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Four ways to tell the designer fashion items worth investing in from the ones that aren’t

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-braithwaite-156824">Naomi Braithwaite</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nottingham-trent-university-1338">Nottingham Trent University</a></em></p> <p>Whether it’s aspiring to the “quiet luxury” or <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-clean-girl-and-old-money-aesthetics-on-tiktok-make-the-same-old-link-between-hygiene-and-class-208566">“old money” looks</a> taking over TikTok, or cringing at the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/far-from-the-ludicrously-capacious-what-the-fashion-of-succession-tells-us-about-the-show-and-about-society-202744">ludicrously capacious bag</a>” scene in the last season of Succession, designer clothes and accessories have been a hot topic in 2023. But with continued sales growth in <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion">designer fashion</a>, and concerns about shopping more <a href="https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/consumers-want-to-shop-sustainably-what-are-the-opportunities-for-brands/2022102465829">sustainably</a>, it’s worth considering investing your money in products that will last longer.</p> <p>Sales in luxury fashion have increased significantly since the pandemic. <a href="https://www.just-style.com/features/covid-two-years-on-expert-analysis-of-top-10-global-apparel-companies/?cf-view">Louis Vuitton</a>, for example, has increased its sales from 2019. And British luxury brand, Burberry, reported sales growth to be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/16/burberry-sales-return-to-pre-pandemic-levels-as-younger-shoppers-splash-out">86% higher</a> in the year following the pandemic (though there has been <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/burberry-shares-take-10-hit-on-warning-of-slump-in-luxury-demand-13009401">another dip in sales</a> more recently).</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.limitlessmanufacturinggroup.com/blog/the-rise-of-athleisure-how-activewear-became-mainstream-fashion">rise of athleisure</a> in fashion and designer collaborations such as <a href="https://www.manoloblahnik.com/gb/the-latest/post/manolo-blahnik-for-birkenstock">Manolo Blahnik for Birkenstock</a>, <a href="https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/st/capsule/adidas-gucci">Gucci x Adidas</a> and <a href="https://uk.burberry.com/c/collaborations-supreme-burberry/">Burberry x Supreme</a> have made luxury more available. But prices are still high, so how can you know whether a purchase will stand the test of time and become an investment piece or a fashion flop? Here are four key factors to consider when making a designer purchase.</p> <h2>1. Resale value</h2> <p>An expensive purchase price may not guarantee that your product will hold its value. A key factor to consider is what the resale value of your purchase will be, as this will indicate the item’s investment potential.</p> <p>A fashion investment piece tends to be a luxury product with a higher price ticket. Prices of luxury fashion have increased over the last decade. Chanel bags, for example, have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2022/02/21/luxury-brand-prices-rise-sharply--will-it-cut-demand/">almost doubled</a> in price. Chanel’s iconic medium flap bag has increased from <a href="https://luxecollectivefashion.com/blogs/communique/your-expert-guide-to-the-chanel-price-increases-2023">£7,550 in 2022 to £8,530 in 2023</a> and is considered to be one of the most covetable designs in the <a href="https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/best-luxury-handbags-resale-value/slide2">resale market</a>.</p> <p>Similarly, Hermès’ famous Birkin and Kelly bag designs, renowned for their quality, are <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/hermes-bag-review-2022-birkin-bag-and-hermes-kelly-bag-remain-most-popular">undoubtedly investment pieces</a>. Despite the high price ticket, <a href="https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/birkin-bag-prices/slide2">Birkin bags are in demand</a>. They are the most collectable and classic of designer bags, with an average retail price of USD$10,000 (£8,237), <a href="https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3211640/why-hermes-birkin-bag-such-good-investment-according-experts-other-luxury-handbags-might-not-be">which can double in the resale market</a>.</p> <p>Luxury fashion <a href="https://www.pursebop.com/new-app-calculates-the-resale-value-of-designer-handbags/">resaler Vestiaire</a>, along with online marketplaces like eBay, are useful sources for researching and calculating what the value of your purchase will be in the resale market. While designer bags can hold their value post-purchase, <a href="https://www.yourmoney.com/investing/can-clothing-ever-be-considered-an-investment/">clothes can be less straightforward</a> and will depend on the other following factors.</p> <h2>2. Quality and style</h2> <p>A <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/marketing-at-scale-explaining-luxurys-new-brand-identifiers">2023 report</a> has stated that the overt use of logos in recent years, from brands such as <a href="https://www.surefront.com/blog/is-logomania-really-over">Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton</a>, has been replaced by an interest in quiet luxury.</p> <p>Quiet luxury means <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quiet-luxury-explained-which-brands-will-benefit-2023-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">more simplistic, classic and timeless styling</a>. The focus on exquisite fabrics and design gives a sense of fashion that is not disposable and durable. A cashmere sweater from <a href="https://uk.loropiana.com/en/c/woman/knitwear">Lorna Piana</a> may cost over £1,700 but its quality and classic styling will ensure it’s an investment piece that transcends fashion trend cycle.</p> <p>Consideration of fabrics, styling and design aesthetic are all key in ensuring your fashion investment has longevity.</p> <h2>3. Brand authenticity</h2> <p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303917660_The_Role_of_Heritage_and_Authenticity_in_the_Value_Creation_of_Fashion_Brand">Heritage and authenticity</a> can secure the value of fashion purchases. Brands that have a strong heritage – that have been around and respected for a long time – are better investment pieces, <a href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/luxury-fashion-heritage-chanel-dior1234792018-1234792018/">particularly in the categories of watches, jewellery and handbags</a>. Rolex watches are renowned as investment pieces, with models that are most rare commanding the higher appreciation values.</p> <p>In the realm of clothing, Burberry’s iconic trench coat – which has remained largely untouched in design terms for over 100 years – has been reported to be a good wardrobe investment by <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/burberry-trench-coats">Vogue</a>. The trench’s timeless design, alongside its long history, has secured its place as an investment product.</p> <p>However, when it comes to making the purchase it is important to go with <a href="https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/burberry-trench-coat/">Burberry’s original design</a>, rather than the fashion-led versions whose value may diminish as seasonal trends move on.</p> <h2>4. Product endorsement</h2> <p>Celebrity endorsement is a popular brand strategy for increasing the value of fashion products. While it may drive sales, it is important to consider what effect it will have on investment quality.</p> <p>A recent example was when the British pop star <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4089170/">Harry Styles</a> wore the <a href="https://harpersbazaar.com.au/adidas-gucci-collaboration-collection/">luxe Adidas x Gucci Gazelle trainers</a>, during his 2023 tour, resulting in a <a href="https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/news/harry-styles-gucci-adidas-gazelle-samba-statistics?page=0">reported 100%</a> increase in sales of the trainer.</p> <p>While sneakers have previously had a bouyant <a href="https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/sneaker-reselling-guide/">resale market</a>, that is now <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/has-the-sneaker-bubble-finally-burst">declining</a>, raising questions as to whether they will continue to be positive investment pieces. Celebrities may create hype – but their endorsement does not always ensure the longevity of a product’s value.</p> <p>In 1999, <a href="https://hypebae.com/2018/10/dior-saddle-bag-history-john-galliano">Dior’s saddle bag</a> was featured on US TV series <a href="https://www.hbo.com/sex-and-the-city">Sex and the City</a>, securing its place as an <a href="https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/mbxjmn/dior-saddle-bag-sex-in-the-city">iconic designer bag</a>. While this increased its value and desirability at the time, the bag eventually faded from view, until 2018, when Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s current design director, relaunched it. This resulted in a frenzy of interest <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a42118540/dior-saddle-bag/">in the original Galliano designs</a>.</p> <p>Endorsement creates hype and desirability, but occasionally it can also create a classic too. But this takes time, and it’s best to consider other factors including brand authenticity, quality and style when planning an investment purchase.</p> <p>Also, value does not always have to have a price attributed to it. In the world of designer fashion, it is important not to overlook the significance of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/oct/13/fashion-thats-begging-for-love-designers-want-to-create-meaningful-stuff">emotional durability</a> of our purchases and how that can ensure an enduring value and longevity.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-braithwaite-156824">Naomi Braithwaite</a>, Associate Professor in Fashion Marketing and Branding, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nottingham-trent-university-1338">Nottingham Trent University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-to-tell-the-designer-fashion-items-worth-investing-in-from-the-ones-that-arent-215831">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Beauty & Style

