Dragons' Den rejection was the best thing to happen to my company
Little did she know, the Dragons' Den episode that she had just filmed last summer would dramatically change the trajectory of her business — but not in the way you might expect.
Macleod is the founder of Hair Syrup, a fast-growing hair brand popular with Gen Z, and expects sales of £6.5 million by the end of this year. The brand is known for its natural oils, which are used to treat ailments from hair
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sick of And Just Like That? Try Sex and the City: The Movie instead
It's a rite of passage. Some stole late-night glimpses when they snuck into the lounge room while their mother watched it. Others gobbled it up on a laptop in bed. For gen Z, many first encountered Sex and the City via meme pages dedicated to digitally archiving the best outfits, best quotes or most problematic storylines from the HBO series that followed the misadventures of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). Then, when the series landed internationally on Netflix last year, gen Z got properly acquainted – and much to the surprise of their millennial elders, they didn't hate it. The original show remains timeless. And rather than suffer through the increasingly deranged overtures of its revival And Just Like That, newer fans may do well to revisit an earlier sequel – Sex and the City: The Movie. Released in 2008, it aligned perfectly with a cinema boom for millennial women, where moviegoing was done in groups, usually supplemented by themed drinks and food. It was also panned viciously by critics, who called it shallow and bloated – though this Sex and the City diehard thinks it deserves a reappraisal. It picks up where the series finale left off, providing a very neat synopsis of the intervening years. Carrie is still dating her on-again, off-again beau, Big. Charlotte and her husband Harry have adopted their daughter Lily. Samantha has moved to LA to manage her movie star boyfriend Smith's career. And Miranda has moved to – quelle horreur – Brooklyn. Granted, there are a lot of things wrong with this film. Like its 142-minute run time, which is at least 90 minutes too long. Or its farcical series of events: a near-wedding, a breakup, a pregnancy, a tragically horny dog, some questionable product placement, a trip to Mexico that leads to a faecal incident, and then an actual wedding. Or that every character's life seems to revolve around Carrie in a far more egregious way than the series. Or that they fat-shame Samantha for putting on a couple of kilos. If the series was barely concealed lifestyle porn for millennial women, the movie makes no attempt at justifying the absurdity of these people's lives. The clothes are even flashier, the real estate is more lavish, and their personal problems are always solved by money. But beneath the excess, Sex and the City: The Movie works when it zeroes in on the ways that its central quartet continually show up for each other. Samantha feeds Carrie yoghurt after she hasn't left her bed for two days. Miranda opens her door on New Year's Eve to a breathless Carrie, who's run across the city to get there before midnight to tell her, 'You're not alone.' When Charlotte runs into the man who's betrayed her friend, her face cracks open in feral rage. 'I curse the day you were born!' she screams. The movie, like the show, only makes sense when it's exploring the inexplicable bonds among these four women and what it means to be a true friend. One of the most emotionally brutal scenes in the movie is when Miranda and Carrie go out for dinner on Valentine's Day – sans suitors. Carrie is heartbroken; Miranda has a guilty secret to confess. When it all spills over into a fight in the middle of the restaurant, it feels genuinely tragic: a failure of communication so familiar it stings. It's one of the most believable moments in the movie; Parker and Nixon capture the agony of friendship so naturally it almost feels improvised. Crucially, the film can stand on its own. You don't need to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Carrie's past boyfriends. You don't need to know that Samantha once dated a lesbian artist, or that Charlotte and Harry met because of her divorce, or that Miranda once yelled at a man, 'I'm no Mena Suvari but I'm great in bed!' You can get through Sex and the City: The Movie without knowing what any of those things mean and still understand what this movie is about: four women who help each other as they constantly renegotiate their relationships with men. It's a perfect paean to imperfect friendships. Sex and the City: The Movie is available to stream on Binge and Prime Video in Australia, Netflix in the UK and HBO Max in the US. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
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Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Daily Record
Lewis Capaldi to join Sydney Sweeney as fashion ambassador in new campaign
Lewis is partnering with a fashion brand for their latest campaign. Lewis Capaldi has been revealed as a brand ambassador for footwear brand HEYDUDE in their brand new campaign. The Scots singer joins Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney who is also an ambassador for the brand. Fresh off his legendary Glastonbury Festival comeback, the release of his chart-topping single 'Survive' and ahead of his sell-out tour, Capaldi, who is renowned for his no-nonsense attitude and his vocal advocacy for mental health, perfectly represents the HEYDUDE brand which is intended to celebrate self-expression, comfort, and stepping out in the world as your full, unfiltered self. The HEYDUDE Country campaign invites new fans to experience the brand through expansive storytelling and in-real-life moments, with the goal of building community and connectivity, and encouraging fans to be their most authentic selves. The partnership with Capaldi will kick-off with an exclusive short film that offers an intimate look at Lewis' journey as an artist. From navigating the pressures of fame to reconnecting with what truly matters, the film captures personal reflections, candid moments and the humour that's made him a fan favourite. At its heart, it reveals how the Scots singer found his own version of HEYDUDE Country. Lewis said: 'It's been great to partner up with HEYDUDE who are all about feeling right in yourself. Making music is something that brings me a lot of comfort. You have to make music for you and then you hope that people find some of themselves in it'. Michael Anthes, SVP and General manager for HEYDUDE International, said: 'Lewis is the perfect fit for HEYDUDE Country - he embodies the spirit of our brand like no other. He's authentic, effortlessly relatable, and lives the comfort-first lifestyle we celebrate. "This campaign is about more than just footwear; it's about confidence, self-expression, and finding that unique headspace where you can be unapologetically yourself. Lewis doesn't just wear HEYDUDE, he is HEYDUDE Country, and we can't wait to share that energy with the world.' The launch of the global HEYDUDE Country campaign builds on the brand's explosive growth in the US, where it's quickly becoming a cultural favourite among Gen Z. The partnership with Capaldi is an important milestone for the brand as it looks to expand HEYDUDE Country internationally, with dedicated focus in the UK. This announcement follows with an official launch event set to take place in Lewis's hometown of Glasgow. The campaign will continue rolling out across Europe with a series of unexpected brand-inspired experimental moments and pop-up activations, all inviting people to find their own, unique version of 'HEYDUDE Country' where they can come together through shared creative experiences, personal passions, and meaningful connections.
