<![CDATA[Tag: Fashion – NECN]]> https://www.necn.com/https://www.necn.com/tag/fashion/ Copyright 2024 https://media.necn.com/2019/09/NECN_On_Light-@3x-1.png?fit=354%2C120&quality=85&strip=all NECN https://www.necn.com en_US Wed, 07 Aug 2024 02:11:44 -0400 Wed, 07 Aug 2024 02:11:44 -0400 NBC Owned Television Stations Adidas apologizes for featuring Bella Hadid in 1972 Munich Olympics shoe ad https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/adidas-apologizes-for-featuring-bella-hadid-in-1972-munich-olympics-shoe-ad/3286339/ 3286339 post 9708527 Adidas https://media.necn.com/2024/07/GSzNU6HW4AACJaq.jpeg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Fri, Jul 19 2024 12:07:12 PM
This LL Bean staple is the summer's must-have fashion accessory https://www.necn.com/news/local/this-ll-bean-staple-is-the-summers-must-have-fashion-accessory/3285640/ 3285640 post 9706090 Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2024/07/GettyImages-835041090-copy.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 L.L. Bean created it 80 years ago to haul heavy blocks of ice. Now it’s a must-have summer fashion accessory.

The simple, sturdy canvas bag called the Boat and Tote is having an extended moment 80 years after its introduction, thanks to a social media trend in which they’re monogrammed with ironic or flashy phrases.

New Yorker Gracie Wiener helped get it started by ordering her humble bags from L.L. Bean monogrammed with “Psycho” and then “Prada,” the pricey Italian luxury brand, instead of just her name or initials, and posting about them on Instagram. Then others began showcasing their own unique bags on TikTok.

Soon, it wasn’t enough to have a bag monogrammed with “Schlepper,” “HOT MESS,” “slayyyy” or “cool mom.” Customers began testing the limits of the human censors in L.L. Bean’s monogram department, which bans profanity “or other objectionable words or phrases,” with more provocative wording like “Bite me,” “Dum Blonde” and “Ambitchous.”

Social media fueled the surge, just as it did for Stanley’s tumblers and Trader Joe’s $2.99 canvas bags, which were once selling on eBay for $200, said Beth Goldstein, an analyst at Circana, which tracks consumer spending and trends.

The tote’s revival came at a time when price-conscious consumers were forgoing expensive handbags, sales of which have weakened, and L.L. Bean’s bag fit the bill as a functional item that’s trendy precisely because it’s not trendy, she said. L.L. Bean’s regular bags top out at about $55, though some fancier versions cost upward of $100.

“There’s a trend toward the utilitarian, the simple things and more accessible price points,” she said, and the customization added to the appeal: “Status items don’t have to be designer price points.”

L.L. Bean’s tote was first advertised in a catalog as Bean’s Ice Carrier in 1944 during World War II, when ice chests were common. Then they disappeared before being reintroduced in 1965 as the Boat and Tote.

These days, they’re still made in Maine and are still capable of hauling 500 pounds of ice, but they are far more likely to carry laptops, headphones, groceries, books, beach gear, travel essentials and other common items.

Those snarky, pop-oriented phrases transformed them into a sassy essential and helped them spread beyond Maine, Massachusetts’ Cape Cod and other New England enclaves to places like Los Angeles and New York City, where fashionistas like Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Jessica Parker are toting them — but not necessarily brandished with ironic phrases.

“It’s just one of those things that makes people smile and makes people laugh, and it’s unexpected,” said Wiener, who got it all started with her @ironicboatandtote Instagram page, which she started as a fun side hustle from her job as social media manager for Air Mail, a digital publication launched by former Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter.

The folks at L.L. Bean were both stunned and pleased by the continuing growth. For the past two years, the Boat and Tote has been L.L. Bean’s No. 1 contributor to luring in new customers, and sales grew 64% from fiscal years 2021 to 2023, spokesperson Amanda Hannah said.

The surge in popularity is reminiscent of L.L. Bean’s traditional hunting shoe, the iconic staple for trudging through rain and muck, which enjoyed its own moment a few years back, driven by college students.

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Thu, Jul 18 2024 05:42:46 PM
Jessica Alba's girls wear her past red carpet dresses in rare outing https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/jessica-albas-girls-wear-her-past-red-carpet-dresses-in-rare-outing/3271137/ 3271137 post 9656616 Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix https://media.necn.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157221942-e1719725388449.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,231 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Sun, Jun 30 2024 01:32:12 AM
Summer Style: Lindsay Albanese talks trends, and staples in your wardrobe https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/summer-style-lindsay-albanese-talks-trends-and-staples-in-your-wardrobe/3269194/ 3269194 post 9649687 https://media.necn.com/2024/06/Screenshot_27-6-2024_123932_www.nbcboston.com-1.jpeg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,136 She went from styling some of the biggest names in Hollywood to creating the most innovative hat holder since the hat box to entrepreneur and more. Lindsay Albanese has always had a creative mind but when after several years styling celebrities she wanted to do something different and invented her first product and the rest is history. She talks with Maria about:

  • Her career evolution from celebrity stylist to inventor, entrepreneur & business leader
  • Balancing the business and creative sides of her company (and brain!)
  • Tips to bring an original idea to life
  • Summer style staples
  • Hot takes on hot style trends

For more style & business tips from Lindsay you can follow her on social: @lindsayalbanese

You can also shop ‘The Fileist’: thefileist.com

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Thu, Jun 27 2024 12:43:15 PM
Boston sneaker brand founder finds inspiration in being ‘unapologetically Asian American' https://www.necn.com/news/local/boston-sneaker-brand-founder-finds-inspiration-in-being-unapologetically-asian-american/3245365/ 3245365 post 9572605 Contributed photo https://media.necn.com/2024/05/1587-sneakers.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A new sneaker brand born in West Roxbury is standing on four centuries of Asian American culture.

The 1-year-old company, called 1587, is named for the year Asians first arrived in the United States.

“For us, it’s so important to be not just Asian American, but unapologetically Asian American,” said the company’s co-founder Adam King, 42, who was born in Wellesley.

After working in the sneaker industry for many years, King grew frustrated with what he calls the “crazy” way shoe marketers connect with Asian American consumers.

“They always force a narrative that Asian Americans are uncool, that our culture is less than,” he said. “But I look at my friends and my family like, we’re dope as (expletive). I think we’re awesome. Like, what are you talking about?”

With vibrant images and brash language, there’s an intentionality about defying the stereotypes often associated with Asian Americans.  King, an Emory Business School graduate, believes it’s working. He told NBC10 Boston an average revenue of $50,000 per month is within their reach in year two of operation.  They launched in May 2023.

“Asian Americans are amazing sneaker consumers.  They’re 8% of the population, but they’re like 14% of sales.”

“I really think when you launch you really believe this to be true. You have data. But you don’t know until you launch. So, we are so happy that the message is getting through and resonating.”

The average price for a pair of leather 1587 sneakers is $288.

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Tue, May 28 2024 05:03:09 PM
What happens inside the Met Gala? It's a secret! Here are the rules celebrities must follow https://www.necn.com/entertainment/the-scene/met-gala-rules-celebrities/3228198/ 3228198 post 9497856 Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2024/04/GettyImages-1147534085.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,214 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Sat, May 04 2024 02:30:44 PM
Youthforia's foundation backlash, explained: Why beauty influencers are calling the new shade ‘tar in a bottle' https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/youthforias-foundation-backlash-explained-why-beauty-influencers-are-calling-the-new-shade-tar-in-a-bottle/3225141/ 3225141 post 9507171 Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2024/05/GettyImages-1344416076.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Makeup company Youthforia’s darkest new shade of foundation is being called “tar in a bottle” by critics.

The brand launched in 2021 and landed a “Shark Tank” investment from Mark Cuban last year, with the pitch that the company offers “makeup you can sleep in.”

Golloria George, a beauty influencer, was one of multiple TikTokers to critique the makeup company’s shade rollout. She tested out the darkest shade of Youthforia’s Date Night foundation in a now viral video, which has over 19 million views.

On one side of her face is the product; on the other is black face paint. “You can’t tell the difference,” George said in the video, which also included the “tar in a bottle” descriptor.

George said the foundation “lacks color and is flat.”

By the end of the makeup tutorial, George called for the shade to be “pulled off the shelves” and for the company to add more diverse shades to what it currently offers.

This isn’t the first time the brand has come under fire for its shade range.

