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Showing posts from 2018

The Evolution of Silicon Valley Chic

The tech industry might be upping its fashion game, but that doesn’t mean the sector’s hoodies, jeans and sneakers are going anywhere. They’re evolving — anchoring an expanding Silicon Valley style palette. While hardly rating on the style Richter scale, the ultra-casual hoodie and jeans combo is the iconic Bay Area look for the digital age. And there is good reason for that. Within those loose, baggy outlines lie familiarity and casual comfort that don’t distract from the work at hand and perhaps a rejection of the notion of growing up (or what growing up used to mean and how it was signified to previous generations). The hoodie acts as both uniform and blankie. “The T-shirts, hoodies, jeans — you still see a lot of that, especially with coders and engineers,” said one tech contractor who works in Silicon Valley. “They’re really proud of where they work, so there’s a lot of company logos.” And whatever cat fights and rivalries heat up among the giants, he doesn’t see it extend to staf

This Year, Beyoncé Reached a Level of Icon We Didn’t Even Know Existed - Let’s Reflect

Beyoncé might have had an amazing year in 2017 , but in true Queen Bey fashion, she stepped things up even more in 2018 . She owned the Grammys without even hitting the stage, graced us with some of the year's best jams , and dominated at Coachella - and that's not even half of it. Read on to see some of best moments and accomplishments from Beyoncé's incredible year of growth. from POPSUGAR Celebrity https://www.popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/Best-Beyoncé-Moments-2018-45524045

Lucky in Love: All the New Celebrity Romances of 2018

With every new year comes a new batch of celebrity couples. Last year, several onscreen couples took their romances offscreen , while this year was sprinkled with some pretty unexpected romances. From Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra to Jessie J and Channing Tatum , take a look at all the new celebrity romances that blossomed in 2018. Related: 55 Celebrity Couples We Can't Wait to See Walk Down the Aisle from POPSUGAR Celebrity http://bit.ly/2Sootz0

Week 17 Takeaways: Foles and the Champs Return to the Playoffs, This Year the Ravens Hold on, Vikings Have Soul-Searching to Do

Plus, another epic officiating gaffe, Baker Mayfield knocks on the door of legend status, the Jaguars defy all logic (again!) by retaining their coach and front office, Deshaun Watson takes a bunch of big hits for no good reason, Kittle tops Kelce for a record, Steelers get to spend the offseason regretting everything, the 49ers defense makes unfortunate history, a fond farewell to a Bills legend, and much more from a wild Week 17. from Latest News http://bit.ly/2F0q1fN

So you just got a new 4K TV. Now, what to watch? Here are some suggestions

So you got a 4K TV over the holidays. Surely there’s something special to watch. right? Here's a rundown of your various sources for 4K content.               from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories http://bit.ly/2RvmiN7

How to shoot time-lapse video the easy – or hard – way on any device

We show you the super easy way to go it on smartphones or GoPros, and check in with photographer Brian Hawkins for the slower, higher res way.               from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories http://bit.ly/2CHB2Ah

Future of Sears Holdings Still Up for Debate

Edward S. Lampert may have made an offer Friday to buy Sears Holdings Corp. out of bankruptcy for $4.4 billion and keep 425 stores in operation, but the retailer is far from out of the woods — and it’s far from certain the hedge fund executive’s bid will succeed. That’s because Lampert’s offer still needs to get “qualified” bid status, which won’t be known until Jan. 4. Lampert made good on a nonbonding offer disclosed earlier this month to acquire Sears’ assets, but needed to work out details with lenders, which have committed to $1.3 billion in financing. The final and official going-concern bid was made last Friday afternoon before the 4 p.m. deadline. The move gave Sears a bit of a reprieve from liquidation. Lampert, through his hedge fund ESL Investments, in 2003 bailed Kmart Corp. out of bankruptcy and a year later engineered the merger of Kmart Holding Corp. with Sears, Roebuck & Co. While much was expected — and promised by Lampert — of the combined Sears Holdings entity, i

