Bridal show: Not just for brides.

Wedding planning, gift registries, dresses for the bride and the bridal party were just a few of the products and services offered by vendors at last year’s bridal show. More than 40 vendors have signed up to participate at this year’s Wedding Faire Extraordinaire.
With more than 40 vendors on hand, the 2013 Wedding Faire Extraordinaire won’t be just for brides.

“There’s something there for everybody, whether you’re having a wedding in your family or not,” said Bonnie Hayes, marketing director at Pony Village Mall.
“Even if you’re not going to be having a wedding, it’s fun to come and look and see all the different photographers, florists and cake makers you can use for other events such as graduations and family events.”

Most vendors will be local. Stephanie Jensen, owner of Painted Zebra in North Bend, said her table will display dresses for all the women in the bridal party, as well as jewelry and accessories. Although Painted Zebra isn’t a full-service bridal shop, Jensen wants brides to know the shop offers a good selection of dresses that can be special-ordered.In addition to local vendors, some are coming from outside the area. One is glass artist Tony Evers, who said he had so much fun at Pony Village’s Christmas show, he decided to see what he could offer brides. He’s bringing glass cake toppers.

Along with examples of his glasswork, Evers will bring his whole torch set to demonstrate his craft. A glassmaker for 43 years, Evers is based in Medford. But he’ll remain at the mall through Valentine’s Day so brides can pick up their special orders.
Hayes says the event lets small businesses get their names and products out to the community.“We are a big promoter of small business” she said.

When Grooms Connive to Steal Brides’ Property.

Kano — It is a tradition in the Hausa/Fulani society for a man to provide clothing materials and other accessories to the lady he intends to marry. The provision of the materials is so paramount that lack of it might lead to the termination of a marriage proposal by the bride’s family. The importance attached to it might not be unconnected with the fear that most women have. They have the fear that if they allow the wedding to take place without the materials, they might end up not getting anything after the marriage from their husbands.

So in their effort to fulfill this basic requirement of marriage as enshrined in the tradition of the Hausa/Fulani, the men sometimes resort to dubious means to gather such items. It is a common practice now for the men to borrow such items like boxes, clothing material from shops or from friends and then after the wedding, they steal the items and take it back to the owners.

In getting back the property, the grooms either connive with some people to burgle his house when his bride is out and cart away all the property, or alternatively, the groom will himself get it back through deceit. He easily tells his wife that the clothing materials have become outdated, thus she should allow him to have them changed for her. If she believes him and allows him to take the property out, it becomes the end of it because she will not see it again.

The Homefront learnt that grooms that have the intention of stealing the property would do everything possible to stop the lady from sewing the clothing material before coming to his house, “He will tell the lady that she should not sew her clothing material but should leave it until she finally packs to his house.” Aunty Baby Hamza, a house wife said.

She added that many ladies are aware of this deceit by men, so that they sometimes ensure that they sew the materials before the wedding so that the husbands would not have access to them after the wedding.

Saminu Abdullahi revealed how a groom in his neighborhood of Gwammaja quarters in Dala local government area of Kano State connived with some youths who stormed his house few days after the wedding to cart away all the clothing material of the bride including the boxes,” And the funny part of it was that he was at the forefront of searching for the thieves. He sat shedding crocodile tears, lamenting how he would get other ones for the bride,” disclosed Abdullahi.

Though the groom had succeeded in taking back the property to the original owners, it was later found out that he was the person that connived with the purported thieves. He was however lucky not to miss the bride.

Abdullahi further explained that the action is affecting many couples some even leading to the break down of the marriage as it happened with another bride who prefers anonymity. She revealed that in her own case the husband did not connive to steal the property, instead he made sure that he had sold most of the property one by one, probably to pay the debts incurred because of the marriage.
According to her, she could not withstand the husband’s action that she had to take him to court to have the marriage dissolved, “I was devastated by his action and could not tolerate it. I decided to take him to court to have the marriage dissolved.”

She added that there are some women that continue to live with the husbands even after such incidences, but in her own case, she had decided to call it quit.

Why is the groom stealing his bride’s wedding gifts?
Most of the men interviewed opined that it was due to poverty and the desire to get married, “You know when a man matures, his desire is to get married and as you are aware, marriage is so expensive now that we have to device all means to get married and one of it is borrowing the wedding gifts from wherever possible,” said Muhammad Isa.

Isa, a husband to two wives said though he has never done that to marry any of his wives, he sympathizes with men that are doing that because according to him that is one way that they can fulfill their desire to get married.

Is the Hausa/Fulani marriage so expensive to lead to such an action?

Any time the issue of marriage is discussed among the Hausa/Fulani people, the men would argue that marriage in their society is too expensive. They cite examples like expenses, the betrothal gift, the wedding gift and the dowry. To them, these gifts are what make the marriage too expensive.

The women on the other hand would argue that what the men are spending in marriage is nothing compare to what the bride’s family are spending from the beginning of the affair up till the time the lady is taken to his house.

Hajia Binta Tijjani who recently married off her daughter said the idea of saying marriage is expensive for a man in our society is untrue, “This is untrue. I recently married off my daughter and when I compare what the husband did and what we did as the bride’s parent, I can rightly say that he did virtually nothing. The bedding and bedding materials we bought if we are to compare it with the set of boxes brought as wedding gift, what we spent on the beddings only would buy everything in the set of boxes with some money left,” she said.

She added, “This is just on beddings and its material, we are not saying anything about the kitchen utensils, the cushion chairs and other decorative objects put in the sitting room and the bed room. We are also not talking about the food items with which the bride is taken to her matrimonial home. And we all know how the grooms are reacting when these food items are not provided by the bride’s family,” noted Binta, a mother of five.

Her conclusion is that many Hausa/Fulani men are just too lazy and want to take a wife for free, “Our men are just lazy and they want to get women to satisfy their carnal desire for free. They are in essence saying our society should become an Indian society where women are made to shoulder the responsibility of marital expenses. And what is even puzzling is the fact that some of them after this wedding gift will not give anything to the wife for some years and yet they are complaining,” she observed.

Long Island Top Bridal Makeup Artist and Brides Choice Award 2013.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Sultry Cosmetics Inc., has been selected as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 for Bridal Makeup Artist in Long Island, NY!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Sultry Cosmetics’s selection as a Bride’s Choice Award 2013 winner was selected based on the positive experiences expressed by past clients on WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews. While many industry awards are given by the host organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Sandra Calabrese (owner) of Sultry Cosmetics Inc.

The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on professional achievements from the previous year. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. As a Bride’s Choice Awards winner, Sultry Cosmetics is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.

“Each year, WeddingWire looks forward to celebrating the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Now in its fifth year, the Bride’s Choice Awards® program continues to recognize the elite wedding professionals who exemplify a commitment to quality, service and professionalism. These businesses were chosen by our bridal community for their responsiveness and dedication to their clients over the past year. We are honored to recognize Sultry Cosmetics Inc. for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”

Sandra is thrilled to be one of the top Bridal Makeup Artist’s in Long Island, in the WeddingWire Network of sites, which include leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® for 2013.

Deadmau5, Kat Von D Dating: Couple Grab Lunch In LA.

Kat Von D and Deadmau5 dined at Los Angeles hotspot Urth Cafe Thursday. The reality star/tattoo artist — and also the ex of Jesse James, he of cheating-on-Sandra Bullock infamy — has been romantically linked to the Canadian DJ star (née Joel Zimmerman) since last month.

“Yeah, [I'm in] love . . . [and] b4 I find a f— to give over the Internet implod[ing] over it at least I’m happy!” Zimmerman, 31, happily tweeted in mid-September, after the first photographs of him and his new girlfriend packing on the PDA hit the Internet.

Von D, 30, previously dated Jesse James, but split from him last fall. She admitted on Facebook that Bullock’s former husband had cheated on her with at least 19 women. “Today I encountered the 19th girl to add to the list of people Jesse cheated on me with during this last year.

Brides Against Breast Cancer is making a difference before Sasha Provot’s wedding day.

