After launching less than a year ago in September 2016, Condé Nast's e-commerce site, Style.com has closed. Style.com has ceased business immediately and the website already redirects to Farfetch.com, as Condé Nast forges a new strategic partnership with the global luxury fashion online platform.
“As an early investor in Farfetch, this partnership is the next step in our evolving business relationship. It further unites two leaders in their respective sectors, combining best-in-class content with the world’s leading online luxury shopping destination,” chairman and chief executive of Condé Nast International, Jonathan Newhouse, who is joining the board of Farfetch, explained to Business of Fashion. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Style.com team for their dedication, energy and commitment.”
With a $100 million planned investment by Condé Nast in Style.com over the first four years, the e-tailer was supposed to rival Net-A-Porter and the world's other leading retail platforms, revolutionising the way readers of titles such as Vogue and GQ shopped. However, it was evident from the outset that things weren't going to plan – its launch was pushed back by a year in the UK, and a US launch never happened. Once the primary source for show reviews, catwalk images, breaking fashion news and insightful industry comment, Style.com was reincarnated as a luxury e-commerce site, with fashion aficionado and street style star Yasmin Sewell at the helm as fashion director.
It has not yet been disclosed what will happen to Sewell and the 75 members of staff employed by Style.com, though reportedly some will be able to interview for vacancies at Farfetch. According to a press release: "Condé Nast and Farfetch will partner to create a best-in-class content-to-commerce shopping experience, which will include a seamless technology connection to easily enable Farfetch product integration into Condé Nast's content; shopping guides created by Condé Nast publications, highlighting products from Farfetch; and distribution of shoppable content across Condé Nast digital and social platforms."
Natalie Massenet, co-chairman of Farfetch (who joined the company in February after leaving Net-a-Porter, which she founded in 2000), stated: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Condé Nast. Since 1999 I have believed in the importance of combining content and commerce in order to elevate the digital shopping experience... It will be thrilling to develop the next evolution of content and commerce with Anna Wintour and all the brilliant talented minds at Condé Nast."
Anna Wintour, artistic director at Condé Nast, added: "I've always believed that what sets Condé Nast apart is our voice and our vision. Partnering with Farfetch only enhances that, and brings a new dimension to all that we offer the world." All eyes on Farfetch to see how the fashion giant evolves for its next step.
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Roaming charges have long been a necessary evil for most mobile users when travelling abroad. Usually, avoiding them is a matter of turning off your data roaming and sticking to (potentially dodgy) public WiFi hotspots. But thankfully, this is all about to change.
Roaming charges will be abolished from 15th June (this Thursday) within the EU, meaning UK travellers won’t be charged extra for calls, texts and using data. Instead, they’ll come out of your regular allowance, the BBC reported.
No more near-death experiences upon opening your phone bill after a lovely break, and just in time for summer. Hallelujah!
More than nine million UK mobile users experienced “bill shock” after holidaying in the EU last year, according to research by uSwitch, so the new “Roam Like Home” legislation is bound to be widely welcomed.
The aim of the EU ban is to prevent travellers from receiving huge bills after downloading films or using large amounts of data in other ways while travelling.
However, mobile users are still likely to be charged for exceeding their allowance, and the amount will vary by provider, according to consumer watchdog Which?.
Different providers also include different countries in their roaming territories, so roaming charges may still apply in countries such as Switzerland and Andorra, and areas like the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which aren’t members of the EU or European Economic Area (EEA). Vodafone is reportedly the only network to include non-EU Turkey in its roaming bundle.
The countries included may also vary with the same provider, depending on whether you’re a pay-monthly or pay-as-you-go customer. The regulations don't apply to calls made from the UK to the EU, either.
Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services, recommended "[taking] a close look at what is or isn't included in your current mobile deal".
Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether British travellers will still be eligible for this perk post-Brexit, although it's thought the ban will remain in place for at least two years. A leaked analysis earlier this year suggested we wouldn’t continue to be eligible, but mobile phone companies have suggested that we might.
Vittorio Colao, chief executive of Vodafone, said in February that Brits most likely wouldn't be lumbered with steep charges after Brexit. “We treat Switzerland, which is not part of the EU, as part of it so why would we not treat the UK that way?” he said.
Meanwhile, Ernest Doku, mobiles spokesman at uSwitch.com, said the re-introduction of roaming charges to UK travellers would be "a bitter pill for consumers to swallow". Too right. "For those providers looking to step up and stand out, they'd do well to look at how free EU roaming could be maintained," he added. Hear, hear!
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Update: The formerly homeless man who helped victims during the May terrorist attack in Manchester, Stephen Jones, will soon have a place to live. UK businessman David Sullivan and his son, David Sullivan Jr., vowed to find Jones a home by the end of the week. David Jr. tweeted that they're paying for Jones to stay in a hotel in the meantime.
The man — only identified by ITV News as "Steve" — was sleeping near Manchester Arena on Monday night when the blast occurred at an Ariana Grande concert. As chaos descended on the venue and victims tried to run away from the arena, Steve began helping those who were hurt — from pulling nails out of the victims' bodies to holding them while waiting for emergency responders to reach the scene. At least 22 people died and 59 were injured during Monday's bombing, making it the most fatal terrorist attack in the UK since 2005.
'We had to pull nails out of children's faces': Steve, a homeless man who was sleeping near #Manchester Arena, rushed to help young victims pic.twitter.com/dyxzZpal0Q
"Just because I'm homeless, it doesn't mean I haven't got a heart and I'm not human still," Steve told ITV News in an interview published on Tuesday morning that has since gone viral. "It's just instinct to go and help if someone needed your help, and it was children, it was a lot of children with a lot of blood on them screaming and crying. We were having to pull nails out of their arms and a couple out of this little girl's face."
He added, "It had to be done, you had to help. If I didn't help, I wouldn't be able to live with myself for walking away and leaving kids like that."
The interview spread like wildfire online, with many people calling Steve a hero and praising him for his selflessness and kindness in the panicked moments following the attack.
@itvnews it's often the people with the least that tend to offer the most. I hope this man receives the help and support that he deserves.
Some social media users offered to help Steve with things like a place to sleep, food, and clothing. Others went as far as setting up crowdfunding efforts to help him financially.
@itvnews@ohsomint (2) find this man to offer him a bed to sleep, food and clothes? I will personally pay for the stuff to help him out @itvnews??
Zürich may be the largest city in Switzerland, but it's still small enough to get to know in a weekend — and that’s just one reason you should bump it to the top of your must-visit list. There, you’ll find enough to do, see, taste, and explore to fill your days, and most sites are easily accessible via short walks or tourist-friendly public transport.
Awe-inspiring art? Try one of Zürich's many well-curated museums, modern galleries, or halls filled with centuries-old paintings. Daytime activities? If paddleboarding or paddleboating on a picturesque lake filled with wild swans doesn't do it for you, we don't know what will. Nightlife? An outdoor bar nestled in a freshwater bath is not to be missed. And food? Well, Zürich's only got the best. The best cheese. The best meat. The best chocolate. And loads of it.
