The Bangladesh Accord was set up following the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013.
Major fashion retailers including Zara, H&M and Uniqlo have demonstrated their commitment to protecting garment workers in Bangladesh by signing a crucial legally-binding agreement that will come into effect from tomorrow, 1 September.
The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry pledges to protect the health and safety of the fashion industry’s key workers following the devastating Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka in 2013, which killed 1,134 people.
Widespread industry push-back occurred when it was feared that the original five-year Bangladesh Accord, which was signed as a direct result of Rana Plaza, would not be renewed following its expiration back in May. But after being extended by a further three months, a new – strengthened – version of the accord has been signed, following pressure from trade unions and campaigners.
Among the pledge’s confirmed signatories are industry giants Zara, H&M and Uniqlo. Though a full list of the new agreement’s signatories won’t be announced until 1 September, the previous Bangladesh Accord was signed by over 200 brands including the likes of Adidas and Hugo Boss.
That the agreement remains legally binding – meaning fashion companies are liable in a court of law if they do not ensure the health and safety of their employees – is vital. Nor could the new Accord have come at a more crucial time for the industry, as millions of garment workers, around 80 per cent of whom globally are women, deal with the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their livelihoods.
More significantly still, the new accord allows for the agreement to be applied to other countries beyond Bangladesh, with signatories committing to expanding the agreement to cover at least one other country within the next two years.
A statement signed by the accord’s deputy director, Joris Oldenziel, alongside representatives for UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union said, “This is a legally binding agreement between companies and trade unions to make ready-made garment (RMG) and textile factories safe. The renewed agreement advances the fundamental elements that made the accord successful.”
With labour activists estimating that the original accord helped make some 1,600 factories safer for 2 million workers in the wake of Rana Plaza, let’s hope this landmark new agreement expands the accord’s indispensable impact even further.
If you’re wondering which accessories to invest in to tick off those autumn trends for 2021, then I have two words for you: ankle boots. They are high on the sartorial agenda, and it’s easy to see why. Whether it’s slimline silhouettes silhouettes, or chunky track sole boots, the best ankle boots will adapt themselves seamlessly to your existing wardrobe and elevate any outfit, from the most basic of knitted tracksuits to the chicest winter dresses.
Though we may still be in summer (though the weather begs to differ), they’re still a great footwear option for that tricky summer to winter transition, especially when teamed with short linen suits or summer dresses.
As always, the catwalk is a great source of inspiration when it comes to your new season wardrobe, and this season was no exception, even though most designers presented their collections digitally.
Cowboy boots, having had a bit of a bad rep in recent seasons, are now officially back in fashion, as seen as Isabel Marant and Celine, and we want in. Team them with oversized jeans and a blazer for that ultimate French girl chic.
Feel-good dressing is a main trend for AW21 and it extends to your feet. Now that we’re allowed to resume our social life, it’s all about dressing for the part. Think sequinned boots and metallic pointy toes with sky high heels – look to Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton for inspiration.
That said, if you’re after a simpler style, don’t worry: the chunky track sole boot is going nowhere. In fact, the likes of MatchesFashion and Net-A-Porter have already re-stocked bestselling boots from Prada, The Row and Balenciaga, so you’re all sorted.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, the high street is full of them, from ARKET to Zara and H&M. For a slightly chicer silhouette, look for Chelsea ankle boots, which never go out of style (and for even more styles, shop my edit of the best winter boots).
OK we’re fully aware that it’s only August, but if we’ve learnt anything from past years it’s that in order to get your hands on any of the amazing Beauty Advent Calendars, it takes forward planning.
The thing is you are up against all of the other beauty lovers, all dying to be one of the lucky few to be able to open up a window on December 1st to find a beauty product waiting for them.
Which is where we come in. We will be constantly updating this page ahead of the start of December with information, release dates and prices so that we can make sure this year you are more than successful in your beauty advent calendar endeavour.
Luckily we’ve started getting information on some of the fantastic offerings for 2021 and some of them are available now, so what are you waiting for?
OPI is no stranger to the advent calendar game – every year they offer up 24 polish shades to bring you joy year round. The 2021 offering sees them celebrate #40yearsofcolor with some of their most iconic colours, fun festive glittery shades, as well as a topcoat, strengthener and base coat.
This year Rituals have two calendars – one which is a really sweet 3D festive village scene and includes products like Mini Candles from the Private Collection, Foaming Shower Gel and Rêve de Hanami EDP. All of the gifts inside are worth £150.
