See plus-size model Ashley Graham stun in Old Hollywood-inspired Harris Reed LFW show
Plus-size model Ashley Graham took to the runway in a glamorous corset for the Harris Reed show. The show marked the informal start of London Fashion Week – officially running from September 15-19. Graham donned a black gown with a shimmering gold corset and a sweeping shawl, as part of the 10 look show. This isn’t the first time Reed has worked with Graham, 35, having dressed her in a sculptural pale pink and black gown for the 2023 Met Gala. Reed’s catwalks are typically dramatic – previous shows have had performances from actor Florence Pugh and singer Sam Smith – and this season was no different. Entitled ‘Duet’, the collection was inspired by Old Hollywood styles, mixing together masculinity and feminity. Designs on the catwalk used deadstock black velvet and white duchess satin with pops of gold, and played around with exaggerated proportions. One of the standout looks of the show was a black and white evening gown with statement shoulders and a revealing low cut-out at the back – which could have been inspired by the low-slung ‘bumster’ trousers popularised by Alexander McQueen in the Nineties. The largely monochrome nature of the collection was punctuated by metallic accents, with silver and pearl half-moon breast cups on one look, showcasing Reed’s partnership with London-based jewellery brand Missoma. The show was accompanied by vocals from Cosima, a Peckham-born singer-songwriter who wore an off-the-shoulder black and white gown to perform. Watching front row at the Tate Modern in London were activist and model Monroe Bergdorf, Game Of Thrones actress Maisie Williams and Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran. The show was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s 1928 historical novel Orlando, often seen as one of the earliest representations of trans identity in English language literature. Reed cited the quote: “Different though the sexes are, they intermix. In every human being a vacillation from one sex to the other takes place, and often it is only the clothes that keep the male or female likeness, while underneath the sex is the very opposite of what is above.” Backstage, Reed expressed the need for LGBTQ+ representation. “It’s more important today than ever, because we are seeing so much more hate on the streets. I think it’s getting rapidly more aggressive and more unsafe to be queer and queer presenting in the city,” the Evening Standard reported him as saying. “Casting trans and non-binary individuals in my show potentially runs the risk of turning off some of my Middle Eastern and Asian clients. “As a designer, I walk a very fine balance of not offending too many people to equal sales and build my brand, but I still need to stand behind my messaging.” Reed’s designs are often concerned with gender fluidity and theatricality, both at his eponymous label and in his role as creative director of French fashion house Nina Ricci. In January 2024 he will publish his first book, called Fluid: A Fashion Revolution. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football legend Michael Owen: My four kids all have opinions about my fashion choices How homeowners are creating pet-specific stylish spaces Sex Education season 4: How vintage finds help characters get their unique style
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2023-09-14 19:46
Sebastian Vettel refuses to rule out return to Formula 1
Sebastian Vettel refused to rule out a return to F1 when questioned about the likelihood of a dramatic comeback. The four-time world champion retired at the end of the 2022 season after two years of frustration at Aston Martin. The finale to his stay in the sport was a far-cry from the glory years, namely with Red Bull with four straight titles from 2010-2013, as well as championship tilts with Ferrari. But Vettel, 36, admits he “can’t exclude” the prospect of a return in the future, when asked by Sky F1’s Martin Brundle whether he would return to the grid in a similar manner to the likes of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. "I can’t say no, because that you don’t know," the German said. "I think it’s something that if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said ‘no’. And some of them I don’t know, but in the end all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it. "It probably will depend much on when, and obviously it’s not endless, because 36 is not like, ‘yeah in 10 years’ time’. "Maybe I think about it then time has passed but it will depend on the challenge, whatever, but it’s not in my head right now.” A 53-time race winner, Vettel made his F1 debut in 2007 before claiming his first victory at Monza with Toro Rosso in 2008. Yet his last three seasons in the sport – one with Ferrari, two with Aston Martin – saw him finish 13th, 12th and 12th again in the Driver Standings, though did see him take on roles as a climate activist and LGBTQ+ rights campaigner. "I’m enjoying the sort of outlook of the challenge of what to do next,” Vettel added. “It will be the way I see it, the biggest challenge for any racing driver and the biggest challenge for any sportsman, sportswoman, what do you do after? "Because naturally you will be like 30-35, 40-45 - depending on your sport and discipline. And then what? "There’s a lot of life left and life can be great even though you’re not racing, you know, the absolute limit in the fastest car in the world, but you can still do lots of great things that give you great pleasure." Vettel was speaking to Sky ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, where the German won his final race of his F1 career in 2019. Read More Farewell Sebastian Vettel, a four-time F1 champion who stood for something bigger than racing How does Max Verstappen’s win-streak compare to fellow record-holder Sebastian Vettel’s? Alfa Romeo confirm driver line-up for 2024 F1 season F1 Singapore Grand Prix: When is practice on Friday at Marina Bay? Red Bull chief apologises to Sergio Perez over ‘offensive remark’
2023-09-14 19:45
Kim Jong-un’s chair was ‘greatest concern’ at Putin summit
Kim Jong Un’s security team scrupulously inspected his chair and wiped it down with disinfectant before he could sit at Putin’s summit. Video footage published by te Kommersant newspaper on Thursday showed a North Korean security official in white gloves attentively wiping down Kim’s black chair and spraying an unidentified substance. The North Korean sprayed and wiped down the seat, the hands, the legs and even the area around the chair as a Kremlin bodyguard looked on in a slightly bemused way. Another North Korean guard then gave some sort of order to the guard doing the disinfecting. The nature of the order was unclear. “The chair turned out to be the subject of the greatest concern of the North Korean side,” wrote Kommersant’s Kremlin correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov. According to reports, Kim’s security team of 100 people were unhappy with the first chair provided and demanded another one, the Kommersant said.“ Then a North Korean employee wiped the chair intended for Kim Jong Un for several minutes without stopping, wearing white gloves: judging by the smell he disinfected it,” said Kommersant, one of Russia’s leading newspapers. Others have speculated the security team also carried out a vigrous check to ensure the chair could handle the North Korean’s weigh and that one guard used a metal detector to check the seat for booby traps and angerous devices. Putin and Kim discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian help for North Korea’s satellite programme. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: UK Storm Shadow missiles used in attack on Putin’s Crimea fleet Russian pilot ‘believed he had permission to shoot down RAF spy plane’ Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas
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