Latest Stories from Flo
The Louvre’s closure is a warning sign for over-tourism
The iconic museum promptly shut its doors this week after crowds overwhelmed staff. The Louvre is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Paris, and one of the most iconic museums in the world. Every day, an average of 28,000 people walk through the halls of this historic landmark – many of them armed with phones and selfie sticks primed for a shot of the Mona Lisa (arguably the most...
Are venues doing enough for sober customers?
The rise of sober-curiosity amongst Gen Z is well documented, but are companies doing enough to cater for the shift? Since the pandemic, reports of sobriety amongst young people have been growing. In January almost half of Britain’s youth were said to be giving up alcohol altogether. Polling by YouGov found that around 45% of young brits were opting for low-alcohol or non-alcoholic alternatives when drinking socially, with Portman...
French senate pass bill regulating ultra-fast fashion
Are the environmental tides of the industry turning? On Tuesday the French senate adopted a bill that will regulate the fashion industry and place ultra-fast fashion brands under the microscope. The news comes after France first mentioned plans to crackdown on e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein earlier this year. In March, the country’s houses of parliament unanimously approved a ‘kill bill’ that sought to target fast fashion and ultra-fast fashion...
Kylie Jenner’s breast augmentation and the politics of choice feminism
Where do we draw the line when it comes to normalising plastic surgery? I’ll be the first to admit that – when it comes to discussions of beauty treatments, tweakments, and under-the-knife surgery – I’m usually one to jump on the empowerment soap box. ‘You do you!’, ‘It’s your body’, ‘who cares what other people think?’. I’ve thrown these lines out on more than one occasion – whether it’s coaching a friend through...
Why is it so triggering when celebrities lose weight?
With the advent of diet drugs like Ozempic, plus size stars are increasingly losing weight – and gaining haters. To see a plus-size woman on a red carpet was, for a time, rather revolutionary. I hesitate to use that word for fear it sounds gouache and trite, but I'll admit it rings true. Sadly. Any body that wasn’t slim signalled that a long-standing aesthetic order was being, if not dismantled, at...
AI is reportedly set to disproportionately impact women
Artificial intelligence is coming for your job – and according to a new report, it’s coming faster if you’re a woman. For technology designed to eliminate benign work, artificial intelligence is proving remarkably efficient at replicating workplace inequality. Not that it will surprise any woman under the sun, but a new report from the UN’s International Labour Organisation has confirmed women are set to bear the brunt of AI-driven job...
Does Brockwell Park battle prove festivals are another form of gentrification?
When London’s green sanctuaries become private playgrounds, who truly holds the key to public space? Last month, Brockwell Park underwent its annual transformation from local haven to festival fortress. Surrounded by temporary fencing and housing a swathe of stages and food vans, tens of thousands prepared to descend on the park over a series of weekends. The beloved patch of greenery has been home to a run of music events for...
Is London about to legalise cannabis?
A new report backed by the Mayor of London calls for some cannabis possession to be decriminalised in the capital. Sadiq Khan is supporting calls for the partial decriminalisation of cannabis in the UK capital, following a study by the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC). According to reports by the LDC, the global policing of drug usage – particularly cannabis, which remains the most contentious substance when it comes to international...
Are small plates a scam?
I can’t help but wonder whether London’s most fashionable way to eat is leaving us full of regret and not much else. In London’s ever-expanding constellation of small plates restaurants, you’re not really here to eat. You’re here to experience. To share. To marvel at the micro greens. To spend £48 on what amounts, practically speaking, to a deconstructed sandwich served on artisan crockery. The rise of small plates in London...
Why are we still so hung up on feminine muscles?
Women are building strength for themselves, but a culture still rooted in fear of female power isn’t ready to let go of patriarchal body ideals. The female body has long been asked to shrink. That demand was both physical and philosophical. As a culture we’ve prized quietness and smallness in women, with the latter becoming somewhat of a shorthand for virtue – i.e, the less space you occupied, the more...