In today's politically charged world, open dialogue and understanding are more important than ever. Embracing transparency about our political beliefs is essential for promoting healthy discourse, fostering empathy, and building bridges across diverse perspectives. In this blog post, we delve into the significance of being transparent about our political beliefs, exploring how it can lead to a more informed and compassionate society.

Phoebe Philo, a visionary in the fashion world, has carved out a meteoric career marked by her revolutionary approach to design. From her early beginnings to her transformative tenure at Céline, Philo's unique aesthetic and unwavering commitment to empowering women have made her a revered figure in the industry.

Philo is set to make her return to the fashion industry in September. After a hiatus following her departure from Céline in 2017, Philo's highly anticipated comeback has sparked excitement and speculation. Known for her minimalist aesthetic and empowering designs, Philo's return is expected to bring a fresh perspective and redefine contemporary fashion once again.

The idea of "not seeing colour" is often touted as a way to promote equality and unity. However, this seemingly well-intentioned approach can actually perpetuate harmful stereotypes and hinder progress towards true diversity and inclusion. In this blog post, we delve into the reasons why "not seeing colour" is problematic and explore the importance of embracing diversity in all its forms.

Comedy has always played a vital role in film and television, providing audiences with entertainment, escapism, and a reflection of the human condition. In today's landscape, comedy continues to evolve, adapting to the changing times and embracing new forms of humor. This analysis explores the current state of comedy in film and television, examining its diverse approaches, impact on society, and its ability to tackle challenging subjects while bringing joy and laughter to audiences.

In the hustle and bustle of the modern workplace, fostering meaningful connections with colleagues might not always be at the top of our priority list. However, having friends at work can significantly impact our overall well-being, job satisfaction, and professional success. In this article, we'll explore the importance of cultivating friendships in the workplace and the numerous benefits they bring.

From Childhood in Italy to Leading Fashion Icon

Donatella Versace grew up in Reggio Calabria, Italy, alongside her older brother Gianni and younger brother Santo. Her parents, Antonio and Francesca Versace, owned a successful dressmaking business. Donatella's childhood was immersed in the world of fashion, as she observed her parents' work and developed an early passion for design. She had a close bond with her brother Gianni, who would later become a prominent figure in the fashion industry. Donatella's upbringing laid the foundation for her future career and the significant role she would play in the Versace fashion empire.

The Rise of Versace

In 1978, Gianni Versace founded his own fashion company, and Donatella joined him in Milan to learn and be his muse. Initially planning to work in public relations, she became more valuable as Gianni's muse and critic. Donatella was given her own label, Versus, and took on a larger role when Gianni battled cancer. The siblings worked on a succession plan. Gianni pioneered celebrity-filled front rows at fashion shows. Donatella faced criticism as a "muse" while Gianni was alive. Versace and Armani were rivals in the luxury fashion industry.

An Unbreakable Bond: Gianni and Donatella

Gianni and Donatella had a close relationship both personally and professionally. Donatella served as Gianni's muse and confidante, playing a vital role in the creative process of the Versace brand. His untimely death left a significant void in her life, both personally and professionally. Donatella had to confront the immense challenge of stepping into her brother's shoes and leading the fashion empire they had built together.

The tragic death of Gianni Versace had a profound impact on his sister, Donatella Versace. Gianni, the founder and creative force behind the Versace fashion brand, was brutally murdered outside his Miami Beach home in 1997. This devastating event not only shocked the fashion world but also left Donatella grappling with grief and the immense responsibility of carrying on her brother's legacy.

In life, we are often faced with circumstances that require us to adapt, change, and make adjustments to our plans and expectations. While adaptation can be seen as a necessary response to the ever-evolving nature of our lives, some may question whether it is a form of settling. Is adapting a compromise that signifies giving up on our dreams and aspirations? In this blog post, we will delve into the complexities of adaptation and explore whether it should be viewed as settling or a powerful tool for personal growth and resilience.

Quite often, people become bored and complacent with their fashion choices. There’s no thought, no expression, no mood. Zendaya, on the other hand, has managed to elevate her style with the help of Law Roach. Together, they have this rare ability to make you question what’s actually trending today. They’re constantly flipping the script.

There’s an effortlessness that stimulates the eye. She’s not trying to steal the show by any means. But at the same time, you can’t be mad. The unexpected element of her fashion decisions leaves you gasping for the next moment. Asthma.

Who said your clothing is all that makes the outfit?

