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Consultancy firm Great Place to Work works with businesses to help firms create “high-trust, high performance cultures.” The company is noted for its lists of great places to work. And in the two decades it’s been producing these lists, the data shows that the top companies outperform peers in the same business segment.

Here, Chinwe Onyeagoro, president of the firm, discusses the importance of corporate culture and executive leadership as well as how fashion apparel brands and retailers can improve the shopper’s experience by transforming themselves.

WWD: What exactly is a great place to work? Why is it better for business?

Chinwe Onyeagoro: A great place to work is one in which employees, no matter who they are and what they do for the organization, are having a consistently positive experience of trusting their leaders, enjoying the people they work with, and having pride in what they do.

Our 30 years of research and data shows that it’s not about the perks and benefits that you offer as a company – whether your employees stay or go, whether they refer friends and family to join your organization and/or use your products/services, whether they get up every morning “fired up” to go to work and contribute fully is driven by the quality of the relationships that they have with their managers, peers and job.

It should be no surprise that being a great place to work is beneficial for business success. Intuitively, we know that if an employee is not having a great experience, they are less likely to “go the extra mile” to deliver excellent customer service, nor will they be motivated to do their day job and look for ways to improve your products/services. For every company that is not a great place to work, they have dozens, hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of employees who have one foot out the door and/or are contributing minimally to the organization’s success. While those companies that are a great place to work are fully tapping into the human potential of their people and unlocking additional value for the business that enables them to outperform competitors.

Our data and others’ research provide the proof. Great workplaces outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention and stock performance. For the past 20 years that Great Place to Work has been surveying and recognizing great workplaces, our Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For have consistently outperformed the market by a factor of three times, including comparisons to the S&P 500 and Russell 3,000 and 1,000 indices.

WWD: What does your company do to help other companies become great places to work?

C.O.: We do three main things to help companies build a great workplace. First, we analyze their workplace through our Trust Index Employee Survey and Certification program. Not only does quantifying your culture give you key insights on how to improve, but if seven out of 10 employees give you positive ratings, we will certify you as a Great Place to Work. That, in turn, makes you eligible for recognition on one of our many Best Workplace lists published with Fortune magazine, including the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List.

Second, we offer consulting services to help you accelerate your progress toward a great culture and better financial results. We work with organizations in all kinds of industries and of all sizes to help leaders, through the lens of culture, solve business problems. We are helping clients with challenges ranging from mergers and acquisition integrations to digital transformations to innovation initiatives.

Finally, we provide research, analytics and best practices through our annual conference, webinars, benchmarks and other events. We help business leaders to connect and stay abreast of the latest research and insights on the crucial business goals of innovation and financial sustainability through the lens of leadership and culture.

WWD: Why should fashion apparel brands and retailers want to be great places to work?

C.O.: For a couple of reasons. First, because of the importance of the customer experience. Apparel retailers are looking to create a great shopping experience, and that takes employees who are positive, caring, knowledgeable and collaborative. Think of the last time you shopped at Nordstrom. You probably had a great experience, with courteous, helpful salespeople. In fact, for nine of the past 10 years, Nordstrom has ranked first or tied for the top customer-service rating among American department and discount stores. That accomplishment is directly related to their great culture. They have earned a spot in our ranking of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For each of the 20 years we have produced the list.

Second, you need great retail strategy and execution in this fast-changing industry. So you need excellent performance from your folks in the corporate offices and from your store leaders, who are making decisions about new fashion lines, about pricing, about merchandising and marketing. Great cultures inspire and enable these key team members to bring the best of themselves to their work.

In short, great cultures fuel creativity, passion and excellence both in the back office and on the front lines.

WWD: What can fashion apparel brands and retailers do to become a great place to work?

C.O.: The best place to start is at the top. With the chief executive officer recognizing he or she has to build trust, which will lead to better relationships on the executive team. This core value and the leadership behaviors needed to support it cascades down through the organization. A key lever for leaders to pull at fashion retailers and most companies is to improve two-way communication.

Going beyond the all company memos and broad communications and creating opportunities for employees to sit with their people managers and senior leaders to ask questions about the “Why?” and “How?” behind market changes, company vision, and strategic decisions so they can fully understand, no matter who they are and no matter where they sit in the business. Greater transparency, a compelling company vision, and a greater willingness to listen to and respond to employee ideas/input goes a long way to building trust and a better culture.

It’s also a good idea to measure the culture with an employee survey. As Peter Drucker said, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

WWD: Is it possible for any company, any size, any industry or at any stage of business to become a great place to work?

C.O.: Yes. We have seen great cultures at companies with just a handful of employees and those with more than 250,000 employees. In industries ranging from retail to mining, grocery to software, professional services to hospitality. Start-ups, companies in their “adolescence” and organizations that are more than 100 years old can be great. Again, it boils to down to valuing, establishing and sustaining trusting relationships that are leveraged to drive sustainable growth and profitability.

WWD: How will a company know if/when it has become a better place to work? And are they done?

C.O.: You can tell a few ways. On a human level, the “vibe” of the organization gets better as the culture improves. People look forward to coming to work. They are excited thinking about ideas for how to make the product/service even better for customers while in the shower before they even get to work. Difficulties in the business become welcomed challenges and growth opportunities for leaders and employees alike.

There is a pervasive sentiment no matter how great or glum things are in the marketplace that “we’re all in this together” and “we have each other’s backs.” Getting Great Place to Work-Certified shows you’ve reached the threshold of greatness in your culture. Making one or more of our Best Workplaces lists is another sign you’ve arrived. But the best workplaces never want to rest on their laurels. Workplace cultures have to evolve with the times to stay great. So no, they’re never “done.” They just keep raising the bar to keep up with evolving needs of their people and customers.

WWD: What is the impact on your business, your people, and the world of being a great place to work?

C.O.: The impact on your business is not just better results, it’s achieving your full potential as an organization. Reaching heights you may not have imagined possible. That’s related to the impact on your people. With a great culture, employees are inspired to achieve their full potential. Both inside and outside of work. And that ties to the last big impact. With your people thriving, and bringing that positivity home, you make the world a better place. Your employees become better parents, family members, community members, citizens.

