カテゴリー別アーカイブ: fashion

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini sports sexy plunging mini-dress on X Factor while Rita Ora takes her on in cleavage stakes in revealing white lace jumpsuit

Their outfits are often as dramatic as The X Factor shows themselves.

And Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Rita Ora once again pulled it out of the sartorial bag as they stepped on stage in sensational ensembles on Sunday night’s episode of the ITV show.

The 32-year-old former Girls Aloud star sported an extremely plunging black mini dress while the Hot Right Now hitmaker, 24, matched her in the cleavage stakes in a deep V-neck white jumpsuit.

Cheryl rocked a plunging black mini dress with a glimmering waistband and necklace detail which showed off her trim frame while channeling a futuristic vibe.

She wore her hair scraped into a high bun while wearing matching hoop earrings which coordinated with the sparkling elements of her outfit.

Her make-up matched the dramatic look as she sported a stand out smokey eye and a slick of lipgloss.

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Rita sported a white lace jumpsuit which showed off mounds of cleavage due to the extremely plunging V-neckline which matched her pretty pearl necklace.

She looked ethereal as she wore her blonde locks in soft cascading curls which tumbled from a centre parting.

Her make-up was glimmering yet natural which fitted in perfectly with her elegant and dreamy ensemble.

The show’s hosts matched fantastically as they co-ordinated in all black ensembles.

Caroline Flack looked sensational in an off-the-shoulder black mini dress which flaunted her sensational figure to perfection.

Her co-presenter Olly Murs, who has come under fire for a slip-up during last week’s episode, seems to have recovered as he looked smart in a black shirt and suit ahead of his performance on the show.

Male judges Simon Cowell and Nick Grimshaw looked typically handsome in their ubiquitous suits.

Simon rocked his usual suited and booted look while Nick looked equally smart in a suave two-piece.

Cheryl playfully placed bunny ear fingers behind Simon’s head which he playfully tried to dodge.

The show follows Saturday night’s episode which saw the shock elimination of this year’s resident bad boy Mason Noise.

The handsome wannabe from Birmingham was banished from the competition after he found himself in the bottom three alongside Anton Stephens and 4th Impact.

‘Thank you to everyone who voted, thank you to everyone who didn’t vote as well,’ he said, fairly diplomatically.

‘He’s exactly the kind of popstar we need,’ added mentor Nick ‘I’m not worried about the future of Mason at all.’

The shock announcement comes after Cheryl revealed on Twitter that one act would lose their spot in the competition.

Making the shock announcement on Saturday night, just one hour before the live show, the petite brunette said that 10 minutes before the end of the show, one act would be voted off.

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Blue Ivy Carter Photos 2015: Blue Wears $2,100 Designer Dress

Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter have proved yet again that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

On Saturday, Queen Bey shared an Instagram photo of herself with her adorable 3-year-old wearing matching colors. In the pic, the mother-daughter duo is holding hands as little Blue appears to be twirling to music at a party. She was dressed in a stunning white sundress, silver shoes and a giant white bow in her hair. Apparently, Blue’s designer dress came with a hefty price tag.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Blue was donning the Mischka Aoki “Sparkling Crystal” dress, which cost $2,100 at Bergdorf Goodman.

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Meanwhile, Blue’s stylish dress matched her mom’s elegant white wrap gown that she accessorized with stunning gold belt and gold trim accents. The “Partition” singer also added a dark red lipstick for a dramatic effect..

This isn’t the first time Beyonce and Blue have dressed alike. Earlier this month, Bey uploaded pictures of her family dressed up as characters from the 1988 hit movie “Coming to America.” Her husband, Jay-Z, was dressed up as Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem of Zamunda in the classic cult comedy film. The 45-year-old rap mogul wore a fake mustache, long braid, a black hat and a fake big cat skin over his shoulder along with a regal black suit and gold jewels.

The “Halo” singer portrayed one of the three female rose bearers who waited on Akeem and his royal family in the movie by rocking an African-style purple printed head wrap and a lime yellow and white printed flared mini dress. The actress also wore a skunk fur thrown across her body paired with chunky earrings and necklace. Mrs. Carter topped it off with black and white fringed sandals and a large golden goblet filled with rose petals.

However, little Blue’s costume stole the show ahe preschooler nailed her look as Imani Izzi, Akeem’s submissive bride and “queen-to-be” played by actress Vanessa Bell Calloway. She wore a semi-sheer gold patterned dress and a high ponytail with a gold clip.

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How designers are redefining luxury with ethical substitutes

As fashion victims go, Cruella de Vil is a particularly gruesome example – her rabid pursuit of the perfect pelt led her into some particularly hot water. She’s an extreme example, but by no means unique: old habits die hard and fur is still seen as the last word in luxury in many markets, used liberally, and literally, head to toe (check this season’s favourite fur-lined and trimmed shoes). However, as a buying public at all levels of income becomes increasingly aware of the true cost behind clothing –moral and environmental, as opposed to just fiscal – a market is booming for synthetic fur and leather chosen for ethics rather than economics.

