Pharrell Williams has revealed the muse for his first collection as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear – himself. The 50-year-old legendary producer opened up in his GQ Style cover story published on 15 August about his design process ahead of his spring-summer line debut on the historic Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. Williams confessed he never expected to be appointed the coveted position at the luxe French fashion house, and that not a lot of people did either, with the exception of Louis Vuitton’s CEO Pietro Beccari, who offered him the job. “It wasn’t an interview or anything,” Williams recounted. “It was like: ‘Will you accept this position? Will you accept this appointment?’ I’m looking at the water and I’m just like: ‘What?’” Williams is no stranger to the fashion world, having worked on a collection of sunglasses for Louis Vuitton previously and on long-time collaborations with Adidas and Chanel. However, after the sudden 2021 death of his close friend and predecessor at Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, he hadn’t considered himself as someone viable for the position until the opportunity was presented to him. In fact, the artist presented LVMH with a list of candidates he thought suitable to carry-on the Avant garde shift for the brand made by Abloh. “It’s the first time someone has had the daringness to pick a real worldwide star to helm a house,” Beccari remarked. “He has 13 Grammys and even Oscar nominations. “One could say he has a Midas touch. So, as a creative director, while it’s an experiment, I think it will be a successful one.” And it was. The “Happy” singer titled his collection “LVERS,” an ode to his Virginia roots. Before his star-studded June show, Williams performed a test run of his creative concepts for the lush clothing line in Virginia Beach during his annual three-day Something in the Water music festival. By offering $860 T-shirts and $1,310 hoodies that would be representative of the style cues in his spring-summer collection, he was bringing luxury fashion to his home for the first time ever. “From Paris to VA, VA to Paris,” he proclaimed. “That’s literally the narrative. All of this is seeding that. It’s a part of my story.” What’s more, with Williams’ artistic direction having been mostly channeled into his music, he relied on personal preferences when piecing together designs for the runway. “I look at myself like I’m the real customer,” the “Beautiful” creator admitted. “So I design for what it is that I want and what I’m going to need.” Pixelated prints and strategic tailoring formed the consumer collection, which mirrored his renowned wardrobe. He paid homage to ready-to-wear pieces he adored from brands like Roberto Cavalli and Chanel in the form of fur overcoats. Williams fused streetwear, athletes, and resort–wear, while keeping the desired Louis Vuitton buyer in mind – an elite class. Just as the models cloned Williams’ persona, his front row packed with A-listers including Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, LeBron, and Lenny Kravitz, whoo were pleased to don the collection embodying a new era of forward-thinking designers in luxury fashion by their friend. Read More Pharrell fuses entertainment and fashion for confident Louis Vuitton menswear debut Pharrell Williams makes his Louis Vuitton debut in star-studded Paris show Zendaya, Sophie Turner and Kerry Condon attend Louis Vuitton show TikToker urges parents to save all their old clothes for children to inherit Billy Porter criticised for calling Anna Wintour a ‘b****’ over Harry Styles cover Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover

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During the wait for improved online safety laws, tens of thousands of grooming crimes have been recorded. The Online Safety Bill, which is meant to become law this autumn, has encountered numerous delays and changes since it become a proposed legislation. As a result, the children’s charity NSPCC has called on MPs and tech giants to support the Bill, especially since 34,000 online grooming crimes had been recorded by UK police forces over the last six years, since first calling for more robust safety regulations in 2017. Based on data from 42 UK police forces, the NSPCC said that last year, 6,350 offences related to the sexual communication with a child were recorded. Some 5,500 took place against primary school-aged children, and 73% of the crimes were related to Meta-linked platforms or Snapchat. NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said: “The number of offences must serve as a reminder of why the Online Safety Bill is so important and why the ground-breaking protections it will give children are desperately needed. “We’re pleased the government has listened and strengthened the legislation so companies must tackle how their sites contribute to child sexual abuse in a tough but proportionate way, including in private messaging.” Here are some of the red flags