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Aussie designer wins lawsuit against Katy Perry

<p dir="ltr">One of Katy Perry’s companies has been found guilty of infringing the trademark of a Sydney fashion designer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Katie Jane Taylor has designed and sold her own line of clothing under her label ‘Katie Perry’ since 2008.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the pop superstar Perry, born Katheryn Hudson, initially fought the Australian registration of the Katie Perry brand, she later withdrew it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor sued the singer for infringement in the Federal Court in 2019, more than a decade after the <em>Firework</em> singer started selling her own brand of merchandise, including clothing, under her stage name. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name,” Justice Brigitte Markovic wrote in a judgement published on April 29 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Markovic found Hudson had infringed the mark on Twitter ahead of one of her Australian tours in 2014.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the infringement, the judge concluded that the singer did not owe any compensation to the designer as she had used the trademark in “good faith”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the singer’s other businesses Kitty Purry however is liable for damages because of the sale of clothing during her 2014 tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">A bid by the star and her companies to cancel the Katy Perry trademark was dismissed by the Federal Court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Markovic is yet to determine the amount of damages owed by Kitty Purry. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6c0faee1-7fff-5497-933e-14ee948d4dac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Interior designer shares key things that make your home look “cheap”

<p dir="ltr">Everyone has their own unique way of decorating their home, finding the perfect aesthetic to make your space your own.</p> <p dir="ltr">And while there are limitless ways to jazz up your home, there are a few major faux pas that can instantly turn your space from fab to drab. </p> <p dir="ltr">An expert interior designer has gone viral on TikTok for listing the three things to look out for when decorating your home in order to avoid your space looking “cheap” or “tacky”. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Visible cords</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Her biggest no-no was having electrical cords for all your chargers and appliances on show. </p> <p dir="ltr">She said they can make any space look “cluttered”, and recommends hiding cords behind special covers of under furniture. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You can run your cords through the wall if possible and if not you can get a little case from Amazon. So much better,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Mass-produced artworks</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Another thing the designer recommends avoiding is generic, mass-produced artwork that you find in home department shops. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When you're looking for artwork, look for something a little bit more original, something that not everyone will have,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also advised against cluttering a space with too much art, and recommended focusing on one main focal piece instead. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Tacky decor </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The design expert also warned against tacky pillows, decor pieces and anything with an inspirational quote. </p> <p dir="ltr">She told all shoppers to steer clear of anything that boasts the words “Live, Laugh, Love”, and encouraged people to pick more classic and timeless decor options. </p> <p dir="ltr">While some appreciated the designers tips, others encouraged people to decorate their homes however they see fit. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What if I am cheap?” one woman asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Things that make my house look cheap: no money,” another quipped. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If it makes you happy then it's not cheap,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just let people be happy with whatever they like and can afford,” one annoyed fan said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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"I want people to be afraid of the women I dress": the celebrated – and often controversial – designs of Alexander McQueen

<p>Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse was first conceived at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. </p> <p>That museum, like many around the world, is being <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-13/lacma-funding-news-update-construction">completely redeveloped</a> to embrace not just spectacular new buildings, but new attitudes towards museum collections. </p> <p>Gone are the boundaries between materials, forms, cultures, nationalities and hierarchies of the arts. No more gallery of, say, “18th century North American silver” or “Medieval and Renaissance art in the European North”. Instead, arts from varied times, places and hierarchies all sit together. </p> <p>An exhibition of the work of Alexander McQueen (1968-2010) was an interesting response to this challenge of a new museum, which also highlighted the relatively late arrival of fashion as a category worthy of study in the global museum. </p> <p>It paired garments by McQueen – many specially donated by one woman collector – with the rich Los Angeles County Museum of Art collections in order to suggest the ways in which McQueen had generated his ideas. </p> <p>Now the exhibition has come to the National Gallery of Victoria, with most of the McQueens on display here donated by Melbourne fashion philanthropist Krystyna Campbell Pretty.</p> <h2>Flourishing postmodernism</h2> <p>This new show is extensive. We have 120 McQueen looks and 80 other works of art. Paintings and decorative arts star in this show, notably the spectacular Jean-Baptiste Greuze painting of a young French actress in Turkish-style dress, on loan from Los Angeles.</p> <p>The visual pairings, which range from 18th century English porcelain figures to lavish Russian gold-woven cloths, drive much of the tempo. </p> <p>Important loans from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are joined by treasures from the NGV, including a spectacular Morris embroidered wall cloth and the Netherlandish flower paintings that contain within them the idea of memento mori – remember that you die.</p> <p>Lee Alexander McQueen was born in 1968, so he was young in the 1980s, absorbing all the flashes of art, design and culture in which postmodernism flourished. </p> <p>Working-class, McQueen did not first go to art school as his middle-class counterparts might. Instead, he apprenticed in Savile Row, the epicentre of bespoke British tailoring, mastering the cut of jackets and trousers.</p> <p>He became so technically proficient that when he applied to tutor technique at art school he was invited to enrol in a Masters. </p> <p>And so the celebrated – and often controversial – McQueen high fashion design was born.</p> <h2>An immersive experience</h2> <p>As well as new ways of dressing for women, McQueen gave us new ways of representing fashion: high concept runways, fashion films, live screenings and putting Paralympian Aimee Mullins on the runway, generating new modes of beauty.</p> <p>At the NGV we have a fully immersive experience and bold scenography.</p> <p>“Mythos” examines three collections through the filter of mythology and theology. McQueen loved to make the present strange by incorporating elements from religious practice, even prejudice, from the past. </p> <p>Everything from angels to demons, from witch burning to Catholic rites might be incorporated for design, fabrication or the runway. </p> <p>These go past simply being artistic source material to generate new ways of looking and appearing for women. “I want people to be afraid of the women I dress,” he said.</p> <p>This exhibition celebrates McQueen’s technical bravura across both tailoring and soft dressmaking, two categories of making clothes that were often conducted separate from the other in the west. </p> <p>Intimate backstage photographs are shown, indicating how the clothes were really worn by models and friends. Here the “muse” is no longer a house model or elegant confidant, but rather a whole set of cultural reflections.</p> <p>The third and final section is called “Fashion Narratives”. Here we see a visual imagination ranging across Siberia, Tibet and other exotic locales.</p> <p>McQueen might, in this section, be accused of cultural appropriation, but this would be unfair. </p> <p>Rather than appropriation, his fashion designs were about fantasy, and fantasy put to good ends, making things from gender to place to sexuality off centre or strange, so we are aware of the fragile accord we have between our identities and our appearances. </p> <p>As Catherine Brickhill, the first designer employed by McQueen to work on his label notes in the catalogue, McQueen, "delved deep into the differences between our culture and other cultures. It wasn’t cultural appropriation, but an openness to and curiosity to be explored and celebrated."</p> <p>Other narratives in this section include the most controversial ones that swirled around McQueen, notably <a href="https://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/tag/highland-rape/">Highland Rape collection</a>, in which McQueen suggested the appearance of Scottish widows during the Highland Wars in ripped and tattered clothes.</p> <p>It would be as silly to accuse McQueen of misogyny here as it would to claim Elsa Schiaparelli hated women for dressing them in <a href="https://spikeartmagazine.com/?q=articles/tears-dress-elsa-schiaparelli-and-salvador-dali">ripped dresses</a> suggestive of assault or accident in the 1930s. </p> <p>Instead, McQueen gives us clothes not just as theatre but as “choreographed deception”, in which male and female elements come together to cancel the other out.</p> <h2>Beyond good</h2> <p>In an era of increasing specialisation, vocational training and narrow fields of research and investigation, this exhibit shows us how a great designer goes beyond good.</p> <p>It shows us how his vision extended well beyond clothes to how they were imagined, and how women might imagine themselves, at all times.</p> <p>When you wear trousers with a very low rear; slip on a <a href="https://textilefocus.com/overview-digital-textile-printing-technology/">digitally printed</a> fabric or has allusions to nature – crystals, leaves, water; wear an asymmetrical outfit with slightly extended shoulders; don impossible shoes to your New Year’s party; or put on an eyeshadow that makes you look like a hummingbird: McQueen was there first. </p> <p>Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is at NGV International, Melbourne, until April 16 2023.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-want-people-to-be-afraid-of-the-women-i-dress-the-celebrated-and-often-controversial-designs-of-alexander-mcqueen-194731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Are our phones really designed to slow down over time? Experts look at the evidence

