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Have we finally embraced men in high heels? Sales have been on the upturn since 2017 and searches for “men’s heels” have grown by 30%, according to Lyst.co.uk. Perhaps unexpectedly, the stiletto heel is being used to articulate what it means to be a man in the post-#MeToo era. In October, Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe memorably wore stiletto heels for a choreographed tribute to New York’s Ballroom scene, with Twitter users praising him for “shutting down toxic masculinity across the UK in 2 minutes”. And earlier last year, the singer Sam Smith posted a photo of a heeled boot with the caption: “Tonight I wore heels for the first time to an award show … There was a time when I thought I’d never ever ever be able to be myself like this in front of the industry or anyone.” A social media post by the designer Marc Jacobs. A social media post by the designer Marc Jacobs. Photograph: Marc Jacobs / Instagram The fashion designer Marc Jacobs has spent much of this year posting selfies in massive heeled boots too. “I think there is something incredibly refreshing about a male designer such as Marc Jacobs embracing wearing high heels,” said Andrew Groves, a professor of fashion design at the University of Westminster. “High heels have become a potent symbol of both power and status, and paradoxically both dominance and submission.” Indeed the stiletto heel on a man is still an image that provokes outrage; earlier this month a nude portrait of the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata wearing nothing but heels and a pink sombrero caused outrage in Mexico, with a spokesperson for protesters calling it “disgusting”. The growth of the male heel has expanded beyond the stiletto, as different types of heeled shoe have been embraced by fashion, with Gucci, Maison Margiela and Saint Laurent showcasing the Chelsea, Jacquard and split toe boots as well as heeled loafers. Male celebrities such as Shawn Mendes, Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet have all experimented with a stack heeled shoe on the red carpet, taking cues from glam rock icons such as the New York Dolls, Kiss and David Bowie. The designer Laurence Dacade said the high boots she makes changes the gait of her customers so “they feel more powerful and sexy”, adding that her biggest seller is “a David Bowie [inspired] bootie with a 6cm heel”. Shawn Mendes at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Shawn Mendes at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Photograph: Lisa O’Connor/AFP via Getty Images The gender-blurring 70s are a significant reference point for designers this season, “particularly in the way that masculinity was performed as something which could be both outlandish, decorative and still highly potent”, said Ellen Sampson, the author of the forthcoming book Worn: Footwear, Attachment and Affects of Wear. “The 1970s saw a 1930s/40s revival which spurred interest in 1940s shoe shapes, particularly Ferragamo-style platforms, which recently inspired the Gucci platform” . A blurring of time, gender, race and shoe politics was also visible in last year’s “yeehaw agenda” – a black-consciousness-led update of the cowboy look – which GQ called “the biggest fashion trend to emerge from the internet this year”. Yeehaw’s heeled cowboy boot silhouette has been embraced by designers such as Amiri, Haider Ackermann and Céline and worn by the likes of Lil Nas X, Diplo and Post Malone. “Cowboy boots have become a firm favourite among style influencers and it’s not a surprise we’ve seen an uplift in searches for them on eBay this year,” said Helen Riley, the fashion acquisition manager at eBay UK, which has had a 32% increase in searches since October. “I imagine this is a trend that will continue into the new year.” The impact of the Yeehaw has slyly undermined the ethos of the current US administration. “In Trump’s America, the cowboy is such a symbolic representation of American ideals of masculinity that it has become ripe to be appropriated and subverted,” said Groves. Paradoxically, this year also exposed women’s complicated relationship to the heel. Female workers in Japan battled against an edict of the compulsory wearing of heels at work and in August Women’s Wear Daily published a piece asking “have sneakers made stilettos irrelevant?” Sharing digitally altered “deepfake” pornographic images will attract a penalty of six years’ jail, or seven years for those who also created them, under proposed new national laws to go before federal parliament next week. The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, is expected to introduce legislation on Wednesday to create a new criminal offence of sharing, without consent, sexually explicit images that have been digitally created using artificial intelligence or other forms of technology. Once passed, the