Tour the city in one minute in the video above, and peep our must-hit spots below. If you end up hankering to become not just a visitor but a resident of this cozy mountain-and-lake-flanked town, you certainly won’t be the first.
TO EAT, DRINK & CELEBRATE:
Café Schober Two floors of ornate decor may make you think this restaurant is nothing more than an Instagram haven, but the decadent food and desserts are as tasty as they are beautiful. We recommend coming hungry for breakfast.
Kronenhalle There’s no better place to eat Switzerland's signature rösti, a potato-pancake-y dish that’s often served with veal. This classy and classic old-world restaurant boasts a legendary history among artists and philosophers.
Münsterhof Thanks to Switzerland's high standards for produce and food in general, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bad meal in Zürich. But for one that’s particularly satisfying, fresh, light, and delicious, we recommend the modern Münsterhof, situated in a rustic building in the centre of the city.
Café Sprüngli Chocolate is the name of the game in Switzerland, and Café Sprüngli is in it to win it. Try the signature macaroons, truffles, or fruit-topped treats for an after-lunch pick-me-up.
John Baker Baker. It's right there in the name. Here, you'll find some of the best bread and other baked goods in town. Come early for the ultimate freshness.
George Bar & Grill This swanky, well-designed room with a view nods to the late '60s and '70s — you can imagine businessmen coming to George for a cigar and a stiff drink. Try the indulgent surf-and-turf and the apple-pie-flavoured cocktail.
Modissa Rooftop We've always dreamed of a place where we could shop all day, then pop up to a bumpin' rooftop for out-of-this-world drinks and light bites. Well, it exists in Zürich, right on the bustling Bahnhofstrasse. Come for the sunset, stay for cotton-candy-clad cocktails.
Widder Garage Attached to a fancy and thoughtfully designed hotel, Widder Garage is home to an impressive collection of records that you can bet a great DJ will have on rotation every night of the week. Even cooler? The bar is filled with old pianos, making it an all-the-more memorable after-work or date-night spot.
Gonzo Club At the super-popular, part-punk, part-speakeasy Gonzo Club, you'll find Swiss coeds ready to dance it out any night of the week. Heads up: Wednesday is hip-hop night.
Fat Tony A new late-night pizza spot and garden by the owners of Gonzo Club (located downstairs), Fat Tony promises a tasty end to any night out.
Seebad Enge Any sort of lakeside hangout gets our vote of approval. Start with some R & R, and proceed to the welcoming dock bar.
Frau Gerolds Garten If we lived in Zürich, we'd come to this relaxed BBQ spot and bar all the damn time. Constructed out of shipping containers and filled with plants and kitschy furniture galore, it seems straight out of Harriet the Spy …except with a wide selection of local beers.
Clouds With its panoramic city views, small pizzas, and local beers, Clouds is a beautiful place to come for a drink with a date or family alike.
Les Halles Located in the back of a gourmet market with order-at-the-bar service and rustic interiors, Les Halles is a locally beloved restaurant that specialises in mussels. It's truly not to be missed.
Dante At Dante, polished interiors are matched by pastel-purple and bright-pink drinks. Impress anyone by choosing to meet at this upscale cocktail bar; it’s an indulgence you won't soon forget.
Rimini A daytime swimming hole becomes a nighttime watering hole with picnic tables to gather 'round into the wee hours.
TO SEE & DO
Kunsthaus Art- and history-lovers should pass a lovely afternoon at Kunsthaus, which houses one of the most important collections in Switzerland.
Landesmuseum Take an interactive walk through Swiss history, and marvel at the technology used at this historical museum with futuristic flair.
FIFA Museum Say what you will about FIFA, but this museum's appeal is undeniable. Not only can you glance at the actual golden trophy, but you can also hone your skills on the soccer version of a mini-golf course located on the top floor.
Migros Museum Get your culture on with cutting-edge, rotating installations at this modern-art museum across from a viaduct-cum-shopping centre.
Viadukt Shopping Lose an afternoon, gain some delicious foods and local wares. Under the Viadukt, you'll find tourist-friendly but locally beloved eateries and stores chock full of threads and trinkets.
Uetliberg A scenic overlook with the option for adventure, Uetliberg is well-known for its mountain-biking course and active-workout circuit situated right alongside the Swiss hills.
Zürich Zoologischer Garten "Let's go to the zoo!" is always a fun suggestion, especially when it comes to Zürich's top-of-the-line facility. Don't leave without seeing the elephants, whom, if you’re lucky, you can catch swimming.
Freitag Flagship Store & Tower The cult-favourite Freitag bag has become synonymous with recycled fashion, but in Zürich, it’s the local flagship that has us swooning. The store is built out of shipping containers, culminating in an observation deck up top.
Hauptbahnhof The largest train station in Zürich is also home to some of the easiest shopping. Stop by to run errands or pick up a snack underground.
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At any point during the day, chances are you could use a neck massage. Knowing the reasons why your neck hurts can sometimes help you feel better — you slept funny, you carry an unreasonably heavy bag, or you sit at your desk all day. Sometimes, a simple switch is enough to help your neck, but an estimated 15% of the population deals with chronic neck pain, according to the CDC. Some research even suggests that neck pain is more common in women.
You probably can't just go and grab a massage whenever you're feeling tense (massages are expensive!), nor can you convince a friend or family member to rub your shoulders every time you need them to. Luckily, there are some things you can do on your own to ease the pain.
Here are some neck stretches from a few stretching experts: Hakika DuBose, founder and CEO of Power Stretch Studios; Jill Miller, creator of the corrective exercise format Yoga Tune Up and author of The Roll Model Method; and Lindsay Davis, a group fitness manager and instructor at Equinox. Try these right when you wake up in the morning, when you need a break at your desk, or when you're at the gym. With a little imagination, they might feel just as good as getting a neck massage.
Standing Neck Arch
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips-width apart, and place your palms on the top of your thighs. Bend both knees and sit back, feeling a slight engagement in your glutes, but keeping your spine elongated and straight. Draw your shoulder blades towards one another, and relax your shoulders as you lift your chest, neck, and crown of your head toward the sky, arching your upper back slightly. Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat.
Shoulder Lean
Place the palm of your left hand on your right ear. Gently press down on your head, so your left ear moves toward your left shoulder. Create distance between your right earlobe and the top of your right shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. To make the stretch more intense, Davis says to make a first with your right hand, and think about pulling that fist to the floor. Switch sides, repeat.
Hand-To-Neck Support
Interlace your fingers and bring your arms behind your head, so both pinkies are at the base of your head and top of your neck. Open your elbows wide and relax your shoulders. Gently move your thumbs along your spine and press slightly. Lift your skin up a few inches and hold for five seconds, then move the skin back to where you started for five seconds. Alternate up and down for 30 seconds.
