My Recent Work
The Enigmatic Species Among Us: Becoming a Corporate Girly
[Scene opens with serene music playing in the background, transitioning to the Voice of Sir David Attenborough]. In the gentle embrace of dawn she stirs. Her alarm (a mere whisper in the symphony of morning) is all she requires – her zeal and relentless pursuit of triumph awakens prior. Adorned in meticulously selected gym attire which harmonises with her trainers and hydration companion (that is brimming with lemon-infused vitality) she strides purposefully into a 6 am Pilates class – fortified...
Language Learning Made Easy: Top Tips and Tricks
I arrived in Paris for my year abroad six weeks ago. I have lost all grasp of the English language – let alone any French I came with – and I have recently resorted to excessive hand gestures like the soul of an old Italian grandmother possesses me. It’s the latest development of my slow demise into insanity.My brain is both exhausted and alert from operating in overdrive every day. When I close my eyes confusing verb conjugations and croissants flash behind my eyelids. I seek solace from the Fr...
AW23 Fashion Trend Report
By Izzy LepineTHE CROFT // Izzy explores the bi-annual seasonal shift in fashion as we settle into Autumn, and how this influences student style.As September rolls around, signalling the start of another academic year, students always step out with their best foot forward. New stationery promising good grades all around, gently enclosed in a new backpack, tote bag or handbag of choice.The student, formerly seen with eye bags down to their knees during exam season, looks refreshed, styled, and da...
What It Means To Be A Woman In Business
The conversation surrounding women in the world of work has been derailed. The simple message of gender equality has somehow been mistranslated and lost in an endless game of Chinese whispers. Women are out of breath, playing catch-up to the discourse of their own lived experience. They watch as this increasingly unfamiliar narrative that demonises ‘feminism’ races further and faster away from their truth and from the reality of being a woman in business. It’s time to set the record straight aga...
How to date like a modern woman
As a young girl, I loved to play dress up; I was desperate to grow up faster than the years would allow me. I would trudge around our house in my mum’s high heels and snoop through her makeup, looking for the secret to adulting in every palette and compact. I clung to the advice of the wiser, more established, and ever-so-glamorous women in my life like they were my personal agony aunts. Their input, whilst often abstract and inconsequential in the long run, formulated the early pieces of the pu...
FASHION MOMENTOS: It Started With A Dress
By Isabelle Lepine, French and PoliticsThe Croft Magazine // Reflecting on her time in Paris, Isabelle Lepine shares her experience of the value of sentimental clothing. There were six of us altogether. All au pairs for Parisian families, sipping wine on the balcony of a stunning apartment in the 15th arrondissement, as though we were wealthy homeowners ourselves. The living room was large and lavished with ornaments the host family had collected from their worldly travels, and the furniture loo...
The winter wellbeing pandemic: '18 to 24-year-olds most likely to struggle with loneliness at Christmas'
By Isabelle Lepine, Second Year Politics and FrenchAs the days get shorter and the nights get colder, the festive period becomes the focal point in nearly every aspect of life. The intensity of this time of year often brings joy with its variety of festive events, however, with so much emphasis placed on socialising, many students experience exacerbated fears of social exclusion. With a plethora of festive activities to get involved with, from society Christmas formals to student household Chris...
Baguettes and cigarettes: the trials and tribulations of working in Paris
I followed the magazine editor’s bouncing curls as she weaved through the office desks with a speed that seemed to quicken every step. She reeled off the generic laws of the land: the daily meeting is held here; never go into the chief’s office; stationary cupboard is here. She dropped me off at the equivalent of an intern crèche: a desk covered in papers shrouding an overworked secretary who could do without babysitting duties as well.She peered over her glasses and gritted a smile to welcome m...
“Oh God!”: The gravity of religious guilt in dating
I’ve grown up in what would typically be described as a Christian home. I went to Church every Sunday with my mum (the Reverend herself); we say a short grace before we eat; and the pillars which my family are supported by could be described as predominantly Christian values of love and generosity. I realise it’s a very shallow summation of what it means to follow God, but it set the tone for opening the floor up to my growing questions on all things faith and Church.I remember sitting in Sunday...
Understanding self-care vs selfishness
As I dragged myself out of bed this morning, ten minutes before I had to leave for a French class, I realised I was rapidly hurtling towards burnout. I pulled on the comfiest clothes I could find, drowning myself in an oversized fleece; shoved my hair up in a claw clip (it makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn even when I’m exhausted), and grabbed my laptop before heading out the door.The class went over my head. I was in no state to engage with a grammar lesson and so I sat there trying to conceal...