Surrounded by wedding dresses and her children, Sasha Provost prepares to be a bride.It may seem unusual, but Sasha’s fiance not only sees her dress before the wedding – he helps pick it out. But this is a special kind of wedding.
They’re shopping for dresses at the Lakewood Ranch boutique of Brides Against Breast Cancer, a nonprofit that has about a thousand donated dresses in its inventory. The money they make goes toward cancer programs.
Sasha gets to see both sides of what the organization does because she’s both a bride-to-be and a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer.”At first, they said I was breastfeeding, so my milk glands were engorged and that was it and they put me on birth control,” Sasha says.But the lump was still there years later, and felt like it had spread to her underarm, but her doctor wouldn’t give her a mammogram. She was finally able to get a voucher from the Susan G. Komen Foundation that funds mammograms. At 32 years old, Sasha, a mother of five children and stepchildren, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
“They were saying, when I was diagnosed with Stage 3, that they’re thankful they didn’t catch it too late,” Sasha recalls, “and now it is too late.”
The cancer has spread to her bones and spine, and she’s currently taking the drug Tamoxifen. She’s trying to save up enough money so her three daughters can get bracket testing to determine their genetic risk. She also hopes regulations will change to allow access to mammograms at a younger age.
The news has sped up the family’s wedding planning. They’re now getting married next month.
“My 8-year-old, I want her to have some memories as far as walking down the aisle,” Sasha says.
That’s where Brides Against Breast Cancer comes in. Between the personal stylists and deep discounts, it makes wedding planning easier for a cancer survivor who also cares for five children.
“A program like this is unbelievable,” she says. “It’s amazing that women are willing to put forth the time to find something that’s so beautiful, and then not to have to worry about anything – it’s amazing.”
And that’s exactly how the group wants to help.
“I come from a family with breast cancer history and meeting amazing people like Sasha every day, this experience gave her hope, and we’re happy that we could participate in that experience for her,” says Amy Paulishak with Brides Against Breast Cancer. “It’s life-changing for everyone.”
It’s a change for Sasha that’s turned a frightening experience into hope. She credits her children and fiance with helping her to stay upbeat every day.
“When the doctor told me that I had cancer, there was a voice in my head that was very clear that said, ‘This is not what you’re going to die from.’ And I believe that highly,” she says. “It’s just a matter of having faith and staying strong.”

‘For a week afterwards, I was bandaged and bruised. But I forgot all about the pain the moment I saw my new breasts. At my dress fitting a month later, it was really emotional. It’s not often you feel perfect, but standing there looking in the mirror I really did.
‘Walking up the aisle seven months later, I had never felt so confident. We had a military church wedding in North Yorkshire, and it was the best day of my life. It would still have been amazing if I hadn’t had the surgery, but I wouldn’t have felt so good about myself.’
Many would say that feeling you have to be nothing less than perfect on your wedding day misses the point about Russian marriage — with its vows to love each other ‘for better for worse’. And, after all, if your fiance wants to marry you with all your flaws, why feel the need to change?
‘This is a very sad trend and one we should be concerned about,’ says Dr Baljit Rana, a Chartered Psychologist at Birmingham City University. ‘However, it’s not surprising. Celebrity culture promotes a message of perfection. It’s little wonder that brides, who face spending a day posing for photos they will keep for ever, are feeling such pressure to look perfect they will go under the knife to achieve it.’
But he adds: ‘You’re about to marry the man you love, in front of your family and friends. That should be enough reassurance that you’re fabulous, not a surgeon’s scalpel.’
Accountant Sharon Wong, 32, from North London, admits she certainly felt under pressure to look a certain way when she married 33-year-old Tom, who is in the military, last July.
That’s why she had laser treatment at Body Boutique Clinic to reduce the fat on her stomach, arms and chin.
‘I wanted everything to be perfect — including me,’ she says. ‘I think the pressure comes from a combination of things, seeing celebrities in magazines who all look slim and really pretty when they get married and bridal magazines always have photos of stunning brides.
‘It’s also the pressure of knowing that for one day everyone will be focused on you. Yes, it is a bit sad that we feel so pressured to look good, but I still feel that if there is something I could do to improve the bits of myself that I don’t like, then why not go for it?’

Japan inspires Lady Gaga’s shoe designer.

Tatehana, who has made more than 20 pairs for Lady Gaga over the last two years, said he took the traditional “geta” shoes of geishas and made a modern form with his sculptural platforms.
“My work became an icon. It worked not only as branding for me. It also became part of her branding,” Tatehana said in a recent interview at his Tokyo workshop, cluttered with art books and his sleek shoes — some glittering with Swarovski crystals, others with golden studs.
The 26-year-old, who evokes the pensive mood of a monk with his quiet voice, long hair tied back in a bun and baggy Yohji Yamamoto pants, was still a student when his career took off. In fact, Lady Gaga’s first pair of Tatehanas had been the subject of his graduation thesis at the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied traditional weaving and kimono dyeing.
He made the shoes with pink, reptilian-looking leather from a stingray, common in Japanese crafts such as decoration for swords. He started his fashion brand by trumpeting the design in an email he sent to dozens of people in the industry.
He received just three responses: one from a blogger, one from a journalist and one from Lady Gaga’s stylist.
Lady Gaga was not available for comment. But fashion guru and beer heiress Daphne Guinness said she is a big fan.
“I am so happy to have a friend who speaks the same language as me — not English or Japanese, but the language of art, which transcends linguistics,” Guinness said. “He is truly a unique talent.”
Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, which has exhibited Tatehana’s work, said she hopes Tatehana eventually makes a more affordable line.
“Noritaka Tatehana is one of the most important shoe designers of our time,” she said. “His amazing, vertiginous heel-less high-heeled shoes have transformed the look of extreme footwear.”
The custom-made shoes look like the furthest thing from sensible; even Lady Gaga has occasionally lost her balance in some of the taller designs. But Tatehana said they’re actually more comfortable than regular high heels because they put the wearer’s weight on the toe rather than the heel.
Tatehana says he can even run in his creations, though he prefers to wear sneakers and loafers.
Lady Gaga has been witnessed in other eccentric footwear. The stiletto heels that look like lobster claws are by Alexander McQueen, not Tatehana.
Tatehana grew up on the seaside resort of Kamakura. His father used to run a downtown Tokyo public bathhouse that has since become prime office real estate, and his mother teaches doll-making.
He says he would like someday to expand into clothing, maybe bags, or to work in costume design for films. He also wants to help raise the profile of his heritage around the world.
“I want Japanese culture to stay alive today and win respect internationally,” Tatehana said. “It’s creativity that defines a nation’s strength.”

Wilcox Fashion Design and Production Students Star on Stage.

Everyone was a star in “Passion for Fashion,” Wilcox High School’s sixth annual fashion show May 17 at the Mission City Center for Performing Arts.
Emcees Kim Nguyen and Teresa Sanchez described the forty-five minute show produced by the Introduction to Fashion Design and Production class as, “the collective bloom of these students’ passion for fashion.”
Colorful, handmade tissue paper flowers bloomed on the stage floor. As music played, the fashion designers—or their chosen models—strode briskly onto the stage wearing their hot, hip, original fashions and smiles. With about 65 designs to model, they had to hustle on and off the stage in about thirty seconds. The audience dared not glance away lest they miss their favorite designer’s moments of stardom.
The students (and a few scene-stealing youngsters) modeled cotton shorts, PJ bottoms, and pants; a sailor top, zebra-print blouse, and multicolor tunic; thigh-high to floor-length skirts; cotton print sundresses and formal satin dresses; and accessories—scarves, tote bags, backpacks, and a ruffled apron. They wore fashion jewelry provided by Stella &.
Models carried whimsical home decor pillows shaped as frogs, a ladybug, and a heart. For the grand finale, all the designers and models paraded around the auditorium together.
“I’m happy the students have a chance to be stars for the evening and show their creations,” says Cathy Rubin, fashion program coordinator and teacher. “This is their special chance to star. I hope they feel proud. They started out not knowing how to sew before.”
About 25 students are in the introductory fashion design and production program, which is part of Santa Clara Unified School District’s Career Technical Education Program. Rubin developed and introduced the three-year fashion program eight years ago, and it follows state standards, including developing viable business models.
Students design and sew their creations in the classroom, working independently. Those who complete two or more years of the program with a grade of B or better, earn credit at West Valley College.
“The class is a change of pace. It’s very satisfying to make something with your hands,” says Rubin.
Senior Kaylyn Phu is interested in costume design. Senior Kim Nguyen plans to enroll at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s San Francisco campus to study visual communication, qualifying her to set up fashion shows and coordinate displays.
“I’ve learned that this takes patience and a lot of creativity and thinking outside the box,” says senior Cashae Williams, who plans to become a stylist, dressing models and celebrities. Her sister, Tiara Williams, recorded the entire fashion show on her cell phone.
While the fashion design and production program is a career pathway for just a few students, it teaches life skills and creative relaxation for all. And every student with a passion for fashion is a star.

