Latest news with #ChrisGriffin
Fashion United
09-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
V&D acquired by British Secret Sales and relaunches
V&D and To Be Dressed have been acquired by Secret Sales. The acquisition is expected to revitalise V&D, according to the press release. The acquisition cost has not been disclosed. V&D is set to become a "leading marketplace for discounted fashion in the Benelux". The partnership with its new owner will give V&D access to over 4,500 fashion and beauty brands. V&D relaunches as a marketplace for discounted fashion Jonathan Kahn, partner at Cool Investments and former owner of V&D, added: "We acquired the V&D brand ten years ago and successfully transitioned it into a fully online business. This sale to Secret Sales marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Their scale, platform and ambition perfectly position V&D for further growth and to become a trusted destination for a wider audience." Chris Griffin, CEO of Secret Sales, said: "V&D is more than just a brand; it holds a special place in people's lives, evoking memories and values that transcend generations. This presents a unique opportunity to help V&D evolve while staying true to its core values." "We are very proud to welcome V&D to the Secret Sales family. We recognise the opportunity to build on its incredible heritage and establish the brand as the Benelux's leading modern fashion destination. We are also thrilled to welcome To Be Dressed to our growing European e-commerce platform. Together, these brands will play a key role in the next stage of our development." Both V&D and To Be Dressed will retain their brand identities. To Be Dressed targets younger shoppers. Under the new ownership, both brands will benefit from Secret Sales' advanced technology, operational efficiency and extensive product range. The acquisition expands Secret Sales' portfolio to seven European markets. V&D continues under British ownership Department store chain V&D went bankrupt at the end of 2015. At the time, the company had 62 stores and over 10,000 employees. The department stores closed one by one. Many of them have since been repurposed, although this often took considerable time. The brand rights were sold to entrepreneur Roland Kahn, then owner of Coolcat and America Today. In 2018, V&D made an online comeback, focusing on "the interests of active consumers over 40, such as travel, hobbies, health, home, garden and fashion". The goal at the time was to reach a turnover of one hundred million euros by 2023. However, turnover dipped due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic. Migration to a new technical platform and the challenging economic climate caused further difficulties. In 2023, the platform was incorporated into To Be Dressed, as V& business model proved unprofitable. Now, Cool Investments has fully divested the brand. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Courier-Mail
05-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Courier-Mail
Why are we still talking about ‘feminine energy'?
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. As controversial content about a woman's place in a relationship gains traction online, we can't help but wonder why the term 'feminine energy' has found its way back into the conversation. Another week, another 'manfluencer' with a mic telling women how to live. This time, it's podcaster Chris Griffin, who suggested that women should embrace 'feminine' passivity to maintain healthy relationships. Spoiler: it involves silence, softness, and 'hot girl walks'. A recent episode of his 'educational' podcast argues that he doesn't want his partner to work 'if she doesn't want to' and that women should be harnessing their "feminine energy". He claims, 'If you feel the need to go and work to make money and then you're complaining about your day - when we don't need you to make money because you're sorted.' X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY His co-host agrees, saying a man needs 'calm, harmony, peace, and love' when he returns from his busy day of... fishing, surfing, and flaunting his abs on Instagram? Tiring stuff. If my jaw wasn't already on the floor, Griffin continues: 'This is why I heavily encourage hot girl walks. I would love my partner to go on a hot girl walk with her friends every day. She gets this feminine energy, they get to talk their sh*t and they get to have a bit of excitement about their day.' The concept of "feminine energy" irks me; it's gender essentialism disguised as empowerment. As Associate Professor Lauren Rosewarne of the University of Melbourne says: 'Culturally, there's a long history of categorising traits as male or female, and those that are female are generally undervalued and seen as frivolous and less important.' This idea reduces women to a commodity; nurturing, passive, pleasing. As Laura Henshaw, co-founder and CEO of Kic, aptly says: 'As women, we do not exist to 'serve' our partners... To