Michelle Yeoh Wins Best Actress Award, Making Oscar History

Michelle Yeoh poses with the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" at the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)

BY TERRY YANG

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michelle Yeoh has won the Academy Award for best actress and made history all at once.

The Malaysian-born actor became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for best actress on Sunday night for her multifaceted performance in the multiversal “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility. This is proof that dreams dream big and dreams do come true,” she said. “And ladies, don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re past your prime.”

Yeoh’s victory comes almost 90 years after Luise Rainer, a white actor, won the same category for donning “yellowface” to play a Chinese villager in “The Good Earth.”

As a nominee, Yeoh was the first in the category who identified as Asian. Merle Oberon, who was nominated in 1935 for “The Dark Angel” but didn’t win, hid her South Asian heritage, according to birth records.

She joyously acknowledged the historical moment in front of reporters in the press room.

“I think this is something we have been working so hard towards for a very long time and tonight, we freaking broke that glass ceiling! I kung fu-ed it out and shattered it,” Yeoh said.

Yeoh beat out past Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), as well as Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) and Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”).

The category also received notice for who wasn’t nominated: In a year of strong performances from Black women like Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), they were shut out. Meanwhile some criticized the grassroots campaigning by A-listers on social media for Riseborough.

Yeoh also used her speech to honor her 84-year-old mother.

“I have to dedicate this to my mom and all the moms in the world because they are really the superheroes and without them none of us would be here tonight,” she said.

Janet Yeoh got to watch her daughter’s win at a live Oscar watch party in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Yeoh added her mother has “has always instilled in me confidence, taught me about love, taught me about kindness and compassion.” She also heeded her mother’s last piece of advice.

“The recent thing she asked me to do is, ‘Don’t wear pants to the Oscars.’”

Yeoh appeared a lock after winning seemingly every award everywhere, including the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award, for her nuanced portrayal of Evelyn, an immigrant Chinese wife, mother and laundromat operator bracing for a tax audit.

Her win was one of seven Oscars for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” including best picture and editing. Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan also won best supporting actor Oscars. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won for best directors and original screenplay.

Yeoh got her start in the kung fu cinema world but rose to stardom in 1992 as Jackie Chan’s co-star in “Supercop.” American audiences got to know her even better over the next decade with hits like “Tomorrow Never Dies” and Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.”

When she first read the script for “Everything Everywhere,” Yeoh thought it was “an independent film on steroids.” She was ultimately swayed by the opportunity to give voice to immigrant mothers and grandmothers who go unnoticed. The multiverse movie was also a showcase across a bevy of genres — drama, comedy, sci-fi and fantasy.

At 60, Yeoh has been heavily in demand since her standout turn as a controlling matriarch in “Crazy Rich Asians.” From there, she has done everything from a “Star Trek” spinoff to Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

Yeoh will be seen later this year in the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese.” She is also preparing to reunite with “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu for the screen adaptation of the musical “Wicked.”

For more coverage of this year’s Academy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards

What I’ve Learned About Style From My Nigerian Father

My mother, father, and me with my two brothers, Anaelechi and Chike. Image: Chioma Nnadi via Vogue

BY CHIOMA NNADI

I’ve never thought of myself as much of a daddy’s girl. Though if I look back on my first childhood memories, it's clear my father had an idea of the woman I would become, even before I did. Picture a four-year-old me—chubby-cheeked, bow-legged with a neatly cropped afro—running wild through John Lewis, the bustling department store in London’s West End. Somehow, my dad knew exactly where to find me: not in the toy department on the fourth floor, but down on three with all the fashion. “Shiny shoes! Shiny shoes!” I wasn’t afraid to declare my love for this one pair of black patent leather Mary Janes. Imagine how cute they would look with my favorite sailor dress and frilly white socks? The obsession was real; my little heart was pounding. I turned to my dad with the biggest, puppy dog eyes. “Please, papa papa, please! I want them! I need them!

My mother, a nurse who’d been raised in the Swiss countryside with sensible shoes practically sewn into the soles of her feet, would have been horrified. And that was something my father knew full well. He also knew the kind of kid he had on his hands—relentless, stubborn, specific about everything—and one who seemed to share his penchant for fancy shoes, too. What was the poor guy to do? And so we shuffled home to face mum together: him in two-inch Cuban heels, me in my beloved shiny shoes.