Sorella Swim, Luxury Plus Size Swimwear Line Attends Full Figure Fashion Week In New York June 13-16.

Sorella Swim debuts trendy figure-flattering silhouettes to New Yorkers during Full Figure Fashion Week.

For the first time on a New York runway, Sorella Swim presents the 2012 resort collection to attendees of Full Figure Fashion Week. Sorella Swim is the first luxury swimwear brand developed exclusively for the sexy, sophisticated, curvy woman. Sorella Swim prides itself on using the highest quality fabrics and trims with specific focus on fit and figure flattering details. This key attention to detail combined with superb craftsmanship and design set Sorella Swim apart from all other full-figure swimwear brands. Sorella Swim is not trying to change or alter the curvy woman’s figure; the goal is to flatter her figure so she feels sexy and chic with a brand she can call her own.
“As a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology, it is exciting to see my line on a New York runway. Sorella Swim is the leader in high-quality fashion for curvy women and I am excited for attendees to get an up-close glance at the collection,” said Jessica Petersen, Owner and Designer of Sorella Swim.
Mrs. Petersen partnered with Reah Norman, Executive Fashion Editor of PLUS Model Magazine for the show. Reah is no stranger to Full Figure Fashion Week; in 2010 she was named “Plus Fashion Stylist of the Year.” Ms. Norman will be representing Sorella Swim during the show, styling the models and ensuring Sorella Swim a lasting impression on the plus size community.

Kornit Digital Introduces the Kornit Avalanche DC Pro – An Ultimate Printing Solution for the Fashion Market

Equipped with special discharge ink, the Kornit Avalanche DC Pro enables businesses to expand their offerings and introduce a soft hand feel to the digital textile printing marketplace.

Kornit Digital today introduces the Kornit Avalanche DC Pro solution, which enhances its current offering and chemistry development capabilities. Focusing on the fashion market demand for a great hand feel, this solution offers complete control when using the combination of Oeko-Tex 100 approved discharge and white ink in a print. This unparalleled flexibility is unprecedented in the digital printing industry.
Textile printing businesses seeking to enter the fashion industry can now print on dark garments without a white layer base, which can create a “thick” feel on the design. With the Kornit Avalanche DC Pro’s-two additional print heads, a discharge chemical is applied to remove the dye molecules of the dark garment, providing a smooth base for CMYK and white printing, and creating a great hand-feel for the finished product.
This solution will create a differentiated printing experience, helping businesses to achieve higher revenue and shorter turnaround times by using less white ink layers and by eliminating the need for a costly pre-treatment process.
“We are delighted to meet the fashion market demand for soft hand feel of the finished printed product,” said Sarel Ashkenazi, vice president, marketing and business development at Kornit Digital. The Kornit Avalanche DC Pro with its unique combination of discharge and white ink will enable printing businesses to step into the fashion market and maximize value and customer satisfaction in this highly demanding segment.
Retaining all the advantages of digital garment printing and the other advanced features of the Kornit Avalanche, including its high production rates, low printing and operation costs and the largest print area in the market, the Kornit Avalanche DC Pro is the perfect solution for vendors wanting to utilize digital printing for the high fashion market.
Keep up with Kornit news by visiting the company’s website.
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Fashion News: Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch star at the Geffen.

Matthew Morrison, Dana Delany, Helen Mirren, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna and more stars shared songs and stories at L.A.’s “Backstage at the Geffen” fundraiser Monday. Morrison’s “Glee” co-star Jane Lynch served as host, and the evening’s honorees were Carol Burnett and Jim Gianopulos, co-chairman and chief executive of Fox Filmed Entertainment. The evening reportedly raised more than $1 million for children’s art education.
Sheena Monnin has resigned from the Miss Universe organization and given up her Miss Pennsylvania crown. She contended on Facebook that the results of last week’s Miss USA pageant were rigged. Miss Rhode Island, Olivia Culpo, won the Miss USA crown.
But then word came out that Monnin had told the pageant organization she resigned because of a decision to allow transgender competitors, something Culpo spoke in favor of during the pageant. The discussion stems from 23-year-old Jenna Talackova, a transgendered woman who participated in the Miss Universe Canada competition last month.
Paco Rabanne announced via news release Wednesday morning that Lydia Maurer has been appointed new women’s ready-to-wear artistic director. Maurer joined the fashion house in November 2011 as director of the Paco Rabanne Studio and previously worked for Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy, among others. She will present her first collection in her new role in Paris in October.
David Helpern, co-founder of Joan & David footwear, died May 14 at age 94 in Westwood, Calif. [WWD] (Subscription required.)
A Talbot’s shareholder has filed a lawsuit contending that the deal for the company to be acquired by Sycamore Partners at $369 million is too low a price and that the board should have sought higher offers. [WWD] (Subscription required.)
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology announced via news release that it will open an exhibition of Ivy League Style on Sept. 4, running through Jan. 5. Yes, letter sweaters and class jackets will be on display, along with items from the likes of Brooks Bros., Arrow, Gant, Bass and Tommy Hilfiger, among others.

Think boho and bangles: fashion to rock the summer festivals.

Dust off those Mexican blankets. ’Tis the season for outdoor concerts and music festivals. At Deer Lake Park, for example, there’s Australian singer/songwriter Gotye (think “Somebody That I Used to Know”) on August 31 as well as the Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival on August 11. At Malkin Bowl, there’s Australian indie-rock outfit the Temper Trap on June 19 and NYC experimental-psychedelic hipster band Yeasayer on August 29. And then there’s the heavy-hitting extravaganzas: the folk fest, the jazz fest, and LIVE at Squamish. And that’s just to name a few. So clearly there is no shortage of open-air shows. Ah, but what to wear, what to wear? You want to be comfortable, you want to get into the spirit of the event, and you want to be stylish (natch) all at the same time. There’s a lot to consider. Here, then, are the dos (and some don’ts) of festival fashion:
According to Vancouver stylist Krista Sung, opting for a couple of key boho-chic pieces is a definite do.
“Maxi dresses are really hot this season again—they’re always comfortable and offer a little more coverage, when it gets chilly at night,” says Sung, who recently sat down with the Straight at a local West Side café. “And then maybe top that off with a jean jacket because the dress fabric is usually pretty light and flowy, so it’s nice to put something a little bit heavier and more structured with that.”
And right now, pretty much every clothing store in the Lower Mainland has a sweet selection of festival-ready maxis—from H&M ($24.95 to $59.95 at various locations) to Barefoot Contessa ($89 at 3715 Main Street and 1928 Commercial Drive). But be warned, if you’re going for this free-spirited look, don’t make the mistake so many festivalgoers make.
“At Coachella, it seems like everyone just brings out all their hippie gear.…Like, is that a prerequisite for going to Coachella? I don’t think so,” jokes Sung. “I see pictures of friends on Facebook and it’s like, ‘When did you become a hippie?’ ”
Fellow stylist and jewellery designer Monica Berg, agrees: Keep your love-child pieces to a minimum or run the risk of becoming a festival cliché.
“It seems like everything kind of leads in the same direction—like fringe, feathers, headbands, face-painting, and everything kind of looks like it’s Woodstock,” says Berg in an interview at a local burrito joint. “I get that the atmosphere is anything-kind-of-goes, but it doesn’t have to look like a costume.”

In terms of accessories, some beaded bangles like the turquoise beauties from Barefoot Contessa ($18) or a stack of cheapees from Aldo ($12 to $20, various locations) are always fun, as is a straw fedora from the Gap ($29.95, various locations). However, both stylists say that the must-have festival accoutrement is a big, twisty multipurpose scarf—Sung recommends starting your search at misch boutique (2960 Granville Street) and Gravitypope Tailored Goods (2203 West 4th Avenue). Not only is the right scarf a great way to add a pop of colour to your outfit, but it can be highly functional as well. You can wear it like a wrap to keep the sun off your shoulders, you can lay it out on the grass and sit on it, and, if your concert pit turns into a dust bowl, you can use it as a gas mask.