Youthforia did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s requests for comment.

Here’s everything to know about the company and the controversy.

What is Youthforia?

Youthforia is a “clean and sustainable makeup company with skin-friendly ingredients,” its website reads. The company prides itself in testing its products by sleeping in them to prove “they’re high-quality treatments for your skin.” In 2023, the company received a $400,000 investment from Cuban on Shark Tank in exchange for 8% equity.

The makeup line is carried at Ulta. Ulta did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment.

As of April that year, the company offered Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation in 15 shades, according to a blog post it released at the time. 

When the line dropped, beauty creators admonished Youthforia for not having more options for darker complexions. Only four of the 15 shades were dark or deep colors. George, in an October 2023 TikTok, tested the darkest shade offered at the time, 495 Deep, and noticed discrepancies between the color of the product out of the bottle and the darker tone in advertising on the website.

Youthforia founder Fiona Co Chan said in a now-deleted initial response at the time that it was a limited launch as “proof of concept” that the product would succeed, NBC News reported.

The foundation selections expanded to 25 shades as of March 2, a separate blog post said.

When the line first dropped, Shade 600, the darkest offered, did not have a photo. Youthforia posted a TikTok video of founder Chan’s quest to find a model. 

“I’m super stressed because I need to find a model for our darkest shade of Youthforia foundation,” Chan says in the video.

She eventually found a subject for Shade 600 at a mall in Dubai, posting a photo to the site.

Why is Youthforia receiving backlash right now?

For many, Youthforia’s way of addressing its limited shade palette is unsatisfactory.

“When we say that we want you guys to make shades for us, we don’t mean to go to the lab and ask for minstrel show black,” George said in her video. “What we mean is to take the browns that you have made, create undertones and do what you need to do in the lab so it’s a darker shade of brown.”

George’s video is one of several to call out the lack of diversity within darker shades available.

Another is from Javon Ford, fellow beauty influencer, who took a look at the pigment in the shades available in a TikTok with more than four million views.

The ingredient lists for other foundations have multiple colors. In comparison, the ingredient list on the darkest shade has only one pigment: CI 77499, which is black iron oxide. TODAY.com can confirm the colors and ingredients are as Ford presented them.

“This foundation literally only has pure black pigment,” Ford said in the video, not allowing for undertones.

Awuoi Matiop, a makeup influencer from South Sudan, often tries on makeup to see if their shades are “dark skin inclusive.” She found Youthforia’s lacking.

“This should be a crime,” Matiop said while trying on the product. “This is what we get when we ask to be included in the beauty industry.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Thu, May 02 2024 12:47:37 PM
Giorgio Armani bags were produced by exploited Chinese workers near Milan, Italian police say https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/giorgio-armani-bags-were-produced-by-exploited-chinese-workers-near-milan-italian-police-say/3203399/ 3203399 post 9437963 Italian Carabinieri Via AP https://media.necn.com/2024/04/AP24096547878339.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Exploited Chinese workers employed in Italy by an unauthorized subcontractor made handbags and accessories for the Giorgio Armani fashion house in a series of supply chain abuses that the in-house production company failed to properly monitor, Italian police said Friday.

The fashion house denied wrongdoing by GA Operations, which produces apparel, accessories and home decor for the Giorgio Armani Group brands.

“The company has always had control and prevention measures in place to minimize abuses in the supply chain,’’ the Armani statement said. “GA Operations will collaborate with the utmost transparency with the competent bodies to clarify its position on the matter.”

According to police, GA Operations hired a subcontractor, which in turn hired unauthorized Chinese subcontractors that employed workers under the table, some of whom were in Italy illegally. They allegedly disregarded health and safety regulations as well as rules governing working hours, breaks and days off.

Police said it was part of a system of caporalato, the illegal intermediation and exploitation of workers most often associated with the agricultural sector. Four Chinese factory owners face a separate criminal investigation for their role.

GA Operations, meanwhile, is not under investigation, but has been placed under judicial administration for up to a year as part of a procedure to ensure legal operations, said Carabinieri Lt. Col. Loris Baldassarre.

A diagram released by police indicated that the Chinese subcontractor was paid 93 euros ($100) for a handbag that the fashion house sold for around 1,800 euros (around $1950). The authorized subcontractor, acting as the middleman but without real production capabilities, was paid 250 euros for the same bag, pocketing 157 euros for each bag, police said.

“The system allows for maximizing profits (in which) the Chinese factory actually produces the products, lowering labor costs by resorting to off-the-books and illegal workers,’’ police said in a statement.

A video released by carabinieri shows a workshop where leather goods were being made, with two beds with blankets in an adjacent office. A second-floor dormitory, reached through a gated stairway, had a set of bunkbeds and another bed strewn with clothes and blankets.

Cooking pots were piled in a filthy bathroom alongside a broken sink and a pot with water containing what appears to be eel. A makeshift kitchen included a gas burner next to a wall splattered with food. Dirty dishes and uneaten food were piled on the sink. Cardboard was taped over windows.

The finding is part of a wider investigation into the fashion supply chain operating in the Milan and Bergamo provinces, which placed bag and accessory maker Alviero Martini Spa under judicial administration in January, Baldassarre said.

In the more recent case, police investigated four illegally operating factories with unhealthy working conditions and a series of safety violations, including illegal dormitories with “sanitary and hygienic conditions below the ethical minimum.”

The factories were ordered closed, and the four Chinese owners facing a separate criminal investigation were handed fines and administrative sanctions totaling 145,000 euros (nearly $157,000).

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Sat, Apr 06 2024 11:31:20 AM
Kylie Kelce details story behind appearance at Milan Fashion Week https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/kylie-kelce-details-story-behind-appearance-at-milan-fashion-week/3172622/ 3172622 post 9334751 Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2024/02/GettyImages-1848474633-e1709142242364.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=200,300 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Wed, Feb 28 2024 12:52:15 PM
Uniqlo sues Shein for allegedly copying its popular ‘Mary Poppins bag' https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/uniqlo-sues-shein-for-allegedly-copying-its-popular-mary-poppins-bag/3139073/ 3139073 post 9226137 David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1939770205.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Uniqlo Co. has sued rival retailer Shein over a small shoulder bag the Japanese retailer said was an inferior and unlawful copy of its hit product touted as the “Mary Poppins bag.”

The lawsuit demanded Shein stop selling its product that Uniqlo said looks too much like its Round Mini Shoulder Bag.

The Uniqlo bag is praised on TikTok and other social media as roomy but also light and compact. The Mary Poppins nickname refers to the 1964 musical starring Julie Andrews in which a nanny pulls just about anything from her magical carpet bag, including a hat stand.

Shein, founded in China but now based in Singapore, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed in Tokyo District Court on Dec. 28 by Tokyo-based Fast Retailing Co., which operates Uniqlo stores.

Uniqlo said Thursday it’s demanding damages of about 160 million yen ($1.1 million) in its lawsuit targeting the three companies that operate Shein, Roadget Business Pte, Fashion Choice Pte and Shein Japan Co.

Uniqlo said Shein’s product was a copyright violation of inferior quality that undermined customer confidence in the Uniqlo brand.

Uniqlo’s bag comes with inner pockets and is billed as durable and water-resistant. In Japan, it costs 1,500 yen, and in the U.S. $19.90, coming in various colors, including light blue and violet.

Uniqlo, which has nearly 2,500 stores in 26 global markets, is behind hit affordable casual clothing like HeatTech thermal underwear.

Shein reaches customers mainly through its app. The company says it uses digital technology to respond nimbly to customer tastes and avoid waste.


Yuri Kageyama is on X https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

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Wed, Jan 17 2024 09:40:10 PM
Pantone color of the year 2024 has us feeling warm and fuzzy https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/pantone-color-of-the-year-2024-has-us-feeling-warm-and-fuzzy/3109921/ 3109921 post 9132261 Pantone https://media.necn.com/2023/12/Blur-Screen-Shot-2023-12-07-at-8.50.08-PM-112-07-2023-20-51-42.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year is “Peach Fuzz,” a color that’s “all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul,” according to the company.

The world’s color authority described the peachy hue as a warm and cozy shade that highlights “our desire for togetherness with others and the feeling of sanctuary this creates” in times of turmoil.

“A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel, and heal and to flourish from whether spending time with others or taking the time to enjoy a moment by ourselves,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement.

Pantone added that the shade was selected to “evoke a new modernity,” while “bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration.”

