月別アーカイブ: 2016年2月

Red carpet fashion in the ’90s was a time of minimalism, spaghetti straps and ample cleavage. Since the era was pretty toned down compared to today’s bonanza, many of the dresses could easily go straight from the big screen to the gym of your high school prom. And with ’90s fashion being so hot right now (like, have you seen Forever 21’s spring collection??), we wouldn’t be surprised if many of the same trends we loved back then grace the Oscars red carpet again this year. In honor of this year’s awards, we’re taking a stroll down memory lane to relive our favorite Oscar fashion moments of the ’90s that we’re still loving today.

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1. Alicia Silverstone: Vera Wang was hot in the ’90s, so what better person to rock her bridal-inspired fashion then it-girl du jour Alicia, whose movie Cluelesschanged our lives forever that year? Alicia paired the sleeveless white gown with a pale blue tulle wrap, making it a no-brainer for any of today’s brides (you’ve got your something blue!).

2. Kate Winslet: The year after the movie Titanic stole our hearts and made her a household name, Kate rocked a curve-hugging emerald green stunner that proved long sleeves can be totally sexy on the red carpet.

3. Courtney Love: The queen of grunge swapped out her dingy duds for an old Hollywood glamour look in this silk white Versace gown. The classic lines and plunging neckline are timeless, making it a great option for any of today’s young stars.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow: This dress goes down in the history books. Gwyneth not only wore the bubblegum pink taffeta Ralph Lauren gown with graceful perfection, but she also took home an Academy Award that year for best actress in Shakespeare in Love.

5. Jennifer Lopez: Though it’s not the iconic green Versace dress she wore to the Grammys the same year, Jennifer was totally princess-like at the 1999 Oscars in a black Badgley Mishka ballgown. Topping the look with a ballerina bun and some bling keeps it foolproof and enduring almost 17 years later.

6. Cate Blanchett: This dress was fierce! Only John Galliano could whip up an eyebrow-raising confection like Cate’s 1999 sheer back gown that made it look like she had a serious back tat. Rooney Mara would crush it in this dress today.

7. Cindy Crawford: On the arm of then-boyfriend (and soon-to-be husband) Richard Gere, Cindy left mouths agape with a deep-plunging red Versace gown. With big hair, a black mini clutch and black pumps to match, this look could easily be a winner for a blonde bombshell like our girl JLaw.

8. Christina Ricci: Versace was one of the biggest designers in the 1990s, so there’s no question why they had Christina, a hot young actress, wear this $25,000 gray and crystal gown. Fun fact: the dress was later donated to a charity, and a teen in Michigan got to wear it to her prom!

9. Elizabeth Hurley: Wearing one of her favorite designers, Hurley made heads turn in this winter white, crystal-adorned gown by Versace. The short hair, matching shoes and crystal bag make her a ’90s poster girl for full-on glam in the understated tone of the era.

10. Tyra Banks: At the height of her supermodel success, Tyra donned a nude body-hugging Halston dress in 1998 that we’re begging to be pulled out of the archives for another appearance (Brie Larson, we’re thinking of you). The dress could easily pass as a reincarnation of Kate Hudson’s two-piece Michael Kors dress she wore to this year’s Golden Globes.

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Long hours of festivities, erratic schedules, food binges and loads of heavy make-up — all this can take a toll on the bride’s skin. From sticking to the right food, regular skincare and work-out, you can regain the bridal glow in no time, says an expert.

Sangeeta Velaskar, vice president and head, medical services and R&D, Kaya Limited, shares some tips on how to regain the nuptial glow:

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* Detox for the body: What you eat reflects on your skin. Rich and heavy food indulgences make the digestive system sluggish and results in dull, spotty and dry skin. Opt for fruits, nuts, sprouts, legumes, broccoli, beetroot and so on. Drink lots of water to keep the body hydrated or eat fruits and vegetables that have high water content such as watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries and peaches. Incorporate a vegetable juice in your daily diet to increase fibre intake and recapture the bridal glow.

* Look after your skin – Bring on lots of TLC – tender, loving, skincare by continuing to follow the golden rule of maintaining the CTM (Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising) ritual. Introduce a night cream with vitamin C to your daily regime as it helps renew face cells, restores skin elasticity and boosts collagen in your skin. And lastly, limit the use of makeup products by opting for a minimalistic look.

