Oil Holds Climb as Traders Turn Focus to Decline in Inventories
Oil steadied as traders assessed the impact of the latest round of supply cuts from OPEC+ and a
2023-07-06 14:55
Hong Kong police arrest 4 for allegedly aiding dissidents abroad
Hong Kong police have arrested four people on suspicion of financially aiding activists abroad, just days after they offered bounties for information leading to the arrest of eight pro-democracy figures living in self-imposed exile.
2023-07-06 14:47
Trump news – live: Trump calls special prosecutor a ‘crackhead’ in response to White House cocaine discovery
Most presidents, current and former, typically spend America’s Independence Day celebrating the values of US society that bring its citizens together, joining in the festive and unifying themes of the national holiday. And then there’s Donald Trump. The former president spent July 4 fuming at his enemies on Truth Social, resharing a vulgar message aimed at President Joe Biden and the tens of millions of Americans who voted for him in 2020. ““F**k Biden and f**k you for voting for him”, read the post. Later, he continued his holiday rant by branding the president a “very dangerous idiot in the White House”. He also posted a bizarre image of himself imposed into the Revolutionary War, prompting social media users to suggest he is more like Benedict Arnold – the infamous US traitor – than the Founding Fathers. In other Trumpworld news, the company planning to merge with Truth Social has reached an $18m settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) announced the tentative settlement on Monday, ending an SEC probe looking into whether it held talks with Truth Social’s parent company before going public – a violation of regulations. Read More Trump marks Independence Day by sharing vulgar attack on Biden and ominous 2024 warning Trump-appointed judge blocks Biden agencies from communicating with social media platforms Ex-New York congressman pardoned by Trump is planning to run again in Florida Truth Social’s merger partner reaches $18m settlement with SEC
2023-07-06 14:28
Germany Factory Orders Jump as Economy Recovers From Recession
German factory orders rebounded in May, a sign the manufacturing slump may be easing as Europe’s biggest economy
2023-07-06 14:26
The Barbie press tour has finally rescued Margot Robbie’s red carpet reputation
There are still three weeks to go before anyone gets to actually see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, but it’s already completely monopolised pop culture, from music to fashion to furniture. Google “Barbiecore” and you’ll find the film’s pink-plastic aesthetic infiltrating everything you can imagine, with TikTok clips offering detailed outfit suggestions to viral Twitter threads praising individual looks from the film’s characters. But nothing is getting quite as much attention as Barbie herself. Or, more specifically, the red carpet wardrobe of the actor playing her. Across social media, Margot Robbie has been the subject of endless posts, threads and reels as a result of her chosen ensembles. “Margot Robbie had the chance to do the greatest fashion press tour ever and lord did she take it,” reads one tweet. “Margot Robbie just absolutely slaying all her Barbie press tour looks,” adds another. Meanwhile, British Vogue recently described her as an “unstoppable fashion force”. In typical Hollywood, none of this would be particularly remarkable. Robbie is, after all, an A-list star with an entire entourage of people whose job it is to make sure she looks her best all of the time. The fact that she keeps knocking it out of the park on the Barbie press tour, then, should just be par for the course. But, for Robbie, this carries special significance. Rewind just a few months, and Robbie’s red carpet presence had become something of a political issue. In January, social media was alight with derision for her red carpet wardrobe, mostly due to her long-standing partnership with Chanel. According to Robbie’s fans, the actor’s sense of personal style had been neutered by the luxury Franch conglomerates, with many insisting – albeit without any real evidence – that she was being forced into wearing garments she didn’t actually like. Celebrity stylist Elliot Garnaut labelled Robbie the “worst-dressed” celebrity in Hollywood, adding that someone at Chanel “obviously hates her”. Of course, nobody knew how true or false such claims were. But fans noticed a marked difference in Robbie’s demeanour whenever she stepped out in a designer ensemble that wasn’t Chanel. There was an entire Bottega Veneta phase, for example, where photos of the actor went viral alongside speculation that she was entering her “new fashion era”, finally unshackled from Chanel’s chains. What all of this taught us was that people quite clearly care quite a lot about what Robbie wears. Now it seems they care more than ever. The actor truly hasn’t missed a beat with her press tour wardrobe, tapping into cult vintage looks and recreating actual Barbie doll outfits. As is expected, there is a lot of pink. But it’s not just happening on the red carpet. Remember the iconic tweed blazer originally worn by Claudia Schiffer on the spring/summer Chanel 1996 runway? Robbie was spotted wearing it with jeans and a white crop top when she landed at Sydney airport last month. Her luggage was also pink, naturally. Another Chanel moment came via a sunshine-yellow tweed suit that looked like it had been plucked straight out of Cher Horowitz’s wardrobe. Speaking of co-ords, we’ve