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Friday, September 25, 2020

5 Reasons We Loved Raf Simons’ Debut at Prada

Today, Raf Simons made his long-awaited and highly anticipated debut for Prada at Milan Fashion Week. Simons joins Miuccia Prada as co-creative director at the storied Italian house, and if there were any doubts about what the marriage of each one’s style into the brand would be, the pair stylishly quashed them during today’s presentation. Here are five reasons we loved the show:

1. There was something for everyone

Whether you’re a fan of Simons or of Prada exclusively, the collection had something for everyone. The iconic triangular Prada logo was on full display across the 12-minute long presentation, featuring heavily on both clothing and accessories, nodding to the legacy that Miuccia has built during her time at the helm. The flouncy midi skirts were also reminiscent of Prada’s own personal style. Simons’ influence was also clear in the printed separates, nonchalantly held outerwear and oversized silhouettes.

2. It gave us a chance to really focus on the clothes

A simple yellow backdrop allowed the pair’s designs to really stand out – plus, the way in which the digital presentation was filmed meant there was a much greater focus on the clothing than in others we’ve seen. Tight, lingering shots revealed key details on clothing, and greater detail on accessories for a collection reveal that – although digital – felt incredibly personal to the viewer.

3. All of the models used in the show were first-timers

Every single model that featured in today’s Prada presentation was making their catwalk debut – which is a fairly epic way to start your CV.

4. The shoes

Please see exhibits a, b, c, d and e below.

5. The conversation between Raf and Miuccia that happened at the end of the show

At the conclusion of the presentation, Raf and Miuccia appeared side-by-side (well, six feet apart but you know what we mean) for a 20-minute long conversation. They crowdsourced questions from across the world, which touched on a range of subjects including why they wanted to work together (“I think we’ve always been very interested in each other’s work,” said Simons), how it was to work with another designer (“It is easier, you can share more than you used to share.. and it’s more interesting,” Miuccia noted), whether anything is ‘new’ anymore (“I think fashion in general always hopes for the new and every designer wants to be new but I think when you are in it for a long time, it’s important to be able to refresh your own body of work,” Simons offered adding that the new generation are the ones who will bring the new ideas), if they are doing subtraction or addition (“Both” was the shared answer), what they drink in the morning (coffee for Raf, hot water for Miuccia), as well as what “Prada-ness” means to them, advice for aspiring fashion designers, personal uniforms and more.

Watch the presentation and see the conversation below:

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Here’s How Canadian Film Violation Subverts the Male Gaze

Perhaps if I had watched some of the short films by Canadian filmmaking duo Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli before the TIFF premiere of their debut feature Violation, I would have been a bit more prepared for what unfolded on screen.

Like their earlier works, which handle themes of sexual assault and violence with a delicate ambiguity, this film revolves around a violation of trust. But seeing as this is a feature-length project as opposed to a 10- or 20-minute short, Violation gives the filmmakers room to explore what comes next, after that betrayal. In doing so, their film both adds to the canon of rape revenge films that form a distinct subset of the horror genre, and also subverts it. (Fair warning: this will be a tough film to watch unless your threshold for gruesome violence is very, very high.)

The film centres around two estranged sisters who reunite for a weekend, husbands in tow, at a secluded cabin. Sims-Fewer takes on the role of both co-director and lead, saying that she knew she could push herself to the emotional and physical extremes required of her character Miriam. Without giving too much away, Miriam is sexually assaulted by her brother-in-law Dylan (played with a chilling complexity by Jesse LaVercombe), and decides to exact revenge in a truly excruciating, bloody manner. The revenge sequence is played out on screen in grim, methodical detail; a far cry from the almost-superhero-like ease with which revenge has been depicted in other films.

“For us it’s really an anti-revenge film,” says Sims-Fewer over the phone from her home in Toronto. “Revenge is not the answer. What was interesting and important to us was asking ‘how does the act of revenge end up destroying your own sense of self and morality?’ It’s important for people to think about and talk about how you overcome trauma in a way that is actually useful and healthy, and doesn’t destroy you. Because it doesn’t need to. I think so often revenge films support the idea that trauma destroys you and the only way to overcome it is through a similar act of violence. But those painstaking things that [Miriam] has to do are ingraining trauma further in her rather than taking it away.”

