List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

Indigenous women in Brazil’s capital Brasilia showcased their creations during a fashion event as part of the Third March of Indigenous Women to claim women’s rights and the demarcation of Indigenous lands

Amy Winehouse recorded just two albums during her lifetime, but her singular talent was enough to quickly earn her legendary status.

A new documentary out Friday, “Invisible Beauty,” offers a unique take on the fashion industry through the life and work of trailblazer Bethann Hardison

Six months on from the spine-tingling moment Ivan Frolov took to the London Fashion Week runway alongside two other Ukrainian designers, clutching their home country’s flag, the mastermind behind some of the most iconic celebrity looks is preparing for his first solo show at the celebration. But it’s been a long time coming. Despite his brand, FROLOV, being founded in 2015, the mastermind designer-turned-creative director has been cooking up his plan to take over the fashion world since he was young. “I drew my first sketch when I was three or four years old, my mother told me that”, the now-29-year-old tells us. “I was always sure that I had something to tell the world, because for me, fashion is not only about the clothes, it’s one of the quickest ways to communicate with people and talk about important topics.” “For example, my first collection that brought me success was dedicated to transgender people.” One key theme with FROLOV’s collection is that there’s always a cause behind it. Whether that’s a peek inside the world of BDSM, or promoting LGBT+ rights through hand-crafted clothing and intricate designs that allow the wearer to express themselves. “When I started my brand we did our first show in Kyiv and I named it ‘Intelligent Provocation’. So for me, it’s always very important to make something provocative to catch attention, but find the balance between being sexy and smart, not vulgar”, he says. It’s a recipe that’s working well. Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Sydney Sweeney, and Rita Ora make up just some of his well-loved celebrity clients. Most recently, FROLOV has been propelled to new heights after helping put together the glitzy looks of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, including the glimmering pink bodysuit worn at her $20 million performance in Dubai. The designer admits: “The moment my biggest dream came true was the Beyoncé performance in Dubai, when she wore our custom look…that was so unexpected for us.” “I was super happy that her stylists want us to use our signature style and opportunities to be free in sketches and ideas. It’s always the best way when designers are free and not under any control, so we showed off all of our signature corset styles and embroidery.” However, things quickly turn emotional as Frolov reflects on how his world was turned upside down by the invasion in Ukraine - but how he hopes the publicity can become a positive thing for his native country. “That was my dream…but my real dream right now, because we only have one dream as Ukrainians, is victory. Life is a very unpredictable thing”, he says. “Of course, Beyoncé brought a lot of attention to the brand, which is very important because with such attention, we can spread information about the war and that it’s not over and we’re still fighting.” “Beyoncé wearing a Ukrainian designer gives us the opportunity to believe in victory and show people that something good is happening in Ukraine, and that they can believe in a bright future.” But despite troubling times in Ukraine, business for FROLOV continues as usual. The team of designers and manufacturers are still based entirely out of Kyiv, working away in the studio as the war rages on outside. Despite the dramatic, no-expense-spared nature of Beyoncé’s UAE appearance, her costume was one of those made as people feared for their safety in the process. During this time, the brand has also set up a side project, known as FROLOV Heart - a collection of items emblazoned with their signature heart motif, with proceeds helping those affected by the conflict. The designer adds: “We’re working under sirens, sometimes without electricity during winter.” “Right now we have a lot of things that make us cry every day, every day we have bad news from the frontline, so it lets us just smile for a short time.” “It's very difficult to explain what we are feeling, working in Ukraine and supporting our team, and I don’t even want you ever to know what we are feeling right now, and to totally understand us, it’s difficult. But it’s normal for us right now.” Drawing inspiration from the last two years, FROLOV’s first London Fashion Week presentation will be dedicated to Ukraine’s impact on the world, outside of fighting for survival. The show, taking place on Thursday (14 September), will be set in a cinema, and a multitude of experiences for the high-profile guests in attendance, who will get a chance to learn more about the country. “It’s a very beautiful concept because our show will connect with Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian music…our guests will not only see the collection but there will be lots of touching content about Ukraine”, Frolov tells us. “Ukrainian soldiers protect the whole world from the biggest terrorists of the 21st century, so of course, it will be a very nice catwalk for the new collection, but it’s also dedicated to that. We named it ‘Masada’...it’s a Ukrainian word that means young. It’s a message about Ukraine that we are a young and beautiful country.” He hints: “We invited very important people for Ukraine right now, I don’t want to tell all the secrets but we’ll have a very important person closing the show.” It’s set not only to be a huge milestone for the brand but a symbol of hope for Ukrainians present and future. “Even in this terrible situation, we continue to work, we continue to do what we do best. That's why in our brand, we combine what we’re doing with charity to support Ukraine”, he says, before concluding: “I have a very strong feeling that Ukraine has a future. Ukraine is not about today. We feel such amazing support from all over the world and I think it gives us more power to continue the fight. We believe in our victory.