Greed, the new Steve Coogan comedy directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Trip), is a satirical tale about a thinly disguised version of Sir Philip Green, the head of Arcadia Group, who stood accused by various British government committees of plundering British Home Stores while it was under his company’s control. The phrase levelled at Sir Philip, ‘the unacceptable face of capitalism’, once dealt to Tiny Rowland, is used here at Coogan’s Sir Richard ‘Greedy’ McCreadie, just in case you weren’t sure whom they were parodying.
   Lucire attended one viewing at a packed cinema, where moviegoers were turned away as it proved to be far more popular than anticipated.
   Given the cast—Coogan, Isla Fisher, and David Mitchell—it would be wrong to expect much more than a comedy, and on this count, it delivers, with more topical panache than most films of the genre.
   Up for criticism by the film are fast fashion—McCreadie spends his adult life pushing suppliers in Sri Lanka (the Indian locations are unconvincing) into a race to the bottom—as well as the shallow “unreality” of reality TV, or, as the trade calls it, unscripted drama. Included in the mix are the corrupt practices of modern business and their legal loopholes, and tax havens such as Monaco, where McCreadie’s ex-wife, Samantha, played by Fisher, is resident. Through all of this is the device of the officious bystander, Sir Richard’s biographer, Nick, played by Mitchell, who gets to interview certain parties, which Winterbottom shoots in documentary style.
   Sir Richard’s 60th birthday bash on Mykonos obviously references Sir Philip’s £5 million 50th on Crete in 2002, right down to the togas, and this is where things take a turn that not even Sir Philip’s enemies would wish on the milliardaire. Asa Butterfield, as the McCreadys’ younger son, and Dinita Gohil, as Amanda, a Sri Lankan-born Brit working for McCready, give the film more depth at the points where it’s needed, showing that the farce in which the ultra-rich live have real victims, inside and outside of the immediate family. Whovians will spot Pearl Mackie as Cathy, the director of the reality show in which daughter Lily McCready, played by Sophie Cookson, stars, trying the Method whilst playing herself.
   There’s a sense from earlier reviews—inevitable that we would have seen them given New Zealand’s later release—that the film doesn’t know what genre it is, whether it’s comedy, drama or documentary, an assessment with which we disagree. While the film puts a new spin on the term ‘eat the rich’, the last act wraps up the entirety of the film neatly: namely that for all the lessons that we might have learned, the fictional McGready family ticks on, with little changed. No, the outcome isn’t funny, but it is a call to action—it’s Winterbottom exercising pathos. Showing statistics about fast fashion, the income gap, and the single-digit earnings of Asian garment workers takes that one step further. Are we choosing to fund these lifestyles and the fast-fashion machine, or should we opt for the sort of designers often championed by this magazine, who work with Fair Trade, eschew seasons, and emphasize quality?
   And sometimes it takes a film that is largely entertainment to make us realize just what has been going on. The message could well be lost if this were an out-and-out documentary, which would have had a limited audience; better to have us question our consumerist habits—you know, the ones we still observed as we lavished Amazon with US$11,000 per second as the COVID-19 pandemic panic began—in the form of entertainment, ensuring a wider reach. It’s not the first to do this, and it won’t be the last—it’s a long tradition that includes The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and South Park on television and, more recently, the oddly slow-moving Brexit with Benedict Cumberbatch, and the German feature Curveball. There’s nothing more appealing in the grey depths of winter, with overseas travel not available to us, than sunny, colourful Greek locales. And when you can travel again, pack those labels with a more ethical background.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Shine on

Living Nature has released a new natural lipstick, Glamorous. As with all Living Nature products, it is natural, using natural waxes, butters and oils, including shea butter and jojoba oil. Not only do your lips shine with Glamorous’s intense colour, they are nourished. There is a single shade, created to suit all complexions. It is available in New Zealand through selected pharmacies and health stores, and online at www.livingnature.com.

For summer skin

001 Skincare London is the luxury brand founded by facialist and acupuncturist for many famous names, Ada Ooi. Her new Pure Lavender Hydrolat Toner, made with 99 per cent first-grade lavender, is the perfect summer accessory, a multi­tasking product that acts as a cleanser, toner, make-up-setting spray and even as a mask. The hydrolat toner instantly lifts dried and tired skin, working to soothe, tone and tighten the skin, effortlessly hydrating and balancing its pH levels. This product is also a complexion booster that can be sprayed directly onto the skin or applied using a cotton pad. Looking to give that extra care to your skin during the summer? This is the perfect product for you. Find out more at www.001skincare.com.—Meg Hamilton