In fact, we’ve seen that the Best Workplaces are helping to heal social and political divides that have surfaced in recent years. Employees at the 100 Best have felt increasing levels of solidarity and connection with colleagues over the past two decades. The share of employees at the 100 Best who say “we’re all in this together” has climbed 10 percent, to 87 percent. The number of people who say “people care about each other here” has risen 11 percent, to just over 90 percent. This is at large organizations such as Marriott, Cisco and Whole Foods, which have operations that span the country and, in some cases, the world.Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/mermaid-prom-dresses-uk | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-london-online

If you were waiting for Kanye West to emerge during New York Fashion Week, keep waiting. He was nowhere to be seen at the presentation of Season 5 of his Yeezy Collection on Wednesday, adding to the mystery of what's going on with the musician and designer.

West has been photographed here and there, including Tuesday as he prepared for his show, but he's kept a low profile since late last year. He had a series of onstage rants, followed by the premature cancellation of his Saint Pablo tour, a hospitalization and a very public visit to Trump Tower.

Typically, designers walk out to see the audience after showing their collections. But once models at his New York show made their final walk, West didn't emerge, as he's done at all of his other presentations.

And although it was all set up like a traditional fashion show, with a prestige-ordered seating chart and all, Wednesday's event felt much more like a presentation. The audience sat in a darkened room and watched images of models wearing the collection projected on a two-story cube in the center.

The only time they saw those clothes in person was when the models filed out at the end.

That's where things got murky. Was something else going to happen? But West never stepped out to give the universal signal that the show's over, folks. His wife, Kim Kardashian, remained seated, but she eventually got up to head backstage before pausing to motion for Anna Wintour to join her.

Among West's models: Halima Aden, a Muslim Somali American former beauty contestant who wears a hijab and became the first to compete fully clothed in the swimsuit portion of the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. She's since been signed by IMG.

The Yeezy show was one of his most restrained yet, and official invites didn't come until hours before the event.

This in contrast to his Season 4 show in September, which was quite the spectacle and was live-streamed on Tidal. Shuttles took attendees to a secret location, which turned out to be Roosevelt Island, where some models collapsed under unrelenting heat.

And his Season 3 collection unveiling at last year's Fashion Week, which coincided with the release of his "The Life of Pablo" album, couldn't have been more different from Wednesday's event. Models stood on a giant platform in Madison Square Garden, in a presentation inspired by refugee camp photos. Thousands gathered in the stadium, and in theaters, to watch the much-hyped affair.

Although Kardashian has slowly returned to the public eye and social media after being robbed at gunpoint in Paris last year, West has been more under-the-radar. He was absent at Sunday's Grammy ceremony, where he was nominated in five categories.

His most public moment in recent months came when he met with then-President-elect Donald Trump, who said the pair "discussed life."

The two smiled and hugged for the cameras in the Trump Tower lobby. Later, West fired off a series of tweets explaining that he "wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues."

"I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change," he also tweeted.

West hasn't said much publicly since - but he did delete those Trump tweets just a few weeks ago.Read more at:mermaid prom dresses uk | blue prom dresses uk

Come and take a look at our stunning waterside wedding venue, between 11am – 4pm, with everything you need to coordinate your special day. Pop in for a complimentary cocktail and the chance to view our unique venue at your leisure.

Plus, if you book your wedding on the day, we will give you a complimentary spa day for two! If you can’t make the any of the above date, please do not hesitate to book a private viewing with one of our expert wedding planners.

If you’re hoping for a magical and romantic wedding in a stylish Devon venue, then look no further than Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa!

Recently selected by the Sunday Times as one of the ‘Ultimate 100 British Hotels’ and voted ‘Devon Hotel of the Year’, the hotel is recognised as one of the most desirable waterside hotels in the UK. Just hear what the already happy couples have to say;

’We had THE MOST perfect day at the salcombe harbour hotel for our wedding on 5th November 2016. We introduced all our friends and family to the beautiful hotel which we fell in love with when we visited a few years ago when it first opened. Being neighbours to the Christchurch harbour hotel which we thought was hard to beat, we thought we would try out the newly opened salcombe harbour hotel. Wow, What a special, wonderful place and everyone just loved it just as much as we did and will all be returning with their families. The food was simply wonderful, the staff were attentive and Jess the wedding co ordinator was brilliant, she even arranged the sun to shine for us ! Simply stunning and such fond memories. Can’t wait to return year after year’

‘Salcombe Harbour Hotel was the perfect venue choice for our wedding and the views from the Hotel are absolutely stunning. The staff are amazing and special thanks goes to Jessica, the resident wedding planner, who we could not have done it without - thanks to her, every plan we had made came off far better than imagined and her attention to detail is incredible. In fact, planning our wedding was the easy part, the hard bit was seeing it all come to an end. The food served throughout the day was incredible and our guests kept saying how delicious the food was. We will be forever grateful to Jessica and the team for hosting our wedding and making it so perfect.’Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/high-low-prom-dresses | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-2017

This Monday, guests at the David Lewis Gallery in Chinatown were treated to the surprising debut of a great new fashion line: Section 8, a collection of working-girl basics (pencil skirts, button-downs, leather blazers), as well as a few billowing halter tops, done in fun and unlikely iterations. What was not revealed, exactly, was who made these curious clothes: the design team behind the brand has chosen to remain mostly anonymous for their first season, billing themselves as a collective as opposed to a singular voice. Vogue can confirm a couple of people involved, including the young London designer Ryohei Kawanishi and Hood By Air stylist Akeem Smith, who said over the phone this afternoon that the decision to remain a mystery was a pointed and political one. “We just lived through an era in which getting too much attention made someone the actual president,” Smith says. “And so, we’re like, 'we don’t want attention.'”

What is making people talk, though, is the choice to have the models, cast by the downtown agency Midland, walk the runway with actual fish in their mouth, purchased at an aquarium on Delancey Street on the Lower East Side. “They’re koi fish,” says Smith. “We were thinking about the idiom ‘a fish out of water’—about when you’re in new territory, new surroundings. About how everyone is starting this new career path and fashion label together.” Smith says the clothes were inspired by, of all things, what they imagined an intern working on the Trump campaign might wear—a wardrobe (a suit jacket as a dress, for instance) for the new conservative era dawning in America. But he also says he was influenced by the lowbrow fashions that he finds way more interesting than much of what exists in high-end boutiques and on runways. The team turned a Fubu sweater, for example, into a beautiful skirt. “Taking things that people think are funny and cheap and making them serious,” is how Smith explains the mission. Whatever the inspiration, all of fashion wants to know more—and it looks like they’ll get the chance, as Smith can confirm that Section 8 will definitely be having a second season.Read more at:girls prom dresses | prom dresses uk

First comes love, then comes paying for the wedding.