Extension With Ball
Place a small stability ball against a wall and sit in front of it, with your back pressed against the ball, and legs extended in front of you. Clasp your hands behind your head. Relax your shoulders and gently lean back into the ball while pressing your shoulders back. Not only will you feel your neck release, but you'll also feel your shoulder and sternum open, DuBose says.
Let It Go
Sit on the ground with your legs crossed and bring your chin to your chest, slowly dropping your head to the floor. When you can reach your hands to the floor, crawl your fingertips out in front of you as far as you can comfortably go without causing more tension or pain in your body. When you feel like you're at your limit, relax and take three breaths into the tight muscles to release them. Switch legs and repeat. It's normal for each side to feel different depending on your body's imbalances, but just make sure you actually do both sides, DuBose says.
Block Head
Hold the short ends of a yoga block on either side, then lift the block behind your head, so it's resting where your neck meets your skull, Miller says. Walk your fingertips to the edge of the block, and pull the block to your head, while simultaneously resisting your head into the block. Draw your chin inward slightly to create a feeling of lengthening and traction, and hold this for 20 seconds. Miller says this is a neck strengthener and should feel like your neck has been "stretched into a giraffe's neck."
Gaze To Thumb
Start standing and open your arms to a T-position, keeping your elbows straight. Lower your right arm toward the ground, and your left arm up on a high diagonal, so your arms form a straight slope, from fingertip to fingertip. Gaze up toward the thumb of your raised hand, and then slowly turn your head and neck as you shift your gaze onto your right thumb. You can do this stretch rhythmically or statically, Davis says. So either five seconds in both directions for 30 seconds total, or hold the gaze for 15 seconds in each direction, she says.
Resisted Slow-Motion Rotation
Sit or stand with your spine in alignment, close your eyes, and imagine your head is submerged in clay, Miller says. Sounds weird, but that might help create internal resistance that will make this stretch actually feel good. Slowly rotate your head toward the left.
Resisted Slow-Motion Rotation (cont.)
Maintain the resistance as you tilt your chin towards your left shoulder. Rotate your head down and over to the right, tucking the chin into the right shoulder. Finish with your spine straight, head turned to the right. Repeat this slow pattern for four rounds, then do two rounds with "no resistance" at a slow pace.
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Is an #OOTD really an #OOTD if there isn't a handbag to pull it all together? Really, nothing makes any old jeans-and-a-top outfit pop like a cool bag — but, there's one phenomenon happening among the ladies of the 'gram that's putting our usual totes and cross-bodies to shame: Typical leather handbags are being replaced by baskets of all shapes and sizes.
From oversized to cute, colour-blocked mini-bags, there's something that just feels so summer-y — and since we can't avoid the reference, so very Jane Birkin — about a woven basket. The trend doesn't just take the simplest of outfits and give them a vintage feel — they're also ideal for sitting on the grass at the park or on the sand at the beach, without having to worry whether your handbag will get dirty or destroyed. Oh, and they go with pretty much anything.
To show just how versatile basket bags are, we've rounded up images of our 15 favourite women on Instagram who make the look all their own.
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"I really love Black Mirror, but it's just not quite creepy enough for me," said no one ever. Nevertheless, an anthology book that promises to be even more disturbing than the TV series itself will hit bookstores in February 2018. So clear your calendars for that week and plan to sleep with all your lights on.
Charlie Brooker, the genius behind the dystopian series, announced today that Black Mirror Volume I is in the works and it includes all new stories from authors that haven't previously been associated with the TV show.
Although we've been assured that the aforementioned authors are "some of the leading names in contemporary fiction," their identities remain a mystery. But Brooker himself is in charge of editing the tome, which bodes well for its quality.
"[T]his book takes the very essence of the globally acclaimed cult TV show to create new, original, darkly satirical stories that tap into our collective unease about the modern world," its official synopsis from the publisher reads. "This is Black Mirror in book form, allowed to roam through the imaginations of some of the leading names in contemporary fiction. This collection will challenge you to see the world in a different — and more disturbing — light."
Everett Collection
Uh, hold up: a more disturbing light? We didn't know such a thing was possible. Right below the synopsis, a foreboding " You have been warned..." appears. We don't know about you, but we've already got chills.
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Are y’all ready for this? It’s time for a Lindsay Lohan comeback. Or, to be accurate, another Lindsay Lohan comeback. The 30-year-old freckled goddess has had several falls from grace and subsequent returns to fame. Recently, she has been busy meeting the Turkish president, hugging Syrian refugees and carrying around a Qur'an. Earlier this year she declared “I’m back, bitches” when she launched a game show called The Anti-Social Network, where she takes over contestants’ social media accounts. It does actually seem that this time, bitches, she could be back for real. One can only dream. Girlfriend is nothing if not persistent.
Just two days ago, Lohan shared photographic evidence on Instagram of positive career progression. “Back on the set of my new TV show #SickNote” she wrote, with a couple of emoji smiley faces. The picture was this one, alongside Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley) and Nick Frost ( Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). 137,000 likes later, the picture was trending on Twitter and Lohan fans were celebrating this elusive announcement. They were also, naturally, celebrating the debut of an asymmetrical bob (WIG OR REAL, WIG OR REAL, WIG OR REAL?), which is of course newsworthy in itself.
Frankly, Twitter user Brodie Lancaster summed up the mood best with this tweet:
As it turns out, “whatever the fuck this is” is a comedy show called Sick Note. The first season is coming out soon on Sky and they’ve just started filming the second season – and that’s when Lohan comes in. The premise sounds pretty good, to me. Rupert Grint stars as Daniel Glass, a miserable insurance broker with a compulsive lying addiction. He’s misdiagnosed with a terminal illness but decides not to tell his family and friends. Don Johnson plays Daniel’s boss… and next season, Lohan will play his boss' daughter, Katerina West.
Now, here’s why this is excellent news. Here’s why this is the best evidence we’ve had for a proper Lohan comeback. This is comedy, baby. This is Lohan’s heartland. Think of Mean Girls, hell, think all the way back to The Parent Trap. Watch any and every time she has appeared in sketches on Saturday Night Live. This woman has comic timing. Say whatever you will about her extracurricular activities, Lindsay Lohan is more talented than the media deign to acknowledge. She’s proper funny, she always has been. Sure, in recent years, she’s been funny accidentally, like that time she claimed to have woken up with a Turkish accent. But when she’s given the comedic roles, she nails them. We can only hope she brings back the British accent she cultivated for The Parent Trap.
The other thing is this. The reason Lohan has been out of work for so long is that no production company could afford the insurance to employ her. She, ah, wasn’t exactly professional on a couple of projects and basically nobody could (or would) put up the cash to pay for the thing if Lohan either didn’t turn up or, I don’t know, got arrested again midway through shooting (a friend of my ex-boyfriend’s saw Lohan during her community service and said she was extremely polite and very diligent about emptying the rubbish bags). So, Sky Atlantic, which is producing Sick Note, has either taken a leap of faith on Lohan and pulled together the insurance to cover her – OR she’s redeemed herself enough to be a safe investment again. Either way, Lohan is clearly turning up to work and frankly, that’s the best endorsement of her wellbeing we’ve had in a long time.