You have the opportunity to give a complete look into your creative aesthetic. Don’t cheap out now. Visualize, accessorize, fantasize.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has once again proven her influence in the fashion industry with the launch of her latest venture, Guest In Residence. This exciting project promises to bring fresh perspectives, collaborations, and creativity to the world of fashion. Let's delve into the details of this new endeavour and the impact it's expected to have.

To be cool is to be fresh, free, and enviable by all means and at all costs. Since its inception, Monse has shown itself to be a curated collection of what cool is in the guise of fashion today.

There’s always a hardware/industrial juxtaposition to the relaxed undertones of the garments. It’s slightly unconventional while still feeling super cool. Paired with the playfulness of the lines and movement, I find myself intrigued by what’s next. It’s one of those ever-flowing cycles of excitement that I haven’t seemed to shake just yet.

Speaking to Emily Mercer of WWD, cofounders Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim highlighted their motive for their 2023 showing.  

“We’re definitely embracing our athleisure, but we definitely have other Monse DNA-isms — the shirting, lacing, deconstructing — but embracing a little bit of that Oscar DNA we have as well.”

Stress can be so many things; it’s a fluid construct. It can be so much, yet so very tiny. You can find yourself overthinking everything like what you have to do this very minute and how you have such little time (fifty-two minutes to be exact), while other times, you can have nothing to think about because your brain is just completely flubbed from the exhaustion of thinking. Liquid. Solid. Gas. These are the modes of stress.

Lately, I’ve been brawling with Stress-ica Simpson because work is at an all-time high, and so are my social engagements. Plus, not to mention, I’ve been working out almost every day of the week to prevent my body from atrophying as a result of my shitty laptop posture.

There’s a relationship here, though. Work and success. I’ve been conditioned to think that stress is a pathway to winning and that one can not exist without another. I understand the argument slightly: you have to hurt to experience the great. Metaphors like “Pressure makes diamonds” only reinforce this notion.

Do I need to work through the worst pain to get myself to the other side?

It’s like a sense of guilt that you’ve been provided with an opportunity, so the least you can do is experience it to the fullest. I think that’s what gets me the most. I think about how fortunate I am to have this work coming in. Why should I do anything to ruin it? Success is honestly the most important goal to me. It’s up there with my family. I want to reap the benefits of money. You don’t think I love shopping at Holt Renfrew?

But at what cost, though? Stress may lead to success, but the journey certainly includes some bitchiness and anger-filled arguments.

Time is a strange construct to grasp; it holds immense power, dictating, in part, how we live while waiting for not a single one of us to find our balance. It’s unfair in every way, shape, or form. We all live and frame our lives around this one thing that shows the slightest remorse nor concern for our frightful pain or melting joy. I’m trying to grapple with what happened in the past, reconciling it with the present, all while making way for my future. It’s some real hard shit to handle.

I've been getting antsy as of recent. My mid-twenties have somehow snuck up on me, and I’m stuck in this mindset of feeling like I have to prove my worth every minute of every single day to every person I encounter. It’s strange, but it deems necessary, especially in the moment. I don’t know how to explain it other than saying that I get this odd urge to just describe where I’m at in my life. I think it could be their eyes peering into mine. Feeling the feeling of not feeling adequate. I just want everyone to know that I’m functioning as an intelligent and productive human being and that I’m not ‘falling behind’ by any means.

I’m at a place in my life where I’m achieving fulfillment from my passions and interests. Mainly within my career and somewhat even in my friendships. It’s definitely unique to me to feel this way because I’ve never truly been proud of myself until maybe this past year. It has mostly to do with the fact that I spent my entire childhood trying to find myself and align my passions with my interests. It was definitely a rough time for me because there was no one like me* within my family, friend group, or even community, for that matter.

* Like me: non-athletic, scrawny, ‘artsy.’

We need to restructure the way we look at the media.

We need to restructure the way we think about the media.

We need to restructure the way we appreciate the media.

We as people have to be taught that what we see on TV or in the ads is not enviable by any means; it’s art. Art is not meant to be resonant in appearance but feeling. You’re meant to be influenced and impacted by the clothes and makeup that the models wear, not how they fucking look. If you’re not one to agree with a brand’s showcase of models, artists, etc. It is on you to then boycott it or disengage.

Although brands would love for you to buy entire racks of their clothing, it’s pretty impossible due to inventory and just general human nature. If everyone wore the same Fendi coat in your neighbourhood, there is virtually no way that you would want to wear that same coat because you’re not going to get that same feeling of uniqueness that you would otherwise.