Growing up, my father wasn’t someone I would think of as fashionable, but he always dressed with elegance and intention. He came to the U.K. from Nigeria to study economics in 1964. Three years later and Nigeria was ravaged by a civil war that pitted the government against Biafra, the secessionist state in the east where my father was born. I can’t imagine what it felt like for my dad to be so far from home during those tumultuous times, not knowing from one day to the next if his family and friends had been harmed or displaced. I do know that he still keeps a Biafran dollar in his wallet, one of the few ever to be printed, a crushing reminder of what could have been. Eager to know more about his childhood in Nigeria, I asked to see photos of him as a kid. A sad look passed over his face; there were no family photos, he explained. They’d been destroyed in the war along with just about everything else.

As the story goes, my father landed in London in the middle of winter with little more than a suitcase of neatly starched slacks and tailored shirts. According to him, he didn’t feel the cold at first. Instead of buying some cheap winter warmer, he saved up for a beautiful cashmere coat, a considerable investment for anyone back then, let alone a student. (Some months later, he would end up coming down with tuberculosis as a result of having been exposed to those bone-chilling winds.) Still, there was a deeply important method to his madness. At a time when racial discrimination was rampant, and young, African students like him seeking private housing in London were routinely turned away based on the color of their skin, clothing was a vital tool in navigating these hostile new surroundings. In dressing to look and feel like a prince, he wielded black excellence like a suit of armor. The politics of his fashion choices were just as carefully considered. When I asked him why he stopped wearing denim—nary a pair of jeans a denim shirt or jacket even—my dad, a life-long socialist, explained that in his mind, jeans were a sign of American imperialism.

As a child, I only ever remember my dad wearing suits—usually single-breasted in gray or navy—though he wore them without a tie when he wasn’t working his government job on the weekend. While he couldn’t afford anything tailor-made, he did take pains to snag the best off-the-peg alternatives, trawling the January sales along Oxford Street for Italian tailoring. Even though he favored quality over quantity, his suits and button-down shirts still occupied the biggest closet in our modest three-bedroom apartment, even when there were eight or nine of us living there—cousins, aunties, uncles, and other extended family from Nigeria. Never one to throw anything away, my dad kept his clothes for years and years, even when they were worn to shreds, something I know that still drives my mother up the wall. It was, however, a boon to me as a teenager to discover this Narnia of vintage men’s fashion in my own home: weather-worn leather jackets and fraying indigo-dyed dashikis that I still wear to this day. Where my mother’s fantastic ’60s minidresses were always too short in the leg and or too generous in the bust, his slimly-cut menswear fit me like a glove.

My father was pretty encouraging when I started experimenting with style as a teenager. Unlike my mother, he turned a blind eye when I’d come home each Saturday laden with shopping bags, having blown my entire paycheck from a gig at a local sandwich shop. Still, some of my early fashion choices did bother him. When I came home one day wearing what I thought was an amazing ’40s crombie coat found at the second-hand store by my high school, he was mortified. “Why on earth would you want to wear dead people’s clothes?” he said, aghast. In his culture, ancestral spirits were always among us, not relegated to some distant afterlife. He was also somewhat crestfallen when, after scoring straight As, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a fashion journalist and not the career in medicine he had hoped for.

These days I think (I hope!) my dad is pretty proud of the path I have chosen, though the ins and outs of what I do are for sure still a mystery to him. Shortly after I landed my job as a fashion writer at this magazine nine years ago, he called to congratulate me. “I hear you work for someone important called Amy Wintour,” he said proudly, having consulted one of his old college buddies, a retired journalist. I didn’t have the heart to correct him. To be honest I was secretly relieved that he didn’t have the faintest clue about the fashion world.

That said, my dad's no stranger to the subtle language of style, particularly when it comes to West Africa. A few years ago, at the wedding of a family friend in eastern Nigeria, he took pride in pointing out the signifiers of traditional Igbo dress, including the distinctive ozo red cap, worn by chiefs as a symbol of authority: the taller the crown, the higher the wearer’s social standing. To satisfy my obsession with artisanal textiles, he took me to a tiny village where the traditional handwoven fabric known as akwete is still produced, a three-hour drive from my father’s village. We watched enrapt as craftswomen worked their magic on centuries-old wooden looms.