And this show actually sounds like a good vehicle for Lohan’s proper comeback. Firstly, she seems weirdly enamoured with British culture and we, in turn, appear to be sort of grudgingly fond of her. Remember that time she got involved in some sick banter with the British town of Kettering and promised to put their Christmas lights up? I mean, she didn’t turn up but, still, the thought was there.
Secondly, her co-stars are great. Nick Frost is comedy industry royalty. Together with Simon Pegg, he brought us the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy of films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. He is a lovely writer, a brilliant comic and, having sort-of flirted with him once at a film junket, I can say he’s a jolly nice man. Rupert Grint is, of course, a comedic talent; did you see the facial expressions that man pulled throughout all eight Harry Potter films? Ron Weasley was the comic relief and frankly, this project must be good for Grint to take a break from drinking beer with his mates to commit to it. It’s also in very safe hands: Sick Note is produced by Jo Sargent, David Walliams and Miranda Hart’s production company, King Bert.
And so, let us rejoice for a serious Lindsay Lohan comeback is in play. Long live Lohan.
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We hear a lot about ‘fast fashion’. This catch-all may be a short, memorable and useful term to describe the industry’s relationship with clothes, but what does it actually mean? In a nutshell, fast fashion is a descriptor of society’s obsession with relentless consumption. This insatiable hunger creates unsustainable demand, meaning that big brands have to cut corners to deliver huge quantities at low prices. The result is environmental pollution, courtesy of cheap, synthetic fibres, chemical dyes, air freight and other factors, as well as the social cost paid by garment workers in far-flung countries who have been stripped of their human rights. It’s worth repeating: language is important, and these two words are often used to describe a wider, more complex conversation.
Words shape the way we think about things; we understand a concept through its opposition. This is why many of us are subconsciously quick to divide the fashion industry into the neat categories of ‘high street’ and ‘high end’ which, incidentally, does more harm than good. The cost of a garment is not always synonymous with its quality; although reports show that the responsibility for disasters like Rana Plaza lies largely with the high street, some of these perpetrators have actually been some of the most proactive brands in terms of making a change.
It goes without saying that if you pay £3 for a T-shirt, somebody somewhere in the world has been either underpaid or poorly treated in order to cut costs. It’s also worth noting, however, that some mid-market and luxury designers are notoriously reluctant to be transparent about their manufacturing, meaning that they could well have outsourced their labour to similar sweatshops and saved a fortune in the process. If they aren’t giving out the information, we don’t know. Nothing is ever perfect, but there are ways to find out which brands are genuinely progressing the conversation and taking sustainability seriously – Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index is just one of many key resources available online.
One of the most vocal companies championing sustainability is Swedish retail giant H&M, whose Conscious collection and other initiatives have been well received. “[It is] an integral part of everything we do here at H&M,” says Catarina Midby, the UK & IE sustainability manager, when asked about the brand’s commitment. Since introducing a code of conduct (which is now its Sustainability Commitment) back in the 1990s, the high street giant has continued to develop its policies and, whenever applicable, acknowledge its mistakes. “One of our biggest environmental initiatives includes our global garment collection scheme – since 2013, all H&M stores globally offer a service whereby customers can hand in unwanted clothes and textiles from any brand in any condition. We will ensure that they are recycled, with 0% going to landfill.”
H&M has been open about its work with factories in developing countries, some of which have been locked in lengthy battles with their governments on the topic of workers’ rights. Earlier this year, the brand – alongside others like Zara, Gap and C&A – pulled out of the annual Dhaka Apparel Summit, sending a clear message that human rights violations and poor working conditions would not be accepted. Bangladesh relies heavily on its garment industry; recent reports show that it accounts for around 70% of all of the country’s visible exports. By applying pressure and threatening to withdraw these contracts, high street stores are using their power to try and change the situation.
Midby describes this ongoing dialogue with factories in developing countries as one of the key ways to make a truly lasting impact. She also highlights that it’s no longer optional: “The greatest change-makers are consumers who, with their growing awareness, are demanding an added value of sustainability in the products and services that they buy. As a brand, to drive change in our industry, we must work together with other brands, institutions and governments. Collaboration is key.”
This same consumer pressure has seen more retail conglomerates lay down sustainability targets and announce their plans to tackle the problem. Arcadia Group (which owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Topman), M&S and ASOS are just some of the companies publishing statistics and figures online. Some are relatively brief and straightforward, whereas others are impressively comprehensive – ASOS even has a sourcing map which includes its global factories and the gender ratio of its staff. This information requires time and patience to comb through, but it does show that high street brands are now perhaps even more transparent than their luxury counterparts; big fashion houses are often reluctant to release information around their factories, either because they want to keep information private or prevent other companies from outsourcing to the same places.
When brands are transparent, however, the results can be fascinating. A recently published report entitled ‘Dirty Fashion ’ praised companies like H&M and Zara for their transparency while also revealing that they were – perhaps unknowingly – sourcing viscose from factories responsible for polluting the ocean. By dumping untreated wastewater, these viscose manufacturers have a devastating impact not only on the environment but on local communities who, the illuminating study found, were unwillingly exposed to toxic waters which were increasing their risk of fatal illness. Research reports like these are emerging frequently, although a willingness by brands to be honest does at least demonstrate a commitment to keep making changes to eradicate these problems.
Selfridges is a unique case study as it combines luxury partners with a high street presence, making it perfectly placed to apply pressure to designer brands. The company is well known for taking its responsibilities seriously and, perhaps more importantly, creating innovative initiatives to make the conversation more engaging. The Material World scheme is just one example – a multi-pronged campaign which both champions emerging designers and presents comprehensive information on the ways in which fashion takes its toll on the planet. There’s also Project Ocean, a partnership with ZSL conceived in order to tackle pollution from waste plastic.
“Sustainability is not negotiable. If every person on the planet shared the consumption habits of the average European in 2017, we would need three Earths to live on,” explains Danielle Vega, Selfridges’ director of sustainability. “We are committed to playing our part in changing those habits and presenting alternatives, which is why our Buying Better, Inspiring Change initiative is there to draw a line in the sand: by 2020, we will ensure that 50% of our brands are better for people and for our planet under the terms of the United Nations' global goals for sustainable development.” Vega also outlines the company’s intention to put pressure on its partners as well as its plans to label items more clearly – a small step towards enabling consumers to make their own informed choices.
The wealth of information available now means that we can start to undo the narrative which tells us we need to spend more on sustainable fashion when, in reality, we may not have the means to do so. There’s an argument around sustainability in the fashion industry which is deeply rooted in class; for those of us working on a tight budget, balancing the desire to invest in well-made pieces and the reality of perhaps needing new clothes for our jobs or our children can present an ethical dilemma.
