Latest news with #VonDutch
Metro
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Charli XCX has made smoking cool again - I wish she hadn't
I can clock the moment I knew smoking had ruined my life. I was lying in bed, wheezing and rattling like a broken engine, my mouth tasted like a pub gutter, and my 25-year-old fingers were yellow. I had officially given up. It was 2021 and I'd been smoking over 10-a-day since I first lit up as a lost teenager looking for a personality. Let's just say after a decade of smoking, there was nothing remotely cool-girl about it. I felt like a slug and resolved to quit. It was the moment I realised that actually, despite previous misconceptions, smoking was decidedly uncool. So I'm worried that now, one of pop's biggest names – Charli XCX – seems determined to make a cigarette this summer's hottest accessory. The Brat queen created a cultural movement behind a luminous green banner – and sadly I've come to realise that cigarettes are synonymous with it. The way she's doggedly glamourised such a dangerous act for a legion of impressionable followers is unforgivable. The Von Dutch hitmaker's wedding to The 1975 drummer George Daniel this weekend saw her handing out a tray of cigarettes on a silver platter for guests. It's all very grim, and a bit 80s. Frankly, in stark contrast to being cool, I think that smoking in 2025 is the biggest try-hard act of them all. It stinks of tar and desperation. When I see Charli lighting up a cigarette on stage, I feel sorry for her. She's one of the biggest, most exciting global megastars on the planet. Brat is genius. Her songwriting is world-class. I love the confidence she instills and inspires in her female fans. She is a rockstar. So why does it feel like she is still so desperate for social clout? What is she trying to prove? I would never judge her for an addiction, of course. I was that person once too. But that is not what's happening here. She's using cigarettes as a glamorous prop. 'It can be like, so trashy,' she said last year, describing Brat. 'Just like a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter. And like, a strappy white top with no bra.' She's explicitly telling fans smoking is Brat. And that's not right. Thankfully, when I stopped smoking through huge mental anguish, I came out the other side armed with wisdom and hope. I used cigarettes to try and fix a little insecure crack in my self-esteem. But they only exacerbated the problem, ripping it into a gaping hole, as I leant on them to make me feel whole. The more I smoked, the more I was left wanting. I was a slave to addiction. I felt tired the whole time, feeding my anxiety with more anxiety, like throwing petrol on a fire in the hope it will stop. I was sluggish, useless, and depressed. My self-esteem took a punch every day when cigarettes began to repulse me, but I would smoke them anyway, again and again, chasing the first-of-the-day high. Without the right support network, I could have easily sank deeper into an ashtray of slobbish self-hate and depression. So why are we allowing cigarettes to be romanticised so easily? They can be mentally and physically damaging. I'm too old and wise to be lured in by Brat aesthetics now. Being cool and clinging onto trends becomes less important when you have a strong sense of self. I did initially love the album, and the vibe. But what I thought was a euphoric celebration of unapologetic self-expression is turning into an uncomfortable, and unhealthy, watch. 32-year-old Charli may also be older and wiser than her legion of party girl followers. I'm sure her tongue is in her cheek, somewhat. But where is her sense of responsibility for her fans? While Brat was a much-needed festival of female hedonism, I am also conscious that many teens who latch onto Charli's wild persona could be vulnerable. They could be like I was: Never content, always looking for a party and the fastest dopamine hit, and desperately insecure. A movement like Brat with a charismatic figurehead like Charli could be the gateway for many young people to take up smoking. It's not just Charli peddling this dangerous smoking trend. I've seen Dua Lipa many times this summer reclined on some European pavement with a cigarette dangling out of her mouth. Addison Rae and Sabrina Carpenter aren't helping either by featuring cigarettes in their videos. Matty Healy is an infamous stage-smoker. More Trending The forced rockstardom of it all feels dated and embarrassing. Quite the contrary of giving off a devil-may-care aura, a cigarette when you're 32 feels like the most blatant indicator that you care so incredibly deeply about what people think, that you're willing to risk your life for it. Charli XCX said Brat will never die. But right now, it's wheezing its way into an early grave. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I'm 30 with no kids, but I'm absolutely obsessed with Bluey MORE: Lucy Bronze deserves a statue at Wembley but the Lionesses could do without another major battle in Euro 2025 semi-final MORE: Murder framed as suicide: How a killer's lies were exposed
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Charli XCX defies bridal style with eye-wateringly expensive wedding ring
Pop superstar Charli XCX and The 1975's George Daniel became husband and wife in an intimate London wedding ceremony over the weekend - where the Von Dutch singer stunned with her bridal style Charlotte Aitchison is now Mrs George Daniel after tying-the-knot in an intimate ceremony in London on Saturday. The 32-year-old pop sensation, better known by her stage name Charli XCX, and The 1975 drummer, 35, have been an item since 2022. And on Saturday they swapped vows at Hackney Town Hall in front of their parents and a small crowd of close friends and loved ones. Photographs from the wedding day were splashed online - showing Charli and George beaming on the steps of the town hall where they married. Fans fawned over chart-topping star Charli's cream coloured bridal gown - which wrapped around her body and was matched with a pristine white veil. Posing on the steps of the hall, Charli exuded an element of cool as she adorned shared and clasped the hand of her rock star husband. Fans looking closely at her hand, however, will have noticed the dazzling rings that the Good Ones singer was sporting on her wedding finger. And, indeed, it would seem the star is carrying an impressive amount of bling on her finger - which one jewellery expert has valued at around £14,000. Laura Taylor, engagement ring specialist at Lorel Diamonds, said of the engagement ring: 'Charli's engagement ring is a classic design that lets the diamond do all the talking, featuring a 1-carat round brilliant solitaire, set on a platinum band. 'Round brilliants are still the most popular engagement cut because of how much light they reflect from every angle, giving them the trademark diamond sparkle. If the stone is natural and of excellent colour and clarity, I'd estimate it to be worth around £12,000 to £15,000 (around $16,000 to $20,000). 'George made the perfect choice with this ring because it works with any style and will never date. Even though Charli's known for pushing boundaries elsewhere, her engagement ring is something she'll be able to wear for life.' But it's not just Charli's engagement ring that dazzles - as her wedding band also stands out. Laura explains: 'Charli's wedding band is where she's really made it her own. "Rather than going for a traditional band to sit next to the solitaire, or even an eternity band like we're seeing with other celebrities, she's chosen something much bolder. 'From the photos, it looks like a wide ring with a twisted overlapping design, again in platinum to match her engagement ring. 'It's chunky and very different to the delicate bands you usually see paired with solitaires. We are starting to see more celebrities choosing bold rings this year, like Dua Lipa and her chunky engagement ring." The jewelry expert continued: "I'd estimate Charli's wedding band to be worth around £8,000 to £10,000 ($11,000 to $13,000), depending on the designer. 'The choice fits perfectly with the rest of her wedding look, as she wore a short white dress and sunglasses to her ceremony, skipping the usual formal bridal style. By pairing a classic engagement ring with a statement wedding band, Charli's showing you don't have to follow the usual rules."
India Today
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Charli XCX marries The 1975's George Daniel in London town hall ceremony
Pop icon Charli XCX got married to The 1975 drummer George Daniel in a private ceremony at Hackney Town Hall in London on Saturday July 19. The singer looked effortlessly chic in a silky off-shoulder midi dress paired with a classic tulle veil and her signature black sunglasses. Daniel opted for a simple tailored couple said 'I do' in front of close family and friends including Charli's parents and Daniel's bandmates though frontman Matty Healy was notably absent. Heartwarming photos from the day showed the couple smiling and sharing a kiss on the steps of the town best known for her album 'Brat' and hit single 'Von Dutch' announced her engagement to Daniel in November 2023 through a playful Instagram post featuring candid photos. The pair first connected in 2021 while working on the track 'Spinning' with The 1975 and No Rome. Their romance became public in May 2022 following Daniel's appearance at Charli's Saturday Night Live performance earlier that on the Spout Podcast Charli revealed how Daniel has influenced her creative process. 'It's a whole new dynamic but it's cool' she said while discussing his low key involvement in her sixth studio album Brat which released in June. As per People magazine.- Ends
Fashion Network
16-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Von Dutch enters F&B market with new liquor, soda, and water ranges; cafés to come
American fashion brand Von Dutch is entering the food and beverage market with its debut liquor collection, healthy sodas and mocktails, as well as a new water range, ahead of the opening of Von Dutch-branded cafés. The Los Angeles-based brand, acquired by White Space Group (WSG) in 2024, has signed a global licensing agreement to form Von Dutch F&B, as the early 2000s apparel outfit looks to become a complete lifestyle brand. The new food, beverage and hospitality venture, led by a newly appointed CEO Joe Wallace, kicks off with the launch of organic, plant-based mocktails and healthy sodas created in collaboration with Flavor House. The brand will also launch liquor products including vodka, tequila, beer, and spiked seltzers, followed with the debut of Von Dutch Water. Finally, the brand has plans to rollout Von Dutch Cafés, or café-lounge hybrids, set to open in New York and Los Angeles in the next 12 months. Visitors can expect a space that shifts from daytime coffee and snacks into an after-hours haven made up of mocktails, cocktails, and live entertainment. 'We're building more than a food brand - we're creating a whole empire. Von Dutch will be about entertainment, hospitality, wellness, authenticity, and bringing in new energy," said Wallace, an executive that has raised millions in startup capital and led several first-to-market innovations across food tech, hospitality, and consumer goods. 'This partnership marks a powerful step forward for Von Dutch as a cultural force. Joe brings not only the entrepreneurial fire, but the values and velocity to translate this brand into entirely new verticals," said Jack Cheika, CEO of WSG, which purchased the Californian brand from the French Royer Group, in June last year.
Fashion Network
16-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Von Dutch enters F&B market with new liquor, soda, and water ranges; cafés to come
American fashion brand Von Dutch is entering the food and beverage market with its debut liquor collection, healthy sodas and mocktails, as well as a new water range, ahead of the opening of Von Dutch-branded cafés. The Los Angeles-based brand, acquired by White Space Group (WSG) in 2024, has signed a global licensing agreement to form Von Dutch F&B, as the early 2000s apparel outfit looks to become a complete lifestyle brand. The new food, beverage and hospitality venture, led by a newly appointed CEO Joe Wallace, kicks off with the launch of organic, plant-based mocktails and healthy sodas created in collaboration with Flavor House. The brand will also launch liquor products including vodka, tequila, beer, and spiked seltzers, followed with the debut of Von Dutch Water. Finally, the brand has plans to rollout Von Dutch Cafés, or café-lounge hybrids, set to open in New York and Los Angeles in the next 12 months. Visitors can expect a space that shifts from daytime coffee and snacks into an after-hours haven made up of mocktails, cocktails, and live entertainment. 'We're building more than a food brand - we're creating a whole empire. Von Dutch will be about entertainment, hospitality, wellness, authenticity, and bringing in new energy," said Wallace, an executive that has raised millions in startup capital and led several first-to-market innovations across food tech, hospitality, and consumer goods. 'This partnership marks a powerful step forward for Von Dutch as a cultural force. Joe brings not only the entrepreneurial fire, but the values and velocity to translate this brand into entirely new verticals," said Jack Cheika, CEO of WSG, which purchased the Californian brand from the French Royer Group, in June last year.