Think Tank: A Primer on Turning Facebook Messenger Into a Retail Gold Mine

As 2018 comes to a close, one thing is becoming ever-more apparent: 2019 will be the year of chat marketing. Everyone from iconic retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Sally Beauty to global brands like Cole Haan and Kenneth Cole, to hot digital-native brands such as Carbon38, Wander Beauty, Ouai Haircare and Hot Topic are leveraging Messenger as a channel for making sales and connecting with customers. But as with any major new channel, while innovators are out ahead reaping the early mover advantages, most marketers remain relatively clueless toward Messenger’s vast functionalities, spanning marketing, sales and customer care. Here is the first of a two-part basic primer on Facebook Messenger’s use as a retail channel, so you can begin unlocking its powerful capabilities for your brand. What are Messenger Bots? Most of the innovation in marketing on Messenger centers around Messenger bots. What’s a Messenger bot? Put simply, when a brand’s Facebook page has been configured for auto

Influence Peddler: Can Anny Fan Make It in America?

SHANGHAI — Anny Fan wants to be the first homegrown Chinese influencer to make it in the U.S. Fan currently has 4 million followers on Weibo as well as more than 300,000 followers on WeChat, and has long-term partnerships with international fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Fendi, Tod’s, Bottega Veneta, Prada and Miu Miu in her home country of China. She has now signed a deal with Society Management, a talent management company specializing in fashion, beauty, pop culture and digital media, which represents the likes of Adriana Lima, Liu Wen and Kendall Jenner. The new signing with Society Management, and her plans to expand her sphere of influence to the U.S. market, is not only a milestone in her own career but also a big step for Chinese-born influencers, who have typically found it harder to forge an international following. China’s marketplace is highly segmented, with geographic regions varying widely in everything from average population age to climate to dis

Tooling Around Tokyo for Vintage Treasures

TOKYO — The Japanese capital arguably has some of the best vintage shopping in the world, with stores across the city offering a huge variety of used pieces in excellent condition. Many visitors flock to areas such as Harajuku, Daikanyama and Shimokitazawa to get their fix. But to the west of the city center is an area that is often overlooked: Koenji. With a location that is just removed enough from the packed streets of Tokyo’s business districts and yet still easily accessible, Koenji has a unique atmosphere that draws people young and old to its web of tiny streets. Old-school bars, Japanese-style pubs and “live houses” (small establishments with live music) mix with cool art galleries, great restaurants, eclectic cafes and, of course, some of the city’s best vintage shopping. It’s one of the few areas — if not the only one — in the city where great deals can still be found, and since many of the stores specialize in very specific eras or aesthetics, the clientele varies widely. “T

On Your Bike

It could go wrong really quickly. Bike shorts, a controversial relative to leggings, were unmissable on the spring runways. But it wasn’t just black spandex; designers jazzed up the shorts with prints, bold color, elaborate embroidery and unique fabrications to amp up the appeal, or create the potential for more fashion disasters. “From a commercial standpoint, we’ve really seen the bike short popularize this past year with the immense saturation of streetwear. If winter’s cozy was the hoodie and the track pant, summer’s iteration is that oversize T-shirt with the body-con bike short underneath,” said Marian Park, youth fashion editor at trend forecasting company WGSN. It’s not a new trend — nothing ever is. Princess Diana sported the shorts regularly in the Nineties with casual crewnecks, as did Madonna to more glam effect in the Eighties. A comb through the WWD archives revealed references to the skintight item as “bodywear.” Virgil Abloh even name-checked Princess Diana as a muse fo

Fancy That: New Year’s Eve Looks

It’s New Year’s Eve — and, for many, party time! Along with the conundrum of what actually to do to welcome in 2019, there is the problem of what to wear (unless, that is, you are staying home and vegging out on the couch). For suggestions, WWD pulled together some recent standout festive looks in New York and Paris, like this Ralph & Russo couture gown worn by Elizabeth S. Louis last month at the annual Paris debutante ball Le Bal. For more festive looks, click through the gallery. Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook . Read More... from WWDWWD http://bit.ly/2Tijtw4

