Latest news with #JohnLewis
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Ditch the greige rattan – this is the best summer garden furniture (from £50)
There's nothing like the prospect of a sunny weekend to spur you into a garden furniture update. A quick scan on Google will bring up reams of garden chairs and tables, mainly in various shades of greige. The prevailing trend for several years has been for rattan pieces that look as if they have already faded – chosen, perhaps, because they don't fight with the colours of the planting. But high-street retailers are noticing a subtle shift away from muted colours, to pieces altogether bolder and brighter. 'Garden furniture has traditionally leant towards greige and neutral tones, designed to blend quietly into the background,' says Gabrielle Anderson, an outdoor furniture buyer at John Lewis. 'But as customers grow more confident with colour indoors, we're seeing that same boldness extend into outdoor spaces. Rich tones such as terracotta, olive and even vibrant orange can bring a playful energy to the garden, and can complement natural greenery.' Sabina Miller, the buying director at Heal's, agrees: 'The introduction of colour into outdoor settings brings multiple benefits and will offer visual interest year-round, instantly lifting the energy of the space in even the wettest of weathers,' she says. 'As the availability of coloured outdoor furniture has grown, so too has customer demand.' Durability is an important part of outdoor furniture, and is another reason that many of us opt for muted furniture that won't fade in the weather – but today's colourful options boast serious staying power. 'Modern materials and manufacturing innovations have meant that the UK market now offers furniture in a greater variety of colour, textures and designs, while simultaneously providing enhanced durability,' says Miller. 'Modern powder-coated aluminium maintains its colour integrity year after year, while many contemporary outdoor fabrics are woven using recycled plastics and feature UV-resistant properties that preserve their vibrancy over time.' If you feel that greige has had its day in your garden, here's a selection of colourful pieces to lift the mood.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Co-ords are the ultimate cheat code for chic dressing - 11 office-appropriate styles to buy for summer
Looking for your next hard working wardrobe update? Co-ords are my ultimate cheat code for getting dressed quickly, whilst still looking put together. Not only are they perfect for holiday packing – especially if you're only travelling with carry-on luggage – but best of all they're great for throwing on when you're heading into the office. There's something about a matching set that looks effortlessly smart and I especially enjoy cramming mine into my gym bag the night before an early class. It's compact and I don't need to think about my outfit combination at all – consider it your answer to fuss free planning. But the real beauty of a two-piece is that you can wear each element separately to create even more looks with other pieces in your wardrobe, making them a worthy investment. The high street has a plethora of affordable versions this season. These are the ones I have my eye on now. Mango waistcoat £89.99 Shop Mango skirt £79.99 Shop Next asymmetric top £35 Shop Next jeans £45 Shop John Lewis top £35 Shop John Lewis skirt £39 Shop
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Campaign to recruit new foster families must go on
Well, as with many things, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Across Scotland, we have a growing need for more foster families, with recent statistics highlighting a shortfall of around 400 families needed across the country to provide safe, loving homes for children who, for various reasons, cannot remain with their birth families. At Kibble Fostering, we are striving to bridge this gap by actively recruiting potential foster carers to come forward and take on this incredible, life-changing role. However, this is not without its challenges. Despite the visibility brought by John Lewis' campaign, we are still facing a significant shortage of available foster parents, and barriers remain in ensuring that fostering services are sufficiently funded and supported. The advert brought fostering into the national spotlight and was a catalyst for much-needed conversations about the role of foster carers and the urgent need for more families to open their homes to vulnerable children. The Scottish Government has made important strides in addressing this issue, most recently launching a national campaign aimed at recruiting more foster carers across Scotland – a positive and much-needed step in tackling the shortfall. This renewed call for carers recognises the vital role foster families play and seeks to boost both awareness and action across the country. There is a growing recognition that fostering needs to be supported in a sustainable way – with initiatives focused on improving training, offering more professional support, and reducing the financial strain for foster families. This is something that Kibble is entirely committed to and collectively working alongside the sector to achieve. Despite these welcome commitments, the reality is that services remain stretched. We urgently need more foster families – families who are not only willing but also equipped with the skills and support needed to provide care. Fostering is not just about providing a temporary place to stay; it's about creating stability, safety, and a sense of long-term belonging for children who have often experienced trauma in their early years. John Lewis's 2022 