This is one special advent calendar. With mega skincare gifts like Glycolic Acid Vivifying & Firming Body Treatment, Hydra Bright Collagen Eye Restoring Pads and Pro-Intense Hyaluronic Acid Illuminating Day Cream you face and body will thank you for the investment. The products are cruelty-free and genderless. Oh and guess what each of the products is full-sized and worth over £900.
If you love sheet masks, you’ll love this beauty advent calendar. Featuring 12 different masks – for your face, eyes, hands and feet – that will help you glow, detox, hydrate and exfoliate.
Designed to look like a London Georgian townhouse, this advent calendar is home to treats such as Timexpert Lift Vector Lift Serum (which lifts, tightens and defines the facial contours), Timexpert Radiance C+ Illuminating Antioxidant Eye Contour Cream (a delicate eye cream that brightens dark circles) and Bi-Phase Make-up Removal Lotion. A must for skincare obsessives.
The Lush Advent Calendar is a highlight every year. This year’s offering is presented in a reusable trunk made from 100% recycled materials. The idea is that every one of the 25 gifts can be used in the run up to the big day. If you’re a huge fan of the brand, be sure to get yours early – there are six products exclusive to the calendar.
Decléor is the go-to brand for essential oil-based beauty products. Whether you’re already a convert or fancy trying some out, this is an ideal gift for natural skincare lovers. It includes six full sized products, 13 travel minis and one mystery accessory.
Every year Nivea offers up an affordable advent calendar packed full of everyday pampering products that you’d be foolish to miss out on. Everything your body needs, from micellar water and shower cream, to a sleep mask and nail file. There are 16 products inside, as well as eight beauty gifts.
For the man in your life who loves football and needs a little self-care encouragement. This has everything he could need to keep on top of his grooming.
This super smart beauty advent calendar can be hung from a door or on a wall. It contains 24 sweet smelling gifts and one full-sized present on the 25th. Worth a whopping £485, this fab calendar contains some of the brand’s most iconic festival scents, including Christmas Trees, which in our opinion is the scent of the season.
If you like the idea of being able to reuse your advent calendars, then Dr. Hauschka’s Beauty Advent Calendar is perfect for you. Each gift is individually packaged in a cotton bag that can be used for years to come. With everything from cleansing milks and moisturisers, to hand lotions to body creams, your skin and body will love this advent calendar.
This is by far one of our favourite beauty advent calendars of the season. Space NK only stock the most covetable brands – think Augustinus Bader, Summer Fridays, Hourglass, Dr Barbara Sturm, Sunday Riley, Drunk Elephant and so many more. Worth £744, but yours for just under £200. If you’re a beauty obsessive that loves to keep up with the most in-demand brands then mark 18th September in your diary.
For the past six years the Feelunique Advent Calendar has sold our faster than you can say ‘Merry Christmas’. It’s no surprise really when it contains products like Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Rollerball and Huda Beauty Nude Obessesions Rich Palette. In total the whole calendar is worth more than £320, meaning you save more than £200. Nice.
Elemis never fail to disappoint. What’s better than one beauty advent calendar? Three beauty advent calendars. Housed in three reusable tins, you’ll find some of the brand’s most iconic and bestselling products. From its Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask and Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser, there’s something for everyone.
The great thing about The Body Shop’s Beauty Advent Calendar offerings is that there’s one for every budget. But that doesn’t mean that if you opt for the more purse-friendly option, you’ll be out of pocket on products. We love this one because of it’s huge array of dreamy body products – shower gels, body butters, lip balms, you name it.
If you want to show someone that you love them, this is the calendar for that gesture. It has everything for head-to-toe pampering. Spoil the person you love with products like theVitamin E Face Wash, Vitamin C Sheet Mask, Shea Shampoo, Pink Grapefruit Bubble Bath and Avocado Body Butter.
The Love & Joy Ultimate Advent Calendar is for those who want more, more, more. With full-sized products aplenty, you won’t be disappointed with They Body Shop’s Ultimate Advent Calendar.
Two of Kate Middleton’s favourite high-street brands are back for another collection, and it’s even prettier than the last.
M&S and Ghost are now on their fourth limited edition collaboration, this time for a 12-piece edit for autumn/winter 2021.
The pieces, which are available in selected stores and online, include Ghost’s signature vintage-inspired floral dresses and satin jumpsuits, as well as statement tops and matching trousers and skirts.
If you love print, you’re in luck, because this collection is full of it, from ditzy prints to bold florals and polka dots. Fans of colour will also love the array of rainbow hues from peach pink to emerald green.
Details such as pretty ruffles, wrap ties and bell sleeve further elevate the styles, which are perfect for both maximalists and minimalists.