These days, my dad no longer wears his fancy Cuban heels. The knee replacement surgery he had a few years prior has made him learn to love a wardrobe of comfy sneakers. Last year, for his 75th birthday, I flew to London from New York to surprise him. “Is it really you? Or a dream?” he said through tears, when I showed up on his doorstep at midnight. I knew he’d be thrilled to see me, but I hadn’t quite anticipated this moment of tenderness. It was as if the emotions he’d kept under lock and key as a young man, were all rising to the surface.

The next day, we went for lunch, then shopping for birthday sneakers. He didn’t need much help picking out exactly the right ones. The moment we hit the shoe department at John Lewis he zeroed in on a pair of minimalist running shoes he’d been eyeing for weeks, just like I had all those years ago.

A few months later, he sent me an excited WhatsApp message out of the blue. He’d unearthed a picture of himself as a teenager from a stash that was retrieved after the war. In the photo, he’s looking especially dapper, dressed in a crisp white shirt and the kind of high-waisted pants I would kill to get my hands on now. The family resemblance was unmistakable, too—in the sidewise grin, the slightly awkward stance. But more than that, I could see myself in the soft pleats of his trousers, the tie knotted just so. When I posted the image to Instagram the next day, my phone was ablaze with likes. “Wow, Chioma! This is you in drag,” read one of many comments from friends and family. The truth is they all knew what I’d temporarily forgotten—that I am my father’s daughter through and through.


SOURCE: VOGUE

The Holy Grail Of Soccer Jerseys Is Restocking

BY CAM WOLF

When it comes to flaming-hot streetwear, the best gear is always fleeting. The sneakers you prepped and strategized to buy are gone before you can even take a sip from your possibly counterfeit Supreme Nalgene bottle. The much-hyped Nigeria 2018 World Cup jersey seemed to fall into that same pattern: after accruing an amount of hype typically reserved for new Jordan retros last year, it sold out immediately and trickled onto the secondary market at sky-high prices. But, in a rare act of generosity from the streetwear gods, Nike is restocking the grail-level soccer jersey.

Up until about 36 hours before the writing of this blog, the only way to get a 2018 Nigeria jersey was to tread into the choppy water of the secondary market. While prices have dipped from their high point last summer, users on resale site Grailed are still trying to flip the jerseys for anywhere between $120 and $162. But soccer retailer Pro: Direct announced on Twitter that it is restocking jerseys and kits from Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup collection.

Here is a miracle we should just simply not question. Not only is the much-loved Nigeria jersey with the swooping, Acronym-like arrows restocking but also the Naija logo kit, and the warm-up kit twisting with vines and blooming with early-spring-green flowers. This is no doubt some savvy marketing by the powers at be who are taking advantage of renewed global soccer fever with the start of the Women’s World Cup. Nigeria’s team, by the way, lost by a score of 3-0 against Norway on Saturday and plays France Wednesday.

It’s pretty unusual for an item of this stature to restock, but the Nigeria World Cup was always an outlier. A soccer jersey that churned through the hype machine like it was a Supreme collaboration. After it was unveiled in February of last year, reports started leaking that three million pre-orders rolled in. That figure was rightfully questioned because it was reported before the jersey even went up for sale, but the myth-making was already done. The extremely stylish Skepta was photographed in the jersey.

Of course, when it finally did go on sale, the jersey sold out immediately. A jersey meant to be worn by fans of the Super Eagles team adopted by a team-agnostic collection of hype-crazed dudes. Now, the jerseys are available for purchase or pre-order all over again. If last year is any indication, that won’t be true for very long. Remember: you miss 100 percent of the jawns you don’t cop.

SOURCE: GQ

Vuitton's Abloh Celebrates Michael Jackson In Paris Menswear

BY THOMAS ADAMSON

A model wears a creation for the Vuitton men's Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion collection presented in Paris, Thursday Jan.17, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

PARIS (AP) — Louis Vuitton’s designer Virgil Abloh transported celebrity guests at Paris Fashion Week to the graffitied streets of New York in a dramatic menswear ode to Michael Jackson.

Abloh, the first African-American to head a major European fashion house, used his unique platform Thursday to celebrate one of America’s most globally recognized and celebrated black performers.

Here are some highlights of Thursday’s fall-winter shows.

LOUIS VUITTON GOES OFF THE WALL

Model Naomi Campbell and actors Timothee Chalamet and Joel Edgerton seemed amazed to discover a reconstructed cityscape that evoked the King of Pop’s famed music videos, all inside the Tuileries Gardens.