parents should be on the look out for. Being secretive about how they are spending their time On their website, Childline define grooming as someone building a child’s trust to make a connection in order to do something sexual or illegal. “Studies show parental supervision typically declines as children get older, however online abuse does not,” said Mark Bentley, safeguarding and cyber security lead at charity The National Grid for Learning (LGfL). From being secretive to omitting relevant information, changes in behaviour can vary from child to child. But it’s something for all parents to be mindful of when their child starts using social media more. “Unfortunately, as in many areas of child protection, indicators of abuse can often mirror natural markers of growing up,” said Bentley. “As children and adolescents develop, they seek independence from parents, engage in risk taking and have changes in mood and friendship group. “Nonetheless, these markers remain vital to watch out for, even if it is just to support your growing child. Those who are being groomed online are much more likely to be defensive and secretive about phone usage and loathed to be separated from their device.” Having unexplained gifts, big or small Buying gifts for children, whether big or small, can be another grooming technique used to flatter children and their families. “Some groomers have been known to provide alternative phones just to contact them, and this is always a red flag if you suspect your child may have a secondary device,” said Bentley. They are spending too much time onlineSocial media may promote negative experiences if no boundaries have been established.“Of course, some of these [red] flags can also be a sign of the child going through adolescence but it’s important to discuss any unusual behaviour with them as soon as possible,” said Simon Newman, member of International Cyber Expo’s advisory council and of the Cyber Resilience Centre for London.“The way groomers target children varies, but is often done through social media sites, text messages and apps, emails or online forums – particularly gaming sites.”They develop friendships with a much older person Children and young people can be groomed by a stranger or by someone they know – such as a family member, friend or professional, according to NSPCC. But the age gap between a child and their groomer can also be relatively small. The groomer may also work towards building a relationship with the family to gain trust, so they can be left alone with the child. “There are various models of the stages of grooming, but at heart it revolves around building up trust and making a child feel understood and listened to in a way they do not feel elsewhere, and then breaking down the links of trust to family, school, friends and other adults,” said Bentley. “Any parent thinking that this might be happening should definitely reach out for help.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rumer Willis says she is ‘grateful’ to her body following birth of daughter Sugary cereals and yoghurts must remove child-friendly packaging – health group Clever kitchen storage solutions to clear the clutter

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Rumer Willis says she is “grateful” to her body “for all that it did and continues to do” following the birth of her daughter. The US actress, daughter of Hollywood stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, said her body was “softer and rounder and jiggly” but acknowledged she was still readjusting following the birth. Willis announced her daughter’s birth on Instagram in April, writing that Louetta Isley Thomas Willis was “pure magic”. In a new post on Instagram, she shared a nude photo of herself, captioning it: “This body of mine made a human from scratch. She is the love of my life. “This body of mine that I spent so many years trying to shape and mould into what I thought was desirable or made me feel good in clothes, is a little softer and rounder and jiggly and different and that’s ok, more than ok it’s kind of amazing because I grew a person inside of it. “This little being that I love with a fierceness and wonder that reaches new levels everyday.” She added: “I know my body is still readjusting, but whatever shape it ends up in I am just grateful for all that it did and continues to do. “In the ongoing process of transformation, I am grateful for every twist and turn. “The most profound beauty I’ve ever felt in myself emerges from remembering daily, to not reject these parts of me, but just embrace and give them such deep gratitude.” Willis announced the birth of her daughter with partner Derek Richard Thomas just over two months after it was revealed her father had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The actor – who starred in hit films including the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and Looper – has said that he will be “stepping away” from his successful career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.