Stella McCartney is the most obvious example – especially since her autumn/winter collection, which introduced gargantuan, shaggy “Fur Free Fur” coats, each prominently labelled with just that slogan. The vegetarian designer has long used synthetic suede and leather in collections she dubs “vegan”, but for a long time she has shied away from faux fur. “I’d done fake fur many, many years ago,” she says – her final autumn/winter 2001 collection for Chloé, for instance, was awash in the stuff – “and I’d really questioned whether it was appropriate to do it and if it was necessary. Because fake fur now looks so real, I was afraid that I was promoting real fur, but I created these fur-free labels that will be on the outside of products so you can actually tell people it’s not [real]. We are a house that thinks that fur is not relevant. It looks old-fashioned.”

Hannah Weiland’s work could never be described thus; her colourful faux-fur clothing under the label Shrimps has won plenty of plaudits since it launched in 2013. “I specifically decided to use faux fur for a number of reasons: my personal taste and views, price, colour and creative flexibility,” Weiland explains. “I was fortunate to come across a mill producing the highest-quality faux fur available. I think it is a misconception that faux fur is not a luxurious product – given how incredible modern technology is, you can now essentially produce faux fur with the same level of softness, quality and warmth as real fur, which makes the argument for real fur much harder.”

Judd Crane, the director of womenswear and accessories at Selfridges, believes there is no argument – the department store has been proudly fur-free for a decade. Crane is cheered by the increased visibility of faux fur as a luxury proposition in its own right: “We’re interested in alternatives that meet every luxury consumer’s needs, and we have this for autumn/winter more than ever. Stella McCartney’s faux fur has fashionable, luxury and ethical credentials and there are great options at Dries Van Noten too. Faux fur is establishing itself as a versatile fashion fabric that works year-round – Shrimps has been one of our biggest success stories in every store.”

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The production of fur, and indeed exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich and python, is a complicated matter, and there is an argument that faux fur is not exactly a “green” material, due to the vast amounts of chemicals used to manufacture it, alongside its inability to biodegrade. McCartney, though, has worked to avoid this, even using biodegradable soles in her shoe collections.

Rachel Comey is a New York-based designer who has somewhat circumvented the two binary ideas of faux and real by using fur from animals that have died from natural causes, namely baby alpacas reared for their wool. “I work with a tannery in Peru that sources the skins,” she explains. “The leathers come exclusively from the death of baby alpacas – the hard weather in the alpaca-producing zones 12,000 feet above sea level causes the death of 15 per cent of baby alpacas in the first three months of life.” The nature of her sourcing means that Comey works on a small scale, ensuring exclusivity – a key word in the luxury market. But she believes that every manufacturer should abide by the same principles of ethics “both environmentally and humanely”.

In the UK the use of real fur still provokes much emotion and heated debate. A number of British publications – including Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar – will not photograph it editorially, while a poll by the RSPCA in 2011 revealed that 95 per cent of people in the UK would refuse to wear real fur, despite its prevalence on international catwalks. But ethical manufacturing is about more than just whether designers use real or faux fur – the supply chain introduces huge difficulties when it comes to social responsibility, from the treatment of staff to the use of toxic chemicals, water and minerals in the production of the raw materials.

Last year, the luxury group Kering – the parent company of Stella McCartney – made a bold statement of its ethical credentials. At a talk for the London College of Fashion, Kering’s chairman and chief executive, François-Henri Pinault, explained that the Kering group had worked to create a way of tanning leather that did not use harmful pollutants such as heavy metals. This sort of environmental awareness might be expected from McCartney, or the ever-earth-aware Vivienne Westwood, perhaps, but as the majority shareholder in labels famed for their leather handbags and accessories such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, this was a bold step. Bolder still was the fact that Pinault announced he would share this information with rival companies, signifying a desire to enact real change rather than maintain a competitive edge in order to sell more bags.

“Needless consumption is not our friend,” says Iain Renwick, the chairman of Eco-Age, a brand consultancy that works with retailers and manufacturers of all sizes to improve their sustainability. “There is an opinion that more expensive often means more ethical –this can simply be the case that luxury items are produced in smaller quantities, or use a lot of handcrafting, artisanal techniques. Fundamentally these are not disposable items.” The very nature of the luxury industry means that it can be slow to enact change, no matter how much will there is to do so. But incremental change is better than none at all, believes Renwick, who recognises that brands still have products to push: “We call it the merging of ethics and aesthetics.”

One label that has got the blend of ethics and aesthetics right is Edun – though it wasn’t always the case. Now part of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy stable of luxury brands, Edun was founded by Ali Hewson and her husband, the U2 musician Bono, in 2005 to promote trade in Africa. That’s an admirable aim, yet the brand struggled to be taken seriously without a strong, relevant aesthetic. Danielle Sherman was appointed as creative director in 2013, bringing expertise from The Row and Alexander Wang, and the label is becoming an increasingly serious high-fashion proposition.

