
Designer JW Anderson wears Irish rugby top on the runway
Designer JW Anderson wore an Ireland rugby shirt to take a bow at the end of his Milan Fashion Week show. The Northern Irish designer – full name Jonathan Anderson – wore the green T-shirt on Father’s Day. This could have been an homage to his own father Willie Anderson, a former rugby player who captained the Irish international team. Anderson was taking a bow after presenting his latest menswear collection and womenswear resort collection at Milan Fashion Week. He’s also the creative director of fashion house Loewe, where he’s become well-known for surrealist designs. Clothes were a bit more wearable for his latest JW Anderson collection, but the designer still pushed boundaries and continues to show why he’s one of the most exciting voices in fashion right now. There was an emphasis on knitwear – from subdued matching sets in earthy tones to more exuberant colourful creations with 3D effects, which the brand said on Instagram was “creating the structured texture of popcorn”. Anderson wearing a rugby top at the end of the show wasn’t a complete curveball however, as sporty elements permeated the collection. The designer showed his spin on rugby tops, giving them a more structured shape and fashion-forward aesthetic. The brand wrote: “Flipping the idea of British heritage, sporty silhouettes and rugby stripes are reimagined.” Beautifully tailored dresses, coats and shirts rounded out the collection. Anderson has become a celebrity favourite, with Heartstopper actor Kit Connor and Sex Education star Asa Butterfield front row to see his latest show in Milan. He made headlines earlier this year after designing Rihanna’s bright red jumpsuit to perform at the Super Bowl, in his capacity as creative director of Loewe.
2023-06-19 20:20

Can noisy festivals damage your hearing long term?
Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of music lovers will soon be flocking to Glastonbury, ready to revel and soak up the sounds. But can all those loud songs and thumping sound effects be detrimental to our hearing? “Attending a concert may give you more than you bargained for,” says Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy. “A recent 2022 BMJ study showed one billion people around the world aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. With 24% of young people found to have unsafe listening practices with personal music devices.” She adds that 48% were attending noisy venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, at least once a month without noise protection. Dr Adam Hill, associate professor of electroacoustics, University of Derby, says: “While festivals are, for many, one of the most enjoyable features of the summer, care must be taken to avoid over-exposing yourself to high sound levels, as this could result in long-term negative social and health impacts. You need to ‘enjoy responsibly’,” Hill adds. How does noise exposure damage hearing? Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Our hearing depends on the function of tiny hairs inside the cochlea – a snail-shaped organ in your middle ear, explains Dr Lee: “Sound waves cause the fluid in the cochlea to reverberate, resulting in the movement of these very fine hairs. This generates electrical impulses, which lead to the perception of sound in the brain.” She says there are around 15,000 of these specialised hair cells in each cochlea. Once they have been damaged, they cannot regenerate. “We are all exposed to noise every day, but it’s loud noises above 85 dB that are likely to cause hearing loss,” notes Lee. “This could be a sudden explosion, or continuous exposure to loud noise, such as attending a concert, working in a noisy factory or listening to a personal music device at high volumes.” What are the signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise? There are a few tell-tale signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise at a festival. One of them is tinnitus. “If you have ringing in your ears after attending a festival. This could persist for one or two days after the event – and may become permanent after repeated exposures over many years,” says Dr Hill. Decreased sensitivity to sound is another thing you might notice. “Things sound quieter/muffled,” says Hill. “This usually takes one to two days to return to normal, but may become permanent after repeated exposure over many years.” He says you may also have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to you, especially in a noisy environment, and difficulty telling different sounds apart, like identifying multiple instruments when a band is playing. What can you do to protect your hearing at festivals? “Use earplugs. Ideally custom-made earplugs, which is what musicians use,” says Lee. “Cotton wool or foam rubber earplugs are ineffective. High-fidelity earplugs are a good option. These filter the sound without reducing the quality and provide ear protection.” This is especially important for babies and children at festivals – ear defenders are available to help protect their sensitive ears. Lee adds: “Take regular breaks away from the noise. For every 3 dB above 80 dB, the time you can spend exposed to the noise without it damaging your hearing is halved. “It’s safe to listen to noise at 80 dB for up to eight hours, so at 83 dB this time frame is reduced to four hours. If you do the maths, at the average concert, hearing damage could set in after just five minutes!” She suggests taking breaks such as going to the loo, getting a drink, or taking a walk away from the main body of the noise at regular intervals. And lastly: “Don’t stand within three metres of a loudspeaker.” What can you do if you’re already concerned? Regular festival goers may already have hearing concerns on their radar. “The best thing you can do is to go get your hearing tested,” advises Dr Hill. “This will give you an indication of whether you have any issues already.” If you enjoy going to festivals and other live music events on a regular basis, he says it would be wise to invest in some suitable reusable earplugs: “High quality earplugs will reduce the effect of the musical content equally, so it sounds the same but at a lower level.” If you are involved in the music industry in any way (even if you are a student), Hill suggests making use of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme. He adds: “You can get a hearing test and high-quality bespoke earplugs for a significant discounted rate.”
2023-06-19 18:17