Weddings cost an average of $35,329 nationally — excluding the honeymoon — according to The Knot’s 2016 Real Weddings Study. That’s the highest reported average cost since the survey began in 2006.

But you’re not obligated to spend that much, and many couples don’t. We asked experts how you can set a reasonable budget and cut costs on some of the most expensive elements of your upcoming nuptials.

The budget

1. BE REALISTIC

Don’t start your marriage in debt, says Anne Chertoff, a trend expert for WeddingWire. “Most couples don’t anticipate how much a wedding is actually going to cost, so they end up underestimating what they’re going to spend and then going over their budget,” she says. Set realistic spending limits from the beginning that account for all areas of your wedding. If you overspend in one area, cut back in another.

2. USE A CREDIT CARD — RESPONSIBLY

It can be smart to use a credit card for wedding-related purchases — as long as you’re not taking on more debt than you can afford to pay off. Chertoff recommends using accumulated points toward your honeymoon, particularly if you have a card with travel rewards.

The date

3. CONSIDER A WINTER WEDDING

Not all wedding dates are created equal. Find out which are most popular on WeddingWire’s wedding date calendar. If there’s more demand for a given date, you’ll usually pay a higher price for a venue. You could score a discount for choosing a less popular month, such as January or February, Chertoff says.

4. BOOK A SUNDAY

Saturday is a popular day for weddings, but it’s also generally the most expensive day to get married. You can likely reserve your venue at a lower price if you hold your wedding on a Sunday, or even a weeknight.

The guests

5. PUT A TWIST ON ‘PLUS ONE’ ETIQUETTE

Instead of giving all guests older than 18 a “plus one,” limit them to couples you socialize with regularly, says Sharon Naylor, author of dozens of wedding books, including “1,001 Ways to Save Money … and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding.” To avoid awkward questions, explain how you’re determining the guest list.

6. MIX UP YOUR INVITATIONS

You’ll probably want to mail out traditional invitations, says Stephanie Cain, an editor at The Knot. But you can post wedding weekend itineraries on your wedding website and email save-the-date alerts. That’ll save you the cost of printing and postage.

The dress

7. CHECK OUT A PROM SHOP

Brides aren’t finding dresses at just the bridal shop these days, Naylor says. You can pick up a white dress in the prom or party dress section of any department store. The popularity of colored dresses makes formal gowns a nice substitute, too.

The national average spent on a wedding dress was $1,564 in 2016, according to the The Knot’s latest Real Weddings study. A simple Google search for white prom dresses pulls up options that cost a fraction of that.

8. BUDGET FOR YOUR ACCESSORIES

There’s more to your dress budget than the dress. Cain suggests taking extras such as tailoring fees, shoes, jewelry and a clutch into account when setting a spending limit. To save on your veil, Chertoff recommends making it your “something borrowed” and wearing a family member’s.

The venue

9. NEGOTIATE

Lots of unexpected expenses can pop up during planning, including cake-cutting and corkage fees or power for your DJ and photo booth. Naylor says you don’t have to take them as they are. If a cost seems unreasonable, respectfully request to have it removed.

10. USE THE VENUE’S RESOURCES

Some venues provide tables and linens, Cain says. If you opt for a backyard wedding, you’ll have to rent items like these. Always read a venue’s contract in its entirety before signing so you know what is and isn’t included.

And keep an eye out for requirements. You might not want to be obligated to use the venue’s caterer, for instance.

The decor

11. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENDORS

Naylor says some floral designers have warehouses with excess inventory they’re willing to give away or lend out for free. Once you’ve placed an order, ask about expanding your options.

12. BORROW FROM OTHER NEWLYWEDS

Ask friends who have recently gotten married if you can borrow centerpieces or other items that they have left over.

13. SCOUT OUT DECORATIONS AT CRAFT STORES

Look for wedding decorations — especially light-up decor — in places like craft stores. They have “more than glue guns and glitter,” Naylor says.

The flowers

14. STICK TO IN-SEASON BLOOMS

You might have your heart set on pink flowers to accent your bridesmaids’ bouquets, but consider settling for a different shade or variety. Local blooms that are in season at the time of your wedding are generally less expensive. Also, “local flowers tend to look fresher because they didn’t have to travel for days,” Cain says.

15. GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FLOWERS

A larger flower, such as a hydrangea, naturally looks fuller and takes up more space with fewer stems, Cain says. And you can repurpose ceremony flowers for the reception, instead of buying more. For instance, use a ceremony arch to adorn your sweetheart table at the reception.

The menu

16. GO FOR A SHORTER CAKE

The more tiers on your cake, the more it’ll cost you. Cain suggests sticking to two tiers and having sheet cakes to serve. The cake you cut for your pictures doesn’t have to feed all of your guests.

17. CUT DOWN ON DRINK SIZES

Arrange for the bartender to serve your signature drinks in smaller glasses. “Most people will go and try the signature drink, take a sip, put it down and go back to their regular drink,” Naylor says. Minimize the cost of your bar tab by opting for shooters.

The rest

18. CHOOSE A CHARITABLE FAVOR

Don’t want to buy a favor for each wedding guest? Make a charitable donation on behalf of all your guests, Chertoff says. That way, you can set the amount you’re comfortable spending, donate to a cause you care about and write off the contribution on your taxes.

19. LIMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER’S HOURS

Save money by shaving off some of the time your photographer and videographer are present, Naylor and Cain suggest. You’ll likely want them there for the ceremony, but you might not need footage of the end-of-reception dancing.

Bottom line, these experts suggest keeping a close eye on your wedding spending. “Anybody — whether they have a $10,000 budget or a $500,000 budget — is still working on a budget,” Cain says.

Devote the biggest parts of your budget to the areas that are most important to you and be willing to compromise on the rest.Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/mermaid-prom-dresses-uk

Alexa Chung and a handful of runway models have joined to file suit against luxury re-sale site, The RealReal. According to the lawsuit, which was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a federal court in New York, Chung – along with models Anastasia Kolganova, Astrid Baarsma, Leona "Binx" Walton, Briley Jones, Crista Cober, Daniela Witt, Georgia Hilmer, Grace Hartzel, Hedvig Palm, Julie Flemming, and Lineisy Montero, among others (the “Plaintiffs”), all of whom are presented by Next Models – allege that The RealReal has used their images and likenesses without the authorization to do so.

According to the complaint, “Each of the Plaintiffs is well-known as a model throughout the United States and in other countries throughout the world [and] each of Plaintiffs have earned considerable sums in exchange for the use of their name, image, portrait or likeness in connection with the sale or promotion of products or services which Plaintiffs elected to associate themselves with on terms and conditions agreeable to them.”

