‘Time’s Up’ Takes Fashion
At this year’s Golden Globes, one of the highlights of the night was the wave of black throughout the crowd to show support for “Time’s Up” and the MeToo movement. “Time’s Up” is a legal defense fund created by over 300 women in the film and TV industries to stand up against harassment, abuse and assault in the workplace.
While fashion is sometimes perceived as a superficial outward expression of personal style, many have used fashion throughout history to protest and raise awareness about different causes. Fashion is not only a tool for self-expression, but it is how people display their values. After all, what is closer to your heart than what you wear on your skin? The all-black fashion statement complete with pins that read “Time’s Up” showed widespread support for the movement and all victims who have been harassed or abused in the workplace.
In the past, people at various award shows have used pins to draw attention and show their support toward a cause or initiative. At the 2017 Oscar Awards, many attendees wore blue ribbons to show support for the American Civil Liberties Union during the series of travel bans proposed by President Donald Trump. At the 2016 Tony Awards, stars wore silver ribbons to honor the victims and families affected by the Orlando nightclub shooting that occurred earlier that day. However, the 2018 Golden Globes was the first time in recent memory that a majority of attendees wore black to unanimously stand up for a single cause.
Fashion statements, like the all-black dress at the Golden Globes, have been made many times before. All-white was worn in the early 1900s by the suffragettes — women who wanted to earn the right to vote in the United States. This all-white fashion statement was revived just recently when a number of different congresswomen wore white during Trump’s first speech to Congress. In the 1960s, the counterculture movement used fashion to outwardly display its values as a movement, straying from traditional fashion, like sheath dresses and shift dresses, and opting for flowy skirts, tie-dye, flared pants and long hair. At the Women’s March in 2017, millions of women everywhere sported pink pussy hats to protest Trump and to show support for feminism.
Even fashion moguls have used fashion as a means of protest in their various collections. In Chanel’s Spring-Summer 2015 runway at Paris Fashion Week, the show was all about feminism, complete with a faux-street runway and models with signs of protest in hand. The signs had phrases like “history is her story” painted on them. At Talbot Runhof’s Fall 2017 runway in New York, Runhof showed off a collection of truth amid the lies and fake news plaguing the nation. Pieces were marked with phrases like “unpresidented,” “persist,” “sad!” and “lie to me.” Anish Gupta displayed a Fall 2017 collection at London Fashion Week with pieces that included statements like “more glitter, less twitter” and “nasty woman,” among others. The fashion world has never hesitated to spread political or cultural messages, particularly in the past few years.Read more at:formal dresses melbourne | formal dresses adelaide
Pretty dresses are no longer just for women
Why should women get to wear all the pretty dresses? Why can’t men also flounce about in the feathers, lace or fine embroidery if they fancy?
These are the questions being posed by the daring young Spanish label, Palomo Spain, whose flamboyant show kicked off the Paris men’s fashion week late Tuesday.
Designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo told AFP he wants nothing less than to “liberate” men from the straitjacket of convention. The 25-year-old is one of a new wave of young designers for whom gender fluidity is not just a fashion statement but a way of being.
“Chanel liberated women (after World War I) by dressing them in male fabrics like tweed,” Palomo said. “And when Yves Saint Laurent put women in dinner jackets it was an absolute revolution. I am doing the opposite,” said the Andalusian-born creator, whose men show their legs, wear plunging necklines and silk suspenders and proudly sport transparent dresses embroidered with pearls and sequins.
“It all comes naturally to me,” said Palomo, whose look owes much to the over-the-top world of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.
The director’s muse Rossy de Palma has even walked the catwalk for Palomo, who struck gold in July when pop megastar Beyonce wore one of his spectacular flowery dresses to present her newborn twins to her 110 million Instagram followers.
Miley Cyrus also sported a Palomo Spain unisex white frilly silk basque in the video for her number one hit, Malibu.
‘Liberating’ men
Palomo said his style is about personal “liberation”, and rejects all comparison with a gay or transvestite aesthetic often attributed to him.
“It is just a way of giving guys who might want to, the possibility to wear really sophisticated materials, and certain shapes and silhouettes that used to be associated with women’s wardrobes,” he told AFP before making his Paris debut.
