Latest Stories from Flo
Kate Middleton’s cancer battle highlights chasm of health privilege
Princess Kate’s return to public life has been met with gracious applause. But hers is a tremendous privilege. When the Princess of Wales emerged from her carriage at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, the rain-sodden crowds cheered in support. After revealing her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, news which explained a retreat from public duties, Kate’s appearance at Buckingham Palace held more weight than usual. For onlookers, and the country at...
Dior comes under fire for labour conditions
A recent investigation into factories in Italy found the luxury brand guilty of exploiting contractors. Like most luxury fashion brands, Dior is renowned for their elegance and meticulous craftsmanship. The company has long prided themselves on the savoir faire required to make their products – particularly their handbags, widely considered Dior’s most coveted pieces. A recent investigation by the Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Lavoro, however, has threatened to dismantle the...
Why are fast fashion brands scrapping free returns?
Pretty Little Thing is the latest fast fashion retailer to start charging customers who make returns. But is the decision down to concern for the planet, or profit? UK customers have been left disgruntled after popular online fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing (PLT) announced it was scrapping free returns. Consumers will now be charged £1.99 to return clothes, an amount that will be deducted from their refund. For a generation accustomed...
England players call out media treatment of Black footballers
The continued scapegoating of Black players has drawn backlash from sporting giants, and set a worrying precedent for a summer of football. Hopeful Brits will be firing up BBQs and filling pubs over the next few weeks, as the Euros kicks off another summer of football. Despite the general camaraderie that accompanies our nation’s favourite sport, this year’s games have already triggered the same vile media coverage that defined 2020’s Covid-delayed...
Developed world responds oddly to Starlink’s integration in Brazilian tribe
The negative response inadvertently reveals long-standing ideals of an ‘untouched’ culture from an outside perspective. Hundreds of isolated tribes across Brazil are now accessing the internet, thanks to Elon Musk’s satellite service Starlink. It hasn’t gone down too well where the Western media’s concerned, however. Musk’s Starlink antennas, which have enabled high-speed internet to reach villages like those of Brazil’s Marubo tribe, were first introduced to locals in 2023. And despite the...
The Vatican apologises over Pope Francis’s ‘homophobic’ language
The Pope reportedly used a slur during a conversation about gay men. The internet’s response has once again reckoned with the archaic structure of religious institutions. Pope Francis recently caused a stir by using a homophobic slur during a conversation about gay men. After immense backlash, the Vatican has now issued an apology, insisting the Pope ‘never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms’. The damage, nonetheless, has been done....
Buzunesh Deba’s unpaid winnings expose running world’s failings
The 2014 Boston Marathon winner has been waiting on her prize money for years. But it was a stranger, not race organisers, who finally gave her what she’d earned. 8 years ago, Ethiopian runner Buzunesh Deba got the call of a lifetime. She’d won the Boston Marathon – 2 years after running it in 2014. The original winner Rita Jeptoo had been disqualified for doping, making Deba the official front...
New report suggests Shein suppliers are still overworked
Despite promises to improve working conditions, Shein’s disregard for people and the planet ensures business keeps booming. Nowadays, the disdain for resource-hungry, cheap clothing companies would suggest brands like Shein and Temu are on the out. One Google search on fast fashion, however, will pull up mixed reports that suggest otherwise. Younger generations – the same demographic who have shown a growing dedication to the environment, wellness, and anti-capitalist...
Opinion – Drake and Kendrick’s feud is a lose-lose for women
Both rappers have weaponized feminism and demonised women in an effort to one-up each other. It was the feud heard around the world. By now, you’ll know that Drake and Kendrick Lamar are far from friendly. After years of alleged hostility, both singers have released searing diss tracks that seem to have united a divided world; we can’t help but micro-analyse every lyric. But it’s not all popcorn and streams. Watching...
‘Women-only’ exhibit challenges gender discrimination charges
‘Ladies Lounge’ has taken a creative approach to deterring unwanted male visitors. Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) raised eyebrows when it launched an exhibition open only to women. Titled ‘Ladies Lounge’, the exhibit features works by American artist Kirsh Kaechele, and is designed as a commentary on misogynistic borders in the art world and beyond. However, the show was abruptly closed in April last year, when Sydney resident...
