Why aren’t we talking about Gen Z drug use?
New research shows that 1 in 3 young people have used drugs in the past 12 months. So why can’t we talk about it? Since the pandemic, the number of young people using drugs has spiked. According to The Mix, an organisation providing ‘essential support for under 25s’, 1...
Current in Style
Vestiaire Collective bans the resale of fast fashion on its platform
Seeking to fight waste and encourage consumers to buy ‘quality over quantity,’ the pre-loved online marketplace has announced it will now prohibit brands including ASOS, boohoo, and SHEIN from being bought, sold, or listed by its users. Buying second-hand clothing has never been easier or more common. Offering consumers a way...
Opinion – the heroin chic resurgence must be nipped in the bud
With nostalgia trends all the rage, nineties fashion has made a comeback. However, recent headlines touting thin as being ‘in’ again imply that so too has its toxic counterpart: the glorification of skinniness and the unhealthy behaviours necessary to achieve it. Although the popularisation of heroin chic occurred long before...
New documentary goes undercover inside SHEIN’s factories
Available on Channel 4, the documentary reveals that workers making clothing for the fast-fashion giant SHEIN are paid as little as 3p per garment while working 18-hour shifts. Most of us aren’t blind to the fact that the availability of ultra-cheap clothing is impossible without the exploitation of workers who...
Is the Met Gala’s 2023 theme problematic?
He may have been one of the most talented and influential fashion figureheads of the 21st century, but like most in positions of power, Karl Lagerfeld’s fame wasn’t without controversy. Is the Met Gala wrong to idolise him at next year’s event? Last year, I wrote about the Met Gala...
Adidas launches new swim cap line for Black and afro hair
In collaboration with the British company Soul Cap, the global sportswear giant has introduced another inclusive product to its athletic wear collection. This time, it’s a swim cap designed to fit swimmers with long, voluminous, or Black and afro hair. Last year, Adidas launched a marketing campaign that showcased how...
Do we really need gender-specific skincare products?
For decades, skincare routines and other beauty regimes have been viewed as rituals carried out solely by women. But as the boundaries of gender become further blurred, gender-neutral skincare products are increasing in popularity. Was the concept of gender-specific skincare ever legit to begin with? Despite the fact that most straight men still recoil when being convinced to get a tidy-up mani-pedi (trust me, I’ve tried), the promotion of...
Could sustainability make a bigger impact at next year’s Fashion Week?
Although the fashion industry is not blind to the worsening climate crisis, only a handful of designers have shown serious commitment to utilising sustainable materials in their collections. From next year, things could look quite different. According to CFDA reports, New York Fashion Week emits around 48,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per event. As soon as this information was made public, demands flew in for London, Paris, Milan -...
Fashion ‘unlikely’ to meet Paris Climate Accord goals
According to Textile Exchange’s latest report, the industry is producing more than ever before and shifts from conventional materials to lower-impact, sustainable alternatives have declined. During the last few years, news of fashion’s pivot to more eco-friendly practices has repeatedly made headlines. Whether genuinely impactful or an obvious bid to keep consumers interested, these updates on how brands are ‘doing better’ for the planet have seemingly trumped our consciousness of...
Brands moving away from ‘free returns’ to curb fast fashion
Boohoo, Zara, and soon-to-be H&M are among the major retailers now charging customers to send back clothes in the post. Though shoppers are divided over the new policy, there’s no denying the environmental benefits of a move that targets throwaway culture. When attending a fancy event we don’t have the cash for, it can be tempting to order a specific outfit and return it straight after for free, allowing us...