India’s Knitwear Capital Strives to Ensure Its Future

TIRUPUR, India — Over the last 20 years, this small town in southern India has grown from a nondescript hamlet to become the country’s knitwear capital, providing more than a quarter of the nation’s garment export revenues. Home to more than 5,000 garment factories — mostly small to medium-size — the city is a sourcing base for both Indian retailers and global brands, including Puma and Gap. But in the last year, Tirupur has seen an 8 percent decline in production and the industry’s executives have been forced to examine ways to ensure its future. Revenues of the Tirupur-based garment industry were 240 billion rupees, or about $4 billion at current exchange rates, in the financial year 2017–18, out of India’s total apparel export revenues of $17 billion. Nearly 40 percent of Tirupur’s production is exported to the European Union, 35 percent to the U.S., and the remainder to other parts of the world, including Russia. A. Sakthivel, a large and powerful man, owner of Poppys Knitwear and

Canadian Discounter Biway to Make a Comeback

TORONTO — Before Walmart invaded Canada in 1994, discount chain Biway had bargain hunters across eight provinces piling in for deals on clothing, health and beauty aids, bedding and housewares. Now, 17 years after the chain shuttered, original co-chief executive officer Mal Coven, 89, is relaunching the concept next year but in a reimagined format called Biway $10 Store Ltd. “I knew the value in the Biway name and didn’t want to see it forgotten. So I found a vehicle to keep it alive,” said Coven, who began his “wonderful retail adventure” when the Filene’s buyer from Boston arrived in Toronto in 1961 to go into business with Biway founder and brother-in-law Abe Fish. During the 28-year span from 1962 to 1990, when Coven left the company, Biway operated 249 stores across the country, which sold simple “working man” staples like Lee and Levi’s jeans, Van Heusen men’s and women’s merchandise, and more at low prices. In its new incarnation, “$10 is the magic number,” Coven told WWD, refer

Meet the 9 Kids Who Make Up the New Generation of British Royals

We're sure you're familiar by now with Prince William and Kate Middleton's brood of three , but can you name the other youngest members of the British royal family? Though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be adding a new member to the crew this Spring , we're already pretty excited to see what this youngest generation of royals will accomplish. Here are the nine fresh faces - spanning from 4 months to 14 years old - who make up the youngest members of the world's most famous royal family. Related: Cuteness Alert! A Look Back at the British Royal Family as Kids from POPSUGAR Celebrity http://bit.ly/2s32UIB

Baker Mayfield Needs a Better Nemesis Than Hue Jackson, Mahomes Is Your 2018 NFL MVP

Also, the Panthers could have easily been doing what Seattle has done, the MNF booth deserves another chance, the Jaguars still need to address what’s rotten in their building, and a heart-warming story about a Vinny Testaverde football card and mom. Plus, musical guest: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! from Latest News http://bit.ly/2SsFVlQ

Did Apple retail prices get too high in 2018? Consumers say way yes.

Remember when we used to stand in long lines to be first with new iPhones? That changed in 2018, as prices got higher than ever.               from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories http://bit.ly/2RkmEWB

The best weekend deals you can get right now from Amazon, Target and more

Finish the year with a great deal on something you'll love.               from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories http://bit.ly/2RpDxz6

French Protests Shrink Further But May Disrupt New Year’s Festivities

PARIS — France’s yellow vest protest movement continued to decline, with turnout dwindling to 800 in Paris for the seventh round of Saturday demonstrations, according to local authorities, who nonetheless are preparing for possible disruptions on New Year’s Eve. “Weak turnout in the capital: 800 people spread across several erratic processions. No one hurt, nothing damaged,” said the Paris Préfecture de Police. Out of 57 people questioned, 33 were held in police custody. The so-called yellow vest protests, which have been taking place on Saturdays since November, retreated considerably over the last three weekends with fewer people taking to the streets. Last weekend’s demonstrations in the French capital were also sporadic, with numbers of protestors down to below 39,000 following 66,000 the previous week, according to government estimates. Flare-ups of violence in the Montmartre neighborhood as well as its famed Avenue des Champs Elysées last weekend, however, prompted calls for peac

