womenfashion

The women’s wear segment holds the key in the fast moving world of fashion, in the booming global apparel business. No wonder that industries try to stay as nimble as possible, jumping on trends right away. There’s also the additional dynamics stirring the market. Consumers not only want to keep abreast of changes, they want freshness in products and in the shopping experience. And all this is happening in developing markets.

The launch of Reliance Trends Woman store, a speciality format that caters to the Indian wear apparel needs. This is the first of the many stores planned to be set up in the country by mid-2017.

“We have realised that large spaces is not easily available, especially in growing cities. Moreover, the trend is an expanding market share in women’s wear. It is 35-36 per cent, which we think will grow to 40-45 per cent soon. So, Reliance Trends Woman is a warm, exclusive shopping space for those looking for high-fashion and curated collections of Indian wear,”says Akhilesh Prasad, Chief Executive, Reliance Trends on the sidelines of the opening of their first store.

The store design allows shoppers to move around a variety of apparel including home labels such as Avaasa, MNM, Siyahi. Special collections based on block print techniques, fusion, other brands such as Aurelia, Fashion Tadka and W, a range of fashion accessories are available at the pilot store.

“Fast-fashion not just means the current trends it is also associated with disposable fashion. Designer products reaches a mass market at relatively low prices. Our prices are value-equation for the consumers, while the products are as current as anywhere. The merchandise cycle will change six to eight times a year and by 2020 we would like it to change 10 times a year to keep the fashion fresh and trendy.”

The launch was a glitzy affair with a fashion show where models previewed the Spring Summer 17 collection. Priyamani, who cut the ribbon at the launch, was the showstopper.

“Most often we have only designer western outfits for fashion shows. The Indian wear, the ethnic prints at this show was so good. Not that I’m wearing one of the apparels in which I’m really comfortable. But I really liked the range here. There’s something for everyone - ethnic and modern, fusion wear, silhouettes that are very western and also with Indian prints,” says Priyamani.Read more at:www.queenieprom.co.uk | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/long-prom-dresses-online

Who are you?

I am Martin Scroggie of MG Gabriel.

What does your business do?

MG Gabriel is a high end fashion label. We design and manufacture menswear, combining traditional and modern elements to create smart, formal garments with a relaxed and comfortable edge.

Where are you based?

Glasgow’s East End.

How did you get started?

I was working as a designer for Topman in London but I had a desire to move back home and set up my own label with full creative control.

What is our background?

I studied Menswear at the London College of Fashion and then did my Masters at Glasgow School of Art. I have also worked with designers including Jonathan Saunders, Antony Price and Savile Row tailors Norton and Sons.

What is your top business tip?

Have a signature; whether it’s your textile, cut or use of colour, make sure you stand out and are distinctive.

How long has your business been running?

I registered the business in 2013 but didn’t officially launch until last year.

Has anyone helped you get started?

I attended Business Gateway workshops that focused on identifying your business brand and received sound advice and support to source funding from both Business Gateway and Jobs and Business Glasgow. I also received fantastic help from ICOICO Creative. With their guidance I was able to put together a constructive business plan geared towards the creative sector.

What was your first deal?

My first sale were two pieces from my GSA graduate collection which were commissioned by a financial adviser from the British Council to be worn at Fashion Forward in Dubai.

What was your biggest mistake?

When I first began designing as a graduate I was reluctant to ask for help. But I’ve realised I only know and can do so much and there are experts in other areas out there that can make a big difference to your business.

Who is your mentor?

As a teenager I was inspired by the theatrical designs of Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood, but as a student I leaned more towards European designers like Raf Simons and Martin Margiela.

Where do you plan your business to be in five years’ time?

We’ve launched our website and we’re in the process of finding our first stockist. Looking ahead I would like to have a few brand ambassadors and to be showcasing my designs at shows in cities including London and Paris.Read more at:high low prom dresses | pink prom dresses

Want 2017 to be your best (sartorial) year? Well, following the laws laid out by the city’s fashion fraternity won’t disappoint. We talk to popular mens wear designers in town to give us a peek into mens wear trends ’17 that score major points on the fashion radar...

Apparel: Vouching by how fitted silhouettes is the the way forward, designer Paresh Lamba says, “Tailored double breasted suits in checks, particularly wide window pane and compact graph checks along with chalk stripes will be an everlasting trend here after. Recognising the redundancy of seasonal wardrobes in a world by climate change, this season is all about the topcoat, structured coats and panelled jackets. Zippered shorts spotted in white, gold and blacks is going to be most spotted in 2017. The rule applies to ethnic, casual and even semi-formal wear.” Incidentally, the trends are fuss-free, with global trends focusing on one major aspect – comfort married to versatility.