Ultimately, the fashion industry doesn’t just sell clothes and shoes and bags, it peddles aspiration – and as Comey says, modern luxury lies in “slowing down, producing less and buying what is special and can last a lifetime”.

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The opening scenes of London Spy, BBC2’s spenny new autumn drama which started last night, begins with Ben Whishaw entering Hidden, a club in the arches of London’s Vauxhall, and exiting hours later, pooped and sweaty, before he wanders on to Vauxhall bridge and starts making some calls. The scene is familiar and well executed, and ends with one of those perfect human interactions that never happens. But that aside, my first thought was: who has battery the morning after? Then I realised it was a flip phone.

When Adele used a flip phone in the video for her new single, Hello, social media exploded. Why was Adele – clearly loaded and clearly in need of better signal – using a flip-phone? While the video, directed by wunderkind Xavier Dolan, grafts plenty of outdated references (including a phone box and a location house without Wi-Fi) on to the retro scenography, it did seem weird. A bit like Audrey Hepburn™ being resurrected for the Galaxy chocolate adverts. Dolan responded, telling the LA Times: “I’m like, ‘Guys, get over it. It doesn’t matter,’” before explaining that he “never like[s] filming modern phones or cars. They’re so implanted in our lives that when you see them in movies you’re reminded you’re in reality”, and that modern techology is “anti-narrative”.

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We haven’t really seen flip phones since the burners in The Wire, or Frasier – Niles Crane regularly slammed shut his clamshell phone on ex-wife Maris. Smartphones weren’t really around then, of course. Plus, flip phones as plot devices make sense. Chances are, Whishaw’s character was on pay-as-you-go anyway. Or had had his previous iPhone nicked. Or knew it was going to be a late one and knew the battery life on a flip phone is incomparably better than an iPhone. And Adele was probably on a digital detox following her breakup. Still, the intermittent appearances of flip phones in real life, too – on fashionable people who can afford iPhones – suggest they could be coming back.

“The chicest thing,” Phoebe Philo once said, “is when you don’t exist on Google. God, I would love to be that person!” which goes a long way to flag up how cool, how on point it now is, to keep a low-tech profile. With Instagram falling out of favour in the past week following following her admission that she was being paid to present a perfect life, we could be moving towards an Insta-less world with flip phones a starting point.

In the wake of last year’s celebrity hacking scandal, which saw nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and others leaked and posted on 4chan, Reddit, Twitter and Tumblr, there is an argument for the preemptive strike that is using phones without cameras. Last November, Rihanna was spotted in New York with one. Kate Beckinsale uses hers while getting a pedi. Scarlett Johansson, too. Anna Wintour – Queen of the fashion industry and a woman who sets trends in her sleep – was photographed last year at the US open reading a message on her flip phone.

Samsung is due to launch the much-hyped Samsung SM-W2016, ostensibly a smartphone that looks like a flip phone. A spokesperson for Carphone Warehouse explains that a resurgence is entirely possible, citing the retro Doro PhoneEasy 612 flip phone as one that’s gradually creeping back in fashion as a “statement phone”.

“Low-tech living” is pretty trendy in the US, too. Sat somewhere between living off grid and Fomo resistance, this is a vague new trend that includes and encourages people to own and use tablets and non-smartphones simultaneously, meaning you could separate work from family conversations. If that’s the case, perhaps pared-back tech does have merit, since there have been numerous problems with almost every iPhone model released. Still, as Iggy Pop told the New York Magazine, he calls his flip-phone a “Rugby”, “because you can drop it a lot and it won’t break”. Reason enough, really.

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Caitlin Freeman and Alex Tortoso were married at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Forrest Place. The bride is the daughter of Al and Adriana Freeman of Ramer, Alabama. The groom is the son of David & Melissa Prater of Rome.

Al Freeman of Ramer, Alabama performed the double-ring ceremony. Urns of curly willow, white hydrangea with accents of mini green hydrangea and belles of Ireland adorned the altar area.

A program of wedding music was provided by The TC Show. Selections included “Canon in D,” “It is Well” and “How Sweet It Is.”

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Brittney Watts of Birmingham, Alabama was the maid of honor. Chelsea Arnold of Dallas, Ellie Nasworthy of Rome, and Tifanie Noblin of Springville were the bridesmaids. They wore black floor-length dresses. They carried bouquets of Anna roses and Black Magic roses, tied in black satin ribbon.

The bride, given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, wore a formal strapless gown of ivory lace-appliqued tulle. The sweetheart neckline was embellished with lace details near the neckline. The cathedral train flowed from the inverted French bustle at the back of the gown. A cathedral length sheer veil completed the look. She carried a bouquet of ivory Virginia roses, ivory garden roses, and accents of blush Anna roses.

Tony Tortoso of Rome was the best man. Dustin Arnold of Dallas, Blake Maynor of Kingston, and Allan Cole of Rome were the groomsmen.