We need to widen the discussion and highlight the ways in which high street stores are actively making changes; whether due to consumer pressure or a genuine desire, these plans are being pushed through and they’re enabling a more complex conversation. You don’t have to spend more to spend better, although the extreme lower end of the spectrum almost always involves exploitation. That we can spend maybe £5 more in order to shop more ethically, though, is rarely mentioned, nor is the fact that vintage, charity shops and clothing swaps are all perfectly legitimate ways to shop sustainably without breaking the bank. The high street has unwittingly become a scapegoat, inextricably linked to vague, overarching discussions of ‘fast fashion’; now, even some of the culprits are realising that it’s time to change the narrative.
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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny.
This week, we're with a 22-year-old final-year law student who loves to travel and enjoys experiencing new things. She currently lives with her parents and sister in Sheffield, which she loves – she's very much a family person. As a student, she makes the most of her money by looking for the best deals and selling things to fund her adventures.
Industry: Student Age: 22 Location: Sheffield Salary: £6,000 bursary Paycheque amount per month: I receive it as one lump sum but if you divide by 12 then it works out at £500 a month Number of housemates: 3 (my family)
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: I don't pay rent because I live at home but I pay my parents £100 a month as well as paying for one-off things. Loan payments: Still at university so don't pay anything at the moment. Utilities: Covered by the £100 I pay. Transportation: Share a car with my mum and only pay for insurance which is £500 per annum – £41.70 Phone bill: £9 a month for sim only. Bought my handset outright as it's cheaper but now due an upgrade. Savings: Not saving much at the moment as I don't have a large enough income but have saved £500 towards a new phone overall. I don't put away a set amount each month, though.
Total: £150.70
Day One
9am: I have leftover birthday cake from the weekend so breakfast is free.
11am: I get my hair cut and styled by a mobile hairdresser as I am going to an afternoon tea later. She does a great job and saves me having to do it myself. £18
2pm: Afternoon tea with the family. It's my treat and I already paid for it last month (£20) as I found a good deal on Groupon, so this doesn't come out of this week's budget. I fill up on lots of sandwiches and cakes and bring leftover cake home for later. I decide to let someone else have it as I have eaten non-stop cake all weekend.
6pm: I go to Meadowhall to do some shopping. I only do window shopping on this occasion as I have spent a lot on clothes this month.
8pm: After walking around with no purchases, decide to go to Pizza Express. I justify it as I have a £5-off code but end up paying for my mum and sister, too, which is my way of paying them back for the free food, bills etc. £30.40
Total amount spent: £48.40
Day Two
8am: After spending all day out yesterday, I have an essay to finish so decide to get as much of it done as I can. Make a cup of tea, fried egg and toast and I get started.
1pm: Still working on my essay. Decide to make myself a quick lunch using leftovers to make a salad and carry on with my research.
5pm: I have a break from my essay and end up shopping online. The Pandora ring I have been wanting for a while has been reduced so I buy it. I justify it as an end-of-exam treat. £42
7pm: I make tuna pasta with the food from the weekly shop we did last week. It's yummy, quick and filling and one of my go-to dishes when I am studying. I eat this while finishing off my research.
Total amount spent: £42
Day Three
9am: Breakfast is tea and toast. Not particularly adventurous but still satisfying. Carry on with my essay.
12pm: Eat my leftover tuna pasta and write 1,000 words for my essay. Feeling pretty pleased with the amount of work I've managed to do.
6pm: Make a last-minute decision to go to the cinema for a break seeing as I've done a huge chunk of my essay. Use my 241 code and student ID so tickets for two people work out as £8.50. I take my little sister and I pay. Nip into Tesco on the way and buy the popcorn I like (because I hate cinema popcorn) and a few drinks and snacks. It costs £3.
Total amount spent: £11.50
Day Four
9am: Don't have long for breakfast as I have a few errands to do. Just a quick cup of tea for me.
10am: Someone bought something of mine on eBay last night and I have to post it. I regularly sell my clothes and any unwanted things from the house. The money I get from eBay I save to put it towards my new phone. The buyer pays postage so this costs me nothing.
12pm: Boots have a promotion on so I stock up on toiletries. I usually wait until there is a sale on. I share this with my mum's basket so I can collect £10 worth of points on my Boots card. I usually save these points and buy a perfume or something to treat myself later. £18.15
1pm: As the weather is 27 degrees, I decide to enjoy it before it goes. Buy ice cream and ice lollies for everyone and take it to my grandma's house where I sit in the garden until sunset. £5. Make a mental note to make sure I do my essay tomorrow.
Total amount spent: £23.15
Day Five
8am: Run a few errands, pick up a tea on the way but it is free as I have a loyalty card and have got all my stamps.
11am: Get working on my essay to catch up for yesterday. Spend all afternoon writing and snacking.
7pm: Find out the moon has been sighted and it has been confirmed Ramadan starts tomorrow! Take my brother to the supermarket and buy enough food to last the next few weeks so that we don't have to shop while we're hungry. I pay for it on my bank card but my parents pay me back £64 as I like to pay for my share.
Total amount spent: £20
Day Six
2am: It's sunrise so now we have breakfast. Have a mango smoothie and granola for sustenance. The fast starts at 2:50 am and it's going to be a long day as the sun sets at 9:15pm so can't eat until then. Go back to sleep.
11am: I am lucky I don't have university this month as it is exams season so can sleep in. Spend the rest of the day writing my essay and trying not to think about food.
9pm: The day goes by quite fast and it's nice to eat with all my family for iftar (the meal to open the fast). We have lots of food prepared but I stick to water and salad. Trying not to be unhealthy or overindulge as it makes the following day harder. Read evening prayers and get an hour's sleep before waking up to do it all again.
Total amount spent: £0
Day Seven
2am: Wake up and have granola, a boiled egg and two glasses of water. Staying hydrated is the key. Go back to sleep.
11am: Wake up and finish my essay. As the day goes by your body adjusts so I tend to be more productive during Ramadan, and distracting yourself with work helps.
1pm: My theatre tickets I ordered arrive. It's a bit expensive but the seats are front and centre stage. It's a birthday treat for my mum and I paid using my savings from last month.
9.20pm: Open my fast and start off well eating a chicken salad I prepared earlier. But as the night goes on I feast on trifle, chocolate and anything in sight. Decide to drink plenty of water to balance it out and have a healthier breakfast in a few hours.
In Israel, there are around 25,000 men in prison. Some 14,000 of these are convicted on criminal charges. The rest are incarcerated on security-related charges – and are mostly Palestinian. In comparison, there are just 200 women in prison in the Holy Land. And they're all in one place – Neve Tirza.
