‘The way the world is, something daft is appealing’ – why everything from pizzas to podcasts has a cartoon character on it

So-called rubber hose style is putting a smile on everyday products, even as some designers plead that it’s time to ‘stop putting arms and legs on everything’. What’s behind the ubiquity of this wholesome branding?

A bagel embodied as a human, with unexpected little arms and a sweet face. A sandwich giving the peace sign. A leather jacket-wearing fish brandishing a spatula. A chess board on the march. A rugby ball making a dash for it. A smiling pizza, tongue dangling, clambering from a box.

Perhaps you have seen such a character. Chiefly in the branding – and merch – of an independent pizza place or sandwich shop, in a natural wine bar or brew pub. Though its loose limbs now stretch far and wide; to podcasts, internet talk shows and even global fashion labels.

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The best foundations in the UK for every skin type – from glowy to full coverage, tested

Whether you want buildable or barely there, our beauty writer put 19 formulas through their paces – plus, makeup artists on how to apply it

• The best concealers for camouflaging blemishes and dark circles

As a makeup-loving teenager, I spent countless hours of my precious youth practising how to apply makeup, and spent more money than I dare to count buying products.

My cosmetics drawers quickly filled with fun mascaras, bronzers and eyeshadow palettes, but my choice of foundation was ruining the look of anything I applied on top. Whether it was oxidising and turning my skin orange, or mismatched formulation types causing the whole look to separate on the skin, getting a lasting natural finish seemed impossible. Had I spent a little more time picking out the best foundation for my skin type, I wouldn’t be haunted by so many embarrassing photos from my adolescence.

Best foundation overall:
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

Best budget foundation:
L’Oréal True Match foundation

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Cherry on the top: Jessie Buckley pulled off a stunning double Oscar win for herself … and Chanel

The best actress winner was a red carpet triumph in her blood red and rose pink gown, the colours bringing an emotional warmth and a singularity that stood out among the familiar choices of black or gold
• Oscars 2026 red carpet – in pictures
• Oscar winners 2026: the full list

There are two ways to win at the Oscars: go home with a statuette, or be crowned on the red carpet. Jessie Buckley did the double.

Buckley’s best actress award seemed pretty much in the bag by the time the night rolled around, and she pulled off a red carpet triumph to put the cherry on top of a stellar award season. In her acceptance speech, she said her role as a grieving mother “cracked a kind of tenderness” in her. Buckley’s Chanel gown, blood red satin-backed leather and rose pink chiffon, chimed with that message. The colours brought an emotional warmth and a singularity that stood out among the familiar choices of flattering black, or glamorous gold. The silhouette put the focus on her face rather than her body, the wide crimson neckline was a visual echo of her broad lipsticked smile. There was a smart nod to Oscar history, too: the juxtaposition of a shawl-wrapped top with a waisted, full gown was in part inspired by an Edith Head gown worn by Grace Kelly to the 1956 ceremony. The reach of the Oscars is an opportunity for actors to embed themselves in the culture, telling a huge audience who they are and what they are about, and Buckley did just that.

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Oscars 2026 red carpet: Jessie Buckley, Chase Infiniti and more – in pictures

The best looks from the red carpet at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles

• Oscars 2026 winners: the full list

• In pictures: Jessie Buckley, Michael B Jordan and Jacob Elordi at the afterparties

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From Björk’s swan dress to Céline’s back-to-front tux: the most iconic Oscar red carpet looks

Ridiculed, ‘memed’ and consigned to worst-dressed lists, seven standout Oscar outfits from over the years

At the 2001 Oscars, Gladiator won best picture with Russell Crowe picking up best actor. But, if those facts might have faded to fodder for a pub quiz, the red carpet produced a moment of fashion legend – Björk wearing what is now known as “the swan dress”.

Made by the Macedonian designer Marjan Pejoski, the tutu skirt with the swan draped around the musician’s neck – and egg accessories – was panned. “It’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen,” said the TV fashion critic Steven Cojocaru.

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