“Drawing comfort from Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing,” Eiseman said. “An idea as much as a feeling, Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth.”

The selection of Peach Fuzz also marks the 25th anniversary of Pantone’s Color of the Year, the company said. The Pantone Color Institute chose Cerulean Blue as the inaugural color of the year in 1999.

“In the spirit of Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we reflect back on the last 25 years of the Pantone Color of the Year program grateful to provide an avenue where designers and color enthusiasts all over the world can engage in a conversation about color, be inspired by color and showcase their creativity within their communities,” Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing this for many more years to come.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Thu, Dec 07 2023 09:05:23 PM
Sneaker City: Exploring the culture in Boston https://www.necn.com/news/local/sneaker-city-exploring-the-culture-in-boston/3080041/ 3080041 post 9035219 NBC10 Boston https://media.necn.com/2023/10/sneaker-city.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Tue, Oct 31 2023 02:13:10 PM
No reason to split allegiance with new Mama Kelce shirt. Check it out https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/donna-kelce-t-shirt/3073228/ 3073228 post 9010431 https://media.necn.com/2023/10/Donna-Kelce-gets-her-own-shirt.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Her famous sons — Jason and Travis — might get the lion’s share of the attention, but Donna Kelce is getting a chance to shine in the spotlight, too.

The three Kelces star in a new Campbell’s Soup ad, and thousands regularly sport shirts and jerseys in support of the Kelce boys — notably, one relatively famous pop-star most recently.

Now, Mama Kelce is getting into the act with a T-shirt designed by apparel company Homage.

Apparel company, Homage, has unveiled a new t-shirt in honor of Donna Kelce.
Apparel company, Homage, has unveiled a new t-shirt in honor of Donna Kelce.

The T-shirt features a caricature of Donna Kelce, in her signature split jersey with the colors of her sons’ respective teams — the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs — along with the words “rooting for the offense.”

Homage notes on it’s website that a “portion of net proceeds from this product benefit The Heights Schools Foundation, an organization near and dear to Mama Kelce’s heart that provides scholarships, teacher grants, and program funding for current students and staff in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools.”

Both NFL Kelces attended Cleveland Heights High School.

“Growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, my parents were both public school advocates,” Jason Kelce said in a 2019 interview posted by the Philadelphia Citizen. “As athletes, my brother and I both had opportunities to go to private schools, but my parents didn’t want that for us. And while I respect that every family has to figure out the right educational fit for them, I’m so grateful for my parents’ decision.”

The shirt sells for $36.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Mon, Oct 23 2023 09:00:25 AM
Yee-haw! Crocs unveils classic cowboy boots to celebrate Croctober https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/yee-haw-crocs-unveils-classic-cowboy-boots-to-celebrate-croctober/3062185/ 3062185 post 8966545 Crocs https://media.necn.com/2023/10/web-231006-crocs-cowboy-boots.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Giddy-up, Crocs fans.

The shoe company is bucking a trend and releasing a new kind of shoe: cowboy boots.

Crocs Classic Cowboy Boots are here. The company announced the shoes as part of its Croctober campaign and credited its fanbase for manifesting the footwear.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year – Croctober – a time to celebrate the most imaginative fans in the world and this year is no exception,” Crocs Chief Marketing Officer Heidi Cooley said in a press release. “Croc Day was born by our fans so we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate them than by bringing their ideas to life not just for one day, but all month long. At Crocs, we stan our fans!”

The boots are made with a high-shine croc-embossed texture and bold western-inspired stitching. They also have spin-able spurs on the back to add to the cowboy boot feel.

Crocs will begin selling the boots online and at its retail stores starting Oct. 23. Customers will have to pony up $120 to get the boots in men’s and women’s sizes.

The Croctober festivities won’t end there. The company will unveil a “Crocstellation” – a constellation outlined as a giant Classic Clog – on Oct. 25 to commemorate Croc Nation.

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Fri, Oct 06 2023 11:20:54 AM
Pamela Anderson shares why she's decided to go makeup-free https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/pamela-anderson-shares-why-shes-decided-to-go-makeup-free/3059819/ 3059819 post 8956084 (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images) https://media.necn.com/2023/10/GettyImages-1709782662.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Pamela Anderson has been at the forefront of fashion and beauty trends since the early aughts. These days, the model and actor continues to do so in a new way.

One of those ways is by embracing a makeup-free look, just like she did at Paris Fashion Week. The 56-year-old star first arrived at The Row runway show on Sept. 27 sans makeup and follow-up the same beauty routine at the Isabel Marant the next day.

Pamela Anderson at the Isabel Marant womenswear spring/summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 28, 2023. STEPHANE CARDINALE / Corbis via Getty Images

Wearing designer looks, looked happier than ever as she continued her makeup-free spree at the Vivienne Westwood show and Victoria Beckham runway show on Sept. 30.

“An adventure in Paris with fresh eyes…” Anderson wrote on her Instagram that same day, sharing photos from her time at Paris Fashion Week. “There is beauty in self acceptance, imperfection and love.”

Many people were happy to see a new side of Anderson, including Jamie Lee Curtis who declared that a “natural beauty revolution” has commenced.

“THE NATURAL BEAUTY REVOLUTION HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! @pamelaanderson in the middle of fashion week with so many pressures and postures, and and and, this woman showed up and claimed her seat at the table with nothing on her face,” Curtis captioned photos of Anderson. “I am so impressed and floored by this act of courage and rebellion.”

Pamela Anderson at the Vivienne Westwood show at Pavillon Vendôme on Sept. 30, 2023 in Paris, France.Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images / Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images

While some agreed with Curtis, others pointed out the societal pressures and beauty standards that many women face, especially as one ages.

Anderson, on her end, has previously shared why she has decided to sport a more stripped-down look. She told Elle in August that early in her career she “just went along with what people were telling me what to do” with how she looked.

But after her makeup artist, Alexis Vogel, died from breast cancer, Anderson decided to leave her signature, pin-up look behind.

“She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it’s just better for me not to wear makeup,” she told the magazine, adding that the move has been “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too. Because I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and it’s just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite what everyone’s doing.”

Additionally, in an interview with i-D, which she shared on her Instagram on Oct. 2, the former “Baywatch” star revealed that her biggest beauty secret these days is: “Don’t do anything.”

“Wake up, whatever is happening is just happening. It’s all about self acceptance. This is the chapter of my life I’m trying to embrace now,” she said, before sharing her new mantra. “Well, sometimes it’s challenging, and you just have to understand that you’re good enough and that you are beautiful. I like to say the word life-ing instead of aging, chasing youth is just futile.”

Anderson added that she’s all about walking out the door as herself, “I feel like a relief, just a weight off my shoulders — and I actually like it better. I’m dressing for me now, not for everybody else.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Tue, Oct 03 2023 10:48:41 AM
6-year-old Penn. boy wins National Mullet Championship https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/montco-boy-wins-the-national-mullet-competition/3033007/ 3033007 post 8801694 https://media.necn.com/2023/08/mullet-better.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all It’s all business in the front, party in the back and a lot of hair gel for this Pennsylvania kid.

A 6-year-old boy from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania won after he advanced to the final round in the 2023 USA Mullet Championship.

Rory Ehrlich, of West Pottsgrove Township, was a contestant in the kid’s division of the competition and beat out hundreds of contestants.

Rory’s mother Airen Ehrlich said that a year ago when he visited the barbershop he asked for the mullet hairstyle and stuck with it ever since.

Each person in the competition is asked to name their mullet and Rory calls his “Cheeder Wiz” after his favorite way to order his cheesesteak.

The funds raised from the contest support former NFL star Jared Allen’s Homes For Wounded Warriors, an organization that helps build accessible, and mortgage-free homes for critically injured U.S. Military Veterans.

So far, Rory’s mullet has raised over $1,000 through all of the votes and the cause behind the contest hits close to home for his family because his father is a retired Air Force Veteran.

As the winner of the competition, Rory takes home a cash prize and receives the USA Mullet Championship trophy.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Wed, Aug 16 2023 04:07:14 PM
Blake Lively hops over rope at Kensington Palace to fix Met Gala dress display https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/blake-lively-hops-over-rope-at-kensington-palace-to-fix-met-gala-dress-display/3021154/ 3021154 post 7089983 Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2022/05/GettyImages-1395031236.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Thu, Jul 27 2023 01:57:41 PM
See the kids competing for best mullet in the country https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/see-the-kids-competing-for-best-mullet-in-the-country/3019603/ 3019603 post 8775283 Locks of Glory https://media.necn.com/2023/07/web-230725-mullets-locks-of-glory.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 When voting in this tournament, you may need to mullet over. 