A young, skinny actor resembling the late Jackson as a boy drew applause as he ran and danced across the impressive set of a poor New York neighborhood.

No detail was spared.

Guests clutched their show invites that comprised a single bejeweled white glove, as their eyes were led past a Chinese business store, New York street signs, sidewalks littered with dead leaves, and a barber shop ending at a saxophonist playing on the street.

Campbell nodded to the beat of the soundtrack — an infectious checklist of Jackson’s greatest hits that had some humming well after the show had ended.

“It’s Michael Jackson. My hero,” she exclaimed.

VUITTON’S ABLOH REVISITS JACKSON

It was the flamboyance of Michael Jackson as seen through the classical prism of Louis Vuitton.

The silhouettes of some of the late star’s most eye-popping looks were taken by Abloh and revisited in a slightly more pared-down style.

A military jacket and large sash — that might have come across overly showy — were designed in a tasteful pearl-gray monochrome cashmere.

Elsewhere, a giant cropped jacket with stiff padded lapels was saved from excess with soft charcoal flannel twill.

The signature layering of the singer, who died in 2009, was ubiquitous in the 64-piece parade that went from the subtle to the not so subtle toward the end.

An overlaid silver parka coat in aluminum foil leather and a silver safety vest were among the most literal of the Jackson odes and recalled some of his most spectacular concert performances, as did the models who wore jeweled gloves.

Later in the show, Abloh made a series of prints based on a cartoon in Jackson’s 1978 film “The Wiz” that became a cult classic among black audiences.

Abloh called his hero, Jackson, “the universal symbol of unity on the planet.” Though touching, the collection could have perhaps done without the scarf shirts fashioned out of global flags that came across as a tad busy and somewhat obvious.

___

RICK OWENS BLOWS A KISS

A brooding and saucy mood overtook lauded American designer Rick Owens in a 70s-style collection Thursday.

The show was entitled “Larry,” after U.S. designer Larry LeGaspi, whose silver and black space looks were worn by rock groups such as Kiss.

The fall-winter show was very much an homage to the bombastic styles of LeGaspi, about whom Owens has written a book.

Tan, sienna, deep vermillion and lashings of black in the clothes were highlighted by sensually dappled lighting.

Excess was simply everywhere.

Enveloping retro shades, peaked shoulders, oversized sleeves, flares and David Bowie-style tight waists set the time-dial very much to the era of Glam Rock.

As if that weren’t enough, Owens pushed the envelope further with painted white faces and inset leather appliques that resembled women’s genitals. They contrasted purity with provocation.

LeGaspi “helped set a lot of kids like me free with his mix of art-deco sexual ambiguity,” Owens said.

___

ISSEY MIYAKE BRINGS THE WIND

The Franco-Japanese house of Issey Miyake put on a collection in homage to the wind.

In the fall-winter silhouettes, it was not the wind of an angry storm at work, but more a gentle breeze that served to curve and soften the clothes’ shapes.

The result was a low-key affair by designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae.

A welcome sharpness did appear in the collection via its print detailing, but its power was diluted by the rounded shapes.

For instance, some jagged yellow diagonal motifs evoked the strong movement of wind — but the looseness of the suits and coats on which they appeared lessened the effect.

The prints were conceived by an Asian wax resistant dyeing technique called batik that the house frequently uses. Issey Miyake is one house that cannot be faulted for its use of cutting-edge fashion-making methods.

Elsewhere, another Asian technique, ikat — a sort of tie-dye — was employed to produce the collection’s strongest pieces.

A silk-wool series sported beautifully defused white horizontal bands across icy blue-gray pants and shimmering coats.

___

Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://twitter.com/ThomasAdamson_K

Study: Chinese To Account For Half Of Luxury Sales By 2025

In this Oct. 2, 2018 file photo, a model wears a creation for the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2019 ready to wear fashion collection presented in Paris. Chinese consumers will remain the driving force for the luxury goods market, according to a new study by Bain consultancy released Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 that shows they will fuel nearly half of global high-end sales by 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, file photo

In this Feb. 21, 2018 file photo, a model wears a creation as part of the Gucci women's Fall/Winter 2018-2019 collection, presented during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy. Chinese consumers will remain the driving force for the luxury goods market, according to a new study by Bain consultancy released Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 that shows they will fuel nearly half of global high-end sales by 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, file
COLLEEN BARRY

MILAN (AP) — Chinese consumers will remain the driving force for the luxury goods market, according to a new study by Bain consultancy released Thursday that shows they will fuel nearly half of global high-end sales by 2025.