<p>It’s usually around this time of year you hear people complain about their phones slowing down. Apple and Google release new versions of their operating systems (OS) and suddenly there’s a slew of people <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51413724">claiming their old devices have started to lag</a> – conveniently just before Christmas. </p> <p>But do manufacturers really slow down our phones on purpose to nudge us towards shiny new ones, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/18/936268845/apple-agrees-to-pay-113-million-to-settle-batterygate-case-over-iphone-slowdowns">as has been claimed</a>? </p> <p>The answer to this, as usual, is complicated. Let’s take a look at the evidence.</p> <h2>The ol’ operating system shuffle</h2> <p>Every year, usually around <a href="https://infonewt.com/apple-release-patterns">May and June</a>, tech companies announce their new OS updates. The main news surrounding the releases is often <a href="https://www.macstories.net/stories/ios-and-ipados-15-the-macstories-overview/">new system features</a>such as <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT204380">Facetime</a> enhancements, improvements to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22522993/apple-siri-on-device-speech-recognition-no-internet-wwdc">voice assistants</a>, or a <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/06/ios7-redesign/">fancier system design</a>.</p> <p>But did you know these features are optimised for the new hardware traditionally released during the summer, and the chips that come with it? </p> <p>As such, system updates have to be programmed to work towards two goals. The first is to support the new hardware and chip, which deliver the newest features. </p> <p>The second is to continue to work with existing hardware that won’t support the new features. And this means coding the OS so it’s not reliant on the new features having to work.</p> <p>This challenge exists for desktop OSs as well, as evidenced by the recent removal of old systems <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/29/22555371/microsoft-windows-11-cpu-support-hardware-requirements-tpm-response">from the Windows 11 compatibility list</a>. Microsoft decided coding around new features was an insurmountable challenge in some instances. </p> <h2>Hardships with hardware</h2> <p>So your old smartphone won’t support new features – fair enough. But why does it feel like the new OS update is making existing features slower? To understand this, you need to first understand some of the mechanics of chip design.</p> <p>Apple used to use other manufacturers’ chips for its devices, but for the past few years has made its own custom silicon. This is referred to as a “<a href="https://anysilicon.com/what-is-a-system-on-chip-soc/">system on a chip (SoC)</a>, as the entire system exists on a single chip designed and manufactured by Apple.</p> <p>But even if manufacturers design their own chips, it can be hard to predict what consumers will want in the future, and thus which upgrades will come with future iterations of a device. </p> <p>Manufacturers have to write OS updates to suit the latest hardware, so consumers who purchase it can take advantage of the latest features. In doing so, they must work around the fact that older hardware doesn’t have the same capacity. </p> <p>These workarounds mean older devices will run more slowly with the new OS installed, even for tasks the system had done for years. The latest OS is not written to make your old device slower, but because it’s written for the latest device, it can’t help but run more slowly on old hardware. </p> <p>Examples of this abound in the industry, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone-6s-and-se-performance-is-fine-other-stuff-is-not/">with many articles written</a> about a newly released OS version running slow on older devices until the manufacturer optimises it (if they ever do).</p> <p>You might be wondering: if a new OS will slow down old phones, why install the update at all? </p> <p>Well, it’s because people don’t like being told to stick with old features. Apple <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2021/06/07/apple-will-let-users-stay-on-ios-14-and-receive-security-updates-even-after-ios-15-is-released/">recently allowed</a> users of its latest devices to keep the old system, but this is unusual. There is usually a <a href="https://www.popsci.com/update-every-gadget/">push for users to install new OS versions</a>.</p> <h2>It’s all business</h2> <p>The truth is device manufacturers are in the business to make money. And this means being able to sell new devices. </p> <p>While there is often an <a href="https://theconversation.com/upgrade-rage-why-you-may-have-to-buy-a-new-device-whether-you-want-to-or-not-153105">implied expectation</a> from consumers that manufacturers will commit to maintaining old products, at the same time they need to write updates that will work for their latest hardware. </p> <p>Meanwhile, tech companies aren’t doing enough to educate users on how to adjust their settings to get the best out of their phones, or <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/remove-bloatware-phone/">how to manage software bloat</a> which might contribute to a phone slowing down. </p> <p>Compounding this are other factors such as network connection issues, like when the 3G mobile network was stopped.</p> <h2>Burden of proof</h2> <p>There’s something else to consider, too. If an OS update was designed to intentionally slow down a phone over time, this would be very difficult to prove. </p> <p>The system codes are "closed source”, so experts can’t look into them. The best we can do is run timers on different processes and see if they are slowing down over time.</p> <p>But even if they are, is it because of a system update that can’t be supported by old hardware, or is it malicious conduct from the manufacturer? Could the code be written to force the device to sleep for half a second, every ten seconds, with a sleep command? </p> <p>It’s hard to say for sure, although our personal opinion is this is highly unlikely.</p> <h2>Choose not to play</h2> <p>Ultimately, the issue comes down to how device manufacturers sell their products. </p> <p>The best option for their bottom line is to deliver OS updates and features that work with the latest hardware, even if this leaves old devices behind. The evidence suggests manufacturers are not intentionally slowing phones down, but are prioritising the latest release so you’ll buy it. </p> <p>In the meantime, if your slow device is getting you down, the best option is to resist the urge to upgrade. You might get prompts directing you to install the latest OS version (and the frequency of these will depend on the company) but you can ignore them. </p> <p>There may be auto-updates which you can’t avoid, but in most cases these are for security purposes and don’t include major changes or new features. It’s only once these security updates stop coming that you should upgrade.</p> <p>Until then, a phone running on its original OS should, in theory, run well for a long time.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-our-phones-really-designed-to-slow-down-over-time-experts-look-at-the-evidence-170962" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Technology

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Clothes women wanted to wear: a new exhibition explores how Carla Zampatti saw her designs as a tracker of feminism