Picking the kid with the best mullet in the country is not an easy choice, but it’s time to get down to business…in the front at least, it’s obviously a party in the back. 

Locks of Glory is holding its another edition of the USA Mullet Championships, allowing voters to pick their favorite “business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back” hairdo for children of various age groups. 

Online voting is now open at mulletchamp.com to help determine the finalists. Voters also have the option of donating to Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, with each donation made on behalf of the contestant of their choosing. The top mullet will be selected using a weighted system that incorporates voting results, fundraising and judging to form a combined total score.   

The winner receives a cash prize and a USA Mullet Championships trophy. 

The contest began in 2020 in Michigan when small business owner Kevin Begola noticed the hairstyle making a comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of access to barbers and hair stylists at the time led some to get creative with their unusually long locks, leading to what Begola said was a surge in mullets.  

The mullet showdown has since expanded to include contests for kids, teens, men, women and 55 and over.

Check out all of the contestants at mulletchamp.com. Here’s a look at some of the kids competing in this year’s competition, one of whom could become the next mullet legend.

Jonathan McFarland
Jonathan McFarland of Ohio is competing in the kids 1-4 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Ezra Lawless
Ezra Lawless of Missouri is competing in the kids 1-4 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Ronin Leng
Ronin Leng of California is competing in the kids 1-4 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Gunner Meadors
Gunner Meadors of Kentucky is competing in the kids 5-8 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Lincoln Hynson
Lincoln Hynson of Georgia is competing in the kids 5-8 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Sylar Wideman
Sylar Wideman of South Carolina is competing in the kids 5-8 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Garren Haney
Garren Haney of North Carolina is competing in the kids 9-12 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Kyle Fladung
Kyle Fladung of Colorado is competing in the kids 9-12 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
Andy Hancock
Andy Hancock of Georgia is competing in the kids 9-12 division of the 2023 USA Mullet Championships. (Locks of Glory)
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Tue, Jul 25 2023 04:39:05 PM
Actor, singer and style icon Jane Birkin dies in Paris at age 76 https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/actress-singer-and-style-icon-jane-birkin-dies-in-paris-at-age-76/3013971/ 3013971 post 8753301 AP https://media.necn.com/2023/07/AP23197419350861.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,205 Actor and singer Jane Birkin, who made France her home and charmed the country with her English grace, natural style and social activism, has died at age 76.

The London-born star and fashion icon was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their songs notably included the steamy “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”). Birkin’s ethereal, British-accented singing voice interlaced with his gruff baritone in the 1969 duet that helped make her famous and was forbidden in Italy after being denounced in the Vatican newspaper.

The style Birkin displayed in the 1960s and early 1970s — long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knit mini dresses and basket bags — still epitomizes the height of French chic for many women around the world.

Birkin was also synonymous with a Hermes bag that bore her name. Created by the Paris fashion house in 1984 in her honor, the Birkin bag became one of the world’s most exclusive luxury items, with a stratospheric price tag and years-long waiting list to buy it.

In her adopted France, Birkin was also celebrated for her political activism and campaigning for Amnesty International, Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, the fight against AIDS and other causes.

“You can always do something,” Birkin said in 2001, drumming up support for an Amnesty campaign against torture. “You can say, ‘I am not OK with that.’”

She joined five monks on a march through the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 to demand that Myanmar let foreign aid workers into the country to help cyclone victims.

In 2022, she joined other screen and music stars in France in chopping off locks of their hair in support of protesters in Iran. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Birkin’s daughter with Gainsbourg and also an actor in her own right, cut off a snippet of her mother’s hair for the “HairForFreedom” campaign as Iran was engulfed by anti-government protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Birkin as a “complete artist,” noting that her soft voice went hand-in-hand with her “ardent” activism.

“Jane Birkin was a French icon because she was the incarnation of freedom, sang the most beautiful words of our language,” he tweeted.

French media reported that Birkin was found dead at her Paris home. The French Culture Ministry tweeted that Birkin died Sunday. It hailed her as a “timeless Francophone icon.”

Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak called Birkin “the most French British person” and “the emblem for a whole epoch who never went out of fashion.”

Outside Birkin’s home on Paris’ Left Bank, fans mourned her death.

“She was a poet, a singer, an artist,” said Marie-Jo Bonnet. “She gave the best of herself and that’s marvelous.”

Birkin’s early movie credits included “Blow-Up” in 1966, credited with helping introduce French audiences to her “Swinging Sixties” style and beauty.

Birkin and Gainsbourg met two years later. She remained his muse even after the couple separated in 1980.

She also had a daughter, Kate, with James Bond composer John Barry. Kate Barry died in 2013 at age 46. Birkin had her third daughter, singer and model Lou Doillon, with French director Jacques Doillon.

Birkin suffered from health issues in recent years that kept her from performing and her public appearances became sparse.

French broadcaster BFMTV said Birkin suffered a mild stroke in 2021, forcing her to cancel shows that year. She canceled her shows again in March due to a broken shoulder blade.

A return to performing was put off in May, with the singer saying she needed a bit more time and promising her fans she would see them again come the fall.

Despite her decades-long screen and music career, Birkin suspected that, for some people, the bag named after her might be her most famous legacy.

The fashion accessory was born of a fortuitous encounter on a London-bound flight in the 1980s with the then-head of Hermes, Jean-Louis Dumas. Birkin recounted in subsequent interviews that they got talking after she spilled some of her things on the cabin floor. She asked Dumas why Hermes didn’t make a bigger handbag and sketched out on an airplane vomit sack the sort of bag that she’d like.

Dumas then had an example made for her and, flattered, she said yes when Hermes asked whether it could commercialize the bag in her name.

In a CBS Sunday Morning interview in 2018, Birkin joked that it might be what she’s best known for.

“I thought, ‘Oh gosh, on my obituary, it will say, ‘Like the bag’ or something,’” she said. “Well, it could be worse.”

___

AP journalists Mallika Sen in New York and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.

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Sun, Jul 16 2023 10:20:59 AM
Y2K fashion has taken over. And Gen Z is loving it https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/y2k-fashion-has-taken-over-and-gen-z-is-loving-it/3009805/ 3009805 post 8737085 AP https://media.necn.com/2023/07/AP23178839894591.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 First came the supposed death of skinny jeans. Then, the resurgence of cargo pants, halter tops and baby tees.

If there’s one thing retailers can agree on, it’s that Gen Z is hot for the early 2000s fashion trends now booming in popularity.

College interns and young workers are donning wide-legged slacks at the office. The claw clip, a retro hair staple, is back; as are mesh tops, miniskirts and a host of colorful apparel that can make consumers look like they stepped out of a Disney Channel show from 2004.

Fueled by social media platforms including TikTok, the so-called Y2K trend resurfaced as consumers began attending parties and going out after pandemic lockdowns. What began with hair accessories like butterfly clips and the comeback of straight-leg jeans has expanded to all-denim garments, cargo and flare pants and everything shiny, among other looks.

Casey Lewis, a New York trend analyst, noted so many micro trends — often tagged with the suffix “core” — cranked up in the past few years that she created a newsletter about them.

Think “Barbiecore” and “mermaidcore,” which highlight the hot pink reminiscent of Mattel Inc.’s Barbie doll or sheer materials with ocean-like hues and sequins. There’s also “coastal granddaughter,” the youthful update that evolved from the “coastal grandmother” trend featuring oversized cardigans and linen sets.

“Gen Z is not even close to being done revisiting these old trends,” said Lewis, whose “After School” newsletter documents youth consumer behavior. “They are going to dig into every weird trend from way back when and bring it back.”

Retailers from high-end Nordstrom to discounters and fast fashion outlets are pushing the styles in campaigns and on shelves. And consumers seem to be eating it up.

Sales of women’s cargo pants jumped 81% from January to May, the latest month of available data, according to Circana, which tracks retail purchases. Low-cost fashion chains H&M and Zara say they’re seeing success with biker jackets, denim garments and crop tops. And Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein, which markets to young women, said its baby tee sales have tripled this year, making them by far the hottest t-shirt style of 2023.

The company also is seeing a big jump in sales of flared pants, corset tops, metallic-colored clothing and women’s track suits, which are often made from bright velour fabric reminiscent of some wardrobe choices by socialite Paris Hilton at the height of her popularity.

