Fashion wins few medals in London
Designer Giorgio Armani predicted that the London Olympics would be the most stylish ever, but fashion experts say there has been as much bad taste as elegance on display.
From the Stella McCartney-designed British kit that omitted most of the red of the Union flag, to the US team's Chinese-made Ralph Lauren uniforms, couture has collided with controversy throughout the Olympics.
The opening ceremony offered up a riot of costumes and colours that gave a taste of things to come.
The striking yellows and greens of the Jamaican team's kit designed by Cedella Marley, the daughter of reggae great Bob Marley, won many fans, while the Czech Republic's striking outfits provoked mixed reactions.
Fashion journalist Carolyn Asome in The Times newspaper said the Czechs sported "the most hideous plastic blue boots known to mankind," while Hadley Freeman in The Guardian awarded them her fashion gold medal for the Games.
Even when the temperature went up on Thursday, Czech athlete Zuzana Hejnova donned her boots to collect the bronze in the medal ceremony for the 400m hurdles.
The Mexican team added a ring of authenticity at the opening ceremony with their multi-coloured ponchos -- which Asome said were in keeping with this season's trends.
Armani himself was roped in to design the outfits for his homeland, Italy.
The Spanish athletes were however the first to malign their own red and gold kits complete with go-faster flames, which were provided -- for free -- by Russian sportswear company Bosco Sport.
"It's not at all Latin, it's clearly more Eastern European," canoeist Saul Craviotto grumbled on his Twitter account, next to a photo of him trying on his uniform.
Russia's 1980s football shirt-style outfits were also designed by Bosco.
The US delegation -- decked out in Ralph Lauren as they had been during the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics -- raised eyebrows with their very French-looking berets.
But while the rest of the uniform looked patriotic enough there was a furore in the United States when it emerged ahead of the Games that the uniforms were made in China, stirring up an inevitable debate in this US election year.
For outfits worn during competition itself, the French won style points -- if not medals -- by bringing in luxury fashion house Hermes for their equestrian team, who wore navy and red blazers made of a special fabric to aid movement.
The beach volleyball outfits of all the participating teams have attracted much attention for their sheer skimpiness, particularly in the sometimes British summer.
The Stella McCartney-designed vests for the British team received the "gold medal for riskiness" from L'Officiel, a French fashion magazine, for their variation on the Union Jack.
McCartney -- whose father Paul of The Beatles fame performed at the opening ceremony -- had "clearly kept white and the blue as the dominant colours, minimising the presence of red, only using it on the shoes and collars," the magazine noted.
British athletes have kept quiet about their outfits, but during their biggest gold rush since 1908 many of them have been notably keep to drape themselves in a real Union Jack after their victories.
Meanwhile the British opening ceremony outfits, consisting of white tracksuits with gold collars and armpit patches, attracted flak at home as they were produced by high-street brand Next.
"Britain, you suck," wrote Hadley Freeman in The Guardian.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The dot and the (fashion) line
The dot and the (fashion) line
Morsi also asked Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi to replace the commander of the military police, a force that has been heavily used since the ouster 18 months ago of Hosni Mubarak. He also fired the commander of the presidential guards and named new chiefs for security in Cairo and the police's central security, a large paramilitary force often deployed to deal with riots.
The attack raised questions about the readiness of Egyptian forces in the area, particularly after Israel warned the country earlier of an imminent attack.
Jerusalem: Blurry eyeglasses look to keep women out of sight
It's the latest prescription for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who shun contact with the opposite sex: Glasses that blur their vision, so they don't have to see women they consider to be immodestly dressed.
The ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses and other public spaces in their neighborhoods. Their interpretation of Jewish law forbids contact between men and women who are not married. Now they're trying to keep women out of clear sight altogether.
The ultra-Orthodox community's unofficial "modesty patrols" are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters, but anything beyond that gets blurry.
Shawal, Pakistan: Taliban threaten to kill Pakistani cricket star
The Taliban have threatened to kill a Pakistani cricket star turned politician if he holds a planned march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest U.S. drone attacks.
Although the Pakistani Taliban also oppose the strikes, which have killed many of their fighters, spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said they would target Imran Khan because he calls himself a "liberal" - a term they associate with a lack of religious belief. He also warned they would attack anyone who participates in upcoming elections.
Paris: Paris dismantles Gypsy camp, families vanish
French authorities started dismantling a major Gypsy camp in Paris on Wednesday, after warning nearly 100 people living there that their ramshackle homes would be cleared.
The residents of the encampment vanished the night before the police action, despite offers of more permanent housing
Police spokesman Frederic Rose said the settlement on public property was illegal. Rose said it was the largest of several camps of Gypsies, or Roma, in Paris.
Sao Paulo: Brazil Senate approves affirmative action bill
The Brazilian Senate has approved an affirmative action bill that reserves half the spots in federal universities for high school graduates of public schools, with those seats distributed according to the racial makeup of each state.
The bill that was approved late Tuesday bill now goes to President Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to approve it.
The Senate says the reserved spots will be distributed among black, mixed race and indigenous students proportionally to the racial composition of each state.