Damiani to Delist From Milan Bourse

MILAN — The Damiani family is launching a takeover bid with the goal to delist the namesake jewelry firm from the Milan Stock Exchange through the holding company Leading Jewels, according to a note published on the Italian Bourse web site. D Holding, a company controlled by siblings Guido, Giorgio and Silvia Damiani, has a 60.82 percent stake in Leading Jewels. The bid will take place to buy more than 13.8 million shares, priced at 0.44 euros each, and representing 16.74 percent of the capital. The maximum value of the offer will total 11.8 million euros, or 0.855 euros per share, a premium of around 5.04 percent compared with 0.814 euros, the price of the shares on Dec. 27, the last day before the announcement of the takeover bid. Damiani went public 11 years ago, with shares priced at 4 euros. The Valenza, Italy-based company was established by Enrico Grassi Damiani in 1924. In addition to its own namesake label, the company has invested in jewelry firms Salvini, Rocca, Calderoni an

Christopher Bailey, Twiggy Among Fashion Names in Queen’s New Year Honors List

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Queen Elizabeth II has handed honors to a clutch of names in the arts and fashion worlds as part of her New Year’s Honors List 2019. Honorees will receive their awards at Buckingham Palace at various times over the next few months. Christopher Bailey is among this year’s honorees. Bailey, who served as Burberry’s president and chief creative officer until March, and who had previously been chief executive officer, will receive a CBE, or Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his work at the British brand. This is Bailey’s second royal accolade: He already holds an MBE, or Master of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which he received in 2009. Twiggy has also been recognized by the British monarch. The model and Andy Warhol muse whose pixie cut defined the fashion of the Sixties, will be named Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. TWIGGY LEAVING LONDON AIRPORT FOR NEW YORK WHERE SHE WILL DO PHOTOGRAPHIC

Umberto Marzotto Dead at 92

MILAN — Count Umberto Marzotto, heir of the Marzotto textile family, died Friday at age 92, in Lugano, Switzerland. The cause of death was a degenerative illness. Funerals will be held on Jan. 3 in the Duomo of Valdagno, the Italian town in the Veneto region where the Marzotto company is headquartered. The son of Gaetano Marzotto Jr., the entrepreneur and philanthropist who built the family-owned company into an international and giant textile and fashion powerhouse in the 1900s, Umberto Marzotto is survived by his second wife, Gemma Gerolimetto, and his four children Matteo, Paola, Vittorio Emanuele and Diamante. Their sister Annalisa, who had cystic fibrosis, died in 1989. This is the latest death in the Marzotto family, following that of Umberto’s brother Pietro, a former chairman and chief executive officer of the group, last April, and of his first wife Marta, in 2016. His brother Giannino, a former Marzotto chairman, died in 2012. Umberto Marzotto was a longtime former president

19 Times Meghan Markle Marched to the Beat of Her Own Drum This Year

Meghan Markle had one hell of year . She married the love of her life , Prince Harry; she's expecting her first child ; and she became a member of the royal family . While being a royal may sound glamorous and all, the title comes with a lot of rules - emphasis on a lot. For starters, protocol states that greetings should never go beyond a handshake and selfies and autographs are prohibited. Women of the royal family should wear hosiery, sport neutral-coloured nail polish , and always look perfectly polished. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Royals should also refrain from showing PDA during public engagements and shutting their own car doors. Sounds exhausting, right? Well, Meghan clearly seems to think so. Ahead, see all the ways the Duchess of Sussex marched to the beat of her own drum and went against suggested royal protocol this year. Related: Now Meghan Markle Is Reportedly "Difficult" - and as a Black Woman, I’m Calling Bullsh*t from POPSUGAR

New gadget, now what? Tips to set up your new tech devices like a pro

You got the shiny new gadget you’ve been wanting, now what? Here are a few pro tips and tricks to get you up and running in no time.               from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories http://bit.ly/2SppLK5