They come in a range of sizes too, from 6 to 20 to cater to most body shapes. The collection sold out fast last time, so make sure you treat yourself before it’s too late.
With prices starting at £49, it would be rude not to.
Join Sienna Miller to fight throwaway fashion - for good.
You’ll likely have heard of Secondhand September, but do you know what the month-long initiative from Oxfam, this year is being fronted by actress Sienna Miller, actually entails or why it’s so important you get involved, if you can?
All good questions. It’s a campaign from the charity to encourage others to shop secondhand for an entire month. That is, only buy vintage clothes or pre-loved items for the entire thirty days of September.
Why’s it so important? Well, in short, because we’re facing a climate crisis and fast fashion is one of the major culprits. Clothes being produced in high volume and sold at a low cost has a huge carbon footprint and harms both people and planet. Fast fashion alone is thought to produce as much as 92 million tonnes of waste every year.
That’s where Oxfam comes in with their secondhand initiative. “By shopping secondhand with Oxfam or donating to Oxfam shops, you’re investing your money in vital work beating poverty around the world,” explains Harriet Hernando, PR officer at Oxfam.
“You’re also supporting people to speak out and stand up to the climate crisis and helping create a better fairer and greener future for everyone,” she continues.
According to Hernando, Secondhand September is, simply put, Oxfam’s campaign to celebrate shopping pre-loved.
“It’s also to raise awareness about the harmful effects of fast fashion on our planet and the people who make our clothes,” she explains. “Oxfam wants to encourage people to think twice about their shopping habits, so we’re asking the public to only buy second hand for the month of September and to donate their pre-loved items to Oxfam.”
A bit of history for you – the Secondhand September campaign is now in its third year, with more than 50,000 people sharing the #SecondHandSeptember hashtag on social media last year.
“The Oxfam Online Shop saw more than 8,000 new shoppers and an uplift in sales of 46%,” explains Hernando. “People really embraced the campaign to wear second-hand and, in doing so, raised funds for Oxfam’s work beating poverty around the world.”
It’s simple – anyone can get involved by following the three steps below:
1. Donate
Got some old clothes lying around that just don’t fit you anymore or may look better on someone else? Take them to your local Oxfam to do your bit.
You can find your nearest Oxfam shop using the online shop finder tool on the Oxfam website.
2. Shop
Not got any clothes to donate but keen to invest in some pre-loved fashion? You can also shop from the comfort of your home on the Oxfam online shop, explains Hernando.
3. Social
If you do manage to grab a secondhand bargain, don’t forget to share your one-of-a-kind find using the #SecondHandSeptember hashtag and tagging @OxfamGB.
That way, you help raise awareness of shopping more sustainably this September and in months to come, too.
5 top tips for embracing Secondhand September:
1. Look online
Most people don’t realise Oxfam has a whole secondhand site online, so if you’re shopping for something specific, try their site first.
“You can filter to find a particular brand, style, colour to find what you’re looking for,” explains Hernando.
2. Repair, repair, repair
Instead of throwing damaged clothes away, why not try and fix them?
“Missing buttons can be replaced and holes can be mended to get the most out of your clothes for longer,” the expert advises.
3. Keep an eye out for secondhand pop up stores
Looking for really special unique pieces? The pop up stores are the way to go.
Oxfam has a pop up shop at London’s Selfridges from September 6th, with items curated by Bay Garnett. It’s bound to be a treasure trove of vintage and designer items – go, go, go.
4. Try upcycling
Ever considered upcycling clothes and refashioning them into something you need or love? “A cashmere jumper could become a cashmere beanie in no time,” explains Hernando.
5. Organise your wardrobes seasonally
This one’s simple but seriously effective. “At the end of each season, try putting your clothes away in storage boxes and getting them out again the following year,” advises the expert. “You’ll be surprised how those clothes start to feel ‘new’ again after a little separation.”
Sure, chocolate is good and all, but what could possibly be more exciting in the dank mornings of December than opening a brand new luxury beauty treat every single day until Christmas?
Yep, Christmas may still be four months away, but as assiduous shoppers will know, beauty advent calendars season is already in full swing, and if you want to get your hands on one of the good ‘uns, it’s high time get your order in.
It’s all but guaranteed that the very best of them will sell out, especially the big name luxury calendars – think Liberty, Cult Beauty, and yes, LookFantastic – because they almost always have the best beauty savings.
And by the looks of this year’s incredible offering from LookFantastic, 2021 is no exception.
LookFantastic Advent Calendar – £85 (worth over £410) | LookFantastic
An all-out treasure trove of the beauty giant’s best buys, this year’s LookFantastic advent calendar contains luxe beauty heroes from the likes of NARS, Kate Somerville, Aveda and Elemis. Valued at over £410, but retailing for just £85 (yep, that’s a saving of over £325), it’d almost be rude not to, right?