“I am not the first and the only person to do this,” he said, citing Jean Paul Gaultier -- who put men in skirts in the 1980s.
Palomo is, nevertheless, the most theatrical and extravagant of a growing wave of designers who are blowing away gender boundaries.
One of the highlights of London fashion week earlier this month was a raucous show by the Loverboy label in which men and women with made-up white faces and blonde wigs heckled the models and swigged wine.
Loverboy designer, kilt- and beret-wearing Scottish rebel Charles Jeffrey, finished his previous show with a man in a princess wedding gown after putting his male models in miniskirts and a woman in a striped business suit.
Like several other young London-based creators, he questions the relevance of gender at all, describing it as a “bit of an eye roll”.
Generational shift
Punk veteran Vivienne Westwood and rising young Turk JW Anderson at Loewe also regularly blur the lines. The movement has already filtered down to the British high street, with big retail chains such as John Lewis and Selfridges experimenting with gender neutral clothing lines for both adults and children.
Palomo, who trained at the London College of Fashion, sees himself as part of this generational shift which refuses to define people in binary terms.
His debut Paris show had all his usual cheeky panache: A line of Renaissance court dandies in silken doublets, dresses and hunting attire, full of delicious double entendres.
It built to a final flourish of imperial camp -- a feathered cape, plumed hat and thigh-high boots with white knickers.
Palomo is far from alone in mining the cross-gender vein at Paris fashion week -- American avant-gardists Thom Browne and Rick Owens are old hands -- and transgender models are now commonplace.
Rather it’s the exuberance of Palomo’s clothes which prompted the French Fashion Federation to invite him into the prestigious Paris fold, the only Spanish designer at style’s top table.
“We want creativity, diversity and a bit of disruption, and he brings the lot,” a spokesman for the federation said.
Palomo’s independence of spirit also extends to where he feels most at home. Instead of one of the big fashion capitals, Palomo has set up his studio in his birthplace, Posadas, a small town of 7,000 people near Cordoba.
Yet he has been dreaming of the Paris catwalk since “I was five years old and making clothes for Barbie dolls. It’s a huge honour for me,” he said. And he hopes his irreverence can put a bit of spark back into Spain fashion, so long dominated by safe mass markets brands like Zara.
“Spanish fashion is a little stuck, a bit rank,” he admitted. “But I have something to bring to the table.”Read more at:pink bridesmaid dresses | red bridesmaid dresses
People queue four hours at Paris exhibition on Christian Dior
More than 700,000 people flocked to a record-breaking Paris exhibition dedicated to the Christian Dior French fashion house, its organisers said on Monday.
The six-month-long show, which ended on Sunday, was the most popular ever held at the city's Museum of Decorative Arts, with visitors queuing for an average of four hours to see some of the luxury brand's most iconic designs.
"Christian Dior, couturier du reve" (roughly translated as "Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams") was organised to mark the label's 70th anniversary.
It told the story of the brand through some 300 of its haute couture dresses worn by stars from Marlene Dietrich to Rihanna.
The museum's director David Cameo said the turnout was "an absolute record" - the highest for a single show in its 112-year history.
It also attracted a string of Hollywood stars and top models - who were spared the queues - including Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson and Bella Hadid, some of whom are ambassadors for the brand.
But not everyone was happy with the show. The French magazine Marianne lambasted the venerable institution, which is next to the Louvre museum, for selling out.
Writer Agnes Poirier accused the museum of becoming a "shop window for commercial brands... under the cover of art" and also criticised its earlier link-up with toymaker Mattel for another hugely popular show on the Barbie doll.
However, Mr Cameo said the huge attendance had been a financial boon for the museum, helping it to notch up a large surplus that would "help us re-equip and pay for an overhaul of our restoration studios".
It is hoping to follow up its success with Dior with another fashion-themed show in March, tracing the enigmatic Belgian-born designer Martin Margiela's years at Hermes.
Despite breaking records, the Dior show was far from being the most popular Paris art show of 2017. That title is held by the Icons Of Modern Art exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, which drew 1.2 million people.