Breakfast cereals and yoghurts containing high amounts of sugar should remove any packaging that appeals to children, a health group has said. Action on Sugar called for the removal of such packaging on products graded as high or medium for sugars, salt or saturated fat, based on the Department for Health’s nutrition guidelines. Research by the group, based at Queen Mary University of London, compared cereals and yoghurts offered by different companies in the UK. It found 47% of cereals and 65% of yogurts contained a third of the maximum sugar recommendation for a four to six-year-old per 100g. Of these, products by supermarket chains Lidl and Aldi and international brand Nestle had the highest average sugar levels with packaging targeted at children. The packaging includes cartoon characters, animations, vibrant colours and familiar characters intentionally designed to attract the attention of a child. By contrast, healthier products tend to be sold in more plain packaging targeted towards adults. Only nine cereals and six yogurts in the research were found low in sugars. Lidl announced in 2020 that it would remove cartoon characters from all its own-brand cereal packaging in Britain. Breakfast cereals and yoghurts saw significant reductions in sugar levels between 2015 and 2020, at 14.9% and 13.5% respectively. But the Sugar Reduction Programme announced in the Government’s obesity plan in 2016 set a target of 20% in that timeframe. Dr Kawther Hashem, campaign lead at Action on Sugar, said: “It’s ludicrous that whilst breakfast cereals and yogurts celebrate the largest reductions in sugars during the Sugar Reduction Programme, those same products with child-appealing packaging still have excessive amounts of sugars, unsuitable for regular intake by children. “Given the soaring numbers of under-18s suffering weight-related health problems and tooth decay being the leading cause of child hospitalisation, now is the time for companies to be forced to remove child-appealing packaging from products that are misleading parents and making our children unhealthy and sick.” A spokesperson for Nestle said: “We are committed to developing food and drink products that are tasty, nutritious and more sustainable. We offer a broad portfolio of cereals and yoghurts to meet consumer demand and ensure there is an option to suit everybody. “Since 2003, Nestle Cereals embarked on a significant and consistent work of reformulation meaning 84% of the portfolio is now classed as not high in fat, salt and sugar (non-HFSS) according to the UK Government’s nutrient profiling model. “That is 18 products within our cereal portfolio in the UK that are non-HFSS and contain no red traffic lights. Our yoghurt portfolio has also made significant steps in reformulation and has seen a reduction of 20 per cent of sugar across our products.” Aldi said it was “committed to reducing sugar in key areas that lead to children’s sugar intake as part of its work to tackle obesity among children”. The company added that defining packaging with vibrant colours as appealing to children was “misleading” and had led to “skewed results”. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Clever kitchen storage solutions to clear the clutter 5 ornamental grasses to add movement to your garden How quitting smoking can boost your health and finances – as Government considers adding messages to cigarette packs

TikTok personality Holly Reardon has gone viral after sharing a video showing the treasures she found while digging through her mother’s closet. As she showed off the ‘90s pieces she discovered, Reardon made an emphatic plea to parents everywhere to save their old clothes, so that their children may inherit them someday. In the viral video, the 26-year-old content creator told viewers that her mom “kept all her clothes from when she was a teenager,” which means that Reardon is now able to reap the benefits. The TikTokker then proceeded to show off her discoveries, including an Abercrombie & Fitch denim mini dress that she described as “freakin’ cute”. Reardon also confessed that she “didn’t even know Abercrombie was around in the 90s”. Viewers were quick to point out in the comments section that Abercrombie & Fitch has been around for more than a century. Many millennials also sounded off in the comments section, admitting that Reardon’s comments about the brand made them feel like dinosaurs. In her caption, Reardon urged parents to “do it for [their] daughters”. But not all were keen on the idea, as one user commented that they were already enough of a “borderline hoarder” as it is, while another wrote: “I became an adult with Marie Kondo and I can’t keep anything that doesn’t spark joy.” @hollyjreardon Do it for your daughter haha ♬ original sound - Holly While there may be a few naysayers, Reardon isn’t the only TikToker urging parents to keep their clothes for their children. Months before the content creator posted her viral video, a teenager named Ava Marie went viral after revealing that she’d re-worn her mom’s 1994 prom dress to her own senior prom. In 2022, The Cut interviewed different people about why they enjoy shopping in the closets of their parents, and many had varying answers. An operations analyst named Laura, 30, said: “It’s just so much more fun when I can go home and be like: ‘Oh my God, this skirt is fabulous. And my mom’s like: ‘Take it.’” Meanwhile, 26-year-old project manager Jeovanna said that breathing new life into clothes passed down to her was a “true representation” of herself, believing it to combine her ancestry with what she now likes, “meshing the future and the past together”. While the New York Times proclaimed that “the golden age of thrifting” was over, data from Vestiare Collective suggests otherwise: interest in secondhand vintage and shopping will not stop with Gen-Z and millenials. Rather, it’s only beginning. Gen-Z and Zillenials are notorious for loving vintage looks and those who don’t have the option to peruse the closets of their parents aren’t afraid to pay a pretty penny for what they deem as “quality