Rebekah Wing
Cassy Bhairo
Steve Frous
Lola Mansil
Lina S
BEIJING, May 17 -- In the 2010 fall season, there was a shift away from the pretty boy types characterized by slim shoulders and rectangular body shapes. Instead, we saw the emergence of the inverted pyramid type - broad shouldered and buff.
And looking at films for the past 50 years, the male protagonist is often broad shouldered, buff and tanned.
Taking the James Bond series as an example, the male stars fulfilled the physical ideals of masculine men with their chiseled chests.
Contrasting shades, dissimilar fabrics and detailing have been used to give the illusion of broader shoulders. Interestingly enough, these changes were made on the classic men's wear item - the jacket.
Unlike women's wear, there have been minimal changes to men's jackets.
True, we had tuxedos for black tie affairs and double and single breasted business suits to choose from, but we have not seen how jackets could be constructed from more than one type of fabric and using the detailing on sleeves to create an illusion of the masculine man.
Take the 3.1 Philip Lim Wool Coat for example.
The use of a lighter shade for the sleeves stood out against the darker blue panels, creating the illusion of broad, large shoulders.
Again using the disparity of the palette, latte brown sleeves stood against dark blue front panels, giving the jacket a softer look.
But if the use of colors does not convince you that the classic men's wear is undergoing subtle changes, Neil Barrett's combination of wool, linen and leather should persuade you otherwise.
We especially love the Junya Watanabe Man's tk jacket which had a white trimming separating the panels from the sleeves.
It draws attention to the model's shoulder wings which is the typical reference point of our shoulder width.
This is especially good news for smaller built men who want to epitomize the masculine look.
LAS VEGAS – A 24-year-old Arab American from Michigan beat out 50 other women to take the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday night, despite nearly stumbling in her evening gown.
Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Mich., won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health insurance should cover birth control pills.
When asked how she felt about winning the crown, she said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza."
Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant, told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths. She moved to the United States as a baby and was raised in New York, where she attended a Catholic school. Her family moved to Michigan in 2003.
Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, Calif.
Fakih told reporters she sold her car after graduating college in Michigan to help pay for her run in the Miss Michigan USA pageant.
She said she believed she had the title on Sunday after glancing at pageant owner Donald Trump as she awaited the results with the first runner-up, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard.
"That's the same look that he gives them when he says, 'You're hired,'" on Trump's reality show "The Apprentice," she said.
"She's a great girl," said Trump, who owns the pageant with NBC in a joint venture.
In a moment that was replayed during the broadcast, Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in her gown because of the length of its train. But she made it without a spill and went on to win.
"I did it here, I better not do it at Miss Universe," she said. "Modeling does help, after all."
Fakih replaces Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and won a spot representing the United States this summer in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. She also gets a one-year lease in a New York apartment with living expenses, an undisclosed salary, and various health, professional and beauty services.
During the interview portion, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should because it's costly.
"I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance," Fakih said.
Woolard handled the night's toughest question, about Arizona's new immigration law. Woolard said she supports the law, which requires police enforcing another law to verify a person's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally.
She said she's against illegal immigration but is also against racial profiling.
"I'm a huge believer in states' rights. I think that's what's so wonderful about America," Woolard said. "So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law."
"The Office" actor Oscar Nunez was booed as he asked the question and asked the audience to wait until he finished the question before they reacted. The panel of judges came up with the questions themselves.
Miss Virginia USA Samantha Evelyn Casey was the second runner-up, Miss Colorado USA Jessica Hartman was third runner-up, and Miss Maine USA Katherine Ashley Whittier was the fourth runner-up.
Most of the field of contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were eliminated just after the pageant began and the entire group danced onstage to "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha.
A panel of eight judges, including NBA star Carmelo Anthony, Treasure Island casino-hotel owner Phil Ruffin and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, were judging the girls throughout the night.
After 15 contestants strutted in swimsuits, five were eliminated. Another five were eliminated after the evening gown competition.
Miss Nebraska USA Belinda Renee Wright won the Miss Congeniality award, roughly one week after her father was killed in a farm accident. Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore won Miss Photogenic after an online fan vote.
The pageant aired live to East Coast viewers on NBC.
The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales.
Agnes Dobo poses for the photographers during the Miss World Hungary beauty contest in Budapest May 13, 2010. The pageant, named 'The Queen', was held as a joint contest to select Miss World Hungary and Miss Universe Hungary. Agnes will represent her country during the Miss World final in Vietnam.
Agnes Dobo (2nd R) reacts as drops her crown after winning the Miss World Hungary beauty contest in Budapest May 13, 2010.
Newly crowned Miss World Hungary Agnes Dobo (C) poses with runner-up and Miss Universe Hungary Timea Babinyecz (L) and Miss Earth Hungary Jennifer Kalo(R) after winning a joint beauty contest in Budapest May 13, 2010.
Newly-crowned Miss World Hungary Agnes Dobo (C) poses with runner-up and Miss Universe Hungary Timea Babinyecz (L) and Miss Earth Hungary Jennifer Kalo (R) after winning a joint beauty contest in Budapest May 13, 2010.
Female urban farmers keen to keep their agricultural hobby close to their heart can now grow their own rice in a special bra designed by Japanese lingerie maker Triumph.
Triumph, makers of other eccentric, gimmick bras that include one with a sushi set and another that comes with solar panels, said it came up with the "rice bra" because of the growing popularity of farming among city dwellers in Japan.
Growing concerns over food safety and the environment, and the ideal of a laid-back rural lifestyle, are attracting more urbanites to agriculture, once the mainstay of Japan's economy. Rice is also the nation's staple food.
