By Various
SPOTLIGHT/ Belly vision
Sienna Miller, pregnant with her second child at 42, wasn’t leaving much to the imagination in London last year.Credit: Getty Images
When Rihanna revealed her pregnancy to the world in early 2022 (below) wearing a long-line vintage Chanel puffer jacket buttoned just once and a pair of low-rise jeans, she sent a message to women everywhere: modest maternity dressing is out, baring your bump is most decidedly in. Since then, any bun-in-the-oven A-lister worth her salt has followed suit. Witness model Adriana Lima in Cannes a few months later, sporting a black Balmain gown with a diamond-shaped cut-out that framed her baby bump to perfection. Or style icon Sienna Miller, who gave the paparazzi palpitations when she bared her belly in a daring two-piece outfit by Schiaparelli in London last September. Most recently, actress and singer Suki Waterhouse, pregnant to fellow Brit Robert Pattinson, showed off her bump – and a lovely smidge of side boob – in a striking, cut-out Valentino gown at the Emmys in January.
But how does all of this gravid grandstanding translate for mums-to-be in Malvern and Mosman? For psychologist Dr Nicole Highet, executive director of the Melbourne-based Centre for Perinatal Excellence, body-con maternity dressing is (mostly) good news. “In the past, women often felt the need to hide their pregnant bodies … it was about not taking up space,” Highet says. “So it’s wonderful to see women feeling more confident about promoting their pregnancies.” But she notes the challenges that come with a changing body, particularly for those who don’t have a perfectly round tummy. “There are still ideals about what this should look like, and when that’s not the experience it can impact a woman’s body image and her emotional and mental health. It would be great to see a diverse range of bodies continue to embrace pregnancy in a way that’s inclusive and attainable.” Deborah Cooke
RELAX / Magic circle
The J9+ robot vacuum and mop offers automated cleaning with retro style flourishes.
Modern technology often doesn’t live up to its lofty promises, but that’s not the case with the latest Roomba from iRobot, the J9+ robot vacuum and mop ($1999). Matching its tagline of “Does the cleaning so you don’t have to”, the app-controlled vacuum maps out your house, learns from your cleaning habits and scrubs better than most humans ever could. The robot – mine’s affectionately named Dustbin Bieber – takes itself back to its base to empty its contents, also refilling itself with liquid when needed. The base is a classy-looking cabinet that looks right at home next to a bookshelf or record player. It doesn’t come cheap, but then smart cleaning tech doesn’t get much easier – or more intelligent. David Swan
CARRY / Horse mad
The Longchamp classic has received a woven makeover.
The classic leather-handled nylon Le Pliage bag from French accessories brand Longchamp has been battling it out on social media with Stanley cups and Sephora skin serums for trend supremacy among teenagers. For those averse to jumping on a hashtag bandwagon, the brand has released a summer version of the hardworking Pliage, this time in woven cotton with straw-like appearance (Le Panier Pliage S Basket bag, $495). The instantly recognisable logo semaphores your elevated taste, while still stirring offspring envy. Damien Woolnough
READ / Last words
A collection of the Australian author’s unpublished short stories written before her death in 2016. Credit:
Acclaimed Australian writer Georgia Blain died of brain cancer in 2016, aged just 51. We All Lived in Bondi Then (Scribe; $30) is a collection of nine (previously unpublished) short stories, written between 2012 and 2015, that see her returning to some of her favourite, and most resonant, themes: family and relationships, love and death, health and illness. Blain writes in spare, understated prose of a baby lost with unforseen consequences, how parents survive (or don’t) the death of their child, of sex and betrayal and talking dogs. Although the book is suffused with loss and grief, there are flashes of wry humour and hard-won insight. Nicole Abadee
SEE / Mural imperative
The exhibition includes interactive rooms full of the anonymous artist’s work, including an infinity room.
Going to an exhibition of work by the famously anonymous British graffiti artist Banksy is a bit like going on a date with the Scarlet Pimpernel – except he’s the man least likely to be saving any aristocracy from the Revolution because, well, he kinda is the Revolution. Since the late ’90s, the hoodie-wearing provocateur has been spraying streets and buildings, often under cover of darkness, with stencilled artwork conveying powerful social messaging, often in support of society’s underdogs: refugees, victims of war, farm animals subject to terrible casual cruelty. Now, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits exhibition brings together more than 160 arresting pieces and fascinating videos of the artist at work. There are unexpected treats, such as footage taken inside Sotheby’s in 2018 the moment that a framed print of his Girl with Balloon (2006, pictured above) began to shred seconds after a buyer had paid £1.04 million for it. (Three years later, it sold for £18.6 million.) At Sydney Town Hall until April 26; tickets from $41; in Melbourne in June. Sharon Bradley
DRINK / Let’s talk about sex
Toast the Mardi Gras season with a free card game from Archie Rose.
“Who isn’t a queer icon but should be?” “Which celebrity sparked your sexual awakening?” These posers are among the conversation-starters in Tell It To Me “Straight”, a card game from drinks purveyor Archie Rose that comes as an optional free gift with every online purchase of its Straight Dry Gin (“bold and straight”) and Tailored Gin (craft your flavour, personalise the bottle) this Mardi Gras season ($65 and $99, respectively). Aimed at fostering supportive chats, the cards feature illustrations by Sydney artist Micke Lindebergh to tie in with the bold, unapologetic tone. Dani Valent
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