Iris Van Herpen debuts ‘living dress’ at Paris Couture Week
The Dutch designer’s latest collection Sympoiesis featured a glowing ‘live dress’ grown with 125 million bioluminescent algae, blurring the lines between nature, fashion, and technology. The world of couture has a long-standing reputation for pushing the boundaries of what can be done with fashion. From incorporating unique sewing techniques, creating breathtaking...
Current in Style
Do we know how to let go?
As we grow, we often let go of things – whether it’s a material object, a friendship, or something more. But do we know how to survive the loss? For the first time in a while, I had no doubts that this was going to be an amazing year for...
Are you ageing rapidly or simply living in the modern world?
Recent studies have found associations between inflammation, environmental circumstances, and lifestyle factors. While this research has reconceptualised the link between inflammation and ageing, it has also revealed how a lack of choice for young working-class people will result in negative health consequences not just now, but in the long...
The rise in ayahuasca tourism is colonising wellness
How tourism centred around the popular drug is wreaking havoc for Indigenous communities. Ayahuasca has become a wellness darling in recent decades. The hallucinogenic plant is native to the Amazon basin, and as more of us embark on quests for healing and personal transformation, it’s exploded in popularity. Framed as a...
The niche supermarket is the new mecca of luxury
Gen Z are redefining everyday spaces as indulgent outposts amidst a rising cost of living. From bespoke suprettes and deli’s, to viral institutions like Erewhon and Daylesford, walking into a supermarket these days feels more like entering a wellness spa. Influencers sip $18 smoothies next to yoga instructors perusing adaptogenic mushrooms,...
Biohacking has emerged as a prominent Gen Z wellness trend
What lengths are young people going to in pursuit of a healthier life? The pursuit of wellness used to come in the form of a yoga class, a green smoothie, and maybe even a juice cleanse if you were feeling particularly radical. But for Gen Z, whose health anxieties are...
Are ‘divine feminine influencers’ actually anti-feminist?
Social media loves a good portion of cosplay. First, it was 50s family values, and now we are back in ancient times. Do you remember tradwives? The familiar soft voices and long dresses are back. This time, though, the kitchen has been swapped by nature, adhering to mostly Western influencers' reinterpretation of spirituality to empower women. They're easy to spot if you still haven't met divine feminine influencers. Just type words...
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...
Is obsessing over protein-rich diets taking the joy out of eating?
With a utilitarian focus on what food can do for us rather than how it tastes, coupled with a growing aversion to the humble doggy bag, have we forgotten what it means to appreciate the things that contribute to our wellbeing and keep us alive? A stroll through the aisles of most supermarkets these days presents a blaze of similarly shaped fonts, all advertising one key nutrient in our groceries:...
Are synthetic hairstyles putting women’s lives at risk?
Reports have found that synthetic fibres contain dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals. A Consumer Reports study has found that the ingredients used in synthetic hair across a range of popular brands – including Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-N-Go, have the potential to cause cancer. Braids have been the site of care and resistance for centuries within the Black community, serving as protection from the heat and other environmental factors. This follows a rich...