<p>The late Carla Zampatti is celebrated in a splendid retrospective Zampatti Powerhouse at the Powerhouse Museum. Planned well before the fashion designer’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-carla-zampatti-pioneered-wearable-yet-cosmopolitan-clothes-for-women-and-became-a-fashion-icon-158377">untimely death</a> last year, the unveiling of her legacy will be bittersweet to her many fans. </p> <p>Zampatti is often referred to as “Carla” by friends and those who worked for her, rather than her brand name, Carla Zampatti. Here, the simple name “Zampatti” removes the emphasis from Zampatti as designer to a simpler assertion: businesswoman, mother, philanthropist-entrepreneur. </p> <p>It is a move as deft and elegant as the rest of the exhibition choices. </p> <p>In one of the best-looking fashion exhibition designs Australia has seen, creative director Tony Assness serves up a dynamic vision of clothes punctuated by a vibrant red (one of Zampatti’s favourite design choices) that encourages excitement and discovery. Clothes are arranged by themes – jumpsuit, jungle, graphic, blouson, power – rather than date.</p> <p>Curator Roger Leong leverages his years of experience to do a relatively new thing for Australian museums: tell the stories of clothes through the stories of women who wore them.</p> <h2>A migrant story</h2> <p>Zampatti’s story is an Australian migrant story. Born Maria Zampatti in Italy in 1938 (not 1942, as is often believed), she did not meet her father, who had migrated to Fremantle, until she was 11. </p> <p>In Australia, she was forced to change her name to Mary. It was claimed the other kids could not pronounce Maria. She did not finish school. When she moved to Sydney in her late 20s, she reinvented herself as Carla.</p> <p>The fashion business started on a kitchen table in 1965 under the label ZamPAtti. By 1970, Carla had bought out her business partner husband, and was sole owner of Carla Zampatti Pty Ltd. </p> <p>Zampatti flourished in fashion. She had a finger on the pulse, was in the right place at the right time, and knew a more glamorous role was possible for a fashion designer than the industry “rag trader”.</p> <p>In the 1970s, the markets suggested that the ultra-expensive haute couture was about to disappear, to be replaced by informal ranges created by a new type of designer often called a “stylist”. It was the decade of flower power, retro dressing and ethnic borrowings.</p> <p>Until the 1960s, fashion had been dominated by the rise of haute couture and the “dictator-designer” system – mainly men who determined hem lengths and silhouettes for women. But in 1973, the French body governing high fashion added a new layer of designers, créateurs (literally “creators” or designers), who produced only ready-to-wear. </p> <p>In 1972 Zampatti opened her first Sydney boutique, inspired by informal shops she had seen in St Tropez. Zampatti offered women bright jumpsuits, art deco looks and peasant-inspired ease.</p> <p>She aimed to provide women clothes they wanted to wear. She draped the cloth and colours on herself. Like many women designers historically, she was alert to how her clothes made women customers look and feel. Zampatti remained the fit model for the whole range and would not produce anything in which she did not look and feel well. </p> <p>Zampatti saw her “clothes as a tracker of feminism”.</p> <p>The 1980s cemented Zampatti’s rise to prominence. She became a household name, even designing a car for women. In this time, personal expression became more important than unified looks dictated by designers. Zampatti’s Australian designing coincided with a new development in Italy: the stylisti. Small, focused family businesses alert to the zeitgeist and understanding quality flourished. It was an approach that emphasised quality and glamour. </p> <p>Zampatti identified talent. She employed well-known couturier Beril Jents on the shop floor after she had fallen on hard times. She then employed Jents to improve the cut of her designs. </p> <p>Zampatti continued to embrace the services of stylists and other designers including Romance was Born, whom she recognised could take her work to the next level.</p> <h2>The stories of clothes</h2> <p>Worn equally by politicians and their circles on the right and the left, Zampatti injected more than power dressing into women’s wardrobes. She inspired a sense that women wore the clothes, not the clothes them. </p> <p>In this exhibition we are given many examples, from Linda Burney’s red pantsuit worn for her parliamentary portrait to a gown worn by Jennifer Morrison to the White House.</p> <p>The exhibition viewer can turn from serried ranks of brilliantly styled mannequins and enter large “listening pods”, screening brilliantly edited videos in the manner of artist Bill Viola. The women, who include Dame Quentin Bryce and Ita Buttrose, discuss the creative mind of Zampatti or reflect on their own Zampatti wardrobe. They are amongst the best such “talking heads” I have seen in a museum.</p> <p>Like many designers, Zampatti was not that interested in her own past. She did not keep substantial archives and records, which is a testament to the skills demonstrated by the museum in bringing us this show. </p> <p>Zampatti never turned her back on her personal story, but she was a futurist, one who looked forward rather than backward.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/clothes-women-wanted-to-wear-a-new-exhibition-explores-how-carla-zampatti-saw-her-designs-as-a-tracker-of-feminism-194040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Tips for designing a garden on a budget

<p>Whether you are new to gardening or a garden guru, if you are thinking of redesigning your garden, the process can be a little intimidating and the costs can really add up. But with some planning and research and a little imagination it can be a very enjoyable project.</p> <p><strong>Plan and do it yourself</strong></p> <p>Gardening is a great way to spend a Sunday, but if you’re planning to design or redesign your whole garden, it might be a bit daunting. The trick is to plan what you want to do and pace yourself. You don’t want to exhaust yourself in a single day; and gardening should be fun not a chore.</p> <p>The beauty of planning out your garden design is that you’ll be able to see where you can save money, and where you might need some help from the professionals.</p> <p>Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for help either; they’ll usually be happy to lend a hand. Gardening can also be a great activity to do with the grandkids.</p> <p><strong>Propagate using cuttings</strong></p> <p>The best way to determine what will grow best in your garden is to look around the neighbourhood. What plants in your neighbour’s garden are thriving?</p> <p>Once you have a list of the best plants for your area, visit some neighbours and ask if you can take some cuttings. Plants that will propagate from a cutting include geraniums, gardenias, camellias, lavender, hydrangea, azaleas, many succulents and native plants, to mention just a few.</p> <p>Often all you’ll need to do is cut away stems and leaves so roots can grow in their place and plant the cutting in the ground. But you can also add growth hormone to help propagate a cutting.</p> <p><strong>Consider native plants</strong></p> <p>As mentioned above, native plants can often be propagated using cuttings, but they are also naturally suited to your area.</p> <p>While you might not want to fill your garden with native plants, you can use smaller native plants and grasses for smaller spaces in your garden and take advantage of their easy manageability.</p> <p>Because native plants have evolved to withstand the climate and can survive with less fertiliser, pesticides and water, a native garden can be easier and much cheaper to maintain.</p> <p>This gives you greater flexibility; if you were to go on holiday, you won’t have to rely on the kids to look after the garden while you are gone.</p> <p><strong>Find uses for common household items</strong></p> <p>When you are designing your garden on a budget you should have a look around the house for ways to save on your garden budget. You can get <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>plenty of ideas on the internet</strong></span> for how to repurpose old and vintage items in your garden. And there are many ways to recycle household items in the garden that you may have been planning to throw out.</p> <p>Newspaper mulching is a prime example of repurposing a household item. Use your old newspapers to smother weeds, allowing your flowers and veggies to grow unhindered.</p> <p>Have your grandkids grown out of their nappies? Use left overs in the place of water hydrating crystals in the bottom of pot plants. They’ll act as a reservoir and will keep the plant moist without drowning it.</p> <p><strong>Egg carton seed storage</strong></p> <p>Egg cartons and toilet rolls can be used as seed starters, while toilet paper makes great seed paper. You could even try your hand at composting. But if that’s a little too much for you, you can just use your tea leaves as a nutritional boost for your plants.</p> <p>So start planning your new garden, enlist the help of family and friends and have a look around your house and online for some inspiration.</p> <p>Did you design your own garden? Share your tips with the Over60 community in the comments below.</p> <p><strong><em>To find more great tips on gardening and design, please visit the Australian Outdoor Living <a href="https://www.australianoutdoorliving.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">website here</span></a>.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Artist goes viral for “peekaboo” wall design