new laws will make it illegal to share any non-consensual deepfake pornographic image with another person, whether by email or personal message to an individual or to a mass audience on a private or open platform. Flagging the new legislation on Saturday, Dreyfus said the government would not tolerate “this sort of insidious criminal behaviour”. “Digitally created and altered sexually explicit material that is shared without consent is a damaging and deeply distressing form of abuse,” Dreyfus said. “We know it overwhelmingly affects women and girls who are the target of this kind of deeply offensive and harmful behaviour. It can inflict deep, long-lasting harm on victims.” April and Amelia Maddison photographed on the Gold Coast this month Making deepfake images is increasingly easy – controlling their use is proving all but impossible Read more The change aims to enable the law to catch up with technology. Currently, it is not illegal to create a deepfake AI-generated or digitally altered pornographic image. Outlawing that on its own is not within the commonwealth’s jurisdiction and would require changes to state and territory law, with moves under way in some jurisdictions. But there are commonwealth laws about using a carriage service – telephone, video or internet-based technology – to commit crimes and the new criminal code amendment (deepfake sexual material) bill expands those to include the dissemination of deepfake porn on the list of offences. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup In establishing the commonwealth offence of sharing these images punishable by six years’ imprisonment, the government is adding a companion aggravated offence covering anyone who was also responsible for creating them. The aggravated offence will attract an extra year’s jail. The new offences will only cover images depicting adults. There are existing separate laws that cover the possession of sexually explicit images of real children or images designed to be childlike which can already capture artificially generated material. The change is part of a suite of moves aimed at reducing the incidence of violence against women and addressing the role that technology, including social media, plays in spreading and normalising violent, degrading and misogynistic imagery and ideas. They include a review of the Online Safety Act and proposed measures to address doxing – the use or publication of private or identifying material with malicious intent. As artificial intelligence grows in popularity, the latest tech tools are creeping into just about every industry and endeavor — including wedding planning. A luxurywedding planner this spring shared how brides and grooms are making use of sophisticated AI tools to ease the stress of their big day. Lisa Lafferty, a wedding and event planner in Beverly Hills, California, said she's helped throw some extravagant parties in her decade of experience — which has given her an up-close look at AI's use in the wedding space. WEDDING PLANNING COMPANY LAUNCHES AI TOOL TO HELP COUPLES ‘SPLIT THE DECISIONS’ FOR THEIR SPECIAL DAY Owner of Beverly Hills Premier Catering, Lafferty expanded her catering business to event planning in 2018 and has since planned events for celebrities, real estate moguls, Fortune 500 brands and more, she said. Hereare three surprising insights into how AI is being used in the wedding industrytoday. Lisa Lafferty profile Lisa Lafferty, a luxuryevent planner based in Los Angeles, California, shared three waystoday's couples are incorporating AI into their weddings. (Lisa Lafferty) 3 ways couples are using AI at weddings 1. For writing their vows Lafferty said many couples are tapping into artificial intelligence tools to support their vows spoken on the big day. HOW TRAVELERS ARE USING CHATGPT TO PLAN TRIPS ON A BUDGET "Not everyone feels like they can communicate their emotions and what they want to say in a way that feels natural, authentic, comfortable and appropriately concise," she said. Wedding vows Couples engaged to be married are using AI to help create their vows for their big day. (iStock) "Because of this, many couples are using ChatGPT to write their vows," said Lafferty. placeholder They're "putting the main ideas into the platform and then using what it provides as a basis to work from." AI TOOL HELPS COUPLES WRITE WEDDING VOWS AS MARRIAGE EXPERT WARNS, ‘BE CAUTIOUS’ WITH TECHNOLOGY This can help couples if they're suffering from a bout of writer’s block, said the wedding planner. Wedding couple Some couples todayare using AI to help them emcee their weddings. (iStock) 2. For making announcements Using AI as afree DJ is also a popular trend among newlyweds on their wedding day. Many couples will use an artificial intelligence voice generator to make announcements at their wedding, said Lafferty. UNIQUE RECEPTION FOOD ITEMS THAT WILL TAKE YOUR WEDDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL The announcements might tell guests it’s time to be seated for dinner, for example. placeholder "This is especially common at smaller weddings," said Lafferty, "where there isn’t a DJ or large band with an emcee, and in cases where there isn’t a memberof the clergy leading the ceremony." Wedding cake Many couples are nowusing AI on their wedding day to make things easier, simpler and clearer for them and their guests. (iStock) Although it might seem odd at first, Lafferty said it’s much more common intoday’s wedding agendas than many people may realize. 