It featured the cream of a collection of 250 paintings put together by collector Sergei Shchukin before the Bolshevik Revolution, which had never before been seen outside Russia.Read more at:purple bridesmaid dresses
Top Hollywood Women Launch Anti-Sexual Harassment Initiative
More than 300 top women in Hollywood – from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence to Emma Thompson and Cate Blanchett – unveiled an initiative Monday to tackle pervasive sexual harassment in workplaces, calling special attention to their "sisters" in the blue-collar employment sector. The initiative, entitled, Time's Up, caps a year in which the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal touched off a deluge of allegations that brought down powerful men in entertainment, politics and the media, prompting companies, government agencies and even the US federal court system to re-examine harassment policies.
In an open letter printed in The New York Times, the new initiative lends the star power of its A-list members to the cause of women in less prominent fields, urging support and respect for farmworkers and others whose humble positions leave them vulnerable and voiceless. "We fervently urge the media covering the disclosures by people in Hollywood to spend equal time on the myriad experiences of individuals working in less glamorized and valorized trades," the group says in its full-page ad.
"To every woman employed in agriculture who has had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from her boss, every housekeeper who has tried to escape an assaultive guest, every janitor trapped nightly in a building with a predatory supervisor, every waitress grabbed by a customer and expected to take it with a smile... we stand with you. We support you."
$15 Million Goal
Last month, the head of Ford Motor Company apologized to employees at two factories in Chicago and promised changes, after a scathing expose by the Times detailed pervasive harassment and mistreatment of women at the plants dating back to the 1990s. It was one of the first major media investigations into sexual harassment in blue-collar workplaces.
Among the specific steps it announced, Time's Up has established a legal defense fund that, in just 12 days, has raised $13.4 million toward a $15 million goal aimed at providing legal aid for women and men who were sexually harassed, assaulted or abused in the workplace. It has vowed to push for legislation to strengthen laws on workplace harassment and discrimination.
The group insists that more women must be brought into positions of power and leadership, while every woman should have equal benefits, opportunities, pay and representation.
As for Hollywood, it wants "swift and effective change to make the entertainment industry a safe and equitable place for everyone." And it called on women to wear black at Sunday's Golden Globes as a statement against gender and racial inequality, and to raise awareness about the group's efforts.
'Dear Sisters'
The open letter in the Times, which also appears in the Spanish-language La Opinion, opens with the words "Dear Sisters" in large, bold type, and closes with the words "in solidarity," followed by the names of the 300 women.
Several of Weinstein's accusers signed the open letter. They include Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale, as well as Salma Hayek, whose lengthy account of mistreatment by Weinstein – "my monster," she called him – was widely circulated on social media after appearing last month in The New York Times. Weinstein has denied some of the allegations, including Hayek's assertion that he pressured her to do a nude sex scene in one movie.
Other prominent women lending their names to the Time's Up cause are actresses Natalie Portman, America Ferrera, Amy Schumer, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Uma Thurman and Viola Davis; producer Shonda Rhimes; Universal Pictures chair Donna Langley; feminist activist Gloria Steinem; lawyer and ex-Michelle Obama chief of staff Tina Tchen and Nike Foundation co-chair Maria Eitel.Read more at:plus size formal dresses | long formal dresses australia
11 must-have fashion items for the UAE winter
There’s been tension between fashion versus function for the longest time, but who says you can’t have both? Here’s how you can stay as warm (and dry) as possible during the winter season in the UAE.
Boots
Boots are a staple for rain and winter in general. The rain has been popping in and out so you need to be prepared for when she unpredictably visits yet again. Firstly, no velvet. There’s no way your velevt boots can survive the rain in Dubai with all the sand and dirt floating around. Keep those safe and indoors whilst you bring out all-things leather! Patent leather boots are here for the win this season; so strut around town in those, all while keeping your feet warm and dry. You get to play in the rain and besides, they’re easy to clean so it’s a win-win situation.
Leggings
While they have always been used in the fashion world, leggings are all the rage now more than ever. It’s comfy, warm, comes in a bunch of colours, and it’s cute with any oversized sweater, and most of all it pairs best with your boots.
Jackets
Jackets are the perfect addition to make your regular outfits winter ready. Leather jackets are just the right thing for a Dubai winter, throw it over any old top you have and you’ve got an automatically styled look. The best colours are black, grey, navy, tan/brown, and white.
Umbrellas
Of course, the best thing to protect you from the rain is an umbrella. Get a cute pocket size one in your favourite colour that fits into your bag and stay dry.