The mother of the bride wore a mulberry A-line floor-length dress, with black lace detail around the waist. The mother of the groom wore a silver floor-length dress, with a detailed bodice and jacket. The mothers were presented with clutch bouquets of ivory roses.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held at Forrest Place. Refreshments included the bride’s four-tier round caramel cake filled with caramel buttercream. The top and third tier were decorated with swirls of icing, and the second tier featured a “T” monogram. The groom was presented with a cake shaped like a grill with a University of Georgia emblem, with ‘burgers’ created to look like mascots of rival teams.

The evening before the wedding, the groom hosted a rehearsal dinner at The Red Room. Other pre-nuptial parties included a couples wedding shower and bridal shower.

After their Charleston, South Carolina honeymoon, the couple will reside in Fort Oglethorpe.

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Franca Sozzani hates air conditioning. So, even if it is 31 degrees Celsius in the shade, the editor of Vogue Italia is holding court on the terrace of the Armani Hotel where the great and the good of global fashion have gathered to deliberate over the winner of the Dubai edition of the Who Is On Next young designer competition, first started by Sozzani 12 years ago.

Next to Sozzani is footwear designer Christian Louboutin, chatting with Vogue India editor Priya Tanna and Nez Gebreel, chief executive of the Dubai Design & Fashion Council. At the other end of the table, Russian media maven Miroslava Duma — in town to cement a new partnership for her online news site Buro 24/7 — scans her phone while recounting stories from the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit to Raffaello Napoleone, chief executive of Pitti Immagine.

Meanwhile, president of AltaRoma Silvia Venturini Fendi, president of the Camera Della Moda Italiana Carlo Capasa, and chief executive of Yoox Net-a-Porter Group Federico Marchetti — as well as Sozzani’s longtime publicist Emanuela Schneidler — plan a surprise birthday cake for Napoleone, and Burberry chief executive and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, unable to attend in person, pings over his thoughts via email.

The prize forms part of the third annual Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, a mixture of consumer-facing fashion events in the Dubai Mall, a gala dinner under the desert skies in support of the World Food Programme and the debut of the Dubai edition of the young designer prize, in partnership with Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties.

But it’s not lost on anybody that the competition takes place in the wake of the shock departures of Alber Elbaz from Lanvin and Raf Simons from Dior, which, for different reasons, seemed to signal a tectonic shift in a fashion landscape that seems increasingly unsure about what the future holds and where the industry is going.

With futuristic Dubai as a backdrop, and the departures a major talking point of the week, I took the opportunity to speak to Sozzani afterwards on what it takes for young designers to succeed in an increasingly crowded — and chaotic — fashion landscape.

BoF: Why did you decide to bring Who Is On Next to Dubai?

FS: There’s a lot of energy. In three years, you see the evolution in an incredible way…the landscape is changing every year. The first time [I came], I remember I was on the terrace of the Burj Khalifa and it was like a small piece of New York in the middle of the desert. Now it is less desert and more buildings. The other thing that attracts me is that 60 percent of the population here is below 25. It’s amazing that there are so many young people really trying to do something. If I was 20, I [would] come here. I think there a lot of opportunities.

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BoF: What is the goal of this platform specifically? How do you feel the talent here is distinctive from what you see elsewhere?

FS: It is the first time [we’ve done] a really serious [talent] scouting from countries [outside] Europe and America. So all of these people, they come from Africa, Asia, Middle East, Lebanon, etcetera. We have chosen 20 [finalists out of 200 applicants] and this has been the opportunity to give them a chance to be known. We don’t need another fashion week here. It’s the most stupid and ridiculous thing to think that we can make a fashion week here. There is not a fashion story here, but you can collect young people and give them the opportunity to be given awareness, a shop, or e-commerce, because at the end of the story, they need to sell.

We have chosen 20 [finalists out of 200 applicants] and this has been the opportunity to give them a chance to be known. We don’t need another fashion week here, but you can collect young people and give them the opportunity to be given awareness, or even a shop or e-commerce — because at the end of the story, they need to sell.

BoF: Still, there are many fashion prizes. Do you think the industry really needs to have all of them to shower designers with this attention and money?

FS: No, I think that you need only the contest by itself, the contest in which you give a prize. You have 100,000 or 200,000 euros? It doesn’t mean anything — nothing — because the money flies away. What you need really — and I repeat it — is distribution and production. And this is what we’re doing. We’re connecting people. We don’t give prizes in terms of money. They earn the possibility of distribution, production and the media.

BoF: With the big changes at Dior and Lanvin, it makes you think perhaps what young designers need is more than just distribution, and attention. What do you think the ruptures at these top fashion houses say about the state of fashion and what the future involves for young designers?

FS: Firstly, I think the changes at the top of the houses are for different reasons. Raf is making a choice of life, of his life. He was doing good work. People at Dior were happy, he was happy, everything was happy. But there was a certain moment — and that’s what I respect sometimes in younger people, they really want to put their life in front of their work. When you are at the top of the success, to say, ‘I go back! I want to keep my life!’ That for me is very interesting because it never happened in the past. This means that probably when you are younger, you are less scared of your choices. You feel, of course, stronger, and at the same time, not necessarily you want to be part of the system. And it indicates a lot of character to me.