3. For remembering or honoring loved ones Using artificial intelligence to bring since-departed loved ones "to" the wedding day — or people who simply can't getthere physically — is also becoming more popular, she said. CLICKHERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER AI is being used to create a visual edit or a voice generation of a loved one who has passed, or a beloved family memberorfriend who can't be present physically. Wedding day couple A wedding planner shared intriguing details about how couples are using artificial intelligence on their wedding day. (iStock) "Whether it's relatives who have passed or people who simply can’t make the trip, AI is nowmaking it possible to ‘bring’ them to the party," she said. "This comes tolife in several ways, including by visual editing and voice generation to have people make speeches or give their well-wishes." CLICKHERE TO GETTHE FOX NEWS APP Although this use of AI isn't for everyone, Lafferty said this is becoming a popular way to create a "special moment for the couple" who are celebrating one of the most important days of their lives for many years to come. Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged a group of top defence officials at a Singapore security conference to attend the Swiss summit this month on ending the Russian war on Ukraine. Zelenskyy told the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum on Sunday that he was “disappointed” some world leaders had not yet confirmed attendance at the conference in about two weeks. The Ukrainian president did not specify any country byname, but the possible participation of China, Russia’s most important ally, has been seen as a key issue. The Chinese defence minister, Dong Jun, spoke earlier in the day at the Shangri-La conference but did not appear to be in the room when Zelenskyy made his appeal. Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he met with the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue. “We discussed what’s key: the defence needs of our country, the strengthening of the Ukrainian air defence system, the F-16 coalition and the preparation of a bilateral security agreement.” A Russian missile strike on residences injured 13 people including eight children in Balakliia town, Kharkiv region, on Saturday, Ukrainian prosecutors said. Prosecutors also announced that recovery operations had concluded at the site of three missile strikes on Friday in the city of Kharkiv, with a death toll of nine, most in a badly damaged apartment building. A military spokesperson, Nazar Voloshin, told national television on Saturday that Ukrainian forces controlled 70of Vovchansk, 5km (three miles) inside the border, which Russian troops have been trying to capture. Russian forces fired a combined 100 missiles and drones at Ukraine overnight into Saturday morning, hitting energy sites, Ukrainian officials said. The air force said it shot down 35 of the missiles and allbut one of the drones. Two thermal power plants were damaged, said their operator, DTEK operator. Mourners and soldiers have laid flowers at a statue over the St Petersburg grave of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary leader who sent his forces into Ukraine for Vladimir Putin but then staged a mutiny against the Russian government before being killed when his plane was blown up. Putin, who said grenade fragments were found in the plane’s wreckage, called him a “talented” man who had made “seriousmistakes”. The UK’s Ministry of Defence has estimated that the number of Russian troops killed or wounded since the war’s outbreak “has nowlikely reached 500,000”. Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, has told the BBC that “we have no Plan B for a Russian victory, because then we wouldstop focusing on Plan A” – helping Ukraine push back the Russian invasion. “We should not give in to pessimism. Victory in Ukraine is not just about territory. If Ukraine joins Nato, even without some territory, then that’s a victory because it will be placed under the Nato umbrella.” Estonia’s government has given more than 1of its GDP for Ukraine’s defence – concerned that Vladimir Putin might also turn his attention to the Baltics to bring countries like Estonia back under Moscow’s control. A major study of Donald Trump’s social media posts has revealed the scale of the former US president’s ambitions to target Joe Biden, judges and other perceived political enemies if he returns to power. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), a watchdog organisation, analysed more than 13,000 messages published by Trump on his Truth Social platform and found him vowing revenge, retaliation and retribution against his foes. The presumptive Republican nominee has threatened to use the federal government to go after Biden during a second Trump administration 25 times since the start of 2023, the study found. These threats include FBI raids, investigations, indictments and even jail time. He has also threatened or suggested that the FBI and justice department should takeaction against senators, judges, members of Biden’s family and even non-governmental organisations. “He is promising to go after what he perceives to be his political enemies,” said Robert Maguire, vice-president for research and data at Crew. “He is promising to essentially weaponise the government against anyone he sees as not sufficiently loyal or who is openly opposed to him. At least six rows of four words in white andall-caps saying GUILTY on dark grey pavement. ‘Karma alwaysget you’: NewYorkers react to verdict in Trump criminaltrial Read more “He has constantly seeded this idea that the numerous charges against him are trumped-up charges and it seems almost to have given him licence to openly say, ‘You’ve done this to me, so I’m going to do it to you.’” Trump launched Truth Social in early 2022 after he was banned from major sites such as Facebook and the platform formerly known as Twitter following the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Although he has since been reinstated to both, he has mostly stayedoff X, as it is nowcalled, the Elon Musk-owned platform that was once his primary megaphone. Trump reaches far fewer people on his platform, where he has fewer than 7million followers, than he might on X, where he boasts 87million. The research firm Similarweb estimates that Truth Social had roughly 5m monthly visits in February of this year. This compares with more than 2bn for TikTok and more than 3bn for Facebook. The study is part of a larger Crew project tracking and analysing Trump’s Truth Social posts. The watchdog says that Trump’s niche following means that the extent of his threats has flown mostly under the radar. There have also been concerns about Trump fatigue over the past decade, with some voters numbed and inured to statements that would have been jaw-dropping from any other president. Maguire said: “His comments are often reported on or discussed as one-offs. ‘Trump said thistoday,’ and people talk about it and then it fades away because Trump said something else the next day or the next week or the next month. “We figured it would be helpful to quantify these comments that he’s making to show this isn’t just a whim or a passing idea that he put out in the world because he saw somebody say something on TV. It’s a fixation of his, it’s apromise he’s making to use the government in ways that are squarely unethical.” Crew duly analysed more than 13,000 of Trump’s Truth Social posts from 1 January 2023 to 1 April 2024 and found that, while the former president has recently dialed down some of his more violent rhetoric, he remains fixated on threatening political opponents. Trump gesticulating angrily at a mic. Donald Trump, picturedhere on 31 May, a day after he was found guilty of 34 criminal charges, has vowed to retaliate against his many perceived enemies. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AP Its report, the first in a series, says his attitude can be summed up in one Truth Social post from August 2023: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” Indeed, last December Trump posted a word cloud based on his speeches: the biggest word was “revenge”. Many of his threats to Biden reflect Trump’snow familiar tactic of reversing charges against his opponents, conjuring a mirror world in which heclaims they are guilty of the very offence of which he is accused. In one post about the special counsel Jack Smith, he warned that there will be “repercussions far greater than anything that Biden or his Thugs could understand” and, if the investigations continue, it willopen a “Pandora’s Box” of retribution. In another, Trump wrote that his federal indictments are “setting a BAD precedent for yourself, Joe. The same can happen to you.” In July last year Trump reposted rally coverage quoting him that “Nowthe gloves areoff.” skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Stakes — US Election Edition Freenewsletter The Guardian guides you through the chaos of a hugely consequential presidential election Enter your email address Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. 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