Lifestyle Barometer: Your guide to what’s hot and what’s not this week from the royal baby to the Met Gala
From Danny Baker to hijabs and wet wipes, this is our guide to what’s hot and what’s not
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
GOING UP ▲
▲ Royal baby
The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy on Monday 6 May.
The announcement was made on the couple’s recently launched Instagram account.
“We are pleased to announce that their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on 6 May 2019,” the statement reads.
“Their Royal Highnesses’ son weighs 7lbs 3oz.”
On Wednesday, the couple introduced their son to the world for the first time during a photocall.
Speaking in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle ahead of the photo’s release, Harry held their two-day-old child as Meghan said: “It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy.
“He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm.”
Later that day, Meghan and Harry announced the name of their son: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
New research has since predicted that Archie is likely to become one of the most popular names in the UK by 2022.
▲ Met Gala
On Monday 6 May, the most elite members of the fashion industry took to the pink carpet for the Met Gala 2019.
This year, the theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion”, prompting an array of headline-grabbing ensembles from the event’s guests.
Co-chair Lady Gaga arrived at the Gala in a hot pink Brandon Maxwell gown before unveiling a further three outfits including a strapless black dress, a hot-pink dress ensemble, and a matching set of black underwear and bejewelled fishnet tights.
Elsewhere, Zendaya turned a classic fairytale into reality by dressing up as Cinderella, while Billy Porter arrived on the pink carpet on a litter carried by six shirtless men and dressed in a custom “sun god” ensemble, created by The Blonds.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas also made their first public appearance since their Las Vegas wedding wearing matching 1980s-inspired outfits by Louis Vuitton.
Check out the best dressed from the Met Gala 2019 here.
▲ Model diversity
Primark was praised on social media this week for featuring a model with a missing tooth in its spring/summer campaign.
The high street clothing brand posted a photo of two models, Symone Lu and Lucy Knell, wearing its latest swimwear range on Instagram on Monday alongside the caption: “Vaycay season is upon us, and we’re leaving our cares behind!”
Lu, who is wearing a black bikini and yellow crocheted beach dress, is photographed smiling at the camera with her tongue out, revealing her missing central incisor.
Shoppers applauded Primark for promoting diversity by choosing to include a model with an “imperfect smile”.
“Good to see @primark having real people as models so my kids don’t grow up thinking they have to look a certain way,” one person commented on Instagram.
Another added: “Such an inspiration! I’ve felt so conscious of my teeth, just recently got braces due to gapping! She looks gorgeous… proud of her and Primark.”
▲ H&M x Stranger Things
H&M is launching a clothing range inspired by hit Netflix series Stranger Things.
The high street brand’s capsule collection comes ahead of the programme’s highly-anticipated third season, which will air later this summer, and consists of swimwear, clothing and poolside accessories.
H&M’s offering is logo-heavy – with “Hawkins Pool” emblazoned across T-shirts, swimsuits and trunks – and features a playful assortment of nostalgic floral prints in homage to the 1980s vibe that characterises Stranger Things.
Other standout pieces include a Stranger Things visor, beach towel and floral print Cuban-style shirt.
Get a first look at the entire collection, which will be available in-store and online from 23 May, here.
▲ Hijabs
Nike’s Pro Hijab has been named one of the hottest fashion products in the world right now by global fashion search platform Lyst.
The product ranks seventh in Lyst’s quarterly index behind a number of luxury high-fashion items, including Alexander McQueen’s oversized sole sneakers (first), Prada’s stud-embellished headband (second) and Jacqeumus’ Le Chiquito bag (third).
Morgane Le Caer of Lyst tells The Independent that although it may feel “reductive” to label a hijab a “hot fashion product” given its religious significance, the fact that it has made its way onto the report means it is one of the most in-demand fashion items across the globe, which she describes as “exciting and important”.
“This is reflective of the many socio-cultural changes that have been impacting the fashion industry,” Le Caer adds. “There is a real need and ever-growing demand for more inclusive fashion. A totally inclusive approach to representation in design and marketing is essential – for both customers and brands.”
