Identity

Prince Harry is opening up once again about his mental health, the challenges of being a royal, and navigating his new California life with Meghan Markle. In a 90-minute interview on the popular Armchair Expert podcast, hosted by Dax Sheppard and Monica Padman, Prince Harry shared a lot, from serious issues like mental health to lighthearted tidbits like how his and Meghan’s new chickens are doing.

Prince Harry compares being a royal to “a mix of The Truman Show and being in a zoo”

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped away from their roles within the British royal family last year, the news was met with controversy and speculation. But during the couple’s revealing Oprah interview in March, they shared how the move was necessary for both of their mental health.

On the podcast, Sheppard brought this up to Harry, comparing being born into the royal family to The … Read the rest

From jaw-dropping fashion like Harry Styles’ Brit Awards leisure suit to heartfelt speeches from artists like Taylor Swift, the 2021 Brit Awards were filled with bold statements. As the U.K.’s first large-scale indoor event since COVID-19, the guest list was limited and tables were spaced out to avoid overcrowding. But despite necessary pandemic restrictions, this year’s Brit Awards were a genuine celebration of musical talent.

The May 11, 2021 event stands in stark contrast to the 2020 Brit Awards, which were widely criticized for favouring male artists, with only one woman receiving a nomination across 25 slots in the mixed-gender categories.

This year’s Brit Awards were dominated by pop star Dua Lipa, who won Best British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the year for her album “Future Nostalgia.”  She wore a custom Vivienne Westwood corseted mini dress with an extravagant train, platform heels and thigh-high mesh stockings for … Read the rest

Once upon a time, there was a fairy godmother. Glamorous and well-connected, she loved clothes, and was generous in granting wishes to people who made beautiful, unique things. With a tap of her wand, she funded scholarships and prizes, liberally dusting her chosen proteges with the kind of magic that drew the attention of other important people.

And then one day, she did something that shocked everyone: She posted a picture of herself on social media, smiling with a notorious ogre who despised the sort of inclusive, joyful self-expression she’d seemed to support herself, and she captioned it: “A special way to end the night!” The carriage turned into a pumpkin in a single Instagram Story.

To see her doing this not only broke the hearts of many in the kingdom — after all, the makers of the beautiful things she loved to support were also often the kinds of … Read the rest

Carrie Yap, founder of the Calgary-based millinery brand Yap Sister (so named because she has siblings), seems to have found her common ground when it comes to making connections. Through her slow fashion-focused label, Yap is able to intertwine the symbolism and storytelling vital to Asian communities and bring the past and present together in her designs. And through her work as an urban planner, she’s come to notice — most palpably over the last year — just how important the concept of community-building is. Interestingly, it’s the parameters of this vocation that set Yap off on a course that’s changed her outlook entirely.

“I don’t get to use my hands that often,” Yap notes of her civic-centric role. “I’m always looking for ways to express myself through my hands.” That’s how she came to learn the craft of hat-making, apprenticing under New York-based milliner Anya Caliendo before launching her … Read the rest

From launches and collabs to reimagined goods, lots went on in the fashion world this week. Here’s everything you might have missed…

Global fashion retailer SSENSE launches a kids department

World-renowned fashion platform SSENSE has expanded its offerings to kids, from newborn to age 14, with apparel, shoes and accessories. SSENSE kids department launched on May 5 with over 15 brands and collaborators, including some exclusively designed capsules. Collina Strada, Dime, Museum of Peace & Quiet and Rave Review are some of the labels already available, and new arrivals will be uploaded regularly to eventually include over 80 brands. You can expect to see mainstream high fashion houses like Balenciaga, Gucci, Versace and The Row roll out some childrens’ pieces, as well as kid-centric brands like Bobo Choses, JELLYMALLOW and The Animals Observatory.

SSENSE kids is taking this expansion as an opportunity to also give young … Read the rest

Bite Beauty’s new whipped blushes are here

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BITE Beauty (@bitebeauty)

Bite Beauty’s first-ever whipped blush has just launched! The Daycation Whipped Blushes feature four super easy-to-apply, buildable shades that promise an irresistible post-vacation glow (whether real or faux). The four shades, Coconut Rum, Watermelon Marg, Melon Mojito and Hibiscus Slush, are a must for summer. Formulated with papaya extract for an added glow, these ultra-comfortable blushes are also vegan, clean and long-lasting.

Merit launches easy-to-use, minimalist Bundle Sets

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MERIT (@merit)

Everyone’s favourite new minimalist makeup brand, Merit, has just launched a series of Bundle Sets specifically curated to make getting ready in the morning easier than ever. Offering consumers the choice between a Five Minute Morning Kit that includes all seven Merit products (mascara, balm, lip stain and … Read the rest

For many women, the person whose style has most inspired their own is their mother. That’s certainly the case for many celebrities, some of whom have posed with their moms in fashion campaigns, highlighting how their singular mother-daughter style (and beauty) has carried on through generations.

From bona fide supermodel Naomi Campbell and her model mom Valerie Morris-Campbell (who taught her daughter how to walk *and* how to strut) to Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber (who says she still borrows from her mom’s closet and only wishes they were the same shoe size), we’ve spotlighted some of the most memorable mother-daughter duos featured in fashion campaigns over the last decade, modelling for brands from Coach to Lanvin.

Andie MacDowell and Rainey Qualley

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andie Macdowell (@andiemacdowell)

In a new ad campaign for Coach, long-time actress and model Andie MacDowell and … Read the rest

Netflix released its latest teaser for Stranger Things season 4 on May 6, and it looks like we’re going to learn even more about Eleven’s backstory.

The clip takes place at Hawkins Laboratory, presumably when Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was there as a child. Inside, children in identical hospital gowns are playing together, as eerie music and echoed laughter ripples in the background. Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) — who was believed to have been killed in season 1 — enters the room. He announces to the children that he has something “very special planned” for them. We hear someone breathing heavily and the shot pans to a door labelled 11, followed by Hawkins saying, “Eleven, are you listening?” She opens her eyes, and the screen goes black.

*Shudder*

Here’s what we know about our sci-fi fave’s upcoming season — caution, spoilers ahead.

What do we know about the plot

Billie Eilish is an icon of her own making. Despite reaching mega-stardom at a young age, she has always been in control of her own image and sound. Unlike most stars, Eilish did not become famous thanks to an engineered persona and breakout hit. Instead, she was catapulted into the spotlight almost accidentally when she wrote the song Ocean Eyes at 13 years old with the help of her brother, FINNEAS, after her dance instructor asked her to write a song to perform to. She uploaded it onto the music streaming site SoundCloud and it quickly went viral. Since then, she has worked closely with her brother on almost all of her music, resulting in an organic sound that is uniquely hers.

2021 has been a transformative year for the 19-year-old artist. From her new bombshell blonde hair, to her lingerie shoot with British Vogue, to being chosen as … Read the rest

As director of operations at Paris Jewellers, Chau Lui — who co-owns the Edmonton-based company along with her sister, Trang — has quite a legacy to maintain. The duo’s parents, who moved with their young children from Vietnam to Canada, founded the business after training as goldsmiths once they had arrived in their new home country. Honouring this endeavour, as well as their ancestry, has motivated the sisters to launch The Asian Heritage Hope collection, a new set comprised of stud earrings and a pendant necklace that both boast a rose quartz detail. In an effort to address and quell a surge in anti-Asian racism in the past year, 100 percent of net proceeds from sales of the set will go to the Canada-based Asian Solidarity Fund and Stop AAPI Hate, an American non-profit.

“I saw so much hard work growing up,” Lui says of what inspired the collection and … Read the rest