Here’s a roundup of some of our favourites over the past few weeks:
Vogue’s key workers cover
Vogue’s July 2020 issue will see a train driver, a midwife and a supermarket assistant grace its cover, a space usually reserved for the likes of Kate Moss, Madonna and the whole cohort of Beckhams.
Vogue’s editor Edward Enniful said: “They represent the millions of people in the UK who, at the height of the pandemic, put on their uniforms and went to help.”
There aren’t many upsides to the current global pandemic, but the long-overdue recognition of those who dedicate their lives to keeping people safe and the world moving is certainly one. Hats off.
K-League’s socially distanced sex dolls
Sport has been making a gradual, spectator-free comeback, with South Korea’s K-League one of the first to return. There is no denying that playing to empty stands zaps some of the energy out of top-tier football, and as a result we’ve seen some fairly novel solutions. From Bundesliga with audio tracks of pre-recorded crowd noise to converting a stadium car-park into a drive-in spectator experience, clubs are trying to recapture the matchday experience.
But some have worked better than others.
Last month saw South Korea’s FC Seoul place 10 ‘fashion mannequins’ in the stands (with social distancing observed, for some reason). Except they weren’t ‘fashion mannequins’, they were sex dolls! FC Seoul blamed a mix up with the supplier but were fined a record £64,000, with league officials saying the club “could have easily recognised their use using common sense and experience”. Very difficult to argue with that.
EasyJet’s comic book face masks
After – to put it mildly – a tricky few months for the aviation industry, EasyJet has announced the a small number of flights will resume from 15 June, with all passengers over the age of six required to wear face masks.
But who said that rigorous and unprecedented levels of health and safety can’t be fun?
The airline has drafted in Irish comic book artist Will Sliney to create two face mask covers (one of a lion and the other of a pilot) that will be given to children for free.