While the waiting list for the sell-out calendar is open now, the LookFantastic 2021 Beauty Advent Calendar will officially be available for pre-order from tomorrow, 1st September 2021 for Beauty Box subscribers. (And given that it flies off the shelves every year without fail, we’d highly recommend signing up to be a Beauty Box subscriber here.)
If you’re not a beauty subscription box subscriber, though, you’ll be able to pre-order on 2nd September 2021, ahead of the calendar going on general sale on 1st October.
What’s inside this year’s calendar?
What isn’t in it might be a more appropriate question. Think 25 hero products from some of the industry’s best brands. Here’s everything you’ll find inside (avert your eyes if you want to avoid spoilers):
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser (Deluxe Mini)
Color Wow Supernatural Dream Coat (Deluxe Mini)
Illamasqua Hydra Setting Spray (Deluxe Mini)
Caudalie Vinosource SOS Hydration Intense Moisturising Cream (Deluxe Mini)
Aveda Botanical Repair Treatment (Deluxe Mini)
Delilah Lip Line Long Wear Retractable Pencil (Full Size)
Omorovicza Facial Polish (Deluxe Mini)
Philip Kingsley Elasti-Styler (Deluxe Mini)
NARS Blush in Orgasm (Deluxe Mini)
Rituals Sakura Candle (Travel Size)
Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (Travel Size)
Amazed? Us too. So make sure to get your hands on it here, before it goes. Because yes, it might be too early to think about Christmas, but no, as far as we’re concerned, it’s never too early to think about beauty.
The world is awaiting The Crown season five, with the highly anticipated Netflix instalment set to be the most dramatic yet.
The fourth season saw its star-studded second cast make their final appearances, from Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret to Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip.
It was the storyline around Josh O’Connor, The Crown’s Prince Charles, however that got everyone talking the most.
Yes, the most anticipated storyline from season four featured Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles), Emerald Fennel (Camilla Parker-Bowles) and Emma Corrin (Princess Diana), acting out the highly publicised and very controversial affair.
In an interview however, Josh O’Connor admitted that one of the controversial storylines had been cut from the series. The plot in question? The leaked phone call between Prince Charles and Camilla during their affair, where they infamously discussed her tampon.
‘When they offered me the role, one of my first questions was — I say questions, I think it was pretty much a statement — “We are not doing the tampon phone call.”’
He continued: ‘Pre-The Crown, I’ve made many independent films, many television shows where there’s a lot of nudity, a lot of slightly dodgy characters, and this was my one chance for my parents to see something with no shame and there’s no way I was going to scuttle that by talking about tampons on Netflix.’
So there we have it, no ‘tampongate’ in The Crown.
This comes after the news that Prince Charles’ staff are ‘paranoid’ about how The Crown will portray the affair, and the effect it could have on his popularity.
‘Charles’s staff are deeply paranoid about The Crown,’ a source reportedly told The Sun last year. ‘They are trying to make him a popular king-in-waiting.’
The source continued: ‘But the next few seasons are going to be increasingly focused on the Prince of Wales’s behaviour, especially around his marriage to Diana and affair with Camilla. The timing couldn’t be any more disastrous in terms of Charles’s bid for popularity.’
Yet, as the pair moved to California in March 2020, the Queen is still yet to meet her new great-grandchild, despite her taking her childhood name of Lilibet.
While coronavirus travel restrictions are at least partly to blame – UK travel has been severely restricted since the couple moved abroad in an attempt to halt the spread of coronavirus – fans are still speculating as to when exactly the great-grandmother will be able to meet the newborn.
She is also long overdue a catch up with two-year-old Archie, Harry and Meghan’s firstborn, who has lived outside of the UK for the majority of his life now and only met his great-grandmother a handful of times.
One Twitter user said: “Will the Queen get to meet her newest great-granddaughter, Lilibet Diana, anytime soon?”
Let’s hope that when she does, she steers clear of the below Royal family habit… because the family are, ahem, known for somewhat out-there comments when meeting the newest additions to the family.
Like? Well, it’s believed that when the Queen met Prince William for the first time, she made a rather funny comment about his appearance.
A hardly-seen-before article in The Daily Express claims that when Prince Charles and Diana welcomed their first born, Charles said: “The arrival of our small son has been an astonishing experience and one that has meant more to me than I ever could have imagined.”
“I am so thankful I was beside Diana’s bedside the whole time because I felt as though I’d shared deeply in the process of birth and as a result was rewarded by seeing a small creature who belonged to us even though he seemed to belong to everyone else as well.”