Head gear
Winter in Dubai is a windy one. So a cute hat, a beanie, or even a cap can keep your hair down and cover your ears. And hey, if it starts o drizzle, you’re kind of safe, at least for a while.
Bags
When caught in the rain, it’s difficult to manage your grip on a hand bag, it’s best to strap it across your body and be on the move. Therefore, a crossbody bag or a bag with a long strap is the way to go. This also stresses how important zippers and flaps are. It’s a good time to have trust issues, because you don’t want to let that rain in. Even with the strong winds, all it takes is one wrong turn for something to fall out.
Stockings
It’s Dubai after all, so it isn’t even that cold. Don’t put away your cute short dresses and skirts just yet, pair them with some stockings and be on your way.
Capes
Let’s be honest, of course we need clothing to protect you from the rain and wind outside, but also from the A/C indoors. A good cover-up can be just as good as a jacket, but maybe your jacket doesn’t go with everything, that’s when a good scarf-type cape comes to the rescue and completes the look.
Scarves
Bulky scarves are in, you can wrap it around your neck various ways and call it a day, or open it up and wear it like a cape. Either way they’re cute and warm and you can put it over just about any outfit.
Loafers
So maybe because it isn’t actually that cold outside, you might want to skip the boots for those sneaky sunny days and wear something more breathable; loafers. Grab some chic leather loafers and hit the streets, they’re cute, still covering your feet and comfortable to walk in.
Sweaters
Strong winds call for strong clothing. You’ve got an excuse to bulk up and wear those heavy sweaters out! There are way too many different kinds of sweaters for you not to be able to incorporate it into your everyday attire. Don’t get it wrong, sweaters aren’t just for those comfy-casual days, there are ways to dress sweaters up, with all the shiny-shimmery sweaters out there and a cute A-line skirt with stockings or some statement jewellery, you’re good to go. Try a turtle neck under a dress, or a crop jumper over a dress. It’s your time to throw on the knit wear with some long sleeves -great to keep your hands warm.Read more at:blue bridesmaid dresses | plus size bridesmaid dresses
Exhibition marks ‘50 years of Italian Fashion’
The Italian embassy inaugurated a fashion exhibition to mark ’50 Years of Italian Fashion’ at Four Seasons Hotel Doha.
Organised in co-operation with the Italian Trade Agency and Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, the exhibition forms part of the ‘Italian Week in Qatar,’ which runs until November 27.
“This exhibition is an extraordinary journey through the history of Italian fashion. The amazing setting provided by our host hotel adds to the exclusiveness of this event,” Italian ambassador Pasquale Salzano said in his speech.
The event, attended by dignitaries, diplomats and fashion enthusiasts, is showcasing some of the collections of Alta Sartoria Bencivenga, renowned globally as a symbol of luxury, tailoring and passion.
Bencivenga, a family-owned fashion house based in Campania, Italy since 1958, is “a dynasty of couturiers” – from grandmother Giuseppa, a sophisticated dressmaker who worked for the royal family and rich Italian families, to her nephews.
The envoy said the Bencivenga brand has been growing to become a top-end name in the Italian fashion industry, citing the “dedication of the family members, who committed themselves totally for the success of their ambitious endeavour.”
He noted that family businesses have been sustaining for years the Italian economic development and small and medium companies grew to become global leaders in niche markets due to their dedication and enthusiasm.
“Italy and Qatar share the same values of a family-centered society. I believe there’s a great potential for co-operation on the best practices on the management of family businesses,” Salzano stressed.
“The Italian industry has a distinctive and unique capacity to blend and strive for excellence with the care of all single details of its production,” Salzano said. “This is the result of a combination of the highest technical skills with the passion of the men and women involved in these activities.”
The exhibition also saw the opening of Bencivenga’s first shop in the Middle East at the hotel. Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the exhibition, brand manager Tiffany Bencivenga said the shop sells Italian fabric, and under appointment, it makes suit for men and dress for women.
He added that when they came here, they were surprised to know that many Qataris like Italian fashion, a reason for opening the Bencivenga shop.
“Everything is made in Italy, everything is handmade, and everything is focused on the details,” Tiffany stressed. “This is to prove that in Italy, we have this kind of job, we make everything by hand, and not everything is made by machine.”