* Luscious tresses – Indulge in a rejuvenating hair spa to de-stress, recover lost moisture and enhance the texture of your hair. Use a gentle shampoo to cleanse your scalp, followed by a protective conditioner that restores your hair to its healthy state. Also, ensure that you limit the use of heated appliances such as blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron.

* Quick fix facial – Treat yourself to a facial that is designed to provide strong detoxification. Some of the ingredients to look out for are – exotic marine extracts for a healthy skin; tea tree oil for its antibacterial, antiseptic and balsamic properties; antioxidants that reverse the effects of ageing and mulberry extracts that are a rich source of proteins and a powerhouse of nutrients.

* Work it out – Move, run, dance, hit the gym or practice yoga and get an adrenaline rush. Regular exercise helps in increasing the supply of blood, which in turn nourishes the skin cells and keeps them vital. Also, it helps to flush cellular debris therefore, cleaning the system from the inside.

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A whopping 40 to 50 percent of all marriages in North America WILL end in divorce this year. South Asians in the US number around 3.5

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million and the divorce rate is estimated at anything from 1 to 15 per cent of all marriages, this isn’t a statistic to be proud about, because it points to a malaise that exists within the community. But that isn’t what cultural chauvinists among us want you to believe, they flaunt this low divorce rate as testament to our strong values, culture and tradition. It is a statistic often used to flaunt our perceived moral superiority over the debauched west. But talk to front line social workers, thinkers and councillors and what you hear are some horror stories that could break your heart.

High tolerance for mental and physical abuse

Domestic violence is a scourge afflicting our community not just in India but right here in Canada. Newlywed brides are often harassed over issues like dowry but very few would actually call out their husbands or the in-laws, such crime is rarely reported. Despite the fact that South Asians living in the West tend to be educated or atleast living in advanced countries that eschew violence against women, the fact that it still happens should be cause for concern. Seventy per cent of Indian marriages in North America are arranged and 87 per cent of all South Asians are foreign-born. This may in part explain why the hold of culture and tradition holds back thousands of men and women, mostly women from seeking liberation from a stifling or abusive relationship. They are often forced to endure mental and physical abuse for the sake of their children or the family name.

Caucasians have no qualms walking out of bad marriages

Caucasians and other mainstream Canadians for example for most part have few qualms about walking out of a marriage that isn’t working. They are unwilling to tolerate an uncouth and abusive partner for too long. For the average Canadian couple, if they are unhappy in a relationship they may at first seek counselling or a temporary separation before calling it quits. Among South Asians any such talk is swiftly dismissed outright. Counselling? Problem? What problem? As for separation, many imported brides have neither the means or the guts to walk out. The man is likely to live his own life and have mistresses and the woman ofcourse is expected to put up a front for society.

What keeps bad marriages going is the absolute fear of losing status within the family and in the community. Then there is shame in being seen as a failure and the stigma children of divorced parents could face. It could adversely impact their childrens’ marriage prospects.

But even though there are possibly thousands of unhappily married South Asian couples living under the same roof trapped in sham marriages, there are a few enlightened ones who aren’t willing to accept the status quo. These are often second-generation South Asians or the educated in India who seek divorce or separation when things go bad in their marriage. This sort of separation is mostly possible when the woman is not only educated but gainfully employed and has the confidence of being able to provide not only for themselves but for their children if necessary. When husbands know that their wives are not economically dependent on them or vice-versa, there is a healthy respect and partners know they can’t take each other for granted.

Re-thinking traditional Indian marriages

A couple of years ago Geetha Ravindra published a highly popular book titled Shaadi Remix: Transforming the Traditional Indian marriage. The book delves into the breakdown of Indian marriage within a rapidly changing culture, explaining why the conventional criteria used to arrange marriages no longer ensure lasting, healthy relationships. It is replete with stories of how real Indian couples navigate a twenty-first-century world, provides guidance on alternative methods of choosing partners.

The book now adorns many bookshelves of young South Asians contemplating marriage and with good reason- the traditional Indian marriage is getting harder to maintain. While online sites like Shaadi.com continues to be popular among the youth, also getting increasingly popular is another site called Secondshaadi.com.

In fact Secondshaadi.com seems poised to grow twice as fast as Shaadi.com in the years to come.