Both Sims-Fewer and her creative partner Mancinelli—who met at the TIFF Talent Lab in 2015—are victims of sexual abuse, and their films serve as a way for them to process the emotions surrounding those acts of trauma.

violation tiff — image courtesy one plus one

“The film’s very personal for me and Dusty. One thing that we talked about early on in the writing process was our own revenge fantasies. When someone close to you has wronged you in that way, I think a lot of people think about the revenge they would get, or what would bring them peace. I think Miriam’s methodical planning is that fantasy. And when she gets into the reality, she’s not prepared; she’s not hardened enough.”

What makes this film stand out from other revenge films—a subgenre Sims-Fewer grew up watching and is a big fan of—is how the audience is not encouraged to instinctively root for Miriam. Her motivations are murky, and her commitment to the gruesome act of revenge stomach-churning. But this is precisely what the filmmakers wanted to communicate to their viewers.

“There’s something really interesting to me in characters whose motivations are not always good, and not always apparent. Some of my favourite characters in movies are very complicated, like Harvey Keitel’s character in The Bad Lieutenant and Travis Bickell in Taxi Driver. Walter White in Breaking Bad has one of the most beautiful and complex and interesting character arcs. I haven’t seen a lot of films with female characters who have similar complexity in their flaws. And so it was really interesting to both of us to create this character who is maybe blinded to the true nature of her motivations.”

In examining an act of sexual violence inflicted by a person who is known to the victim, the film also deals with thorny issues of consent, gaslighting and manipulation. It also consciously avoids the exploitative tropes of the rape-revenge subgenre, which invariably puts the focus on the female body being violated instead of the male body responsible for the act of violation.

“The person who is inflicting this trauma, his body is a weapon,” says Sims-Fewer. “So we wanted to show the naked male body from Miriam’s perspective and how it’s threatening to her… but also, she’s taking the power back. There’s something unusual in watching a man in a vulnerable naked position and a fully clothed woman in a scene.”

The film may flip power structures and subvert the male gaze but it’s far from a cathartic or redemptive story. It’s harrowing and disorienting, and it forces viewers to confront multiple different forms of trauma—some self-inflicted and invisible, others unflinchingly sadistic and visceral.

“I definitely knew it was going to be a hard, challenging film for people but that’s the reaction we’re hoping for—that it puts you on edge and makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Mission accomplished.

If you are currently experiencing or have experienced sexual violence, find province-specific resources here: Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (Alberta), WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre (British Columbia), Klinic Sexual Assault Crisis Line (Manitoba), Sexual Violence New Brunswick (New Brunswick), Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre (Newfoundland and Labrador), Yellowknife Victim Services (Northwest Territories), Break the Silence (Nova Scotia), Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (Ontario), Prince Edward Island Rape & Sexual Assault Centre (Prince Edward Island), Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (Quebec), Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan), and Yukon Victim Services (Yukon).

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Kate Moss Lends her Midas Touch to Jewellery Brand Messika

Kate Moss began her relationship with French jewellery brand Messika in 2019, staring in a campaign for the brand along side Joan Smalls and Sylvia Hoeks. It was this campaign that launched a significant relationship between Messika’s founder and artistic director, Valérie Messika, and Moss. Together, the two women have created a collection of almost 100 pieces of high jewellery set to launch this October.

The pair started the process by taking a look at Moss’s own jewellery box. The fashion icon who is know for her rock-and-roll-meets-bohemian style pulled out treasures both old and new that inspired their designs. According to Messika, Kate’s jewellery box is filled with, “colour, XXL motifs, [and] large decorative headpieces across Aztec culture and Art Deco style.” These pieces informed design decisions resulting in a vast and eclectic collection. Some highlights include knotted diamond strands to form an abstract letter K and diamond encrusted tassels. The brand also used the collection to expand beyond their use of solely white diamonds in high jewellery to include malachite, turquoise and mother of pearl along side their sparkling stones.

Despite the collection being made from precious materials, Moss suggests customers “dress it down to create a simple statement.” She adds, “I love wearing diamonds with denim shorts and a T-shirt.” We can officially add dripping with diamonds to the things we love about Kate Moss’s style.

Check out some of the Kate Moss by Messika collection below:

Photography courtesy of Messika

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Rihanna Announces Launch of Savage x Fenty Menswear Line

Rihanna has announced today that her lingerie line Savage x Fenty is expanding into menswear, and you already know it’s going to be so good.

The Grammy Award winner-turned-designer has teamed up with rapper Christian Combs – son of Sean “Diddy” Combs – to design the collection which is comprised of underwear and loungewear. Speaking of her decision to team up with Combs, RiRi said in a release, “After Christian did such a great job at the 2019 fashion show wearing men’s, I knew we had to have him as a collaborator.”