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Two-thirds of parents whose children have left home would gladly have them back again. A study with 2,000 mums and dads whose children have left said they would like their children to live no further than 14 miles away from them on average. But 90 per cent were keen to support their child’s dream and let them have their own adventure. As a result, 53 per cent travelled with them for their moving-in day, and 15 per cent stayed in a hotel to ensure they were settled. For 14 per cent of those, this stay ended up being as long as a week to ensure their child was okay. The research was commissioned by Premier Inn, which has created a downloadable ‘Empty Resters’ guide in partnership with content creator and parent, Tracey Lea Sayer, aged 51, to help parents through this change. She said: “It can be hard when your kids leave the nest. “Driving them up to university for the first time, for example, is the last big thing parents get to do for them before they become an adult. ”Our tips cover lots of the issues parents will face when helping kids leave the nest. “From packing advice to making sure kids have essential life skills like how to use a washing machine or plan a food shop, it’s all here. “Helping to focus on practical matters can be really beneficial for parents who might feel overwhelmed with emotion – and it can also really help them feel useful to their kids.” The study also revealed 36 per cent proceeded to redecorate their child’s bedroom after they’d shipped out. But 28 per cent of these simply spruced up the room, making it more comfortable, for when they come back for the holidays. It also emerged kids are slightly more likely to move out and stay local than move a good distance away (57 per cent compared to 41 per cent). And 29 per cent of parents find their children come home weekly. Most kids moved away for university (32 per cent), but 29 per cent moved in with a partner and 10 per cent got their own place with friends. But while 65 per cent would be happy to have their kids move back in with them if needed, 45 per cent said their relationship with their child has improved since they left. However, kids shouldn’t expect a free ride – as 55 per cent of the parents polled, via OnePoll, would be expecting some cash in rent every month. And their child moving out has led to 28 per cent travelling more, 26 per cent having more disposable income and 23 per cent eating out more. ‘A new chapter in her life’ Tracey said her eldest daughter Franke left to go to University last year and said one thing that brought them closer was “preparing her for her university life,” which helped them “bond over the little things that signified a new chapter in her life.” Tracey added: “From the obligatory shopping trip for essential bits and bobs, to teaching her how to make the perfect scrambled eggs and navigate laundry instructions. “Buying essentials in advance made us both feel more prepared, it meant Frankie and I could spend some quality time together too. “Equipped with a checklist of essentials well in advance, the daunting moving-in date had arrived. “Having already familiarised myself with the layout of the city, the location of her accommodation and the proximity of nearby hotels for visits during term time, I found a certain sense of comfort when we arrived in her university city, which is a fair distance from home. “Learning these in advance put my mind to ease and made the moving process a lot smoother.” Here are some top tips from Tracey for parents who are finding it hard after their children moved away: 1. Spend quality time with your other kids: When Frankie left for university, I got to spend real quality time with my younger son. He is quieter and doesn’t need as much attention but now he has me all to himself. 2. Create a New Routine: Establish a new daily routine that fits with your new schedule. Don’t think you will have loads more free time though. The admin that comes with having a child at Uni is relentless. Your ‘To do’ list won’t get any shorter. Student housing, finance and travel all need organising. 3. Focus on Self-Care: Prioritise you for once. Your physical and emotional well-being is important. Try to exercise, eat well and de-stress. 4. Connect with Other Parents: Sharing your experiences can be hugely comforting. I chat to the ladies at my exercise class who are all going through the same thing. We share notes, get it all off our chests and have a right good laugh about all the things the kids are getting up to. 5. Embrace the three Stages: Grief, relief and joy. Of course, you are going to be sad and grieve when your child leaves home, but you will get used to it and weirdly quite quickly. There is a sense of relief once they have settled in and made new friends. It took about three months for it to not feel strange just coming home to the boys Read More Schoolgirls struggle to access basic period protection, research suggests Cost of living means parents have less time to play with children, according to poll When is Freshers’ Week 2023 and how can I make the most of it? Meghan Markle gives children a shoutout as she joins Prince Harry at Invictus Games How many children does Elon Musk have? Single woman’s day in a life video is met with vitriol after going viral