“I believe reversible Nehru jackets in solids are the new trends to which the youth have taken a liking to. These jackets are not only stylish and vibrant but also very practical and easy to carry. You can wear them to a wedding over a sherwani to jazz up an ethnic attire. Amp up your semi-formal attire by throwing it over. Dual colours, multiple ways to style and disarmingly charming look – this is our favourite fashion hack this season! The reversible jacket takes the versatility factor a notch higher by giving you two options to play with in one garment. We saw the look on international and national runways, and I’m certain the trend will spill into our wardrobes all through the year,” opines Mayank Modi, a city-based designer. Enthusing how fusion is the way forward, he adds, “You can team it with your everyday jeans and casual shirt combo to add a suave touch to your look.”

Accessories: Speaking about how small and significant seems like fashion’s message for the year, designer Bassam Osman pipes, “Men’s fashion accessories are quite interesting this coming season. While pocket squares and lapel pins are a mainstay from 2016, look out for scarves, bracelets and hats on and off the runway. Cashmere shawls are a big hit with ethnic wear.” For those who thought brooches took a backseat on the fashion radar, here’s a pleasant surprise. “Metal, feather, even grandma’s vintage brooches are the talking-point accessories worn on your garment this season. The trends are as such, that will enable the new age man to experiment. It’s only fair if he takes a cue,” states Paresh Lamba.

Footwear: With everything getting a snazzy twist, it’s little wonder that footwear is lagging behind either. Designer Manoviraj Khosla adds how the focus on footwear is garnering momentum like none other. “I’ve observed how Indian men have finally begun to give due credits to footwear. I see a lot of winged derbies, quirky prints, a mix of eclectic colours and varied textures seeing a momentum. With creative coming to the fore, let your style for the year be all about prints that speak and colour combinations that do the talking”Read more at:prom dresses | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/high-low-prom-dresses

Hot pink tote bags identified the brides at the Maine Wedding Showcase Sunday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.

The women carried them to the various booths, collecting giveaways, cards and other information from more than 40 vendors on the second floor of the venue’s North Wing.

Occasionally, the noise from the NE Motorsports Expo and Trade Show in the main auditorium bled over into the hallway where dozens of brides, an occasional groom and father, and mothers, aunts, honor attendants and others waited in line to get in to see the vendors and their wares.

The bridal parties entered between two fantasy columns of pink and white balloons, supplied by Jan Partridge, who operates Balloons & Things in Belgrade Lakes village.

“I’ve done almost every venue between Augusta and Waterville,” Partridge said, who was being assisted at her booth by granddaughter Priscilla Partridge, 14.

The business owner was pleased with the show’s attendance. “I haven’t done a bridal show for quite a while,” she said. “There’s a greater variety of vendors than I have seen in years past.”

Bride Kelly Davenport of Hallowell came with an entourage of three — mother, aunt and maid of honor — and was excited about finding things she wanted for her Sept. 16, 2017, wedding to Brett Blake of Gardiner at Norcross Point in Winthrop.

“We found flowers from Berry and Berry and a dress — we have an appointment to go to Andrea’s Bridal — and I got my limo,” she said.

The four had found a long line of people waiting to enter the show when they arrived at 11:30 a.m., a half hour ahead of the opening time.

They are planning to attend next weekend’s bridal show as well. The Augusta Wedding Show, sponsored by the Maine Wedding Association, will hold its annual event 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Augusta State Armory.

While Davenport has secured her wedding officiant — her dad, the Rev. Donald Davenport — other bride show attendees stopped to talk to Susan Dyer Taylor of Scarborough, at her table near the door, where she talked about personalized ceremonies.

Taylor, a Maine notary, said she’s done hundreds of weddings, including flapper and Victorian-era themes. “I specialize in helping people write their own special ceremony,” she said. “I love working with couples of all ages.”

She said wedding guests will primarily recall two things about a ceremony: “How lovely the bride and groom looked and what was said. Words are important.”

Bailey Jordan, 18, and Gabe Pullen, 19, both of Lewiston and engaged for the past four months, were among the early arrivals at the show. “We haven’t made any plans yet,” Jordan said. “We’re just kind of looking.

Pullen added, “We’re trying to get an idea of what we want.”

However, they said they agreed on one thing for their Aug. 26, 2017, wedding — the venue has to be a beach.

Paige Cote, formerly of Winslow and now of Bucksport, heard her name drawn as the winner of an eight-day, seven-night honeymoon.

She checked in with the organizers to get the details and said she and her fiance, Jacob Sullivan, formerly of Gardiner, had just booked their honeymoon three days ago.

With their wedding set for Aug. 11, 2017, Cote said the two would probably use the honeymoon trip she won at a later date.

Inside the tightly packed room, there were caterers with cannolis and cupcakes, photographers, deejays, tuxedos, wedding gowns, honeymoon planners with travel brochures, jewelers and others. Some attendees even ventured to the cash bar in the corner.

Ron LeClair, former manager and now owner of Northeast Limousine, based in Winslow, left a large calling card — a stretch white limousine — just outside the doors of the venue.