Style watchers classify it as part of the McBling era, which overlaps with Y2K but emphasizes flashier items personified by brands like Juicy Couture and Baby Phat, the iconic streetwear line by TV personality and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, which relaunched in 2019.

As always, trends are fueled by celebrities like model Bella Hadid, whose outfit choices are analyzed by fashion magazines and other on-lookers. Style also bubbles up directly from consumers via social media, challenging retailers accustomed to runway shows setting the tone.

“There’s not a year advanced notice that these trends are going to trickle down,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an analyst who covers fashion apparel for Circana.

Retailers, including Macy’s and Walmart, said they are paying closer attention to what pops up on social sites and analyzing topics searched by users. But it can be challenging to recognize the difference between trends that just generate attention versus those shoppers will actually buy, said Jake Bjorseth, who runs trndsttrs, an agency helping companies reach young consumers.

Alison Hilzer, Walmart editorial director for fashion apparel, said she’s also seeing a lot of micro trends. Some have more longevity than others, making it challenging to figure out when to jump on them.

The discounter, which is marketing Y2K inspired cargo pants and Barbiecore, has been speeding up development to get trends to market faster, though the company declined to offer more specific details. Walmart also is following key influencers such as Alix Earle, who has collaborated with A-listers including Selena Gomez.

Despite retailers catering to young consumers, many aren’t really buying. Instead, they are wearing items from each others’ closets, helping fuel a resale market that has tripled since 2020, according to research by Boston Consulting Group and Vestiare Collective, a French luxury resale site. Affordability was the primary driver, but shoppers also bought used items to be more planet-friendly.

Yasmeen Bekhit, a 22-year-old graduate student in Manheim, Pennsylvania, said she frequents a local thrift shop almost every week and shops at resale sites like Depop, which offers Y2K-heavy options such as baguette bags and baggy jeans.

Bekhit typically gravitates toward looser, flowy pants, flare-legged jeans and tighter shirts like mesh tops, which help her stay cooler in the summer while wearing a hijab. She’s inspired by the way former Disney Channel stars like Gomez and Hilary Duff used to style themselves, she said.

Popular TikTok influencer Aliyah Bah, who amassed more than 2.5 million followers showcasing her Y2K-inspired look known as “Aliyahcore,” also inspires Bekhit. The look is a bit more alternative, often featuring miniskirts or shorts matched with crop tops, fishnet stockings and furry knee-high boots.

“I really love her way of styling outfits,” Bekhit said.

But for everyday, Bekhit said she typically looks up outfit ideas on social media and puts her own twist on them.

Retro hair also is making a splash. Tahlya Loveday, a master stylist at the The Drawing Room New York Salon, said she has seen a lot more ’90s and Y2K trends, like spiky updos and space buns, bouncy blow-dried looks and block coloring, where sections of hair are colored in contrasting colors. Gen Z clients embrace those looks more than millennials, she said.

“For Gen Z, this is all new to them,” Circana’s Classi-Zummo said. “They’re really not reliving it. So while we might see it as something that’s cyclical and coming back, they’re kind of getting it for the first time.”

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Sun, Jul 09 2023 02:08:47 PM
Influencers are under fire for praising working conditions in Shein's clothing factory despite abuse allegations https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/influencers-are-under-fire-for-praising-working-conditions-in-sheins-clothing-factory-despite-abuse-allegations/3003479/ 3003479 post 8711312 CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/06/GettyImages-1252658389.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,170 Influencers who went on a trip to fast-fashion giant Shein’s manufacturing facilities in China came away from the experience posting videos praising the company and throwing cold water on allegations of forced labor and other abuses.

Viewers were skeptical of the influencers’ videos and believed the creators were presented with a sanitized version of the actual conditions at Shein.

Influencers including Dani Carbonari (@danidmc), AuJené Butler (@itsjustajlove), Marina Saavedra (@marinasaavedraa) and Destene Sudduth (itsdestene_) visited the Shein facilities in Guangzhou, China. None of them immediately responded to requests for comment.

In their videos, the influencers said they spoke to employees about their working conditions and were told everything was “normal.” They also emphasized how clean and technologically-advanced the factories were.

There have been reports of alleged forced labor abuses, human rights violations and potentially hazardous materials in clothing at Shein. The company has denied forced labor allegations and told NBC News in an emailed statement Monday that, “SHEIN is committed to transparency and this trip reflects one way in which we are listening to feedback, providing an opportunity to show a group of influencers how SHEIN works through a visit to our innovation center and enabling them to share their own insights with their followers.”

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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Tue, Jun 27 2023 09:20:44 AM
Pharrell fuses entertainment and fashion for confident Louis Vuitton menswear debut https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/pharrell-fuses-entertainment-and-fashion-for-confident-louis-vuitton-menswear-debut/3000558/ 3000558 post 8698565 Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/06/GettyImages-1500126234.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Unveiling a new chapter in its illustrious history, Louis Vuitton made an indelible mark on Paris Fashion Week’s men’s shows as they premiered the debut collection by the acclaimed musician-turned-designer, Pharrell Williams. Appointed in February to fill the immense shoes left by the tragic departure of the late Virgil Abloh, Williams unveiled his design prowess to the fashion world with a show that exuded confidence and creativity.

The breathtaking venue for this sartorial spectacle was none other than Paris’s iconic Pont Neuf. The historic bridge, typically resplendent with time-worn stone, was transformed into a golden runway — a dramatic stage set against the backdrop of the shimmering Seine, under the starlit Parisian sky.

The event drew a constellation of stars in their own right, forming a stellar audience that encompassed icons of music, sports and entertainment. Among the guests lining the gilded cobbles were music royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z, NBA superstar LeBron James, and global pop phenomenon Rihanna. Each added their own unique sparkle to the glitz and glamour of the occasion.

Williams’ first show proved to be an ambitious endeavor, interweaving the luxury and sophistication of high fashion with the pulsating energy and broad appeal of pop culture and entertainment. This was more than just a runway presentation; it was an immersive experience that captured the imagination of those fortunate enough to witness it firsthand.

The grand finale was a spectacular concert by Jay-Z. The electrifying performance brought the crowd to its feet, their excitement reaching a crescendo as Pharrell himself took to the stage to join his longtime collaborator.

Here are some highlights of spring-summer 2024 shows:

As the sunlight filled the storied halls of Louis Vuitton’s headquarters, Pharrell Williams stepped into his new role as the fashion house’s menswear designer. His appointment symbolizes more than a career shift. It represents a daring move by the luxury brand to entrust this position to a music artist and cultural influencer, not a classically trained designer. But for Pharrell, he doesn’t feel the pressure to prove himself – he was chosen for this role.

“I didn’t feel any of that because if I was competing for it and people kept telling me, no don’t do it, I may have felt that way. But the difference is, I was chosen,” said Pharrell to a select group of reporters, including the AP. This sense of being chosen by the universe, or by Louis Vuitton, carries a sense of destiny for him. “So like when you’re chosen, you just kind of ride the wave,” he said.

But stepping into the designer role isn’t just about fulfilling his personal destiny. Williams also feels that he’s carrying on the legacy of the late Virgil Abloh, the first black Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton and a personal friend. “My appointment is a tribute,” said Williams, who sees his work as a continuation of the journey Abloh began.

The influence of Black culture, and the struggles the community has faced, is a strong driving force for Pharrell. He reflected on the unique flavor of American Black culture and its widespread appeal. “I think it’s something in the sauce,” he said. “And people like it when they try it.”

Williams emphasized the hard-earned global recognition of this cultural “sauce,” exemplified in the influence of figures like LeBron James, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Prince, and Basquiat. “A lot of people lost their lives and suffered through the experiences to get us to these positions,” he noted, underscoring the painful history that fuels his desire to honor his community through his work at Louis Vuitton.

Pharrell’s love for life, the moment, and opportunities, imbue his approach to design. “LV is for Louis Vuitton, but it’s also ‘lover’,” he mused. His interpretation of the Louis Vuitton initials signifies his intention to pour love and appreciation into his work, carrying the legacy of Black culture forward in a space where it has been historically underrepresented.

Williams already has exciting plans in motion, including a collaboration with Black American artist Henry Taylor, featuring Black faces lined up like the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram. He also revealed a campaign featuring Rihanna, another influential Black artist. “It’s not lost on me that I’m afforded this opportunity to tell these stories,” he said.

