Latest news with #independentbrand
Telegraph
23-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set review: These sheets are my heroes on a hot night
Score: 9/10 We like: Soft, breathable material Fast drying Easy to iron Keep you cool in hot weather We don't like: The fabric feels quite thin What is the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set? The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set is made from 100 per cent bamboo. Bamboo bedding is gaining popularity for several reasons. It is more sustainable than fabrics like polyester, as bamboo grows quickly and requires fewer resources. It is also hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating and antibacterial. Appealing properties all year round, but especially welcome in warm weather. Sloth London is a small, independent UK brand. This set is available in double, king and super king sizes. Prices start at £105 for a double duvet set, which includes a fitted sheet and two pillows. While this places it at the luxury end of the wider bedding market, it is mid-range for bamboo sheets, which tend to come at a premium. You can also buy a separate set of pillowcases for £25. JUMP TO: How we test bamboo bed sheets To help you navigate buying sheets online, I slept in each of the seven bamboo sets for at least a week, washing them three times. I used the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set the most, with four weeks of use and six washes so far. I had planned to pass it on to friends, but I loved it so much, especially in the warmer weather, that I kept it. When I wasn't sleeping, I judged the sets based on comfort, design, breathability, ease of care and fabric quality. I paid particular attention to how cool they kept me when the temperature rose, and whether I stayed warm when it dropped. As a busy working parent, I was also interested in whether they needed ironing. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best sleep product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Comfort Score: 10/10 I am a warm sleeper and dislike sheets that feel too synthetic. Bamboo bedding often has a shiny, silky finish but not this one. The Sloth London set is cotton-soft with a matte feel. I'd never owned a full matching set before and it made a real difference. The sheets kept me cool and comfortable from all sides. They didn't rustle, didn't make me sweat and didn't slide off in the night. My sleep wasn't disturbed once. They didn't just avoid getting in the way, they genuinely improved my sleeping experience. I slept well every night I used them. Design Score: 9/10 The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set has a minimalist look. It comes in plain white or with a choice of contrasting navy, grey, yellow, mint or peach piping. This makes the set look more interesting while still keeping it understated. The pillowcases have shallow pockets underneath, holding the pillow in place without buttons. As someone who normally finds their fitted sheet has come loose on at least one corner by mid-week, I was impressed with the bottom sheet. I tested a king-size set and the elastic corners kept it perfectly tight on my double bed. The duvet cover has plastic buttons with wood-effect finish. Wooden ones might have been nicer from a sustainability angle, but these still look premium. I liked that the buttons sit on the underside of the duvet cover as opposed to the end, tucking them out of sight. Breathability Score: 10/10 As a warm sleeper, I'm always on alert when the temperature hits 25C. But even during this summer's hottest nights, I never woke up feeling sweaty or too hot. I used the sheets both with a duvet and without from spring through to summer and the same applied. With a toddler who isn't keen on sleeping, I'm in and out of bed a lot. Every time I returned to bed, the sheets felt crisp and cooling, helping me to resettle into my next window of sleep. As the material is thin and soft, it never felt like it was clinging to my skin. When it's warm, my sheets feel sweaty by day three, but this set didn't even feel dirty after a week. They retained that first-day freshness right up until their next wash. Score: 9/10 Sloth London recommends washing these sheets at 30C. I was concerned that the peach piping might run slightly during washing but that hasn't been the case. I don't have a tumble dryer, and my main gripe with my cotton bedding is that it takes it a while to dry. Although it's not recommended to tumble dry bamboo sheets, I wouldn't have needed to with these. It took half the time of my cotton sheets to dry this set. On a warm day they were ready to go back in the airing cupboard after an hour on the washing line. I have washed these six times now and found that if I hang them up on the line on a day with a light wind, I can get away without ironing them. On the occasions where they are too creased to pass, they are easy to iron either on a steam setting or without. Fabric You will notice that the material is thin straight away. It's so thin that you can see the edging and labels of my Simba pillow through it. Don't let that put you off though. If you can look beyond this, you'll reap the breathability and ease of drying benefits of this bamboo set that I have already mentioned. The fabric composition is 100 per cent bamboo rayon and has been OEKO-TEX certified. This certification shows that it has been produced in socially responsible workplaces and tested to ensure it does not contain harmful substances. Bamboo rayon is created by extracting cellulose from the bamboo and spinning this into fibres. It is technically a man-made fabric created from natural resources. Technical specifications The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set achieved impressive scores in testing, but there are other independent bamboo bedding brands worth considering too. We have compared the specs against Panda London's bamboo offerings. Should you buy the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set? I had to mark these sheets down due to how thin the fabric was and the limited choice of colours available, but otherwise, these sheets are as close to a 10/10 as I think you will get. It is a soft, comfortable bedding set that will keep warm sleepers cool in all weathers and washes brilliantly. Yes, if: You are a naturally warm sleeper who wants to feel cool You are looking for soft, high-quality sheets You are interested in the eco-credentials of bamboo fabric No, if: You get cold in the night You don't like white sheets Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set FAQS What temperature should you wash them on? Sloth London recommends washing its bedding at 30C, preferably on a delicate wash. They do not specify the need to use a particular washing detergent. The bedding should be line dried, but if you need to tumble dry, do so on a cool and low setting. Is bamboo better than cotton? If sustainability is important to you, bamboo bedding has its benefits, as the fast growing plant requires less water for cultivation than cotton. However, transforming the raw bamboo into a textile involves chemical processing. Bamboo duvet covers and sheets are also generally more expensive, with their durability somewhat unproven in comparison to cotton ones. Both cotton and bamboo are breathable and can help regulate your temperature. Bamboo tends to feel silkier, so it is also down to personal preference on texture. What are the advantages of bamboo? Bamboo fibres are hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial. They can also help to regulate your temperature for a cool and comfortable night's sleep. Bamboo bedding currently tends to be available from smaller brands that are OEKO-TEX certified, which brings the benefits of knowing it has been made in responsible workplaces and tested to ensure it does not contain harmful substances. Bamboo is also fast and efficient to grow, making this a good sustainable option too, especially compared to plastic-based fabrics like polyester.
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sydney's white T-shirt suggests there is more to The Bear than costume and drama
The Bear is back for season 4, but never mind Carmy's famous white T-shirt. All eyes are on Sydney, the quietly competent sous chef played by Ayo Edebiri, who has been breaking the internet with her own white tee. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Designed by a small independent US brand called and worn as she is prepping in the opening episode, it mirrors the tight white T-shirt by Merz b. Schwanen preferred by her erratic boss. His crashed the company's website – and helped propel Jeremy Allen White to become the face (and body) of Calvin Klein. As a unisex top, and coming in at a third of the cost of Carmy's, it suggests there is more to The Bear than costume and drama. 'Audiences are more fashion-aware than ever' says Julie Garlejo, who started an Instagram account, @thebearoutfits, logging the show's clothes. 'We don't just want drama – we want characters who feel real, who look like someone we'd pass on the street or follow on Instagram.' A fashion photographer, Garlejo began documenting the clothes in season 1 'before the hype fully hit'. She says: 'I think we've moved from theatrical styling to authentic, lived-in fashion. These aren't just costumes, they're actual wardrobes.' The Bear is a gritty fairytale about family, ego and financial survival – not fashion per se. But as television has gained more respect as a medium, there has been a knock-on effect on the clothes worn by its stars, which now inform, reflect and even approximate the wider culture. This is not news to anyone who watched Sex and the City or Mad Men, which deliberately nudged products and placement. Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin all benefited from the former's popularity, while sales of Lucky Strike increasing by 10bn over the seven seasons the 1950s period drama aired. Yet Sydney's T-shirt feels different. Unlike big companies with familiar branding, is not well known. Choosing a T-shirt from an indie company with sustainable supply chains, made in LA with cotton from post-industrial waste, is more than just 'sartorial diplomacy'. It's a narrative shorthand for the identity and value system upheld by Sydney's character: most of her clothes come from independent or vintage shops; in contrast, Carmy wears a lot of Ralph Lauren. That it's cheaper – and unisex – than Carmy's simply underlines her battle for equality in a man's world. Given the scrutiny these kinds of shows are under, you can't fudge the details, as makers of the forthcoming Kennedys Netflix series, American Love Story, learned at their peril. 'Viewers feel emotionally connected to the characters, and what they wear becomes part of that intimacy,' says Garlejo. TV Easter eggs – covert messages planted within TV shows – are now part of our culture. Garlejo describes her 'logbook' as 'part detective work, part obsession'. She starts by zooming in on labels and logos, although reverse image search and the online community have been invaluable. It is not uncommon for online detectives to be in cahoots with the costume designers either – Garlejo has a direct line to its costumer designer Courtney Wheeler and assistant Lariana Santiago, and has published an ebook about the clothes. For small brands, appearing on a show can be life-changing. After the first season aired, Carmy's T-shirt sold out immediately (it's now in back in stock), while Sydney's $600 Madewell jacket, made from upcycled blankets, sold out in hours. Ariel Katz, who made Sydney's T-shirt for says he has seen significant interest since it was identified by fans, while an overnight tote bag carried by Sydney in episode 4 is also sold out. It helps, says Katz, that the clothes are worn 'so well' by Edebiri. Last year, Edebiri told the New York Times that her styling had played a crucial role as her profile rose as an actor. For a show preoccupied by realism, just how realistic is it for a chef to wear a white T-shirt anyway? Dara Klein, head chef and founder of Tiella in north London, has worn everything, but admits: 'A white T-shirt can be striking, resembling a traditional chef's jacket and also motivating you to work clean. These sorts of choices also depend on whether you're working in an open kitchen or not. Restaurants are similar in essence to a performance.' When Klein opens her own trattoria, she will wear a black T-shirt 'so I can work efficiently', she says. 'In my experience, it's not a choice that is imbued with a great deal of gendered expectation.'
