COACHELLA SUNGLASSES TRENDS

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Coachella 2015′s sunglasses trends ran the gamut from retro-inspired  to thoroughly modern shapes, and hues that ranged from pale neutrals to blackest black. We’ve picked some of our favorite sunglasses pairings that are sure to be trending through the festival season.

Blush + Pattern

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Proving that blush is the new neutral, concertgoers paired their pastel sunglasses with feminine florals and demonstrated, as shown by Zoë Kravitz, that it can complement a throwback 90′s style. Look for sunglasses in pale pinks and nude hues.

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Dark Noire

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Contrasting angelic whites and floral crowns, some attendees paired dark sunglasses with an all-black look. Jourdan Dunn amped up her outfit with a silver statement necklace and a yellow purse for an eye-catching color-pop. Round sunglasses are in demand this year and cross between a hippie and 90′s vibe.

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All American

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Sometimes all you need is a great button-down, or a perfect T with jeans. Aaron Paul, Brooklyn Beckham, Michael Polish and Kate Bosworth all paired classic sunglasses styles with their looks. Look for classic aviator and retro-wingtip shapes to top off a casual, cool style.

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Vintage Appeal

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Go perfectly ethereal or weave in preppy elements with an all-white look topped by a fantastic pair of shades. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley embraced the 70′s trend with a delicate dress accented by oversized sunglasses and embroidered purse. If you’re looking to emulate this era look for large sunglasses in a tortoiseshell pattern. If you’re looking to contrast your all-white attire colored mirrored shades are the ideal accent.

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What’s in a Name? Princess Charlotte

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Source: Getty / Anwar Hussein

This morning, Kensington Palace announced the name of the new royal baby: Princess Charlotte. So, we asked Albert Mehrabian, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA — and the author of The Name Game: The Decision That Lasts a Lifetime and Baby Name Report Card: Beneficial and Harmful Baby Names — what his own research reveals about the name Charlotte.

Mehrabian, via email, told us the name we’re given at birth can have a great impact on the course of our lives. “It is very important, because it is part of the impression profile a person presents to the general public. In fact, a name suggests qualities about a person even when they are not present,” he said. “Here is another way to answer your question: imagine if you had to write your articles under the name Candy vs. the name Elizabeth.” Point taken.

In his research on names, Mehrabian asked his subjects to imagine they were about to meet someone for the very first time. All they were told about this person was his or her name and gender. Then, Mehrabian asked them to rate his or her qualities on a scale from 1 to 100. Below are his findings for the name Charlotte.

  • 97 for ethical-caring (e.g., trustworthy, loyal, kind, generous, respectful)
  • 56 for popular-fun (e.g., playful, funny, cheerful, outgoing, athletic, good-looking)
  • 59 for successful (e.g., ambitious, intelligent, confident, creative)
  • 8 for masculinity-femininity (meaning it is a very feminine name)
  • 84 for overall name attractiveness: This score summarizes the overall positive-negative impression conveyed by a person’s name alone (i.e., the name judged independently of the individual’s other characteristics).

All in all, Dr. Mehrabian told us he thinks the princess’s name a fitting one for both her station and era. “Charlotte is a pretty suitable name for royalty because it is a ‘serious’ name conveying weight, substance, and morality. In addition, at least for the last few decades, it is not an overused name. So, that would be another plus.” But that may not last for long. Now that Charlotte has the royal stamp of approval, we predict it’s set for a resurgence in popularity in maternity wards around the world.

Chinese fashion designers in London

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Look from Ryan Lo’s autumn-winter 2015 collection – Chinese fashion

Recent news that the Hong Kong government is to plough HK$200 million into the creative sector coincided with the biannual international catwalk shows in New York and Europe.

In London and Paris, Hong Kong and Chinese graduates from the European art college system are already receiving help to showcase their collections, from organizations such as the British Fashion Council and the talent-spotting Fashion Scout that champions young creative talent. The British fashion industry and government funding underwrite both organizations.