Despite his lack of a traditional design background, Pharrell Williams is stepping confidently into his new role at Louis Vuitton. Chosen by the brand and feeling no pressure to prove himself, he sees this opportunity as a chance to honor Black culture, carry on Virgil Abloh’s legacy, and share his love for life through design. His journey is one to watch, as he navigates the fashion world with his unique “sauce,” paying tribute to his roots and making his mark in high fashion.

The pulse of Paris was set alight as music icon Pharrell Williams unveiled a debut fusing streetwear aesthetics into the French maison’s traditional lineage. The fashion show epitomized high-voltage energy, reverberating through the audience and culminating in a standing ovation for Williams.

The world-renowned musician, known for his genre-blurring creativity, masterfully orchestrated an event that transcended the typical realm of a runway show. The roster of attendees read like a who’s who of the entertainment industry, underscoring the hotly anticipated occasion. Notably present were Beyoncé, new brand ambassador Zendaya, and Rihanna, whose arrival in sync with the show’s climax was nothing short of theatrical.

Jay-Z’s live performance heightened the spectacle, electrifying audiences with concert-like energy. The event venue — on Paris’s oldest bridge draped in a gold Damier pattern — was a symbolic nod to the brand’s longstanding tradition, hinting at key elements in Williams’ debut collection.

The runway show mirrored a music video’s high energy, perhaps a testament to the influence of parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s meteoric reach. Williams, an emblem of multifaceted artistry, had earlier hinted at his collection during his Virginia-based music festival, introducing “LVers,” a playful take on the state’s slogan, “Virginia Is for Lovers.”

Playing on the LV codes, Williams’ collaboration with American pixel artist E.T. for a digital motif and the use of Henry Taylor’s micro-embroideries added a further dimension to his debut lineup. The collection was replete with pixelated designs on a broad spectrum of pieces, alongside the Damier pattern — which graces the house’s bags — amplified in shades of yellow and black.

Channeling gender-fluid appeal, Williams showcased an exhaustive show spanning checkerboard-patterned denim to a sophisticated cream evening jacket. The line, marked by photo prints of the Pont Neuf and a uniquely designed coat with a shaved monogram motif, also underscored his flair for distinct aesthetics.

As the show drew to a close, an emotional Williams emerged to take a bow, wiping away tears and pointing skyward in a heartfelt thank you. The applause that followed was a thunderous affirmation of the musician’s successful transition into the realm of luxury fashion.

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Wed, Jun 21 2023 11:48:46 AM
See All the Spectacular Hats and Celebrities from the 2023 Kentucky Derby https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/see-all-the-spectacular-hats-from-the-2023-kentucky-derby/2976116/ 2976116 post 8160151 Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs https://media.necn.com/2023/05/web-230506-kentucky-derby-hats-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The hats at the Kentucky Derby are as synonymous with the event as the horses themselves. The attendees of the 149th Run for the Roses turned out in towering hats and delicate fascinators in eye-catching colors and styles. As they say in the South, “the taller the hat, the closer to God.”


Whether it’s a wide-brimmed “Southern Belle” inspired Kentucky Derby hat decorated with flowers, ribbons, bows or feathers, a sunhat or a fascinator, the fashion accessory is a beloved tradition at Churchill Downs. See the spectacular hats in every shade from indigo to bright yellow, orange, green and various shades of purple.

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Sat, May 06 2023 06:15:11 PM
Pregnant Rihanna Finally Graced the 2023 Met Gala With Her Very Fashionable (Late!) Presence https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/pregnant-rihanna-finally-graced-the-2023-met-gala-with-her-very-fashionable-late-presence/2973301/ 2973301 post 8147920 Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/05/GettyImages-1487033262-e1683028014821.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,180 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Mon, May 01 2023 10:43:40 PM
See How Janelle Monáe Stripped Down on the 2023 Met Gala Red Carpet https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/see-how-janelle-monae-stripped-down-on-the-2023-met-gala-red-carpet/2973313/ 2973313 post 8147934 Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/05/GettyImages-1487018707-e1683028941736.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,177 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Mon, May 01 2023 10:43:40 PM
17 Surprising Met Gala Secrets Revealed: $30,000 Tickets, an Age Limit and Absolutely No Selfies https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/17-surprising-met-gala-secrets-revealed-30000-tickets-an-age-limit-and-absolutely-no-selfies/2972047/ 2972047 post 8144862 Matt Winkelmeyer/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue https://media.necn.com/2023/05/GettyImages-1401720023-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Sat, Apr 29 2023 10:05:33 AM
Met Gala 2023: When, Who, Theme and More FAQs Ahead of Fashion's Biggest Night https://www.necn.com/entertainment/the-scene/its-met-gala-time-again-heres-what-we-know-so-far/2970028/ 2970028 post 7090738 https://media.necn.com/2022/05/MetGalaStyle2022050222_1920x1080_2029341251591.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Sat, Apr 22 2023 12:57:25 PM
Mary Quant, Designer Who Epitomized Swinging 60s, Dies at 93 https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/mary-quant-designer-who-epitomized-swinging-60s-dies-at-93/2962785/ 2962785 post 8095620 Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/04/mary-quant.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized Swinging London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, has died. She was 93.

Quant’s family said she died “peacefully at home” in Surrey, southern England, on Thursday.

Quant helped popularize the miniskirt — some credit her with inventing it — and the innovative tights that went along with it, creating dresses and accessories that were an integral part of the look. She created mix-and-match, simple garments that had an element of whimsy. Some compared her impact on the fashion world to the Beatles’ impact on pop music.

“I think it was a happy confluence of events, which is really what fashion is so often all about,” said Hamish Bowles, international editor at large for American Vogue magazine. “She was the right person with the right sensibility in the right place at the right time. She appeared on the scene at the exact cusp of the ’60s.”

He said Quant was also an astute businesswoman who was one of the first to understand how branding oneself as a creative force could help her sustain her business and branch out into new fields, like cosmetics.

Quant was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the “youthquake” that took hold in the 1960s. She sensed that the days of the exclusive salons were numbered, and thought that even the great Parisian designers would follow ready-to-wear trends.

The look she created was sexy and fun, a sharp break with the predictable floral day dresses commonly worn after the war, when food rationing was still in place and tight household budgets meant there was little disposable income.

Quant introduced miniskirts with hemlines up to 8 inches above the knee to the London scene in 1966 and they were an instant hit with young people, in part because they shocked and offended many.

Models wear Mary Quant's creations in London, August 1967. Many of Quant's creations, like the miniskirt, remain in fashion today.
Models wear Mary Quant’s creations in London, August 1967. Many of Quant’s creations, like the miniskirt, remain in fashion today.

Some insist she first developed the style, but many also credit French designer Andre Courreges, whose 1964 spring collection included minidresses that were popular in Paris but did not have widespread impact outside of France. Others cite the short skirts worn by actress Anne Francis in the 1956 film “Forbidden Planet” as the first example of the miniskirt.

Whether or not she was the first to design them, there is no doubt that it was Quant who figured out how to market the miniskirt to the masses.

While Courreges came from a haute couture tradition and his clothes were expensive items aimed at a limited audience, Quant used a variety of materials and colors to make miniskirts popular with young women on a limited budget.

She shot to the top of the fashion scene at the time when the Beatles and Rolling Stones dominated the music world, and she was forever linked to the heady freedoms of those days.

“Change was in the air,” said Sonnet Stanfill, fashion curator at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, which displays some of Quant’s work. “She identified the youthful market. And she had an unerring sense of what her customers wanted to wear. After the war, there was this need for an alternative for younger women, and she absolutely provided that.”

The clothes became wildly popular and were worn by models like Twiggy and Pattie Boyd, who was then married to Beatles guitarist George Harrison.

Asked by the Guardian newspaper in 1967 if her clothes could be considered “vulgar” because they were so revealing, Quant replied that she loved vulgarity and embraced it.

“Good taste is death, vulgarity is life,” she said, adding that the provocative poses of her models reflected the new sexual openness of the times, which was fueled by the development of the birth control pill. She said the availability of contraceptive pills made it possible for women to enjoy sex and decide for themselves whether to conceive.

Born Feb. 11, 1934, the daughter of schoolteachers, Quant studied art education at Goldsmith’s College in London before moving into the fashion field, working first as an apprentice to a hat-maker before trying her own designs.