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sydney's white T-shirt suggests there is more to The Bear than costume and drama
The Bear is back for season 4, but never mind Carmy's famous white T-shirt. All eyes are on Sydney, the quietly competent sous chef played by Ayo Edebiri, who has been breaking the internet with her own white T-shirt. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Designed by a small independent US brand called and worn as she's prepping in the opening episode, it mirrors the tight white tee by Merz b. Schwanen preferred by her erratic boss. His crashed the company's website – and helped propel Jeremy Allen White to become the face (and body) of Calvin Klein. As a unisex top, and coming in at a third of the cost of Carmy's, it suggests there is more to The Bear is than costume and drama. 'Audiences are more fashion-aware than ever' says Julie Garlejo, who started an Instagram account, @thebearoutfits, logging the show's clothes. 'We don't just want drama — we want characters who feel real, who look like someone we'd pass on the street or follow on Instagram.' A fashion photographer, Garlejo began documenting the clothes in season 1 'before the hype fully hit' she says. 'I think we've moved from theatrical styling to authentic, lived-in fashion. These aren't just costumes, they're actual wardrobes.' The Bear is a gritty fairytale about family, ego and financial survival – not fashion per se. But as television has gained more respect as a medium, there has been a knock-on effect on the clothes worn by its stars, which now inform, reflect and even approximate the wider culture. This is not news to anyone who watched Sex and the City or Mad Men, which deliberately nudged products and placement. Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin all benefitted from the former's popularity, while sales of Lucky Strike went up $10bn (£7.3bn) over the seven seasons the 1950s period drama aired. Yet Sydney's T-shirt feels different. Unlike big companies with familiar branding, is not well known. Choosing a T-shirt from an indie company with sustainable supply chains, made in LA with cotton from post-industrial waste is more than just 'sartorial diplomacy'. It's a narrative shorthand for the identity and value system upheld by Sydney's character: most of her clothes come from independent or vintage shops, in contrast, Carmy wears a lot of Ralph Lauren. That it's cheaper and unisex than Carmy's simply underlines her battle for equality in a man's world. Given the scrutiny these kinds of shows are under, you can't fudge the details, as makers of the forthcoming Kennedys Netflix series, American Love Story, learned at their peril. 'Viewers feel emotionally connected to the characters, and what they wear becomes part of that intimacy,' says Garlejo. TV Easter eggs — covert messages planted within TV shows — are now part of our culture. Garlejo describes her 'logbook' as 'part detective work, part obsession'. She starts by zooming in on labels and logos, although reverse image search and the online community have been invaluable. It's not uncommon for online detectives to be in cahoots with the costume designers either – Garlejo now has a direct line to its costumer designer Courtney Wheeler and assistant Lariana Santiago, and has published an e-book about the clothes. For small brands, appearing on a show can be life-changing. After the first season aired, Carmy's T-shirt sold out immediately (it's now in back in stock) while Sydney's $600 Madewell jacket made from upcycled blankets sold out in hours. Ariel Katz, who made Sydney's T-shirt for says he has seen significant interest since it was identified by fans, while an overnight tote bag carried by Sydney in episode four is also sold out. It helps, says Katz, that the clothes are worn 'so well' by Edebiri. Last year, Edebiri told the New York Times that her styling had played a crucial role as her profile rose as an actor. For a show preoccupied by realism, just how realistic is it for a chef to wear a white T-shirt anyway? Dara Klein, head chef and founder of Tiella in north London, has worn everything but admits that during service: 'A white T-shirt can be striking, resembling a traditional chef's jacket and also motivating you to work clean. These sorts of choices also depend on whether you're working in an open kitchen or not. Restaurants are similar in essence to a performance.' When Klein opens her own trattoria, she'll wear a black T-shirt 'so I can work efficiently' she says. 'In my experience, it's not a choice that is imbued with a great deal of gendered expectation.'