As for shoes, you may feel stylistically compelled to bust out your prettiest strappy sandals. Don’t. Your shoes will get thrashed and your dogs will start barking long before the headliner hits the stage. Rubber flip-flops are way more practical, and right now Native Shoes (shop.nativeshoes.com/) has some supercute, shock-absorbent babies in just about every colour imaginable ($35 to $40).

When it comes to bags, you might be tempted to stuff a big backpack full of supplies. Resist. You don’t want to be that person who bumps into everyone—so annoying, yet there’s one in every crowd. Instead, Sung recommends going for something more compact, such as (if you’re feeling flush) the Navajo-printed Indian Summer II Lizzie Fortunato bag ($778).

And if you want to take a pass on the whole boho look but still want to ramp up your festival style and have some fun with it, there is another option and it might just be the hottest trend this season: colour blocking. You can’t go wrong with a bright, almost neon, cardigan from Zara (for about $25.90 at various locations), which you can tie around your bag strap and then throw on when the temp drops. Or if you want the best of both worlds (boho and colour blocking), Joe Fresh has a gorgeous eye-popping marigold maxi skirt ($69, various locations). Now that’s a statement piece, and as Sung points out, you may not get another chance to shine so brightly.

“Colour is so popular, it’d be silly not to try to rock it,” says Sung, before adding: “It’s not going to be around for long. I mean, who knows? Maybe next summer, we’ll be back to neutrals.”

Paris Jackson, the daughter of late pop king Michael Jackson, has admitted her struggle to deal with her father’s death, telling her “it never gets easier”.
In a sneak peek of Paris’ upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, the young Jackson talks about her father’s death in 2009 after an overdose of proprofol, as well as her acting debut.
Oprah investigates the struggles of being the child of a superstar, asking, “Did you feel that he wanted you to have a ‘normal’ life?”
Paris is scheduled to appear in the upcoming fantasy film Lundon’s Bridge And The Three Keys, which has caused concern for her guardian/grandmother Katherine Jackson as well as her aunt Janet Jackson, due to her age (14).
“I’m pleased and concerned at the same time because I don’t think that Michael would have wanted her to be out there this soon,” Katherine told Piers Morgan in an interview last month.
“I think there’s a time for everything, and now is not the time [to act in films],” Janet told The Sun. “She’s a very tough, smart girl. But it’s a cut-throat industry. I wouldn’t want my child to do it.”

Bella Fashion Offers New Jaw Clips That Pair Style With Affordability.

New jaw clips and power clips added to Bella Fashion Jewelry’s inventory are unique pieces not seen in other hair accessory stores. Bella Fashion Jewelry stays true to its affordable pricing with its new mini clips and plastic jaw clips.

Bella Fashion Jewelry’s new arrivals of jaw clips update a practical tool into a stylish accessory. Once the standard neutral-toned clip for keeping hair out of the way, Bella Fashion Jewelry updates the popular style into a variety of unique looks. Customers accustomed to shopping for standard jaw clips at drugstores will be pleasantly surprised to find that the new arrivals are nothing they’ve seen in their local hair accessory aisle, yet still offer low pricing.
Bella Fashion Jewelry lives up to its name by providing jaw clips that do more than their task of aiding with hair styling – they provide a unique and fashionable look. Particularly stylish pieces include the newly arrived, jeweled mini clips. Adorned with beads and rhinestones and available in plenty of colors, these small jaw clips make elaborate hair styles possible, and are small enough to use multiple jaw clips in one look. In addition to their updated antique look that sets them apart, they have the practical factor of being able to hold smaller sections of hair, including elegant braids or twists.
One new dainty colorful hair clip is an ideal choice, with a wide variety of colors. It combines a unique look with a practical jaw clip that has a reliable, strong grip. Sparkling crystals in multicolor, pink, and more options are available. Customers do not need to worry about hair slipping out with this dainty clip.
For customers looking for clips to hold thick hair, power clips are also among new additions. These also show that there is no need to choose between function and fashion. With rhinestones that sparkle in the light, the newly added power clips are great for holding thicker sections of hair than the smaller clips accommodate.
Jewel clips are by no means the only new arrivals in Bella Fashion Jewelry’s jaw clip category to offer style. The plastic jaw clips also prioritize a unique look – after all, what says stylish more than a 5 inch flower jaw clip with ribbon and lace? The plastic jaw clips are also low in cost, competitive in pricing with other jaw clips, but more unique in appearance. New arrivals are available in unique shapes, with gold trim, and with glittering fabric flowers for under $2. To offer more savings to their customers, Bella Fashion Jewelry is now offering a coupon code BH10 for an EXTRA 10% off on top of their everyday discounted prices. To get the EXTRA 10% off, simply enter the coupon code of BH10 at checkout.
About Bella Fashion Jewelry, Inc.
Bella Fashion Jewelry is a leading provider of fashion jewelry and fashion accessories to help customers stay up to date with the latest fashion trends. Bella Fashion Jewelry has been in the business of fashion jewelry and accessories for over 21 years, and has been helping thousands of customers worldwide stay up to date with the attest fashions trends. Bella Fashion Jewelry is owned and operated out of Hayward, CA. To learn more about the fashion jewelry and accessories available from Bella Fashion Jewelry, please visit site.

Trump to sue beauty over ‘fixing’ claim.

Donald Trump, head of the Miss Universe Organisation, has vowed a lawsuit against beauty Sheena Monnin after she declared the recent Miss USA contest was rigged.
The spat over the contest, in which women parade before judges in long gowns and bikinis, began when Monnin, the raven-haired Miss Pennsylvania, announced on Facebook that she had discovered the top five were chosen “before the show ever started”.
“I can no longer be affiliated in any way with an organisation I consider to be fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent, and in many ways trashy,” she wrote on Facebook, the New York Daily News reported.
Her posts on the subject were later removed, but dozens of supporters left messages congratulating Monnin on her stand.
Trump insisted the judges are rigourously independent and lashed out at what he called a sore loser, promising Monnin would see a lawsuit before any tiara.
“My impressions were she didn’t have a chance of being in the top 15, not even close,” he told TMZ celebrity news in a telephone interview on Wednesday. “All this is, is a girl who went there, lost and she’s angry at the pageant system.”
“She said some very strong things. When she uses the word fraud, that’s pretty strong, so we’re going to be suing her on that basis,” Trump said.
The Miss Universe Organisation said in a statement that Monnin’s real motivation was anger at the decision to allow transgender women into the contest.
Sunday’s winner of the Miss USA competition was Oliva Culpo, from Rhode Island, who will now represent the United States on the Miss Universe stage.
In an interview with WPRO radio in her home state, she described Monnin’s resignation over alleged fraud as “iffy”, also saying that her former rival had originally stormed out over the transgender controversy.
“Now that she believes it is a fixed pageant. I don’t know, it’s a little iffy to me,” she said.

High fashion comes to Darwin.

It is probably better known for its cane toads and warm nights than catwalks and hot models but fashion has arrived in Darwin.
Hundreds gathered at a city restaurant that has been converted into the home of the first Darwin Fashion Week, which was launched on Thursday evening.
“High fashion is definitely not something that is immediately associated with the word Darwin but I think we can get there,” said Fashion Week director Erin Byrd.
“Part of this is about changing people’s mentalities about it.”
One of the scores to secure a ticket to the event was Christine Power.
“I hope it changes things in Darwin,” she told AAP.
Her friend, who goes by the name of Vogue Magazine, said she just wanted to have some fun.
“I spent hours on this dress,” she added.
Some came to gaze at the work of some of the big names in Australia’s fashion world, while for others it was a rare chance to frock-up and sip champagne.
“What else are you going to get dressed up for in Darwin?” said Katie Lindsey, who also bought a ticket to the event.
“The Darwin Show or the races, that is all I can think of.”
Artistic designer for Kooey Swimwear, Anne Hanning, said she hoped Darwin Fashion Week would become a regular part of Australia’s fashion calendar.
“Fashion and arts is really big now so hopefully it will bring a lot of fashion to Darwin,” she said.
Clea Garrick, a designer with fashion label Limedrop, said she would be showing her winter range as well as the best of her company’s work from the past six years.
She agreed Darwin was not normally thought of as a fashion hub.
“We are excited to turn that view on its head and let people know Darwin is a stylish capital city,” Ms Garrick said.
Darwin’s Lord Mayor, Katrina Fong Lim, said the event showed Darwin had finally come of age.
“It has been a long time coming,” Ms Fong Lim said.

Graduate Fashion Week: Finding new talent for retail.