As such they claim that San Francisco-based The RealReal – by way of the array of street style photos that it uses on its site and in its email marketing campaigns – is “trading on their image and likeness to market and promote the use of [The RealReal’s] services to sell products through [its] marketplace.”

The Plaintiffs allege that “their agent’s general counsel, Mr. Alan Kannof, Esq., issued and delivered a letter to [The RealReal], dated April 10, 2016 … notifying it of the unauthorized uses of the Plaintiffs’ images, and demanded that [it] cease and desist all such uses, and refrain from any and all future uses of Plaintiffs’ images.” They claim that even after sending that letter and a subsequent cease and desist, The RealReal continued to use some of the Plaintiffs’ images and likenesses in their email marketing.

The complaint continues on to note, “Each of Plaintiffs’ livelihood is based upon their respective image, persona, face and physical attributes and how such images may serve to promote or advertise the sale of products or services.” In case that’s night enough, the Plaintiffs claim that The RealReal “altered, mutilated and radically changed such public images of the Plaintiffs in a cynical effort to avoid liability under state and federal law, and with full knowledge that it had not sought or obtained permission from any of the Plaintiffs, or their authorized agent, to mutilate such images.”

Moreover, they assert that despite The RealReal being a “sophisticated licensor and licensee of intellectual property,” the company did not “seek the permission or consent from any of the Plaintiffs, nor their authorized agent, to alter any of the Plaintiffs’ images and likenesses.” Instead, the e-commerce site used the imagery without authorization and has “commercially benefited from its uses of the Plaintiffs’ names, images, and/or likenesses.”

While it appeared as though the parties might be able to resolve the matter prior to the Plaintiffs filing suit, but according to the suit, The RealReal “has failed to participate in meaningful settlement discussions, despite the Plaintiffs’ counsel’s requests.”

As such, the Plaintiffs have filed suit against The RealReal citing claims of violations of New York State Right of Publicity Law, and false designation of origin under §43(a) of the Lanham Act. They are seeking compensatory and exemplary damages, injunctive relief, interest, disbursements and costs.Read more at:mermaid prom dresses uk | cheap prom dresses 2017

More than five months in, it’s easy to think of awards season as being one long schlep to Oscars night— you know, the movie world’s equivalent of Reese Witherspoon’s long but triumphant journey in Wild. The trouble with such thinking is that it both diminishes all the other awards along the way—they become mere “predictors” of the Academy Awards—and it overlooks what makes each awards show distinctive.

​Take this evening’s BAFTA Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House (which, so far anyway, isn’t called the Kodak Royal Opera House or the Office Depot Royal Opera House). Beginning with the opening drolleries by host Stephen Fry (who pointedly kissed Meryl Streep by way of tweaking Donald Trump), its salient quality is captured by that initial “B.” These are British awards, and though Britain and America have a special relationship in movies and TV as well as politics—Englishmen have won three of the last six Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscars—what makes the ceremony interesting is the way it sometimes embodies a different culture’s point of view and taste.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. This sounds absolutely, irredeemably wrong. After all, La La Land won Best Film, Damien Chazelle won Best Director, and Leading Actress went to Emma Stone, all of which is likely to be repeated in Hollywood in two weeks—as is the Best Supporting Actress statuette likely going to Viola Davis. Still, what was interesting about the show was the way it was different.

1. ​The BAFTAs still feel a bit old-fashioned.

It wasn’t so long ago that many big stars wouldn’t bother to turn up at the BAFTAs. But in these days of endless red carpets unfurling toward an infinity of awards ceremonies, this is now part of the circuit. However, in a nice touch, the BBC’s coverage of the red carpet still had a bit of innocent charm. Yes, the presenters sounded starstruck, just like they do here. And yes, they were attuned to fashion, telling us that Naomie Harris had turned up in Gucci and that Felicity Jones, now known worldwide from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, would be sitting in the front row at London Fashion Week shows. Yet, the hosts hadn’t completely fallen into the commentary of their American counterparts. When Amy Adams turned up, they didn’t just speculate on her chances of winning a BAFTA, but incredibly, they actually began discussing the meaning of the movie Arrival. (E! would’ve cut to a commercial so fast.)

2. Dev Patel won Best Supporting Actor for Lion.

This shouldn’t have come as a surprise, and it isn’t simply a matter of British voters choosing a homey (he’s from London) although I’m sure they were delighted to do so. In addition to everything else, Patel is a very nice young man. It perhaps reveals something important about how Moonlight plays with foreign audiences. Although Mahershala Ali has won many of the big American awards, he lost to Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the Golden Globes, which are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and now he’s lost in London. I guess you have to be American to fully grasp just how Ali’s performance takes one of our most hideous pop culture clichés—the African-American drug dealer—and gives it a whole new resonance and spin.

3. Nocturnal Animals was up for nine awards.

​If you want to see a clear difference in cultural tastes, you only need to consider that Tom Ford’s movie was nominated nine times for tonight yet got only a single nomination from the Academy. Why? Put simply, Americans typically like their movies warm, whereas the British have always had a fondness for chilly stylishness, which Nocturnal Animals delivers in spades. It appears to have been filmed on dry ice.

4. Is it time for BAFTAsSoWhite?

​Now, to be fair, Patel did win Best Supporting Actor, Davis won Best Supporting Actress, and Ava DuVernay’s 13th was named Best Documentary. Still, it’s weird to listen to the list of nominated Best Directors and not hear the name of Barry Jenkins from Moonlight (one of the Best Film nominees) or hear Denzel Washington for Fences. Especially when you realize that Washington—probably the greatest screen actor of his generation—has never been nominated for a BAFTA even once. Draw your own conclusions.

5. The BAFTAs give special awards for British films.

​American culture thinks it’s the center of the movie world. Not so in Britain, which makes a point of giving national awards if only to make sure that Hollywood doesn’t steamroll the whole evening and that somebody British winssomething. In truth, this year’s choices weren’t bad. The Palme d’Or winner, I, Daniel Blake was named Outstanding British Film, and it’s easy to see why: It tells the powerful story about how the gutting of the British welfare state is destroying lives. The Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer went to Babak Anvari, for his fine horror film, Under the Shadow. And the EE Rising Star award went to the newest Spider-Man, Tom Holland, although I personally would have given it to Ruth Negga, who had a much better and more versatile year (Loving, Preacher).