About the exhibition, he explained that each pair (suit and dress) showcased at the event tells the history of the Italian fashion brand from 1960’s to 2000.Read more at:formal dresses online | formal dresses brisbane
AARONG'S WEDDING BONANZA
As good as it may sound, sometimes these non-stop purchases require us to hop around the entire city looking for the perfect piece. With excess traffic on the roads and unavailability of a well-rounded collection, we do tend to get frustrated often.
Here's where Aarong, the renowned fashion store of Bangladesh, comes in with their exclusive wedding collection to simplify our lives.
Yes! Aarong has it all and that too for everybody. A strict patron of deshi fabrics and produce, Aarong has been a renowned name in the fashion market of Bangladesh for quite a long time. Every year during special occasions customers flock this particular brand store in search for something different but close to their hearts and motherland. Foreigners also love visiting the Aarong stores, in search of little treasures that define 'Beautiful Bangladesh'.
The Exclusive Jamdani Collection for Wedding 2017
An addition to Aarong's accolades is the latest wedding collection in Jamdani. Speaking to the creative minds behind the exclusive collection, Star Lifestyle was able to get much insightful information.
Jamdani has always been a part of our heritage wear, so most might wonder regarding the exclusivity behind Aarong's latest collection.
“It is simply different, the weave count is high. The material is very soft and the zardozi work is simply amazing,” reveals one designer.
Upon inspection we discovered that the Jamdani collection included truly exquisite pieces; with matching blouses and dupattas, they looked unique and were poles apart from what is regularly available.
What particularly caught the eye were the unique motifs and the intelligent symmetry and placement of the patterns. Speaking to one designer, we were able to gather that the traditional motifs used over the exclusive Jamdani collection were hand-picked from Aarong's archive of rare ethnic motifs and took a minimum of 2 months to weave by the artisan weavers. The materials were super fine, soft and luxurious zari had been used – signifying an authentic look that brides are usually looking for.
The marketing team at Aarong believes that people don't want to buy common wedding wear anymore, the all-too-familiar look that overpowers the bride and her personality. With, this exclusive collection, they believe the deshi bride's personality would be enhanced, making her stand out amongst the crowd.
Other Wedding Collections at Aarong
While the wedding collection has been developed in fiery combinations of maroon, red and orange; the reception collection sports a playful experimentation with magenta. The suggested jewellery for the elite collections are also unique; apparently entirely in silver. The principle idea behind the unique suggestion is to encourage consumers towards silver ornaments as a trendy alternative to traditional gold – providing them with a whole new different outlook.
Aarong also has an exclusive gold collection and gold plated collection to match with the fashionable saris.
The Holud Collection
The holud collection showcases amazing colours like orange, magenta, parrot green etc to signify the colourfulness of the occasion. Matching dupatta and blouse are available for the brides; they can also opt for contrast blouses if they want a different look altogether. Suggested jewellery to go with the designs are pearls, gold-plated jewellery in unique craftsmanship.
Wedding Collection for the guests
Well! Not everybody is getting married themselves, there are a lot more who are worried about what to wear at their close-ones' ceremony and Aarong comes forward in solving their problems as well; offering classic Jamdanis in regal tones like pastels and off-white.
An entire collection has been developed in blue-purple theme in muslin and silk to meet the styling needs of the guests; that too in a mighty affordable range. That's not all, being a conclusive outlet; Aarong provides everything from matching bags, shoes and sandals – their metallic Kolapuri designs being an eye-catcher.
Men's Wedding Collection
The Men's sherwani have been developed to meet with the styling statement of their lady love; colours have been kept in mild tones, in contrast to the ladies; for e.g. if the bride picks a magenta Jamdani for her reception, the groom can easily opt for a teal sherwani and fashionable nagra to re-create the picture-perfect look.
Special kotis in natural silk are available for occasions like holud. Both light and detailed embroidery are available on the sherwani's based on the preference of the groom; uniformity has been maintained in the quality of the fabric used, which is comfortable and relaxed.
So, that's just a bird's eye view of the special wedding collection at Aarong. We are sure most of you would want to visit the stores once to look through the exclusive collection.
If everything gorgeous is available at once place – then why not?
Happy Wedding Shopping to you all!Read more at:queenieau.com | bridesmaid dresses
