Latest news with #Rihana
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Textile students turn old Blackburn Rovers kits into fashion
Blackburn Rovers have been celebrating one of their greatest ever saves - but this time it did not involve a goalkeeper and instead was a bid to tackle climate change by upcycling old kits. The club asked local fashion students to repurpose kits which were heading to landfill and create a unique collection of clothing, which included skorts, a bell-sleeved jumper and a bag. It is part of Green Football's Great Save which rallies the entire football community from fans, players and pundits to keep kits out of landfill to protect football and the reimagined designs by Blackburn College students, which were on show at Ewood Park, will be auctioned off to raise money for charity. Second year fashion and film and media students from Blackburn College collaborated on the transformed 25 garments, which included taking waist bands off shorts to transform them into crop tops, upcycling track suits into eye-catching jackets and a bag made from two pairs of and media students then filmed as the collection was showcased on the pitch. Textile and fashion student Rihana, who whipped up the bag, said she wanted to put her own spin on all her designs. "I don't really follow football but if I did I would want to wear something that represents me but also still supports the team so I wanted to add some bell sleeves to the jumper," she said. Another student Isaak created skorts - which has the appearance of a skirt but has built-in shorts underneath - and a cropped top from a goalkeepers shirt to add to the collection. 'Create something new' Daniella Slinger, course leader of textiles and fashion at Blackburn College, said: "The fashion industry wastes 92 million tonnes per year globally and almost half of that goes into landfill. "So what we've done with this project is just take a small amount that waste that would have sat in landfill and take it apart, put it back together and create something completely new from it." Blackburn Rovers said the clothing collection will now be sold in an online auction with the proceeds going towards a homeless, refugee and asylum seeker football team supported by the club. Yasir Sufi, head of commercial and partnerships at Blackburn Rovers, praised the innovative creations produced by the students and said it was a "fantastic initiative" to save kits from going into landfill while also raising money for a great cause. "It's a win for everyone," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Khaleej Times
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
17-hour work days: How UAE henna artists are dealing with Eid rush
During this Ramadan season, Dr Azra Khamissa has already sold over 1,000 henna cones. Over the last few days, the Emirati henna influencer has all hands on deck as she along with her family members and assistants roll out more cones in anticipation of last-minute orders. A chiropractor by profession, Dr Azra is one of the most sought-after henna artists in the UAE. Her bold and unique designs have made her a celebrity of sorts. Her focus in the lead up to Eid is usually the sale of her organic henna cones and stencils. 'There are four of us whose job is to roll out the henna cones,' she told Khaleej Times. 'I have an assistant who helps me with the shipping and so on. Whoever in the house is free, they help me with rolling out the cones. It's an all hands on deck situation.' 17-hour work days For another henna artist Ambreen Wahid, who has almost one million followers on Instagram, this season involves a 17-hour working day. 'During the week before Eid, I usually start work at 9am and it goes on until 2am,' she said. 'I usually go to my clients' homes. I try to keep everything very organised and arrive everywhere on time but the week before Eid is one of the busiest times during the entire year.' Rihana, who moved to the UAE three years ago, works in three shifts during the season. 'I focus only on group bookings during this time because that reduces the amount of time I spend travelling,' she said. 'I usually take an hour or two hours of break in between the shifts to give myself a breather. Sometimes, I travel as far as Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to my clients' homes.' The Dubai resident who also sells cones, sealing sprays and henna balms said she stops sales a few days before Eid. 'The last few days, I am slammed with henna orders so I am out and about all the time,' she said. 'I don't have anyone at home when people come to pick their cones.' Despite the immense demand for her designs, Dr Azra chooses not to take too many clients to apply henna. 'The whole of Ramadan is a busy time for us,' she said. 'I prefer to participate in some special events and if I am feeling up to it, I will host a henna session at my house. I did it last year and it felt really nice to meet some new people.' Trends and costs According to Rihana, the deep blue henna called Jagua has become very popular this year. 'We are seeing a lot of demand for this,' she said. 'It leaves a beautiful dark blue tint and a lot of people are loving it. It is more expensive to make, so the rates are a little high too.' The rates of henna varies wildly depending on the intricacy of the design. Rihana said she usually charges Dh50 per side, per hand, for a simple design but in the lead up to Eid, she hikes it Dh70 per side. Ambreen agreed that she also hikes her prices marginally during the season. 'Usually, I charge about Dh150 for both hands but, during the peak season, I hike it to Dh200.' Ambreen added that white henna was also very popular during Ramadan. 'It is something people like to add a little oomph to their Eid henna,' she said. 'In terms of design, I started the coquette bow designs which went viral on social media. This year, there is a lot of demand for that design.'