Dealing with friendship rejection in a healthy way
Recently I had a friend over for dinner. We cooked a simple tomato-based pasta together and sat on the floor of my bedroom to eat it. After a few hours of chatting, I drove her home to avoid the rain and then went to bed.To the unassuming eye, it wasn’t a special evening by any great standards, except that it was one of my favourites in a while. The conversation flowed with ease and was a perfect balance of give and take. I came away from the whole experience lighter, having laughed and invested...
How has social media influenced our idea of what it means to be beautiful?
Beauty has long been a desirable quality for both men and women. The pursuit of attaining this aesthetic state continues to be a focal point in literature, art, and media, with the global beauty industry valued at £395.7 billion in 2022. In the past decade, the eruption of social media usage has called into question its impact on the beauty industry.According to Global social media statistics, 58.4% of the world’s population uses social media. What used to be a means of staying in contact with f...
Feeling Lonely at Uni? You’re Not Alone at All…
Whenever I leave home to go back to university, my mum slips £20 into my bag and tells me to “spend it on whatever brings you joy”. It’s her way of making sure I look after myself and I have come to totally love this generous ritual. When I get to university, I unpack my bag carefully each time – shaking the books and unfolding clothes before hanging them up – only to delight when the little envelope slides out with a note of encouragement. And whilst sometimes tempting, I have developed the nec...
Vianney «de nouveau seul» : une nouvelle étape de franchie, avec émotion
Kate Middleton a rendez-vous sur le court avec...Roger Federer
Joueuse de tennis passionnée, Kate Middleton s'apprête à échanger quelques balles avec son ami Roger Federer.Grande fan de tennis, Kate Middleton tiendra à nouveau une raquette de tennis pour une journée caritative avec Roger Federer en septembre prochain. Cet événement en marge de la Laver Cup, à Londres, permettra de récolter des fonds pour deux causes chères au coeur de la duchesse de Cambridge : « Action for children » et la « Fondation LTA ».Selon « People », des enfants de l’est de Londres...
Brigitte Macron, ses filles partagent leurs photos de vacances : «From Breg with love»
A contrecœur, Lewis Hamilton a refusé un rôle dans «Top Gun: Maverick»
Lewis Hamilton a révélé dans une interview accordée à «Vanity Fair» qu’il avait décliné un rôle dans le dernier film de Tom Cruise, «Top Gun: Maverick».Star du nouveau numéro du magazine «Vanity Fair» pour le mois de septembre 2022, Lewis Hamilton a expliqué être ami avec Tom Cruise . Le septuple champion du monde de F1 a même failli apparaître dans le blockbuster de cet été, «Top Gun: Maverick» , avant d'être rattrapé par sa propre carrière de pilote. «En fait, je suis un ami de Tom Cruise. L'...
Zinédine Zidane, photo de vacances (musclée) en famille
Comme chaque été, les Zidane et leurs abdos partagent leurs photos de vacances sur les réseaux sociaux.Jeudi 4 août, Zinédine Zidane s’est saisi de son compte Instagram pour partager une photo de sa famille au complet… ou presque. La superstar du ballon rond adore passer ses vacances avec ses proches. En légende de sa publication, l’ancien entraîneur du Real Madrid écrit simplement : « Family first » (« La famille avant tout »).A l'image, Zidane pose dans le jardin, entouré de sa femme Véronique...
Adriana Karembeu, craquante vidéo de sa fille Nina, future danseuse
Angelina Jolie fière, sa fille Zahara fait ses débuts dans une célèbre université
Amené enfant sous un faux nom et forcé à travailler…les révélations chocs de Mo Farah
Le quadruple champion olympique Mo Farah a révélé dans un documentaire de la BBC qu’il avait été amené illégalement au Royaume-Uni, avant d’être victime d’esclavage moderne.L’émission s'intitule «The Real Mo Farah», et le Royaume-Uni ne s’attendait pas à découvrir une telle réalité sur le passé de son héros. Dans ce documentaire diffusé cette semaine par la BBC, le quadruple champion olympique britannique, maître incontesté du 5000 et 10 000 mètres en 2012 et 2016 , a révélé être arrivé illégale...
Harrogate 17-year-old's eye-opening insights and inspiring messages about life in lockdown for the Class of 2020
Harrogate 17-year-old Isabelle Lepine has just finished Year 13 at St Aidan's and St John Fisher Associated Sixth Form. To contribute to the country's efforts during the coronavirus crisis, Isabelle is working in a care home in Leeds to care for elderly residents. Once the pandemic has passed, she hopes to move to Paris and continue to learn about different languages and cultures. Here, she writes for the Harrogate Advertiser to share an important message and insight into what life is like for t...