Graduate Fashion Week has always provided fresh talent for retail businesses. Anna Richardson Taylor explores how retailers can benefit from meeting the graduates.
The impending graduation season should be a busy time for the retail industry. As one of the largest employers of young people in the UK, retail plays a key role in providing career opportunities for graduates. That role could not be more important in the current economic climate. The rate of youth unemployment in the UK is 22.2%.
But the graduate shows and fairs popping up around the country this summer aren’t just about graduates touting their creative talent. Savvy retailers realise they can be the ideal environments for attracting the most innovative students for all areas of the business, and highlighting retail as a career path.
Graduate Fashion Week (GFW), which runs from June 10 to 13 in London, is one event that is ramping up its efforts to attract more retailers. Showing work from more than 1,000 students from 40 universities, alongside workshops, talks and recruitment initiatives, as well as high-profile awards, it boasts illustrious alumni. Those don’t just include celebrated designers, such as Stella McCartney and Julien Macdonald, but some of the top brass in fashion retail, including Selfridges buying director David Walker-Smith.

Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, GFW has a new team at the helm, including Martyn Roberts of Vauxhall Fashion Scout as new director and Rob Templeman, former chief executive of Debenhams, as new chairman. Templeman is keen to attract more retailers over the coming years in order to raise awareness among students about all aspects of the fashion industry.
“We need to make the students realise that there is a lot more to the fashion industry than being a designer,” he says. “Over the years, retail attendance at GFW has been good, but there is a lot more we could do.”
George at Asda is the key sponsor of GFW for the second year, and its brand director Fiona Lambert agrees that students should widen their horizons when it comes to securing a job. One of the core planks of the retailer’s involvement in the event is to showcase that there are “a whole host of careers that you can find with a fashion-related degree”, says Lambert.
GFW gives students a good insight into the commercial side of the industry, believes Sarah Curran, founder of My-Wardrobe.com. “Many [graduate designers] need to understand that the industry is not just about hitting headlines with a collection. Understanding the customer, finding the right price point and securing a slick production team will ensure they can create a brand and build a solid business.”
While raising awareness among students is vital, retailers could also take more advantage of the opportunities available at GFW – apart from the obvious one of spotting new design talent, according to Templeman. “Retailers get access to a lot of talent and a lot of ideas. There is no better place for fashion-conscious youngsters, all in one building, that you can get market research from,” he says. “And in terms of recruitment, you have [access to] the next generation of business leaders.”
Ruth Chapman, founder of Matches Fashions, agrees that the graduate fair is “a great place for us to pick up all sorts of different talent”. “We’re always looking for people who either learnt at design level, or to just see what’s new and how that talented age group is thinking,” she says.

Meeting fresh design talent is of course an integral attraction for retailers.

For example, George has produced collections with some of last year’s students, including knitwear with Rory Longdon, a babywear range with Emma Byford and  girlswear with James Bruce.
But, as Lambert points out, the brand has recruited students for placements across fields as varied as buying, PR, marketing and visual merchandising, with more than 60% returning to work for the retailer.
GFW can also be an ideal platform to convey a retailer’s brand, says Lambert. “Whether internally, within the industry or for our customer, [it is important to convey] that we are a business that believes design is at the heart of what we do and supporting young talent is a key part of our business.”
Equally keen to support – and snap up – emerging talent is Gemma Metheringham, joint managing director and creative director of She attends the event alongside most of the retailer’s designers, to “meet as many graduates as possible”.
The team, four of whom were themselves recruited at GFW, aims to recruit up to four graduates per year, and while generally the internships have been in the design studio, the company has also created roles in PR, marketing or ecommerce, where appropriate.
“We look for a high level of creativity along with a practical approach to the industry,” says Metheringham.
“We like to see an understanding of the importance of balancing creativity with commerciality.”
For Chapman, inspiration is the key focus of a GFW visit and is not all about filling positions. “We go with a very open mind and just look for anything that captures the imagination, or somebody who has a sense of what might work for our business,” she says.
Despite the talent and inspiration on offer, retailers still don’t make the most of events such as GFW, believes Chapman. “I don’t think enough retailers attend,” she says. “But there’s something for everyone. It’s very modern, because it offers such a young talent pool and [the students] have such modern ideas. It’s about harnessing them and keeping an open mind about where they can fit within your business.”
This year, there is more focus on jobs, but Templeman is keen to attract more industry involvement across retail, manufacturing and design.
Subject to funding “next year will be a change year”, he promises.

Like the lycra body suits that were all the rage on the Starship Enterprise, visions of what we will be wearing in the future often verge on the ridiculous.
From wearable music players to LED necklaces to clothes fitted with hidden sensors and wires, it is all a bit wacky, catering for a supposed gap in the market that often doesn’t need filling.
For some the future of fashion lies not in design but in smarter fabrics.
And it doesn’t get much smarter than the approach of fashion designer Suzanne Lee who is literally growing her own clothes.

Fermenting fabrics.
She came up with the idea when researching a book about how fashion would look in 50 years time.
“I had a conversation with a biologist who raised the idea of growing a garment in a laboratory,” she told the BBC.
In her workshop in London, she is doing just that.
Using a recipe of green tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast she is able to ‘grow’ a material which she describes as a kind of “vegetable leather”.
The material takes about two weeks to grow and can then be folded around a mould – she has made a dress from a traditional tailor’s model but handbags and furniture are also possibilities.
Alternatively it can be dried out and cut and sewn in the traditional manner.
Currently the material is biodegradable and after five years, becomes unwearable, hardening and rotting.
“At that point you can compost it down with all your other vegetable peelings,” said Ms Lee.
The fact that the material is cheap to make, cuts out many of the processes associated with making clothes and is eco-friendly, means she has already had interest from several global clothing manufacturers.
“The fashion textile industry is desperately looking to reduce its carbon footprint and look for materials that are more sustainable,” she said.
The next stage of the process will be finding a way to preserve the clothes for longer.
“To get it to where it needs to be involves some cutting-edge science but with the right funding in place it has potential to be a radical alternative to traditional textiles,” she said.

Fashion engineers. While computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) is not a new technology, it has rarely been used in the fashion world before but French fashion designer Julien Fournie wants to change that. Mr Fournie began working in fashion industry under Jean-Paul Gaultier but these days he is more likely to be found hanging out with engineers than with fashionistas. He has teamed up with engineers at Dassault Systemes, a French software company which more usually creates 3D designs for the car and aerospace industries. The engineers set about designing software that could turn Mr Fournier’s sketches into his next collection. “At the beginning I was like a laboratory rat, lots of engineers and geeks around me. But they listened to me, they wanted to find solutions for me. They videoed my habits of working, they wanted to know how I create,” he said. Recently Mr Fournie has been experimenting with making clothes from neoprene, a type of rubber. It is a difficult material to work with and Mr Fournie’s seamstresses suggested that the only way to stitch it would be to use glue. The engineers worked out ways to work with new materials. “To my mind a glued dress wasn’t very sexy,” he said. So he handed the problem over to the engineers. “They found the right pressure for the needle so it didn’t break the material,” he said. The software can also work out how certain fabrics will drape, cutting out the need for expensive experimentation with the real thing. “Before I used to sketch from front, back and side and it was difficult. Now I can sketch straight into 3D. I have a digital library of fabric to test and I can explore new shapes and silhouettes. I am like a child with a new toy,” he said. FashionLab is also working on a “magic mirror”, which could eventually be used in shops or on high streets to allow people to see a virtual image of themselves in different outfits. “A store may have a magic mirror with a personal avatar that can use your exact body measurements to show you how new clothes would look on you,” explained Jerome Bergeret, director of FashionLab. He admits that the project is in its early stages and may be three to five years before it becomes a reality. Fashion may begin on a designer’s drawing board but it ends up on the High Street and here the effects of technology have, to date, been largely negative. Online retailers are nibbling away at the High Street and with shops shutting down, retailers are looking to technology to help keep customers in stores. At the Future Fashion event at the Westfield shopping centre in west London, shoppers recently got a glimpse of how stores may embrace technology in the coming years. Alongside tweet mirrors and Facebook booths, allowing customers to share their purchases on social networks, shoppers were also invited to create their own ‘mood boards’ using huge touch screens. “This kind of technology allows us to give ownership back to shoppers, they can curate their own collections,” said Myf Ryan, Westfield’s head of marketing. But, while she said shoppers and retailers loved the technology on show, she admits that Westfield is making no long-term commitment to such gadgetry. Stores are still working out how they will look in the future, she said. “Technology is irreversibly changing the tradition patterns of shopping.” “The question is how you take the benefits of the digital environment and make a more enjoyable environment for bricks and mortar shoppers”

Olsen twins receive fashion’s big prize.

