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The soft drink company teased consumers with a giant contest offer. But could they really pay it out?

A woman is suing Starbucks for “false and deceptive practices” over claims that the coffee company’s iced, fruit-filled refresher beverage actually contains no fruit. Joan Kominis from Queens, New York, filed a complaint in August 2022 after learning that Starbucks’ Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher contained no actual acai. Court documents filed in the southern district of New York claim that “unbeknownst to consumers, the Mango Dragon Fruit and Mango Dragon Fruit Lemonade Refreshers contain no mango, the Pineapple Passionfruit and Pineapple Passion Fruit Lemonade Refreshers contain no passionfruit, and the Strawberry Açaí and Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refreshers contain no açaí.” Kominis and her co-plaintiff, Jason McAllister of California, are seeking damages in excess of $5m. Starbucks has since called the allegations “inaccurate” and “without merit”. On Tuesday 19 September, US District Judge John Cronan rejected Starbucks’ request to dismiss nine of the 11 claims in the class-action complaint because “a significant portion of reasonable consumers” would assume that the beverages in question would contain the fruit in their names. The plaintiffs have said the main ingredients in these beverages were water, grape juice concentrate, and sugar. They claim the refreshers “differ from other Starbucks products” in that the product doesn’t contain items in their name. “Starbucks’ hot chocolate contains cocoa, its matcha lattes contain matcha, and its honey mint tea contains honey and mint,” reads the complaint. While they noted that the refresher drinks do in fact contain freeze-dried pieces of strawberries, pineapple and dragon fruit, they claimed that Starbucks “does not affirmatively indicate anywhere which ingredients are and are not in the products.” Starbucks had said that the fruits mentioned in the refreshers titles are meant to “describe the flavours as opposed to the ingredients.” Judge Cronan disagreed, writing in his ruling: “Nothing before the Court indicates that ‘mango,’ ‘passionfruit,’ and ‘açaí’ are terms that typically are understood to represent a flavour without also representing that ingredient.” In Kominis’ original filing, she claimed that she was going to buy a Strawberry Açaí refresher specifically for the açaí benefits. The suit stated that açaí berries and juice “are known to provide benefits to heart health, cognitive function, and contain anti-cancerous properties.” “Had she known that the product did not contain açaí, she would not have purchased it, or would have paid significantly less for it,” the document read. Kominis said that she and other consumers bought these menu items and “paid a premium price” based on Starbucks’ naming of the refreshers, and would either not have purchased them or “paid significantly less for them” had they been aware they were missing one of the named fruits. “The allegations in the complaint are inaccurate and without merit,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Today. “We look forward to defending ourselves against these claims.” One claim of fraud and another for unjust enrichment were dismissed from the suit, but Starbucks will have to face the rest of the allegations. The Independent has contacted a spokesperson for Starbucks for comment. This is the second lawsuit an American food chain has faced in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Burger King was sued over claims that the company misled customers by making its Whopper burger appear larger on the menu than how it appears in reality. Read More Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along? Starbucks cheers ‘good progress’ in plan for 100 new UK shops Ed Sheeran serves up Pumpkin Spice Lattes to surprised Starbucks customers Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them Top international cuisines Brits are keen to try Subway enthusiasts stew over launch of first ever 3-inch sandwich

Designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons achieved an unbearable lightness in a series of translucent chiffon dresses that gently cosseted the form, trailed by wispy strands of chiffon