Santiago, Chile: 3 buses burned as students stage protest
Police used water cannons and tear gas Wednesday to break up a protest in Chile's capital by thousands of students demanding free education. Three buses were set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Demonstrations demanding education reforms have swept Chile for more than a year. The government says the latest one in late June was the most violent with 472 demonstrators arrested and 36 police officers injured.
Morsi also asked Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi to replace the commander of the military police, a force that has been heavily used since the ouster 18 months ago of Hosni Mubarak. He also fired the commander of the presidential guards and named new chiefs for security in Cairo and the police's central security, a large paramilitary force often deployed to deal with riots.
The attack raised questions about the readiness of Egyptian forces in the area, particularly after Israel warned the country earlier of an imminent attack.
Jerusalem: Blurry eyeglasses look to keep women out of sight
It's the latest prescription for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who shun contact with the opposite sex: Glasses that blur their vision, so they don't have to see women they consider to be immodestly dressed.
The ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses and other public spaces in their neighborhoods. Their interpretation of Jewish law forbids contact between men and women who are not married. Now they're trying to keep women out of clear sight altogether.
The ultra-Orthodox community's unofficial "modesty patrols" are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters, but anything beyond that gets blurry.
Shawal, Pakistan: Taliban threaten to kill Pakistani cricket star
The Taliban have threatened to kill a Pakistani cricket star turned politician if he holds a planned march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest U.S. drone attacks.
Although the Pakistani Taliban also oppose the strikes, which have killed many of their fighters, spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said they would target Imran Khan because he calls himself a "liberal" - a term they associate with a lack of religious belief. He also warned they would attack anyone who participates in upcoming elections.
Paris: Paris dismantles Gypsy camp, families vanish
French authorities started dismantling a major Gypsy camp in Paris on Wednesday, after warning nearly 100 people living there that their ramshackle homes would be cleared.
The residents of the encampment vanished the night before the police action, despite offers of more permanent housing
Police spokesman Frederic Rose said the settlement on public property was illegal. Rose said it was the largest of several camps of Gypsies, or Roma, in Paris.
Sao Paulo: Brazil Senate approves affirmative action bill
The Brazilian Senate has approved an affirmative action bill that reserves half the spots in federal universities for high school graduates of public schools, with those seats distributed according to the racial makeup of each state.
The bill that was approved late Tuesday bill now goes to President Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to approve it.
The Senate says the reserved spots will be distributed among black, mixed race and indigenous students proportionally to the racial composition of each state.
Santiago, Chile: 3 buses burned as students stage protest
Police used water cannons and tear gas Wednesday to break up a protest in Chile's capital by thousands of students demanding free education. Three buses were set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Demonstrations demanding education reforms have swept Chile for more than a year. The government says the latest one in late June was the most violent with 472 demonstrators arrested and 36 police officers injured.
Morsi also asked Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi to replace the commander of the military police, a force that has been heavily used since the ouster 18 months ago of Hosni Mubarak. He also fired the commander of the presidential guards and named new chiefs for security in Cairo and the police's central security, a large paramilitary force often deployed to deal with riots.
The attack raised questions about the readiness of Egyptian forces in the area, particularly after Israel warned the country earlier of an imminent attack.
Jerusalem: Blurry eyeglasses look to keep women out of sight
It's the latest prescription for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who shun contact with the opposite sex: Glasses that blur their vision, so they don't have to see women they consider to be immodestly dressed.
The ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses and other public spaces in their neighborhoods. Their interpretation of Jewish law forbids contact between men and women who are not married. Now they're trying to keep women out of clear sight altogether.
The ultra-Orthodox community's unofficial "modesty patrols" are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters, but anything beyond that gets blurry.
Shawal, Pakistan: Taliban threaten to kill Pakistani cricket star
The Taliban have threatened to kill a Pakistani cricket star turned politician if he holds a planned march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest U.S. drone attacks.
Although the Pakistani Taliban also oppose the strikes, which have killed many of their fighters, spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said they would target Imran Khan because he calls himself a "liberal" - a term they associate with a lack of religious belief. He also warned they would attack anyone who participates in upcoming elections.
Paris: Paris dismantles Gypsy camp, families vanish
French authorities started dismantling a major Gypsy camp in Paris on Wednesday, after warning nearly 100 people living there that their ramshackle homes would be cleared.
The residents of the encampment vanished the night before the police action, despite offers of more permanent housing
Police spokesman Frederic Rose said the settlement on public property was illegal. Rose said it was the largest of several camps of Gypsies, or Roma, in Paris.
Sao Paulo: Brazil Senate approves affirmative action bill
The Brazilian Senate has approved an affirmative action bill that reserves half the spots in federal universities for high school graduates of public schools, with those seats distributed according to the racial makeup of each state.
The bill that was approved late Tuesday bill now goes to President Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to approve it.
The Senate says the reserved spots will be distributed among black, mixed race and indigenous students proportionally to the racial composition of each state.