At his booth indoors, he greeted several of the brides by name, telling them about the limousine services both for the wedding and for bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The organizer of Sunday’s show, Kathy Sonderegger, of Louden, New Hampshire, who runs myNEwedding as well as my NEevent, said she used to do wedding shows in Augusta until about 15 years ago.

She worked the admission table on Sunday and said more than 250 brides had arrived within the first hour.

“I’m very impressed,” she said.Read more at:prom dresses manchester | junior prom dresses

Florence is renowned throughout the world for being the cradle of Italian art. We must, however, not forget that the Tuscan city has played a prominent role in the history of fashion: especially from 1930 to 1970, its workshops have represented a benchmark in the sector.

A new exhibition running through March 5 at Palazzo Pitti called “Fashion in Florence through the lens of the Locchi Photo Archive” shines a spotlight on this wealth of beauty, quality and creativity, timed to coincide with the 91st edition of Pitti Uomo menswear trade fair.

On display are 100 photographs taken by artisan photographers who worked for the “Foto Locchi” photo shop. Established in 1924 by landscape photographer Tullio Locchi, this store located in the heart of the city immortalized the history of Florence: from fashion to sports and entertainment, in the years that preceded the spread of television the shop's three large windows in the city’s piazza della Repubblica displayed a real photo-chronicle of the time.

Over five million images of the history of Florence and Tuscany in the last century have been preserved in the form of original negatives.

The story that unfolds through these very rare photos follows three stages.

The first focuses on artisan workshops - an offshoot of a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages - that in the 20th century contributed to the birth of some of the most famous Italian fashion brands in the world.

Around the 1920s, Florentine craftsmanship already had an iconic status in the United States: wealthy American heiresses came to Florence to stock up on embroidered lingerie, silverware, finely embossed leather and straw hats.

After 13 years of success in America, Salvatore Ferragamo decided to settle in the Tuscan capital, not only because of its beauty, but also because it allowed him to tap into that well of craftsmanship which alone could enable him to achieve his objective of excellence.

Another set of photos focuses on the years after the Second World War: Italy works hard to raise itself up from the ruins, but does not give up dreaming.

The photographers captured the legendary fashion shows held at Palazzo Pitti’s Sala Bianca (1952-1982). It was the birth of modern fashion in Florence.

These were the years of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, a fine connoisseur of the US market who made a name for himself in New York as a buyer capable of turning dreams into reality.

Giorgini is considered the father of Italian fashion: in those years, the Tuscan city was a hotspot of beauty and charm and brought forward a new concept of style.

The photographs taken by the Foto Locchi reporters convey the spirit of the age: not only at the fashion shows in the Sala Bianca, but also in the private mansions and the historic gardens where galas, parties and exclusive rendez-vous took place.

The third and final chapter of this story, according to the Florence exhibition, focuses on fashion houses. It is the turn of Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, recounted through the lives of their founders and of the personalities that made them world-famous.

Here, the camera lingers on the founders of the great fashion houses of the time: Roberto Capucci, Emilio Schuberth, the Fontana Sisters and Simonetta Colonna di Cesarò.

Fashion brands that have revolutionized Italian habits. But also celebrities from Paris such as Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli, men and women of the international aristocracy among them the Duke of Windsor and, of course, Hollywood stars, from Audrey Hepburn to Paulette Goddard, and the divine Callas.Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-london-online | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-manchester-online

Get ahead of the curve with these simple spring styling flourishes – from lightening up our outerwear, to layering and embracing the new IT shoe, these are the biggest trends that will see you starting 2017 in style.

Shocking Pink

Although green is the official Pantone colour of 2017, in every fashion capital designers have adopted the pretty pink hue. But it’s not your average saccharine shade – Celine, Balenciaga and Valentino flooded the catwalks with their own renditions of hot pink dresses, from candy, deep cherry and raspberry, providing a sweet new way to see fashion through rose-tinted shades. Cheering too, on a dull January day.

Super Stripes

It doesn’t matter what the season it is, there’s seems to be always wriggle room in our wardrobe for stripes, but spring is where the linear look really shines. The button-up shirt is a key player and easy place to start, or for something fresh look to the bright and bold knit dress, which featured everywhere from Altuzarra to Proenza Schouler.

Maximalist Denim

Designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Dsqaured2 and Phillip Plein couldn’t resist maximising denim and morphing it into an idea that’s thoroughly dressed up. Think luxe brocade finishes, charms and trinkets, embroidered patches, and rhinestones all over. Go extreme in the look in a sequin top or tone down the style with a plain white tee.

Ballerina

The runways of Molly Goodard, Dior and Valentino were littered with lithe models in silk tulle full skirts. And now footwear has fallen in line with the dancer theme, with basic ballerina shoes getting an upgrade with chic lace-up details. Come down a notch or two with the new-look ballet flat.