I do not understand what happened at Lanvin, because for 14 years everything was going so well — and from nothing, from the ashes to build up a skyscraper. I don’t want to go inside the political situation of the maison, but it’s quite strange, you know?

I think that some of the [brands] are very good at taking risks. Look at Alessandro Michele for Gucci or Sarah Barton after Alexander McQueen, which were [both] very risky in a way. But they gave the chance to a young designer and probably that helped change the mentality in choosing now the [designer] of Vetements for Balenciaga.

This gives even more energy to the entire system. But it’s really surprising to me how many younger and good designers, they want to have their life.

BoF: Karl Lagerfeld had this quote that at the big companies like Chanel, Vuitton and Dior fashion is a full-time sport now, and you have to run. It’s not an occasional occupation.

FS: That is another point of view that I agree with, because there are a lot of young people that do not want to sacrifice anything for what they want, but they [still] want to be successful, and they want to be famous and they want to be rich. This is what I dislike.

Karl is a person who works 24 hours a day, but in a light way. He enjoys it, because he does what he likes. I work sometimes 24 hours a day, but I enjoy it because I like it. It’s an attitude that you have to have. If you don’t want to sacrifice anything, but to be rich, famous and beautiful, this is different. If it’s an egoistic choice, to say, ‘Ah no, but I wanted to have everything,’ it’s impossible.

At the same time, you have to respect the fact that not everybody wants to be in the system. Because it’s not [for] all of us. If you have to live with a kind of nightmare, it is better to give up and do something else. And you’ll find your balance, even in your mind. But now everybody wants to be famous outside; having beautiful dresses, taking pictures of yourself, blogging, how I dress – this is another nightmare for me. And I don’t think that this is going anywhere, but you are the icon for 10 minutes. And so we go back to [Andy Warhol’s] 15 minutes of fame.

BoF: As their businesses grow, do you think the pace that these young designers you are championing may find themselves in is sustainable?

FS: Yes, because most of these young guys that now are having the success, they really made something – they really organised themselves, they are really fighting for something. So for me what makes them sustainable is that they have a project, a vision. It is not a business plan, necessarily — it’s the vision that you have for your future. Some of them, you see the collection, you say: ‘Oh, this is so pretty and so smart.’ And after you talk, there is nothing behind them. This is not sustainable.

BoF: If the pace is sustainable and people have to make choices between their personal goals and their professional goals, what does it take take to have a quality of life?

FS: For me, it’s all inside. How you are. If you are superficial; if you want to be part of this glamorous world — that is only apparently glamorous — you completely lose yourself, because there will always be [people] younger than you, more beautiful than you, more talented than you. So you’re just running in the wrong direction and you get lost.

For me, my priority and my life is my son. So you have to make a choice, but to make these choices doesn’t mean that you have to give up your life.

People who say: ‘I’m not in the first row, yes, but which side of the first row!,’ this is a nightmare. This is not anymore a life. When we go to see what is the work of a designer, we have to respect his work. We are not the protagonists. They are the protagonists and we have to respect that, and when you become a really big part of this, you see it in the best way. Not just seeing it as yourself — who sits close to me, who is behind me — this is ridiculous.

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SOMETIMES it’s good to have low expectations.

When Pitch Perfect hit movie theatres in 2012, no one expected a flick about a competitive female a capala group to be a success. It was a musical. It had an all female cast. It was technically for teen girls. But it was also funny, smart and lead by a strong female cast. It raked in AU$161m worldwide at the box office and, three years after it was released, it’s been announced this week a third instalment is in the works.

It joins the list of other cracker films that became unexpected hits and classics.

MURIEL’S WEDDING

PJ Hogan’s Muriel’s Wedding was one of the most surprising hits of the ‘90s. Not only did it end up being a box office winner, it also helped catapult two relatively unknown Aussie actresses (Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths) into Hollywood.

About a sad, chubby girl from the fictional town of Porpoise Spit who dreams of success and love, the film pulled $30m internationally and scored a Golden Globe nomination for Collette. Even 21 years after it’s release, the flick remains relevant and has made a giant dent in Aussie culture.

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

Who knew a little movie about a nerdy teenager trying to help his new dorky friend win class presidency would appeal to so many people. The 2004 flick — which was shot for just $400,000 — started out so small that Jon Heder is rumoured to have signed on as the lead for just $1,000. But nothing could stop this quirky indie film from exploding. It spawned catchphrases, Halloween costumes and figurines. Raking in over AU$56m in the US alone, it quickly secured itself as a cult favourite (that’s still kind of mainstream) for years to come.

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Jon Heder, who played Napoleon, told Paper magazine about the moment he knew the movie had transformed into something massive.

“Maybe when they called me in to take a body scan of myself so they could make figurines, I think that might’ve been the moment [I first knew it’d be a hit],” he told the magazine.