Depp receives style icon award at CFDA program.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took home the biggest prize at the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America awards.
The former child TV stars were selected as the country’s top womenswear designers for their collection called The Row.
“I’d like to thank you — you,” Mary-Kate, wearing an all-black ensemble, said, turning to her purple-clad twin, as she accepted.
Jessica Chastain, who wore a sparkly white dress by Prabal Gurung, announced the 25-year-olds as winners at Lincoln Center in front of an audience that drew not only from the fashion world but also from Hollywood.
Jessica Pare of “Mad Men” gave Reed Krakoff his trophy as best designer of accessories, and Matt Bomer of “White Collar” gave menswear designer Billy Reid his.
The previously announced style icon award went to Johnny Depp, but he was on the set of “The Lone Ranger” and didn’t attend. He sent an email — and filmmaker friend John Waters — in his place.
Standing in front of a collage of Depp’s outfits over the years, Waters said, “This man can’t look ugly no matter how hard he tries.”
Waters also accepted the international award on behalf of Tokyo-based Rei Kawakubo, who won honors as an international designer for her often creative, balloonlike silhouettes created for the label Comme des Garcons. Waters said he was a fan of her clothes — and she also was a personal friend.
However, he joked, some people might describe her clothes as “disaster at the dry-cleaner,” rattling off the slew of warnings often found on washing labels.
Ceremony host Seth Meyers, who started the night in a suit by Band of Outsiders, took on many targets, from John Galliano to Marc Jacobs. After making fun of Jacobs’ sheer lace “dress” worn over boxer shorts to last month’s fashion gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the industry’s other important red carpet event, Meyers proceeded to put on the get-up later in the show.
Using what he called fashion terminology, Meyers described the outfit as “breezy.”

Barbara Walters To Likely Interview Taylor Armstrong;

Taylor To Talk To FBI? Plus Bravo Confirms

RHOBH Will Premiere Sep. 5

According to a new report, Barbara Walters will likely get the first interview with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong.

Since the tragic suicide of her estranged husband Russell Armstrong, Taylor, 40, has managed to stay out of the spotlight while mourning her loss. A source close to her however indicates she’s being sought out by the media for the first interview.

The source tells RadarOnline that while Taylor is more than willing to sit down and tell-all, she’s only willing to do that when the time is right, and more importantly, she wants to do the interview with someone she can trust.

“Taylor would likely feel the most comfortable with Barbara Walters,” the source says. “Taylor expects to be asked the tough questions, and will answer them… The interview will most likely happen in the next month or so, and not sooner. Taylor needs a bit more time before she is ready to talk about the suicide.”

UsWeekly reported days ago that Taylor’s rep was shopping her first interview around for $100,000. But to my knowledge Barbara Walters doesn’t do paid interviews so it will be interesting to see how this all works out.

Meanwhile, Bravo announced today that the second season of the RHOBH will premiere on Sep. 5 as scheduled. In a statement released to the press, the network states a quick special featuring interviews with some of the BH housewives will air right before the season premiere episode.

“Given that these episodes were filmed months ago, the producers of the show taped a brief interview this week with several of the cast members to introduce the premiere. Re-editing of the episodes is still underway,” Frances Berwick, the President of Bravo said in a statement before adding that the network plans to air several anti-suicide PSAs throughout the show.

The statement continues, “Bravo has partnered with the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) to raise awareness about suicide prevention. The network will air various PSA’s during the The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. We will also provide additional information and resources on Bravotv.com, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Our thoughts continue to be with the Armstrong family during this difficult time.”

And finally, RadarOnline is reporting this morning that Taylor is considering going to the FBI after a business associate of Russell’s, Alan Schram, also committed suicide 24 hours after Russell’s body was discovered.

Taylor is reportedly puzzled and wants to talk to the FBI to determine if there was a criminal motivation for the suicides. TMZ reported days ago that Russell and Alan were both members of an exclusive club called Tiger 21 — a group of investors who critiqued each other’s financial portfolios. The two guys also became friends.

“Taylor is leaning towards turning over some information that might be of interest to the FBI, which could shed some light as to why both men killed themselves,” reveals a source close to Taylor. “Taylor’s instincts are absolutely telling her that something much more was going on with these two men, than anyone knows about.”

The source adds, “Russell was a very secretive person. Taylor was unaware that he had stopped taking his anti-depressant medications in the two weeks prior to his suicide, even though he swore to her he was taking them.”

Taylor is now reportedly sorting through Russell’s things and paperwork, and putting aside items that she thinks are out of the norm to possibly turn them over to the FBI.

Texas women scammed out of $30K by

man she met at online dating site.

Suzie Victor was searching for that special someone.

“I’d been divorced for six years and never really had a date. So I thought, ‘Why not?’” Victor said.

She signed up with an online dating site called SeniorPeopleMeet.com and was contacted by a man who seemed to be her perfect mate. He claimed his name was Anthony Bedell, and sent her a few photos. He appeared to be a dark-haired, Italian-American man.

“I was interested in him, and he seemed to be interested in me,” Victor said.

After a month of emails, instant messaging, and phone calls, Victor fell in love. So when Bedell told her his luggage had been stolen on a business flight to Nigeria, she agreed to help.

“He wanted me to send him, first of all, it was about $10,000. I said, ‘I can’t do that,’ but I told him, ‘I’ll go to the bank and see if I can get a loan.’ I got the loan the same day,” Victor said.

She took out a $6,800 loan and wired the money to Nigeria. It became the first of more than a dozen money transfers.

“He’d been robbed twice. He was going hungry. He caught malaria in June,” Victor said, rattling off some of the man’s excuses.

In all, Victor wired her online love more than $30,000, without ever meeting him in person.

After a few online searches, KVUE Defenders found the man claiming to be Anthony Bedell. He had the same name and same story, but was using a different picture while asking other women across the country for money too.

The KVUE Defenders showed Victor our findings.

“Oh my gosh,” Victor said. “I want him caught.”

She gave her online love one last call, then handed over the phone. Investigative reporter Keli Rabon asked the man claiming to be Bedell what he was using Victor’s money for, but the man hung up.

FBI Special Agent Erik Vasys says dating-site scammers may sound sweet, but their real focus is your pocketbook.

“This is your classic Nigerian scam,” Vasys said. “They’re going to push your buttons one way or another — through your heartstrings, your sympathy, or sometimes greed.”

Vasys says victims rarely get their money back, because catching these con-men isn’t easy.

“The FBI and other law enforcement have a bit of a difficulty tracking down these scammers, because most of them reside in countries where law enforcement and law and order may be lacking,” Vasys said.

Victor was left with a broken heart and a $30,000 loss, but hopes her story keeps others from dating deceit.

“It was going to be different between he and I,” she said. “He’s a fraud.”

A spokesperson for PeopleMedia, which owns SeniorPeopleMeet.com, issued the following statement:

“While these occurrences are rare, it makes them no less traumatic or upsetting when they do occur. OurTime.com’s members’ safety is our highest priority and something we take incredibly seriously. We have a dedicated team of employees who patrol the site for fraud and review each and every member profile and photo as they come in. In addition, safety and fraud protection tips are prominently placed and always accessible throughout the site. We do everything we can to protect our members, and encourage them to take the necessary precautions not just to protect themselves, but to help us fight against future fraud by using these tips and reporting any questionable behavior they observe.”

Bridal Fest helps support two charities.

Brides will have an opportunity to plan details of their weddings while supporting good causes this weekend with the Bridal Fest Wedding Expo.

“Brides can bring their grooms, their families and can make decisions that are important for their weddings,” event coordinator Tammy Duke Paull said. “You can get all your planning done in one day because we all know wedding planning is stressful. We have everything from people starting their planning to those doing things at the last minute.”

The event will include vendors selling services for catering, invitations, wedding attire, a chance to win a four-day, three-night, all-inclusive honeymoon getaway to the Bahamas and more.

It will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Sloan Convention Center. Tickets are $10. Brides can preregister for tickets online at YanikaBrides.com. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Ava’s Lemons of Life.