Making more than the maximum income level for Medicaid isn’t necessarily a deal breaker

In the small town of Lamego in Portugal's Douro River Valley, where harvesting grapes for wine is in full swing in early September, one of Portugal’s largest and oldest religious festivals draws thousands

A fishery vessel will attempt to use the high tide to pull free a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship carrying 206 people that has run aground in northwestern Greenland

The way users charge their Apple devices in the future is getting a huge shakeup. In Tuesday's (12 September) Apple event, the technology company announced that the lightning cable is being replaced by USB-C with the introduction of the new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. It marks a huge change, as the lighting cable has been used to charge Apple devices for the last decade. The USB-C cable can be used to power other Apple products such as the Mac and iPad.

As well as introducing groundbreaking garments for women, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel embodied her brand in a way no other designer had done before, a new exhibition highlights. Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto – at London’s V&A Museum – traces the life and work of the famed French designer, who was born in the Loire Valley in 1883 and taught to sew by nuns in the orphanage to which she was sent aged 11, when her mother died. “Before her, designers weren’t really known,” says Oriole Cullen, curator of modern textiles and fashion and the V&A. “Their names were known, but they weren’t visible figures within society.” Starting out as a seamstress and cabaret singer, before establishing herself as milliner, Chanel later turned her focus to couture fashion and began designing casual clothing for women, inspired by the menswear of the era. “The Chanel brand as it stands [today] is really based on these ideas that she ushered in 100 years ago,” Cullen says, which is where the exhibition title comes from. “The meaning of that is really about a template that Gabrielle Chanel set out at the very beginning of her design career and came back to, reimagined and reinvented throughout her long career of sixty years.” Bringing together nearly 200 outfits, the show features items from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910, to the showing of her final collection, two weeks after she died in 1971. Signature designs on display include little black dresses, tweed suits and quilted leather handbags – the most iconic of which is the 2.55 bag. “The 2.55 has never really gone out of fashion since she designed it in 1955,” Cullen says. “That is fascinating in terms of high fashion, that an object can stay the course for such a long time and still be relevant.” Part of the upper echelons of French society, Chanel initially relied on wealthy lovers, such as French ex-cavalry officer Etienne Balsan and English polo player Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel to fund her boutiques. Later becoming a celebrity in her own right, she amassed a personal fortune, thanks to the success of her fashion, accessories and cosmetics lines. “The perfume Chanel No5 was introduced in 1921, but then introducing make-up in 1924 and skincare in 1927, she was really ahead of her time,” Cullen says. “It’s something she was doing because she was designing for herself.” Chanel is credited with helping to liberate women from the constricting corsets and long skirts that were de rigeur at the turn of the century, and for popularising softer textiles, such as jersey. “She cuts her garments with high armholes, so you can lift your arms over your head,” Cullen continues. “She thinks about fabrics that are practical, and skirt lengths you can move in.” The exhibition – which was originally staged at Paris’s Palais Galliera in 2020 – highlights the brand’s UK and Ireland connections via British Chanel Limited. “This was an umbrella company set up in 1932 to work with an array of British textile manufacturers,” Cullen explains. “From lace in Nottingham, cotton velvets from Manchester, wools from Huddersfield, and also voiles and silks from Carlisle. “One of the other companies she worked with was the Old Bleach Linen Company, which is based in Randalstown in Northern Ireland.” Split into 10 sections, the exhibition concludes with a recreation of the mirrored staircase from Chanel’s Paris atelier. “Gabrielle Chanel used to sit at the top of the stairs when she was having presentations,” Cullen explains. “The models would descend and this faceted mirror would reflect back the audience’s faces to her, so she could read the mood in the room.” Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto opens at London’s V&A Museum on September 16. Tickets available at vam.ac.uk/chanel. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 6 times Kate has worn London Fashion Week designers Pro-gamer Jukeyz ‘died for two minutes’ after cardiac arrest which left him ‘scared to sleep’ Young people not snowflakes or wasters, says curator of rebellious fashion exhibition