Square Up

The number of iconic gingham moments are endless – Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, Brigitte Bardot saying her “I do”s in a pink check number and Jane Fonda encapsulating Americana style in the western Cat Ballou. Despite a retro appeal, the charming check print enjoyed a major revival on the spring runways. Traditionally girlish and youthful, the gingham pattern is completely appropriate for grown-ups. Opt for ladylike silhouettes, tailored blouses, midi dresses and classic blue or black and white combinations.

The Trench

There’s a myriad of reasons why a trench coat is so endlessly covetable and for spring, designers have fallen in love with the enduring classic. From Balenciaga’s giant squared off-shoulder, Simone Rocha’s deconstructed version and Marni’s entire collection being inspired by the chic topper, buckle up as this is the year of the trench.

Pattern Party

After a long winter, refresh your look with this season’s Seventies print offerings – the brighter the better. From high-contrast blossoms at Balenciaga, geometric shapes at Givenchy and psychedelic swirls at Prada, it all adds up to a dizzying yet delicious effect.

Layer Up

Each season we’re presented with a perplexing styling trick – for spring it’s the dresses-over-trousers combination. It’s more than just a trend, though; the pairing is an easy way to give new life to tired staples and remix the most basic of pieces. Pay attention to the length of dress – a knee to midi-length hem is perfect. If you’re going for a longer length, make sure there is a revealing slit to get a pop of your trousers underneath, otherwise what’s the point?Read more at:mermaid prom dresses | high low prom dresses

A citrus fruit from Japan, Yuzu is often known as the Japanese grapefruit and is akin to the Korean yuja. Although it is native to China and Tibet, growing in the wild, it has been cultivated in Japan and Korea for almost 1,500 years now. Around the size of a golf ball, the fruit takes on hues of yellow and orange, and comes with a rough uneven skin. The fruit isn’t usually eaten whole–rather it is used as a seasoning in teas, sweets, liqueurs, and so on. Recently, it has been gaining popularity as a skincare ingredient, with more and more beauty companies including it in their products. Here are some of the skin benefits.

Anti-oxidant

Like most citrus fruits, yuzu is rich in vitamin C. Just 10 g of ripe yuzu contains about 90 mg of vitamin C! This high content means the fruit is rich in antioxidants, boosting skin immunity and protecting against free radicals.

Anti-microbial

Keep skin infections, acne and bacteria at bay with the application of yuzu-infused products. The Yuzu fruit has p-methoxycinnamic acid, an ingredient that keeps the skin free of problems.

Anti-ageing

Yuzu extracts are known to boost the production of collagen, which helps make the skin firm, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. It also increases blood circulation, is a tan-remover, and regular application can induce better sleep at night!

How to make Yuzu tea

If you can get your hands on a Yuzu fruit, make this tea to cleanse your skin from the inside out, and create a radiant, glowing complexion. Take the fruit, unpeel it, and then use only the peel–discard the pulp! Place this in a jar with some pure honey, and allow to ferment for a week. Your tea mixture is ready. Add a tablespoon to a glass of hot water whenever you want a cup, stir well and drink up!Read more at:www.queenieprom.co.uk | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-2016-online

In the fashion weeks ahead in London, Paris, New York, Milan and elsewhere, there's certain to be a lot of fur. Animal skins are a $40 billion annual business employing almost one million people worldwide.

In Milan's high fashion Solari street, luxury giant Fendi is showcasing its latest collection, complete with signature fur flourishes. Models stand slack with cigarettes and iPhones in hand, snapping cool pictures with fans while waiting to have their hair and makeup done before the show.

Meanwhile, a very different kind of a show is getting started at the building's main entrance as activists hold up anti-fur banners depicting skinned animals.

Fendi is the logical place to protest against the use of fur in fashion. Fur coats created in the brand's ateliers were loved by Italians in the 1940s and 50s, and when the then-emerging German designer Karl Lagerfeld joined the family company as creative director, the whole world became addicted to the Fendi fur look.

Nowadays, Fendi is the go-to place for fur for both women and men, the brand selling everything from fox coats to mink charms. It also presents an annual "haute fourrure" collection comprised almost entirely of fur. Fendi's double F logo even stands for "fun fur."

Indeed, the fur industry is booming. According to the International Fur Federation (IFTF), global fur sales have almost tripled in the last five years, rising from $15.6 billion in 2011 to more than $40 billion in 2015.

Fur fashion backlash

Fendi fur might be hip right now, but animal welfare organizations think the cost of fur fashion is too high. "Although the fur industry tries to convey the impression that 'ethical fur' is possible, it has to be regarded as a mere greenwashing scheme," says Andrzej Pazgan of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Germany. "Minks, foxes and raccoon dogs - which are the dominant species kept for their furs worldwide - are non-domesticated, wild animals. Because of this, the housing conditions on fur farms will never be able to meet their natural needs," he adds.