A match-maker once told me that many of her male clients holding top jobs in the field of medicine or engineering are self-confessed failures at finding partners. They are reluctant to take their parents help in lining up a partner from India and have never really dated a girl here in Canada. Since dating is still more or less socially unacceptable among Indians, not surprisingly they’ve not had any experience in that department and besides their cousins and relatives they’ve often never had friends belonging to the opposite sex. This may partly explain why in arranged marriages partners base their decision on caste, color looks and domesticity. All things that either fade away or are found to be totally irrelevant in the larger context of an enduring and happy marriage.

The question for South Asians should be this: If you could do it over again, would you marry the same person again? I suspect a good 40 to 50 per cent would be ready to upgrade or trade-in their non-performing or poorly performing partners for more compatible ones. The only difference between South Asians and other mainstream Canadians is that we would consider change partners in our next life while practical Canadians would be prepared to do so in this life itself.

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A reader, Jerry, has been planning for his wedding withPrincess, not knowing she is bisexual and was also sleeping with her room mate, Brenda. The day Jerry found out was the day the sail was blown off his feet.

Read his letter here:

“My name is Jerry and as I am writing this, I am very angry and disappointed at a woman I loved with the whole of my heart and hoped to make my wife sometime this year.

I met Princess about two years ago and it was a kind of love at first sight as we fell in love almost immediately. I thought the passion would die off but instead, it get growing till I knew she was the kind of woman I wanted to spend my life with.

The only thing that seem untoward with Princess has been her closeness to Brenda, whom she said has been her childhood friend. They lived together and did a lot of things together, including taking their bath.

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I did not see anything wrong at first but later, I became apprehensive but Princess would tell me I should not worry as they are like sisters.

I also noticed that Brenda was not very happy when Princess introduced me to her. In fact, she behaved like a jealous lover whose girlfriend has been taken over by another man.

We had our introduction last year and we had fixed May this year for our wedding but I am not sure I will be able to go through with because of what I witnessed on February 14, the day recognised all over the world as Valentine’s Day.

Early that morning, I had planned to give Princess a huge surprise and had spent a fortune buying up some expensive gifts.

I wanted to wake her up with the gifts, so I drove to her house as early as 6am and without calling her that I was coming I had never done. When I got close to house, I parked my car outside and climbed the stairs to the self-contained apartment she occupied with Brenda, being very careful not to make any noise.

When I got to the door of the flat, I heard some noises which without being told, came from lovers having sex.

But curiously, I did not hear a male’s voice but that of two females. I distinctly heard the voice of my fiancée because she is a very vocal lover when it came to sex. I was confused. I tried the door handle but it was locked from the inside.

I managed to prise the window open and was met with the most bizarre sight I have ever seen. There was my fiancée lay spread-eagle on the bed, with Brenda using a kind of dildo tied to her waist, ramming into her.

The shock at what I saw made me scream aloud and the two lesbian lovers quickly sprang apart, their eyes locking into mine. I had to practically run away from the scene.

Princess has been trying to get to me to explain but I doubt if I will ever want to see her again. But something in me tells me to forgive her and pretend as if I did not see anything but the man in me says no.

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100 years of ‘Vogue’: The photos behind the fashion

“Vogue” magazine turns 100 in the UK and the National Portrait Gallery in London looks back at the photography that has defined how we view fashion. Discover 10 famous photographers who’ve shaped the magazine’s style.

In the UK, “Vogue” magazine is celebrating its centennial – reason enough for a special exhibition at the London National Portrait Gallery.

The publication stands for glamour like none other and being pictured in it as a model, or having your picture in it as a fashion photographer, is a coveted status symbol. From Irving Penny to Peter Lindbergh or Karl Lagerfeld, the who’s who of the fashion world have all left their mark on “Vogue.”

The magazine, however, is actually older than 100 years. American businessman Arthur Baldwin Turnure founded “Vogue” in New York City in 1892. It started off as a weekly publication for fashion, society and lifestyle. It would later include sketches of the latest styles and fashion tips for the upper-class and set the latest clothing trends.

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After Turnure’s death, his sister-in-law Marie Harrison – then the editor-in-chief – took over the magazine to the chagrin of French-German businessman Condé Nast. He’d been eyeing it for quite some time and had tried to negotiate with Turnure up until the latter’s death.

It wasn’t until 1909 that Nast would finally come into possession of “Vogue.” Fashion sketches were soon replaced with photographs. And another major change took place: The magazine was only published every 14 days, rather than weekly. The price was raised and its major target group was more clearly put into focus: women.