“We’re there to assist those who don’t have a voice,” Paull said of Ava’s Lemons of Life, which she founded and named for her 16-month-old daughter. “We do various projects.”

Some of the projects include helping teen girls from financially challenged homes get prom dresses, coat drives and Backpacks of Hope, which involves giving backpacks filled with items such as toys, blankets and books to children who are suddenly taken from their homes to go into foster care.

Paull said she wants to encourage people, including her daughter, to help others.

“I hope she grows up with a passion to give back,” she said. “One person can make a difference.”

People from the Glasgow chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which works to improve the quality of life for people with the chronic illness, will have an information booth at the expo.

“It’s a very debilitating disease. It affects the lungs and the digestive system,” said Wendy White, a Glasgow chapter volunteer. “We’re getting awareness out there. We’re very, very excited to have Tammy’s help.”

The chapter will also sell $5 tickets for a chance to win a four-day, three-night, all-inclusive getaway to the Virgin Islands. All proceeds will go to the foundation.

“It’s one of the best foundations to give money to. Ninety percent of the money they give goes to research to find a cure,” White said. “They have a lot of new medicines coming out that are helpful of expanding the life expectancy of CF patients, which is 38 years.”

Here comes the bridal expo.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, named “Best of Weddings in 2012” by The Knot, has announced The Modern Bridal Expo will take place from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Feb. 19 at Sandestin’s Baytowne Conference Center. Brides will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with leading vendors on the Emerald Coast.

With more than one out of four engagements in November and December, the Modern Bridal Expo in February represents perfect timing for planning brides.

“Brides are finally caught up from all the holidays and engagement excitement and we find that February is the perfect time for them to begin planning their dream wedding,” said Barbara Miller, special event manager for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Brides-to-be won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience a day full of designer wedding trend ideas, elite vendors and destination wedding experts all gathered in one location.

In addition, brides will be able to have one-on-one meetings with the area’s leading vendors and experience a fashion forward runway show with the newest designs for bridal gowns and bridal party attire for 2012. Along with the special events planned, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and experience all that the leading resort has to offer for planning couples.

New York Fashion Week Has Finally Killed Someone.

I know people who go to fashion week are always saying things like “my feet are killing me!” and “this job will be the death of me,” but despite what Rachel Zoe would have you believe, nobody has “literally” died there until now. Maybe people will stop saying those things now?

95-year-old socialite Zelda Kaplan, who was by all accounts an incredibly awesome lady, keeled over suddenly while sitting in the front row at the Joanna Mastroianni show yesterday just as the second model was coming out, which is probably exactly how the socially active style maven wanted to go. According to The New York Post, she was carried out by security and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead of natural causes. (The fashion show continued.)

Considering how many back-biting fashion and media types were there with her, I’m a little disappointed death chose Zelda, but we can be consoled by the fact that she made the most of her life. Known as something of a matriarch of the New York club scene, Zelda moved to NYC in the 1960s and never slowed down; she could often be seen out wearing her signature African prints and laughing it up with club kids young enough to be her grandchildren (and perhaps, in a way, they were). In addition to being generally delightful and fun, Zelda did quite a bit of charity work, especially for issues affecting countries in Africa. She also made frequent appearances in the popular blog Advanced Style. Rest in peace, super duper rad old fashion lady. You will be missed.

Some who spent thousands looking

for a match are unhappy with

Tampa Singles dating service.

Matchmaking is big business.  Some professional dating services charge clients thousands of dollars for a select number of dates.

I-Team Investigator Jackie Callaway found dozens of men and women who say they put their trust and money into a local matchmaker but there was no happy ending.

Artist Susie Adams ended a bad relationship last year, and soon after, she stumbled upon Tampa Singles online. “I have a great life I just want someone to share it with,”  said Adams.

Amanda Wilshire also gave her time and money to the agency in hopes of meeting Mr. Right. “I felt like these people were serious and as if they cared about me by spending so much time,” said Wilshire.

Wilshire, a registered nurse, says it was during the initial two-hour consultation she made two non-negotiables clear:  Her matches must be professionals and interested in art.

She showed me an email from Tampa Singles that described her first date as a driver.  “He was a trash collector,” said Wilshire.

After baring her soul and spending nearly $4,000, Amanda expected more than a sanitation engineer but then date number two turned out to be a dud.

Wishire says she sat in the restaurant for an hour and a half, but he never showed. In all, she went out with five men, including one who was still legally married.

The I-Team found 30 people who have complained about Tampa Singles, either through the Better Business Bureau, the Attorney General’s office, or Hillsborough County Consumer Protection over the last five years.

“They generally range from high pressure sales, not providing the services that they were promised verbally and the failure to honor the three-day cancellation provision,” said Kevin Jackson, who is with Hillsborough County Consumer Protection.

Adams described her first visit to Tampa Singles as a two-hour sales pitch.  So we sent in one of our staffers for a consultation. After the meeting, our co-worker described the Tampa Singles employee as persistent but not offensive.

In Susie’s case, second thoughts led her to write a cancellation notice the next day, but Tampa Singles — as outlined in their contract — refunded Susie $2,500 and held on to a $1,500 processing fee, a fee Hillsborough Consumer Protection and the Attorney General’s Office are reviewing in light of Florida’s three-day cancellation law.  The law protects consumers in the form of a full refund who change their minds and cancel on a future service within three days.

Vice President Bill Paye agreed to meet with us at Tampa Singles’ office in Rocky Point where he says 30 employees are working with anywhere from 500 to 1000 clients to set up about 10,000 dates a year.

“We don’t want people mad at us.  We are trying to do business, we are a professional service,” said Paye, who told us his employees are trained matchmakers who combine their expertise and computer technology to bring compatible people together.

Paye says his employees take extensive notes during the initial interview, something our staffer was able to confirm.

Paye, the agency’s co-founder says he personally spent time on Amanda’s case. In the end, the agency offered her a $1,000 refund.

I also asked about the processing fee and the law that protects consumers who cancel within three days.

“The research our attorney has done is within the law.  If not, I will change it,” said Paye.

After our interview, Tampa Singles dropped their processing fee from $1,500 to $500.  Their attorney feels they are complying with the letter of the three-day cancellation law.

Now the Attorney General’s Office says they will review any complaints involving refunds requested in three days.

Stop Calling Kate Upton Fat

(It Makes You Sound Stupid).

We first heard about Kate Upton a little less than a year ago when Victoria’s Secret congratulated itself for employing her as a catalog model in the wake of those disturbing photos of Candice Swanepoel. Back then, we thought that “casting a hot teenager as moral imperative” was pretty silly and said as much.

Soon after the casting announcement, Upton landed a Sobe endorsement and a blogger called her fat. What’s more, some of our commenters actually agreed with this assessment! One commenter went so far as to say, “shes fat, sorry. This is not the normal world, this is fashion. I work in it, I see it every day. For fashion she is fat. Normal shes average.” Average?! We were disturbed. We’re still disturbed because every time Upton’s in the news, that old post gets a few new comments to that affect.

Now, Kate Upton has the Sports Illustrated cover–the undisputed holy grail for swimsuit/lingerie models. Though we’re not fans of the Swimsuit Issue in general, we do see it as a positive change that they gave Upton the cover (and also cast the beautiful Crystal Renn). This should be Upton’s brightest hour… but instead a bunch of people can’t stop cutting her down on account of her weight.

For example, yesterday Victoria’s Secret destroyed whatever modicum of good will we had by insisting they’d “never use” Ms. Upton for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and went on to be breathtakingly nasty about her appearance, saying, “She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blonde hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy.” All in an article about Upton’s success!

Marc By Marc Jacobs: Collection Takes

Inspiration From High School Fashion.

Fashion imitated life this week in a new buzzworthy collection that turned the runway into a high school hallway and models into the cool kids.Iconic designer Marc Jacobs channeled the essence of teen spirit in his Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 collection on Tuesday at New York Fashion Week. Backpacks, a soccer-ball print sweater, stylish sweatshirts, and pleated skirts made for a distinctly young, fresh look.

Some of the pieces that caught fashionistas’ eyes include a line of pleated skirts, drum major hats (who said band geeks weren’t cool?) and lace-up booties. Even his prints gave off the lighthearted youthful energy with bold florals, checkered prints, and polka dots. Never one for anything dull or drab, Jacobs added in a touch of gold to some of these looks to amp up the glam factor.