Celebrating ’40 years of love’, Moschino handed over the reins to four friends of the house for its spring/summer show at Milan Fashion Week. Fashion stylists Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Katie Grand, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and Lucia Liu were invited to create 10 looks inspired by the works of founder Franco Moschino, who died in 1994. To mark the brand’s 40th anniversary, the collection was unveiled at a spectacular runway show split into four acts. Under the stewardship of creative director Jeremy Scott, Moschino has become known for bright, brash and whimsical designs. Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, 73, offered a more restrained take on the usual house codes, with the French stylist opening the show with a model clad in a white double-breasted two piece suit and black rollneck top. Injecting the sleek look with some Moschino glamour, she styled the suit with statement crystal jewellery and a head wrap dotted with chunky diamantes. What followed was the most wearable of the four ranges, featuring wide-leg blue jeans and chinos, navy blazers and knitwear, and a chic beige biker jacket. These were elevated staples, however, and they came with kooky accessories, such as heart-shaped handbags and a tiny micro bag worn as a necklace. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson pulled no punches with her first look, a gold chain skirt and cropped black leather biker jacket worn over a stripey black and white bikini and topped with a cowboy hat. Her 10 looks were a sensationally summery ode to the 1970s and 80s worn by a diverse cast of models who frolicked joyfully down the runway. Skirts ranged from mini (a colourful crochet number) to maxi (several high-waisted styles with ruffled ra-ra hems), teamed with corset tops and boxy blazers. A yellow and green tie-dyed denim skirt and top will no doubt appeal to Gen Z Moschino fans. Chinese stylist Lucia Liu was inspired by the Moschino founder’s painting and her range was all about ruffles. Opening with a pink tiered maxi skirt and a T-shirt printed with the slogan ‘Protect me from the fashion system’, the 10 looks featured lots of floaty chiffon, floral embroidery and cute little bow embellishments. Alongside puff-sleeved jackets, lace tights and diaphanous cargo trousers, Liu rounded off her range with a truly showstopping look. Worn by a Canadian model, the voluminous pink skirt was covered in giant bows and rosettes, teamed with a matching feather-trimmed jacket and vest top with an Italian slogan. The final act, from British stylist Katie Grand, was titled Gone With The Wind and promised ‘frequent nod(s) to irony’. It certainly delivered, with the first model striding out in a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘Loud luxury’, which he stripped off to reveal a tiny crop top and trunks printed with suggestive brushstrokes. A joyous rejection of the understated ‘quiet luxury’ trend that’s taken the fashion world by storm this year, Grand’s black and white range was more about making a statement than it was about selling clothes. Models in catsuits and tutus cavorted on the catwalk, engaging in something that looked like combative dance and generally having a whale of a time. They managed to get round the rectangular runway twice before sprinting off into the wings. A violinist appeared and began a solo performance of Gloria Gaynor’s I Am What I Am as she made her way down the catwalk. As the song morphed into Gaynor’s original version, the models reappeared in white slogan T-shirts and blue jeans, taking a final turn on the runway before the guest designers took their bow. The limited edition designs were made in partnership with the Elton John Aids Foundation. Honouring Franco Moschino’s work on HIV/Aids awareness during his lifetime, all proceeds from sales of the T-shirts will go to the charity. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live From tailoring to florals: 5 key fashion trends to know for autumn/winter Cue the damson decor trend to snug up your space Sex Education: What is it like to be a real-life Jean Milburn?

Artificial intelligence tools that can conjure whimsical artwork or realistic-looking images from written commands started wowing crowds last year

Pythons, peacocks, and monkeys have all made the Sunshine State their home.

Companies across the UK have been trialling a four-day work week over the past six months, with employees enjoying longer weekends for the same pay. The idea’s gaining traction around the world, with union workers in America recently demanding it from automobile manufacturers. But not everyone likes the idea. Local government minister Lee Rowley has demanded South Cambridgeshire District council put an end to their scheme and others think it will dent productivity and give workers minimal gain in their work life balance. India Burgess from the think tank Autonomy answers your questions on the four-day week.

One euro homes in Italy are two a penny, so Jeffrey Pfefferle and Leon McNaught bought two. They snapped up their first cheap turnkey property in Mussomeli, Sicily. But the locals were so friendly that they decided to buy another.

MILAN (AP) — Milan Fashion Week continued Thursday for the second day with mostly womenswear previews for next spring and summer under a steady rain.