Reframing the media is possibly the most important thing to teach children as they make the jump from cartoons and animation to real-life sitcoms and Disney Channel shows. We’re fortunate to see real boys and girls with human-like bodies like The Raven Symone and Kyle Massey. They had frames that all adolescents do, and it’s important to see such.

Modelling campaigns and runway shows are incredibly different, though. They’re meant to showcase high-level artistry in the mode of couture. There's no rulebook that states that we have to look like what we see. If it bothers you, let it be known by disengaging and taking your argument to the forums. Yes, it can be fucking annoying seeing the same models everywhere, but that’s never going to change too much. Perfection is what these big fashion houses seek.

Disclaimer: This is not a guide on how to snag yourself a sugar daddy. Please leave.

If you took a rough estimate of the real, biological, birth-certificate-verified ages of your friends, what would the average be?
Are we talking high like Woody Allen? Or low like his step-daughter-turned-mistress-turned-wife?

While in my thought lab (aka my shower), I thought:
Can people excel further in life by surrounding themselves with friends the same age as them? Or are friends of different ages necessary for viewing life from different perspectives?

Most people are first introduced to socializing with older people when they enter the professional workforce. Whether this is a part-time job at McDonald’s or a legal career at a leading law firm, you’re communicating with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise. In most cases, age is the significant difference that precedes all of you.

This might be the first time you were communicating with individuals that resemble a similar age to your parents. The role you’re placing them in is not of a teacher, parent, or mentor. It’s a coworker; there’s a levelled playing field.

Diversity Creates Opportunity

Albeit surprising, differences can unite people, regardless of background, ethnicity, or sex. Through sharing our differences in a healthy and respectable manner, we can build empathy and establish relationships more effectively. Many existing roadblocks to healthy relationships include egos and a stubbornness to change.

The uniformity of hanging out with only a specific demographic is lame and dated. Diversity is what opens you up to new ways of thinking and empathy.

The variety in thinking teaches us new things and highlights the different perspectives. Conversing with people outside your age range can open you up to new experiences and different perspectives. Even an age difference of as little as five years can make all the difference in experiences and schools of thought. Through sharing our different backgrounds, we can empathize with one another and find resonance between them and us.

We are building relationships more easily and faster with those with whom we are close in age. The immediacy is grounded in the resonance of shared experiences. In other words: WE SEE EACH OTHA.

I can’t deny that it takes much less work to engage in conversation with someone that has lived through the same era of trends, fads, and cultural moments. There’s so much less catch-up needed.

This brings me to a thought:
What role does our age play in the relationships we seek to build?

My MacBook Pro stopped functioning.
It only took one week after I removed the keyboard cover and case.
It’s crazy how one thing can set off so much unpleasantness.
My work took a hit.

I’ve somehow drenched myself in pain and exhaustion. The water is my version of piping hot, so not really. I can barely breathe. It’s the reverse of how the water is at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. I visited in 2020 to celebrate my cousin’s wedding.

If you know me, I’m not a fan of India. It’s not a terrible place by any means; I’ve just grown up in such a westernized home that any sense of culture scares me. It was the most amazing trip; I had no issue rubbing this trip all over my brothers’ faces. They both declined.

I got to hang out with my Californian cousins, who you’d expect to be more adverse to India, but they’re far more cultured than I am. A complete diss to me, who has done nothing to closer myself to my religion. Especially considering I live in a predominately South Asian community. More on that some other time.

Note: The title of this blog is not a penis joke.

When you wake up in the morning (or mid-day for you gamers and medical workers), do you ever feel like testing the waters? I’m finally in a place where I’m hitting my strides. No, that is not a metaphor for jerking off.

This article is already starting to sound like a story about dicks.

Anyways.

I wake up every morning, ready to work, talk to my friends, and meet new people. It’s such a unique feeling; it kind of came out of nowhere. It was one of those things that just appeared.

I think many people will write it off as being me “no longer giving a fuck,” but I contend. I do give a fuck. I just no longer apply real weight to what others may think of the way I act, how I dress, or who I am as a person. Growing up in a larger family, I have been around aunts and uncles who have felt free to openly share their opinions on my looks, life, and really just everything in between.

I’m living this life for myself because, in those final moments where I’m on my bed, at the beach, or on some fresh cut grass, I will look back at what I did and whom I had those memories with.

Taking A Step Back to Move Two Steps Forward

Reshaping my concept of life has systematically impacted how I carry myself and how I view my friendships and relationships.