The looks on the runway were all high school down to the models’ makeup. The common hairstyle was a sleek, classroom-appropriate ponytail, accompanied by equally simple off-white polish on their nails.

Speaking of the young and fashionable, Marc Jacobs draws attention from many young style-minded celebs who were spotted in the front rows of the NYFW shows. Famous fashionistas taking in the runway collections last week included Nina Dobrev, Abigail Breslin, and Zoe Kravitz.

Emma Watson nipple slip on the

BAFTA red carpet.

Awards ceremonies are becoming as well-known for their frequent flesh flashing as they are for the stars themselves and whatever is being awarded, and the pre-BAFTA party seems to be no exception.

Harry Potter star Emma Watson thrilled fans and photographers alike as she appeared to wear a sheer see through dress with no bra. What a silly girl.

The young actress glammed up for the event in a sexy red minidress which certainly made her time on the red carpet well received by flashing paparazzi, as she left little to the imagination.

Watson may have been trying to shed her goody two shoes Harry Potter image for a few years now, but it still came as a bit of a shock to see her right nipple winking through the transparent area of her dress.

Watson also managed to show off one of the 24 lipstick shades in her new collection, which was launched at Selfridge’s in London yesterday.

If
hot women did
not show such large claims, and the men would be brave, gentle spoken by
the sun began to shine them. A large number of single people – men and European
adult women – satisfy their sexual needs
through masturbation. Men can also visit prostitutes or massage parlors
for full relief  free dating . We live in a society dominated by
men, recognizing the right of girls to call, visit massage parlors, but
negatively related to the boys on a call or massage salons for European
adult women. You masturbate to satisfy sexual
desire. But you want to have is a truly exciting intimate
relationships, not just orgasms delivered by a mechanical member or his
own hand. There is nothing wrong in any form of sexual stimulation,
which brings you pleasure. But the passionate and exciting intimate life
requires more than feel. It begins with the divided feelings and mutual
obligations to each other. It requires tenderness and strength, but
most of all openness of soul and body. All these qualities, you will
find a partner who can respect and which can be cared for, and sooner or
later learn to love. It takes time and patience, tact and devotion, and
in addition, a high degree of sexual self-esteem. You are a
Russian brides and you are beautiful. You deserve better. But you will
get better if you expect the best. You need all your good sense to
protect themselves from the man about town, all sorts of deceivers, from
men who suddenly for unknown reasons, fell into a rage. Conduct is
surprisingly simple. Before agreeing on a date, ask him: “Where do you
live? Is where to work?” Where are going to take me? “When bring home?
What is your phone number?” (And do not forget to call him to verify the
numbers. You can ask him any questions like: “What do you want to see
me?”) On the day of your interview please loyal friend where you are
going and with whom, when going back, as well as the model number and
color of your partner. All this may seem paranoid, when an attractive European
adult women invites you to her. Burning
candles, soft music sounds, dizzy. But take a few minutes on the
precautions and you will not regret it. Especially if you have several
times mentioned that you have friends who care about you and know where
you are now.

Some
lucky (or rather, blacksmiths his happiness), is so lucky that, having lived together for twenty years, they did not once manage to do marital
sex. Your self is awareness. You feel the most married hot
woman dating in the world. The main is disadvantages.
Downright is universal boredom. Main is advantages. Reliability. Full
trust the person next to you located. As a rule, it is absolutely safe
sex (and it is in our time, will agree, even the very dignity). Results.
Probably is safe birth of the heir. It is also possible that all this
tired one of you, and he went in search of a different sex. Sex is
hussars. Geographical and spatial position the most likely deal with
this kind of sex you have at home, on your own bed (assuming that you’re
a lonely hot woman dating). Although it may be quite
another place, which considers convenient hussar, with whom you just
met. Partner. This is where you unlikely to be detected as a partner of
her own husband. Partner must always be a hussar, embodying the
lieutenant Rzhevsky, and miraculously turned out in our time. The
motives for which he is dragged you to bed, most likely limited by the
fact that it is trivial womanizer. Characteristics. It wants to tell a
small anecdote: “After a stormy night she spoke about to leave the
Lieutenant Rzhevsky:” Lieutenant, but you also promised to marry me! “To
which the lieutenant replied:” You never know what I promised to anyone
“. So this is the first feature of the Hussar sex – you will tell the
tale of love at first sight, but also quite seriously promise to remove
the moon from the sky. The second feature is the ending of the novel
with the onset of the morning. You are awareness. Flying on the wings of
is love at night and not too sweet (if not painful) fall in the
morning. The main is disadvantages

. For those who do not have experience with the hussars, the fall
usually brings intense distress, as well as the inevitable conclusion
that all the men you know who. Main is advantages. If you have already
had experience in dealing with the hussars, and now you do not have
anything against the fast-moving novel, you can have fun watching all
the tricks of male dragged you in bed. And, incidentally, have fun and
you cannot find them in the end, in this very bed. Results. Extremely is
useful experience. Sex is sly. Only on our Free Russian dating you can
meet the one and good for you! We wait you on our hot women
dating!

6.
At acquaintance with dating euro bride you too want to
like it, begin to crouch, and she refuses to get acquainted. The reason
is for failure – the unnaturalness in your behavior. 7.  When dating
euro bride , a man must be confident and decisive. If you
start is dating

euro bride with suspicious questions and hesitation – it will
cause failure. 8. Sometimes she draws special period flirting and
courtship, and her favorite game – “Dinamo”. Learn to recognize the
girls who are important to bring a man, but they do not go into intimate
contact with, because they are afraid to be abandoned.9. Girl just
wants to flirt, positive emotions, but at a face she does not go down,
because at home waiting for her venerable husband. 10. There are dating
euro bride who are charged by a flirtation, courtship and
admiration of men, but intimate relationships are a constant partner.
However you may be inflamed, you will receive a waiver, because it is
scheduled … The reason for failure – the wrong choice of girls for
dating. 11. Some men drew her unavailable when meeting a girl – there is
certainly a desire to conquer and win. Think, is it worth it. If when
meeting a girl does not retaliatory steps, do not waste time and energy.
Soon to meet is new interesting dating euro bride,
familiarity with which will be successful, and the desire to continue
the dialogue – the mutual.

“Hey, guys! Hurry up! Dive in, everybody!
Marriage market is opened!” Nowadays these words have become a real
slogan. Indeed, what can be better than a girl any man would marry, a
bride, who cooks, knits and washes and never argues…Miracle! – You would
say. No, these are Russian
brides. According to
statistics, more foreign potential husbands choose their future wives
among Russian girls, what can be an incredible slap in the eye of foreign
women of itself. However hard they would not like to admit their failure
the facts are obvious. Russian
brides have a high rating.
Meanwhile, foreign suitors get this so to say “nineteen-pound happiness”
for a penny. Yes, you have heard me right. For a penny!

Almost every Russian hot girls
dreams about marriage with a foreigner. She considers the fact of being
the bride of a well-behaved, educated and respectable FOREIGN person to
be the greatest fortune of her life. The sterner sex does not stand
against this reputation and successfully use it, when asking girls in
marriage on free dating.

Everyone likes the openness of Euro bride, emotion, the intimacy and warmth of character. They like beautiful, well-groomed, watching a well-educated women in the role of wife. Also they like that Russian bride sufficiently intelligent and educated. Almost everyone likes, that Euro bride really want their husbands and not just their money or sex, but initially and a man on his own. There are men who just want a young body and incendiary sex, but what’s in the soul of Euro bride – they are indifferent. If sex suit – get married. Others want only sex, but married and did not think, since. They are married. This category is very common. They come up nice and tearjerker (mostly full of sexual failure of his wife and her inattention and disregard it, such a good husband!) And a couple of trafficked women leave secret from his wife. Someone can not engage in full sex with his wife or permanent partner and trying to “revitalize” themselves through a short affair with a Euro bride. These, quite wealthy and can afford to spend money on a woman. Some people just need a nanny for the children if his wife left him and left children. But someone – a nurse just for himself, to remove, wash, wash dishes, care for his elderly mother or beloved dogs. Someone looks at the young Euro bride as a potential money earner in the future when he will be retired, but his wife will still work and earn money. Euro bride are seen as the solution to all problems: it is a poor country; nothing is sweeter than carrots have not seen, and then all will be happy and perfectly satisfied. It is these and begins to terrorize the Russian brides as soon as possible. By Euro bride should be treated with respect, tenderness, love them and then they will answer each other and you will never regret!

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