Christmas advert did more than just raise awareness – it ignited a national conversation. But we cannot afford to let that conversation fizzle out. If we are to maintain momentum, we must ensure that funding, support, and most importantly, the number of foster families increase to meet demand. That's why organisations like Kibble remain focused on finding and supporting new foster carers – doing our part to close the gap and ensure no child is left without the care they need. After all, fostering is not a seasonal effort – it's a lifetime commitment to the wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable children. Now, more than ever, we must act on the spirit of that campaign and transform it into lasting change. Sandy Mayhew is Executive Director, Kibble Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Exclusive: Interior Design Masters winner reveals new John Lewis collection
For John Cooper, the winner of this year's series of the BBC1 show Interior Design Masters, creating a homeware collection to be sold in John Lewis was very much not his normal day job. It was also a first for John Lewis: its design team had not previously worked with a designer who was simultaneously juggling a full-time job as a secondary-school teacher. Cooper, 46, who lives in Stockport with his wife and their two children, aged 11 and nine, teaches design and technology at Wilmslow High School in Cheshire. He had been a fan of the show since its first series in 2019: 'I was one of those people who sat there at home and said 'Oh no, why are you doing that?'' he says. One year my wife said, 'Why don't you just apply for it, if you think you can do better?'' He did, and the first time around he didn't make it onto the show; so he tried again, and this time made it into the final 10. The filming schedule was intense, with a challenge being filmed each weekend over an eight-week period, in a different location each time – ranging from a room in a youth hostel in the Lake District to a dog-friendly room at Battersea Dogs Home and a hospitality suite at Twickenham. The contestants would complete a challenge, then immediately be given the brief for the next one, and Cooper would spend the week coming up with a design and sourcing furnishings. 'I was working during the prep weeks,' he says, 'so I'd get home, start shopping and designing, put the kids to bed, then carry on designing and shopping. It was very fast, very intense'. The guest judges, who included Sophie Robinson and Mary Portas, gave advice which was invaluable for a designer starting out, as was the advice of head judge Michelle Ogundehin. 'They were all so kind,' says Cooper. 'On the very first challenge, Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen came and gave us all individual feedback, and it was so thoughtful and considered. He said, 'I know we've seen lots of spaces that have a lot going on, but don't feel like you have to do that; it's enough to produce a really good-quality finish sometimes, and it can be a little more simple and understated.'' It was a somewhat unexpected nugget of advice, given Llewellyn-Bowen's own flamboyant style, but one that Cooper has brought to bear in his collection for John Lewis, which is executed in a palette of black, white and toffee brown that gives it a modern, youthful look, and something quite different from the brand's usual offering. The collection of 21 products includes furniture, bedding, towels, cushions, throws and lighting. Several existing John Lewis pieces have been reimagined in Cooper's style, which he describes as 'graphic bohemia', and mixes a pared-back palette with a variety of tactile textures. The Blocky chair – a customer favourite – has been upholstered in a nubby fabric with chunky, black-and-white stripes; the Elliott angled desk lamp has been recast in a smart three-tone combo of black, white and toffee; and the popular Mushroom portable lamp comes with a black base and a white shade. Others are entirely new designs that Cooper created with the help of the John Lewis team, such as an extra-large monochrome cotton quilt with toffee-coloured stitching, a geometric throw, several cushions and a set of two framed pieces of graphic 3D-effect wall art in black, off-white and beige. There's also a set of towels and bath mats in a dark palette of black and brown. The throws and cushions were the trickiest products to get right, says Cooper, and they went through several iterations and redesigns until he and the John Lewis team were happy with the finished product. 'I was obsessing over the details; I really wanted to get it right,' he says. His education in creating a collection included learning how to design a piece that could be produced quickly, using techniques such as embroidery and appliqué that could be done in the UK and Europe, rather than further afield. 'I've taught my students about lead times, but I've never had to deal with that myself,' he says. 'I think it's a really good thing for the students to see a teacher actually doing the thing that they teach.' Creating the two scented candles was also a learning experience: 'I had to be trained in how to smell things properly, which was really exciting.' As for what comes next, Cooper plans to throw himself into his design career full-time. 'I've taught for around 20 years, so this has been a little bit of self expression for me, and it's just ticked all the boxes,' he says. 'I've loved every minute of it.' Available online at John Lewis from Friday, May 30. Prices start from £8 for a tote bag, and go up to £499 for the armchair.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Are ‘perversely sexy' flip-flops the final frontier of the ugly shoe trend?