Santiago, Chile: 3 buses burned as students stage protest
Police used water cannons and tear gas Wednesday to break up a protest in Chile's capital by thousands of students demanding free education. Three buses were set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Demonstrations demanding education reforms have swept Chile for more than a year. The government says the latest one in late June was the most violent with 472 demonstrators arrested and 36 police officers injured.
Morsi also asked Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi to replace the commander of the military police, a force that has been heavily used since the ouster 18 months ago of Hosni Mubarak. He also fired the commander of the presidential guards and named new chiefs for security in Cairo and the police's central security, a large paramilitary force often deployed to deal with riots.
The attack raised questions about the readiness of Egyptian forces in the area, particularly after Israel warned the country earlier of an imminent attack.
Jerusalem: Blurry eyeglasses look to keep women out of sight
It's the latest prescription for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who shun contact with the opposite sex: Glasses that blur their vision, so they don't have to see women they consider to be immodestly dressed.
The ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses and other public spaces in their neighborhoods. Their interpretation of Jewish law forbids contact between men and women who are not married. Now they're trying to keep women out of clear sight altogether.
The ultra-Orthodox community's unofficial "modesty patrols" are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters, but anything beyond that gets blurry.
Shawal, Pakistan: Taliban threaten to kill Pakistani cricket star
The Taliban have threatened to kill a Pakistani cricket star turned politician if he holds a planned march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest U.S. drone attacks.
Although the Pakistani Taliban also oppose the strikes, which have killed many of their fighters, spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said they would target Imran Khan because he calls himself a "liberal" - a term they associate with a lack of religious belief. He also warned they would attack anyone who participates in upcoming elections.
Paris: Paris dismantles Gypsy camp, families vanish
French authorities started dismantling a major Gypsy camp in Paris on Wednesday, after warning nearly 100 people living there that their ramshackle homes would be cleared.
The residents of the encampment vanished the night before the police action, despite offers of more permanent housing
Police spokesman Frederic Rose said the settlement on public property was illegal. Rose said it was the largest of several camps of Gypsies, or Roma, in Paris.
Sao Paulo: Brazil Senate approves affirmative action bill
The Brazilian Senate has approved an affirmative action bill that reserves half the spots in federal universities for high school graduates of public schools, with those seats distributed according to the racial makeup of each state.
The bill that was approved late Tuesday bill now goes to President Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to approve it.
The Senate says the reserved spots will be distributed among black, mixed race and indigenous students proportionally to the racial composition of each state.
Santiago, Chile: 3 buses burned as students stage protest
Police used water cannons and tear gas Wednesday to break up a protest in Chile's capital by thousands of students demanding free education. Three buses were set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Demonstrations demanding education reforms have swept Chile for more than a year. The government says the latest one in late June was the most violent with 472 demonstrators arrested and 36 police officers injured.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Dhoble effect? Fashion week party cancelled
Dhoble effect? Fashion week party cancelled
The city’s biggest annual fashion event, Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), ended on a dull note on Tuesday night. The much-celebrated after-party, which is attended by the crème de la crème of the fashion fraternity, was cancelled to avoid a run-in with assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble.The organisers, instead, decided to hold a small cocktail party before the 10.30pm grand finale.
Dhoble, who heads the social services branch (SSB) of the Mumbai police, has been conducting raids on pubs and restaurants, which are violating rules under which they have been granted licences.
The LFW organisers had sought permission from the police to extend the 1.30am deadline to 3am, but were refused. “The last show usually ends at 11.30pm. What is the point in starting the finale party at midnight and then starting to wind up by 1am?” said Anjana Sharma, head of fashion at IMG Reliance, the organiser. “We tried our best to get permission, but were turned down.”
According to Sharma, the venue of the after-party – China House at the Grand Hyatt in Kalina – which recently reopened after renovation, has also undergone a facelift. “At China House, not more than 14 people can be on the dance floor at any given time. To make sure that there is no trouble from the cops, they [China House] have spread furniture all over the dance floor, and stationed a bouncer nearby to restrict the number of dancers,” she said. “Earlier, they used to have a dance floor on the same level as the bar. The hotel was told by authorities that it qualifies as a dance bar.”
Many from the fashion fraternity are also disappointed. “Everyone is puzzled as this is the first time ever that there is no after-party for LFW,” said Mumbai-based model Siddharth Rawal. “We will have to hold house parties to celebrate.”
Parties planned by sponsors have also been hit. Designer Pankaj Ahuja of Pankaj and Nidhi, who showcased his creations for the first time in Mumbai, said: “A sponsor wanted to throw us a party before our 10.30pm show. But with Lakme hosting their party at the same time, we had to cancel our plans.”
The city’s biggest annual fashion event, Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), ended on a dull note on Tuesday night. The much-celebrated after-party, which is attended by the crème de la crème of the fashion fraternity, was cancelled to avoid a run-in with assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble.The organisers, instead, decided to hold a small cocktail party before the 10.30pm grand finale.
Dhoble, who heads the social services branch (SSB) of the Mumbai police, has been conducting raids on pubs and restaurants, which are violating rules under which they have been granted licences.