seen plenty. There was the pink gingham Prada set Robbie wore to CinemaCon 2023, and the bespoke Bottega Veneta pleated skirt and crop top that the label made especially for the press tour (the exact shade of pink matches that of Barbie’s car). Elsewhere, we’ve seen Robbie wearing the iconic pink polo neck and metallic skirt by Versace from its autumn/winter 1994 collection – fashion fans will remember photos of Kate Moss wearing this on the runway. She paired the look with white platform sandals and lilac socks: a perfect way to accessorise like a doll. Another standout vintage Versace look from the same collection came at a Barbie event in Sydney, where the star wore a pink sequin minidress complete with a corseted bodice. But the undisputed highlight has been the moments in which Robbie directly references Barbie herself, with looks taken from 1950s dolls. At a press conference in Seoul, Robbie dressed in a pink sparkling skirt suit covered in crystal studs, complete with a heart-shaped bag and a pillbox hat. Then there was the “day to night” doll look from 1985 that Robbie recreated – courtesy of Versace – in a pink pencil skirt suit with white lapels and matching high heels. The actor referenced another look worn by the same doll later that night, in a tulle Versace dress complete with a sparkling bodysuit. Over in Sydney, we saw the actor don a striped bodycon minidress by Hervé Léger that paid homage to a swimsuit worn by a Barbie doll from 1959. And at a photocall in LA, Robbie wore a pink polka dot cutout dress from Valentino that referenced a similar frock worn by another original Barbie doll. And in a double whammy of references, it was also a remake of a similar gown worn by Karen Mulder on the brand’s spring 1993 runway. All of this has been the work of celebrity styling mastermind Andrew Mukamal, who has worked with everyone from Zoe Kravitz and Billie Eilish to Kieran Culkin and Irina Shayk. “We’re always thinking about risks to take,” Mukami once told Vogue of his long-standing partnership with Kravitz. “We want to make an impact and create iconic moments that people will remember and be drawn to.” It seems he’s taken this exact modus operandi and applied it to Robbie, too. And thank goodness, because Barbie is nothing if not defined by what she wears. In 2023, that might sound reductive. But given Gerwig’s esteemed reputation and what we know about the film so far, we have every reason to believe that fashion, much like everything else, will prove to be an important and meaningful platform in the script. Robbie’s archival wardrobe also marks the latest sign that red carpet fashion is leaning increasingly backwards. The only outfits that matter are those that we’ve seen before. At least, that’s how it seems when you consider the fanfare surrounding celebrities any time they get their hands on a cult vintage look. This taps into the sartorial zeitgeist of shunning fast fashion in favour of sustainable alternatives. But it also suggests a slightly less exciting prospect that fashion is running out of new ideas. Even at the Met Gala, fashion’s greatest global stage, some of the most talked-about looks were vintage. Is this the death knell for originality? And what of Robbie’s own style progression? Once the Barbie press tour is over, will she go back to grinning weakly in Chanel pastels? Nodding to fashion history is a worthwhile cause. But it’s something the Queen of fashion herself, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, famously despises: “Fashion’s not about looking back. It’s always about looking forward,” she once said. Try as she might, Robbie can’t dress like a doll for the rest of her life. So perhaps this marks the start of a new costume-orientated era for the actor, one where fashion will be taken more seriously than ever before. Funnily enough, it’s a modus operandi that puts her more in sync with Barbie than anyone could have anticipated. ‘Barbie’ is in cinemas from 21 July Read More Hostage to fashion: Margot Robbie’s Chanel problem speaks to a wider red carpet crisis Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Plastic fantastic: Barbiecore is the fashion movement turning hyper-femininity on its head
2023-07-06 13:49
Your questions on RTÉ's payment scandal answered
From Tubridy to flip-flops, what is the latest with undisclosed payments at the broadcaster?
2023-07-06 13:49
Thai Regulator Files Fraud Charges Against Debt-Ridden Stark
Thailand’s regulator has filed charges against the largest holder and others involved in the management of Stark Corp.,
2023-07-06 13:48
BP Backs New Fuel for Ships Made Using Everyday Garbage
BP Plc is investing in a California-based startup that will use uneaten food and other waste to make
2023-07-06 13:29
Tesla and Chinese Rivals Signal Truce After Brutal EV Price War
Tesla Inc. and China’s top electric-vehicle makers including BYD Co. pledged to maintain fair competition and avoid “abnormal
2023-07-06 13:22
Chinese owner of iconic MG car brand to build Europe plant
MG, which has roots dating back over a century, was made in the UK until production moved to China in 2016.
2023-07-06 13:19
Ukraine war: Three dead in Russian rocket strike on Lviv, says mayor
Another eight are injured after apartments are hit in the western Ukrainian city.
2023-07-06 11:17
China Premier Warned Former Japanese Official of Damage From Chip Curbs
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Tokyo’s impending export controls on cutting-edge chip equipment will damage the global economy,
2023-07-06 10:55