YouTube will roll out a slew of artificial-intelligence-powered features for creators, the latest effort from parent company Alphabet

Cindy Crawford has explained why she posed nude for Playboy magazine in 1988, even after her agents told her not to. The supermodel, 57, reflected on the early days of her career in the new Apple TV+ docuseries, The Super Models, which she appears in alongside fashion icons Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. During the second episode of the show, Crawford noted that, after becoming the face of Revlon in the 80s, “things started really happening,” as she was “doing the right campaigns”. However, she claimed that when she was asked to appear on the cover of Playboy in 1988, some of her peers and agents advised her against it. “Everyone in my life at the time thought I shouldn’t do Playboy,” she said. “My modelling agency didn’t feel that that fit into the types of jobs I should be doing. I think the brand still had a connotation to it that maybe scared some people off.” Crawford said she knew why her agency was hesitant about on the gig, given how different it was from jobs she’d had before. “I understood the platform of Playboy and what that symbolised,” she explained. “It was definitely outside the normal trajectory for a Vogue model at the time.” She went on to specify that a famous fashion photographer, the late Herb Ritts, was the one who reached out to her about the project. After she recalled that she and Ritts were “really good friends” and that she “worked with” him a lot and previously “stayed at his house,” she shared another reason why she wanted to pose for Playboy. “I don’t know, there was just something about it that intrigued me. So against the advice of my agents, I said ‘yes,’” Crawford said, before describing the conditions she brought up to the maagazine when taking on the job. “But I said: ‘You don’t need to pay me a lot of money. As long as I can have control of the images, and I wanted the right to kill the story if I don’t like it,’” she recalled telling the publication. Crawford noted that when she did the photoshoot for Playboy, she and Ritts “combined it with another trip that [they] were doing for French Vogue to Hawaii”. And, according to the supermodel, the two photoshoots weren’t all that different from each other. “We’d shoot a picture for French Vogue and then we’d shoot a picture for Playboy,” she said. “I mean, you almost couldn’t tell which pictures were for French Vogue and which pictures were for Playboy, it was very organic and I loved them.” The actor concluded by noting that, despite what other people may think, it was ultimately her decision to pose for Playboy, and she did not feel pressured into it. “That’s the whole thing for me is, even if I make choices that other people disagree with or don’t like, if they’re my decisions and I have control of it, that’s empowering to me,” she said. “Even if it’s doing Playboy. I never felt like a victim of that decision.” This isn’t Crawford’s first time opening up about posing for the magazine. During an interview with Net-a-Porter’s PorterEdit in 2019, she acknowledged that she didn’t have any regrets about being photographed nude for the publication twice, as she also appeared in a 1998 Playboy spread. “I look back at some of my old Playboy pictures and I think: ‘Why wasn’t I walking around naked all the time?’” she said. “I’m not getting younger. So I want to celebrate who I am today.” She also opened up about posing nude in her fifties, and shared the candid reason why she did so in photographer Russell James’ book, Angels. “Part of the reason I wanted to do it was that I thought, at what age is being naked not beautiful anymore? Is there a sell-by date on us?” the model said. “I don’t look the same as I did at 20, 30 or even 40. If we take care of ourselves, why not? Am I frolicking on the beach in a string bikini? No.” Crawford continued to explain how, to her, posing nude showcases a type of beauty that isn’t typically shown in her other photoshoots. “But there is a place where I want to feel beautiful naked, in my private life, with my husband. [Russell] was tapping into that real place – not high heels, not a lot of makeup, not coy, just a real woman who doesn’t have clothes on,” she said. Read More Cindy Crawford candidly speaks about her marriage to Richard Gere 30 years later Voguewashing London Fashion Week won’t pay the wages of Britain’s young fashion designers Groping, abuse and racism: 10 of the most shocking revelations from The Super Models TV show

It's been nearly five months since the Hollywood writers strike began and more than two months since actors joined them