It’s crazy to think that I once would only wear the clothes that other kids wore. I never wanted to be seen; I wanted to fit in so that I would be unseen. That’s the thing about creativity, though; you lose all of it when you begin shadowing others. You can’t think of fresh ideas because everything you’ve taught yourself has been mirroring those around you. That’s not creativity, that’s imitation.

There’s great importance in thinking for yourself and finding peace within your means. When you retract, you’re undoing your progress and enabling yourself once again to be just like everyone else.

Kids Can Be Bitches Too

I talk about confidence because I had 0 of it throughout high school and even less (into the negatives bitch) in university.

A great example of this is when my teachers would be experiencing technical difficulties with the tech devices and software. Almost always, I would know the answers to all the troubleshooting tech questions that they would ask. But I’d never volunteer to help because I thought so little of myself. It’s crazy to use this as an example because it seems so minute. But I like to reflect on this quite a bit because it paints a picture of how I used to be. I would go out of my way not to be seen so that I could get by.

This may sound normal, but that doesn’t make it right. At the age of twenty-five, I am now at a place where I like to be heard. My voice feels amplified. I wear my crazy haute couture that I save up for; I like reading my GQ and doing my hair in wacky ways. I do this all because it’s me; it is I who holds up in court.

And so what if there are people that like to point out your awkwardness or loud clothing? That doesn’t make it right. There’s this really fucked up idea that we should excuse the mistakes of people who were assholes in high school because they were teenagers and didn’t know any better. But what about us? What about our ways of life, our ways of thinking?

Adversity is the worst when it’s humans against humans. We already have so many factors that work against us, like finances and educational shortcomings, to have our peers try to bring us down is stupid. And it makes absolutely no fucking sense to excuse the behaviour of a really rotten apple just because rotten apple is having a rough time with his trailer trash parents. We’re not your punching bag, we’re ears to hear your problems.

I know it sounds beyond fucking rude but take it from the perspective of someone who actually felt that pain of the words of others. It’s not right and you being a teenager makes you accountable for your stupid decisions, dumbass. At a time where I felt the most vulnerable, I was torn down by the words, thoughts, and opinions of my fellow classmates. But I’m doing better now because I’m around people who see me and love me for who I am.

Skinny jeans are a thing of the past. A thing of my past, to be specific. What used to be a form-hugging denim delight has quickly become a muffin topper and a stomach-hurter (in my mind). Skinny jeans were popularized by sk8er bois and DC enthusiasts (also referred to as smokers).

Whether it be a question in class or general discourse among peers, it’s not easy to express yourself within a public forum.

Whether sitting in class or watching someone struggle with a question, it’s not always easy to express yourself in a public forum. That’s what answering a question is: it’s putting yourself out there. You’re letting it be publicly known that you’re confident enough to produce an intelligent answer or opinion.

But what happens if you get the answer wrong? What if you can’t respond to a rebuttal? I imagine it’s something to the equivalent of a Jenga tower tumbling down and each of the blocks weighing over a ton each, crushing every bone in every finger on both hands. It’s painful.

3 pm was approaching, and I still had a shitload of work to do. Luckily however, I got the brunt of it completed before this. I was slightly nervous because it was my first time attending a book event, let alone a Zoom version.

On August 18th, I saw a post about an Anderson Cooper Q&A to discuss a book he co-authored with Katherine Howe surrounding his family’s fluffy history. Knowing that I would be building out He Who Nose, a then fetus, I said fuck it and took the leap and bought a ticket for $85. You read that right. But I do get the book as well, so suck it.

Fast forward to now, I was slightly unprepared. I wanted to ask hard-hitting questions but had not yet received the book in the mail. Books and Books, the Miami bookstore hosting the conversation, informed customers that international orders would likely take more time. Perfectly fine with me, but not precisely at this specific moment.

The type of person I am, I would’ve researched a little about the book beforehand. But in all honesty, my life has been pretty busy as of recent. I have a full-time job that is full. So much so that August 18th became September 24th very fucking quickly.

I made sure to block off the time in my calendar so that the team was well aware of my unavailability. The calendar event was fittingly named: Non-Work Related. Conciseness is key, girlies.
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Prabal Gurung is one of a select group of artists today who can actually speak through clothing. He uses it as a true art form that blurs the lines between functionality and opulence. The tears of his heart bleed through the seams of each garment. This is no small feat. It’s a space where so many seek to exist, but can’t because they lack the expertise and vision that Gurung so seamlessly executes. 

What I appreciate most about Gurung is that his collections are not down-your-throat, justice pushers. They satisfy the assignment that is at hand while signifying a time and place in history. They’re thought-provoking but “in the most editorial way”. 

