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Even the word is harsh - Brexit- it sounds tough on the tongue, an ugly word, brutal in pronunciation. A politically emotional word, one that makes me flinch while others preen. I think of Paris, the Paris of today as well as the Paris of my past, a visit on a school exchange aged fourteen, a romantic trip with my first real boyfriend.  Bomb blasts, carnage, heartbreak, and tragedy encompass European cities as well as our own, but I feel for us and them with a sense of love, a sense of comradeship.  I think of Portugal and my first paintings inspired by the colours of the cliffs, the freezing sea, the wobbly restaurant attached to a rock face. Sardines on the beach and yellow houses. The quiet of the afternoon, the clanging of church bells. I find it hard to believe that we are going to turn our backs on something so wonderful. Our friendship and alliance with Europe have brought us so much. Sumptuous food, oozing garlic, red wine drunk in pavement cafes, rich aromatic co...

Fashion itself is a reliable reflection of social, cultural, economic, and political change. And boy 'The Times They-Are-A-Changin''. I wonder what effect the Trump era will have on fashion. I think the first noticeable change will be in the boob department. I predict that boobs will be taking a back seat. I reckon we (well, us girls) will be buttoning up our blouses quickly. When women want to be taken seriously, they need to look serious. In the US, the women will be feeling thwarted, frantic, and afraid of what their futures hold for them and their daughters. It is time for them to re-group, show solidarity, button up and go to war to reassert themselves and their power. Already the disappearance of the bosom can be noticed on the red carpet with high-necked gowns overtaking the plunging necklines which already seem embarrassing and naff. The sales of plunge bras have plummeted while the sales of t-shirt bras, un-padded bras and bra-lets have increased. Women want ...