New York’s cosmetology law is breaking beauty barriers
A new requirement – that students learn to style textured hair as part of their training – is signalling change for the global beauty industry. The beauty industry has always been somewhat of a minefield for the Black community, who often find themselves on the fringes of an ostensibly inclusive business. Despite...
Current in News
Startup Sulapac develops microplastic-free packaging materials
Seeking to reduce our dependence on oil-based plastics, Sulapac is making bio-based packaging components using recycled and ‘side-streamed’ materials. It’s hoped to boost fashion’s circular economy. Anyone who is even slightly into skincare will be well aware that the environmental cost of beauty cosmetics is huge. Our buy, use, and bin...
Fashion reseller Vestiaire Collective is dumping fast fashion
The luxury second-hand site has launched a striking campaign to announce they’re banning fast fashion giants Zara, Uniqlo, and H&M. Vestiaire Collective has been a solid advocate for the green-fashion market since its inception in 2009. At the time, it was one of the first online retailers that specialised solely in...
Textile waste zombies visit fast fashion shops in the UK
The Or Foundation has teamed up with artist Jeremy Hutchison to create fast fashion zombies that haunt high-street clothing stores in the UK. The aim is to raise awareness about the environmental cost of the industry while demanding greater transparency from retailers. By now, most of us are well aware...
Sophia Kianni launches ‘we wear oil’ campaign
Sophia Kianni is calling out fashion’s dependency on oil by educating others on production and manufacturing processes. Clothes are currently made from fossil fuel-derived synthetic fibres at an ‘absolutely horrific rate.’ With COP28 in full swing, phasing out fossil fuels to tackle skyrocketing greenhouse gas emissions is once again receiving...
Microdosing psychedelics could help those with ADHD
A new study shows that consuming tiny amounts of LSD or magic mushrooms can improve mindfulness in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Following decades of demonisation and criminalisation, psychedelic drugs are being proved to have profound implications for a field that’s seen few pharmacological advancements since the 60s. I’m...
A model has gone viral for her experience of AI white-washing
With artificial intelligence on the rise, its use in the fashion world raises new moral dilemmas. Shereen Wu is a burgeoning runway model from the US. She’s also a burgeoning influencer, sharing her career and lifestyle with several thousands of followers. But it’s not her content creation or modelling skills that have recently thrust Wu into the limelight. After sharing a recent incident involving designer Michael Costello, Wu has gone viral on...
Muscle dysmorphia is fuelling a silent male mental health crisis
As social media and the lucrative, unregulated supplements industry continues to promote unrealistic beauty standards, more boys and young men today are becoming obsessed with body image and bulking up to the point of risking their overall wellbeing. For as long as I’m able to remember, women have been the primary target of societal body critique. Permeating almost every aspect of my day-to-day life, I’ve frequently faced immense pressure from my...
Do we need a #MeToo movement for men?
A new Panorama investigation looked into accusations of sexual assault against male employees by former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO. Following the grim exposure of Russell Brand’s alleged sexual abuse by Channel 4 Dispatches, the BBC teased – for the first time in Panorama’s recent history – an exclusive episode. Its focus was kept secret from initial announcement until the time of air. Given the Brand allegations, a rumour mill quickly got to work...
Fashion’s efforts to go green are being negated by overproduction
WRAP’s 2030 Annual Progress Report says a 12 per cent reduction in the carbon impact of clothing has been cancelled out by a 13 per cent increase in the volume of textiles produced and sold. The planet is, quite literally, drowning in clothes. Through recycling programmes have existed for decades now, of the 100 billion garments bought annually, 92 million tonnes of them get thrown out. By 2030, that figure...