"The killing of animals today is as gruesome as it has always been," Thorbjørn Schiønning, of Factory Farming Awareness (FFA), told DW. "Foxes from farms are still killed by anal electrocution, minks are gassed. The fur industry is mainly focused on killing the animals in a fast and cheap way that doesn't damage the skin. Animal welfare is not the main priority."

While some brands are embracing fur, designers such as Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have committed to going fur-free. "We've made a firm commitment to abolish the use of animal fur in all our collections," said a representative of Giorgio Armani SpA when contacted by DW. "Technological progress made over the years allows us to have valid alternatives at our disposition that render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals. We are taking a major step ahead, reflecting our attention to the critical issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals," the spokesperson added.

The fur-free movement seems to reflect broader popular opinion. In a series of public polls carried out across the EU in 2014 and 2015, an average 86 percent of respondents said they opposed fur and fur farming. According to the German survey conducted in March 2014 by Integral and Four Paws, about eight in ten Germans consider fur to be outdated.

The future of fur

When I met Silvia Venturini Fendi, the Fendi brand heiress, a few hours before she unveiled the Fall/Winter 2016 menswear line to the public, we discussed the future of fur, and whether it will retain a place in fashion and society.

"I ask myself these same questions very often," she said. "It really is a complicated issue, mainly ethically, but also because there is a large industry at stake. Perhaps one day the entire world will become vegan, and we won't do fur anymore. Maybe one day we will change our habits. Why not? But when people still eat meat and wear leather…"

But these days it's almost impossible to avoid fur. This fashion season sees shops full of fur coats, handbags, shoes, or accessories like furry key rings.

"The fur industry has indeed made a significant shift from fur coats to making fur find its way into all kinds of clothing, often just a small trim," says Thorbjørn Schiønning, the chairman of Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of forty animal protection organizations. "This is a strategic plan that has kept the business floating. If the fur industry hadn't made this strategic change, then we would see it dwarfed almost into extinction today," he says.

Or as Mark Oaten from the International Fur Trade Federation, which promotes the fur trade globally, puts it: "There is a strong, high fashion element in fur right now, and the number of people buying fur suggests that some of the issues surrounding the use of animals are less important for the consumers than they perhaps were in the 1990s."

Faux fur a real alternative?

Some ethically-minded brands want to project the modish fur look by using synthetic faux fur materials. But is it really the right alternative? Oaten argues that fake fur often uses toxic chemicals and produces a lot of unusable waste - unlike the real thing. "The fur industry has a strong, sustainable message," he says. "Fur is a luxury natural product that doesn't end up in landfills because people are very proud to own it and pass it to the next generations."

Some activist organizations are also questioning the ethics of faux fur. Recent investigations by PETA show that many products labeled fur-free or "100% acrylic" in fact contained fur - most likely from China, where raccoon dog skins are produced and processed cheaply.

In November 2016, Japan's last fur farm closed down. Governments across the EU - Germany included - are currently under pressure to ban fur usage, and many fast fashion brands are going green and excluding fur from their product lines.

On the other hand, as the public demand for fur reaches record levels, the fur industry is trying to improve its image by developing new farming and animal killing techniques - Shaman Furs, for example, is a one-man brand founded by native Alaskan Peter Paul Kawagaelg Williams, who hunts otters and produces handmade products from their fur.

The debate over fur is an emotional battleground where ethics, attitudes and lifestyles collide, and where there can likely be only one winner. The ball is now in the consumer's court.Read more at:mermaid prom dresses

Clare Waight Keller is out at Chloé, according to a report from Reuters today. The much-lauded designer decided not to renew her contract at the French house, which is up in March. Waight Keller had been commuting to Paris from London since she moved her family back to her native England in June, and according to sources at Reuters, the designer no longer wished to keep up with the hectic schedule of traveling back and forth.

Chloé is one of Richemont’s biggest fashion brands with sales of around $417.20 million, a significant number for the company, which has been experiencing losses due to the decline in sales in the watch market (12 of 19 Richemont-owned brands sell watches including Cartier, Vacheron-Constantin, and IWC, to name a few). Replacing Waight Keller is Natacha Ramsay-Levi. Poached from Louis Vuitton, Ramsay-Levi was second in command underNicolas Ghesquière, continuing the trend of big name brands tapping behind-the-scenes talent as they hope for breakthroughs, like Alessandro Michele at Gucci and Demna Gvsalia at Balenciaga.

The appointment of Ramsay-Levi at Chloé once again brings up the long-floated rumors that Ghesquière might leave Louis Vuitton. The designer’s contract is up in 2018, and he recently told Canal Plus in France that he wants to create his own label soon. LVMH is reportedly already scouting his replacement.