6. Casey Affleck beat British actors at their own game.

​While the Brits adore La La Land—it’s the kind of movie they don’t make in the U.K.—they feel at home with Manchester by the Sea. Kenneth Lonergan’s film is a well-turned version of the glum, literate, working-class drama that has been a British specialty since the days of kitchen sink realism. While this means that they won’t be thrilled enough to give it Best Film, they appreciate the skill in Affleck’s understated, almost strangled performance, which has a cinematic richness missing from that of, say, Dave Johns’s turn in I, Daniel Blake. Both play working-class guys in distress, but Affleck is the performance you’ll remember.

7. La La Land keeps rolling.

​Now that it’s won best picture from the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs and the Producers Guild Awards…the one remaining question does concern the Oscars. Can anything stop it at the Oscars? Certainly nothing that happened tonight at the BAFTAs makes one think so. But here’s a thought: All along, people have been suggesting that the great threat to Chazelle’s musical would come fromMoonlight, yet talking around Hollywood, you get the sense that maybe the real sleeper in this race is Hidden Figures, which was barely mentioned at the BAFTAs. Why? Well, like La La Land, it’s a movie that Hollywood people genuinely like, and like La La Land, it’s been a surprise box-office hit. But unlikeLa La Land, it has a political thrust that perhaps appeals to the industry in the early days of the Trump administration. I’m still betting on La La Land, which is a much better made film, but if Hidden Figures does take Best Picture, remember that you read it here first.Read more at:prom dress shops in london | www.queenieprom.co.uk

Luka Sabbat — model, stylist and all-around cool kid — buzzed frantically around the gallery at Milk on Wednesday night for the VIP opening of his first exhibition “Hot Mess,” a collaboration with budding photographer Noah Dillon.

“It’s my first show with Noah,” said Sabbat, as his father Clark — a Haitian-American fashion designer, consultant and the 19-year-old’s manager — stood nearby, both of them wearing suits. “It’s lit.”

Sabbat and Dillon’s friendship reads like a Millennial fairy-tale: Sabbat discovered Dillon’s photography and sent him a direct message on Twitter to connect. Dillon — who had a job at a grocery store at the time — flew from his hometown of Durango, Colo., to meet Sabbat in Los Angeles, where the two teamed on a photography project together. That was two years ago and they’ve been friends and collaborators ever since.

Their first creative endeavor, “Hot Mess” — a sprawling multimedia installation with an interactive virtual reality segment — features photographs taken by Dillon over the course of a year-and-a-half across New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Durango, alongside poems by Dillon’s friend, Curtis Eggleston.

The images, styled and creative-directed by Sabbat, capture moments of youthful exuberance, from the debaucherous to the mundane. In one, a young, blue-haired girl holds a rosary as a cigarette dangles from her mouth. In another, a model in cowboy boots lounges nonchalantly inside of a red car with scissor doors.

In casting the project, they weren’t interested in snagging top models or “It” girls. “We would just find the weirdest models we could on Instagram; literally girls that we can’t even find online anymore,” Dillon said. “They were that low-key.”

Virgil Abloh liked the duo’s work so much that he tapped them to conceive a photography book for his label Off-White called “Woman,” which was also on display at the exhibition. The designer and rumored Givenchy contender has been something of a mentor to Sabbat. “He’s the guy. Who else would give me the platform to actually release a book and work on shows?” Sabbat said. “It’s just a blessing. [Virgil] has believed in me since the start — before followers, before any of that.…He just knew I was next. So I f–k with him hard because he never switched up; he was always consistent, getting me work, flying me to Paris while he’s working on shows, being able to see all of that and allowing me to have creative input…and then, eventually, giving me this platform to create. It’s insane.”

Dillon, for his part, seemed surprised by how quickly it all came together. “I’ve been working really hard for five years to get to this level.…This doesn’t happen to normal people,” he said. “Hopefully, I won’t be living in Durango much longer. I mean, it’s crazy beautiful there…but we’ll see what happens.”

As an accompaniment to “Hot Mess,” Sabbat also previewed a small capsule collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts that will be available for pre-order. But he downplayed it, likening it to “merch” and insisting that it wasn’t a fashion collection. “Man, it was just a vibe,” he said. “[The clothes] make sense with all the photos we took.…Everything I designed is nice, but it’s not ‘fashion.’ Nothing was fashion. It wasn’t editorial style. It was more about the story.”

Sabbat’s Ts and sweatshirts featured the words “Hot Mess” — the duo hopes to eventually turn Hot Mess into a creative agency — and other quotations, including one that read “From a place you cannot see comes a sound you cannot hear.” They were shown on two rolling racks alongside casual pieces from other brands, such as Levi’s jeans and an Alpha Industries bomber.Read more at:2017 prom dresses | long dresses for prom

Themed “Celebrations of Culture,” for the first time in six years the annual event integrated fashion and tourism as the drive for the creative economy.

As the flagship event of the Indonesian Fashion Designer and Fashion Entrepreneur’s Association (APPMI), it showcased not only the members’ creativity in the exposure of traditional fabrics but empowered local artisans as well.

“Our focus is on traditional woven fabric this year,” said designer Ivan Gunawan, the creative director of the event held at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, from Feb 1 to 5. “We are setting a trend that is inspired from the eastern part of Indonesia.”

On the second day of the event, local bag producer Warnatasku, which combined leather with traditional fabric, sponsored a show titled “Pesona Mutiara Maumere” (The Enchanting Pearl of Maumere). Six designers — Irwansyah Mecs, Kunce Manduapessy, Verlita Evelyn, Dana Duryatna, Nita Seno Adji and Yoyo Prasetyo — presented their creations using the Maumere woven cloth of Papua as the main material and inspiration.

North Sumatra’s woven cloth, ulos, was the highlight of “Tenoen Etnik” (Ethnic Woven Cloth), a show sponsored by the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf ) for six designers: Ida Royani, Jenahara, Torang Sitorus, Jeny Tjahyawati, Anne Rufaidah and Nieta Handayani.

Designers Henny Hananto and Lenny Agustin showed their creations using the woven cloth of Kediri in East Java, while the team behind Muslim wear label Si.Se.Sa, designers Lia Qonita Gholib, Yuyuk Nurmaisyah, Ade Listyani, Savitri, Iva Lativah, Erin Ugaru, Rya Baraba and Lia Soraya showed their ability to create luxurious looks out of batik. Muslim wear label Shafira took the inspiration for its Bungo Nagari collection from the varied embroidery techniques of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.