With the help of her wealthy husband and business partner, Alexander Plunket Greene, and the accountant Archie McNair, she opened Bazaar in Chelsea in 1955, at first relying on innovative window displays to bring in younger customers.

“Snobbery has gone out of fashion, and in our shops you will find duchesses jostling with typists to buy the same dress,” Quant once said. She called the store “a sophisticated candy store for grown-ups.”

Bazaar became a focal point for the young and the beautiful and those who wanted to rub shoulders with them, and her presence there helped make the neighborhood a favored destination. Small restaurants, bistros and pubs all flourished and other boutiques opened, giving Chelsea’s King’s Road the feel of a perpetual party.

The shop was such a success that she soon moved into other parts of London and began exporting her clothes to the United States, where the “British invasion” was in full swing.

She was unusual in that she often modeled her own clothes, appearing lovely and naturally confident in her own fashions, usually with her hair styled in a distinctive, angular bob by hairdresser Vidal Sassoon.

She soon diversified her interests, developing a popular makeup line and also moving into kitchenware and household accessories.

The makeup proved extremely profitable, particularly in Japan, where Quant retained a devoted following.

Quant was also credited with introducing hot pants and micro-minis to the fashion scene in the late 1960s.

She was made an Officer of the British Empire for service to the fashion industry in 1966, wearing a trademark miniskirt when she received the honor at Buckingham Palace.

Quant stepped down from the day-to-day management of her firm, Mary Quant Ltd., in 2000 after it was purchased by a Japanese company, but kept working as a consultant.

The firm continued to use the daisy motif and logo that Quant pioneered in the 1960s, and it maintained one shop in London in addition to roughly 200 shops in Japan.

___

Former AP correspondent Gregory Katz contributed biographical material to this story before his death in 2020.

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Thu, Apr 13 2023 09:45:10 AM
Death of Acclaimed NYC Fashion Designer Who Dressed Gaga Ruled Homicide 8 Months Later https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/manhattan-fashion-designer-katie-gallaghers-death-ruled-homicide-8-months-later/2952071/ 2952071 post 7986555 Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/03/katie-gallagher-photo.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all

What to Know

  • Eight months ago, a 35-year-old woman was found dead in her Manhattan bed. The NYPD just identified her as Kathryn Marie Gallagher and said her death had been ruled a homicide
  • The medical examiner’s office said Gallagher, an acclaimed fashion designer who had more than two dozen collections under her own label and showed at Fashion Week in both New York and Paris, died of a toxic drug combination and ruled the manner “drug-facilitated theft;’ the NYPD didn’t elaborate
  • Gallagher had been working on a Fall 2022 collection at the time of her death; Lady Gaga and Laverne Cox are among the icons dressed by her, her sisters wrote in an obituary shared on the alumni page for the Rhode Island School of Design, which she attended

It was July 24, 2022. NYPD officers responding to a 911 call at a Manhattan apartment building found a 35-year-old woman unresponsive in a bedroom. She had no obvious signs of trauma.

On Friday, eight months to the day she was found, police identified the woman as Kathryn Marie Gallagher, a Pennsylvania-born painter and “internationally-recognized fashion designer,” according to her obituary.

And they declared her case a homicide.

The medical examiner’s office, reached Friday, said Gallagher died of acute toxication by the combined effects of alcohol, fentanyl, ethanol and p-fluorofentanyl. The latter is a designer drug linked to overdose deaths in eight states between late 2020 and June 2021, according to the CDC. The city medical examiner also said Gallagher died by drug-facilitated theft, indicating someone may have drugged Gallagher to steal something, though the NYPD didn’t elaborate.

Gallagher was found on a bed in her Eldridge Street apartment shortly before 9 p.m. that summer night in July. She was pronounced dead at the scene. It wasn’t clear from police Friday what, if anything, was missing from her home.

Drug-facilitated theft was also listed as the manners of death for two men — one a beloved social worker, the other a political consultant visiting from Washington, D.C., who mysteriously died in separate incidents after leaving Hell’s Kitchen bars in 2022. Both of their bank accounts were drained. Police sources said Gallagher’s is separate from those ones, and is still under investigation.

Police sources have linked Gallagher’s death to 26 others, including five deaths on the Lower East Side, although there’s no official indication the case is connected. In regards to the other cases, police charged Kenwood Allen with the deaths of two men. Alen was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in December.

Gallagher’s family said in a statement to NBC New York that “the homicide determination shared by the medical examiner today affirms what we knew: Katie was the victim of a crime. We have been holding this information while awaiting the official ruling. Sharing this news helps us set the record straight, demand accountability, and grieve more openly.”

The family’s statement went on to say that they are “grateful for any developments that help us move forward, focus on Katie’s life and legacy, and bring more awareness to fentanyl and similar drugs being used as weapons against innocent people.”

According to an obituary published on the alumni page for the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Gallagher established her own fashion line — Katie Gallagher — in New York City in 2010. She completed more than two dozen collections under that label that premiered during New York and Paris fashion weeks and had been working on her 27th collection at the time of her death. Her sisters wrote she had planned to show that collection in Fall 2022.

The obituary, shared by her sisters, says she dressed the likes of Lady Gaga and Laverne Cox, and says her work has been featured in magazines like Vogue, “The Cut,” “Elle” and “Glamour” over the years. Gallagher moved to Chinatown after attending RISD following a childhood in rural Pennsylvania, and it was there she honed her craft, it said.

The sisters described a fearless designer committed to excellence, one with a heart, and touch, so gently magnanimous that people and even animals were drawn to her.

“Like A.A. Milne’s Eeyore, she preferred gloomy days and cold rain. As a child, she was drawn to the woods, mixing potions and playing there with her sisters. Animals were drawn to her gentle and calm demeanor. She could talk to them and once even touched a deer in the stillness of the trees. She loved poetry and heavy metal,” her obituary read. “She felt deeply, though she couldn’t always articulate it, and she had an enormous, forgiving heart. When she was younger, she was an obsessive athlete, a gymnast, and a state-qualifying long-distance runner. Katie loved Halloween, witches, and ghosts, and had the tattoos to let everyone know it.”

“She was unique, beautiful, smart, unabashed, and always wanting. She was hardworking and talented, with so many ideas and plans for future projects,” the sisters’ remembrance continued. “We are so proud of who she was and all she achieved in her brief but full and beautiful life. She was Katie, our daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.”

A memorial was held for Gallagher in Pennsylvania last August. Another celebration of life is scheduled for this May.

Anyone with information on Gallagher’s case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

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Fri, Mar 24 2023 08:14:03 AM
Salma Hayek and Daughter Valentina Are the Perfect Match in Coordinating Oscars 2023 Red Carpet Looks https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/salma-hayek-and-daughter-valentina-are-the-perfect-match-in-coordinating-oscars-2023-red-carpet-looks/2943865/ 2943865 post 7888096 Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/03/GettyImages-1248104888.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,194 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

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Sun, Mar 12 2023 09:19:34 PM
Gisele Bündchen Is Unrecognizable With Red Hot Transformation https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/gisele-bundchen-is-unrecognizable-with-red-hot-transformation/2934559/ 2934559 post 7824193 Taylor Hill/Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/02/GettyImages-955841390.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Gisele Bündchen is seeing red—on the latest cover of Vogue Italia, that is.

The supermodel was transformed into a redhead with pencil thin brows for the front of the fashion publication’s March 2023 issue, unveiled on Feb. 22. Shot by Rafael Pavarotti, the striking portrait showed Bündchen—whose crimson locks were styled in a slicked-back ‘do—clad in a scarlet Valentino gown featuring sheer batwing sleeves.

Her dramatic look was capped off with a bright red lip, smokey eyeshadow and a ruby manicure. As for accessories, the 42-year-old rocked a chunky silver cuff bracelet and large drop earrings.

“Our cover story is a chromatic journey through the thousand transformations of a woman who, usually portrayed naturally, is almost unrecognizable here,” read the issue’s description translated from Italian. “From this real Vogue Makeover, Gisele comes out different but basically always the same. Ready for a new page, maybe a new life. And she starts it like this: in red.”

The magazine cover is Bündchen’s first since finalizing her divorce with Tom Brady in October 2022. The former couple share son Benjamin, 13, and daughter Vivian, 10, while Brady is also dad to Jack, 15, from his previous relationship with Bridget Moynahan.

“My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart,” Bündchen said in a statement at the time. “We will continue co-parenting to give them the love, care and attention they greatly deserve.”