Get ready for another round of designer musical chairs in 2017 as the industry continues to evolve at lightening speed.Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/mermaid-prom-dresses-uk | prom dresses uk

It’s fair to say Vidya Balan is an empowering woman. Having changed the way actresses can be portrayed on screen, she has always been one to stand up against body-shaming.

Having dealt with criticisms about her own body and fashion sense, Balan seems to be in a great place. “It’s my body, I love my body. It doesn’t matter what people say. Different people will have different things to say. If I look into the mirror and I am happy with what I am wearing, I would just step out. And then I don’t care about what anyone has to say about it,” Hindustan Times reports the actress stating.

She went on to add, “Over the course of time, I have realised that you can’t please everyone. The world out there will never be happy with you, so you may as well be happy with yourself. The fact that I don’t follow any of the entertainment portals, channels, news or fashion blogs, I don’t watch any of it, neither do I listen to it on radio… I think it really helps retain my sanity.”

Balan even spoke about social media, “Even on Twitter, I am very selective and don’t follow random people. Once in a while when I feel like interacting, I chat on Twitter. Otherwise, I am largely posting pictures on Instagram.”

Talking about what she is into, the actress went on to say, “I like most things done funny. Humour is a great way of saying things you really want to say without offending anyone. It’s asking people to shut up without actually using the words ‘shut up’.”Read more at:blue prom dresses

Adriano Dossantos didn't have much to give his daughter for her wedding day, but he could give her snow.

All his daughter, Adriana, wanted after a childhood in Brazil and several years living in Florida was to marry her childhood sweetheart in the snow.

"That's what she wanted, and we don't really have a lot of money," he said. "So I decided I would make this happen — someway, somehow."

This week, the family packed up their car in Boca Raton, Fla., with a wedding dress, a couple suits and some boots, and headed 1,400 miles north to New York state. They would stop in Albany for the license, and then continue north just a few more hours until landing in Lake Placid.

That was the plan, at least.

"When we got to Albany City Hall and turned around and saw the Capitol, she fell in love with the place," said Adriano Dossantos of his 19-year-old daughter.

"It looked like those old movies," she said. "I don't know how to describe it. The houses were so pretty and old. Everything looked so warm and cozy, and the air was so clean and cold. The weather outside was so beautiful. The trees without their leaves were covered in snow. We just loved it."

So their plans changed.

It was Wednesday by the time they got the license, and several days of warm weather had melted the little snow Albany had. The Dossantos' picked Lake Placid as their destination because their internet research had guaranteed them snow. But luck had it that a storm was coming through Albany on Thursday, so they spent the night and hoped for snowflakes.

"But then we couldn't find an officiant," Adriano Dossantos said. "There were no judges in City Hall because of the holidays. They weren't doing marriages until Jan. 1."

Luckily, they tracked down an officiant who said she could do it, but her only available time was 1 p.m. Thursday.

"We were watching the forecast, hoping that would work, and right at one was the height of the snowfall," Adriana's father said.

At about 1:30 p.m., in a white sleeveless gown, veil and snow boots, with tears in her eyes and the state Capitol at her back, Dossantos said "I do" to her childhood sweetheart, 21-year-old Alceir Pontes Jr., who took his bride's last name.

"It was cold. It was beautiful. It was very emotional," she said. "Everything was perfect."

The couple grew up in the same neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro and met when she was 12 and he was 14. They were friends for a long time before falling in love. Adriana's father had moved to Florida some years earlier, and she would spend chunks of time in the United States before moving to this country permanently in October.

Alceir had never seen snow before his wedding day. The only snow Dossantos ever saw was at a ski resort in Tennessee on a visit with her father. It was man-made.

"This was nothing like that," she said. "I'll never forget it."Read more at:http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/girls-prom-dresses-online | http://www.queenieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-london-online

The first-ever Pakistan Film Festival kicked off on Friday night, attended by prominent Pakistani celebrities, ambassadors accredited to the UN, community members, media and movie buffs. The red carpet turned out to be a star-studded affair, with Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain, Tooba Siddiqui, Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Yasir Hussain and Sanam Saeed in attendance, amongst others. While each star was dressed to impress, Khan and Siddiqui were two ladies who left us floored in breath-taking ensembles.

Mahira Khan

The Bin Roye actor looked hot to trot in a heavily embellished Élan outfit. Wearing a halter-neck peplum top with intricate gold detailing, Khan draped a matching Studio S coat over her shoulders. We loved how the red layering of the coat was visible, adding colour to the all-black ensemble. While the outfit would be more apt for a wedding, her hairdo saved the day for. Khan didn’t look over-the-top because she tied her hair in a bun, and accessorised with dangling tassel earrings — which are definitely on our wish list for the upcoming wedding season. She completed her look with a pair of black Louboutin heels.

