Following the COVID-19 outbreak, fashion has been hit hard. From factories forcing to close due to stay-at-home orders and brands shutting their doors for good to fashion weeks being canceled, the pandemic has left the industry struggling. The impact is still apparent months later during an event like Haute Couture Week, shows for which are always held in Paris but, this year, turned digital — a first-ever for luxury fashion. Lebanese designers are a mainstay during this fashion week, and some are going ahead virtually this season. “Only time will tell what will happen afterwards, and I hope for the best,” says Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika.

While Lebanon was already struggling economically at the start of 2020, they were thriving fashion-wise. Red carpets for the awards season were crawling with designs from Lebanese designers. For the 92^nd Academy Awards red carpet, Killing Eve’s Sandra Oh wore an ecru, embroidered evening gown featuring white silk threads, silver sequins, and flowers made of organza from the Elie Saab SS2020 Haute Couture collection. Chrissy Teigen shined in a turquoise Georges Hobeika gown from his SS20 Haute Couture collection at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party; for the same event, Little Fires Everywhere actress Kerry Washington wore a two-piece ensemble inlaid with multicolored jewels from Zuhair Murad’s SS20 Couture collection. 

In fact, the tiny Levantine nation in the Middle East has had an outsize impact on the red carpet, and on couture fashion, for years. Designers like Georges Chakra, Zuhair Murad, Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab, Azzi and Osta, Krikor Jabotian, Nicolas Jebran, and Steven Khalil are beloved by both celebrities and other non-famous shoppers across the world, who adore glamorous custom creations.

At this moment, however, the country these designers hail from is anything but glamorous. Last year ended with a revolution in full force, which has picked up again, as the world is trying to get past Covid-19. The economy is in a bad situation with a fast devaluing currency. Still, even with a pandemic still looming and its global economic aftershocks, coupled with Lebanon’s continuous economic problems, Lebanese designers are managing to move forward with their businesses. “The Lebanese people have always been optimistic, no matter the situation or dire circumstance, and we thrive on challenges,” says Hobeika.

While during this week’s official Haute Couture AW20-21 event, George Hobeika, Maison Rabih Kayrouz, and Elie Saab are the only Lebanese designers showing, others like Georges Chakra and Azzi and Osta will premiere their new collections later this month. “We are now back at work with the hope and resilience that characterizes us as Lebanese people,” says Chakra. “We have completed a couture capsule collection for the fall-winter 2021 season, which we will be launching in July online.” Other designers like Tony Ward, whose gowns in the U.S. are sold in famed New York bridal boutique Kleinfeld, is moving away from the traditional fashion weeks altogether. 

The Lebanese designers’ impact on haute couture goes back a long way. The various powers that have controlled Lebanon — the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, and French — have all influenced the country’s artisanry, starting in the villages where women learned to sew, which has given rise to the art of couture in the country.

As a result of this, Lebanese designers have become known for the intricate beadwork and embroidery (that can often take hundreds of hours to complete!) that makes a Couture collection. While Italian and French fashion houses are gifted in couture as well, countries like Lebanon, Philippines, and India take the craft to a new level, with beading, lace, and handmade embroidery that’s not only exquisite but also part of their history.  

To date, like many in the fashion industry worldwide, Lebanese people have been laid off, businesses have closed their doors or greatly reduced operations, people have received half their salaries — or no salary at all. A recently formed government, led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, was formed on January 22, but many are skeptical of the current executive leadership’s ability to lift the country out of its economic slump.  

The country wasn’t always like this. After Lebanon gained independence from France, it was known as the Paris of the Middle East, and both Europeans and other Arabs flocked there for holidays. The capital, Beirut, in the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, with its Monte Carloesque sea-lined shopping streets, looked like a different city — and Lebanon as a whole was the beacon of fashion and culture in the Middle East. This Mediterranean-kissed coastal nation was the It place to come to and enjoy life, buy the latest designs, and party. Fashion for the region was headquartered in Lebanon, not in Dubai, where it is today. But, for the past 40 years, Lebanon’s attraction has been declining for tourists. The end of its 15-year civil war marked the beginning of rampant corruption inside the country, and that, coupled with complicated sectarianism, has stifled the Lebanon that was.

Hobeika, who dresses celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Bella Thorne, and Kat Graham, says the industry will survive because of designers’ skill and dedication. “We’re known for creating more complex and intricate pieces,” he says. “Our commitment to the time and effort it takes to learn the delicate and artisanal craft of couture embroidery has been vital to distinguishing Lebanese haute couture creations.”

Ward, who is known for his embroidery, craftsmanship, and sustainable efforts in couture, is aware of the challenges but is hopeful that, through craft like his, couture in Lebanon will survive. During the lockdown, he shifted from an atelier of couture to producing bed sheets and medical protective suits for hospitals. “We live in an unstable country, and this has been the case for as long as I can remember,” he says. “But this time it’s a different kind of challenge, and I constantly aim to be creative at finding solutions.”

Equally optimistic is Chakra, who has dressed Kate Beckinsale and Nina Kiri, and whose gowns have appeared in The Devil Wears Prada. “It is very difficult as a designer and artist not to be affected by what is going on around you,” he says. “The terrible chaos and hurt that we as Lebanese people are going through has struck us all to the deepest parts of our core. But the Lebanese people are strong, and hope for a better future. This is what we aspire for and what is helping the team and the entire atelier push through.” But, speaking candidly on the state of affairs in Lebanon, he states, “We are doing the best we can. But for any business that is working in Lebanon and contributing to the economy, this [economic situation] is something that is unacceptable.”

Ward, who learned couture making from his father and received a formal education in Paris, relies on international clientele to keep his business going. “We’re lucky enough to be working with international markets, and being able to financially start from scratch while opening accounts abroad,” he says. According to him, Tony Ward’s Paris runway shows, as well as trunk shows in Palm Beach, New York, Mexico, and other countries in the Middle East, contribute to the brand’s survival and success. For now, his aim is for the Maison “to keep moving at [our] own pace and drift from the official calendars.” 

Up-and-coming designers are also still trying to grow their businesses. Myrna Bocti and Rania Karam, the co-founders of MyRan, went from selling online and at pop-ups to opening a flagship store in November during the revolution in Beirut. “We’re still positive and hoping for the country to become better,” says Bocti.

As George Chakra watched celebrities like actress Lilly Singh and model Molly Simms wear his artistic creations on the red carpet during the awards season this year from Beirut, he saw a sign that the country’s fortunes — and those of its fashion designers — were on the rise. “My gowns for this awards season were definitely statement pieces,” he said, “and a reminder that Lebanese artists and designers have made it to the far reaches of the world and that they will prevail.” 

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Cramping. Bloating. Fatigue. These are just some of the many side effects we endure when our period pays us a visit each and every month. Usually, one might go for the classic remedies to help ease these menstrual symptoms: Motrin, a heating pad, chocolate. If you’re up on the latest wellness trends, maybe you’ve even reached for CBD to ease your period pains. But eating a gummy or rubbing on an oil is one thing. Putting the ingredient directly into your body by way of the vagina or anus is another. Yes, we’re talking about CBD tampons and suppositories.

If this sounds kinda out-there, it did to me too. But I’m always looking for something to help my worse-than-average period cramps, so when a UK brand called Daye reached out and sent over a few CBD tampons, I didn’t wait long before saying yes.

According to Daye, the CBD tampons are “coated in a proprietary blend of broad spectrum CBD extract and cocoa butter,” both of which they say are safe to use vaginally or anally. The website claims that “CBD tampons work by having a small percentage of the cannabinoid compound be absorbed through the vaginal mucosa.” Then, they say, it’s absorbed by the blood vessels in the pelvic region, ultimately helping to ease uterine pain. Data from self-reported diaries say that the tampon was 35% more effective than a placebo at relieving pain within 30 minutes of insertion.

I tried these tampons on the first day of my period, which is always the absolute worst day for me. I usually feel crampy and bloated, and the longing to stay in bed persists all day. But after an hour or so with Daye’s CBD tampon in, I felt… better. My period pains weren’t as intense.

Of course, despite Daye’s data, I wondered if the effects were down to the placebo effect. “There are no published research studies on using CBD for period pain relief,” Dani Gordon, MD, a London-based expert in CBD and cannabis medicine previously told Refinery29. “However, it does have well established, well studied anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects across a wide range of chronic pain conditions.”

Still, putting the substance into your vagina may seem like an extreme step. When I called Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a practicing OB/GYN and professor at Yale School of Medicine, to ask her opinion of the product, I thought for sure she’d be aghast. But…

“It’s not totally insane,” Dr. Minkin says, to my surprise. “There are suggestions that CBD can help with muscle cramps, and certainly if you’re inserting something into the vagina you’re going to get it in close proximity to the uterus,” she continues. “There’s not much data, but I doubt that it’s terribly harmful.” The one piece of advice she’d give a patient who wanted to try these CBD-coated products out would be to maybe not drive after using them, just to be on the safe side.

Jennifer Berman, MD, a urologist and women’s sexual health expert at The Berman Women’s Wellness Center in Beverly Hills tells Refinery29 that inserting CBD vaginally for menstrual cramps is “great.” “I think it’s appropriate, and I think it’s safe and effective,” she says.

The catch? These tampons can be shipped to the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, but they aren’t available in the U.S. — yet. Unlike supplements, tampons are classified as medical devices in the U.S. That means Daye needs FDA clearance before they can sell them here. They’re allegedly on their way to getting the okay, but there’s no word on how long it could actually take.

You can find CBD suppositories in the U.S., though, which are supposed to have similar benefits. “The vagina is another route of delivery for drugs and plant-based products, including CBD,” Dr. Berman says. Unlike tampons, CBD suppositories dissolve. They typically look like large pills, and can be inserted through the vagina or the rectum, so people without vulvas can experience the effects as well. The suppositories, Dr. Berman says, were created for menstrual cramps, prostate pain, pelvic pain, and painful sex.