Back to the ’70s

The eyeshadows and highlighters in the new collection by Nomad are the life of the party, taking us back to the glitz and glamour of the 1970s in style. Inspired by the rich scene of Studio 54, a place where many creative minds gathered to create great art and music in the ’70s, the Multi-Chrome Discoshadow collection infuses this energy with the disco era to create a eyeshadow palette and two highlighters that are truly ethereal and out of this world. Packed with glitter, the Multi-Chrome Discoshadow Palette contains four unique shifting shades. Le Freak is a static and striking yellow-gold, I’m Coming out is a party-all-night hot pink and lavender, Got to be Real is a cool silver with subtle hints of green, and Last Dance is the perfect classic ’70s blue with a silver shift. Combine these with the two highlighters, Hot Shot in a shimmering pink inspired by the queens of disco, and Disco Nights, in pure dazzling gold, this collection is certain to keep you dancing all night long.—Meg Hamilton

The six designs, in order: Halpern, Julien Macdonald, Liam Hodges, Mulberry, Raeburn, and Rixo.

In another sign of the times, the British Fashion Council and Bags of Ethics have launched a campaign dubbed Great British Designer Face Coverings: Reusable, for People and Planet, to manufacture and retail sustainable and reusable non-medical face coverings designed by Halpern, Julien Macdonald, Liam Hodges, Mulberry, Raeburn, and Rixo.
   The project aims to raise £1 million, with all profits going to charity, split between NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Urgent Appeal, BFC Foundation Fashion Fund, and Wings of Hope Children’s Charity.
   Bags of Ethics’ partner factories will manufacture the coverings. A pack of three, with two protective pouches, will retail for £15. They will be sold through the BFC website at britishfashioncouncil.com and partner retailers including ASOS, Boots, John Lewis & Partners, and Sainsbury’s (in Tu Clothing sections in selected superstores, convenience stores and online at tu.co.uk and argos.co.uk).
   Caroline Rush, the BFC’s chief executive, said in a release, ‘Fashion is a unifying force and now, more than ever, it is essential that we collaborate and come together to support each other through difficult times. Our ambition is to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, while protecting vital PPE supplies reserved for the NHS. Through this project, we will not only celebrate British designers but also champion sustainability in a time of crisis.’
   Dr R. Sri Ram, chairman, Bags of Ethics added, ‘We have always been at the forefront of supporting the public through mass behavioural changes in positive and useful ways. Since the early 2000s we helped supermarkets, and retailers reduce their single-use plastic bag consumption by five-plus billion units through sustainable and reusable bags. A new challenge arises with the coronavirus pandemic. Our aim is to manufacture high-quality reusable non-medical face coverings for the public which reduces stigma through great British design, in line with advice from our scientific community, whilst having a positive effect on both people and planet.’
   Money raised for the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund will support the next round of funding for designer businesses. The BFC has already distributed £1 million of emergency funding to 37 designers as its first round to help the industry during the COVID-19 crisis.

Dyson now has a New Zealand launch date for its Corrale hair straightener, which had been announced in March.
   July 7 is tipped to be its Kiwi release date, with the straightener available from dyson.co.nz. Registrations of interest can be made at discoverdyson.co.nz/beauty-launch. Customers have a choice of black nickel–fuchsia or purple–black.
   The Corrale has flexing plates for enhanced style with less hair damage. By flexing, they can shape and gather hair, applying heat and tension evenly and keeping it aligned.
   It has three heat settings (165°C, 185°C and 210°C) for the user to adjust based on their hair type and style, and a four-cell lithium-ion battery that fully recharges in 70 minutes, providing 30 minutes’ of cordless use. Retail price is NZ$749.
   Michael Beel, Dyson styling ambassador and three-time New Zealand hairdresser of the year says, ‘With conventional hair straighteners, hair tends to slip out from the plates as you’re passing the styler through, forcing you to go over the same section of hair multiple times, which results in excessive heat damage. With the Dyson Corrale straightener’s flexing plates I have more control and love how it gathers the hair to keep it where it needs to be for a more even style with less reliance on heat. Plus, it’s cord-free so it’s perfect for on-the-go touch-ups. As a professional stylist, my clients often express concerns about the health of their hair, so to have a straightener that enhances styling with less hair damage, saves me time and provides the freedom to style anywhere, it truly is game-changing.’
   After the online launch on July 7, the Corrale hits retailers (Smith & Caughey, Sephora, David Jones and selected Farmers stores) on July 14.