<p dir="ltr">A US artist has gone viral after revealing the results of an experiment she conducted with some paint and a wall in her loft apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly, an interior decorator and artist behind KRÜGERarts, has been praised by fans for starting a new trend online when she shared what happened when she painted a unique, nature-inspired mural over the top of blue matte paint.</p> <p dir="ltr">Using semi-gloss paint in the same colour as the flat matte paint, Kelly created a design that appears when hit by light but disappears into the background colour in shadow. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love the way that this is going to add texture,” she says in a TikTok clip showing how she created the look.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It plays with the natural lighting, but because it’s the same colour, it won’t be too overwhelming in this small space.” </p> <p dir="ltr">In a clip revealing the final result, Kelly described it as a "peekaboo effect".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it looks beautiful," she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's there, and then it's not."</p> <p dir="ltr">Her initial reveal video soon went viral, receiving 2.3 million views, nearly 700,000 likes, and thousands of comments - including plenty from fans, fellow artists and others planning to do something similar in their own homes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are so talented, I love what you created here,” one user wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My wife and I close on a house next Friday. We will absolutely be doing this. Thanks for the inspo!” another shared.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a7da5218-7fff-6119-ab02-da488ae50949"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I literally gasped. This is beautiful,” a third commented.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/wall-art1.jpg" alt="" width="1079" height="1879" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Kelly achieved her ‘peekaboo’ look by painting a semi-gloss pattern over matte blue paint. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">In response to the popularity of the video, Kelly revealed she will be releasing wallpaper and fabric featuring her design, available in multiple colours from Spoonflower.</p> <p dir="ltr">When we asked for her advice for those keen to achieve something similar in their interior spaces, Kelly, who has been working in interior decorating for the past ten years, told OverSixty that planning is key.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Choose a wall that makes sense in regards to lighting. Doing this technique on a wall with natural or varying light will give best results,” Kelly advises.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I planned my design ahead and mapped it out in chalk so it was easy to paint the semi gloss.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would freehand your design if you can. Using tape will leave edges on your paint that will be difficult to paint over in the future. Although for some designs it would be worth the tape edges for a perfect line.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with sharing artistic experiments, Kelly has been keeping fans up-to-date with the remodelling of her home, her paint-and-stick wallpaper designs, and other arty projects.</p> <p dir="ltr">To find Kelly online, head to her <a href="https://www.krugerarts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> or follow her on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kruger_arts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kruger_arts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram </a>with the handle @kruger_arts.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9420b10-7fff-ae11-fcff-936a5523572b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @kruger_arts (Instagram)</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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From a series of recipes designed by Xali: Iceberg Lettuce with Miso Avocado Dressing

<p dir="ltr">Xali is Australia’s first training, dietary and wellness program to cater to women going through biological changes with a focus on perimenopause and menopause.</p> <p dir="ltr">Created by Northern Rivers resident Naz de Bono, Xali is a daily personalised program that provides workouts, recipes, education and support to women based on the 4 pillars of Move, Eat, Learn &amp; Connect. Xali creates recommendations for women bursting with energy but also provides options for the days when they want to pull back.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Iceberg Lettuce with Miso Avocado Dressing</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">This is one of my favourite salads as it is so easy and the miso avocado dressing is also perfect with grilled chicken or steamed vegetables.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves:</strong> 1</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ whole iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges</p> <p dir="ltr">● 3 whole radish, stems on, halved if desired</p> <p dir="ltr">● ½ whole avocado, large, ripe</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¾ tbsp miso paste, white</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 tsp maple syrup</p> <p dir="ltr">● ½ tsp dijon mustard</p> <p dir="ltr">● ⅛ cup parsley, flat leaf</p> <p dir="ltr">● ⅛ tsp cracked white pepper</p> <p dir="ltr">● ½ lemon, juiced</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ cup water, to thin if required</p> <p dir="ltr">● ½ tsp pink peppercorns, crushed, optional</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">1. Arrange iceberg and radishes on a platter.</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Put all remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Add more water as needed to thin to the consistency.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f17366fc-7fff-a040-6d73-d1e3874c6028"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">4. Spoon into a ramekin. Top with crushed pink peppercorns and serve.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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From a series of recipes designed by Xali: Crunchy Wombok & Nut Salad

<p dir="ltr">Xali is Australia’s first training, dietary and wellness program to cater to women going through biological changes with a focus on perimenopause and menopause.</p> <p dir="ltr">Created by Northern Rivers resident Naz de Bono, Xali is a daily personalised program that provides workouts, recipes, education and support to women based on the 4 pillars of Move, Eat, Learn &amp; Connect. Xali creates recommendations for women bursting with energy but also provides options for the days when they want to pull back. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Crunchy Wombok &amp; Nut Salad</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Wombok is also known as Chinese cabbage, napa cabbage or siu choy. It belongs to the family Brassicaceae, commonly known as the brassica or mustard family. This is a great recipe if you have wombok on hand and you will also need to have a batch of our Cashew Cream Mayo available too.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves: </strong>1</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ wombok, shredded</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 whole celery stick, finely chopped</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ red capsicum, finely shredded</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ cup raw cashews, roughly chopped</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 ½ tbsp cashew sauce</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 tsp black sesame seeds</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ tsp salt</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¼ tsp cracked black pepper</p> <p dir="ltr">● Edible flowers to garnish</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">1. Combine shredded wombok, celery, red capsicum, cashews and walnuts in a large bowl.</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Fold in 1 tbsp Cashew Cream Mayo and toss well.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Smear remaining Cashew Cream Mayo onto a serving plate.</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Top with salad and sprinkle with black sesame seeds, season with salt and crackled white pepper and garnish with edible flowers.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cashew Cream Mayo:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you have never tasted a plant-based nut sauce or cashew cream, you are in for a treat - and it's really easy too!</p> <p dir="ltr">*This recipe requires about 24 hours including soaking and fermenting time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">● 2 cups raw cashews, soaked 1 hour minimum</p> <p dir="ltr">● ¾ cup water</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 tsp probiotics, powder from 1 capsule</p> <p dir="ltr">● ½ tsp white miso paste, or to taste</p> <p dir="ltr">● 1 tsp salt, or to taste</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">1. Soak the cashews for at least 1 hour, but no more than 4. Do not over-soak them as they can become slimy and may discolour. Drain the cashews in a colander, pat them dry with a paper towel.</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Place soaked cashews in a high-speed blender, add a little water, the probiotic powder (discard the outer capsule) and white miso paste.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Note that if stored too long, the cashew cream may split and become watery, so I usually store for around 3 days, maybe 4!</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Blend all ingredients until silky smooth. You might need a little more or less water, just don't make it too runny. it should be the consistency of thick cream.</p> <p dir="ltr">5. Transfer to a glass bowl or jug, cover with a tea towel or cheesecloth then leave to culture for 24 hours at room temperature out of direct sunlight.</p> <p dir="ltr">6. The next day check the flavour, season with plenty of salt to flavour, you will be surprised how much salt you need, so enjoy this in moderation.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e4bc1f9f-7fff-9816-746b-9e74a6e8d810"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">7. Use immediately or transfer to a sterilsed jar, seal and chill for up to 3 days. Check the flavour each day as it will continue to ferment.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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From a series of recipes designed by Xali: Sauteed silverbeet with celery and toasted pine nuts