The ready-to-wear collection showcased the delicate sulam bayang (shadow embroidery) and sulam suji, which can be recognized from the color gradation of motifs influenced by Chinese embroidery.

In collaboration with the Kudus city administration, designers Ivan Gunawan, Rudy Chandra, Ariy Arka and Defrico Audy lent their hands in developing the traditional embroidery kerancang gunting craft by modifying the motifs and the techniques.

Ariy Arka designed unique landscape motifs with red-crested rooster as its centerpiece. His male fashion design that took the runway titled “Muria Savannah” — the tourist destination of Kudus — led him to win the Best Designer award at the closing day of IFW.

Lively shows came from artists that had ventured into the fashion business over the past few years. Actor and TV personality Raffi Ahmad presented his denim label RA Jeans, bringing topless male models, Parkour practitioners and body builders to the runway. Meanwhile, radio announcer and actress Asri Welas brought the hip-hop street scene, comedians, actors and rappers to present her 1980s style of batik wear.

The closing show, sponsored by Mandiri Art — a program from the state bank to develop the creative industry — showcased the latest collection of Indonesian top designers and guest designers from India and Malaysia.

Poppy Dharsono, Musa Wdyatmodjo and Malaysian Rezza Shah designed menswear, while the remaining eight designers added more interesting selections to women’s wear.

Itang Yunasz came up with simple and minimalist silhouette designed for modest wear but also fit for non-hijab fashion, while Ayu Dyah Andari created Muslim wear embellished with embroidery. Indian designers Mrinalini and Gaurav Jai Gupta came up with their ideas of sustainable fashion, developing light and airy fabric into sophisticated wear, while Malaysian Jovian Mandagie brought the allwhite bridal look of his latest collection.

APPMI co-founder Poppy Dharsono, who chaired Indonesia Fashion Week, told the closing ceremony attended by government officials and foreign ambassadors that the five-day event had seen 121,000 visitors and booked Rp 82.4 billion (US$6.18 million) in transactions at over 250 exhibitor booths.

“The success of the event shows that cultures and the fashion industry are inseparable, just like two sides of a coin. We at APPMI believe that the Indonesia fashion industry can reach the international market as long as we develop our own cultures,” she said.Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/high-low-prom-dresses | cheap long prom dresses

What makes something beautiful?

It must have something to do with pleasure, right? Visual pleasure. Just as a symphony can exalt and entrance us, so can a portrait or a sunset. When we say something is beautiful, we’re saying that it is visually pleasant: that it brings us an almost inexplicable, overwhelming feeling of delight and joy.

What makes someone beautiful?

If I say being pleasant to look at again, people get uncomfortable. Because that implies that people who are not pleasant to look at are not beautiful, and it’s pretty taboo to say that there are people out there who aren’t beautiful. There are obviously reasons for this discomfort. Beauty is a really touchy subject in our current culture: people have physically harmed themselves in order to attempt to attain it. At some point, somebody realized this beauty obsession was a problem, and attempted to fix it by making sure no one felt like they weren’t beautiful. “EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL” was shouted from the rooftops, and it was empowering and exciting and it totally fixed the unhealthy culture we have surrounding beauty.

But did it? I remember being a thirteen-year-old girl with a constantly bloated stomach, dark circles around my eyes, and spotty red skin, thinking “Everyone is beautiful? Am I beautiful? Is this beauty?”

Because if beauty is being pleasant to look at, then no. I was not beautiful. Not everyone is beautiful. It’s painful; it’s hard to hear; and it’s probably kind of rude, so I apologize. But it’s true. Not everyone is beautiful.

I’m not writing this article to make everyone feel terrible about their appearances, I promise. The reason that this particular truth hurts so much (aside from the fact that it bruises the ego a bit) is that we value physical beauty so highly. Everyone needs to be beautiful, because if you’re not beautiful, you’re not worth anything in this society. And that is the problem we need to fix. We don’t need everyone to be beautiful. We just need everyone to be valued.

Telling people that they’re beautiful when they simply aren’t is ineffective and silly. If you aren’t beautiful, you aren’t beautiful, and that’s okay. Being visually pleasing is not the only (or even the most important) way to bring about others’ happiness and delight. Valuing yourself for who you are exactly as you are is so much easier than trying to convince yourself that you’re something you’re not.

There is no simple mantra that we can say to make the problem our society has with beauty go away. Claiming that everyone is beautiful was a well-intentioned idea, but it’s not going to fix the larger problem at hand: beauty and self-worth are tied so closely together it seems impossible to cut them apart. We need to realize that beauty should not define a person’s worth. Only then will we begin to tackle the deep-seated problem we have with beauty in this society.Read more at:prom dress shops in manchester | long dresses for prom

Princess Diana died in a tragic accident 20 years ago, but her legacy and charm still continue to enchant the world. From her abundant tales of kindness to her style statement, she still remains popular.

Though these days it’s her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, stealing the limelight among the royals for her sartorial choices, Princess Diana will always remain the evergreen royal icon for the fashion world. So much so that 20 years after her demise, the late royalty will feature on a magazine cover that has everyone intriqgued.

Yes, a breathtaking portrait of the royal beauty will appear on the covers of a special edition of Harper’s Bazaar, UK.

Along with the Kensington Palace, the magazine will celebrate the timeless elegance of the late Princess of Wales. “Our limited-edition cover, featuring a portrait of Diana by the legendary photographer Patrick Demarchelier, will be available to buy at the Palace’s forthcoming exhibition, ‘Diana: A Fashion Story’,” the magazine informed.

The rare photo was first published in the Harper’s Bazaar in December 1995 on the occasion of her visit to the United States. The princess was honoured with an award for her outstanding philanthropic work for children. “Demarchelier has kindly granted us permission to republish the photograph for a collectors’-edition cover of our March issue, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death,” the magazine added.

Also, later in February, the Kensington Palace will host an exhibition that will showcase the Princess Diana’s extraordinary wardrobe collection, “charting her style evolution from the demure looks of her early public appearances to the more glamorous outfits she wore in her later life,” the magazine said.Read more at:cheap long prom dresses

Car parts alongside clothing racks with high-low dresses and fringe jackets is the new normal at Kyle Busch Motorsports since Samantha Busch launched her online clothing retailer Murph Boutique on Jan. 26.

With the addition of a wall, built by her father, and hot pink couch, a mezzanine at the KBM headquarters north of Charlotte, North Carolina, quickly went from stark to stylish. Busch can host photo shoots and pop-up shops in the space — just add Champagne and cake pops.