DIRTY DANCING

“Nobody puts baby in a corner.” It’s a classic line from a classic movie of the ‘80s that featured great dancing, acting and a timeless soundtrack.

Featuring smooth moves by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing taught a generation about dancing, following one’s heart and reminded us just how cool the ‘60s were. Hitting theatres in 1987, no one could’ve predicted this independent film would become both a box office smash and a pop culture classic. It became one of the highest-grossing flick’s of 1987, pulling in AU$238m worldwide. Considering the movie reportedly cost around AU$8m to make, that’s quite a profit.

MAD MAX

This little Aussie flick cost a mere $200,000 to make and went on to gross almost $100m at the box office, ranking it as one of the most profitable movies of all time. Set in a futuristic wasteland, Mad Max starred then-unknown Mel Gibson as the titular vengeful road warrior. It’s a B-movie from production to plot, but George Miller’s bleak vision, a handful of muscle cars and a whole lot of violence made Mad Max a blockbuster.

MEAN GIRLS

Lindsay Lohan in her prime stars in — most likely — her best and most liked movie yet. Mean Girls will go down in history as that one chick flick that absolutely everybody watched at some point growing up in the 2000s, whether you liked it or not.

Based on the book Queen Bees And Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, the Tina Fey-penned flick became a surprise hit when it hit the big screen in 2004. Grossing AU$182m worldwide, the film is a modern-day classic with lines that are quoted by both old and new fans. You might call it “fetch”.

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

With a piece of brilliant conceptual filmmaking, directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez school young wannabes on how to make a great movie for next to nothing. With a production budget of under $30,000, the filmmakers planted three actors wielding video equipment in the middle of the woods, leaving instructions on where they should go in strategically placed milk cartons. From there, the actors improvise their fright, as many things seem to go bump in the night. The result is first-hand, documentary-like footage that scared the crap out of audiences, precisely because the directors trusted people to fear the unknown and unseen — no need for special effects. The film made almost AU$351m at the box office and made way for a slew of imitators, like Paranormal Activity.

“But Fox Searchlight was really smart about trying to build this slow-building audience to capture this cult feel and make this website. We had cult-hit status early on in the summer. By the time the DVDs came out in December of 2004, that’s when it felt like, ‘Okay, this is pretty big’.”

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Alysia Rogers, 28, Medina

Production assistant for Brunswick Area Television, a cable access channel, substitute teacher for high school and middle school, video production for Parma City Schools sporting events and commentary for girl’s soccer.

What is it about the show Gilmore Girls that you love?

I love the story line and the mother-daughter dynamic. My mother and I watched it together. I love the way they fast-talk and love coffee. Their small town reminds me of my small town. They have a town square and gazebo like Medina does. I find what they wore and I search on Poshmark, Tradesy or eBay and I hunt the items down.

How do you find out what designers they’re wearing?

There’s a couple of websites. I always check Coolspotters or Worn on TV. They are sights that report what they wore on different shows and they show a photo of it. I have pieces that have taken years to find.

Do you stick to a budget for these designer, as-seen-on-TV items?

Yes, I try to spend somewhere between $20 and $40 for tops and for dresses I try to keep in under $100. Also, my boyfriend encourages me to sell something every time I buy something. He helps me watch my bank account.

What did you do when the show cancelled?

I cried. I’m a super fan. They had a reunion this past summer in Austin. I wanted to go but couldn’t get tickets.

Where do you get your fashion inspiration?

What is your favorite season for fashion?

It’s probably fall because I like wearing coats, hats and scarves. It’s also my favorite season in general, so I’m probably biased. I also like tank tops, skirts and dresses in the summer. I used to be a tomboy, so I like showing that I’m not.

When were you a tomboy and what caused the change in your style?

I changed in college. I never wore dresses and now I love them. They’re so much easier. I was asked in college to be on-air talent for other student’s projects and when I would dress up and get compliments I soon realized that I should explore a more feminine look. Maybe there is something in that I was a tomboy who loved Barbie. I think that’s where I first discovered fashion and style. I loved dressing them up and I begged everyone to play with me. They had the best clothes and I loved the little high heels. I used to wear T-shirt, jeans and hoodies. As I got older and made more money, I realized that the hoodie look wasn’t that flattering either. I went to Cleveland State University and I was on the dance team. The other girls were girly and kind of preppy. I guess they influenced me, too. I was a nanny for three years after college and didn’t wear dresses as much as I do now that I work in a more professional environment.

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How do you describe your style?

I think that I’m girly-chic. I go through spurts where I try different kinds of looks. I still love to dance, too. My boyfriend and I take ballroom dance lessons. He’s very good. I like to try Boho and grunge, but those things feel more like a costume, it’s not really my look, but I like to experiment once in a while. It’s fun and that’s what fashion is about.

Yes it is! Where do you like to shop?