<p dir="ltr">Xali is Australia’s first training, dietary and wellness program to cater to women going through biological changes with a focus on perimenopause and menopause.</p> <p dir="ltr">Created by Northern Rivers resident Naz de Bono, Xali is a daily personalised program that provides workouts, recipes, education and support to women based on the 4 pillars of Move, Eat, Learn &amp; Connect. Xali creates recommendations for women bursting with energy but also provides options for the days when they want to pull back.  </p> <p dir="ltr">As women experience biological changes, the way they exercise needs to be adapted. A shift in hormones means women have a higher risk of injury and Naz has created a library of workouts with this in mind.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sautéed silverbeet with celery and toasted pine nuts</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves:</strong> 1</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">●     1 tbsp pine nuts</p> <p dir="ltr">●     ¼ tbsp olive oil</p> <p dir="ltr">●     ¼ whole lemon</p> <p dir="ltr">●     1 ½ celery stalk, sliced diagonally</p> <p dir="ltr">●     1 cup silverbeet, trimmed</p> <p dir="ltr">●     ⅛ tsp salt</p> <p dir="ltr">●     ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong> Method:</strong></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d45adc42-7fff-3459-2c4c-28d4825122e1"></span></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Heat a cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Add pine nuts and dry fry to lightly toast. Remove pine nuts from heat and set aside.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Heat oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add oil and lemon, and sear lemon until coloured. Remove lemon from heat and add celery and cook for 3 minutes until almost soft. Add silverbeet and cook for another 5-7 minutes.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Return seared lemon to the pan, add lightly toasted pine nuts season and serve directly from the pan.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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From a series of recipes designed by Xali: Baked Barramundi with lemon and assorted greens

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Baked Barramundi with lemon and assorted greens</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Xali is Australia’s first training, dietary and wellness program to cater to women going through biological changes with a focus on perimenopause and menopause. </p> <p dir="ltr">As women go through menopause they often experince tummy bloating from a change in hormones. Pickled foods are great to help reduce bloating, as fermented foods nourish the lining of your stomach. </p> <p dir="ltr">This recipe was designed by award-winning clinical nutritionist, Samantha Gowing to help woman reduce symptoms of tummy bloating as they are going through menopause.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Prep</strong>: 20 mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cook:</strong> 15 mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Yields:</strong> 1 serve</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">2 tsp macadamia, olive or peanut oil</p> <p dir="ltr">½ bunch asparagus, trimmed
</p> <p dir="ltr">1 cup spinach</p> <p dir="ltr">½ cup silverbeet</p> <p dir="ltr">200 gram Barramundi, or other white fish</p> <p dir="ltr">Salt</p> <p dir="ltr">Cracked black pepper</p> <p dir="ltr">½ lemon, cut into wedges</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Line a small baking dish with baking paper.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Place asparagus, spinach and silverbeet on the baking dish, top with fish and drizzle with oil and season.</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, check fish is cooked through by flaking gently with a fork.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2cf9307c-7fff-c5e6-a472-5acce2b6bf11"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">5. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with wedges of fresh lemon.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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From a series of recipes designed by Xali: Pickled carrots and dill

<p dir="ltr">Xali is Australia’s first training, dietary and wellness program to cater to women going through biological changes with a focus on perimenopause and menopause. </p> <p dir="ltr">As women go through menopause they often experince tummy bloating from a change in hormones. Pickled foods are great to help reduce bloating, as fermented foods nourish the lining of your stomach. </p> <p dir="ltr">This recipe was designed by award-winning clinical nutritionist, Samantha Gowing to help woman reduce symptoms of tummy bloating as they are going through menopause.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Pickled carrots and dill</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Prep:</strong> 15 mins Yields about 2 cups Store 14 days</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">2 cups / 340g carrot, cut into ribbons or spiralised</p> <p dir="ltr">1 tbsp fresh dill, snipped</p> <p dir="ltr">1 tsp yellow mustard seeds</p> <p dir="ltr">1 tsp salt</p> <p dir="ltr">1 cup / 250ml white or apple cider vinegar</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">1. In a large glass jar or storage container arrange carrot and dill.</p> <p dir="ltr">2. In a small saucepan over a low heat, gently heat mustard seeds, salt, white or apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer to dissolve salt and influse mustard seeds. Cool then pour over carrots and dill in a glass jar.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Seal and store out of direct sunlight at room temperature.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-14722b39-7fff-ceca-fae8-f72dce6b1791"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">4. Use after 3 days and within 14 days.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Marilyn Monroe dress designer weighs in on Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala outfit

<p dir="ltr">The designer who sketched Marilyn Monroe’s original ‘Happy Birthday, Mr President’ dress has weighed in on Kim Kardashion’s choice to re-wear the dress at the Met Gala awards - and his opinion of it is less than glowing.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a recent interview with <em><a href="https://ew.com/celebrity/bob-mackie-kim-kardashian-wearing-marilyn-monroe-dress-big-mistake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entertainment Weekly</a></em>, 82-year-old costume designer Bob Mackie described Kardashian’s controversial outfit choice as a “big mistake”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[Monroe] was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess,” he told the publication.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She was just fabulous. Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her. Nobody else should be seen in that dress."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mackie, whose claim to fame includes dressing Lucille Ball, Judy Garland and Cher, sketched the design for Monroe’s gown in 1962.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then sent the sketch to his boss, French fashion designer Jean Louis, who made the gown a reality.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kardashian caused a stir after she reached out to Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’ museum in Orlando - which famously bought Monroe’s gown for $6.7 million in 2016 - and was allowed to try it in a private fitting.</p> <p dir="ltr">They then workshopped how she could “fake” fitting into the dress for the 2022 Met Gala, in a move that has caused concern among fashion historians and collectors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Scott Fortner, a Marilyn Monroe artefact collector, told <em><a href="https://people.com/style/bob-mackie-marilyn-monroe-kim-kardashian-2022-met-gala/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em> that, since the dress was exclusively designed for Monroe and involved her being nude while it was sewn to her body, it can be deduced that some “stress” was done to the dress when Kardashian gave it a try.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The gown worn by anyone else will not be a precise fit,” Fortner said. “In this case, Kim Kardashian's measurements are somewhat different than Marilyn's. It's logically assumed the fabric and seams were stressed."</p> <p dir="ltr">Alicia Malone, the Aussie TV host of Turner Classic Movies and the network’s new fashion series Follow the Thread, also told Entertainment Weekly that there’s an issue with Kardashian wearing an item so intrinsically tied to Monroe.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't know what Kim Kardashian sees in Marilyn herself, or how much she knows about her history, but definitely now, Kim will be tied to that dress as Marilyn is," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"So it'll be the Marilyn Monroe dress that Kim Kardashian also wore to the Met Gala."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e76b299b-7fff-4a07-aa39-8510c8a0c943"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Designer home comes with its OWN footy field

<p dir="ltr">A designer homestead in the middle of the Western Australian bush has been<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-wa-muckenburra-700170614?cid=content-article:buyers:featured-property" target="_blank">listed</a><span> </span>for sale, and its expansive 100-acre surroundings comes with its own private football oval.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home, with its “contemporary industrial meets country resort” aesthetic, took its creator five years to construct.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The purpose-built property is a model of the perfect country retreat dreamed up by its owner, who is an architect and university lecturer,” Nick French, of Dethridge Groves Real Estate,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/designer-bush-homestead-on-100-acres-just-outside-perth-comes-with-own-afl-oval/" target="_blank">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s seamless and all the spaces are huge, which gives a very relaxed flow, and it all sits within a pristine bush setting with no other houses in view.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with its three bedrooms and bathrooms, the home boasts oversized entertaining spaces, a library and study, and a courtyard garden and plunge pool belonging to the master suite.</p> <p dir="ltr">The property also comes with a two-storey bunkhouse with two full-sized bedrooms of its own.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being only an hour from the city, the property has an isolated feel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The 100 acres of ever-changing natural bush land has many, many species of flowering natives - including some rare orchids,” Mr French said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the natural beauty surrounding the home is a huge bonus, the highlight of the outdoor spaces has to be the quarter-sized AFL oval, along with its own seating for spectators “to take in all the fun”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s also a huge rear entertaining patio with built-in barbeque area and woodfired pizza oven,” Mr French said.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a solar energy system and water tanks capable of storing 90,000 litres, he added that the home also has a 10-star energy rating.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The owners have moved to new employment positions in Victoria and had to sell up both their main home and this holiday home,” Mr French said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It might not be the place you immediately think of when buying a holiday home or a weekender, but it’s only an hour drive from Perth but is completely secluded on its own huge land holding of diverse, native bushland.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The local town is utterly delightful with a number of historic buildings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The home is open for inspections by appointment, and Mr French said he is welcoming offers starting at $1.7 million.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Realestate.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