Adults who spend a large part of their day engaging in sedentary behaviors are more prone to dementia, a new study finds. The research, published on Monday in the journal JAMA, found that people aged 60 and older who spend over 10 hours a day engaging in behaviors like sitting while watching TV or driving could be at increased risk of developing dementia. Scientists, including those from the University of Southern California say, the findings are concerning since Americans on average are sedentary for about 9.5 hours each day. In the study, researchers assessed the data from about 50,000 adults over the age of 60 who had wrist-worn accelerometers to measure their movement for 24 hours per day for a week. The individuals did not have a diagnosis of dementia at the start of the study, scientists noted. They then used a machine-learning algorithm to analyse the dataset of accelerometer readings and classify behaviors based on different intensities of physical activity. Using the AI system, scientists could differentiate between different types of activity and sleeping – providing an objective measure of the time each person spent engaging in different types of sedentary behaviors. After an average of six years of follow-up, researchers used hospital records and death registry data to determine dementia diagnosis, and found 414 participants had the neurological condition. Scientists then adjusted for factors such as age, sex, education level, race/ethnicity, chronic conditions, genetics as well as lifestyle characteristics like physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol use, self-reported mental health. They found that sedentary behavior was linked with increased risk of dementia among the participants. However, they found that certain amounts of sedentary behavior was not associated with dementia. “We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated,” study author Gene Alexander from the University of Arizona said. “This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk,” Dr Alexander added. Researchers call for more studies to establish causality and whether physical activity can mitigate the risk of developing dementia. The findings, according to scientists, “should provide some reassurance to those of us with office jobs that involve prolonged periods of sitting, as long as we limit our total daily time spent sedentary”. Read More What it’s like having Menopause Brain in a millennial office Josh Duhamel and wife Audra Mari announce they’re expecting first baby together Woman warns not to ignore symptoms after hot flushes lead to leukaemia diagnosis Poor metabolic health ‘linked with 12% higher risk of dementia later in life’ Sleeping pill could reduce levels of Alzheimer’s proteins Daily aspirin dose can help prevent diabetes in older people, scientists say

The Princess of Wales will likely keep a close eye on the catwalks this season, as she’s been known to champion clothes from London Fashion Week (LFW) designers. The upcoming season kicks off on September 15 and will see major labels – including Burberry, Richard Quinn and Erdem – debuting their spring/summer 2024 collections. These are just some of the times Kate has worn LFW designers for royal engagements… 1. Erdem For the Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey earlier this year, Kate stepped out in one of her go-to labels: Erdem. Helmed by designer Erdem Moralioglu, the brand is known for its romantic and floral aesthetic. For the service, Kate chose a navy ensemble featuring an all-over white flower print, made up of a peplum blazer with delicate chain detailing on the bodice, and a midi-length skirt. It was a well-chosen look, drawing upon a Commonwealth designer for the event – Moralioglu is originally from Canada. 2. Roksanda As a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate is a familiar face at Wimbledon – and in 2022 she attended the iconic event in a sunny yellow dress. The outfit, which had capped sleeves and bow detailing at the shoulder, was from Roksanda – a label known for its vibrant use of colour, helmed by Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic. 3. Burberry Heritage brand Burberry is one of the most highly-anticipated shows on the London Fashion Week schedule, and Kate is obviously partial to its designs – she has even been spotted in one of the label’s iconic beige trench coats. She brought a bit of Britain to Canada on a 2011 trip, dressing down in an olive Burberry shirt during a visit to Blachford Lake near Yellowknife. 4. Stephen Jones Stephen Jones is often seen as the go-to milliner for the royals – his hats have been worn by the Duchess of Sussex, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as Kate herself. One of Kate’s more experimental fashion moments in a Stephen Jones creation came at the 2011 Epsom Derby, when she wore a beret-style brown straw hat with a bow detailing. 5. Temperley London Many of Kate’s royal engagements require her to wear an evening gown, and she’ll often choose LFW stalwart Temperley London for the occasion. At the National Portrait Gala in 2017, she wore one of creative director Alice Temperley’s designs – a floor-length forest green lace gown with long sleeves and a high neck. 6. Emilia Wickstead Emilia Wickstead is another LFW designer who often features in the Princess of Wales’ wardrobe. Wickstead’s designs are very much in Kate’s wheelhouse: classic and demure cuts, usually in interesting colours or with a quirky twist. Kate wore a lemon midi dress with long sleeves to the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, with the elegant dress given an added bit of interest thanks to twisted detailing at the waist. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pro-gamer Jukeyz ‘died for two minutes’ after cardiac arrest which left him ‘scared to sleep’ Young people not snowflakes or wasters, says curator of rebellious fashion exhibition Meet the man who grows the biggest vegetables in the world