Situated in Ramla, not far from Tel Aviv, and first opened in 1968, Neve Tirza is a small, dilapidated and dangerously overcrowded place. The size of most of the cells is 13 square metres, including a toilet and shower. Each cell is home to around six women, who often share their sleeping space, either out of choice or necessity. The United Nations declares that a basic human right, regardless of the person’s status, is a minimum of eight square metres of living space. In Neve Tirza, each prisoner has around two square metres to call their own.
Israeli photographer Tomer Ifrah was sent to Neve Tirza, back in 2013, to take a portrait of a prisoner for an Israeli magazine. Seeing the potential for a larger project, he found the prison warden’s office, knocked on her door, and negotiated further access.
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
Ifrah saw something beyond the bars, rules, claustrophobia and institutionalism of the place. He sensed a photography series that might have the power to say something about the country of his birth. Over repeated visits, Ifrah has now taken more than 500 images from within the prison, as part of the joint Israeli/Palestinian photography project Frames Of Reality. The series, he says, details how Jewish and Muslim women, and indeed women from all over the world, have developed close and intimate relationships in such a stark place – often in the most extreme and traumatic of circumstances.
The women in Neve Tirza are not separated by beliefs or ethnicity. Jewish and Muslim women share cells, showers, food and beds, alongside women of all kinds of ethnic and national identities. "Women from all kinds of social, cultural or religious backgrounds live together in Neve Tirza," Ifrah tells Refinery29. "Most of them are ethnic minorities and were not born on Israeli soil. Some come from Russia, Ethiopia, or South America."
Many of the women in Neve Tirza are there on drugs charges, and are serving a second or third term. Mental illness is a serious problem, and the prison does not have the capacity, or maybe even the will, to treat the inmates as in any way afflicted. Issues here are compound and endemic. About 60% use prescribed psychiatric drugs. About 70% have served time here before, or will, statistically speaking, end up back here again. Many of the women here are mothers, but the prison doesn’t provide an adequate space for them to spend time with their kids when they visit. Many of the women have a background of sex work and, in many cases, are victims of sexual abuse and drug addiction, yet there’s little attempt to provide any sort of therapy for something that haunts people for life.
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
Ifrah doesn’t try and hide this in his photography. Many of his shots are narrow and close, often showing a single woman in isolation and lost in her own world, as if the camera wasn’t there, or was of little consequence to whatever was going on in her head. In some, the women lounge on their bed, or hang their arms through the bars of their cell, or crouch in a gesture of privacy as they listen to the voice of someone from the outside on the end of the phone. In others, Muslim women in veils silently read the Qur’an – their absorption a vision of power in itself.
Sometimes, Ifrah would take portraits that deeply engaged the prisoners – resulting in images that have the capacity to speak of hope, like the pregnant girl sat beside a bunch of flowers, or the woman who lies in the single patch of sun that shines on the yard, her eyes closed against the coils of barbed wire that hang just above her head. But in the intensity of their stare – and in this context of institutional confinement and decay – there’s a weary sadness to many of Ifrah’s portraits, a symbiosis between the women’s environment and the way they present themselves to the camera. It’s natural to focus on the small comforts they rely on – the cigarettes, their clothing, the tattoos and jewellery that elevate their singularity – and reflect on how paltry the comfort must be. You can’t help but wonder if they’re ever going to get out.
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
"Most were serving their second or third sentences,” Ifrah says. "They don’t have many options when they are released. That’s not just the case here in Israel. It’s a universal fact.”
Ifrah recounts how he became used to the sound of the insults hurled between prisoners, or the guards’ verbal violence, or the constant slamming of doors, the electric buzz as one is opened and closed again. But Ifrah wanted to capture the other side of the prison.
“If you stay close to someone for a long period of time, you often can’t help but develop a strong bond,” he says. “There is lots of love among the prisoners. They often care very deeply for each other. It feels like a very close family.”
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
It’s tempting to discuss Neve Tirza as a wider metaphor for the state of the State of Israel. But this prison is also indicative of a wider trend of female imprisonment throughout the world. With the exception of a handful of small, often autocratic regimes, in countries across the globe women generally constitute less than 10% of the entire prison population. In the vast majority of countries, that figure is closer to 5%. Apparently, because of their small and stable number over the years, female inmates suffer from a dual punishment – the forced marginalisation from society, and a total lack of regard when locked away.
Most modern prisons throughout the developed world have wings designed to cater for a specific type of prisoner, with specially trained guards and a basic understanding of how a prisoner might be impacted by seemingly obvious things – serious health issues, sustained drug abuse, the way the victims of crime can also perpetrate it.
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
If you’re below the age of 18 in the UK, for example, you’re sent to a juvenile prison. If you’re diagnosed with psychiatric issues, you‘re sent to a secure hospital. Or if your crime was motivated by drug abuse, you’re sent to a wing set up for those who are weaning themselves off drugs. This isn’t the case in Neve Tirza. A teenager serving her first sentence will find herself in a cell with hardened veterans of the system. Women who have spent a sustained period of their life on drugs are left to share cells with women who have never touched the stuff.
Vered Lee, a reporter for Haaretz, reminds us that the inmates of Neve Tirza are often victims themselves, from childhood onwards. Yet many of their crimes are heinous, unforgivable, and worthy of punishment.
Photographs by Tomer Ifrah.
“About five years ago, I interviewed a 32-year-old inmate at Neve Tirza who had been sentenced to a 25-year prison term for murder and robbery,” Lee writes. “At the age of 13, she began using drugs, and by the time of her arrest she was addicted. In prison she stopped using drugs for the first time in her life. She reflected the victimisation profile of the prisoners: a past as a girl without a childhood, a teenager who was exploited by men, the mother of a child given up for adoption. Slowly but surely, I realised that the fragile woman sitting opposite me had knocked on the door of an elderly woman, who trustingly opened it. She and her partner entered the apartment, beat the old woman cruelly, robbed her and stabbed her more than 30 times all over her body, killing her.”
Through Tomer’s lens, we see the impact of such imprisonment, a loop of violence, victimisation, and imprisonment, both in a cage in Israel, in Israel itself, and in the world at large.
Jeremy Corbyn may have won over a fair few fans since his remarkable general election performance, not least within his own party, but he’s not the only one to acquire a glut of new admirers in the last week.
His youngest son, Tommy, is causing quite a stir on social media for a very different reason – namely, his notable resemblance to Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood.
Not much is known about the 23-year-old, aside from the fact that he's a York University engineering graduate and grassroots Labour activist who supported his dad on the campaign trail. Like father, like son, then. There were also reports in April that he was mugged in Islington North, his dad's London constituency.
Currently obsessed with the fact Corbyn's youngest son is basically Elijah Wood pic.twitter.com/r7FoYoAjDO
His mum is Claudia Bracchitta, Corbyn's ex-wife, and he has two older brothers – Ben, a football coach, and Seb, who works for shadow chancellor John McDonnell – about whom people have suddenly become extremely curious...