I like to shop online and eBay is a big part of it. I’m always looking for Gilmore Girls clothing. I also post things on Instagram. I can be found@GilmoreGirlsClothes. I post things I already have or things that aren’t my size or in my price range for others looking for Gilmore Girls clothing. There’s a community of us. I also go to J. Crew. I love their pants. I go to H&M and Kohl’s for the trendy stuff. I’m trying to build a good wardrobe, but you have to add a few trends so I don’t like to spend a lot.

I get a lot of my inspiration from TV, especially Gilmore Girls. I probably watch one rerun a day while I’m getting ready. I like it because it’s about relationships and it’s fun. One of the looks I brought today for the photo shoot is inspired by the show Pretty Little Liars. I don’t go quite as deep with that show, sometimes they wear really crazy stuff, but I take parts of a look and figure out what I have in my closet that can come close.

Other than Gilmore Girls clothing, what do you look for on eBay?

I like pieces that flatter my figure. I kind of have an hourglass shape and I like to show that off. I won’t look like this forever, so I like to find things that fit right. I look for the best fit, style and shape for me.

Gilmore girls went off the air in 2007 and rumors are swirling about a revival on Netflix. What do you think?

I was in disbelief, and a little leery because I have heard that many times before, “‘Gilmore girls’ might be coming back!” But it looks like it’s happening and I am super excited to see where they pick up the story line and of course will be watching the fashions. I plan on scooping up as many new Gilmore outfits as I can afford! I hope Rory (the daughter) isn’t married, I think they can have more interesting plot lines with her being single and dating. I will be interested in seeing how they deal with the actor, Edward Herman’s character because he passed away in December. I could probably go on and on…I can’t wait.

What does your wardrobe say about you?

It says that I care about how I look and that I’m invested in my look. I take time putting looks together.

Who are your fashion icons?

When I was growing up it was Rory, the daughter on Gilmore Girls. She wore cute cardigans with blouses underneath and I still like that. But, as I’ve gotten older Lorelai, the mother, has my attention. She runs an inn and dresses in business attire. I look to her fashions for dresses and a more mature look.

How do you follow the trends?

I follow several Instagram pages like Asos, Urban Outfitters and American Apparel. I like to get inspiration from them. I also like to save money, so I might look for similar trend elsewhere.

Do you have any favorite designers?

I like Diane von Furstenberg. I have a few pieces including a wrap dress that was worn on Gilmore Girls. I found it on eBay for $80.

Do you have a best fashion find?

I would have to say the Marc Jacobs geometric blouse I brought with me today for the photo shoot. It was worn on Gilmore Girls in probably 2005. It might’ve taken me years to find it in my size and price range but it was worth it. It’s gorgeous and I love it.

Do you stick to any rules?

I never buy anything just because of the brand name. It’s important to remember that when you are in a thrift store. Sometimes you get excited because you found a designer item, but if it’s ugly or doesn’t fit right, don’t buy it. And while I look for sales, I don’t buy things just because they’re cheap and on sale. It still has to be the right fit and look. I used to do that when I was a kid. I would buy things that I didn’t even really like just because it was $5 at the Gap. Also, I never look at the size and worry about it. Sizing for all brands is different.

What are your pet peeves?

It has to do with sizing again. I can go into Eddie Bauer and buy a size 4. I am not a size 4. They’re generous with the proportions. It’s called vanity sizing. It makes us feel great to buy a smaller size. So how do the tiny girls buy anything? Is that why they now make size triple 0? If all of the designers did that we would all buy more. I’m not sure why many designers do the opposite and size everything really tiny. It would be nice if things were uniform and measurement based like in men’s clothes.

Tell us a secret about you.

I’m a little OCD when it comes to my closet. It’s organized by color and I even match the hanger color to the item. Pink shirts go on pink hangers. It’s like going into Charming Charlie every time I go into my closet. It’s a little annoying if, let’s say, I only need one purple hanger and I have to go buy a whole pack of them. Sometimes I can snag hangers from friends when I go to their houses. I’ll even trade them.

Have you ever had a fashion malfunction?

Well, sort of. Near the end of college I cut my hair pretty short. I hated it so I started wearing extensions. I just started dating my current boyfriend and didn’t mention it. They were the clip-in kind and I took them out at night. I figured he wouldn’t understand and might think it was weird. So, he was kissing me and went to run his hands through my hair and came across one. He frantically asked what it was and started to pull it out and he freaked out because he thought he was pulling out a big clump of my hair. I stopped wearing them after that. My hair was long enough by then. I guess that’s not exactly a fashion thing, is it?

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It’s that time of the year when dressing becomes a little bit more involved and more forethought is required. The days of easy-going summer wear are behind us, and the cold bitter temperatures are ahead. Transitional layering is key right now and is a necessity during the late fall months when temperatures are mercurial throughout the day. It doesn’t need to be complicated, in fact, it can be very easy just by arming yourself with the right pieces and know-how to master fall strategic layering. The Art of Manliness perfectly sums up how to approach menswear layering and what you need to think about when you’re figuring out your layering moves: “Layering is nothing more than mastering the combining of your clothing so that it functions properly (protects you, allows you to move, and is comfortable) and is aesthetically pleasing to the human eye.”

