t really something that get discussed in my friendship group, so it’s never really come up. I’m sure people close to me would either agree that our system is fair, or would at least be supportive if it works for our relationship.

Beyond my immediate circle, however, I probably wouldn’t be comfortable talking to people about it. I definitely think lots of people might have a different interpretation of the pink tax and I’ve seen a lot of very dismissive or openly aggressive tweets and comments in response to other articles about the pink tax (or feminist issues in general) and one of the reasons I suggested Livvi and I write under different names is because I don’t want either of us to receive any hate from angry dudes.

It’s a shame we have to think about that when writing about these sorts of issues.

Whatever other people think, I am pleased to be able to make Livvi’s life a bit less stressful and I think it makes us stronger as a couple.

Livvi

This wasn’t my idea and I didn’t 'campaign' for it – but the idea that there are lots of hidden costs to being an average woman has always irked me. I remember popping into a store with Eliot to grab some makeup basics and saying to him at the counter: "All this costs £50!" I was holding three small products! At the time I was working at a restaurant, where the manager made pointed comments if you didn’t wear makeup to a shift.

We don’t enforce it as a strict rule; it’s always up to me. I tend to use it for beauty treatments (haircuts, hair removal etc.) when I’m feeling overwhelmed, especially by the pressure of appearing a certain way. For instance, an upcoming wedding or if I’m feeling overlooked at work, not seen the way I want to be.

I think it’s very easy to be self-conscious of your 'branding' at work as a young woman, when you want to be taken seriously, and that can mean buying more things. For instance, I recently started dyeing my hair black – and cut it shorter – because I felt having long mousy-coloured hair accentuated my shyness. I’d wanted to appear tougher, and that came with a price tag.

Another big test was recently going on a hen party holiday. I’m not 'good' at being glamorous – I don’t wear makeup most days, I like baggy jumpers – and I really panicked. My friends have distinct, lovely, expressive styles and I knew I could easily slide into feeling out-of-place and rubbish.

Eliot took the sting out of the lead-up for me. He went shopping with me and kept reminding me to charge him 20% for my treatments (especially all that stupid hair removal!). But this did mean one night, on the holiday, when there was a mix-up paying a friend back for a drink, I just drunkenly yelled "Eliot will pay for it!" and downed the cocktail – which was (I think?!) a joke but still really bad. I want it to be a conscious and thoughtful process, not to use him as a piggy bank. Luckily I do the accounts sober.

Sometimes I worry the costs spring from me being insecure. But I do believe that women are given quite a strict narrative about what we need to feel comfortable.

Like not being safe in a city late at night. Most products I 'charge' him 20% – but we instantly split Ubers 50/50 when I’m travelling alone late at night and feeling uncomfortable. He wanted to change my mindset, from 'Is this a frivolous expense? Maybe I should just walk' to 'Yes, this is a sensible option and Eliot agrees'.

We don’t know if it’d be the right thing for everyone, we just know it works for us. I feel seen, like he’s acknowledging the pressures I’m under that he isn’t – and not brushing them off as 'silly woman should just wear less makeup'.

And it’s worth noting I do the same for him. I actually pay a kind of 'blue tax' equivalent by helping him pay his therapy costs. I don’t want him to feel financially drained by it, especially when I know he doesn’t have the same network of support that I have as a young woman.

The main disadvantage is it can be a hassle working all this out! We’re behind on our accounts by several months. But once it’s done, I’m very clear with the process and upload a spreadsheet of the costs to a shared Google Drive. Clarity helps make it fair.

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Being a stylist isn't as glamorous as it may seem. While most imagine free clothes and photoshoots at exotic locations, the reality is more often 4am call times, stressing over samples and defending your career against the unending, "What exactly do you do again?" If you need proof, take a look at Stressed Stylist, the latest Instagram account satirising the hustle and hard truths of working in the fashion industry.

The humorous account uses memes as catharsis and provides much-needed lols. Whether you're a fellow stylist, fashion lover or just curious as to what exactly drives stylists up the walls daily, take a look at some of the memes that made us laugh most.

Oh, and if you want more, there are plenty of very stressed-out fashion assistants too...

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