live our days so we can be in a 'good mood' for them.' If my day consisted of 'going on hot-girl walks' and 'collecting postcards', I'd be bored out of my mind, wreaking havoc in our 1950s home. Henshaw continues: 'Freedom in a relationship is having equality. I do wonder how you plan to pay your partner's superannuation as well as your own? How would you support a partner if you [broke] up? If she has been out of the workforce for years? Would you continue to financially support her then, as you have had the space and time to build your career and she has not?' These regressive and fantastical ideologies can play a subtle but dangerous part in encouraging misogynistic behaviour, coercive control and financial abuse. Women have our own dreams, passions and pursuits. 'If women are sacrificing their own desires and ambitions for the sake of their relationships with men while supporting men to succeed in their careers, women will continue to be under-represented in many areas of professional life,' says Beatrice Alba, lecturer in psychology at Deakin University. 'Women might end up disappointed because they routinely forfeit their own wishes for the sake of their partner's. Overly compliant women often end up being taken for granted by their partners.' While I recognise that some may want this lifestyle, it frames women's worth as tied to narrow, outdated definitions of femininity, rather than empowering them to be their authentic selves. It feels like a personal attack. If I were to adhere to archaic feminine ideals – nurturing, domestic, meek, passive, prioritising beauty standards – I'd need a personality bypass. I'm impartial towards children, I'm aggressive, often loud, confident, and care more about having big muscles than a perfectly made-up face. Does this make me any less deserving of a relationship? Overly compliant women often end up being taken for granted by their partners. Image: iStock When a man told my friend 'to smile' at a bar, she shot back, 'You won't be smiling when I punch you in the face.' While I don't condone violence, we're tired of unsolicited advice on how to carry ourselves? Many women have grown up fighting generational prejudice against being 'non-feminine' women. I grew up with a mother who has constantly struggled with her body and appearance. Since I'm her carbon copy, everything she hates about herself, she hates about me. Combined with a steadfast belief that I can't be happy if I'm always single, it's a nightmare. The wellness, self-help and 'manfluencer' industries, as Rosewarne points out, 'are about finding ways to sell stuff… convincing people that gender should be at the centre of their identity, and that there are countless gendered products we must buy to 'properly do' gender.' They profit off the idea that our worth is tied to how closely we conform to gender norms. Netflix's 'Adolescence' kick-started the conversation about the devastating consequences of 'masculine' content online. Image: Netflix So, women can be sporty, but only if we still fit into the conformist box of beauty. Because I do sports like CrossFit and weightlifting, my physique apparently fits outside of that box. My mum always questions 'Why do you want to look like a man? Men don't find it attractive.' When I threatened to call the guy I was dating to see if he agreed, I was met with an unimpressed glare. The prevalence of these generational views of attractive 'feminine energy' is depressing. While it doesn't bother me, 'For other women, these might exploit insecurities they already have and potentially encourage her to present a smaller, seemingly more palatable version of herself,' warns Rosewarne. Griffin also overlooks a growing cultural shift, where women are drawn to men who reject traditional masculinity. Celebrities like Pedro Pascal, affectionately called 'zaddy,' embody a more emotionally vulnerable masculinity - one where depth, emotional intelligence, and tenderness are seen as strengths. This evolution is part of a broader cultural shift, where we see men as emotional beings, not just stoic providers. This evolution is part of a broader cultural shift, where we see men as emotional beings, not just stoic providers. Image: Getty. It's no longer about being perpetually tough; it's about being whole people, with flaws, emotions, and softness. And it's not just women who are embracing this - many men are too, as they push back against the suffocating traditional standards of masculinity. Progressive culture calls for a shift toward a more inclusive understanding of identity, free from the constraints of 'feminine' and 'masculine' labels. Alba sums it up: 'This essentialist thinking restricts people into roles that don't align with their true selves and prevents us from living authentically. Our identity doesn't have to be gendered.' So, be right back – I'm off to arm wrestle some blokes at the pub because that's my authentic self. Originally published as Why are we still talking about 'feminine energy'?