Though Bündchen had admittedly “grown apart” from the athlete, the runway star noted she was still “blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”

Likewise, Brady expressed nothing but “gratitude for the time we spent together” when confirming news of their split.

“We arrived at this decision to end our marriage after much consideration,” he said in a statement in October. “Doing so is, of course, painful and difficult, like it is for many people who go through the same thing every day around the world. However, we wish only the best for each other as we pursue whatever new chapters in our lives that are yet to be written.”

And when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback retired from professional football earlier this month, Bündchen echoed the same sentiments. As she commented on the 45-year-old’s announcement video on Instagram, “Wishing you only wonderful things in this new chapter of your life.”

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Thu, Feb 23 2023 10:14:24 AM
These Big Red Boots Have Stomped Onto the Internet — and They're Probably Here to Stay https://www.necn.com/entertainment/the-scene/these-big-red-boots-have-stomped-onto-the-internet-and-theyre-probably-here-to-stay/2931644/ 2931644 post 7812698 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/02/170223.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 There’s a new shoe on the block. 

The Big Red Boots have taken the internet by storm for their oversized cartoonish look, and made their way to New York Fashion Week. 

Created by MSCHF, a New York based art collective, the coveted boots sold out within a matter of minutes during their official online launch on Feb. 16.

While MSCHF (pronounced “mischief”) hints that the inspiration may have come from Dora the Explorer’s sidekick, Boots, fans and critics think there is an uncanny resemblance to the footwear of anime character Astro Boy.

Celebrities and influencers alike have embraced the jumbo boots and have been seen stepping out in their new statement piece. But the boots come with a hefty price tag, at $350 a pair. 

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager weighed in on this latest style trend on Feb. 15 and deemed it a slay. 

“They look comfy!” Hoda says.

So, what exactly are these red boots?

If you think your TikTok feed is inundated with red boots, you’re not alone. The hashtag #bigredboots has amassed 27 million views on the app, making them nearly impossible to miss.

While everywhere online, these weren’t designed with ordinary wear in mind, style expert Melissa Garcia tells TODAY.com. 

“They’re not something your everyday man or woman is going to pull for when they’re getting dressed in the morning,” she says. 

The boots feature a TPU rubber shell and an EVA foam outsole and midsole — the same material Crocs are made from. 

And it turns out the boots are not only a financial investment, but a time commitment too. With its rubber texture, the boots have taken some users upwards of 20 minutes to take off. In one TikTok, someone tries to pull the shoe off another person to no avail with the caption, “Try at your own risk.”

But for the creators, it’s all about the art. 

“The Big Red Boot is a realization of a specific sort of cartoonish abstraction of a shoe,” MSCHF co-founder Daniel Greenberg said in an interview to Highsnobiety of his boundary-pushing shoe. 

And MSCHF is no stranger to controversial footwear. In 2019 the brand designed the “Jesus Shoes” (as in, Nikes with holy water from the River Jordan in the sole) so you could literally walk on water for the price of $1,425.

And in partnership with Lil Nas X, they released Satan Shoes, modified Nike Air Max 97s with a drop of blood in the sole. Nike sued over the controversial shoes and later reached a settlement with MSCHF.

Who is wearing the Big Red Boots?

The boots have truly become, well, a stomp-worthy sensation. 

And they have been spotted in all arenas, literally. WWE’s Seth Rollins sported the boots while taking down an opponent in the ring.

Janelle Monáe also casually rocked her own pair on the basketball court. 

And Diplo showed off his fire engine red footwear at the New York Knicks game on Feb. 13.

What is the appeal of the Big Red Boot?

The Big Red Boots, to Amanda Sanders, celebrity stylist and image consultant, are all about the shock value.

“I’m happy that designers are feeling more free and things are coming out that are not so serious,” she tells TODAY.com. “I also think it allows us not to take fashion so seriously. You can buy things that don’t make sense just for the sake of you liking it.”

The trick to styling these trendy boots is the adage “less is more.” Garcia recommends a woman wear a high-waisted, wide-leg pair of jeans with a clean, white-ribbed tank to complete the ensemble. 

And for men, she suggests a pair of jeans or cargo pants tucked in to get the full perspective of the height of the boots with a basic tee. Ultimately, though, eyes will be drawn to the statement piece, so it really doesn’t matter what you wear with them, she says. 

If you do want to get your hands on a pair, don’t be disappointed that they’re sold out. Garcia is sure that copycats will crop up. 

“You can’t see someone in these and not smile,” she tells TODAY.com. “It’s definitely a fun trend.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Fri, Feb 17 2023 06:14:42 PM
Louis Vuitton Names Pharrell Williams as New Men's Creative Director https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/louis-vuitton-names-pharrell-williams-as-new-mens-creative-director/2929252/ 2929252 post 7803517 ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/02/GettyImages-1246831517.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Pharrell Williams‘ idea of fashion will take center stage.

On Feb. 14, Louis Vuitton revealed that the Grammy winner has officially been named the new Men’s Creative Director. This marks a new era for the French luxury brand, as the announcement comes two years after the late Virgil Abloh‘s untimely death in November 2021.

“Pharrell Williams is a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to fashion, establishing himself as a cultural global icon over the past twenty years,” a spokesperson for Louis Vuitton said in a statement. “The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores, aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a Cultural Maison.”

Williams’ first collection will debut in June 2024 during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.

“I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton,” the brand’s Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari said in a press release. “His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter.”

Williams, with his eccentric style and flair for setting trends, has a long history with Louis Vuitton. In 2004, he joined forces with Marc Jacobs—the brand’s creative director at the time—to create a line of sunglasses. The collection would later be re-issued by Virgil, according to GQ.

And you don’t have to wait much longer to see Williams’ latest fashion creations hit the runways. The 49-year-old recently collaborated with Moncler to design seven limited-edition Maya jackets for its 70th-anniversary release, which will debut during London Fashion Week, kicking off Feb. 17.

In addition to lending his visions for Moncler, Williams also has a longstanding partnership with Adidas Originals and spearheads his skincare line Humanrace.

While the “Happy” musician has yet to comment on his new role with Louis Vuitton, his close friends and colleagues have expressed their excitement. Rapper Coi Leray commented “MAJOR” on Louis Vuitton’s Instagram post, while Pusha-T put it best on his Instagram Stories: “This is happening, and it’s definitely a big deal.”

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Tue, Feb 14 2023 03:35:15 PM
Sam Smith Goes Viral — Again — With Balloon-Like Brit Awards Outfit https://www.necn.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/sam-smith-goes-viral-again-with-balloon-like-brit-awards-outfit/2927920/ 2927920 post 7799086 Dave J Hogan/Getty Images https://media.necn.com/2023/02/GettyImages-1465496108.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Adidas is apologizing for including model Bella Hadid in its campaign relaunching a shoe from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes. Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been vocal critic of the Israeli government over the years.

The SL 72 campaign, unveiled on Monday, revived the “coveted classic” sneaker that was first created for Adidas athletes at the Munich Olympics. An ad that appeared across Adidas platforms and a Times Square billboard featured Hadid wearing the trainers while holding flowers.

“Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” Adidas Originals said in a now-deleted post on X.

The sports apparel company came under fire for choosing Hadid as the face of the campaign.

During the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and kidnapping nine others in what is now known as the Munich massacre. All nine Israelis and a German police officer were killed in a failed rescue operation.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X Thursday. “Neither is acceptable.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Adidas’ decision a “serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims” on X.

“For Adidas to choose Hadid, someone who is constantly baiting Jews and attacking the Jewish State, is bad enough,” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman said in a statement Thursday. “[T]o have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”

An Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs-run X account also responded to Adidas’ post.

Adidas apologized in a statement and said it would make changes to the campaign, though it did not specify what those revisions would be.

“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” a company spokesperson said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”

Hadid is vocal about her pro-Palestinian views and frequently speaks out against the Israel-Hamas War on social media. She and sister Gigi Hadid donated $1 million in June to Palestinian relief efforts, according to BBC.

“Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart,” Hadid wrote in the Instagram caption of a photo of her wearing a keffiyeh dress. “ALL EYES ON RAFAH 🇵🇸”

Her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born in Nazareth in 1948, when Israeli forces drove 750,000 Palestinians out in the Nakba.

Hadid’s ad was taken off of Adidas’ social media accounts but is still featured on the company’s website as of Friday morning.

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Mon, Feb 13 2023 07:18:37 AM