Tooba Siddiqui

The model sported a spot on look for the occasion. She wore an off-shoulder powder violet assymetrical number from designer Maheen Ghani Taseer’s line. The sheer detailing of the figure-hugging outfit accentuated her waistline and one sleeve trailed to the floor, as did her gown, making her look every bit a princess. A dark purple clutch, smokey eyes and neatly pulled back hair finished off Siddiqui’s look.

Dana Brooke Sharff and Andrew Eric Somen were united in marriage on May 29, 2016 in the Regent Ballroom at the Columbus Hilton at Easton. The ceremony was followed by cocktails, dinner and dancing.

The bride is the daughter of Eileen Sharff of Circleville and the late William Sharff. She is a 2008 graduate of the Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana and a 2011 graduate of Miami University of Ohio where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business. She is employed as a business systems analyst at the corporate headquarters of the Brooks Brothers clothing company in Enfield, Connecticut.

The groom is the son of Steve and Beth Somen of Canton, Connecticut. He is a 2007 graduate of The Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut and a 2011 graduate of Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island where he earned his Bachelors degree in Accounting. He is employed as a senior accountant at Crowe Horwath, LLP in Simsbury, Connecticut. He is pursuing his Masters of Accountancy degree in preparation to become a Certified Public Accountant.

For the wedding ceremony, the bride wore an Allure ball gown featuring a sleeveless ivory V-neck lace bodice with an embroidered illusion beaded back, and bridal buttons down the back of the bodice, skirt and train. The gown had a jeweled belt and blush colored skirt of tulle and chiffon. She wore an ivory, alencon lace, floor length mantilla veil that had also been worn by her mother, aunt and cousin. She carried a bouquet of lavender, ivory and blush pink flowers. For the reception, she wore a sleeveless, ivory, sequin and lace mermaid style gown with a V-neck, backless bodice and ivory jeweled belt.

Bridesmaids were Melissa Schwenk of Waltham, Massachusettes, Roxanne Reiter of Columbus, Ohio, Rebekah Radcliff of Circleville and Danielle Somen of Brighton, Massachusettes. They wore navy blue floor length gowns with lace bodices, chiffon skirts and jeweled belts and carried bouquets of lavender flowers.

The best man was Justin Hughes of Redlands, California. The groomsmen were David Fagan of North Royalton, Ohio, Daniel Sharff of Estero, Florida , Michael Rubin of Manchester, Connecticut and Corey Tenanes of Brighton, Massachusetts. They wore navy blue tuxedos with lavender ties and lavender bouteniers.

The wedding cake topper used on the couple’s cake was used on the wedding cake of the bride’s grandparents in 1948.

After a honeymoon in Antiqua, the couple will reside in West Hartford, Connecticut.Read more at:high low prom dresses

It happens to you, once and for all, when you are sitting in an auditorium full of cheerful smiles and jolly hearts, that you realise your euphoria is almost ethereal. That you are losing yourself not in the cheers and shouts and screams of everyone around, but in the claustrophobia that seems magically beautiful, rhyming with your soul.

Open your eyes. It is not all a dream. Welcome to Vibes, the grand inter school festival presented by Voices, The Statesman. This euphoria, mentioned just above, doesn't die with the audience leaving the cozy seats of Nazrul Manch. It lives on and on. The music humming itself, the lights shining, sparkling, the time vividly scripted in memory as the best!

If you think Vibes is about flawlessness, then you are wrong. If you think Vibes is about posh food and loads of photographers walking around, or a perfect lucidity in the rhythm of moments, then you are wrong.

Because, the very glitches make Vibes even more remarkable. The chaos of students, in different school uniforms, when they stand in a queue at the registration desk, the ticking clock and raised voices in a parliamentary argument at the debate, the smiles the quiz master leaves on the lips of everyone post the brainstorming quiz, the costumes that dazzle, the music that flares and rises to soothe all anxiety levels during the fashion show, the variety of music that young souls can produce at Music Kazam- Vibes is about this and much more.

It is also about skipping the lunch just for some work, grumbling a bit because you had to miss someone's birthday treat, over working, running about, making arrangements, getting angry at mistakes, feeling good about making new friends, and then, the fun of learning such a lot!

And after weeks of preparation, to see the event come off quite successfully, feel the jingle in your heart coincide with those of everyone present, is Vibes. It is about forgetting differences, making compromises, getting soaked to the skin in sweat and the pleasure of being a part of a memory that shall continue to chase your nostalgia for years from now. Do not believe my words, but at least you can believe in your own senses. Come, be a part of the beauty, find joy and live to the brim one of the best moments that school life could bring to you, ever. Come be a part of Vibes.

Come experience the utopia that we promise to recreate, once again, this year. Perhaps, even better and bigger this time.Read more at:queenieprom.co.uk | high low prom dresses

Dawn Figueroa slips her hands into blue latex gloves and opens the doors of the wooden cabinet to reveal an array of colorful dresses from the early 1900s.

She pulls a lace-trimmed blue silk dress made in Portland from the closet, pointing out the intricate beading and explaining how this style might've been worn on the Titanic.