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Abandoned UK villages wiped out 700 years ago are uncovered in major roadworks with hoard of spears, flutes & buckles
It is believed the villages were abandoned after the Black Death FROZEN IN TIME Abandoned UK villages wiped out 700 years ago are uncovered in major roadworks with hoard of spears, flutes & buckles Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ABANDONED medieval villages have been uncovered during roadworks on the A47. The settlements are believed to have been abandoned after the Black Death - with residents fleeing to bigger urban areas. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A metal spearheads used for hunting and battles was one of the finds at the site Credit: Headland Archaeology 2 Another of the artefact's uncovered by archeologists was this bone flute Credit: Headland Archaeology The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, swept the UK between 1848 and 1350, killing an estimated 35-40 per cent of the population - though estimates are much higher in some areas. The discoveries were made by archaeologists during work to convert 5.5 miles of road between Easton and North Tuddenham into a dual-carriageway. The dig is helping to reveal the mysteries of the inhabitants of these medieval villages, with metal spearheads, buckles and a bone flute among the artefacts uncovered. Headland Archaeology, which carried out the work for National Highways, also found 31kg of pottery. The site was cleared using everything from 13-tonne mechanical excavators and dump trucks to more precision hand tools. A selection of finds from the site are due to be displayed at the National Highways' stall at this week's Royal Norfolk Show, on Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26. Kate Bain, project manager at Headland Archaeology, told the Eastern Daily Press that such villages would once have been widespread. She said: "These villages, which would have been recognisable all the way through the landscape like little hamlets, disappeared as people fled to urban settlements, leaving them behind." Chris Griffin, A47 project lead for National Highways, said that while the roadworks were primarily about improving road safety, they also offered a chance for historians to find out more about 'the wonderfully rich cultural heritage' of Norfolk. He added: "When we started the work, we wanted to make sure we brought in the expertise to add one more piece to the historical puzzle of the landscape. Ancient Tomb Discovery Reveals Stunning Tang Dynasty Murals "These finds will help us understand the past and learn about what we are today." The 'dualing' work on the A47 commenced last year, while work has also begun on improvements to the A47/A11 Thickthorn junction, on the edge of Norwich. Norfolk has been a rich area of study for archeologists over the years. In 2019 the oldest human footprints ever found outside of Africa were spotted on a British beach in the county. The line of footprints were thought to have been trampled onto the coast of Happisburgh 950,000 years ago and are likely to have been left by one of the earliest known varieties of human called Homo antecessor. Archaeological enthusiast and photographer Paul Macro discovered the marks on the beach while working for a company that was scanning the area. He found them in a spot where a similar ancient footprint and tool discovery occurred back in 2013. The foorprints were discovered in May 2013 in a newly uncovered sediment layer of the Cromer Forest Bed and photographed in 3D before being destroyed by the tide shortly afterwards.
