Odd Muse
Rank 4Annual sales growth over three years 268.40%Fashion brand
Social media is the secret to this fashion brand's success, according to its founder, Aimee Smale, 28, whose early marketing efforts involved taking selfies while modelling her designs in her family home. She started Odd Muse as a lockdown hobby while a fashion student in 2020 and just four years later generates annual sales of £25 million. Best known for its party dresses, the Essex firm now has two permanent stores — one in Soho, central London, and another in New York.
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The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: Forget Kate Moss at Glastonbury, the 2025 waistcoat is for everyone
What with being neither a page boy nor a snooker player, I had not given much thought to waistcoats until recently. I guess I thought of them as belonging to a wardrobe that didn't concern me: a world of braces, cravats and flat caps. Of Guy Ritchie films, wedding rentals and carnation buttonholes. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Well, I guess the joke's on me now, because waistcoats aren't novelty or naff any more. They are happening, and I need to get up to speed on how to wear them. The waistcoat has entered the fashion chat in the slipstream of the trouser suit. Women have been wearing them for decades, but until the last decade it remained a slightly niche move – not weird or eccentric, just a bit of a statement. It is only in the past few years that suits on women have become unremarkable. These days, women of all stripes wear them: the Princess of Wales, as well as politicians, film stars on the red carpet, brides and moguls and mums. Ahead of the women's Euros, which kicks off next week, M&S has released a collection for the Lionesses that gives a playful nod to Gareth Southgate's famous waistcoat. This time around it comes buttoned asymmetrically. The waistcoat is either the third part in the suit look or an alternative to the jacket. This waistcoat moment is very different from the last one, when Kate Moss wore them in the 00s. That was an entirely different iteration: a spry, shrunken scrap of a thing, worn with skinny jeans and a ribbed vest. It was very informal, worn either tight and buttoned (no bra) or hanging loose from the shoulders over other layers, almost like a scarf. It was rakish, romantic and a bit Fleetwood Mac. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The waistcoat hits differently now. Sometimes it is worn as a top, when it works as a kind of froth-free corset, buttoned tight to cinch the waist. This is good when you want the silhouette of a vest top but with more structure. Another plus is that it is one of the few summer outfits that looks just as good when you layer a jacket on top. Any kind of tailored blazer will work well, so long as the necklines of the jacket and waistcoat run parallel, or close (a high-necked waistcoat under a cutaway jacket will get a bit messy, visually). A cardigan definitely can't go on top, though, or you will look as if you put your clothes on in the wrong order. Cardigan stans might, however, do well to lean into the waistcoat-cardigan hybrid, in the form of a simple front-buttoned knitted tank. I have one I wore between a shirt and a jacket for most of the spring – and which is now working as a summer top on its own, buttoned up with a midi skirt; I'm also planning to take it on holiday as an evening throw-on over spaghetti strap dresses. Zara has a Knitted Top with gold starburst buttons (£29.99) that's very pretty. But the waistcoat shape that's most useful right now is one that can be worn as either a top or a jacket. The key details you are looking for are as follows. First, it needs to have a simple, round neckline, one that will map neatly on to the neck of a T-shirt, not a V-neck. Second, you want one that's not too skimpy at the shoulder. It should extend to where the shoulder seam of a shirt sits, because that way you can layer it over something with sleeves, if you want to. Third – and I know I'm being a fusspot now but bear with – look for a silhouette that buttons from neck to waist and then opens to a shape that flares at the hip. This will look great worn open as a casual sleeveless jacket, and smart worn buttoned with the belt of your trousers just seen at the waist. Me+Em have a Seam Detail Tailored Waistcoat (£250) that will be a hard-working piece of your everyday wardrobe but, worn fastened with smart white trousers, would be polished enough for Wimbledon or a city wedding. I am also a big fan of Albaray's Soft Yellow Tailored Waistcoat (£75), which has a chic notched neckline and an adjustable closure at the back of the waist so that you can shape it to suit you. Am I overthinking this? Possibly. Making up for lost time.