Yifang Wan and Xiao Li are both previous Fashion Scout merit award winners, and Youjia Jin, originally from Inner Mongolia, says Fashion Scout gave her a “priceless opportunity” to launch her career after graduating by selecting her as one of its Ones to Watch designers.

Jin also designs men’s clothes, and is regarded as one of the mainland’s top 10 menswear designers. There is a distinct blend of masculine tailoring and feminine sensibility in her womenswear collections.

The girlish appeal of Ryan Lo’s flamboyant style, meanwhile, was recognised by New Gen which funded his first catwalk show last month in London. The New Gen showcase is one of the most internationally recognized talent spotting schemes, and has been sponsored by Top shop since 2001. Its alumni include Huishan Zhang, whose fresh and exciting vision of femininity they were quick to identify four years ago. Zhang who works in London and produces his collection in Qingdao, now has a coveted spot on the schedule on the same day as Burberry, Erdem and Christopher Kane. Always delving into his cultural roots, this season Zhang created Chinese puzzles of velvet and tweed spliced with lace, and traditional Chinese warrior-like dresses using hologram sequins.

Before being snapped up by New Gen, the Hong Kong-born Lo was supported for two seasons by Fashion East a non-profit initiative founded in East London that gives young designers the opportunity to showcase their collections in London and Paris.

An outfit by Minki Cheng

London-based Xiao Li, who graduated with an MA from the Royal College of Art, won the Diesel Award in 2013. She was showcased by Vogue Talents at Milan Fashion Week last year and is one of the shortlisted semi-finalists for the prestigious LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize.

“Vogue Talents 2014 gave me an excellent chance to show my work in front of the ‘Vogue’ family and industry people from all over the world,” says Li, and Fashion Scout “supported me too, giving me my first opportunity to show during London Fashion Week”.

She also receives support from the Chinese fashion industry and “there are plenty of opportunities for young designers” there.

These Hong Kong and mainland designers are graduates of the British fashion school system – three-quarters of the postgraduates on the London College of Fashion’s MA course this year are Chinese and many elect to stay. To do so they have to launch their businesses in Britain to secure a visa, which makes them eligible for support.

Hong Kong-born Minki Cheng, who showed his second collection at London Fashion Week, is a Central Saint Martin’s alumni and former staffer at the Alexander McQueen studio. He says being selected by the British Fashion Council “has certainly given me motivation to do even better next season”.

Hong Kong’s Bladerunner-style neon street signs were the inspiration for Cheng, with neon silicon strips printed on neoprene-like silk/polyester tops, asymmetric cut dresses, gilets and skirts.

London’s creative buzz is clearly important to all these designers. Renli Su, who hails from Fujian, graduated with an MA from London College of Fashion three years ago and showed her fourth collection in the same group as Cheng. Her label sells in Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha and in independent boutiques in Britain.

While Hong Kong can claim to be a multicultural city, it needs to offer better support not just from government but retailers and the fashion-buying public to encourage these young creatives to come back from the dynamic fashion capitals of Europe.

 This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as London calls for designers

Roberto Cavalli Blogs

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Italian designer Roberto Cavalli acknowledges the audience at the end of his Spring/Summer 2014 collection during Milan Fashion Week September 21, 2013. REUTERS/Max Rossi (ITALY - Tags: FASHION) - RTX13TE8

Big changes are happening over at Roberto Cavalli. This morning, it was announced that Cavalli sold 90 percent of his company to Italian private equity firm Clessidra SGR, reports WWD. The label initially tried sign a deal back in 2009, though failed to do so.

According to Cavalli, the deal will “further develop what I have built in a lifetime” and that, as he told WWD, Clessidra SGR will “provide financial, managerial and human resources that will allow the company to grow further and face the challenges of the ever-evolving luxury market.”

In light of this news, we started digging around on Cavalli’s site, and came across a goldmine: The official Roberto Cavalli blog.