They are typically worn around public swimming pools in the hope of avoiding a verruca. Or slipped on post-pedicure. Now, flip-flops are moving beyond communal showers and nail salons. Along with rattling ice cubes in glasses of rosé, this summer's soundtrack is gearing up to be peppered with the distinctive noise of flip-flops slapping pavements. Libby Jane Page, executive director of Vogue Shopping, describes the footwear style as having 'endless appeal' hailing them a 'summer staple'. The catalyst for the trend? A pair of £670 flip-flops from the Row. Earlier this year, the luxury brand that is helmed by the child TV stars turned designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and who have a knack for turning basics (black trousers, white shirts, cashmere cardigans) into covetable pieces, included flip-flops with a black fabric thong and red rubber sole in their latest collection. Although many people were outraged by the triple-figure price tag, they quickly sold out. (There is now a waiting list.) Elsewhere on the catwalks, there were jelly flip-flops at Chloé and smart leather iterations at Ferragamo. Coperni did a rubberised platform version, while Miu Miu deconstructed classic Mary Janes, chopping off the almond toe shape to add a flip-flop front. Now the trickle-down effect has flooded the high street. Despite recent dismal weather, searches for flip-flops are up 44% at John Lewis. Bestsellers include a £14.40 black-soled version from Ipanema with a contrasting tortoiseshell thong. Over at M&S, square-toed suede and a leopard-print pairs are in high demand, though almost impossible to track down in stores (online ordering is still not available following a cyberattack). Meanwhile, a £9.95 rubber pair from Muji are being hailed as the perfect dupe for Christopher Esber's £250 plastic thongs. 'In handbags,' Page explains, 'it's always been about what luxury brand you're carrying; in footwear it couldn't be more different – the more democratic the better and it doesn't get more laid-back than the flip-flop.' During the Cannes film festival the model Irina Shayk was photographed hanging out around the Croisette in a £60 studded pair from Mango. Ancient Greek sandals are selling bright rainbow-coloured jelly versions for £95, while the Brazilian OG Havaianas has teamed up with Dolce & Gabbana on a limited-edition collection spanning everything from faux fur to macramé straps (from £120). On Thursday Havaianas announced that the model Gigi Hadid had designed her own collection for the brand with hot orange and ombré styles from £25 the focus. In the same way that Birkenstocks and then Crocs freed themselves from the 'bin shoe' category of footwear (stored by the front door and worn for waste disposal purposes only), perhaps the great flip-flop revival suggests that we are reaching the final frontier of the ugly shoe trend. They also tap into a wider toe-exposure trend, succeeding mesh ballet flats and shoes such as Vibram's FiveFingers that frame each individual phalanx. With flip-flops, the toes have reached maximum display. 'We are certainly in a phalangeal era,' says the fashion writer Liana Satenstein. 'After all, we've seen cleavage, we've seen buttocks in the open, but feet? Whether your hooves are knobby or bunion-ridden, they can be perversely sexy, and people want to express that via a slappy flip-flop.' While flip-flops may be being hailed as a new fashion trend, they are one of the earliest styles of shoes. Rebecca Shawcross, a senior curator at Northampton's Shoe Museum, points to a woven reeds pair from Egypt in their collection that 'look so contemporary' but in fact, date from 350BC. Shawcross explains that flip-flops first infiltrated western fashion in the 1960s taking inspiration from Japanese thonged zori sandals. 'This coincided with developments in the production of rubber. Manufacturers realised that a thong style of shoe made of rubber was easy and cheap to make.' Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion The popularity of the trend can also be pegged to the stylist Allison Bornstein's 'wrong shoe theory', a styling hack that involves purposefully wearing an unexpected shoe. The Row's lookbook shows their versions styled with jeans. Hailey Bieber has been pictured wearing Toteme flip-flops with low-rise tailored trousers, while the fashion influencer outfit of choice is jazzy trousers offset with casual minimalist flip-flops from or Aeyde. But as the flip-flop makes it way from beach bars to members' club, the trend comes with a caveat. Helen Branthwaite, the chief clinical adviser for the Royal College of Podiatry, points out they are only a healthy choice of shoe for people with strong feet. 'The style of a thong shoe alters foot function primarily as the way you walk needs to address the lack of fastening on to the foot.' Flip-flops with more of an arch profile and structured sole from brands such as Archies Footwear and Birkenstock may have a better outcome. But Branthwaite says wearing any flip-flop style excessively could increase the risk of injury. 'Adaptation occurs over a prolonged period of time and constant wearers of this style of shoe may find come the winter they can not then get a shoe or trainer on comfortably.' Her advice: 'Variation is key and swapping around helps the foot remain strong whilst also being supported.' With a heatwave on the way, flip-flop fans, you have been warned. To read the complete version of this newsletter – complete with this week's trending topics in The Measure and your wardrobe dilemmas solved – subscribe to receive Fashion Statement in your inbox every Thursday.