"Over the last year, young Japanese women have taken a tremendous interest in agriculture. We wanted other women to experience farming as well," Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda told Reuters at a Wednesday event.
"Home kits that allow people to grow their own rice are very popular online. We thought that it would be fun if a bra could give people the same experience," said Masuda.
The bra, made of recyclable plastic, can be tied together to create pots that also double as the cups.
These are then filled with soil, and rice seedlings, that are watered through a hose that also doubles as a belt that goes around the wearer's waist.
The bra also comes with gardening gloves.
"The bra fits much better than it looks. Wearing it puts me in such a fun mood," said model Reiko Aoyama in the lingerie.
Like other Triumph concept bras, the rice bra will not go on sale, with the company saying it was another way to generate interest in its brand.
Ray-Ban celebrates the birth of the brand with the re-launch of their most iconic frames – the Ray-Ban Aviator – with a live event at New York's epicenter of indie rock, the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The event focused on the influence that the iconoclastic sounds and style of the 1970s have had on some of today's most influential bands.
Unveiling the six new styles of the Ray-Ban Aviator – Ray-Ban Aviator Craft, Ray-Ban Aviator Road Spirit, Ray-Ban Aviator Tech, Ray-Ban Aviator Titanium, Ray-Ban Aviator Metal Glide and the limited edition Ray-Ban Aviator Ultra Gold – the event featured live performances and collaborations by some of the most exciting rock groups around – past and present.
Headlined by Iggy & The Stooges, with support from New York's own The Virgins and the Philadelphia based Free Energy, with a DJ set by New York City's party girl Roxy Cottontail, the main feature of the event was the live collaborative performance as The Virgins joined Iggy & The Stooges on stage to perform one of the band's classic tracks.
The New York event was the first of two special evenings, with the next at London's Scala on May 26th. The London event will be headlined by the New York Dolls, with support from The Big Pink and the Plastiscines and a DJ set by Jarvis Cocker.
Both events feature an exclusive photographic exhibition of specially commissioned photography by renowned rock photographer, Kevin Cummins. Kevin's photography naturally brings together music and the Ray-Ban Aviator with photos of bands wearing Ray-Ban Aviators.
The Ray-Ban Aviator was originally designed for the U.S military fighter pilots in 1937 to protect pilots from glare at high altitudes whilst maintaining a clear field of vision. Today the technology behind the new Aviators still reflects the importance of anti-glare and 100% UV protection with the polarized lenses technology. And can still be seen gracing the faces of today's rock bands.
Ray-Ban is a key house brand of the Luxottica Group, a leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear.
The newly restored version of Luchino Visconti’s Il Gattopardo debuted this evening at the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival. Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini was joined on the red carpet by the film’s original cast members Alain Delon (Tancredi Falconeri) and Claudia Cardinale (Angelica Sedara), along with Martin Scorsese, Founder and Chair of The Film Foundation, who introduced the film.
The following guests wore couture pieces from the new collection, Gucci Première.
Camilla Belle chose a Gucci Première midnight blue silk sable one shoulder gown with degrade embroidered detail.
Jury member Kate Beckinsale wore a Gucci Première silk georgette antique white gown draped and embroidered with silver micro bugle beading with metallic silver thread embellished bust and waist detail.
Frida Giannini wore a Gucci Première floor length strapless gown with draped back detail and embroidered with silver lace and micro palettes.
Ms. Giannini also wore one of a kind piece from Gucci’s fine jewelry collection: Horsebit full pave diamond and cognac topaz earrings.
Lea Seydoux chose a Gucci Première champagne charmeause column gown with micro matt and shiny pale gold sequin degrade embroidery throughout. The gown features cut out sleeve and back detail with bodice encrusted in silver and gold metallic lozenge beading.
Salma Hayek chose a silk georgette Gucci Première scarlet one shoulder gown with sweeping drape across the waist and hip with red glass bugle beaded embroidered detail.
Aishwarya Rai wore a Gucci one of a kind magenta pleated chiffon twisted halter neck gown open back and full floor length skirt.
Contestant from Thailand
Models present creations by French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier as part of his Haute Couture retrospective fashion show at Kazansky railway station in Moscow May 14, 2010.
Models present creations of Peru's designer Meche Correa during an international fashion show at Oviedo Center in Medellin, Colombia, May 13, 2010.
As per Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) reports, due to increase in overseas sales and decrease in imports, during the first ten months of the current fiscal, the country’s trade deficit registered a fall of 14 percent, reaching a figure of $12.238 billion as compared to $14.218 billion figure of the same period, last year.
During the first ten months (July-April) 2009-10, the country’s exports witnessed 8.03 percent growth reaching a figure of $15.884 billion as against $14.703 billion during the corresponding period, last year.
But, however, Pakistan’s imports displayed a negative growth, falling by 2.76 percent to $28.122 billion during the period under consideration, as compared to $28.921 billion, in the previous year.
While a strong increase in exports has been registered in April, as the overseas sales augmented by 31.45 percent year-on-year, to $1.373 billion, as against $1.321 billion last year; the Y-o-Y imports also witnessed a growth of 7.77 percent, achieving a figure of $3.015 billion during April this year as compared to $2.798 billion in 2009.
Although, revival in overseas sales was seen both in textile and non-textile sectors, the demand recovery of fabrics, clubbed with improved production of cotton, resulted in an increase in the exports of cheaper value-added goods.
For the period under consideration, overseas sales of textile group witnessed an increase of 5.66 percent amounting to $7.59 billion as against $7.19 billion last year, wherein, exports of raw cotton witnessed a hike of 141.59 percent and cotton yarn exports increased by 28.96 percent.