pieces,” according to Vogue Business, which notes that the trend doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. In an interview with second-hand fashion site, ThredUp, Vogue Business learned “the global secondhand mark is expected to surge at three times the rate of the overall global apparel market up to 2027”. It’s not only ThredUp seeing success in the Gen-Z market, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported that, of the 15 million users on the second-hand fashion platform Depop, 90 per cent were under the age of 26. Analysts at Deloitte theorised that Gen-Z’s predilection for retro clothes may have to do with the fact that they entered adolescence during and after the 2007-2009 recession. After undergoing such a formative period during financial hardship, it’s likely that it has had a long-lasting effect on their choices as consumers. Read More Depop reseller defends her business after being accused of ‘greed’ Woman finds $300 and note in Coach purse she bought for $7 at thrift store: ‘Be a Martha’ Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

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Billy Porter has sparked backlash after he called Anna Wintour a ‘b****’ over her decision to feature Harry Styles as the first-ever solo male cover star of Vogue. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Pose actor addressed criticism he initially received after hitting out at Styles for appearing on the cover of the fashion magazine wearing a Gucci dress. Porter - who’s known for championing gender-neutral fashion - explained how he would have better approached Wintour about “uplifting” those whose voices often go unheard in the fashion world. Speaking to the outlet, the 59-year-old actor explained that he participated in a Q&A with the Vogue editor-in-chief months before Styles’ cover was revealed in December 2019. “That b**** said to me at the end: ‘How can we do better?’ And I was so taken off guard that I didn’t say what I should have said,” Porter recalled. Looking back, the Cinderella star wished he had said: “Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement.” However, Porter noted: “Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.” “It’s not Harry Styles’ fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way... I call out the gatekeepers,” he continued, before suggesting that the former One Direction member was “on the cover” of Vogue because he’s “white and he’s straight”. “Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn’t feel good to me. You’re using my community - or your people are using my community - to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything,” Porter said. Despite the Tony award-winner’s efforts to promote inclusivity in fashion, his comments about Wintour sparked backlash online, as some fans deemed his remarks “misogynistic” towards the fashion editor. “Not him thinking he’s allowed to be misogynistic,” one person wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “Calling a woman a b**** just because she didn’t do what you wanted will NEVER be okay.” “I’m not one to defend Anna or that cover, but using misogyny to make your case for de-gendering fashion is not smart,” another user tweeted. “I immediately tune out the second a man refers to a woman as a b****,” said someone else. “Your statement is now null”. Another person joked: “Oh he’s never getting invited to the Met Gala ever again.” Meanwhile, one user recalled how Porter recently admitted to selling his house as a result of the Hollywood strikes when they tweeted: “I would not be calling Anna Wintour a b**** if I was currently having to sell my house to be able to live but that’s just me.” In December 2019, Styles became Vogue’s first-ever solo male cover star when he posed on the cover of the magazine in a Gucci dress. Months later, Porter took issue with Vogue’s decision to feature Styles on the cover when he claimed that all the singer had to do to break barriers was “be white and straight”. “I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it,” the actor told The Sunday Times in October 2021. “I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but... He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life. “I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars,” Porter added. “All [Styles] has to do is be white and straight.” After facing criticism for his initial comments, Porter issued an apology to Styles live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, telling the camera: “Harry Styles, I apologise to you for having your name in my mouth. “It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.” The American Horror Story alum went on to explain that the conversation surrounding inclusivity in fashion is “deeper,” as it is actually about “the systems of oppression and erasure of people of colour who contribute to the culture”. After acknowledging that there is a lot to “unpack” regarding the topic, Porter noted that he is willing to do so as long as it is without the interference of “the cancel culture of the internet”. “I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media,” he said. “So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a b****. Okay? I’m ready to have it!” Porter, who previously told The Sunday Times that he “changed the whole game” when it came to breaking gendered fashion barriers, famously wore a tuxedo dress custom-made by designer Christian Siriano to the 2019 Oscars. As of now, Wintour has not publicly acknowledged Porter’s recent remarks. The Independent has contacted representatives for Billy Porter and Anna Wintour for comment. Read More Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover: ‘You’re using my community’ Billy Porter reveals he has to sell his house due to Hollywood strikes: ‘You’ve already starved me out’ Billy Porter and husband Adam Smith split after six years of marriage Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover Supermodels including Naomi Campbell recreate iconic Vogue cover from 1990 Will the gendered separation in clothing ever cease to exist?