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer's ‘cruel' welfare cuts must be voted down despite concessions, say charities
Hundreds of charities and campaigners have urged MPs to continue to oppose Sir Keir Starmer's welfare cuts despite a late night climbdown from Downing Street, arguing the concessions are a 'desperate attempt to rush through a disastrous piece of legislation'. It comes after the government offered Labour rebels a series of concessions in an effort to head off the prime minister's first major Commons defeat since coming to power. Some 126 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would halt the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill in its tracks when it faces its first Commons hurdle on 1 July. Rebels now believe the compromises on offer, which include protecting Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for all existing claimants, will be enough to win over a majority. But charities and campaign groups have slapped down the offer, warning the cuts will entrench poverty and create a two-tier benefits system. Disability charity Mencap warned that the changes will create a 'generational divide in the quality of life for people with a learning disability'. 'Cutting disability benefits is not a fair way to mend the black hole in the public purse,' executive director Jackie O'Sullivan said. Amnesty International warned that the new reforms continue to 'fail on human rights checks', dubbing the concessions 'nothing more than a superficial attempt to get MPs to vote through this cruel and harmful piece of legislation.' 'It will deepen poverty, entrench discrimination, and create a two-tier welfare system that cannot be justified under any circumstances', the organisation said. 'Freezing or cutting benefits for new claimants doesn't prevent poverty, it pushes more people into it, while entrenching income inequality across generations. 'These proposals are not human rights compliant. They are being rushed through without proper scrutiny, transparency or engagement with those who stand to lose the most. 'We urge MPs to stand firm against a Bill that continues to discriminate, harm, and marginalise.' The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), a coalition of over 100 disability charities including Scope, the MS Society and Parkinson's UK, echoed Amnesty's remarks - saying the 'supposed 'concessions' to the cuts bill are just a desperate attempt to rush through a disastrous piece of legislation'. They warned the government is 'betraying the next generation of disabled people' by 'pushing the cuts onto future claimants'. 'Why should someone who needs support to wash in 2025 be entitled to PIP, but not someone who has the same needs in 2035? 'If the bill passes in its revised form, it will still push more people into poverty and worsen people's health. We urge MPs to use their power to stop this impending disaster. The bill must be stopped in its tracks.' Meanwhile, Helen Barnard, Trussell's director of policy, said the proposals 'still present a bleak future for future claimants'. While the concessions were welcomed, she warned they still risk 'placing the government's commitments to end the need for emergency food and tackle poverty in serious jeopardy. 'Being disabled isn't a choice. Our fears remain the same, and key MP concerns still remain to be addressed.' 'We urge MPs who stood against the bill to continue to do so, and protect the people these changes will affect in the near future', she added. And the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said new disabled claimants 'will continue to be pushed into deep hardship by these cuts, which should be opposed'. While they said the government has 'listened, grasped the severity of the impact and taken some mitigating actions', the organisation warned that bill overall must 'offer the right support to those who need it without subjecting disabled people to further hardship'. 'At the moment that is not the case for people who may need support in the future', they said. Meanwhile mental health charity Mind said the bill 'remains fatally flawed'. 'If current protections are right for disabled people now, why are they not right for disabled people in the future?' executive director Jemima Olchawski said. The reforms also attracted criticism from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who dubbed them the 'worst of all worlds". Speaking to reporters on a visit to Essex, she said: "I think we're seeing a government that is floundering, a government that is no longer in control despite having a huge majority. "I don't see how they're going to be able to deliver any of the things they promised if they can't do something as basic as reducing an increase in spending." Mrs Badenoch added: "What they're doing now with this U-turn is creating a two-tier system ... this is the worst of all worlds." The government's original package had restricted eligibility for PIP, the main disability payment in England, and cut the health-related element of Universal Credit, saying this would save around £5bn a year by 2030. Now, the changes to PIP eligibility will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only while all existing recipients of the health element of Universal Credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed the U-turn in a letter to MPs late on Thursday night, along with plans for a review of the PIP assessment to be led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms and 'co-produced' with disabled people. While the revised bill is now expected to pass through the Commons on Tuesday, it is understood that a number of Labour MPs are still planning to vote against it, believing that the adjustments don't go far enough to mitigate their concerns. Dame Meg Hillier, one of the leading rebel voices, described the concessions as 'a good deal' involving 'massive changes' to protect vulnerable people and involve disability people in the design of future reforms. She said: 'It's encouraging that we have reached what I believe is a workable compromise that will protect disabled people and support people back into work while ensuring the welfare system can be meaningfully reformed.' A Number 10 spokesperson said: 'We have listened to MPs who support the principle of reform but are worried about the pace of change for those already supported by the system. 'This package will preserve the social security system for those who need it by putting it on a sustainable footing, provide dignity for those unable to work, supports those who can and reduce anxiety for those currently in the system.'
Reuters
41 minutes ago
- Reuters
UAE fund buys $100 million of Trump's World Liberty tokens
LONDON, June 27 (Reuters) - A United Arab Emirates-based fund has bought $100 million worth of digital tokens issued by World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture of U.S. President Donald Trump's family, becoming its largest publicly known investor. Aqua 1 Foundation said in a statement on Thursday its purchase of the tokens, known as $WLFI, sought to speed up the creation of a "blockchain-powered financial ecosystem" with stablecoins and tokenised traditional assets at its heart. A spokesperson for World Liberty confirmed the investment to Reuters. A so-called governance token, $WLFI cannot be traded but gives holders the right to vote on changes to the business' underlying code. World Liberty said this week it was "working behind the scenes" to make the token transferable. "WLFI and Aqua 1 will jointly identify and nurture high-potential blockchain projects together," Aqua 1 founding partner Dave Lee said in the statement. The fund's investment and compliance teams would help World Liberty expand in South America, Europe and Asia, it added. Despite its investment, Aqua 1 maintains a minimal online presence. Its X account has only three posts and approximately 1,120 followers while its website was created on May 28, according to data from two web domain trackers. World Liberty also plans to support the launch of a separate Aqua 1 fund aimed at boosting the "digital economy transformation" in the Middle East through blockchain and artificial intelligence, the statement said. Aqua 1 did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the World Liberty spokesperson had no further immediate comment. Launched two months before the 2024 U.S. presidential election by Trump and his business partners, World Liberty has yielded hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Republican president's family business. World Liberty has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and government ethics watchdogs over potential conflicts of interest. The Trump Organization has said the president's investments, assets and business interests are held in a trust managed by his children. World Liberty aims to open access to financial services via digital tokens, without intermediaries such as banks. It has launched a stablecoin called USD1 that was bolstered in May when an Abu Dhabi investment firm chose it for a $2 billion investment in giant crypto exchange Binance.