“The women who work for us, too, kind of love it,” says Busch, wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. There’s one full-time Murph Boutique employee, and then a few KBM employees who help out part time.

Though Samantha and Kyle Busch are based in North Carolina now, Kyle and his brother Kurt grew up in Las Vegas and pass through every year for NASCAR’s West Coast swing, a trio of races in Arizona, Las Vegas and California.

Samantha Busch considered opening a store for years, but the timing was never right. She and her husband struggled with infertility and underwent in vitro fertilization, a process she’s been open about on her blog, samanthabusch.com. Now that their son, Brexton, is a little older (he’s 20 months), she felt she could tackle the longtime goal.

“It just seems like a really natural fit,” says the Buschs’ executive assistant, Amy Cavitch. She helped bring Murph Boutique to fruition, from shopping for merchandise with Busch in L.A. in December to designing the logo and responding to customer emails. “Everybody has really rallied behind it.”

The boutique sells casual and athletic wear in addition to showier pieces that reflect Busch’s personal style. Notably, the clothing is relatively inexpensive — many dresses cost between $25 and $50 — and ranges in size from small to 3XL. Affordability and plus-size options were two of the main requests she got from fans, both at the racetrack and on social media, where she has amassed 84,300 followers on Instagram and 206,000 on Twitter.

It was important to ensure “that nobody felt turned away,” she says.

Before the red carpets and blog posts, Busch’s late grandmother instilled in her an adventurous sense of style. Busch remembers a dress with 3-D butterflies on it and closets upon closets of clothing and shoes that Busch would try on, several pieces at a time. The boutique is actually named after this influential woman — Murph was her grandmother’s nickname.

“I was her only granddaughter, and she was super girly like I am,” Busch says.

Busch can’t pigeonhole her style, though. She wanted to walk that same line with the boutique: offering clothes many women are comfortable in as well as flashier options to inspire customers to try something new.

“Every day is something different and I think that was something I was taught by my grandma,” Busch says. “She always had taught me about fashion and kind of pushed the envelope.”Read more at:cheap long prom dresses

A GRADUATE of University Centre Colchester has been crowned the winner of BBC2’s The Great Interior Design Challenge.

The series pitted amateur designers against each other to find the most promising talent in home design.

The final saw Daniela Tasca-York, 31, win the final task in the competition.

Daniela graduated with a First class honours degree in BA Fashion and Textiles from UCC, part of Colchester Institute.

The mother-of-two said: “I’m so grateful, I’ve really worked hard and I feel like it’s finally paid off, so I’m so happy.”

Daniela completed three rooms, each in converted apartments, in an 18th century mock castle in Broadstairs, Kent.

She went up against Oliver Thomas, 49, in the challenge which included a kitchen redesign for the first time in the programme’s four series history.

Finalists had 72 hours and a £4,000 budget to finish the work, with Daniela’s including a kitchen with mirrored cupboard doors.

Judge, presenter and interior designer Kelly Hoppen said: “Every single room she designed was a different feel, a different look, different textures, she really pushed the boundaries.”

Daniela had worked as a stylist for Burberry and Vogue, relocated to Ibiza as a photographer and eventually returned to the UK after the birth of her first child.

She said: “The show gave me so much more than just a trophy. Before entering the show, I felt that I had lost my way a little creatively and career-wise.

“The show was so intense, lots of hard work, sleepless nights and self doubt, but every time I got through to the next stage my confidence grew and it was the biggest buzz.”

She fought off competition from eight other amateur designers and was judged in the final by Hoppen, director of the British Institute of Interior Design Daniel Hopwood and interior stylist Sophie Robinson.

The show aims to find Britain’s best amateur interior designers, introducing new locations each episode with focuses on specific architecture and time periods.

Val Jacobs, Daniela’s former course leader, said: “Daniela was an exceptional, bright, determined and hard-working student, who had a keen eye for photography when she was here and clearly still does now.”

Designs by Daniela in the series’ earlier stages saw her redesign a luxury bedroom and living room in a mock Tudor house in Worsley.

She created a Peruvian designer living room including hangings of her own photography.Read more at:www.queenieprom.co.uk

We caught up with Federica Imperiali, forecasting expert and head new product development at Forevermark Diamonds to bring you a lowdown on the biggest diamond jewellery trends for 2017:

What are the definitive diamond jewellery trends for this year?

This year we will be seeing a lot of references to the past. A timeless, even vintage design language will emerge and there will be emphasis on enamelling as a technique. We will also be looking at diamonds set in yellow and rose gold. Another important trend is that we will look to nature for inspiration. This is becoming more important as the proliferation of technology increases.

How do these jewellery trends tie in with the fashion trends of the season? What are some things one should keep in mind while styling these pieces?

These jewellery trends complement the fashion trends forecasted for the season. For instance much like today’s fashion transitions effortlessly from day to night, these pieces of jewellery are designed to do the same. As jewellery becomes more intricate and statement making I would suggest that the outfit be simple and classic for a balanced look.

How in your opinion has the diamond jewellery consumer evolved over the years in terms of her choices and style?

We’ve seen people preferring multipurpose jewellery today. For instance a pendant that is detachable and can become a pair of earrings. Another important trend is that women are closely and creatively involved in the styling decisions and that in a way is elevating the jewellery they are wearing.

Tell us a little bit about the red carpet collection you’ve just launched—we saw some pieces on the Golden Globes red carpet this season.

The collection includes statement earrings, cuffs as well as special pieces of jewellery that integrates with the dress, for instance a choker that looks it’s part of the dress. As always we have used responsibly sourced diamonds with a unique inscription number each even for this collection.Read more at:cheap blue prom dresses | prom dress shops in london

We're standing on the terrace of Anita Dongre's flagship store in Mehrauli, waiting to get a glimpse of what she will showcase at the grand finale of the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week summer/resort 2017 that will be held in Mumbai in February. Two mannequins are dressed in anarkalis and flared skirts in golden hues, reflecting the brilliant hues of the afternoon sun. Dongre's creations already capture the imagination, and speaking with Lifestyle she explains, "The inspiration is Rajasthan as it has always for me--I've been there for two-three months throughout my childhood as my nana-nani and dada-dadi lived in Jaipur.There's something about Rajasthan; it's an amazing state for inspiration. I have a deep soul-connect with it, and I'm sure it's from many past lives. I love it."