Find out which other products made Lyst’s report – based on the shopping behaviours of more than 5 million people – here.
GOING DOWN ▼
▼ Danny Baker
Radio host Danny Baker has been fired by the BBC after posting a racist tweet about the royal baby.
The 5 Live presenter, 61, was accused of racism after seemingly mocking the Duchess of Sussex’s heritage in a now deleted post that featured an image of two people holding hands with a chimp dressed in a suit alongside the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital.”
Baker’s tweet received a huge backlash on social media with many calling for him to be let go by the BBC.
“Danny Baker should be given today to resign and clear his desk. If he is still there at 16:59 @bbc MUST FIRE HIM! I’m disgusted by the hate and racism inherent in his tweet. Unforgivable,” one person tweeted.
He confirmed his firing from the station on Twitter, writing: “Just got fired from @bbc5live.”
The broadcaster, who called the tweet an “idiotic” mistake, later insisted he was not racist in an interview with Sky News.
A BBC spokesperson said: “This was a serious error of judgment and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody. Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”
▼ Festival tents
This week, festival organisers called for a ban on single-use tents in a bid to help tackle plastic pollution.
The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) – an organisation that represents and empowers independent UK festivals like Shambala, Boomtown and Boardmasters – urged retailers to stop marketing and selling tents as single-use items.
It also called on festivalgoers to take their tents home with them at the end of the event.
The initiative follows a report published by the AIF in 2018 which found that while 93 per cent of festivals had ditched plastic straws and 40 per cent have banned the sale of drinks in single-use plastic on-site, abandoned tents remain a real problem with 10 per cent of people attending festivals leaving their tent behind – a figure it estimates is the equivalent to 875 tons of plastic waste.
We call upon major retailers to stop marketing and selling tents and other camping items as essentially single-use, and profiting from disposable culture,” said Paul Reed, CEO of the AIF.
“The message here is not ‘buy a more expensive tent’… festival audiences can take positive action and reduce their carbon footprint simply by taking their tent home and reusing it, ensuring that it doesn’t become a single-use item this summer.”
▼ Wendy’s
Amy Schumer urged fans to boycott Wendy’s this week, amid claims the American fast food chain does not provide its farmworkers with adequate protection.
The call to action came after Chance The Rapper tweeted asking the restaurant to bring back its spicy chicken nuggets.
Two days later, Wendy’s announced it was reinstalling the nuggets back to its menu, following Chance The Rapper’s plea.
While many fans of the fast food chain rejoiced in the news, comedian Schumer responded by highlighting Wendy’s alleged refusal to “protect farmworker women”.
“Hey! We love @chancetherapper and hate to be the ones to tell him that Wendy’s is the only fast food chain refusing to protect farmworker women from sexual assault and rape in the fields. This is true. Please read that sentence again,” the comedian wrote on Instagram.
“Message for the people in charge: instead of spicy nuggets, we want food that is harvested with dignity NOT violence.”
Schumer ended the caption by imploring Wendy’s to join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Programme, and asked fans to boycott the company.
Wendy’s has since issued a response, stating that all of its suppliers must follow the company’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which “includes requirements to human rights and labour practices”.
▼ Wet wipes
Health food firm Holland and Barrett has announced that it will no longer sell disposable wet wipes in a bid to encourage customers to be more sustainable.
Described as a “problem product” by sustainability campaigners because of the damage they cause to water systems, wet wipes are mostly made out of polyester and contain millions of microfibres.
As a result, the high street retailer has said it will remove the 34 products in its wet wipe range in 800 stores in the UK and Ireland. Instead it will sell sustainable, multi-use alternatives, such as cotton pads and exfoliating mitts.
“There is a growing awareness of how much our current throwaway culture is damaging our oceans, beaches and rivers,” said the company’s head of beauty, Joanne Cooke.
“We want to encourage our customers to think about what they currently throw away and encourage them to swap to more sustainable alternatives. The quickest way for us all to make a positive impact on the world we live in is to choose to spend our money on more sustainable products.
“There are a variety of eco-friendly alternatives to wet wipes that are just as easy, efficient, and safe to skin.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies