List of All Articles with Tag 'fashion'

Naomi Campbell played a starring role on the catwalk as Sarah Burton presented her last collection as creative director of Alexander McQueen. The British supermodel, 53, closed the spring/summer 2024 show wearing a stunning silver ensemble comprised of a strapless beaded corset and a draped skirt that shimmered as she walked. Cate Blanchett, who often wears McQueen at awards ceremonies, was on the front row at the Paris Fashion Week event. The Australian actor was dressed in a black suit with a huge pink bow on the back. American actor Elle Fanning – who stars alongside Campbell in the label’s autumn/winter campaign – was also in attendance, the 25-year-old wearing a full-skirted polka dot dress with a statement choker necklace. The spring/summer 2024 collection represents the end of 26 years at the British fashion brand for Burton. She was appointed to the role of creative director in 2010 following the death of Lee Alexander McQueen, having worked alongside the groundbreaking designer for 14 years. Burton was responsible for creating the wedding dress worn by the Princess of Wales when she married Prince William in 2011. Kaia Gerber – daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford – opened the spring/summer show in a short black corset dress. With a keyhole cut-out on the chest, the long-sleeved dress hinted at the subversive designs that were to come. Lee Alexander McQueen was the master of gasp-inducing fashion and for Burton’s final collection she served up plenty of suggestive slits alongside her usual bold tailoring and glamorous gowns. “This collection is inspired by female anatomy, Queen Elizabeth I, the blood red rose and Magdalena Abakanowicz, a transgressive and powerfully creative artist who refused ever to compromise her vision,” Burton revealed in the show notes. “The show is dedicated to the memory of Lee Alexander McQueen, whose wish was always to empower women, and to the passion, talent and loyalty of my team.” Burton is the latest designer to take inspiration from roses for spring, following Simone Rocha at London Fashion Week and Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing in Paris. The queen of flowers featured repeatedly, first in the form of photorealistic scarlet stems blown up on black and white slip dresses. Later, a pair of ruffled pink and red ombre gowns resembled rose petals (as well as, it must be said, a certain part of the female body). Exploring shape and volume, the designer sent out curved leather corset tops with exaggerated hips, shaggy coats and draped dresses. Sharp-shouldered jackets were decorated with intricate crimson embroidery that looked like brushstrokes (or possibly blood stains), the ends of the threads hanging off to form flowing tassels. The floral theme continued with an elaborately woven cream jumper and an opulent golden lace dress teamed with thigh-high leather boots, before the show culminated with some sparkling stand-out looks. Burton has excelled at eveningwear throughout her time at McQueen, displaying almost couture-level craftsmanship, and this show was no exception. A white tulle gown with glittering gunmetal adornments cascading across one sleeve and a form-fitting jumpsuit covered in silver beading were highlights. Following Campbell’s star appearance, David Bowie’s Heroes played as the models took their final turn on the catwalk. The audience was already on its feet applauding as Burton appeared to receive her standing ovation and hug VIP guests. The house of McQueen has yet to announce who will take the take over as creative director. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live This is how your make-up needs change as you age Victorian dahlia show recreated at Stonehenge with thousands of flowers Daily activities could help lower heart attack risk, study suggests

Anne Hathaway arrived at the inaugural Albie Awards in an iconic look: A Versace gown that was first worn by Claudia Schiffer at this year’s Milan Fashion Week. On 28 September, the actor, 40, was one of many stars that attended the awards ceremony, which is hosted by Amal and George Clooney’s organisation, The Clooney Foundation For Justice, and is “a homage to those whose fearless devotion to human rights deserves admiration and support”. For the occasion, Hathaway wore the floor-length dress, which features a green and metallic checkerboard design print. The look also featured a green lace neckline and thin spaghetti straps. For accessories, she opted for a silver pendant necklace, bracelets, and earrings, paired with matching silver heels, while she chose to wear her hair in a half-up half-down style. Earlier this month, the dress by Donatella Versace first debuted at Milan Fashion Week, when Schiffer walked the runway in the outfit. Similar to the Princess Diaries star, the German supermodel wore the dress with a pair of silver heels. In an Instagram post shared by Vogue and Versace, the two brands celebrated the launch of the dress, as well as Schiffer’s appearance on the runway. “Today during #MilanFashionWeek, @donatella_versace debuted her spring 2024 collection to a star-studded audience. One of the most special guests? Legendary supermodel @claudiaschiffer, who closed the show wearing a dazzling green gown,” Vogue wrote in the caption of the post, which included a video of Schiffer during the event. This isn’t Schiffer’s first time working with Versace. Back in 2017, she walked the runway for the brand’s spring show at Milan Fashion Week with fellow modelling legends Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, and Helena Christensen. For the occasion, the group of models all wore matching sheer, gold dresses. Meanwhile, Hathaway has continued to work with the luxury fashion brand, as she revealed in April that she is the face of Versace’s Icons collection campaign. Along with sharing snaps of herself for the brand on Instagram, she also explained how she first heard about the campaign idea from the fashion designer. “When the brilliant and talented @donatella_versace approached me for this campaign, she shared her vision of a timeless collection with the trademark @versace edge,” the actor wrote on Instagram in April. “She said she wanted to focus on pieces designed to be a cherished part of one’s wardrobe, enjoyed outside the trend cycle, worn again and again throughout your life.” As part of the campaign, Hathaway and Donatella Versace also hosted the Versace Icons Dinner in New York City earlier this week. According to an Instagram post shared by the luxury fashion house, the dinner was a celebration of icons who are “rising up from all corners of the globe and representing a broad spectrum of cultures, industries, identities and ethnicities”. “Icons are artists, entrepreneurs, actors, human rights advocates, musicians, creatives and ambassadors of social change,” the brand wrote. “Icons are storytellers, driven by passion, purpose and a desire to connect and share. Icons emerge from the most unexpected of circumstances. Their success lies in their ability to transform the everyday into the extraordinary, to use their voices and platforms confidently and for good.” The evening also consisted of a star-studded guest list, which included Ariana DeBose, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, and Rachel Brosnahan. Read More Anne Hathaway shares honest response to fans who say she looks ‘really good’ for her age Anne Hathaway says Gen Z has been her style inspiration Every film and TV series that’s allowed to continue production during SAG-AFTRA strikes Anne Hathaway shares honest response to fans who say she looks ‘good’ for her age Travis Kelce wears ‘1989’ inspired outfit after leaving NFL game with Taylor Swift This is how your make-up needs change as you age

Whether you’re in your 30s or your 60s, your skin probably doesn’t look and feel like it did at the age of 20 – and that’s OK. But if you’ve barely upgraded the make-up you’ve been using for years, it might be time to do so. “As we age, our skincare and make-up needs change, and it’s important to adapt our beauty routines to address the specific concerns that come with each decade,” says Co. Kildare-based make-up artist Suzie O’Neill, owner of vegan cosmetics company Ayu. Over time, your skin loses elasticity and oils, so in all age groups solid skincare is key. “Regardless of age, a good skincare routine is essential for a smooth make-up application,” O’Neill says. “Prioritise moisturising and using sunscreen daily.” She advises using products rich in vitamins A, C and E – to protect the outermost layer from water loss in your 30s, a decade where “skin becomes more delicate and cell turnover is slowing down, making your complexion look dull”. So how should we switch up our make-up in our 40s and beyond? In your 40s Collagen and elastin production naturally decrease during this period, leading to a reduction in skin firmness and elasticity in your 40s, O’Neill says. To combat this, she recommends incorporating a serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides and retinol, which can help stimulate collagen production. Foundation is the most important make-up upgrade to make at this period of your life. “Your 40s are the ideal time to switch to a foundation that is more hydrating and lighter than what you might have used in your 20s and 30s. Heavy, matte foundations tend to settle into fine lines and wrinkles, which can accentuate them. A hydrating and lighter foundation is a better choice as your skin may become drier and more mature.” O’Neill advises using a moisturising lipstick or balm to keep lips hydrated, as they can start to become drier at this time in our lives. “The cumulative effects of sun exposure can become more apparent in your 40s, leading to pigmentation issues, fine lines and potential sunspots,” she adds. So a broad-spectrum sunscreen is “non-negotiable”. In your 50s When it comes to make-up, your 50s may be a time when you opt for a more natural look. “A light to medium coverage foundation or a tinted moisturiser [will] not only provide a subtle, youthful glow, but also allow the natural character of the skin to shine through,” notes O’Neill. “Less is often more at this stage.” She recommends focusing on techniques that lift and brighten the eyes. “For example, tight-lining – applying eyeliner to the upper waterline – can make lashes appear thicker and eyes more prominent. Apply eye make-up with a light hand and choose softer, neutral shades that open up the eyes and give them a more refreshed appearance.” It’s common for lips to appear to lose volume by our 50s, so O’Neill suggests using a lip liner in a shade closely matching your natural lip colour. “It can work wonders by creating the illusion of fuller, more voluptuous lips. “Eyebrows and eyelashes tend to thin out as we age; filling in sparse brows with a brow pencil or powder and using volumising mascara can help restore the appearance of full, youthful brows and lashes.” In your 60s and beyond As you enter your 60s, you could opt for warmer hues. “As our skin naturally loses some of its warmth and pigmentation, opting for a foundation with warmer undertones can help counteract any sallowness that may occur,” says O’Neill. “[But] choosing a foundation that matches your skin tone as closely as possible is essential.” You also might notice an increase in pigmentation irregularities on your skin. “To even out pigmented skin, I’d recommend using a colour-correcting concealer for spots and discolourations (orange or peach-toned concealers can help neutralise dark spots) followed by a lightweight foundation or BB cream to even out skin tone,” she says. “Use setting powders sparingly as they can emphasise fine lines. Opt for a finely milled, translucent powder applied lightly only where needed.” And don’t be afraid to experiment with colour in your 60s. “Using more colour can be a great way to combat dullness that often accompanies ageing skin. “Brighter shades of make-up, such as lipsticks, eyeshadows, and blush, can help liven up your complexion.” Blush can help brighten up your skin, with O’Neill recommending cream versions as “they tend to blend more seamlessly and provide a dewy, hydrating finish”, and can be easily applied with your fingers. “Just remember to choose shades that complement your skin tone and apply them sparingly for a natural flush,” she adds. As you age, splurging on make-up isn’t a must, she says, but investing in high-quality make-up products that cater to your specific needs can be beneficial. “Look for products that provide essential hydration [and] achieve a luminous glow. “The key is to enhance your natural beauty rather than mask it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Victorian dahlia show recreated at Stonehenge with thousands of flowers Daily activities could help lower heart attack risk, study suggests From tiredness to sweating – subtle warning signs something could be wrong with your heart

A wave of pink products washing over the beauty world can only mean one thing: Breast Cancer Awareness Month is back. This October, with the Barbie pink trend still going strong, there’s even more reason to snap up a rose-tinted treat for yourself or a loved one. From nail polish and make-up to skincare and hair tools, here’s our pick of this year’s best charitable beauty buys… 1. Mavala Limited edition Power of Pink Mini Colour Pink Pastel, £6.40, LookFantastic For the third year running, Mavala unveils its Power of Pink range of skincare and nail varnishes, with £1 from the sale of each product going to the Pink Ribbon Foundation. We love the Power of Pink Pastel polish, a cute ballerina-pink shade that suits everyone. 2. Trinny London Sherin Lip2Cheek, £26 Fans of TV presenter turned beauty entrepreneur Trinny Woodall’s eponymous brand love the versatility of the creamy Lip2Cheek pots, which can be used as blusher, lipstick or eyeshadow. Named after Trinny London customer Sherin, who is living with secondary breast cancer, this shade is a warm brown. For every pot sold, 10% of sales will be donated to Breast Cancer Now. 3. Bobbi Brown Powerful Pinks Crushed Oil Infused Gloss Duo, £38 Bobbi Brown’s luscious lip gloss duo, worth £50, brings together two botanical oil-infused pink hues, with proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Soft peachy-pink In The Buff is perfect for everyday wear while plummy Slow Jam is an ideal evening option. 4. Clinique Limited Edition Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, £40 If you’re yet to try Clinique’s incredible Moisture Surge, now’s the perfect time to experience the lightweight but ultra-hydrating day cream loved by beauty buffs. For every pot of the limited edition sold, £10 will be donated to the BCRF. 5. Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour Duo Shampoo and Conditioner, £42.24 (was £48) Inspired by trichologist Philip Kingsley’s wife’s battle with breast cancer, these fragrance-free essentials were formulated for use during chemotherapy. Ideal if you’ve got sensitive skin or dandruff, they contain salicylic acid and green tea extract to promote scalp health. For every bottle sold, 50p will go to cancer charity Look Good Feel Better 6. Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Advanced Night Repair Serum Limited Edition, £89 Devotees of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair – one of the first skincare serums, launched back in 1982, and still a bestseller – love its rejuvenating, collagen-boosting powers. For October, the usually brown bottle gets a hot pink transformation, with a 20% donation from sales going to BCRF. 7. Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Micro-Serum, £90 Packed with rose-infused microdroplets, this dual-phase serum works to strengthen the skin barrier, hydrate the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. For every serum sold, Elemis is donating £10 to Look Good Feel Better in support of their workshops and services. 8. Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Cologne, £118 for 100ml A long-time supporter of BCA month, Jo Malone this year introduces a special edition of the classic Peony And Blush Suede Cologne, with £20 from every bottle sold going to the BCRF. Decorated with a floral print and a pink ribbon, the fragrance features notes of red apple, pink peony, jasmine and rose. 9. GHD Platinum+ Styler Pink Limited Edition, £239 For creating poker-straight strands or glossy waves, the GHD Platinum+ with hair-protecting technology is second to none. This marbled pink limited edition comes with a free zip-up pouch, with £10 for each sale going to Breast Cancer Now or €10 to the Irish Cancer Society. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Smokers 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely Female students ‘more than twice as likely’ to be affected by poor mental health, research shows Many parents of under 5s on less than £50k ‘quit work due to childcare costs’ – survey

Julia Fox has opened up about her sense of style, with the model explaining she likes to wear outfits that spark differing opinions among men and women. Fox, 33, spoke candidly about her appearance during an interview with The New Yorker published on 27 September. She went on to discuss her weight loss, which she previously described as “unintentional”, after she was asked how she felt about the reactions to her “losing the curves that [she] was known for”. In response, she noted that as her body and style have changed, she’s been focused on creating a specific “look” that will be met by men and women differently. “The losing of the weight, the eyebrows, the clothes, all the things I did - I think I was going for grotesque,” she said. “I wanted to look a certain way where the girls would appreciate it and the men would despise it.” The Uncut Gems star went on to reflect on when she first lost weight, which she said occurred at a point where she “was really stressed out”, “wasn’t eating properly,” and after a close friend had passed away. “I would eat maybe one time a day and it would be a sheet cake, and I was on my feet from 7am till whatever, I was just burning everything off and losing weight so rapidly,” she continued. She then recalled some of the criticism she received from men after the weight loss. However, according to Fox, she was not necessarily offended by the remarks. “And men started reacting like: ‘Wait, what happened to her? She used to be so hot.’ And I leaned into it. I was, like, Oh, great, they hate me - and I love it. The more they hated me, the more fun it was to keep doing it,” she added. The model continued to mock men for how they responded to the change in her physical appearance, continuing: “It was amazing to see how they reacted when I just wasn’t giving them their visual stimulus, or whatever. I mean, they lashed out. They, like, took it personally.” She then added that she was “actually gaining weight” now, even though it’s involuntary. Fox clarified that it “just happens” at some points, before explaining: “Anytime I try to go on a diet, or lose weight, or gain weight, I’ve never been able to.” However, when asked if she’s worried that “those men will start it all up over again” if she got her “curves back”, Fox acknowledged that she “would hate” if that happened. “I really, truly hope that doesn’t happen,” she explained. “But, also, I have no self-control. I keep three bottles of whipped cream in the fridge at a time.” Over the years, Fox has continued to make headlines for her outfit choices. Earlier this month, she sparked controversy with her look at New York Fashion Week, which consisted of a chain bra with metal pasties and chain bottoms, which she wore underneath a black trench coat. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight on 7 September, she hit back at some of the criticism, with the actor questioning why people took issue with the outfit in the first place. “I got in trouble for that one,” she said. “There were a lot of haters, being like: ‘This is unacceptable. This is setting such a bad example.’ But, it’s like: ‘Why?’ It’s just my body.’” She also made jokes about why online trolls could be criticising her body. “Is my body, like, ugly? Is my body a crime?” she quipped. “Did my body slap your grandma? The way that they were acting, it was like, what the heck!” Fox proceeded to open up about her own style, explaining why she wears such memorable outfits to high-profile events. “If people could see what I dress like in my day to day, it’s literally like boxers, stained, dirty T-shirts, Adidas slides. It’s not this,” she said. “That’s kind of why when I do get dressed up, I want to go all out because my real life is so unglamorous.” In May 2022, she also went viral when she was seen wearing a black and white bra-and-underwear set at a supermarket. While she didn’t wear a top over the bra, she did have an oversized denim jacket on, and a pair of calf-length denim boots. Amid the confusion over why she wore the outfit, Fox took to Instagram to provide clarification. Sharing a meme of herself on her Story, which read: “When it’s laundry day but you have errands to run,” Fox explained: “I just think that if it’s socially acceptable at the beach it should be the same everywhere lol.” Read More Julia Fox on raising son Valentino, two, to be a ‘protector of women’: ‘I can’t have him becoming an abuser’ Julia Fox says she didn’t write about sex with ex Kanye West in memoir because there ‘wasn’t any’ Julia Fox on raising her son to protect women: ‘I can’t have him becoming an abuser’ Julia Fox reflects on sex with Kanye West: ‘there wasn’t any’ Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid lead first Victoria’s Secret runway show in five years

From the office to the gym, trainers are a wardrobe essential. They’re especially key in autumn, when sandal season is long gone but you’re not yet ready to pull on your winter boots. Retro sportswear is having a huge influence on the sneaker scene at the moment, with everything from minimalist styles to bright colours ready to jazz up your new season wardrobe. Here are five essential trainer trends to know about this autumn… 1. Gorpcore 2.0 As the hugely popular ‘gorpcore’ trend evolves, we’re seeing a new wave of sneakers inspired by hiking gear. With mega-grip treads, chunky soles, hiking boot laces and flashes of neon, these high-tech trainers are ideal for rural and urban explorers. Sorel Women’s Kinetic Breakthru Tech Lace Endive/Bleached Ceramic Trainers, £72 (were £120) Merrell Women’s Agility Peak 5 GORE-TEX Non Waterproof Atoll/Cloud Trainers, £170 Columbia Women’s Facet™ 75 Alpha Outdry Lightweight Waterproof Hiking Shoes, £155 2. Run with it “We’ve seen a surge in the popularity of running and trail shoes with brands like On, Salomon and Asics leading the way,” says Drew Haines, merchandising director for sneakers and collectibles at online marketplace StockX. Emerging as part of the ‘ugly’ trainer trend, these styles have had the seal of approval from model Gen Z tastemaker Bella Hadid as well as Rihanna, who wore a pair of red Salomons for her Super Bowl performance. Haines says: “It’s exciting to see these types of shoes blend seamlessly into mainstream sneaker culture – these brands have made running silhouettes a part of everyday fashion.” Asics Gel-1130 White/Birch Trainers, £115 3. High-top heroes Basketball shoes have sat at the crossroads of fashion and sport for decades, with Nike leading the way. According to Threadspy, the brand’s Air Force 1, Air Jordan and Dunk trainers were the top three most-Googled trainers between 2020 and 2023. This season, high-top styles are coming to the fore with classic colour combinations amping up the vintage vibes. Nike Jordan Air 1 Mid Black, £130, JD Sports Gola Classics Men’s Allcourt High White/Moonlight Trainers, £120 4. Soccer silhouettes When even Kim Kardashian declares herself a soccer mum, you know footie fashion has hit the mainstream. “In the year of the Women’s World Cup, soccer-inspired silhouettes are going stronger than ever,” says Haines. “And they’re getting a fresh boost with new versions. Exciting collaborations are also keeping the soccer trend alive and kicking.” Earlier this year, British menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner collaborated with Adidas on a version of the much-loved Samba. Now, Rihanna has reunited with Puma to bring fans her take on the soccer boot-esque Avanti, available in black and silver. Fenty x Puma Avanti VL Unisex Sneakers, £140 5. Quiet luxury Second only to Barbie pink, quiet luxury has been one of the year’s biggest fashion trends, and now footwear brands are getting in on the action. The opposite of gorpcore, these lifestyle trainers are chic, understated, and devoid of loud logos. Choose from neutral hues like black, navy, grey and beige. These minimalist masterpieces will go with just about everything in your autumn wardrobe. Gobi Dim Grey Cashmere Low-Top Trainers, £199 Allbirds Natural Black Women’s Couriers, £115 Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 11 ways to work autumnal wonder at home Why is my teenager sleeping so much? Kate gives a lesson in autumnal power dressing in a green trouser suit

We can all agree that the pigtailed cowgirl or the smudge-faced Joker costume is all a bit overplayed on Halloween. Are they classic? Of course. But creative? No. Each year, planning for Halloween is like preparing for a middle school dance. There’s the overly-enthusiastic people who spend months drafting ideas, buying props, and purchasing outfits until the picture in their head becomes a reality. Then there’s the not-so-thrilled ones, who dread Halloween and leave their look for the last minute. I’m the latter. Still, both groups are guilty of making one simple mistake: reproducing the same characters and costumes, only to find five or six more of the same costume at every Halloween party. While it can seem nearly impossible to think of an original and unique Halloween costume idea, it’s actually very doable. Here’s how to avoid overdone costumes this Halloween. The key is to abstain from “eleventh hour” looks - princesses, Grease-themed outfits, and even the classic Tom Cruise in Risky Business costume. It’s time to retire these iconic characters, even though they often require minimal thought, and consider something unique instead. There’s always the internal dilemma of not wanting your costume to be too obscure, or else no one will know who you are. Nobody wants to receive uncomfortable blank stares and pity nods when asked about their Halloween costume. For example, I was Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for Halloween last year. But because I wasn’t packing a blow-up suit underneath my blue track set, not one person guessed who I was, even though I had a blue nose and chewing gum. Depending on how much you care about people recognising your Halloween costume, there are few things to keep in mind so that you appear original on the spooky holiday. Avoiding unnecessary consumption is beneficial to both your wallet and your costume. If you begin by looking for ideas while shopping, you run the risk of purchasing pieces and props that you’ll never wear again. Steer clear of all Halloween-themed stores until you have an idea, and don’t go looking for inspiration in stores that organise their inventory based on typical Halloween characters. Run through your wardrobe. You don’t have to own eccentric clothing or accessories to use something already in your closet. An old blazer, a button-up shirt, and a pair of suspenders are all perfect for a Peaky Blinders-inspired look. Meanwhile, a flowing white dress and cream-coloured headband is the foundation for Florence Pugh’s finale outfit in Midsommar. If there’s absolutely nothing from your personal collection that could work as a Halloween costume, I suggest digging through your local thrift store to find one-of-a-kind items you wouldn’t find on the rack of every other retailer. Plus, you can always add something extra to a character or costume idea to make it more personalised. If you have a favourite film and found an item that can easily become a costume, try to incorporate elements of the movie or character into your costume so that it connects to the overarching theme without being so basic. For example, take the Barbie movie. Director Greta Gerwig’s live-action film prompted a pink fad for the summer, so it’s likely you’ll be spotting many people dressed as the Mattel doll for Halloween this year. While it’s more than fine to be dressed as everyone’s current obsession, try embodying a different version of Barbie - Weird Barbie, President Barbie, or Mermaid Barbie. This way, you can fuse easily recognisable elements of the iconic doll, like her blonde tresses or cursive “Barbie” branding, while still wearing something other than a white tank top and hot pink mini skirt. It’s okay to think outside of the box and show up in a costume that’s not automatically recognised by Halloween partygoers. It can even be a great conversation starter and you’ll feel more triumphant when someone does recognise your Halloween costume. Remeber, if model and Halloween superstar Heidi Klum can manage to shock each year with an unexpected and original look, then so can you. Read More Halloween decorations 2023: From Ghosts to Jack-O-Lanterns. Here are some idea’s for the spooky season Jellycat’s new Halloween cuddly toys have landed in time for spooky season Heidi Klum hints at her ‘really extra’ 2023 Halloween costume: ‘It’s going to be good’ 11 best kids’ Halloween outfits that will scare and delight 9 best horror stories to read this Halloween and beyond Kourtney Kardashian’s skeletons and other celebrity inspiration for Halloween

While Usher was decked out in red and black polka dots for Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday, it was Erykah Badu who captured attention for her accessory of choice. On 27 September, the “On & On” singer was seated next to Usher and French singer Aya Nakamura at the spring 2024 Marni show in Paris, where Nakamura gave a not-so-subtle reaction to Badu’s oversized, wide rim grey hat with black polka dots. The three celebrities dressed their best for the occasion, as Usher complemented his red and black outfit with matching red sneakers, red gloves, and black sunglasses as well as a silver brooch and necklaces. While Badu’s large hat was the main attraction, the R&B singer also wore a black and yellow patterned suit with a similar checked shirt layered underneath. She completed the look with braids that went all the way down to her feet. As for Nakamura, the French pop singer wore a thigh-high slit dress with various shades of blue, as well as a silver choker and earrings. Prior to the fashion show, Usher performed at La Seine Musicale in France on Monday 25 September. The news comes after it was announced this week that the ”My Boo” singer will be headlining next year’s Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas. The music megastar, who has won eight Grammys, said he’s looking forward to performing on the NFL’s biggest stage. “It’s an honour of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list,” Usher said in a statement. “I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before.” Usher, 44, is currently performing his “Usher: My Way” residency in Las Vegas, which has drawn sold-out shows and rave reviews. He is expected to wrap up his residency in early December, before making his Super Bowl halftime debut in early 2024. Roc Nation founder Jay-Z called Usher the ultimate “artist and showman” and was the person to call him with the good news, according to an interview with radio DJ Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “When I got this call, he said: ‘It’s time, it’s magic time. You know, it’s time for you to have that moment,’” Usher recalled Jay-Z telling him over the phone. However, the “I Don’t Mind” hitmaker had no idea what Jay-Z was talking about, and the rapper had to clarify that he was calling about the Super Bowl halftime show. In response, Usher told Jay-Z that he was prepared and excited to do something he’s always dreamed about doing. “Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he’s been charting his own unique course,” Jay-Z said of Usher, who released his debut self-titled album in 1994. In total, he’s released eight studio projects filled with hits, including, “U Got It Bad”, “U Remind Me”, “You Make Me Wanna”, “Nice & Slow” and “Love In This Club”. ​​“Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul,” Jay-Z continued. “His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.” Read More Dior triumphs with Parisian runway melding women's past and future Balmain’s creative director claims more than 50 of his Paris Fashion Week pieces were ‘hijacked’ Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas Kim Kardashian wears Chanel Barbie necklace in new Super Bowl ad with Usher Angelina Jolie says she’s figuring out her style as she opens up about being ‘hurt’ Sarah Jessica Parker’s custom 2014 Met Gala dress goes up for auction

Angelina Jolie has admitted that she’s still trying to figure out what her style is, as she opened up about wanting to look “soft” after being “hurt” in the past. The actor, 48, spoke candidly about her fashion sense during a recent interview with Vogue to discuss her new brand, Atelier Jolie. She began by describing how she believes people perceive her based on the clothes she wears. “Sometimes the way you dress says: ‘Don’t mess with me - I’ve got my armour on,’” she said. “But I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft.” The Maleficent star revealed that when she was faced with a difficult time in her life, she was ultimately encouraged to choose clothes that made her look “soft”. “After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment,” she said. “Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a ‘tougher’ look, a stronger me. But was I strong enough to be soft?” While Jolie confessed that she didn’t feel too strong at time, she acknowledged that she’s still figuring out what her style is - despite being hurt in the past. “I felt vulnerable. Now I wonder if I don’t know what my style is because I’m still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I’m in transition as a person,” she added. The Salt star seemingly alluded to some of the personal challenges she faced over the years, including her split from ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2016. “I feel a bit down these days. I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don’t want to get into,” she said. Jolie added that she’s in a place in her film career where she’s “only taking jobs that didn’t require long shoots” after spending the last seven years doing “a lot of healing”. She also noted that while she’s “still finding [her] footing”, her work with her fashion brand has offered her a new perspective. “I think part of this has also been therapeutic for me - to work in a creative space with people you trust and to rediscover yourself,” the actor explained. “I’m hoping to change many aspects of my life. And this is the forward-facing one.” In May, Jolie took to Instagram to announce the launch of Atelier Jolie, which she described as “a collective where everyone can create”. “Atelier Jolie is a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern makers and artisans from around the world,” she wrote in the caption. “It stems from my appreciation and deep respect for the many tailors and makers I’ve worked with over the years, a desire to make use of the high-quality vintage material and deadstock fabric already available, and also to be part of a movement to cultivate more self-expression.” During her interview with Vogue, the Mr & Mrs Smith star spoke candidly about her new career in the fashion industry, noting that her brand is “not really about fashion”. “I don’t want to be a big fashion designer,” Jolie said. “I want to build a house for other people to become that.” Read More Angelina Jolie says her children ‘saved’ her as she opens up about ‘healing’ after Brad Pitt divorce Salma Hayek reveals what she loves most about her friendship with Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ‘set to try and resolve’ longrunning vineyard dispute Angelina Jolie says her children ‘saved’ her as she opens up about Brad Pitt divorce Salma Hayek reveals what she loves most about her friendship with Angelina Jolie Sarah Jessica Parker’s custom 2014 Met Gala dress goes up for auction

Fashion lovers will soon have the chance to own a custom Oscar de la Renta gown worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2014 Met Gala - for the hefty price of $7,500. The black and white floor-length gown is being auctioned on the luxury fashion label’s resale site, Encore, until Friday 29 September. The dress, made custom for the Sex and the City star, features a black velvet bodice with a v-neckline and petal-like pattern at the bottom. The gown’s ivory skirt also includes a trellis embroidery, complete with Oscar de la Renta’s signature at the train. “When Sarah Jessica came to the office for our first design meeting, she had a binder full of references to share with Oscar. It was a truly special collaboration,” said co-creative director Fernando Garcia in a statement. “And for me, who didn’t ever go to design school, it was the biggest fashion lesson I could have gotten - on the floor of Oscar’s office.” The commissioned piece took 224 hours to make. Nine years later, it was returned to the atelier where it was made to be restored to its original condition. Thirty per cent of proceeds from the sale of the dress will benefit the New York Public Library. In 2014, the And Just Like That star recounted the gown’s design process in an interview with Vanity Fair. “I said to Mr de la Renta, please let me use scarlet embroidery thread, and splash your name across the back. It was my idea. He would never in a million years have it done, he’s far too modest,” Parker said at the time. The theme for the 2014 Met Gala was in honour of legendary designer Charles James, called “Charles James: Beyond Fashion”. The dress code called for “White Tie and Decorations” - full evening dress of white bow ties for men and evening gowns for women. Parker, along with actor Bradley Cooper and de la Renta, served as co-chairs for the annual fashion event. Parker’s black and white gown was one of the last designs de la Renta showcased on the red carpet before he passed away in October 2014, five months after the Met Gala. The Hollywood star and fashion icon has been a mainstay on the Met Gala red carpet - which is rolled out every May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City - for many years. Parker recently looked back on some of her many memorable fashion moments, including the time she attended the charity event with late designer Alexander McQueen in 2006. Speaking to Vogue in 2022, Parker explained that she “immediately” wanted to work with McQueen to design their matching tartan ensembles for the Met Gala’s “AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion” theme. However, she felt that she “didn’t really know him well enough to be so presumptuous” to assume he would want to attend with her. “Like everybody else, I was in love with him,” she told Vogue. “I have every pin he dropped from his mouth in my possession still. I have everything he cut off in my possession still. I have things that seem like nothing, from every fitting I ever did with him in my possession.” The groundbreaking designer died in 2010 at the age of 40, and was later commemorated by the Met Gala in 2011 with the theme “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty”. For last year’s Met Gala, Parker paid homage to the first Black female designer in the White House - Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley - in a black and white gown designed by Christopher John Rogers. However, the style icon has maintained that preparing for fashion’s biggest night of the year should be “labour intensive”. “All I ever think about is the theme and influence,” she told Vogue in April 2022. “Whenever I go to the Met, I don’t understand how everyone else doesn’t spend seven to ten months working on it. Like how do you not arrive exhausted by the details of getting it right?” “It would be so easy to find a beautiful dress to wear that night,” Parker added. “Like that would be a great relief and like going on vacation. But that is not the assignment, the assignment is the theme.” Read More Sarah Jessica Parker reveals she adopted Carrie’s kitten from And Just Like That Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker feud: A timeline of the beef between Sex and the City co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker rewears iconic Vivienne Westwood wedding dress in And Just Like That Victoria’s Secret was never feminist – why are they bothering to try now? Kim Kardashian debuts buzz cut and thin eyebrows for new photo shoot Travis Kelce wears ‘1989’ inspired outfit after leaving NFL game with Taylor Swift

Wings! Fake tans! Low body mass indexes! For millennial women, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was an annual reminder of the myriad ways in which we were failing to adhere to exacting and exhausting beauty standards. When it was cancelled in 2019, few mourned it. But fashion loves a comeback story, and today the company unveiled Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ’23 on Amazon Prime Video, its first televised catwalk event in five years. According to the company, the feature-length film is the “ultimate expression” of their ongoing efforts to rehabilitate a brand that has been mired in scandal. Alongside long-standing criticisms over promoting an unrealistic body image, the company’s former marketing executive Ed Razek was also accused of behaving inappropriately with models in a New York Times report (he described the allegations as “categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context”) and a recent Hulu documentary Angels and Demons explored troubling links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Visually, strategically, everything about it is the incarnation of where the brand is going,” Victoria’s Secret president Greg Unis has said. Instead of the usual structure, which was centred around a straightforward runway show, The Tour ’23 is roughly divided into quarters, each focusing on one of four locations: Lagos, Nigeria; Bogota, Colombia; Tokyo, Japan; London, the UK. In each city, a local designer has dreamed up their own fashion collection to be modelled by the likes of Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Adut Akech, and Gigi Hadid, who does double duty as the show’s narrator. In London, the chosen designer is Michaela Stark, whose corsets aim to celebrate a diverse range of body shapes, rather than constrict them. She agreed to take part in the VS show 2.0, she suggests, so that she could counteract the damaging messages put out by the original runways. “It was a big thing” when she was a teenager, she recalls, “but it was also that culture around it, of not wanting to eat after you saw it”. Her comments inadvertently raise a question that looms over the whole production: can you ever truly detoxify a brand practically built on the insecurities of a generation of women? Founded by Roy Raymond in the late Seventies, who felt awkward buying lingerie for his wife in his local department store, Victoria’s Secret began life as a women’s underwear shop aimed specifically at men. In 1982, Raymond sold the business to Limited Stores founder Les Wexner for $1m; Wexner went on to transform the brand, envisaging it as a more affordable version of the fancy European label La Perla. In 1995, when the company was facing competition from Wonderbra, the first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. It proved successful enough to become an annual event. In 1999, the show was streamed on the internet for the first time, prompting the website to crash as 1.5 million users tried to tune in. Two years later, the VS show celebrated its inaugural TV broadcast, during which the National Organisation for Women (NOW) protested outside a New York branch of the shop. “Some people are terribly blase about this, that this is not a big deal, that we ought to be used to this kind of daily sexuality,” Sonia Ossorio, NOW’s vice president for public information, said at the time. “But I think we need to keep questioning the ever-extending sexualisation of women in mass media.” The following year, NOW branded the event a “softcore porn infomercial”. By then, the blueprint for future VS shows had been set. A lineup of models would don bras encrusted with millions of pounds worth of jewels and embarrassingly themed lingerie (never forget Cara Delevingne’s god-awful outfit circa 2013: a sort of miniature shell suit likely pitched in the boardroom as “sexy football fan”). Somewhere between the models, a famous singer would pop in for a brief performance; if they were a woman, they’d be decked out in a VS creation of their own (Taylor Swift got a particularly raw deal in 2013, too, when she had to wear a Union Jack-inspired number, complete with a tiny red, white and blue top hat). This glittering, over-the-top spectacle, much closer to a beauty pageant than a Fashion Week presentation, spotlighted the world’s most beautiful women – who were not just genetically blessed but worked hard, too, we were told ad nauseam. They had been preparing for the show like endurance athletes, sticking to carefully tailored diets and intense workout schedules. These wing-wearing “Angels” were selling a dream, one that we lesser mortals could supposedly buy into by picking up some synthetic underwear at our nearest Victoria’s Secret branch. But it was their painstaking fitness regimens, not the pants they were wearing, that were the real focus of fascination. In endless interviews, the models were asked to detail exactly how they whittled themselves down to “Victoria’s Secret ready” size – so that we could try and copy them. To combat the criticisms of objectification, the brand relied on its models to pay lip service to just how “empowering” the whole circus was, offering up their take on choice feminism. “There’s something really powerful about a woman who owns her sexuality and is in charge” – model Karlie Kloss was peddling this line to the media as late as 2018. “A show like this celebrates that and allows all of us to be the best versions of ourselves. Whether it’s wearing heels, make-up or a beautiful piece of lingerie – if you are in control and empowered by yourself, it’s sexy.” Naturally, it was very convenient that this “best version of ourselves” aligned with the oppressively narrow conventional standard of sexiness Victoria’s Secret was selling. By the late 2010s, though, as the fashion industry began to (slowly) address its diversity problem, Victoria’s Secret started to seem more and more like an anachronism. As other brands took small steps to spotlight plus-size models on their catwalks and in their advertising campaigns, the VS show remained the preserve of the extremely thin. They had been preparing for the show like endurance athletes, sticking to carefully tailored diets and intense workout schedules Placing white models in culturally insensitive outfits (see: Kloss walking down the runway wearing a Native American-inspired headdress) only added to the glaring PR problem, which was later exacerbated when the brand’s marketing boss Ed Razek made controversial comments about transgender people and plus-size models to Vogue in 2018. “It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in your show?” he said, apparently recalling questions from critics. “No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.” Elsewhere, he claimed “no one had any interest” in seeing bigger bodies on the VS catwalk. Razek later apologised, admitting that his “remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive”. His comments about plus-size bodies went unaddressed. In 2019, against a backdrop of plummeting TV ratings and declining sales, the brand confirmed that the VS show had been cancelled; instead, they said, the company would focus on “evolving” their marketing. The news came just a few months after the revelation that Jeffrey Epstein had provided financial advice to Victoria’s Secret founder Wexner – and had exploited his personal connection to the brand as a means to lure in young women. “Being taken advantage of by someone who was so sick, so cunning, so depraved, is something that I’m embarrassed I was even close to,” Wexner said to investors. “But that is in the past.” He left the company the following year. Since then, Victoria’s Secret has made some high-profile attempts to rectify past missteps. The company brought in a majority female board of directors; they ditched the “Angels” concept in favour of the new “VS Collective” whose ranks include actor Priyanka Chopra, US football star Megan Rapinoe, and plus-size model Paloma Elsesser. Last year, an ad campaign featuring a more diverse array of women was accompanied by the slogan “we’ve changed” – supposedly into something “ever-evolving” and “real”. How much has Victoria’s Secret “changed”, really? The latest show features a handful of plus-size models, Elsesser included, but many of the old VS cohort are present and correct, including Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, and Adriana Lima. The nods to body diversity can’t help but feel a bit cursory when the overriding vision is still one of impossibly thin women parading up and down a runway – albeit a runway that now snakes around a Brutalist building in Barcelona as opposed to a swanky New York City hotel. The outfits too, are more arty, less skimpy this time around and mercifully there hasn’t been the usual media battery of stories on extreme exercise and diet in the run-up – but that doesn’t mean those practices have ended altogether. “We haven’t forgotten our past, but we’re also speaking to the present,” the brand’s chief creative director Raul Martinez said before the film’s launch. In an era when more inclusive, dynamic lingerie labels, like Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, reign supreme, the VS show can’t help but seem like a relic. And as long as its legacy of impossible body standards lives on for many of us, any attempts to dress the spectacle up as empowering feel very hollow indeed. Read More Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid lead first Victoria’s Secret runway show in five years Victoria's Secret overhauls its racy fashion catwalk in its latest moves to be more inclusive Chioma Nnadi at Vogue: All hail the era of the Black female fashion editor Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid lead first Victoria’s Secret runway show in five years Kim Kardashian debuts buzz cut and thin eyebrows for new photo shoot Travis Kelce wears ‘1989’ inspired outfit after leaving NFL game with Taylor Swift

From finely cut bangs to platinum tresses, Kim Kardashian isn’t anything if not daring when it comes to experimenting with her hair. The 42-year-old style muse may have just pulled off her most jaw-dropping transformation yet as she posed for the CR Fashion Book 2023 cover with a buzzed head and thinly arched brows. Creative director Youssef Marquis reimagined Kardashian’s long dark locks more frayed and short-ended. The reality star’s predictable sleek, fine appearance was replaced by a rugged and bare style, juxtaposing the very image Kardashian has created for herself. In the photo shoot, Kardashian can be seen stripped of colour and accessories, with only her barely-there brows and almost gone head of hair giving her a bit of edge. Smears of dirt wrapped the lauded A-lister’s arms, chest, and white tank top. Other images displayed the businesswoman with angeled readers, a thick stroke of black eyeshadow under her waterline, a C-cut of makeup drooping down her cheek to the edge of her mouth, and dangling a cigarette by her teeth as she focused on a camera ahead. Her clothing switched from a fitted tank to an oversized sweater and a thin button-down jumper. In the world of CR, Kardashian is both the spectacle and the seer. A soft shimmery gloss coated her eyelids as the only apparent makeup on her face. The cover said, “Kim Kardashian by Nadia Lee Cohen.” On social media, the new look has proven to be a hit among Kardashian’s fans. “Umm, this is iconic,” one fan wrote in the comments under Kardashian’s Instagram post, while another said: “Sooo cool, I love this look on you.” The Skims founder also reflected on her first encounter with the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Carine Roitfeld. “I had always heard you were the most stylish person on the planet, and I had your books at my house. We met when I was pregnant with North, and you asked to do my first fashion cover,” she remarked. “I was freaking out. Karl [Lagerfeld] shot it, Riccardo [Tisci] art directed it, and you styled it. I was so nervous and so excited all at the same time.” Kardashian allowed her cover feature for CR Fashion Book to play out exactly as the team had envisioned. “I show up on set and the makeup artist only had two products,” the entrepreneur confessed. “And I was low-key freaking out but obviously trusted your plan.” Labelled as “the muse of our generation,” the Skkn creator’s account on parenting, social justice, and internal reflection was analysed in her exclusive sit down with Roitfeld. “If there was a goddess who presided over social media, reality television, fashion, or entrepreneurship, Kim Kardashian could arguably hold any and all of those titles,” her feature read. The fashion fanatic first posed for the cover of CR with their Fall/Winter 2013 Issue 3. Here, her spirit was pictured differently. Kardashian’s fluffy eyebrows remained as they were, and her satiny straight hair stayed. Read More Kim Kardashian wears Chanel Barbie necklace in new Super Bowl ad with Usher Kim Kardashian makes her scripted TV debut in American Horror Story. Here’s how to watch and stream online Kim Kardashian faces backlash for posing in Balenciaga after condemning brand over child scandal Kim Kardashian wears Chanel Barbie necklace in new Super Bowl ad with Usher Caitlyn Jenner claims Kim Kardashian ‘calculated how to be famous’ in early career Kim Kardashian faces backlash for posing in Balenciaga a year after campaign scandal