After creating the CBD company called Mello, Boronia Fallshaw was focused on the ingredient’s benefits for vulvodynia, a chronic pain in the vulva that may be related to inflammation or nerve injury. The brand decided to roll out Mello Bottoms, a CBD suppository. “Taking a suppository treats the local area and removes inflammation and pain,” she tells Refinery29. “You remove that barrier and your body will kick into action, and do what it’s supposed to do — promote muscle relaxation, blood flow, and arousal in our sexy areas.” In addition, she says, the product can help with dryness, IBS pain, or cramps.

“The cool thing about these tampons and suppositories is that they’re being directed at the primary symptom, which is pain,” Dr. Berman says. “Administered vaginally, [CBD] works quickly and is effective.”

While more research needs to be done regarding the effects of CBD suppositories against menstrual pain (there are some clinical trials in the works), there’s enough anecdotal evidence for some doctors to suggest that they may work.

Unlike tampons, CBD suppositories don’t necessarily need to be cleared by the FDA since they are classified as supplements. Currently, the only form of CBD that’s approved by the FDA is Epidiolex, a prescription-strength oil used to treat epilepsy. Last spring, the FDA even warned some CBD companies about the claims they were making about their products.

A word of caution: It’s probably not be the brightest idea to try and create your own CBD tampon with oil, or insert any CBD products that aren’t made to go up inside you like that. Be safe, and if you’re in doubt, reach for the heating pad.

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Modern Family alum Ariel Winter just became the latest celebrity to hop on the summer’s quarantine bleaching trend. Joining the likes of Kaia Gerber, Emily Ratajkowski, and Kylie Jenner, the 22-year-old actress just lifted her long, naturally black hair from its former strawberry-red shade to a winter-white platinum that has her looking like Daenerys Targaryen‘s long-lost sister.

Winter posted her dramatic color transformation on Instagram, where she referred to Game of Thrones in the caption. “Winter is coming,” the star wrote alongside her mini photo series (though it certainly doesn’t look like it from that outdoor terrace in Los Angeles…).

Of course, Winter is already a well-established hair-color chameleon, often bouncing from jet black to mermaid red — but this is the first time we’ve seen her go blonde, and to say she’s pulling it off is an understatement.

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A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter) on Jul 4, 2020 at 7:11pm PDT

While there’s a chance Winter might be wearing a platinum wig, considering the multiple hand-in-hair angles presented in the photo gallery, we’re thinking the icy blonde is a real dye job. If so, it’s no small feat, and probably took Winter’s colorist hours (if not days) to safely strip out the red and bleach her strands to this winter white for summer, on par with the Queen of Dragons herself.

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Almost three years ago to the day in July 2017, President Donald Trump tweeted that “the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military,” striking panic for advocates of trans rights across the country. But President Trump made good on this threat, and worked to make the trans military ban a reality. Now, however, 116 House Democrats are calling for the Trump Administration to end the ban in light of new Supreme Court protections around gender.

On Wednesday, over one hundred Democrats led by Suzan DelBene signed a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Attorney General William Barr, demanding that the Pentagon change the discriminatory transgender policy. In it, they ask for an “immediate” reversal of the policy as it’s an attack on trans rights.

“Prolonging the litigation in the face of almost certain defeat, and thereby prolonging the existing policy, will continue to inflict serious harm on transgender people seeking to serve our country and on those already serving while living in the shadows, enduring the dignitary harm of being told they’re a burden,” the letter reads. “This policy is an attack on transgender service members who are risking their lives to serve our country, and it should be reversed immediately.”

This push from Democrats comes after the early June Supreme Court win for LGBTQ+ rights. In a landmark 6-3 ruling in the Bostock v. Clayton County case, the Supreme Court officially decided that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which forbids employment discrimination on the basis of “sex,” applies to LGBTQ+ people, too. Although previous rulings state that the military is exempt from Title VII, the decision has given those who oppose the trans military ban grounds to push for change. And while the Pentagon has argued it’s a policy and not a ban, transgender people and allies have countered that it’s similar to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that stopped LGBTQ+ service members from being open about their sexuality for fear of retaliation. 

The military ban has weighed heavy on the transgender community for years as the Trump Administration sought to make it a reality, but the trans ban didn’t officially go into effect until April 12, 2019. Since it was passed, the policy has prohibited openly transgender people from enlisting in the military, with all active duty military service members who are openly transgender required to discharge. 

In 2018, during the ongoing process of making the policy a reality, the lawyer behind the Bostock win, Chase Strangio, tweeted about the implications of the ban beyond the military. “For me, this is about so much more than the military. This memorandum and the #TransMilitaryBan are part of a concerted effort at all levels of our government to deny and erase trans existence. The consequences are deadly and far-reaching,” he said.

There are currently four lawsuits that are challenging the anti-trans policy. In the letter, Democrats stated that the recent Supreme Court win could “provide significant weight” to the cases.

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