History surrounds Figueroa at work on the Oregon State University campus. Closets and drawers line the room on the second floor of Milam Hall. Each closet is filled with antique clothing from different countries and time periods that reflect a distinct style.

Figueroa and other OSU experts say they can predict how fashion will change by studying the evolution of style.

Marianne Dickson works in the fashion industry as a designer and teaches at the university. Some of her classes focus on what could be in style next.

"To predict the future," Dickson says, "we look at history."

Figueroa, a museum assistant, researches the origins of each piece in the university's Historic and Cultural Textile and Apparel Collection. She studies and photographs the clothes and catalogues them in an online database, available to students and researchers.

Advances in technology, social attitudes and how people live have influenced fashion trends throughout history, Figueroa said.

For example, with the rising popularity of cars in the 1920s, the length of women's dresses became a problem, she said. So hemlines rose to make it easier for women to get in and out of cars.

Changing attitudes about gender roles during this decade contributed, as well, Figueroa said.

Wars and other significant events also affected what people wore. During World War II, women gave up their nylon stockings and switched to rayon, she said, because nylon was needed to make parachutes.

Today, consumer demands, technology, celebrities and the environment influence fashion.

Dickson previously worked as a designer in Chicago, where she roamed the city with a camera and studied what people were wearing to figure out what was going to be cool.

One of the courses she teaches at the university is Fashion Trend Analysis, which focuses on forecasting trends.

Celebrities and other influential figures have the power to spark a trend, Dickson said. When a celebrity wears a certain product or endorses a brand, there is a rise in the demand for that product. Professional basketball player Stephen Curry's new Under Armour shoes were a perfect example, she said.

"Steph Curry," she said, "is one the best things that ever happened to them."

Consumers also drive some changes in fashion, Dickson said. Greater diversity in models and fashion icons are meeting the consumer interest in seeing different ethnicities, ages and body types.

"I'm tired of seeing girls that I'm never going to look like," she said.

Dickson predicts the industry will continue evolving to relate to everyday people. It's possible, she said, that there will be a decrease in makeup and photo retouching on models.

Another change Dickson wants: "I'd like to see 'plus-size' disappear," she said. "I want that word gone."

As technology advances, Dickson said, designers try to keep up. She wonders whether clothing in the future will integrate touch screens and headphones.

Consumers' concerns about the environment could lead to scientific developments that change fashion, Dickson said. Researchers at the university are working on finding natural dyes to decrease the use of artificial ones that are damaging to the environment.

With a rise in the use of social media, consumers have a voice more than ever before, she said. The fashion industry will have to address the issues that people are raising, including concerns about companies' lack of transparency in how their products are made.

And because of social media, fashion shows reach a wider audience than in years past. In an age of instant gratification, Dickson said, the industry must anticipate the next trend faster and try to make those new items available as soon as consumers want them — which could be as soon as they hit the runway.Read more at:blue prom dresses uk | pink prom dresses

With more and more couples opting for morning weddings, the trend of tying the knot under the sun rather than the stars, is here to stay. While the sun-lit ambience ensures great pictures and you don’t have to stay up all night for the ceremony, making the right choice in terms of outfits is a challenge. We list down top trends from the recent fashion weeks that work perfectly for any day function.

While nothing works better than florals in spring, yellow is the perfect pick for a sunny outing. While pastels and nudes continue to rule the wedding colours, red, blue and pink also make for a great choice . If traditional lehenga is not your thing, twist it up with quirky styling, or opt for sexy shararas and saris.

We can’t stress enough on how big yellow is this season, especially for day functions. We love the contrasting yellow and pink lehenga by designer Anushree Reddy and the bandage blouse takes the style to another level. A yellow anarkali, also by Reddy, can never go wrong.

Subtly embroidered or printed lehengas in light fabrics in blues and reds are a perfect pick for a daytime wedding. You can look beautiful without having to bear the weight of the heavy embroideries and fabrics. Designer Anita Dongre plays with different hues of blue. Designer Niki Mahajan keeps it classy with contrasting red and white. You can’t miss the styling- pearl mathapatti and red flower adds to the look.

Quirk up

You can stand out in the crowd, if you style your ghagra in a quirky way. Designer Rajesh Pratap Singh makes our jaws drop as he pairs the beige skirt with a crisp white shirt and gold jacket. Designer Payal Khandwala gives us style goals with her Indo-western fusion of a crisp white top and a deep pink skirt.

Go sexy in shararas and saris

Are lehengas not your thing? Then, go for a pretty sharara in a bright colour. Ditch the dupatta, avoid contrasts and go for single tone pieces, as seen on designer Nikasha’s runway. You can also go for a sheer sari with subtle bling. Pair it up with a contrasting, stylish blouse, like designer Niki Mahajan.Read more at:girls prom dresses | mermaid prom dresses