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We need to design housing for Indigenous communities that can withstand the impacts of climate change

<p><a href="https://library.sprep.org/sites/default/files/5_23.pdf">Remote Indigenous communities</a> in Australia will experience the impacts of climate change disproportionately to the rest of the country.</p> <p>Take the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in northwest South Australia, where maximum temperatures are increasing. The summer periods of sustained high temperatures are starting earlier and lasting longer.</p> <p>A rapidly warming planet provides a significant challenge to design, deliver, and maintain habitable housing across Australia. Yet, few analyses consider Indigenous housing and climate change together.</p> <p>A new report, <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/368">Sustainable Indigenous Housing in Regional and Remote Australia</a>, fills this gap.</p> <h2>Exploring sustainable housing for First Nations communities</h2> <p>This new report examines the role of housing in remote and regional communities, given the increasing pressures of climate change. It shows existing and new housing can and should be better maintained for these communities. We found that Indigenous-run tenancy management is part of the solution.</p> <p>In Gunnedah, we partnered with <a href="https://www.gunidagunyah.com.au/">Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation</a>, an Aboriginal community housing provider in New South Wales. The houses that Gunida Gunyah manage vary in age and quality, which all housing organisations must negotiate as they assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance.</p> <p>Unfortunately the legacies of inadequate construction in housing do not belong to the past. What is built or refurbished today could haunt residents for decades. So, will attempts to revive old housing using existing national construction guidelines be enough to ensure future habitability?</p> <p>We used simulation software to understand the impact of climate change, especially of increasing heat, on Indigenous housing. This software considered the effectiveness of strategies for refurbishing existing housing to improve thermal performance and energy efficiency. This simulation was modelled for Australia’s tropical, dry, and hot/mild climate zones.</p> <p>After 366 simulations, our results showed modifying or refurbishing existing housing and even building new homes to meet recommended standards are not adequate measures for current or future climate changes. Even if existing housing was improved or new housing was built to current national construction code standards, at best, benefits will be short term.</p> <p>Further, whether houses are old or new, crowding is a critical limitation for “thermal comfort” - the technical term for not too hot, not too cold. So, even if housing was greatly improved on the design front, crowding would cancel out the benefits.</p> <p>The solution is a combination of better design and construction standards, increased housing and restorative work on existing housing, with well-funded repair and maintenance programs to ensure ongoing function.</p> <h2>Basic housing needs are not being met</h2> <p>As <a href="https://www.healthabitat.com/">Healthabitat</a> has long demonstrated, basic needs for householders, such as the ability to wash themselves, wash clothes and bedding, and store and prepare food, requires things to work inside and outside the house.</p> <p><a href="https://www.healthabitat.com/review-closing-the-gap-10-and-20-year-review-of-housing-for-health-data/">Decades of data</a> shows the impact of restoring function to health hardware (washing facilities, safe food storage systems, and so on) and reveals the key reasons for housing dysfunction are poor original construction and inadequate repairs and maintenance.</p> <p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-23/nt-government-amends-countersuit-public-housing-santa-teresa/10550350">Some governments</a> respond to evidence of poor maintenance by claiming that the rent they can collect is not enough to cover the expenses involved, or that the record-keeping systems for showing what needs to be repaired are at fault, especially in remote areas.</p> <p>However, our case material from the APY Lands shows the holy grail of proactive and planned maintenance of housing is perfectly doable and can generate savings.</p> <p>A preventive maintenance program is economical. It minimises major hardware failures, bundles work orders (so more is fixed in less time) and reduces travel costs.</p> <p>By spending three-quarters of its maintenance budget for APY Lands housing on planned works, and working closely with the Indigenous community-controlled <a href="https://www.nganampahealth.com.au/">Nganampa Health Council</a>, Housing SA keeps repair and maintenance travel expenses for APY Lands housing to <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021-11/PES-368-Sustainable%20Indigenous%20housing%20in%20regional%20and%20remote%20Australia.pdf">under 11%</a>.</p> <p>This contrasts with <a href="https://parliament.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/706683/TP-5-1.pdf">national research</a> revealing travel costs consume up to 96% of per-unit costs for emergency repairs in Indigenous housing, leaving only 11% to 37% of budgets for planned repairs and maintenance.</p> <p>Greater national funding is needed for better housing designs, related construction and ongoing maintenance work to provide year-round seasonal comfort and protection, and to alleviate crowding in residences.</p> <p>Australia could lead the way in meeting these needs, but first the policy challenge to meet housing, health, heat, and climate change together must be openly acknowledged.</p> <p>This is the path to achieve climate mitigation rather than forced migrations. Housing, health, maintenance, and climate must be thought about together, to enable people to stay on or near their Country and sites of connection now and into the future.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171203/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tess-lea-445805">Tess Lea</a>, Professor, Anthropology and Cultural Studies, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/arianna-brambilla-1287711">Arianna Brambilla</a>, Lecturer in Architecture, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-singer-1287708">John Singer</a>, CEO of Nganampa Health Council, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indigenous-knowledge-4846">Indigenous Knowledge</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liam-grealy-391597">Liam Grealy</a>, Research fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-design-housing-for-indigenous-communities-that-can-withstand-the-impacts-of-climate-change-171203">original article</a>.</p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Electric cars alone won’t save the planet. We’ll need to design cities so people can walk and cycle safely