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
03-06-2025
- Business
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Huda Beauty Becomes Fully Founder-Owned
Huda Kattan has regained full ownership of Huda Beauty, marking a new chapter for the now fully-independent brand Huda Beauty has officially returned to full founder ownership after ending its eight-year partnership with private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners. Huda Kattan, the brand's Founder and Co-CEO, has bought back TSG's minority stake, making the company one of the few major global beauty brands that remains entirely independent and founder-led. 'This is such an important moment for me and for Huda Beauty,' said Huda. 'Taking back full ownership lets us stay true to our roots, focus on our community, and push boundaries without compromise.' Huda Beauty has built its identity around authenticity and inclusivity, embracing the message that Beauty is self-made. The brand has also been a vocal advocate for transparency in the industry, choosing not to use filters or heavy editing on social media, and regularly starting conversations about self-image and unrealistic beauty standards. The buyback comes as Huda Beauty continues to gain momentum. The brand was recently named the world's most popular beauty brand in Q1 2025 by Cosmetify, and with nearly 57 million followers on Instagram, Huda is one of the most influential figures in the beauty world. Alongside her husband, Co-CEO Christopher Goncalo, and her sister Alya Kattan, who leads social strategy, the company remains deeply rooted in family and community. Now fully independent, the brand plans to continue its mission of championing individuality and innovation. Huda's recently launched podcast, Huda Hotline, also reflects her growing focus on unfiltered conversations around beauty, business, and personal growth.
Cosmopolitan ME
03-06-2025
- Business
- Cosmopolitan ME
Go girl boss! Huda Kattan officially reclaims full ownership of Huda Beauty
Huda Beauty has proudly announced that it has reclaimed full ownership as an independent brand following the conclusion of its eight-year partnership with TSG Consumer Partners. Basically, in 2017, TSG Consumer acquired a minority stake in the company, and now, Huda Kattan, the UAE's iconic businesswoman and OG content creator, has officially bought back her equity, regaining full control of the brand. What does this mean? With this power move, Huda Beauty is a fully independent company, becoming one of the rare founder-fully-owned brands in the beauty space. Sharing on the milestone, Huda said: 'Taking back full ownership of Huda Beauty is a deeply very important moment for me.' 'It says that while many of us dreamers have visions that we are told are too big or not possible to do alone, in actuality, you have all the power you need to change the world yourself! This brand was built on passion, creativity, and a desire to challenge the beauty industry. As we step into this new chapter, I'm more committed than ever to pushing boundaries, staying true to our roots, and showing up for our incredible community every step of the way.' With Huda Kattan now at the helm as the sole owner, and her husband, Christopher Goncalo, serving alongside her as Co-CEO, and her sister, Alya Kattan leading their Social Strategy, the company says its promising bold product launches, deeper community engagement, and continued industry disruption. We will be watching! For those who don't know, Huda founded one of the first-ever influencer-led beauty brands and she has always had a lifelong passion for beauty. That passion inspired the launch of her beauty blog in 2010, which quickly became one of the top beauty blogs in the world. In 2013, with a $6,000 loan from her sister, Alya Kattan, Huda launched a range of viral false eyelashes exclusively at Sephora in The Dubai Mall (currently the #1 Sephora globally), while launching her namesake brand, Huda Beauty. Often referred to as the internet's 'big beauty sister,' Huda's Instagram account is the most-followed beauty brand on the platform, boasting nearly 57 million followers. Her YouTube channel has accumulated more than 4.1 million subscribers, while her TikTok audience has grown to 10.7 million. Click here to read: 'I finally met Huda Kattan and this is what she's really like'.