Jeremy Corbyn's sons are beautiful lmao how have i just found out
Summer, summer, summertime. We love it, obviously, but the strong sun strikes dread into the hearts of us paler folk. The fear of premature ageing and cancer has many of us racing to the shade in our SPF 50. Plus, skin that resembles a strip of burnt bacon before peeling off like a snake's ain’t a good look.
But what if we could get a tan without risking cancer or premature ageing? The idea may sound too good to be true, but some genius scientists have created a drug that does just that, the BBC reported.
The drug, developed by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital, creates a tan by mimicking sunlight, which makes the skin produce the brown form of the pigment melanin, the skin’s natural defence against harmful UV rays.
Unlike fake tan, which merely “paints” the skin and doesn’t protect against UV radiation, the tan created by the drug is “real” and within the skin. Users simply rub the drug into the skin, which kickstarts its melanin-making process.
The evidence suggests it would even help redheads to tan. Red hair and fair skin are caused by a genetic mutation that also stops UV light from creating dark melanin in the normal way.
Dr. David Fisher, one of the researchers, said the drug "has a potent darkening effect”. He told the BBC: "Under the microscope it's the real melanin, it really is activating the production of pigment in a UV-independent fashion."
While it’s easy to see the drug flying off beauty counters and department store shelves, the scientists said they’re more interested in preventing skin cancer – the most common type of cancer – than creating a new cosmetic product. It’s hoped the drug will be added to suncream to boost its effectiveness, the BBC reported.
"Our real goal is a novel strategy for protecting skin from UV radiation and cancer,” Fisher said. "Dark pigment is associated with a lower risk of all forms of skin cancer – that would be really huge."
As outlined in the journal Cell Reports, the drug has so far been tested on human skin samples and mice. While there has been "no hint of problems" so far, the scientists said they want to do more safety testing before it can be made available for commercial use. Put us on the waiting list, stat.
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Next Wednesday is the start of Glastonbury, which – and you may not believe this – is primarily a music festival and not actually a fashion show or even simply a five-day piss-up. It’s the music that brings strangers together in that unrivalled, free-spirited Glastonbury way.
Among those topping the bill this year are Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Katy Perry and The XX, who you’d be forgiven for assuming must be receiving a pretty penny for their presence.
But not so, according to Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, whose father Michael Eavis founded the festival in 1970 (and can often be spotted wandering around the festival grounds).
In an interview with BBC 6 Music's Matt Everitt, Eavis revealed that Glastonbury generally pays its big performers "less than 10%" of what they'd earn at other festivals.
The festival’s emphasis on giving money to charities including Oxfam, WaterAid and Greenpeace, means it’s not a commercial operation in the way that most others are. “We're not in the same bracket as everyone else when it comes to paying artists massive fees,” she said.
“The most important part of the festival is the fact that we can give that money to charity, because it makes it all totally worthwhile,” Eavis added. "We try to give £2m a year. In a wet year it's harder because it costs more, but we give as close to £2m as we can.”
She said people should consider its charitable giving when they scrutinise the festival’s lineup. “Glastonbury relies completely on good will, we’re not in a situation where we’re able to just give people enormous amounts of money,” she said.
"It's probably less than 10% of what they'd get from playing any of the other major British festivals. So we’re really grateful for the bands we get because when they come here they’re basically doing it for fun and for the love of it.”
By contrast, artists can receive more than £1 million for headlining other UK festivals. Reading and Leeds raised the bar in 2000 by offering Oasis a six-figure sum and similar figures have been commonplace since then, the BBC reported. V Festival paid Eminem £2 million in 2011, while Rihanna earned roughly £1 million for playing before him.
Meanwhile, Michael Eavis once admitted paying Coldplay and Paul McCartney £200,000 for their Glastonbury sets. "Although it sounds a lot, they could have charged me far more," he said. Paul McCartney can earn up to £4 million for performances, but likely less for festivals, reported the BBC.
The Rolling Stones were even reported to have made a loss for headlining Glastonbury in 2013 because they spent money on revamping the Pyramid Stage.
When asked about festival safety in light of the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London, Emily Eavis said the Glastonbury team had had “a lot of security meetings in the last couple of weeks” and that “extra provisions and security checks” have been put in place this year.
Ticket-holders have received an email informing them that it will take longer for them to enter this year because extra searches will be carried out. The festival is also working closely with police, she said.
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Following the tragic attack in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 22, Ariana Grande has proven herself to be a very capable pop star. The 23-year-old galvanised the pop world for an impromptu benefit concert titled "One Love Manchester," an assembly of some of the world's biggest superstars. For her efforts, Ariana Grande will earn honorary citizenship in Manchester, as The Guardian reports. In fact, the city of Manchester organised a whole new process through which it can recognise contributions, all because of Ariana Grande.
"This seems a fitting moment to update the way we recognise those who make noteworthy contributions to the life and success of our city," council leader Richard Leese told BBC news. He added that Grande "exemplified" the world's loving response to the terror of the tragic incident, and that many already consider Grande an honorary "Mancunian."
In the wake of the tragedy, which killed 22, Grande has demonstrated remarkable resilience. Organising the star-studded concert aside, the Florida native visited Manchester victims in the hospital.
"We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn't recoil," she wrote on Twitter following the attack. "We will not quit or operate in fear. We won't let this divide us. We won't let hate win."
She briefly postponed her "Dangerous Woman" tour following the attack, but relaunched it June 7, when she posted a photo of her first show back on Instagram. She works hard; this return performance was just three days after the epic demonstration of love that was "One Love Manchester," which, it must be said, raised over £10 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency fund.
The new system, which is still being proposed, will allow those from outside greater Manchester to earn honorary citizenship. The council also plans to honour the "great many selfless acts" that came as a response to the tragedy at an as of yet untitled event later this year.
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No one questions it when you say you "binged" 13 Reasons Why in just two days — tbh, most of your friends and coworkers probably did, too. And the idea that people will spend their weekends watching episode after episode of a popular show has even inspired Refinery29 to start a popular Binge Club — where we recap entire seasons of shows just days after they're released on Netflix.
But have you ever stopped to think, what is all of that binge-watching doing to your body?
The creators behind ASAP Science have, and they made a video to break it down.
Sure, watching tons of TV back in 1967 could expose a person to dangerous radiation, but TVs — and, let's be honest, laptops — don't emit the same harmful rays now.
At first, binge-watching doesn't seem too bad. There's that dry eye anyone who sits in front of a screen for a living experiences, but that goes away once you peel your eyes away from the computer. And kids who spend a lot of time inside watching TV will likely need glasses — myopia is just the medical term for nearsightedness.
But then it gets a little worse — depending on how much binge-watching you do. Watching TV in bed can mess with your quality of sleep, which is tied to your concentration, mood, and overall health problems like diabetes or heart health if you get too little sleep over time, according to the National Health Service.
In men, watching more than 20 hours of TV a week might even lower sperm count, the video says.
Studies have also correlated more TV time with health issues like diabetes and heart disease, and some indicate that watching too much TV can shorten someone's lifespan.
