This Jewellery Designer Wants To Help Us Celebrate Our Periods

Celebrate Your Period With This Statement Jewellery
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Ever dreamed of owning a period stain brooch, or a bejewelled sanitary pad ring?

It's now a possibility thanks to this London-based artist.

Lili Murphy-Johnson has created a range of period-themed jewellery in the hope of destigmatising menstruation and promoting equality for women.

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Writing on her website, the 22-year-old artist said: "There is an interesting conflict with the perception of the female body, being seen as so perfect, yet also as so grotesque and unclean.

"Drug stores are oversaturated with products to manage periods, all playing up to the idea that periods are dirty and something wrong with the body, something to hide."

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Murphy-Johnson told HuffPost UK Style that the menstruation-based pieces were inspired by her own experience of dealing with PMS around her period.

"The collection had three parts - one dealing with the pre-menstrual symptoms such as irritation, bloating and clumsiness, the second part dealing with the products people use for their periods, and the third with the blood itself," she said.

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"I wanted to create jewellery out of traditional techniques and materials to create pieces that address issues not usually associated with jewellery."

She also revealed the reaction from her friends and tutors was very positive, although "some people were shocked, but in an amused way."

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Her innovative work is already paying off - the young designer is currently working under renowned luxury jeweller Shaune Leane, despite only graduating from University of the Arts London this summer.

What Hollywood Calls Your Period
'Clueless': 'Surfing The Crimson Wave'(01 of03)
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One of the many reasons to love "Clueless" and it's heroine, Cher, are these words from the beginning of the movie: "Mr. Hall, I was surfing the crimson wave. I had to haul ass to the ladies'." That will be the last time Mr. Hall publicly asks her why she's late.The movie was an adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma," where of course such a direct referral to menstruation would be hard to find, but it is fair to note that with so many female characters in a single novel, it is no wonder that some were "indisposed" from time to time.You can find the sound clip here. (credit:Paramount)
'Forgetting Sarah Marshall': 'Time Of The Month'(02 of03)
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The protagonist Peter's ex-girlfriend Sarah Marshall has a television show, "Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime" in the comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." "Crime Scene" is an hilarious exaggeration of the overuse of puns and mind-bending catch phrases on crime scene shows.In the clip from the show that Peter ends up having to watch on his way to Hawaii, Detective Hunter Rush has a very unique answer to why there is an excessive amount of blood on the victim, "He was either stabbed in the aorta or it was his time of the month." Who says a little period humor can't lighten the mood at a crime scene?You can watch the clip here. (credit:Anyclip)
'Juno': 'The Rag'(03 of03)
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It's not surprising to see menstruation included in "Juno," a movie that revolves around a young woman's first sexual experience, childbirth and motherhood.In one of the scenes, Paulie and Juno end up being lab partners with a rather tense couple. After the girl declares that she has a "menstrual migraine," they get into an argument with her boyfriend who says, "Call me when you get off the rag!" Seeing a teenager use such a dated term and Juno's expression when she hears it together make this one of Hollywood's unforgettable period euphemism moments.Watch it here. (credit:Fox Searchlight Pictures)