'DWTS' stars Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy welcome second baby after 'traumatizing' miscarriages
Peta Murgatroyd previously spoke about how she and Maksim Chmerkovskiy became stronger together after three miscarriages
2023-06-19 15:24

'Flip or Flop' star Christina Hall praises husband Joshua in ultimate dig to exes Tarek El Moussa and Ant Anstead on Father's Day
While Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa parted ways in 2016, she and Ant Anstead ended their marriage citing 'irreconcilable differences' in 2020
2023-06-19 12:20

Danone Pins Turnaround Hopes on AI
Making the yogurt of the future requires a cast of 21st-century helpers: machine learning, gut science and even
2023-06-19 12:19

South African taps run dry after power shortages
Electricity problems have led to water shortages and those with money are digging their own boreholes.
2023-06-19 07:19

She was denied an abortion in Texas - then she almost died
Over a dozen women are suing Texas after being denied abortions they say were medically necessary.
2023-06-19 04:55

Kourtney Kardashian says she's 'overwhelmed with gratitude' following epic pregnancy announcement
Kourtney Kardashian and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker have a lot to be grateful for.
2023-06-19 04:27

Prada-Simons duo provide elegance, comfort at Milan show for men
It was one of the most highly anticipated collections on the third day of Fashion Week, which focuses on the spring-summer 2024 period. Their show took place in the austere surroundings of the Prada Foundation, setting the scene...
2023-06-19 03:29

Milan Fashion: Prada animates male form with 1940s tailoring that aims to liberate, not constrict
The architecture at Prada’s showroom shifts with every season, but never so fluidly as for Spring-Summer 2024 menswear
2023-06-18 23:27

Dame Deborah James’ father recalls emotional conversation they had before she died
Dame Deborah James’s dad has recalled their conversation on the day she died, in an emotional new interview published on Father’s Day (18 June). James was diagnosed with incurable stage four bowel cancer in 2016, when she was 35. Using the moniker “bowel babe”, she campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness about the symptoms of the disease until her death on 28 June 2022. Her BowelBabe fund has raised over £11.3m for Cancer Research UK at the time of writing, and James was awarded a damehood last May for her activism. In an interview with The Sun, her father Alistair James explained how James was committed to living a full life until the very end. “She was always full of energy, the driving force in our family. She was always coming up with fun ideas, ways to make memories together,” he said. “She would create outdoor cinemas in the garden, plan last-minute holidays, throw impromptu parties – it was never-ending.” James was receiving palliative care at her parents’ home in Surrey in the weeks before her death. “We all knew how desperate it was and we did have some desperately sad times. But we all made sure there were lots of good times, too,” Alistair told the outlet. He also reflected on the day James died, with him and his wife Heather by her side. “Heather suddenly called for me, telling me it was happening and I needed to come now. Saying goodbye was very hard, but it was peaceful,” the 67-year-old said. “Right towards the end, I told her, ‘You can let go now, you have done enough. You can sleep’. I’d never said anything like that before.” Their Father’s Day celebrations usually involved watching sports together, Alistair said. “I remember her taking me to The Ashes cricket four years ago. She loved every minute of it. We loved days out at Wimbledon together,” he continued. “It’s those things that I’ll really miss.” Alistair also expressed his sadness for James’s husband Sebastian, and their children Hugo and Eloise, who will miss out on celebrating many milestones together. James called Alistair “my unsung hero” in a moving post on Father’s Day last year – days before she died. She shared a picture of him brushing her hair, with a caption that read: “My dad is my unsung hero, more so than ever. He’s quietly there behind the scenes, making sure I am OK.” Earlier this year, an impactful documentary chronicling James’s campaign efforts was released on BBC Two. BowelBabe in Her Own Words stitches together 100 hours of recordings – from James’s podcast You Me, and the Big C, her Instagram and TikTok videos, text messages, voice notes and old home videos – to tell the activist’s story. Read More I’m about to experience my first Father’s Day without my Dad Adam Kay says his ‘life has been transformed’ after ‘welcoming two young babies’ via surrogate Prince William all smiles as he’s pictured with his children to mark Father’s Day Alan Carr’s ex Paul Drayton criticises comedian’s ‘really nasty’ comments about friendship with Adele Somehow everyone has become a body language expert
2023-06-18 19:58

Paris Fashion Week looks to future with Pharrell Williams debut
The debut of multi-talented star Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton is the hottest ticket at Paris Fashion Week as it kicks off on Tuesday, seen as a significant moment in...
2023-06-18 12:51