The British Fashion Council has announced the first recipients of its emergency fund, helping members of the fashion industry navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
   Thirty-seven British designer businesses, out of 220 applications, have been named in the first round, with the BFC using its £1 million fund to support them. A portion has been allocated to students. The amounts range from £5,000 to £50,000 depending on urgency and capability. Recipients would also receive business support and mentoring from the BFC Fashion Business Network, which includes DLA Piper, Eco-Age, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Farfetch, FashionEx, Google, HSBC, Instagram, Lewis Silkin, Lloyds, LVMH, Mishcon de Reya, RSM, Sheridans, Taylor Wessing, Value Retail, and YouTube, and one-on-one mentors.
   The earlier BFC–Vogue Designer Fashion Fund (VDFF) was a £200,000 prize set up for a winning designer. This amount has now been shared with the six designers originally shortlisted for the grand prize.
   The recipients are: Alighieri (VDFF 2020), Ahluwalia, Aries, Art School, Bethany Williams, Bianca Saunders, Chalayan, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy (VDFF 2020), Chopova Lowena, Craig Green, David Koma (VDFF 2020), E. Tautz, E. L. V. Denim, Edeline Lee, Eftychia, Halpern (VDFF 2020), King & Tuckfield, Kwaidan Editions, Liam Hodges, Matty Bovan, Metier (VDFF 2020), Nabil Nayal, Neous, Nicholas Daley, Palmer/Harding, Paper London, Paria/Farzaneh, Per Gotesson, Phoebe English, Raeburn, Rejina Pyo (VDFF 2020), Richard Malone, Richard Quinn, Roksanda, 16Arlington, Stefan Cooke, and Toogood.
   Caroline Rush, chief executive of the BFC said, ‘Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen an astonishing amount of applications come through from British designer businesses all over the country, asking for help to survive the crisis. The need for support is immense. Our hope is to reopen the fund for future rounds, to help as many businesses as possible, and ensure the future growth and success of the British fashion industry.’
   The fund comprised support grants from the BFC–Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, BFC–GQ Designer Menswear Fund supported by JD.com, BFC Fashion Trust and BFC Newgen.
   The BFC estimates that £100 million of support is required over the next 12 to 18 months. The fund will reopen for further rounds every time a £500,000 milestone is reached.
   Alexander McQueen, Browns, Clearpay and Coach Foundation have already contributed to the next round.
   Arch & Hook, BFC Fashion Trust supporters, British GQ, British Vogue, Browns, Burberry, Depop, European Regional Development Fund, HSBC, JD.com, Label/Mix, Mayor of London, Paul Smith, Revlon Professional, Rodial and Value Retail have been contributors to the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund.

Audi has announced a new-generation A3 saloon. Not wanting to tamper with a winning formula, the Ingolstadt company has kept the body immediately recognizable, with a taut, sporting stance, but has instead treated it to more sculpted bodywork, giving it a more muscular look.
   In line with Audi’s design language, the sculpting is geometric, but this time, it comes in the form of geometric blisters, recalling the design of the ground-breaking 1980 Quattro.
   The new model is longer, though its wheelbase has not changed, confirming the fact it rests on the MQB platform as its predecessor. Audi has also increased the A3’s width by 2 cm (1·82 m wide) and its height by 1 cm (now 1·43 m tall). There is no increase in luggage space. Audi says the changes have allowed for a 2 cm increase in front headroom with the change in the driver’s seat positioning.
   In other words, it’s slightly roomier but the packaging isn’t hugely different—the sort of incremental changes that were seen on the Audi A3’s sister car, the Volkswagen Golf VIII, last year.
   However, the A3 saloon is more aerodynamic, with its drag coefficient coming in at 0,25—an improvement of 0,04 points over its predecessor.
   As with other brands, Audi is using technologies typically reserved for classes above and bringing them into the compact sector. The new A3 has a fully digital cockpit with Audi’s MMI Touch tech, and mild-hybrid drivetrains.
   Inside, there’s digital instrumentation in a a 10¼-inch screen in front of the driver, complemented by a 10·1-inch MMI Touch screen that includes all media, navigation and internet-based functions. The Edition 1 and Vorsprung models see the instrument cluster upgraded to the Audi virtual cockpit, with a wider 12·3-inch screen featuring three views. There is also a head-up display in the Vorsprung model. The car uses swarm intelligence to warn of hazards in the immediate area.
   Passengers can enjoy internet access with an onboard wifi hotspot, and Amazon Alexa will be introduced later in the year.
   At launch in the UK market, the A3 comes with one of two 1·5 turbo petrol engines or one 2·0 turbodiesel. Prices begin at £26,870, with deliveries commencing in the summer.