Cavalli started his blog back in 2009. His goal, as he said, was to “make you smile, not with fairy tales but with real stories of my life.” (Sidenote: Anyone else notice the alias “i-love-fashion”? lol.) After 12 pages and 373 entries, you really get a feel for Cavalli’s lifestyle, which is to say a very luxe lifestyle.

The fashion designer writes all of the entries, save for press clippings, like actual diary entries, which makes the blog all the more interesting. I mean, you can only imagine what and how he writes/speaks—the site is a black hole for ridiculous and/or amazing quotes. “I am afraid that I am going to grow wings… I seem to spend more in the air than on earth,” he wrote in one post about traveling.

But there are also a few interesting tidbits. As promised, he shares stories and experiences with readers, including having dinner with Michael Jackson.

 

NEWSWIRE: WWD

Dion Lee will soon stock in Target

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 06: Miranda showcases designs by Dion Lee during rehearsal ahead of the David Jones A/W 2013 Season Launch at David Jones Castlereagh Street on February 6, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Miranda Kerr showcases designs by Dion Lee during rehearsal ahead of the David Jones A/W 2013 Season Launch at David Jones in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Lisa Maree Williams/ Getty.

From runways to the local shopping centre, Australian fashion designer Dion Lee has announced a collaboration with Target.

As part of the retailer’s Designers for Target program – which also includes Stella McCartney, Missoni and Josh Goot – the top seller for Lee will release a limited edition range in 35 Target stores and online from July 2.

The 35-piece collection will have the label’s regular price point of $400 reduced to as low as $25 for day-to-night clothing, loungewear, performance wear and accessories.

Described as “the ultimate modern wardrobe”, the collection will feature Dion Lee’s signature tailored detailing, laser cut and technical fabrications, which is usually reserved for the runways, making “high-end fashion affordable and more accessible to everyone”.

“It has been fantastic to work with Target to create my first performance wear pieces, focused on creating modern active wear, balancing function and aesthetics,” Lee said.

“It’s exciting to see my designs styled in a new, imaginative way.”

Lee’s clothing has earned him numerous awards, including the local International Woolmark Prize, the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award in Fashion Design, the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival National Designer Award and the Prix de Marie Claire Award.

 

Hayley Hasselhoff – RUNWAY Interview

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Known for her beauty, passion, and ambition in the film and modeling world, Hayley Hasselhoff is truly an inspiration and a role model. We had the pleasure of interviewing Hasselhoff to talk about her career, ambitions and advice for those looking to follow in her grand and passionate footsteps.

Do you think it has been easier for you to grow up in a family that is in the entertainment industry, having that support system behind you?

I think no matter what opportunities are given to you the only way you will succeed is if you want it, fight for it and are prepared. Thankfully I come from a family where I got to see the positive and negatives of the industry at a young age. I realized that my passion for my craft and being on set is worth all the negativity that you can’t control in the public. As for booking, I do believe it has actually been harder. In the beginning, I felt like most of my auditions consisted of talking about my family or a tabloid that was false. Then I’d have to pull myself together to get into the scene. Thankfully, now that I’m older, I know how to deflect those conversations if need be for the sake of connecting with my character and not Hayley. I think when it comes to certain aspects in the industry, it may be easier to open the door, but that door will close twice as fast and hard if you are not prepared. I have and always will want to make sure that my successes have been made from my own talent and path.

Who is your biggest role model?

The people I meet everyday are my role models. Whether it is someone I met in passing, from work, or a fan. I love hearing their empowering stories. The beauty of breaking away from the fear of the unknown and taking a chance on themselves for the better continuously inspires me. I’ve been blessed to meet so many beautiful people in my journey who have shared their life lessons along the way.

How did you first get into acting and modeling?