Turns Out, Climbing Rope Can Elevate Your Fit

New York Fashion Week is here. A day that many of us had no fucking clue as to how it would go. I mean, how do you celebrate New York’s most enticing fashion collections of the new season in a pandemic?

Ask Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim:

“Saturated colours, nylon cargos, and crochet skirts motherfucker”

Monse’s Resort 2022 collection gives an accurate visual of what modern “not-trying-but-totally-trying” fashion is. It’s fiercely functional while keeping attune to simplicity so much so that the final result is a feeling more than a reaction. The garments, the models, and the setting mend together to construct a sanded atmosphere of laid-back lucidity.

Garcia and Kim nail down what effortless cool can be from the guise of American chic-ism. Let it be known that “cool” is a spectrum of different silhouettes, colours, and textures. However, in this case, I’m focusing on today’s American go-getter.

Where are they going?

How many plus-ones are they allowed? Now add three to that.

When do they have to get there? Now add forty-five minutes to that.

The Monse maverick is a wearer of clothes that accentuate their ruggedness rather than the hole between their cheeks. They aren’t necessarily swimming in fuckloads of cash, but they also aren’t struggling to pay rent. They’re in that invisible tax bracket that the government neglects to care for.

Christian Siriano was the perfect designer to open NYFW. His fearless colour palettes, patterns, textures and shapes give him the ultimate edge within the larger scope. 

The show took place at New York City’s Gotham Hall, in Midtown Manhattan. Inspired by simpler times and the Italian women in his life, this collection was the ultimate showcase of metallic vibrance through exaggerated silhouettes.

What happened in the past is sometimes the worst thing to reflect on. I’m talking fucking cringe: me wearing a levitating Nike cap to the side like I knew what a G even was. It was what I wasn’t.

But that’s a part of being young I guess, conforming to popular opinion in the hopes that you will either blend into the background of invisibility or just simply appreciated for looking like an absolute Gangsta. But it’s horrible. I shiver from major internal humiliation at the thought of moments like that.

I think this has mostly to do with the fact that my life from that period forward has all been a matter of crisis management. Making myself a perfectly average, somewhat successful shell of a being so that people can just fuck off. Isn’t that what life’s about?

I wonder sometimes: does everyone have these cringe moments? Even the girls with lip fillers? It seems like the popular kids from high school never had embarrassing moments. Then again, they probably have weak dicks or knobby knees.

One can only hope.

It’s not the struggle that defines you, but I definitely think that it impacts how you view your success. Did you go through the shithole? Yes, we all did in our very own ways. That makes it that much more exciting when you succeed. Success is not written in our DNAs, that’s a major misconception. I suppose if you have access to financial resources and business connections, you have more access to getting your dreams fulfilled. But for most of us, it’s quite the levelled playing field.

A Life of Inevitable Cringe

But still, it’s difficult being in those moments. You can’t look back and think that things would be different. Because they wouldn’t have. How could your past self know how great your future self was going to be? It’s part of the mystery hoe.

Being stuck in a place where you feel that you’re not evolving is hard because you feel hopeless essentially. There’s no growth, just humiliation.

There was even a point at which I fell asleep with gum in my mouth and woke up with it in my hair. Long story short, I took a pair of scissors in the morning and cut the gum out. I looked as if I had hit my head on a vacuum essentially. My head looked deformed. This is just one humiliating thing that happened at school.

I guess my embarrassing life made me less considerate of what people thought. After all, I’m here at my computer typing away this shit.

My nose is getting bigger; I fucking know it. I can feel it getting bigger. I tell countless lies, so it’s only fitting.

I hate the sound of my voice. Every time I watch myself or listen to my voice, I cringe. Do I sound like that? It’s just so naggy and squeaky.

I wish I had a more pronounced, dominant voice. It would fit so well with my visual aesthetic.

I wonder if other people hyperfocus on themselves as much as I do. I hate to say it, but it would make me feel better and more like I had people to relate to.

The worst thing is that after all the rediscover of my hatred for myself, I begin inspecting myself even more.

Did you know that I only realized after months ago that I am not seeing what others see when they look at me? WHAT THE FUCK?

All this time, I never knew that my face was so unsymmetrical. The mirror has been fucking with my mind. As a result, I have started taking pictures of myself using the back camera of my iPhone. It was then that I became depressed.