Additionally, you don’t want to think of layering pieces as wanting to hide pieces under a big jacket or coat. Rather you want to make each layered piece a statement. Generally speaking, for autumn/winter 2015, if you’re going to wear a scarf, make sure it’s a big one that can almost double as a top layer, and make sure to steer away from plain, boring greys and blacks — instead you should be building your look off of camel tones and hints of color. This season is all about playing with different patters and textures so you can subtly stand out from the crowd. Remember this: Each visible layer should be something that could be worn on its own. If it’s too flimsy or tacky, veto it from your outfit.

Here’s your Cheat Sheet of how to stylishly rock layers for fall.

1. Bottom layer undershirt

As you begin to sort out your layers, it’s important to know that you should scale your patterns from lightest to strongest in texture and warmth. Your bottom layer, the one closet to your body, will consist of an undershirt, be it a tank, a short or long sleeve shirt. A simple cotton undershirt will do, which you can buy at any of your favorite retail stores like Gap, Old Navy, or H&M.

2. Second layer shirt pieces

When it comes to your next layer, you have two main options to choose from: dress shirts and henleys, the former for work and the latter for weekend wear. Dress shirts are the perfect choice for layering, and they set up the next layer (sweater or sweatshirt) expertly. If you’re choosing a dress shirt, this is the perfect opportunity to add some pops of color to your outfit. If you choose a bold color shirt, opt for a neutral color sweater/sweatshirt, or you can choose to wear a plain solid color shirt to anchor the rest of your outfit if you choose to wear a tie with a pop of color.

Your other option is a henley shirt, which is a masterful layering piece, a sort of distant cousin of the dress shirt, as they button up to the neck but have no turn down collar. For fall/winter opt for a long sleeve version. Make sure it’s slim fitting but not too tight — you shouldn’t be bale to fit an undershirt underneath. They come in a variety of solid colors to play around with.\

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3. Middle layer/jacket piece

Your third or middle layer should consist of one of the following: a sweater or sweatshirt, a jacket (stick to denim or leather as they’re the best layering, and are the most stylish and flattering options), and/or a sports jacket or blazer, depending upon the formality of your outfit choice. When it comes to sweaters, your options range from thick sweaters to softer fabrics like cashmere. You also have the option of wearing a cardigan sweater buttoned up. If you’re feeling extra stylish and adventurous, you can even try wearing a crew neck cotton sweatshirt as a substitute for a sweater that can be dressed up formally or down casually. Additionally, this layer is a perfect opportunity to throw some color into the mix.

If you feel like skipping the sweater all together, or if it’s especially cold outside that you want to double up, you have your choice of wearing

WAYLAND, MI — Hanna Moulenbelt wasn’t wearing a long flowing gown and high heels when she was announced Wayland Union High School’s homecoming queen — because she’s on the football team and had a game to play.

Moulenbelt, a kicker on the team, marched out to the middle of the field Friday, Oct. 16, donning her green and black Wildcat uniform and wearing cleats to receive her tiara. She strolled off with the king, Jack Marcinek, before getting ready for a tough game against South Christian High School.

“I was filled with adrenaline when they called my name,” Moulenbelt said.

She was decked out in a red dress for the homecoming dance that Saturday.

“I was taken aback, because I was convinced another girl would win. It was very exciting.”

She said she was congratulated by her teammates, who she affectionately refers to as “my boys.”

One of three girls in her family, she said she always wanted a brother, and now she has more than 30 of them.

Moulenbelt said she was glad new Coach Mike Doupe gave her a chance to win a spot on the team this year, something the previous coach was not open to her junior year. She said she had the full support of both of her parents, although her mom was worried about her getting hurt until she explained the kicker’s role.

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Doupe said she approached him about being a kicker, and he told her she had to earn the position.

“We treat her like every other player,” said Doupe, who said Moulenbelt has been pretty consistent hitting the points after touchdowns. “She gets no special treatment and participates in hitting drills and lifting like the other players.

“She is a good kid who works hard, and a lot of people look up to her, so I think that’s why she got it (queen).”

Moulenbelt said she and fellow place kicker, Austin Wroblewski, worked out this summer with Andrew Haldeman, the kicker for Western Michigan University and a Wayland High alumnus. She said she is nine of 11 with points after touchdown before Wayland’s game Friday, Oct. 23.

The team is seeking its second victory of the season and embraced the motto “Pouring Concrete” this season because they are rebuilding the foundation.

Moulenbelt, who also plays girls soccer, said the team warmed up to her role over the summer during conditioning workouts, and now they are good friends. She said it feels good to be able to inspire younger girls.

“Football has taught me a lot of life lessons such as not giving up, persevering and not judging anyone,” she said. “I never watched football as a kid but listened to the boys in class talk about what an adrenaline rush it was.

“I was always in the stands cheering for ‘my boys,’ but there is way more of an adrenaline rush being on the field.”

She admits she has a secret dream of running with the ball to score a touchdown.

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