I was blessed to see my family’s love and passion for their craft since I was born. From then on I knew where my dreams lied. I began acting on a few episodes of Baywatch when I was around 5 years old, but my father wanted me to take it seriously and be prepared before I got an agent. Instead, I focused on school and being a teenager while taking private coaching before I got an agent at the age of 14. It was not until I did an acting showcase where I felt it broke me into a different understanding of my craft. Right after the showcase my first big audition ever was Huge and I booked a leading role as a series regular at the age of 17. As for modeling, modeling was never an aspiration of mine. When I was 14 years old my father’s publicist brought plus size modeling to his attention. I took a meeting with Ford and got signed right away. I became the spokes model for Torrid for a couple years. I then took about 6 years off of modeling so I could focus all my attention on acting. This past year I have gotten back into modeling and it has been such a beautiful journey that I’ll be forever thankful for.

What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome to get to where you are today?

Wow! Well I do feel like there have been more than a few. There was about a year after Huge got cancelled where I was so focused on getting another role. Every audition I felt like I was getting close, but then was told “you’re too pretty to play the quirky best friend but not skinny enough to play the cheerleader type.” I began to let those assumptions get to my head. The best thing at that time that could have happened to me was where I let all that go as I went into every audition room to do good work and not worry about the small stuff. I look at this as an obstacle since it was a time where my weight started to hinder my thoughts of being able to work. Now I look at where I am today, with a beautiful career all about celebrating my body. I would have never gotten here if I let others words of discouragement get to me. I now walk into every audition room just to do good work and have fun with the reader. If a role presents itself to change in any way, trust me I’ll be the first to want to. But until then I’m going to be confident in me and the work I bring to a role.

What is one goal you wish to accomplish in the near future?

I wish to venture back into the acting field some more. I hope to either be back on a television series or continue on into feature films.

If you had not chosen a career in acting and modeling, what career path would you have chosen?

I would have definitely gone into the fashion Industry. I was looking into going to a fashion design school after I graduated high school, which I did at 16. However, work took me away from it. I have revisited taking classes many times. Although acting and modeling is the main career path I have chosen at the moment, I hope in my near future fashion design will be something I break into.

What is the most important thing to you, as far as being a role model, for young aspiring actors and models?

Gosh! As for being a role model, I never chose or thought of myself as one to be exact. I don’t think I like the idea of someone looking up to my career journey as something they must do to succeed. If anything, I would encourage young girls, aspiring actresses, and models to find their journey, to follow their heart and never lose sight of who they are. Being unique and being yourself is going to get you and your career way further in life, no matter what anyone else tells you. Be you, work hard, and never lose sight of the love for your craft that got you into this business.

What is the most important thing you learned from working as a plus-sized model?

Being a plus-size model is all about being healthy, toned and exuding confidence. It shows you that beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes.

Do you have any advice for females looking to get into the industry who are trying to adhere to the standards of modeling and acting?

Be you, but be the best you! You can be for yourself not anyone else. Have a great work ethic, love every second of the process and you will succeed. It doesn’t happen overnight. Trust me, you are getting into an industry that will take you on ups and downs for the rest of your life. But the continued ‘rejection’, as one may call it, is actually a blessing in disguise. If you look at it the right way it can only help you get one step closer to where you are supposed to be. It will also help you realize what you need to work on to get better.

What has been your most embarrassing moment on set?

I can’t really think of one that has happened as me ‘Hayley’ on set ha! I think it’s probably because things that may seem embarrassing to one are just quite funny to me. There was that one scene on the set of Huge that I had to shoot that could have been embarrassing. On the second day of shooting, the first episode of the series, my character, Amber, has to climb a wall in fitness training where her shorts rip and everyone sees her underwear. It was funny to know everyone was staring at my bum for a couple hours. Haha!

What can you tell your fans about upcoming projects you are doing this year?

There are many projects in the works for release in 2015 but unfortunately cannot be talked about just yet. I can tell you that I have a film called Fearless set to release in 2015. I’ve also got some amazing projects in fashion and modeling on the way. Follow me on social media to get the latest updates!

Jewellery Sales: the wonder of white diamonds

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A stunning 1950s white diamond necklace being auctioned at Woolley and Wallis stands out in a sea of coloured gems, says Joanna Hardy

With all the recent talk about coloured gemstones it takes quite something for a jewel set entirely with white diamonds to stand out from the crowd. This 1950s necklace, auctioned in the Woolley and Wallis jewellery sale on April 30th has the credentials to do just that.