This time around, the focus is on nature and its many manifestations. "We took inspiration from the flora and fauna of the region, the little shrubs, deer that abound in Ranthambore, the golden sands, and Mughal architecture and motifs that are so much a part of Rajasthan," reveals the Mumbai-based designer. Those who are familiar with her works can expect to see her famous use of gota-patti yet again, re-imagined on contemporary silhouettes. The fabrics include a lot of raw, organic cotton, unbleached cotton, some chiffon and handwoven benaras textile. "The show goes from contemporary styles to Indian formals," she states.

Meanwhile, the opening show for the season will be hosted today( January 20) by Monsiha Jaising in Mumbai on an international luxury cruise liner--Costa neoClassica, at the Ballard Pier, Mumbai. Sources reveal that tight security will be at the show as there is a possibility of the ship entering foreign waters for a short period of time. It is revealed, "Guests will need to carry their passports to get a visa stamp to go on-board, and the security check will begin two hours before the show. But it's going to be quite spectacular as the show will take place under the setting sun."

Other designers to look out for at the event will be Delhi's couturier Tarun Tahiliani who will offer a feminine and summery take on traditional motifs and easy fabrics, Ritu Kumar whose collection will take a departure from her traditional silhouettes and offer a more minimal aesthetic, and Payal Singhal whose range will be partyappropriate for the coming season.Read more at:queenieprom.co.uk | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/pink-prom-dresses-uk

If you think Whitney Weeks and Doug Pickett look like they jumped right out of aRalph Lauren catalog, it’s because they actually did. “We met at the Ralph Lauren headquarters during a fitting for a shoot six years ago,” says Whitney, who’s the brand’s women’s fashion editor. “He was the face of the men’s Polo ads, and I was the stylist on the shoots back then. Doug has worked with Ralph Lauren for almost 15 years, so he is practically family to the advertising team. Funnily enough, I actually used to have an ad of his taped up inside my locker at school. Anyway, on my first day of work, my boss actually told me she knew my future husband and had him in mind. She was adamant that we were a perfect match—even though we didn’t realize it at first!” Now, Doug is finishing his studies at Columbia University while working at Cedar, a health care startup. “He models occasionally but is mostly focused on his career,” says Whitney, who is still at Ralph Lauren.

They had been dating for two years when they decided to take a New Year’s vacation to Costa Rica together. “After surfing one morning, we went on a long hike to a fairly secluded waterfall,” remembers Whitney. “It was really hot, and I jumped right in, wondering why Doug was being so cautious. He then swam up to me with the ring on his pinkie and proposed.”

Whitney’s family has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for generations, so it was an obvious location choice for her wedding. Staunchly against any kind of event that felt preppy or cookie cutter-ish, she held all of the festivities up island. “It is much more pastoral and bucolic,” she says. “I love how there are stone walls in fields that go right to the ocean, surrounded by old trees, beautiful lighthouses, and cottages. I wanted the vibe to be laid-back and natural, and not take away from this stunning setting where horse fields meet the beach.” Having driven by the Allen Farm for years on trips to Aquinnah, she always thought it was the most picturesque spot on the island. “I loved the idea of the wedding party spending the day swimming and having fun at the beach in front of the farm, then glamming up for the big event later that night,” she says.

Whitney opted not to have a wedding planner and took a very DIY approach to the whole process. “This proved to make me slightly insane for a few months, as I wanted everything to be perfect for friends, family, and the entire Ralph Lauren team,” she admits. “Luckily, friends were kind enough to help with things I couldn’t do alone, though.” One of her favorite parts of the planning process was working with Happy Menocal, a Brooklyn-based artist who created the couple’s custom crest, invitations, ceremony cards, and menus. “Everything she did was a total work of art,” says Whitney.

For her dress, the bride wanted a dreamy, romantic-feeling look that fit with the location of her wedding, and ended up going with one by designer Lihi Hod—the third she tried on during her search. “My friends told me I’d be crazy not to wear it,” she says. She ended up working with the designer to customize it by shortening the sleeves and making a few other minimal changes. “I loved the lace and the low back—it felt very feminine but also bohemian.” For jewelry, she wore a pair of her mom’s diamond stud earrings and her espadrilles were by Ralph Lauren. “I needed something I could walk on grass in but also shoes with height as my husband is a foot taller than I am!” She worked with White Rose Collective to book her makeup. “They set me up with Ingeborg, who was such a wonderful, soothing presence throughout the day. She kept it really natural and pared down, so I felt like myself—just a ‘glowier’ version!” Longtime coworker and friend Louis Angelo had done the hair on many of the shoots Whitney had styled at Ralph Lauren, so while also attending as a guest, he stepped in to create her loose wavy half up, half down look.

The ceremony took place where the field meets the sea on the Allen Farm, surrounded by horses and sheep. Whitney’s bridesmaids each wore a different white dress and walked in to “The Winner Is,” a song from the movie Little Miss Sunshine, a favorite of Whitney’s. They were escorted by groomsmen in navy Ralph Lauren suits. “I had given all of the bridesmaids personalized gold lockets as gifts, and they all looked like angels,” says Whitney. The bride then walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” “It was a long walk from the farmhouse, where I got ready, down to the water, so my dad and I had an amazing moment to really talk to each other and shed a few tears,” says Whitney.

Family friend Valerie Biden Owens—Vice President Joe Biden’s sister and the best man’s mom—officiated the ceremony. “She is an incredible woman and did a spectacular job,” says the bride. “There were lots of laughs, a few tears, and an amazing kiss.”

Afterward, guests made their way up a hill for the reception. Renny & Reed, based in New York City, oversaw the flowers—loose arrangements of orchids and moss in whites and deep greens—and decor for the cocktail tent and dinner. “They did my sister’s wedding as well and were so wonderful to work with,” says Whitney. Local caterer Annie Foley put together a menu consisting of mostly organic ingredients that included miso cod and beef tenderloin. “We wanted everything served family-style so guests could really interact and get to know each other as they ate at the long farm tables named after destinations around the world that we’d traveled to together,” says Whitney.

The newlyweds kicked off the party with a first dance to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding. “We had a lot of back and forth about this,” admits Whitney. “I am incredibly shy in front of groups, so ultimately I told Doug to pick whatever he wanted as long as it is easy!” Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, a band out of Martha’s Vineyard that Doug had picked, got everyone out on the dance floor early on. “They continued to dance for hours,” remembers Whitney. “After the noise ordinance forced the party to end, our guests departed, and Doug and I went down to a cottage on the property that’s right on the beach, where we spent our wedding night. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.”Read more at:prom dresses manchester | cheap blue prom dresses