The line is made up of 11 pieces, including boxers, trunks and boxer briefs, as well as a smoking jacket and satin pant. All of the pieces are finished in either a cool monogram print or with a Savage x Fenty waistband in a colour palette of black, white, red and blue. And although the collection has been designed for men, Rihanna noted in the release that it’s all gender-fluid, saying, “I wanted to create men’s wear styles that everyone can wear.”

The menswear collection will launch on October 2nd – the date that the highly anticipated Savage x Fenty Vol. 2 runway show will be streamed on Amazon Prime. Combs is set to feature in the show, appearing alongside Cara Delevingne, Lizzo, Bella Hadid, Laura Harrier, Demi Moore and other notable faces. It will be soundtracked by Travis Scott, Bad Bunny, Miguel, Ella Maim Roddy Rich and Rosalía.

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Thursday, September 24, 2020

Watch the BOSS Spring 2021 Show Live From Milan Fashion Week Here

Milan Fashion Week is only one day in to its Spring 2021 season and is already generating plenty of buzz. From Silvia Venturini Fendi’s last collection for Fendi to Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada’s debut collection together at Prada, it’s been an action-packed first 24 hours in the Italian city. And that excitement is slated to continue tomorrow as Hugo Boss presents its BOSS Spring 2021 collection.

The brand – which recently launched its Canadian e-commerce site – has shared very little about what to expect from the show, save for the fact that the men’s and women’s collections have been inspired by the floral work from British artist William Farr. What we do know is that the show will take place at the Palazzo del Senato in Milan, with a few socially distanced guests in attendance. The brand shared with FASHION that the space will be decorated with 40 acacia trees, and that all of those trees will be donated to the City of Milan once the show has ended in support of the city’s initiative to plant three million trees by the year 2030 to help fight climate change.

The brand shares a long history with the Italian city, as Ingo Wilts, chief brand officer for Hugo Boss, explained in an earlier press release. “The city of Milan is very close to our hearts as a brand, particularly as the first BOSS womenswear collection was revealed here exactly 20 years ago. We are excited to continue the BOSS story in Italy’s fashion capital, with this live event that will bring together physical and digital elements of the runway experience in a unique way.”

You can catch all of the action live from the BOSS Spring 2021 runway tomorrow, September 25, as it happens via our livestream below. The show begins at 8am ET – so grab your coffee and get cozy in your front row seat.

Want more from Milan Fashion Week? Click here to check out the best street style looks from the city (so far).

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Just ‘Three Grams a Day’ Could Reduce your Blood Cholesterol

With World Heart Day taking place on the 29th September and in the time of COVID-19, taking care of your heart is more important than ever before. A clinical trial carried out by leading researchers in Italy has confirmed that the beta-glucans found in oats can reduce your blood cholesterol levels.

Beta glucans are the main natural fibres found in oats and barley; they can also be found in supplement form such as in Herbalife Nutrition’s Beta heart® – a nutritious vanilla-flavoured powdered drink that contains the key ingredient OatWell oat beta-glucan.

By including three grams of oat beta-glucans in their diets every day, trial participants reduced their LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels by an average of 12% after only four weeks, further reducing to 15% after only eight weeks. Often referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’, LDLs make up most of the body’s cholesterol and, if high, can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.*

Overall, the trial, conducted using Beta heart®, showed an average reduction in total cholesterol of 6.5% after four weeks and 9% after eight weeks. The researchers also found that participants’ cholesterol levels returned to their original levels once they’d stopped taking Beta heart® – highlighting the importance of a daily beta-glucan intake.

The trial was carried out by researchers at Bologna’s Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, on behalf of the Nutrition Foundation of Italy, and comprised 83 participants (48 women and 35 men) and was one of the first clinical trials in a southern European population. At the start of the trial, each participant had moderately high levels of cholesterol, low cardiovascular risk and consumed a typical Mediterranean diet.

Commenting on the study, Dr Carel Leroux said

“The findings of this trial are significant and strengthen our knowledge that beta glucans are an effective and safe way to reduce cholesterol in people with mild to moderate levels, including relatively young patients. The World Health Organization reports that in Europe, 54% of adults aged 25 and over have high levels of cholesterol – the highest rate globally”.

The results of the trial have been published in the scientific journal ‘Nutrients’.

The post Just ‘Three Grams a Day’ Could Reduce your Blood Cholesterol appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

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