The Sun
24-06-2025
- The Sun
Abandoned UK villages wiped out 700 years ago are uncovered in major roadworks with hoard of spears, flutes & buckles
ABANDONED medieval villages have been uncovered during roadworks on the A47. The settlements are believed to have been abandoned after the Black Death - with residents fleeing to bigger urban areas. 2 The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, swept the UK between 1848 and 1350, killing an estimated 35-40 per cent of the population - though estimates are much higher in some areas. The discoveries were made by archaeologists during work to convert 5.5 miles of road between Easton and North Tuddenham into a dual-carriageway. The dig is helping to reveal the mysteries of the inhabitants of these medieval villages, with metal spearheads, buckles and a bone flute among the artefacts uncovered. Headland Archaeology, which carried out the work for National Highways, also found 31kg of pottery. The site was cleared using everything from 13-tonne mechanical excavators and dump trucks to more precision hand tools. A selection of finds from the site are due to be displayed at the National Highways' stall at this week's Royal Norfolk Show, on Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26. Kate Bain, project manager at Headland Archaeology, told the Eastern Daily Press that such villages would once have been widespread. She said: "These villages, which would have been recognisable all the way through the landscape like little hamlets, disappeared as people fled to urban settlements, leaving them behind." Chris Griffin, A47 project lead for National Highways, said that while the roadworks were primarily about improving road safety, they also offered a chance for historians to find out more about 'the wonderfully rich cultural heritage' of Norfolk. He added: "When we started the work, we wanted to make sure we brought in the expertise to add one more piece to the historical puzzle of the landscape. Ancient Tomb Discovery Reveals Stunning Tang Dynasty Murals "These finds will help us understand the past and learn about what we are today." The 'dualing' work on the A47 commenced last year, while work has also begun on improvements to the A47/A11 Thickthorn junction, on the edge of Norwich. Norfolk has been a rich area of study for archeologists over the years. In 2019 the oldest human footprints ever found outside of Africa were spotted on a British beach in the county. The line of footprints were thought to have been trampled onto the coast of Happisburgh 950,000 years ago and are likely to have been left by one of the earliest known varieties of human called Homo antecessor. Archaeological enthusiast and photographer Paul Macro discovered the marks on the beach while working for a company that was scanning the area. He found them in a spot where a similar ancient footprint and tool discovery occurred back in 2013. The foorprints were discovered in May 2013 in a newly uncovered sediment layer of the Cromer Forest Bed and photographed in 3D before being destroyed by the tide shortly afterwards.
The Irish Sun
24-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned UK villages wiped out 700 years ago are uncovered in major roadworks with hoard of spears, flutes & buckles
ABANDONED medieval villages have been uncovered during roadworks on the A47. The settlements are believed to have been abandoned after the Black Death - with residents fleeing to bigger urban areas. 2 A metal spearheads used for hunting and battles was one of the finds at the site Credit: Headland Archaeology 2 Another of the artefact's uncovered by archeologists was this bone flute Credit: Headland Archaeology The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, swept the UK between 1848 and 1350, killing an estimated 35-40 per cent of the population - though estimates are much higher in some areas. The discoveries were made by archaeologists during work to convert 5.5 miles of road between Easton and North Tuddenham into a dual-carriageway. The dig is helping to reveal the mysteries of the inhabitants of these medieval villages, with metal spearheads, buckles and a bone flute among the artefacts uncovered. Headland Archaeology, which carried out the work for Read more on News The site was cleared using everything from 13-tonne mechanical excavators and dump trucks to more precision hand tools. A selection of finds from the site are due to be displayed at the National Highways' stall at this week's Royal Norfolk Show, on Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26. Kate Bain, project manager at Headland Archaeology, told the She said: "These villages, which would have been recognisable all the way through the landscape like little hamlets, disappeared as people fled to urban settlements, leaving them behind." Most read in The Sun Chris Griffin, A47 project lead for National Highways, said that while the roadworks were primarily about improving road safety, they also offered a chance for historians to find out more about 'the wonderfully rich cultural heritage' of Norfolk. He added: "When we started the work, we wanted to make sure we brought in the expertise to add one more piece to the historical puzzle of the landscape. Ancient Tomb Discovery Reveals Stunning Tang Dynasty Murals "These finds will help us understand the past and learn about what we are today." The 'dualing' work on the A47 commenced last year, while work has also begun on improvements to the A47/A11 Thickthorn junction, on the edge of Norwich. Norfolk has been a rich area of study for archeologists over the years. In 2019 the oldest human footprints ever found outside of Africa The line of footprints were thought to have been trampled onto the coast of Happisburgh 950,000 years ago and are likely to have been left by one of the earliest known varieties of human called Homo antecessor. Archaeological enthusiast and photographer Paul Macro discovered the marks on the beach while working for a company that was scanning the area. He found them in a spot where a similar ancient footprint and tool discovery occurred back in 2013. The foorprints were discovered in May 2013 in a newly uncovered sediment layer of the Cromer Forest Bed and photographed in 3D before being destroyed by the tide shortly afterwards.
