Do we really need all these brand trips?
Influencers and celebrities are being shipped off on elaborate holidays, ostensibly to promote products. But are these lavish stunts a marketing tool or a wasteful display of wealth? Markers of extreme wealth become more normalised as the 1% grow exorbitantly richer. Take private jets, once revered as an exclusive mode...
Current in Style
New study finds arts engagement to slow biological ageing
Research from UCL suggests engaging with arts and culture improves overall health outcomes. These days, the fountain of youth is marketed as some kind of AI-backed, biohacked offshoot of the billionaire class. Health and wellness has crept further into a digital landscape – one often shaped by far-right thinking – and...
The PMOS renaming is a huge win for women’s healthcare
Reclassified as PMOS, the condition is finally stepping away from decade’s worth of misconceptions that have prevented many patients from getting well-deserved care. ‘It’s probably just stress or anxiety; there’s nothing wrong with you’. This is just one of the many things said by healthcare professionals before they go on to...
Opinion – The outrage over Olivia Rodrigo’s dress is disturbing
Criticism over the singer’s babydoll-style dress is a projection of misogynist and perverted hypersexualisation. But the women targeted by this kind of backlash are still framed as the villains. When Olivia Rodrigo stepped out on stage in a sweet babydoll dress, I’d never have guessed it would start an internet...
Opinion – Brands continue to capitalise on women’s bodies
Before, women were supposed to be skinny. Then they were supposed to be strong. Now, women are being told it's possible to be both, and brands are looking to capitalise on it. Back in the 90s, women were kept skinny. Late-night dinners were traded for low-rise jeans, and subsisting while...
Should the Met Gala still be celebrated in 2026?
With war raging around the world this year, should we still be lauding celebrities for their expensive outfits and elitist parties? As costs soar and wealth inequality widens, it feels harder to engage with it all, especially given the Met Gala’s insistence on billionaire endorsements. The Met Gala is back,...
Vinted sales surging as Gen Z continues to thrift
Second-hand shopping has boomed amongst younger generations, and platforms like Vinted are reaping the rewards. It’s no secret that vintage fashion is on the rise. Whether it’s retro-inspired silhouettes on the runways, or an affinity for individual style to rival trend culture, we’re increasingly turning to pre-loved pieces. The growth of second-hand shopping has been particularly prevalent amongst Gen Z, a demographic that has grown up against a backdrop of environmental...
Is being offline a privilege?
Plenty of us want to check out from the algorithm. But is this a luxury few can afford? I told myself this would be the year I get rid of social media for good. It started with a phone detox – my addiction had reached its peak when I found it difficult to sit through an episode of great TV without glancing at the screen in my hand. I hit rock...
Wellness culture has us training for pregnancy
Overzealous women are preparing for motherhood like it’s a marathon. The wellness girlies have become wellness mothers. Our societal love-affair with anything self-optimising, be it an overpriced supplement or a cyborg-adjacent beauty tool, has infiltrated the minefield of motherhood – particularly for first-time parents. Social media is window dressing for the global wellness industry, which now boasts a $6.8 trillion+ valuation. Influencers sell us their spotless morning routines and plates of...
A definitive guide to surviving January
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve resolutions. It’s that time of year again: the start of a new one. A fresh twelve months lie before us, promising nothing except the unexpected. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after twenty-nine Januarys, it’s that you can make plans all you like. The universe will still find a way to laugh. Which makes the annual ritual of New Year’s resolutions feel particularly absurd. Perhaps to...