The necklace initially caught my eye because of its three tiers of brilliant-cut and step-cut diamonds, beautifully graduated with a signature of individuality whereby some stones are slightly wider than others, which is a hallmark of this period. Today’s diamond necklaces are set with stones that all perfectly match in size, colour and graduation, but what many modern diamond jewels lack is character. This necklace has the distinction and style of a bygone era.

After the austerity of the war years, jewellery and fashion changed dramatically. The flat, geometric forms of the Art Deco period gave way to a more feminine and frivolous look. Massive gold jewels were replaced with designs of a more naturalistic inspiration: voluminous, three-dimensional volutes, scrolled leaves and bows of elaborately interlaced ribbons.

Diamonds, which had not been used in any quantities for the last decade, became the preferred gemstone and, as frequently happens after a war, there was a desire to restore the values of the pre-conflict years. This was reflected in jewellery – instead of innovating, designers would hark back to the shapes and models that were last popular, as is displayed in this necklace where the 1950s design mirrors the late 1930s.

During the economic boom which followed the war, jewellery was a perfect vehicle with which to showcase one’s newly-acquired wealth. Lightness and movement were key ingredients of 1950s jewels, replacing the solid metallic forms of the 1940s. There was a return to differentiating between jewels for day wear and ornaments for evening wear, which was the ideal platform to show off opulent parures set in white metal (platinum, white gold or sometimes palladium) and lavished with white diamonds.

This necklace has been made with wonderful attention to detail; seen where the three diamond strands converge into a three-dimensional scroll motif that is beautifully accentuated with long tapered baguette-cut diamonds, the size of which would be very difficult to find today.

It is this attention to detail along with the great craftsmanship that makes this necklace such a delight to wear. As it sits beautifully around the neck, it’s clear that this is a jewel whose main purpose is to enhance the beauty of a woman.

The 1950s diamond three row necklace will be auctioned at the Woolley and Wallis jewellery sale on April 30. Estimate £20,000 – £30,000

Star Wars: emerges newcomer Daisy Ridley

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Rey is a scavenger. Rey is a desert rat. She is wrapped against the wind and heat in weathered, mummy-like fabric. She picks through the wreckage of a long-ago battle for anything that could help her survive.

We also know Rey is one of the new lead characters in this journey back to the Star Wars universe, her destiny intersecting with a runaway stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) and a Resistance fighter pilot named Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac.) She wields a blaster similar to the one Han Solo used to waste Greedo in the original Star Wars.

Although everything else about Rey has been kept hidden by director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm, we’re starting to know more about the character than we do about the actress who plays her, 23-year-old Daisy Ridley – who also emerged from the shadows at the Star Wars Celebration event.

Judging by the photo below, presented last week at that convention’s The Force Awakens panel, Rey also hangs around on a collapsed AT-AT, those Imperial locomotives-on-stilts seen trudging through the snowy wasteland of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. That’s her talking to Abrams while standing on the half-buried leg of one of the mechanical monsters.

Image Credit: Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After her appearance before a global audience of Star Wars fanatics, and before she slipped away in a Bossk the bounty hunter mask to peruse the convention shops – accompanied by Boyega, disguised in a Clone Trooper helmet – Entertainment Weekly had an opportunity to find out a little about the woman behind Rey.

Here are the basics: she’s trained as a dancer and singer, and has previously had small roles on the British TV shows Youngers, Toast of London, and Silent Witness. Recently, she also noticed something unusual in the newest Marvel Studios movie – her old high school was used for a Black Widow dream sequence depicting ballet dancers at the place where the superhero was trained as an assassin.

It’s a big galaxy, but a small world.

 

Victoria’s Secret unveils 10 new models

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Ten angels just got their wings, and some free bras.

Victoria’s Secret added 10 new models to its roster, which had recently been whittled down to five (Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, and Lily Aldridge).