The LFW organisers had sought permission from the police to extend the 1.30am deadline to 3am, but were refused. “The last show usually ends at 11.30pm. What is the point in starting the finale party at midnight and then starting to wind up by 1am?” said Anjana Sharma, head of fashion at IMG Reliance, the organiser. “We tried our best to get permission, but were turned down.”
According to Sharma, the venue of the after-party – China House at the Grand Hyatt in Kalina – which recently reopened after renovation, has also undergone a facelift. “At China House, not more than 14 people can be on the dance floor at any given time. To make sure that there is no trouble from the cops, they [China House] have spread furniture all over the dance floor, and stationed a bouncer nearby to restrict the number of dancers,” she said. “Earlier, they used to have a dance floor on the same level as the bar. The hotel was told by authorities that it qualifies as a dance bar.”
Many from the fashion fraternity are also disappointed. “Everyone is puzzled as this is the first time ever that there is no after-party for LFW,” said Mumbai-based model Siddharth Rawal. “We will have to hold house parties to celebrate.”
Parties planned by sponsors have also been hit. Designer Pankaj Ahuja of Pankaj and Nidhi, who showcased his creations for the first time in Mumbai, said: “A sponsor wanted to throw us a party before our 10.30pm show. But with Lakme hosting their party at the same time, we had to cancel our plans.”
Monday, August 6, 2012
Usain Bolt defends Olympic 100-meter crown in breathtaking fashion
Usain Bolt defends Olympic 100-meter crown in breathtaking fashion
As the cameras flashed and the night sky lit up, Usain Bolt sprinted by his competitors. He kept running, screeching past the history books, lapping the sport’s icons and leaving the bar-stool debates in his dust. It really didn’t matter what numbers appeared on the stopwatch at the conclusion of one of the memorable races in Olympic history, and it didn’t matter that 80,000 witnesses spilled into the London streets in stunned amazement.
The Unbelievable Usain Bolt Show at these Olympics was never intended to be a one-night engagement.
This is where I want to become a legend,” the Jamaican promised Sunday night, “and that was one step.”
Bolt, 25, finally left Olympic Stadium after midnight, and he had no plans to go out on the town, no time to celebrate his Olympic record in the men’s 100 meters. Pushing aside all those doubts about his health and his work ethic, Bolt had just posted the second-fastest 100-meter time the world had ever seen. Yet he insists his legacy is tied to defending both his Olympic titles — in the 100- and 200-meter races — an improbable feat that perhaps no one but Bolt would even imagine.
He’s halfway there. His finish in 9.63 secondsSunday blew away a talented field. Not only did the victory make him only the second sprinter to win the 100 meters in consecutive Olympics, but it means Bolt’s racing résuménow boasts the three fastest performances in history. With the world tuned in and Prince William and Prince Harry in attendance, Bolt left no doubt who is king.
“A lot of people doubted me,” he said. “There was a lot of people saying I wasn’t going to win. There was a lot of talk. For me, it was an even greater feeling to come out, defend my title and show the world I’m still No. 1. I’m still the best.”
He left no doubts about that Sunday. The others had the misfortune of being born in the wrong era. Jamaican Yohan Blake, 22, took silver with a time of 9.75 seconds, and American Justin Gatlin, who recently returned to the sport after a four-year drug suspension, won bronze in 9.79, edging countryman Tyson Gay by 0.01 of a second. Those times would’ve been good enough for gold in any Summer Games that didn’t include Bolt.
The Americans never really stood a chance. Nobody did. After some pre-race showmanship for the crowd and the cameras, Bolt burst out of the blocks quickly and had an edge on the field by the race’s midpoint. Even the other sprinters felt his dominance.
“You can’t miss him,” Gatlin said. “When his legs lift, you feel it, you see it.”
It was different this time for Bolt. While winning gold in Beijing introduced him to much of the world, repeating in London tasted sweeter, he said. The critics and uncertainty fueled him, as both his mind and body were in question. Bolt pulled out of his most recent race last month citing a hamstring injury and was disqualified for a false start last year at the world championships. It was clear that repeating as an Olympic champion would be no simple task.
“When you get to the top, you there, you know it’s good and you’re working and you’re enjoying it,” Bolt said. “Sometimes you lose sight of what’s going on around you. Because, yeah, you know what it takes to get there, but sometimes you lose sight because everybody thinks you’re doing great and you’re doing well.”
The turning point for Bolt apparently came in June at the Jamaican trials, where Blake beat him in both the 100 and the 200. If Bolt couldn’t win his own country’s title, how could he win the world’s?
“Yohan gave me a wake-up call,” Bolt said. “He knocked on my door and said, ‘Usain, this is an Olympic year. Wake up.’ ”
With Bolt both healthy and hungry, the stage was set for a historic race.
Seven of the eight participants in the race broke the 10-second mark. At the 2008 Games, just six sprinters in the final did. At the 2004 Games — where Gatlin took gold — the number was five.
Gatlin ran six-tenths of a second faster Sunday than in his gold medal performance in Athens and barely won bronze over Gay.
“I’m just so glad to be a part of history,” Gatlin said of Sunday’s race.
And everyone in the stadium seemed happy to witness it.
For Bolt, however, the story of the London Games isn’t over. The 200-meter final, his signature race, is Thursday, and only when he defends that title, he says, will he feel accomplished here.
“People can talk a lot,” he said. “You can say anything you want. Showing up and doing what you got to do is a different thing. To me, it was all business.”
As the cameras flashed and the night sky lit up, Usain Bolt sprinted by his competitors. He kept running, screeching past the history books, lapping the sport’s icons and leaving the bar-stool debates in his dust. It really didn’t matter what numbers appeared on the stopwatch at the conclusion of one of the memorable races in Olympic history, and it didn’t matter that 80,000 witnesses spilled into the London streets in stunned amazement.
The Unbelievable Usain Bolt Show at these Olympics was never intended to be a one-night engagement.
This is where I want to become a legend,” the Jamaican promised Sunday night, “and that was one step.”
Bolt, 25, finally left Olympic Stadium after midnight, and he had no plans to go out on the town, no time to celebrate his Olympic record in the men’s 100 meters. Pushing aside all those doubts about his health and his work ethic, Bolt had just posted the second-fastest 100-meter time the world had ever seen. Yet he insists his legacy is tied to defending both his Olympic titles — in the 100- and 200-meter races — an improbable feat that perhaps no one but Bolt would even imagine.
He’s halfway there. His finish in 9.63 secondsSunday blew away a talented field. Not only did the victory make him only the second sprinter to win the 100 meters in consecutive Olympics, but it means Bolt’s racing résuménow boasts the three fastest performances in history. With the world tuned in and Prince William and Prince Harry in attendance, Bolt left no doubt who is king.
“A lot of people doubted me,” he said. “There was a lot of people saying I wasn’t going to win. There was a lot of talk. For me, it was an even greater feeling to come out, defend my title and show the world I’m still No. 1. I’m still the best.”
He left no doubts about that Sunday. The others had the misfortune of being born in the wrong era. Jamaican Yohan Blake, 22, took silver with a time of 9.75 seconds, and American Justin Gatlin, who recently returned to the sport after a four-year drug suspension, won bronze in 9.79, edging countryman Tyson Gay by 0.01 of a second. Those times would’ve been good enough for gold in any Summer Games that didn’t include Bolt.
The Americans never really stood a chance. Nobody did. After some pre-race showmanship for the crowd and the cameras, Bolt burst out of the blocks quickly and had an edge on the field by the race’s midpoint. Even the other sprinters felt his dominance.
“You can’t miss him,” Gatlin said. “When his legs lift, you feel it, you see it.”
It was different this time for Bolt. While winning gold in Beijing introduced him to much of the world, repeating in London tasted sweeter, he said. The critics and uncertainty fueled him, as both his mind and body were in question. Bolt pulled out of his most recent race last month citing a hamstring injury and was disqualified for a false start last year at the world championships. It was clear that repeating as an Olympic champion would be no simple task.
“When you get to the top, you there, you know it’s good and you’re working and you’re enjoying it,” Bolt said. “Sometimes you lose sight of what’s going on around you. Because, yeah, you know what it takes to get there, but sometimes you lose sight because everybody thinks you’re doing great and you’re doing well.”
The turning point for Bolt apparently came in June at the Jamaican trials, where Blake beat him in both the 100 and the 200. If Bolt couldn’t win his own country’s title, how could he win the world’s?
“Yohan gave me a wake-up call,” Bolt said. “He knocked on my door and said, ‘Usain, this is an Olympic year. Wake up.’ ”
With Bolt both healthy and hungry, the stage was set for a historic race.
Seven of the eight participants in the race broke the 10-second mark. At the 2008 Games, just six sprinters in the final did. At the 2004 Games — where Gatlin took gold — the number was five.
Gatlin ran six-tenths of a second faster Sunday than in his gold medal performance in Athens and barely won bronze over Gay.
“I’m just so glad to be a part of history,” Gatlin said of Sunday’s race.
And everyone in the stadium seemed happy to witness it.
For Bolt, however, the story of the London Games isn’t over. The 200-meter final, his signature race, is Thursday, and only when he defends that title, he says, will he feel accomplished here.
“People can talk a lot,” he said. “You can say anything you want. Showing up and doing what you got to do is a different thing. To me, it was all business.”
Friday, August 3, 2012
Marilyn Monroe, already a film and cultural icon, emerges as fashion star on anniversary of her death
Marilyn Monroe, already a film and cultural icon, emerges as fashion star on anniversary of her death
Sunday marks 50 years since the death of Marilyn Monroe, who a half century later remains the ultimate icon of popular culture.
Monroe, legendary for her calculated design of wholesome goodness and sex goddess - going from brunette pin-up girl Norma Jeane Baker (born "Mortenson) to the silver screen's blonde of all blondes - has had her life, loves and death endlessly studied, chronicled, investigated, dissected and put back together in books, movies and television.
Now fashion visionary can be added to reasons for our enduring fascination with her.
"No one since Marilyn has quite mixed sex and fashion like she did," says Christopher Nickens, co-author with George Zeno of the newly published "Marilyn in Fashion" (Running Press, 2012).
She did, after all, wear the most famous dress ever on film: a white halter with an accordion pleated circle skirt by William Travilla. The dress billowed above a New York subway grate in "The Seven Year Itch" revealing her panties, much to the disappointment and anger of her husband, baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Many said it was the beginning of the couple's marriage breakdown. Last year, Debbie Reynolds, who owned the dress, auctioned it for $5.6 million at a Profiles in History auction in Beverly Hills.
Later came Monroe's notoriously sheer gown, adorned with 4,000 rhinestones, that she wore as she breathlessly sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy on his 45th at Madison Square Garden. She promised to dress with decorum. Instead, she wore no bra or panties under the Jean Louis gown she bought for $5,000. In 1999, it sold for more than $1.26 million at Christie's Auction House in New York.
Never snobbish about clothes, Monroe mixed off-the-rack outfits and costumes from her movies with selected high-end labels, Nickens said.
She even bought a couple of Gene Tierney's castoffs that were designed by Tierney's husband, Oleg Cassini, who later became Jacqueline Kennedy's official first lady couturier.
Monroe wore Ferragamo shoes, J.C. Penney denim, sweaters and carried Louis Vuitton handbags. She lounged in capri pants and Emilio Pucci tops. She often went sans undergarments and wore a stripper's G-string under sheer designs.
"In her own way, she was a feminist," Nickens says.
She sought up-and-coming designers, but on the screen she was dressed by the best costumers: Travilla, Louis, Dorothy Jeakins, Eloise Jenssen and others who created memorable movie looks for her, including Travilla's hot pink strapless number for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Madonna later copied it for her "Material Girl" music video in 1985.
But Monroe's most loved garment was her terry-cloth bathrobe, Nickens says. She wore it so often that she had a standing order for the $18.67 garment from Bullock's Wilshire, a defunct Los Angeles department store.
She played to her curves with form-fitting silhouettes "instead of the styles of the time that included layered petticoats over voluminous skirts topped by Peter Pan collars," he says.
And she kept fit for her skin-tight wardrobe by working out with weights, decades before the fitness craze. " 'It helps me keep what I've got where it belongs,' " Nickens said, quoting the star.
For more than 25 years, Nickens has written about Hollywood legends, including biographies of Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor, who never had much of an opinion about fashion, he says.
"She wasn't all that interested," he says about Taylor. "They'd put a dress on her but she always over did it. She'd throw on a hat and two more necklaces."
Monroe loved hats. And necklaces, naturally in diamonds - a girl's best friend. Later in life, she wore wigs. She wore one at her own funeral.
At 36, Monroe was found dead in 1962 in her bedroom in west Los Angeles. Her death was ruled "acute barbiturate poisoning" and listed as "probable suicide" even though murder theories, too, are rumored.
Sunday marks 50 years since the death of Marilyn Monroe, who a half century later remains the ultimate icon of popular culture.
Monroe, legendary for her calculated design of wholesome goodness and sex goddess - going from brunette pin-up girl Norma Jeane Baker (born "Mortenson) to the silver screen's blonde of all blondes - has had her life, loves and death endlessly studied, chronicled, investigated, dissected and put back together in books, movies and television.
Now fashion visionary can be added to reasons for our enduring fascination with her.
"No one since Marilyn has quite mixed sex and fashion like she did," says Christopher Nickens, co-author with George Zeno of the newly published "Marilyn in Fashion" (Running Press, 2012).
She did, after all, wear the most famous dress ever on film: a white halter with an accordion pleated circle skirt by William Travilla. The dress billowed above a New York subway grate in "The Seven Year Itch" revealing her panties, much to the disappointment and anger of her husband, baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Many said it was the beginning of the couple's marriage breakdown. Last year, Debbie Reynolds, who owned the dress, auctioned it for $5.6 million at a Profiles in History auction in Beverly Hills.
Later came Monroe's notoriously sheer gown, adorned with 4,000 rhinestones, that she wore as she breathlessly sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy on his 45th at Madison Square Garden. She promised to dress with decorum. Instead, she wore no bra or panties under the Jean Louis gown she bought for $5,000. In 1999, it sold for more than $1.26 million at Christie's Auction House in New York.
Never snobbish about clothes, Monroe mixed off-the-rack outfits and costumes from her movies with selected high-end labels, Nickens said.
She even bought a couple of Gene Tierney's castoffs that were designed by Tierney's husband, Oleg Cassini, who later became Jacqueline Kennedy's official first lady couturier.
Monroe wore Ferragamo shoes, J.C. Penney denim, sweaters and carried Louis Vuitton handbags. She lounged in capri pants and Emilio Pucci tops. She often went sans undergarments and wore a stripper's G-string under sheer designs.
"In her own way, she was a feminist," Nickens says.
She sought up-and-coming designers, but on the screen she was dressed by the best costumers: Travilla, Louis, Dorothy Jeakins, Eloise Jenssen and others who created memorable movie looks for her, including Travilla's hot pink strapless number for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Madonna later copied it for her "Material Girl" music video in 1985.
But Monroe's most loved garment was her terry-cloth bathrobe, Nickens says. She wore it so often that she had a standing order for the $18.67 garment from Bullock's Wilshire, a defunct Los Angeles department store.
She played to her curves with form-fitting silhouettes "instead of the styles of the time that included layered petticoats over voluminous skirts topped by Peter Pan collars," he says.
And she kept fit for her skin-tight wardrobe by working out with weights, decades before the fitness craze. " 'It helps me keep what I've got where it belongs,' " Nickens said, quoting the star.
For more than 25 years, Nickens has written about Hollywood legends, including biographies of Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor, who never had much of an opinion about fashion, he says.
"She wasn't all that interested," he says about Taylor. "They'd put a dress on her but she always over did it. She'd throw on a hat and two more necklaces."
Monroe loved hats. And necklaces, naturally in diamonds - a girl's best friend. Later in life, she wore wigs. She wore one at her own funeral.
At 36, Monroe was found dead in 1962 in her bedroom in west Los Angeles. Her death was ruled "acute barbiturate poisoning" and listed as "probable suicide" even though murder theories, too, are rumored.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Pippa Middleton trashed by fashion designer: 'She should only show her back'
Pippa Middleton trashed by fashion designer: 'She should only show her back'
Lagerfeld has been a long-time fan of Middleton's sister Kate and also of Victoria Beckham, but he just doesn't seem to have the same feelings for her. During the launch of Lagerfeld's beauty boutique in London, he went out of his way to praise Kate even though so many believe her to have a "boring wardrobe."
View slideshow: Pippa Middleton - What do you think?
.Pippa Middleton is beautiful to many, but not to fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Photo credit: Getty Images .."She knows pretty well what to wear and what to do. She has a divine silhouette so she can wear anything. She has a sense of what’s right for the moment because you can not dress like a mad woman in those situations," Lagerfeld said.
Now, when it came time to discuss Pippa after Kate, Lagerfeld's words weren't nearly as friendly. Actually, they will probably be looked at as a huge slap in the face to her.
"On the other hand, her sister struggles," continued Lagerfeld. "I don’t like the sister’s face. She should only show her back."
Many are probably not going to agree with Lagerfeld's assessment of Pippa, but to each their own. Most likely this will develop more backlash for him than it will gain him support, but it won't really hurt anyone all around.
Lagerfeld has been a long-time fan of Middleton's sister Kate and also of Victoria Beckham, but he just doesn't seem to have the same feelings for her. During the launch of Lagerfeld's beauty boutique in London, he went out of his way to praise Kate even though so many believe her to have a "boring wardrobe."
View slideshow: Pippa Middleton - What do you think?
.Pippa Middleton is beautiful to many, but not to fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Photo credit: Getty Images .."She knows pretty well what to wear and what to do. She has a divine silhouette so she can wear anything. She has a sense of what’s right for the moment because you can not dress like a mad woman in those situations," Lagerfeld said.
Now, when it came time to discuss Pippa after Kate, Lagerfeld's words weren't nearly as friendly. Actually, they will probably be looked at as a huge slap in the face to her.
"On the other hand, her sister struggles," continued Lagerfeld. "I don’t like the sister’s face. She should only show her back."
Many are probably not going to agree with Lagerfeld's assessment of Pippa, but to each their own. Most likely this will develop more backlash for him than it will gain him support, but it won't really hurt anyone all around.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Fashion sales on wheels inspired by food trucks
Fashion sales on wheels inspired by food trucks
The first time the brakes went out in her trailer/store, Joey Wolffer ran a stoplight and worried what would happen to her high-end accessories inside. Two years later, she has a close relationship with a mechanic, knows the best spot to park in New York's meatpacking district and has a devoted summer following in the Hamptons.
Wolffer transformed a greasy potato chip truck into a 1980s glam bohemian den she named "Styleliner." It is stocked with limited-edition accessories, like a $430 crystal and fringe necklace, from her world travels.
Friends were always asking Wolffer where she got a piece of jewelry, and the former trend director for Jones Apparel Group said she was looking for a way to introduce some favorite designers to the U.S. market, along with some of her own creations. She bought the truck with money she inherited and set up shop.
Styleliner is among a handful of mobile retail stores in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., and across the U.S that are hawking vintage accessories, sexy shoes and denim to die for in their haute wheels. Owners say they're taking cues from the food truck industry, which glamorized street cuisine, garnered a cult following and even spawned a hit TV show.
"I wanted relationships with customers. I wanted to get out there and work with people and meet new people all the time," said Wolffer, who made a profit her first summer in business in 2010.
The boutiques on wheels can only accommodate a few customers at a time, providing a more intimate shopping experience than a crowded department store. Styleliner can fit about five customers at a time.
"The old door-to-door salesman is too difficult in today's world, but we're seeing an uptick in bringing the product to the consumers," said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at New York-based NPD group.
It's also a cheaper way for startup companies to break into the business quickly.