In response, it’s claimed that the Queen simply stated: “Thank goodness he doesn’t have ears like his father.”
Similarly, it’s believed that Philip thought Prince Charles looked like a ‘plum pudding’ when he met him for the first time – so the off-the-cuff comments certainly run in the family.
So… any thoughts on how the Queen might greet little Lilibet?
Harry's plans were up in the air when he returned to London for Prince Philip's funeral.
Credit: WPA Pool / Getty
Since spring of 2020, Prince Harry has lived in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young family. Due to the COVID pandemic, his returns to the UK have been few and far between, but earlier this year that changed. Following the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in April, Harry was able to travel back to his homeland – but a new update to the biography Finding Freedom reveals that the Prince actually only booked a one-way ticket.
Just a month before the Duke of Sussex’s return to London for his grandfather’s funeral, he and Meghan did a very revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey, which made waves in the Sussexes’ relationship with the royal family. The couple made accusations of racist comments from someone in the family (which were later denied) and claimed that the institution was unwilling to help Meghan Markle with mental health support following her mistreatment in the media.
In the interview, Prince Harry also described a fractured dynamic between he and his family; he said his relationship with brother Prince William was one “of space,” and detailed “a lot of hurt” between he and his father, Prince Charles.
And it seems this context was exactly why the royal only booked a one-way ticket back to the UK for the funeral – because he was unsure how everything would go.
In a newly-added chapter of the book Finding Freedom, which was written by royal correspondents Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand following in-depth interviews with numerous sources very close to Meghan and Harry, the authors wrote: “Not knowing how the [funeral] trip would pan out, Harry had booked a one-way ticket with a return to be planned later. All royal family members were united in their priority to support the Queen in the aftermath of Philip’s death.”
The biography continued: “It had been a year since Harry had seen his family, and there was a feeling that this trip might also present an opportunity to come together and talk without the filter of staff as go-betweens.”
As it happened, the trip did provide an opportunity for Prince Harry to begin rebuilding his relationship with his family. While there is clearly plenty of work still to be done, brothers Harry and William were filmed talking to one another as they walked from St George’s Chapel in Windsor, where the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral took place, back to the castle.
Princes William and Harry at their grandfather, Prince Philip’s funeral
Prince Harry ended up staying in the UK for two days longer after the funeral, which he spent with various members of his family. “The following two days for Harry after the funeral were largely spent with Eugenie and Jack, who continue to be close friends of Harry and Meghan,” detailed the biography.
“It also provided another opportunity for the prince to spend precious moments with his grandmother, who continued life in a Covid-safe bubble at her Windsor Castle apartment. ‘To see each other after so long apart, the longest he hadn’t seen the Queen for, was very special,’ shared a Harry source. ‘Despite everything that has happened, he has the utmost love and respect for her. Her life of duty and service is one of the many ways in which she has inspired him to also serve.'”
Her Majesty the Queen may be one of the most famous figures in the world, but when it comes to her family, she’s still very much just “grandmama”. (At least, she is to her two youngest grandchildren, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.)
Having grown up at Bagshot Park, just a short drive away from the Queen at Windsor Castle, Lady Louise is thought to have a very close bond with her grandmother – so much so that, as their mother Sophie, the Countess of Wessex recently revealed, she and her younger brother James affectionately refer to the monarch as “grandmama”.
When she isn’t busy giving the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a much-needed helping hand with their three children, Lady Louise, who will turn 18 in November, is thought to regularly visit her grandmother at both Windsor and Balmoral, and is rumoured to have a very down to earth bond with Her Majesty.
So normal, in fact, is the Wessex children’s relationship with the monarch, that Lady Louise spent years in the dark about who her grandmother really was.
Speaking in an interview recorded ahead of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday, the Countess of Wessex told Sky News, “I mean Louise had no concept really that the Queen and her grandmother were one and the same person.”
She added, “It wasn’t until she was at school that other children were mentioning it and saying, ‘Your gran is the Queen’. And she’d come home and say, ‘Mummy they say that Grandmama is the Queen.’ And I said, ‘Yes,’ and she said, ‘I don’t understand what they mean.’”
She’s not alone, though.
Her father, Prince Edward, also admitted that he didn’t realise that his mother was the monarch until he was five or six.
“I can’t necessarily remember when that realisation was there,” he said. “When you grow up in that family and in that environment, that’s just what your parents do.”
He added, “It’s been much more interesting watching our children growing up, and watching our children trying to work out what that this, and how that works. It was probably not until five or six I think.”
