Welcome to Refinery29’s So, How Is It Really? where we take a look at all of the topics that have the internet talking. In studying them up close, we answer the question of what it’s really like to try out a trend, a viral product, or an unexpected TikTok hack. This month, we review the Veronica Beard Dickey Jacket, a best-selling item whose celebrity following includes Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, and Gwyneth Paltrow among others.

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Brooke Shields has explained why she was initially against her teenage daughter Grier Hammond Henchy joining the “brutal” modelling industry. The 58-year-old, who was a child model and actor, said she “fought it for so long” but has since realised the “rules have changed” since her time as a model. Shields was recently the focus of a two-part Hulu documentary Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby, in which she described being sexualised at a very young age. At the age of 10, her mother Teri Shields consented to her daughter being photographed nude for Playboy, and at 12, Sheilds appeared in the 1978 film Pretty Baby as a child sex worker. After eventually giving her daughter the green light to begin her own modelling career, Shields said she has laid down some ground rules. In an interview on US chat show Live with Kelly and Mark on Thursday (1 May), she said: “It’s such a different industry now than it was… I finally had to give in and say, ‘If you’re going to do this, I’m not going to be your manager. You’re going to be with an agency. You’re going to have a great work ethic. It’s not going to be comfortable and you’re going to listen to me’.” Grier is keen to begin modelling on the runway, a category that Shields never broke into but which she understood to be “brutal”. “That’s brutal and backstage is just brutal,” she told hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, adding she did not think she could have “handled it”. When Shields began working, her mother Teri was her manager and they were “glued at the hip”, she said. “[It was] probably how I could survive because you couldn’t get to me. She was such a mama bear and so protective. On the one hand I was very naïve and on the other, I was just thrown into this crazy world.” In an interview with The Times published earlier this year ahead of her documentary, Shields reflected on her mother’s choices for her. She said it was difficult to have a conversation with her daughters, Rowan, 19, and Grier, about why their grandmother allowed her to do projects that left her vulnerable to sexualisation. “I mean, I could say: ‘Oh, it was the time back then’ or ‘Oh, it was art’. But I don’t know why she thought it was alright. I don’t know,” she admitted. However, Shelds said she wasn’t angry with her mother, who died on 31 October 2012 at 72. “Everyone wanted me to be angry with her, but anger was just too sad for me to take when I looked at how insecure she was,” she told the publication. “It’s so innate when you’re an only child of a single mother. All you want to do is love your parent and keep them alive forever, and so I wanted to protect her. And by virtue of protecting her, I was justifying everything and that solidified that bond between us.” Shields shares her daughters with husband and film director Chris Henchy, whom she married in 2001. Read More Beanie Feldstein marries girlfriend Bonnie-Chance Roberts Pregnant transgender man Logan Brown stars on cover of Glamour UK’s Pride issue Everything we know about Jordan’s royal wedding attended by Prince William and Kate Big Issue teams up with fashion designers to launch range of T-shirts How to do gel nails at home like a pro Vogue editor Anna Wintour announces Vogue World 2023 is coming to London

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Mac Miller‘s estate has teamed up with Vans to create a pair of shoes in honour of the five-year anniversary of the rapper’s last album. The late rapper released his album Swimming on 3 August 2018. To celebrate the five-year anniversary of the album this year, Miller’s estate selected appropriate motifs based on both the late rapper’s style and what best represents him for a pair of Vans, one of his favourite sneaker brands. “A pair of black Vans Authentics - one of Malcolm’s favourite shoes, which he wore around the world many times over,” the estate’s Instagram announcement began. “Thanks to our friends at Vans for helping us create a special pair in celebration of the five-year anniversary of Swimming.” The shoes look similar to Vans classic black authentic shoes with a couple of extra details. They feature a yin-yang symbol in black and white with the words “Swimming by Mac Miller” surrounding them in a circle formation. Around the white trim towards the bottom of each shoe, it reads “Mac Miller 1992 to [infinity symbol]” to represent the scope and timelessness of Miller’s influence. Apart from the sentimental details, the shoes have their same original Vans logo on the heel of the sneaker and the iconic white laces. They will come in a pink and purple gradient box with “Swimming Mac Miller” stamped on the side, complete with the Vans logo next to another yin-yang symbol. The special collab can be found only be purchased on Mac Miller’s website, where the shoes will retail for $100. Part of the profit will go to the Mac Miller Fund, which is a part of the Pittsburgh Foundation. The fund is meant to support “young musicians with resources to help realise their full potential through exploration, expression and community,” per their website. Miller’s fifth and final album went on to debut at number three on the Billboard 200 upon release and entered the top 10 a second time one week after the late rapper’s death in 2018. It featured singles including “Self Care”, “What’s the Use?” and “Small Worlds”. Miller died from an accidental overdose on 7 September 2018, a little over a month after the release of Swimming. In 2019, the album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rap album category. The album lost to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy. One year later, Miller’s record label, Warner Music, released an album that the rapper was in the middle of recording called Circles, which was meant to be a companion album to Swimming. Together, they were supposed to fit the theme of swimming in circles. “He had been working with Jon Brion, who after hearing some early versions of songs cleared his calendar to help Malcolm fine-tune them,” a statement on the rapper’s Instagram read. “After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversations with Malcolm.” Released in January 2020, the album featured the singles “Good Blues” and “New World.” Swimming was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2021. Read More Angus Cloud gave final verdict on playing Mac Miller in biopic before his death Demi Lovato says she has ‘survivor’s guilt’ over Mac Miller’s death Mac Miller: Second drug supplier sentenced to 17 years in prison for giving rapper fentanyl-laced pills Woman claims she received ‘7lbs of cake smashed together’ for Too Good to Go order Reese Witherspoon and ex Jim Toth reach divorce settlement with prenup in place Bakery delivers brilliant response to ‘well-known celebrity’ request for free cake