One thing remained the same: The editor-in-chief has always been female. Early on, it was Josephine Redding. For the past 20 years, Anna Wintour has taken the job. As the most influential woman in the fashion scene, she also served as the inspiration for the 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada,” starring Oscar-winner Meryl Streep.

According to Wintour, having your own vision is more important than worrying about the competition – a mantra that’s proven successful for her.

The British edition of “Vogue” appeared nearly a quarter-century after the magazine was founded in the US – its first international launch. Twelve years later, the German edition was born. The Great Depression hindered its initial success, and a second German launch was attempted 50 years later.

With the founding of the Condé Nast Verlag publishing house in Munich in 1978, “Vogue” was finally up and running in Germany. By this time, the magazine had long since conquered the fashion world with its iconic high-gloss cover photos.

The German edition of “Vogue,” under editor-in-chief Christiane Arp, is known for elaborate, multiple-page fashion spreads featuring pompous shoots.

The mother of all fashion magazines is now available in over 20 countries – all with the same motto: “Before it’s in fashion, it’s in Vogue.”

The exhibition in the London National Portrait Gallery, “Vogue 100,” runs through May 22, 2016.

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When Brooklyn Beckham revealed on his Instagram feed that he would be photographing Burberry’s latest fragrance ad campaign, the outrage was palpable.

Commentators rushed to criticise the fashion house’s choice of the 16-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham for the shoot, instead of an established industry professional.

“Insulting to every artist out there”; “completely disrespectful to the artist community”; and “so tired of these celebrities buying their kids into everything” were some of the printable reactions.

But Burberry boss Christopher Bailey suggested it might have been Brooklyn’s 5.9 million Instagram followers, rather than his parents, that got him the gig.

“Brooklyn has a really great eye for image and Instagram works brilliantly for him as a platform to showcase his work,” he said.

And this is the new reality: the choice of Brooklyn as photographer was less about how well-connected famous people can get their kids into competitive professions than a reflection of just how much social media has shaken up the fashion industry.

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It’s now the number of followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter, rather than your experience necessarily, that can secure you a top job.

“You don’t want to be a commercial photographer unless you’re famous,” says Scott Galloway, clinical professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business in New York, and founder of “digital benchmarking” firm L2.

Model behaviour

The influence of social media has also rapidly changed how models are chosen.

Kendall Jenner, who shot to fame thanks to the Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality TV show, has been dubbed the “ultimate Instagirl” for her huge social media fan base: 48 million followers on Instagram and 15.3 million on Twitter.

It was probably this status as the most-followed model on Instagram, as much as her looks or talent, that scored her the top job as the face of cosmetics giant Estee Lauder, says Mr Galloway.

“You’re seeing a reshaping of an industry,” he argues. “My friends don’t forward me a picture of a really great air conditioner, but forwarding fashion is fun and interesting.”

While trying to work out whether sales are directly linked to social media campaigns is difficult, companies with higher levels of engagement on Instagram are tending to grow their online sales faster than their less clued-up rivals, turning the traditional fashion hierarchy on its head.

In L2′s Digital IQ Index, which ranks fashion brands according to their website offerings, e-commerce, digital marketing and social media awareness, US women’s clothing designer Tory Burch beats well-known global luxury brands such as Gucci, Hermes and Chanel.

Domenic Venneri, founder of digital marketing agency Vokent, says his firm always looks at the social media profiles of people before deciding who to use in a campaign.

In some cases, not just the models but the entire backstage team – including the make-up artists, stylists and producers – are selected according to their influence on social media.

“We won’t do a photoshoot that goes on a billboard somewhere unless everyone involved has some sort of [social media] following and some sort of leverage,” says Mr Venneri.

‘Loose and conversational’

For fashion firms, the appeal is two-fold: it’s cheaper and it seems more personal and authentic.

Lee Friend, founder of fashion photography company Fashot, says that photos firms share on social media are often at the very bottom end of the budget range.

“They’re trying not to make it look too slick. It’s meant to be loose and conversational rather than structured and professional,” he says.

For customers, the appeal is obvious: they think they’re getting a peek inside a famously exclusive and private world.

The reality is rather different, says Emma Parlons, head of digital at fashion and beauty public relations agency Push PR.