Still, that doesn't mean binge-watching is totally off the table. Just, if your binge-watches are more like binge-binges, then it might be time to shut it down and take a walk.
After all, the show will still be there tomorrow.
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Early Wednesday morning, a 24-story high-rise in London caught fire, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more. Most people were asleep when the fire broke out, but Muslims awake early for Ramadan helped usher people out of the building.
Residents reported that fire alarms didn't go off when the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower in north Kensington around 1 a.m., but some Muslim residents were up for suhūr, the pre-dawn meal eaten early in the morning before fasting until sunset during the month of Ramadan. When they noticed something was wrong, they began waking up their neighbours.
A local woman told HuffPost UK, "Muslim boys saved people’s lives. They ran around knocking on people’s doors. Thank God for Ramadan."
Khalid Suleman Ahmed, a 20-year-old who lived in the building with his aunt, told HuffPost UK he was up waiting to eat suhūr when he saw smoke coming from the floor below him.
"I woke my auntie up, then got clothes on and started knocking on neighbours’ doors," he said. "Every house opened except two — I saw the other guy later on so only one family unaccounted for. My next door neighbour was fast asleep."
He said he and his aunt didn't know how big the fire was, but thought they better evacuate just to be safe. When they got outside, the fire hadn't yet reached their apartment, but he said it was engulfed in flames about 20 minutes later.
Suleman Ahmed explained that he wouldn't have been up that late on a weeknight if it weren't Ramadan. "There are a lot of Muslims living there and people choose up to stay up and wait, so it was certainly a factor for me and others. It probably did save lives," he told HuffPost UK.
For the naturally curly set, summer is the time to shine. We get a break from damaging hot tools, warm weather makes wash-and-go styles so easy to air-dry, and our mascot product, coconut oil, doesn't take, like, a year to liquify! Score.
We're not totally in the clear, however. The shrinkage struggle is still very real (is it just me or is it actually worse in the summer?) and humidity brings more frizz, which we know not everyone loves. Nevertheless, if there's any season to try out the bouncy, wavy, or coily styles you've been eyeing, now's the chance. Especially when it comes to new, on-trend haircuts.
You already know that short crops are having a major moment, from buzzcuts and pixies all the way to long bobs, so we've rounded up a ton of on-trend curly cuts just for you. Click ahead for 13 looks that are perfect for summer — and beyond.
"Snip + snip = volume," stylist Shai Amiel explained of his technique, also crediting his client's use of a hair pick, too.
Photo: Via @santinihoudini.
Nathalie Emmanuel's natural curls are just more incentive to watch Game of Thrones(as if we needed it).
Photo: Via @nathalieemmanuel.
Sunny curls compliment this beauty's bright smile just fine.
Photo: Via @daisynative.
Summer's the best time to rock curly bangs — because who wants to break out the flat iron in 90 degree weather?
Photo: @Salsalhair.
A curly bob (like this one, styled by Sal Salcedo) is a cut that'll look good curly and straight.
Photo: Via @salsalhair.
Before you wash and go, try scrunching in a product for definition and hold, like The Ouai's Curl Jelly.
Photo: Via @_chanelalbright.
How refreshing is this halo of ringlets?
Photo: Via @jaktherippers.
Separate your big barrel spirals with your fingers for a more piecy finish.
Photo: Via @sabina.yannone.
Yas, queen! This client was inspired by Nefertiti for her big chop, according to stylist Mona Baltazar.
Photo: ia @themonacut.
If you're a natural guy or girl afraid of losing your definition overnight, try Bantu knots or a pineapple.
Photo: Via @lc271.
This angled bob is perfect for people growing out their pixies.
Photo: Via @deborahandmichael.
Tapered cuts keep your hair off of your neck during sticky days...
Photo: Via @yourbestselfforward.
...and also just look really effing cool, too.
Photo: Via @kele_lemon.
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The wide-ranging sanctions package targets sectors of the Russian economy as well as the individuals who carried out the cyberattacks. It also allows Congress to block Donald Trump from easing or ending penalties against Moscow.
Senators passed the bipartisan sanctions legislation 97-2 on Wednesday, illustrating that both Democrats and Republicans believe Moscow should be rebuked for deliberately interfering in the 2016 presidential race between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Prior to the election, 17 federal intelligence agencies concluded that Russia was behind the email hacks that aimed to damage the Clinton campaign. Trump has failed to condemn the cyberattacks and, since taking office, he's sought to improve relations with Moscow. He's also repeatedly claimed that Russian interference didn't help him win the election.
However, some Republicans in Congress voiced their disagreement ahead of today's vote. "[Vladimir Putin's] brazen attack on our democracy is a flagrant demonstration of his disdain and disrespect for our nation," Senator John McCain said. "But in the last eight months, what price has Russia paid for attacking American democracy?"
Getty Images
Although his comments were decidedly more tepid, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conceded that he agrees "with the sentiment" that Russia should be held accountable for interfering in the election.
After intense negotiations, the leaders of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations committee announced on Monday that they'd reached an agreement on the sanctions package. The deal was made amidst increasing investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign. House and Senate committees are investigating possible ties between Russia and the Trump administration, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a separate probe.
The deal reached today adds new sanctions against Russia's defence and military-intelligence sectors and codifies existing sanctions into law. It will also punish individuals who engage in what the senators describe as "conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government." The sanctions also cover people doing business with Russian intelligence and defence agencies.
The only two senators to vote against the sanctions were Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky).
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A day after a horrific fire at Grenfell Tower in London killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more, pop phenomenon Adele visited the site to comfort the victims and the surrounding community.
"Adele near the #Grenfell Tower in an Abaya. Respect to you," Twitter user @Fourmee captioned her photo, which has since gone viral.
According to Daily Mail, Adele grew emotional as she "'hugged and comforted' victims" of a fire the outlet reports "could be one of the worst in British history."
Onlookers and fans have since tweeted out their reactions to Adele's appearance.
@Adele went to Grenfell Tower in London, i spoke to her and she said she's here to help and support those affected by the fire. ❤❤
It's clear her support has made fans feel her love.
As the Daily Mail points out, Adele is the latest in a long list of celebrities who have extended their thoughts, prayers, and love to the victims, first responders, and their families. Also included in that list is Rita Ora, who grew up in the same neighbourhood where the devastating tragedy took place.
"This is my neighbourhood I can't believe this is happening," Ora captioned an Instagram post, which noted specific locations where people could get assistance. "My prayers are with everybody involved my heart is beating so fast. I used to play in that block — I want to do all I can do to help."
Like Ora, many are wondering how they can help those affected by the blaze. Though many local residents — including Muslims awake in the early morning hours for Ramadan — have offered their support, people around the world are hoping to contribute what they can, as well.
Local residents and a local councillor created a number of GoFundMe pages where you can donate money to help cover the cost of medical, housing, food, and clothing expenses. Here are just some of the pages:
