From the editor’s chair, Liz O’Reilly shares the things that have piqued her interest this month.
THE THINKING WOMAN’S PANTS
OK, it’s an oft avoided subject but how many of us haven’t either experience or feared period leakage at some point? Enter Thinx – organic cotton panties that promise to be period proof. It sounds quite a claim but the website’s got testimonies from real people and they’ve also been recommended by a couple of good friends. Even better, they’re now shipping to the Kingdom, so what are you waiting for? Give them a go and let us know what you think.
BUNGEE WORKOUT
Described as the “high-flying workout that’s winning people over one bungee cord at a time”, this looks like so much fun I think it might even get my ever-velcroed bum off the sofa. And, not only that, it’s also low impact – there has to be a limit to the damage you can do when you don’t actually hit the ground, right? It seems to have started in the US but is swiftly making its way around the world – Bahrain gyms, can we have this pretty please?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bRNTPKqB4k
A SAD FAREWELL
We’re sad to say goodbye to the Palm Association, which, for many years, has raised funds and carried out lots of good works in Bahrain. As we were going to press, the news popped into my inbox that, due to changes in charity regulations and ongoing struggles with fundraising, the association will cease to operate from the beginning of October. What a shame. We wish everyone involved all the best.
HIGH-FASHION HIJABS
The fashion world went up against perceived bigotry with hijab-wearing models storming the runways at New York Fashion Week for the SS18 collections. Several Indonesian designers presented stunning creations on the first day of the show, some under the modest fashion banner, others in the mainstream arena.
“We’re not oppressed and we just want to show the world that we still can be beautiful and stylish with our hijab on,” said designer Dian Pelangi, 26, who has 4.8 million followers on Instagram.
Fellow designer Vivi Zubedi, 30, was making her New York fashion week debut and said she felt moved to come partly because of Donald Trump, who has sought to restrict immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries.
THE RETURN OF THE WIZARD
The boy wizard is back, well sort of. Publisher Bloomsbury has announced the publication of two new books to mark 20 years since the arrival of Harry Potter on our bookshelves and in our collective consciousness.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic, The Book of the Exhibition surveys the subjects studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and accompanies an exhibition, and Harry Potter, A Journey Through a History of Magic takes the reader on a historical journey of Harry Potter’s world and delves into the stories behind spells, magical creatures, and wizards and witches.
Between the exhibition, a stage show, a Harry Potter experience at Warner Brothers Studio and even a Kickstarter campaign aimed at opened a wizarding pub in London, it seems JK Rowling’s character has taken on a life of its own!