“They don’t reveal too much. What we see is highly curated. Yes, fashion houses are using social media to engage with their fans, but it’s in a very controlled way.”

Controlled or not, she says it’s effective, bringing in a new, typically younger audience than the customers who use a brand’s website or shops.

“It’s a walking, living magazine,” she says. “People think ‘oh that’s what it looks like with a denim skirt’.”

The three key platforms for fashion houses are Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, says Ms Parlons.

Fast-growing channel

It’s worked for Burberry. Behind-the-scenes pictures and videos shared on its Instagram and Snapchat feeds of the Brooklyn shoot had some 15 million impressions in the eight hours the shoot was live.

The fashion retailer has nearly 40 million followers across 20 different social media platforms and openly admits that it has become as much a media content producer as a design company.

It was the first of the big fashion houses to “live stream” its catwalk shows over the internet. On some platforms customers can click through to buy certain garments as soon as they see them on the catwalk. And it has its own Instagram-style micro-site – Art of the Trench.

In September, it debuted its spring/summer 2016 collection on photo messaging app Snapchat ahead of the official show.

While the company is coy about the exact breakdown of online versus shop sales, it says the “majority of traffic” to its website now comes from mobile, its “fastest growing digital channel”.

Yet not all the big fashion houses have embraced social media due to concerns over the potential loss of control over their brand image.

This may be a risky approach, however.

Online sales in 2014 accounted for just 6% of the $250bn (£172bn; €224bn) global market for luxury goods, but they’re growing at a much faster rate than shop sales, according to management consultancy McKinsey.

Its latest research, based on analysis of 7,000 shoppers, found that three out of four luxury purchases, even if they still take place in shops, are influenced by what consumers see, do and hear online.

“The question is no longer if and when luxury brands should embrace the digital opportunity, but how they should go about doing it,” it said.

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Some years ago a series of strange yet unrelated events led me to undertake a study of the colonial era in Massachusetts and the history of the town in which I live. As time passed, two questions came to mind: 1) We know about the Pilgrims and Puritans, but where did all the Indians go? and 2) Among that remnant of Native Americans who have somehow managed to survive into the present era, how can tribal communities thrive while reconciling themselves to the monolithic power of contemporary American civilization?

Question 1 is all too easy to answer and all too sad to contemplate; Question 2 eluded me for many years. That it has been answered, if only in the most unexpected sort of way, is as much a comment on the ambiguity inherent in any complex question as the daunting challenge of overturning centuries of repression and racial hatred directed against indigenous peoples. That such questions continue to run in parallel with “the power and the glory” theories of American history, which have merit in their own terms, is a puzzle I will not attempt to solve here.

High-fashion dresses, beaded boots and luxurious accessories may seem to pale in contrast to such concerns, but to my surprise and delight I found in them my answer when I recently attended an exhibition entitled “Native Fashion Now – North American Indian Style” at Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum. Curated by Karen Kramer, a brilliant exponent of indigenous art, and a team of dedicated colleagues, the exhibit is a five-star event.

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What Native America appears to be about today, if what I saw in Salem is representative, is what it has always been doing: imagining a unique future for itself based on its deepest and most profound spiritual and material resources. Self-reliance, a willingness to adopt new ways, rich wellsprings of community and most of all a totally hip, wildly imaginative artistic sensibility are overcoming what murderous Europeans, a brutally repressive federal government, competing tribal interests, the bland insensibility of mass media and the mindless conformity of commercialization have not and never will achieve. In their place I encountered a powerful fusion of art and craft that is nothing short of transformative.

I need issue no spoiler alert in saying what you will see, if you go to this exhibition, is a swirl of iconic symbols, fine fabrics, beaten silver, precious stones and even colorized sneakers. I takes high fashion, stands it on its head, shakes it up and adds such unexpected embellishments as elk antler and stingray skin to clothing ensembles and fashion accessories so colorful and iconic as to meet the test of any Paris runway show, presidential state occasion, high society charity ball, rapper’s act or skateboarder ramp routine.

Clothing, along with food gathering and kinship ties, once was life itself to Native America. A first line of environmental defense against heat, cold and predators, clothing lent prestige and power to its powwows and chiefs. So it is hardly an accident that clothing should now become a dynamic, expressive medium for contemporary Native American fashion designers. Cultural persistence has paid off quite well here, one might say.

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