When former fashion editor Sarah Ellison Lewis wanted to open a funky shoe boutique in Austin, Texas, she had sticker shock every time she saw the price for a store lease. So for a quarter of the price she bought a 30-foot trailer, decorated it with vintage wallpaper photography and reclaimed wooden benches and leased a parking spot between a chic hotel and popular brunch spot.
The 36-year-old stylist specializes in smaller hard-to-find designers of men's and women's shoes.
Bootleg Austin's customers — about 50 a weekend — love to paw through her well-curated collection that includes black ankle booties with gold buckles, polka dot flats and gold metallic lace-up sandals.
The trailer was turning a profit in nine months, said Lewis, who predominantly sells from her leased space, but will embark on a 20-city tour this fall.
"This was about being an entrepreneur and doing it in a strange and audacious way and the trailer brings out all these great stories from people that I love," said Lewis. "I wanted to do something that was also really friendly and really warm. I'm really sick of retails being cold and stark and snotty."
Experts say traditional stores want to collaborate with mobile retailers, not compete with them. The trend comes as brick and mortar stores are struggling to get customers excited about shopping in a struggling economy.
"It's an opportunity to get (customers) into the parking lot and go to the mobile truck, and we believe there's overflow traffic that goes right into the store from there," said Mike Gatti, a senior vice president of the National Retail Federation.
"We're not hearing really any complaints about them."
Customers are also drawn to the novel experience and personal attention they get from mobile retailers.
"People love it. You are now back to the social aspect of shopping," said Cohen.
In Portland, Ore., shoppers sift through vintage dresses and men's ties on a tricked out double-decker bus.
The Fashion Truck features cute and affordable clothes from its Boston-based trailer.
A chevron print shift dress sells for $48.
And it's not just retail. Experts predict consumers will see more industries, including medical and home furnishing, hitting the road.
The first time the brakes went out in her trailer/store, Joey Wolffer ran a stoplight and worried what would happen to her high-end accessories inside. Two years later, she has a close relationship with a mechanic, knows the best spot to park in New York's meatpacking district and has a devoted summer following in the Hamptons.
Wolffer transformed a greasy potato chip truck into a 1980s glam bohemian den she named "Styleliner." It is stocked with limited-edition accessories, like a $430 crystal and fringe necklace, from her world travels.
Friends were always asking Wolffer where she got a piece of jewelry, and the former trend director for Jones Apparel Group said she was looking for a way to introduce some favorite designers to the U.S. market, along with some of her own creations. She bought the truck with money she inherited and set up shop.
Styleliner is among a handful of mobile retail stores in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., and across the U.S that are hawking vintage accessories, sexy shoes and denim to die for in their haute wheels. Owners say they're taking cues from the food truck industry, which glamorized street cuisine, garnered a cult following and even spawned a hit TV show.
"I wanted relationships with customers. I wanted to get out there and work with people and meet new people all the time," said Wolffer, who made a profit her first summer in business in 2010.
The boutiques on wheels can only accommodate a few customers at a time, providing a more intimate shopping experience than a crowded department store. Styleliner can fit about five customers at a time.
"The old door-to-door salesman is too difficult in today's world, but we're seeing an uptick in bringing the product to the consumers," said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at New York-based NPD group.
It's also a cheaper way for startup companies to break into the business quickly.
When former fashion editor Sarah Ellison Lewis wanted to open a funky shoe boutique in Austin, Texas, she had sticker shock every time she saw the price for a store lease. So for a quarter of the price she bought a 30-foot trailer, decorated it with vintage wallpaper photography and reclaimed wooden benches and leased a parking spot between a chic hotel and popular brunch spot.
The 36-year-old stylist specializes in smaller hard-to-find designers of men's and women's shoes.
Bootleg Austin's customers — about 50 a weekend — love to paw through her well-curated collection that includes black ankle booties with gold buckles, polka dot flats and gold metallic lace-up sandals.
The trailer was turning a profit in nine months, said Lewis, who predominantly sells from her leased space, but will embark on a 20-city tour this fall.
"This was about being an entrepreneur and doing it in a strange and audacious way and the trailer brings out all these great stories from people that I love," said Lewis. "I wanted to do something that was also really friendly and really warm. I'm really sick of retails being cold and stark and snotty."
Experts say traditional stores want to collaborate with mobile retailers, not compete with them. The trend comes as brick and mortar stores are struggling to get customers excited about shopping in a struggling economy.
"It's an opportunity to get (customers) into the parking lot and go to the mobile truck, and we believe there's overflow traffic that goes right into the store from there," said Mike Gatti, a senior vice president of the National Retail Federation.
"We're not hearing really any complaints about them."
Customers are also drawn to the novel experience and personal attention they get from mobile retailers.
"People love it. You are now back to the social aspect of shopping," said Cohen.
In Portland, Ore., shoppers sift through vintage dresses and men's ties on a tricked out double-decker bus.
The Fashion Truck features cute and affordable clothes from its Boston-based trailer.
A chevron print shift dress sells for $48.
And it's not just retail. Experts predict consumers will see more industries, including medical and home furnishing, hitting the road.
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