All the years of me looking like something I had not signed off on. A total travesty of all intents and purposes. I have since realized that I have a wonky, droopy eyelid. I spend minutes of every day thinking about the benefits of botox. Can I? Should I? Will I?

It’s the logical thing to do.

Bridal fashion can be quite the experience if you are daring and are open to a new vibe. Long gone are the days of the long train and white gown. Why not find a gown that matches your personality?

Say pass to the passive and say hello to the hell-raiser.

The beauty of a British designer like Christopher Kane is that he is incredibly risky and edgy without trying to shank the consumer. His collections are consistently the kink of London, amongst the sophistication of such designers like Stella McCartney and Burberry. There’s an unrequited loyalty that his consumers have to his namesake label.

Fresh off the seams of his bridal wear debut last year, Christopher Kane is back with another collection. Nothing beats a summer wedding and what better way to twist the traditional with a disruptive dress courtesy of the Scottish powerhouse that is Kane.

Christopher Kane has long been lauded as an innovator with fresh garments that blur the white-marked lines of what materials work for what seasons and for what silhouettes are deemed sensual and pleasing. It’s quite a commonality nowadays to see brands recycle the same shapes, patterns, and textures. The same cannot be said about Kane.

The undeniable fact is that weddings occur every day of every month of every year. That traditional white dress that you’ve always dreamed of ever since you were a little girl is great, but it’s never going to push the envelope of what your image and creativity encompass. What’s stopping you from walking down the aisle in white denim or a long chiffon cape?

Be the vision.

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Last year, as all of us non-Australians know, Covid-19 swiftly kicked the world in the balls. It missed the pelvis, straight to the sack. I had just been laid off by my boss and director in a Zoom call.

Like every layoff call that had taken place in the world, Manager A and Director B spilled their love for firee C and their work ethic in a Zoom call and followed with a dreaded yet heavily suspected, “We have to let you go.”  

Letting me go where? Am I going to Paris?

I wasn’t entirely surprised since the agency hadn’t attracted much new business in the few months following Christmas. The world was suffering, and so were small companies, which were forced to adapt to the regulations being set in place. What followed for some businesses, especially in the marketing industry, was a lack of work.

The call couldn’t end fast enough. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated them for letting me know how much they loved me and were going to miss my presence at the office, as well as my ‘flashy’ outfits. But I was in a hurry to register for employment insurance. I have to go, sweetie.

1 Corona please, hold the virus

To be honest, I didn’t give myself enough time even to process the layoff wholly. I wasn’t mad, really. I did, however, feel some sort of angst toward management. I texted with a few of my coworker friends, letting them know what had happened. I wasn’t in as bad of a situation as others who were living alone and paycheck-to-paycheck. I had to think about the positives; I was not financially suffering and had a family to come home to. I was going to be alright. But it was definitely the end of the world.

I had found my place with a group of like-minded individuals whom I could learn from. And now, that journey had ended. The door was closed. And the book: burnt.

I hate to say it, but I slept really well that night. I found myself releasing the stress that I had absorbed from my clients; it poured off my shoulders like grains of sand. I no longer was tied or forced to wake up the following day to take care of any fires. I was given back time to focus on myself again.

This concept of independence is odd at best. Its popularized understanding favours a certain type of individual. Particularly one living on their own, fully responsible for all of their shit, and has their life in order. It’s drilled in our minds that true independence is stripping ourselves of completely any dependency. But independence is quite subjective if you think deeper. I think there are levels to independence, and my big issue with the term is that it’s thrown around like a frisbee, hitting some of us in the neck.

Whiplash.

I don’t mind saying that I’m not entirely an independent individual. There’s this strange idea that not being ‘independent enough’ is being looked down upon. We don’t have the energy nor the money to spend on apartments, condos, and homes. And so what if we’d like to continue saving for one in the future? We don’t have to rent right away.

It’s drilled into us that we have to be living alone right out of high school or university and that not doing such makes you a momma’s this or daddy’s that. We’re not whipped by any means. We’re being smart with our money.

How is spending money on meaningless rent a sign of independence? You could easily save that money and wait until the time is right to move out. Taking risks is a part of life, but so is avoiding them.

Sex Education, the hit Netflix series created by Laurie Nunn, made a splash with its debut season, offering a refreshingly honest and comedic take on teenage sexuality and relationships. The show follows the story of Otis Milburn, brilliantly portrayed by Asa Butterfield, a socially awkward high school student who finds himself in an unexpected role as a teenage sex therapist, thanks to his mother's profession. This review delves into the captivating characters, engaging plotlines, and the show's effective use of comedy.