The lingerie company provided a 15-second clip introducing their new employees, and handy dandy summary of each new model’s bona fides, which include, variously, racket sports, salsa dancing, and trying new meals.

KATE GRIGORIEVA is an accomplished ballroom dancer. She graduated from art school and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing before starting her modeling career.

TAYLOR HILL was scouted at a horse ranch in Colorado. She likes new music, reading, snowboarding and practicing yoga.

ELSA HOSK began modeling after her father submitted photographs to a local agency.  Elsa balanced modeling with a professional basketball career, eventually leaving the court to pursue modeling full time.

MARTHA HUNT was discovered in her home state of North Carolina at a modeling competition. She likes to cook and stays active with surfing and dancing.

JAC JAGACIAK was discovered during a casting at a shopping mall in her hometown of Puszczykowo. She comes from an athletic family, and trained in track and field since childhood. She enjoys playing sports and cooking.

STELLA MAXWELL has lived all over the world. She was discovered by a New Zealand agent, loves racket sports, hiking and travel.

LAIS RIBEIRO stays active with boxing, volleyball and soccer. She also has a passion for salsa dancing.

SARA SAMPAIO has won the Portuguese “Best Female Model” Golden Globe multiple times. She is a brown belt in karate, plays the violin, and loves to surf.

ROMEE STRIJD has a passion for interior design and cooking. She stays fit with running and boxing.

JASMINE TOOKES practiced gymnastics for 14 years and played high school volleyball. She is a self-described “foodie” who loves trying new and exotic meals.

 

A protein battle underlies the beauty of orchids

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The shapes of the petals and lip of this Phalaenopsis orchid are governed by competition between two different protein complexes, a new study finds.

One of the main characteristics that make orchids so attractive to us and to pollinators is shape. Unlike a flower such as a daisy, orchids don’t have a uniform pattern of petals and sepals. Instead, one of the orchid flower petals has been modified into a lip that can serve as a landing zone for, say, a bee.

The formation of the lip and the standard petals, a new study finds, is governed by two competing sets of proteins. And when researchers modified those proteins, they changed an orchid’s shape. Hsing-Fun Hsu of National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan, and colleagues report their findings April 27 inNature Plants.

In plants, flower development is controlled by a group of genes called MADS-box. About 60 million years ago in orchid ancestors, some of these MADS-box genes got duplicated, and those new versions of the genes changed in ways that gave them new functions. In studying those genes, Hsu and colleagues found two groups of proteins, the “L” complex and the “SP” complex. How much of each protein complex a flower makes determines whether the lip or the standard petals are dominant.

A mutant version of one orchid called Oncidium Gower Ramsey has petals that are all shaped like lips, and it expresses only the L proteins, the researchers found. In other species, the team found that the balance between lip and petal was reflected in the expression of the two protein complexes. The scientists then used a virus to manipulate the expression of the L complex in Oncidium and Phalaenopsis orchids, which converted lips into standard petals.

“This experiment nicely shows that during orchid evolution two copies of duplicated developmental genes acquired a new function by specifically promoting lip identity,” Barbara Gravendeel and Anita Dirks-Mulder of the University of Applied Sciences Leiden in the Netherlands, write in an accompanying commentary in Nature Plants.

Orchids are somewhat of an evolutionary oddity in that they manage to lure in pollinators without offering some kind of food reward in return. Usually pollinators figure out pretty quickly that there’s no point in visiting flowers that don’t provide them with some benefit. But there’s something about orchids that keeps luring them in. Understanding the genes and proteins that underlie the shape and allure of orchids could help scientists figure out how these plants manage to attract bees, flies, moths, mantises, butterflies, gnats and bats — and us.

Newswire: BY SARAH ZIELINSKI

Chanel Messenger Bag

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We love this washed fabric messenger bag by Chanel.

It has an an embroidered CC Signature and a hippy cheek style.

The bag itself is 10 inches by 11 inches by 3.3 inches and its priced at $3800 USD.

Here is a shot from the runway show.
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