<p>At the COP26 climate summit, world politicians patted themselves on their backs for <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/455658/cop26-agrees-new-global-climate-deal-with-last-minute-change-on-coal">coming to a last-minute agreement</a>. Humanity now waits with bated breath to see if countries implement the commitments they made, and if those commitments help the planet.</p> <p>If the rest of our climate progress mirrors the policies around transportation, we’re in for a difficult future.</p> <p>COP26 may have been one of the last chances to head off devastating climate change, and yet, the best and boldest action our leaders could envision for transportation was the universal adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) — with a vague nod to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/11/10/electric-cars-wont-save-the-planet-say-transport-experts-at-cop26/?sh=15ebb8967978">active and public transport</a>.</p> <p>EVs are exciting for politicians, many businesses and a few drivers. They give us the illusion we are dramatically reducing our environmental impact while changing virtually nothing about our lifestyles.</p> <p>But EVs do what cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) have always done to our urban areas. They make it possible to put greater distances between the places we live, work and shop. But ever expanding cities are unsustainable.</p> <p>Building endlessly into greenfield areas and swapping forests or agricultural land for low-density housing uses exorbitant amounts of limited resources. The further out our cities grow, the less interest there is in building up to achieve the scale our urban areas need for the efficient use of infrastructures like water, sewerage, electricity and public transport.</p> <h2>Electric cars are still cars</h2> <p>Electric cars make our cities less attractive and less efficient for more sustainable modes of transport. No matter the type of propulsion, people driving cars kill 1.35 million people globally, including more than 300 in New Zealand, every year.</p> <p>More cars in cities mean more space taken for parking, less room and more danger for active modes and less efficient public transport. Plugging in a car doesn’t stop it from being a lethal machine or causing congestion.</p> <p>There is still no clear and sustainable pathway to manage the e-waste generated by EVs. Electric cars are not “green”. They still use tyres which create massive waste streams. Tyre wear produces microplastics that <a href="https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201702/invisible-plastic-particles-textiles-and-tyres-major-source-ocean-pollution-%E2%80%93-iucn-study">end up in our waterways and oceans</a>.</p> <p>Although EVs use regenerative braking, which is better than traditional internal-combustion cars, they still use brake pads when the brakes are applied. Braking generates <a href="https://www.ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2018/the-hidden-pollutant-in-our-brake-pads/">toxic dust composed of heavy metals</a> like mercury, lead, cadmium and chromium. These heavy metals make their way to our streams and rivers, embedding themselves in these waterways forever.</p> <h2>Driving less, switching to active transport</h2> <p>Even if EVs were great for the planet, we may not get to a level of use in New Zealand to meaningfully reduce transport emissions to merit our climate goals.</p> <p>New Zealand introduced subsidies in July this year, but at this point <a href="https://www.transport.govt.nz//assets/Uploads/Report/AnnualFleetStatistics.pdf">less than 0.5% of the vehicle fleet is fully electric</a>. At the current rate of EV adoption, it will take many decades before enough electric motors propel our vehicle fleet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>According to the Climate Change Commission’s <a href="https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/our-work/advice-to-government-topic/inaia-tonu-nei-a-low-emissions-future-for-aotearoa/">advice to the government</a>, to achieve New Zealand’s 2050 net zero target, at least 50% of imported light vehicles would need to be fully electric by 2029, with no light internal-combustion vehicle imports from the early 2030s. The report goes on to concede that:</p> <blockquote> <p>Even with the rapid switch to EVs, roughly 80% of the vehicles entering the fleet this decade would still be ICE vehicles.</p> </blockquote> <p>The current rates of EV adoption reflect uptake by the <a href="https://sciencepolicyreview.org/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2021/08/A_perspective_on_equity_in_the_transition_to_electric_vehicles.pdf">wealthiest in our society</a>. Once those with the greatest disposable income purchase electric cars, we can expect the adoption curve to flatten.</p> <p>It is unfair to expect middle and lower-income people to replace their current vehicles with more expensive electric cars. Mitigating emissions through consumerism is highly inequitable. We are placing the most significant burden on the most vulnerable groups.</p> <p>Those who push technology like EVs make big promises that lull us into a false sense that we can live our lives in virtually the same way we do now and not worry about the planet. In reality, our lifestyles need to undergo significant changes to make a meaningful impact.</p> <p>Despite all this, there is good news. The changes needed to move us closer to a sustainable future are many of the things a lot of us love about living in a community. It’s about bringing different land uses closer together to make it possible to live, work and shop in your neighbourhood. It’s about connecting communities with cycling and public transport infrastructure for longer trips.</p> <p>Life as we know it will have to change, but that change could be for the better. We don’t need to ditch the more than three million fossil fuel cars we already have, but we should drive them a lot less. Though it sounds nice, buying a new electric car won’t save the planet.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171818/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-welch-1252494">Timothy Welch</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-cars-alone-wont-save-the-planet-well-need-to-design-cities-so-people-can-walk-and-cycle-safely-171818">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Five Australian flag designs kick off hot debate

<p>A TikTok user has reignited the passionate debate over the design of the Australian flag. </p> <p>Jack Toohey, who shares videos as @fleetwood_jack, posted a clip that showcased five alternate designs that have been offered up in recent years as an alternative to the current flag. </p> <p>He shares images of each flag's design, as well as details on what they represent and who came up with them originally. </p> <p>The current Australian flag features <span>the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.</span></p> <p>However, there have been many calls over the years to include First Nation Australians and Indigenous elements to the country's flag. </p> <p>The five designs Jack shares in his video are <span>The Reconciliation Flag, the Down Under Flag, the Sunburnt Flag, the Golden Wattle flag and John Joseph’s Untitled Flag.</span></p> <p>The Reconciliation Flag was designed in 2013 by John Blaxland and incorporates the Southern Cross and a seven-point Commonwealth <span>Star with dots representing 150 Indigenous and migrant languages spoken in Australia.</span></p> <p>This design is the closest to the current flag, but also acknowledges Indigenous Australians, with a red boomerang being pictured in a fragment of the Union Jack. </p> <p>The Down Under Flag was designed in 1986 by <span>Friedensrich Hundertwasser and features a red semi-circle on top of a blue background with the seven-point Commonwealth star. </span></p> <p><span>It is meant to represent Uluru upside down - a play of the notion of a “land down under.”</span></p> <p><span>The Untitled Flag was created in 2006 by John Jospeh, and replaces the Union Jack with a circular Indigenous painting. </span></p> <p><span>The Sunburnt Flag was designed in 1988 by Stephen Berry and takes inspiration from the famous Dorothea McKellar poem “My Country,” which contains the phrase, “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains ...”</span></p> <p><span>The design features a red base and yellow sunrise, as seen on the current Aboriginal flag, as well as a blue sky and the Southern Cross. </span></p> <p><span>The Golden Wattle flag was designed in 2015 by Jeremy Matthews, and draws inspiration from the country's native flower. </span></p> <p><span>The seven points of the Commonwealth Star in the middle of the wattle point refer to the individual states and territories that make up Australia.</span></p> <p><span>While some of Jack Toohey's TikTok followers thought our current flag was just fine, most commenters agreed it was time for a change that included representation for </span>Indigenous Australians. </p> <p><span>Many felt that a modern Australian flag should reference both Indigenous history and culture, and reference to Australia’s colonial history.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock/TikTok @fleetwood_jack</em></p>

Art

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Proud and resolute": Queen’s new statue design FINALLY revealed

<p>Royal fans have been given a first look at a statue of Queen Elizabeth that's currently under construction – and strictly under wraps.</p> <p>The statue is set to be uncovered just in time for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and is being created by artist Richard Bossons, who is part of York Minster cathedral's masonry team.</p> <p>It will stand two metres tall and will weigh out to about two tonnes.</p> <p>Bossons admitted to the <em>BBC</em> that the sculpture had been challenging to design.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843321/queen-statue-rare-photos-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bce3f9bd79454d17bacca654fd4f9e51" /></p> <p><em>Image: Twitter @York_Minster</em></p> <p>"The statue needs to be part of the fabric, not a distraction from it, yet it also has to have the poise and presence befitting of the Queen's unique role," he said.</p> <p>"She will stand proud and resolute in her niche, welcoming worshippers and visitors alike," Bossons added.</p> <p>The statue will show the Queen dressed in Garter robes and the George IV State Diadem.</p> <p>She will also be holding an orb and sceptre, to symbolise her 70-year reign on the British throne.</p> <p>The Twitter York Minster took to Twitter to share more information on the design: "We're delighted to be able to share some images showing the on-going work behind the creation of the new statue of Her Majesty The Queen, set to be installed in summer '22.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843320/queen-statue-rare-photos-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/67c5d35a2b1f4be9af2ddf767804f5cb" /></p> <p><em>Image: Twitter @York_Minster</em></p> <p>"Designer &amp; carver Richard Bossons showcasing his incredible skill."</p> <p>The 2022 Jubilee is set to take place from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5 in 2022.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">We’re delighted to be able to share some images showing the on-going work behind the creation of the new statue of Her Majesty The Queen, set to be installed in summer '22.<br /><br />Designer &amp; carver Richard Bossons showcasing his incredible skill 👏<br /><br />Read more &gt; <a href="https://t.co/E0Y8gaUNNj">https://t.co/E0Y8gaUNNj</a> <a href="https://t.co/hq5Dn4MQ4P">pic.twitter.com/hq5Dn4MQ4P</a></p> — York Minster (@York_Minster) <a href="https://twitter.com/York_Minster/status/1427954810381377541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>"Throughout the year, Her Majesty and Members of the Royal Family will travel around the country to undertake a variety of engagements to mark this historic occasion culminating with the focal point of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend in June - one year from today," Buckingham Palace revealed.</p> <p>Trooping the Colour will take place on Thursday, June 2, instead of its usual Saturday date.</p>

Beauty & Style

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