Chinese shoppers will account for 46 percent of global luxury sales of an estimated 365 billion euros ($412 billion) in just six years, Bain said in the study, which was prepared for Italy’s Altagamma association of high-end producers. That’s up from one third of all sales of luxury apparel, accessories and cosmetics last year.

Bain partner Claudia D’Arpizio says half of those purchases will be made in China, as price differences between countries fade and brands improve the customer experience in China.

Bain said luxury sales this year are forecast to grow 2 percent to 260 billion euros, in figures restated to exclude luxury art, design and decor. Taking into account both luxury goods and experiences, the market is expected to grow by 5 percent to 1.2 trillion euros globally.

Luxury goods sales in China this year are forecast to be up 18 percent to 23 billion euros. Europe and the Americas, still the two largest markets, remain flat due to strong currencies, totaling 84 billion euros and 80 billion euros, respectively.

D’Arpizio said that Bain identifies five different generations of luxury goods consumers in the current market, from those born before 1945 whose spending focuses more on experiences than hard luxury, to current teenagers who favor casual wear like expensive sneakers.

“This is an opportunity for brands to cherry-pick the customer. Loro Piana and Balenciaga have different customer bases, while Gucci or Louis Vuitton can be relevant for teen-agers or older customers,” she said.

“That is why we are very positive on the market going forward,” she said, with annual growth of 3 percent to 5 percent.

Africa Needs Unified Regulations Against Cheap Chinese Imports

BY ABU-BAKARR JALLOH

Owino Market in Uganda. 

(DEUTSCHE WELLE)--African markets are full of cheap bootleg Chinese versions of their textiles. As China comes under US pressure to respect laws on intellectual property rights, should Africa also take a stand?

I walked into a dusty wooden booth known in Sierra Leone as a 'boutique' to shop for fresh clothes. The airline hadn't delivered my luggage on my flight from Germany and I had been wearing the same clothes for days.

When I left the boutique, I had a brand new pair of Armani jeans, D&G shorts and some Lacoste shirts. The items cost me about 500,000 Leones (€50, $58). In Sierra Leone, this is a form of cheap luxury for the middle-class. But for the EU or US, it's a result of China's gross violation of intellectual property and patent laws.

China is facing hefty fines in the United States. In April, US President Donald Trump unveiled a list of over 1,000 Chinese products to be hit with 25 percent tariffs worth $50 billion. The Trump administration said this was punishment for Beijing's policy of forcing American companies to give up their intellectual property rights in order to do business with China.

China struck back with its own list targeting US exports worth the same amount. Economic experts dubbed this spat a "trade war." Whatever the outcome of this political brouhaha between the world's two largest economies, the African continent is bound to feel the effects.

Chinese contraband on African markets

In the grid of "boutiques" along the main road of Koidu, a town in eastern Sierra Leone, Chinese bootlegged 'designer' clothes are all there is for the residents of the diamond-rich region. The only other choice comes in the form of used clothes from Europe and the US - an option which many African countries are growing more critical of.

"This is original GA," the boutique trader told me as I tried on the supposed Giorgio Armani (or GA) jeans. Original indeed! Between this pair of jeans and one costing €200 in a German store, the only difference I could see were the shop's flashing blue neon lights and 50 Cent's In da Club blaring out of loudspeakers in the background.

Counterfeit Chinese-made textiles in Africa have improved so much so that if there is any difference between the original and the fake, a layman's eyes such as mine can't see it.

Eric Olander, co-founder of the China Africa Project, an organization based in South Africa, thinks it is too simple to say that Chinese firms are simply taking advantage of African governments.

"Both China and each of the African countries it engages with are working to maximize their own national interests and it becomes incredibly difficult to determine what is fair," Olander told me.

The supply of cheap Chinese counterfeit items has grown so voluminous that the counterfeiters' Clavin Klein brand inadvertently became more of a household name in Sierra Leone than actual Calvin Klein products. Instead of Samsung, your phone comes from Samsong and the radios are from Sunny instead of Sony.

Many analysts believe that Beijing uses EU and US intellectual property to mass produce cheap goods and dump them onto African markets. But "Africa is not unique in that regard," argued Olander. "China does exactly the same thing in the USA, Asia, and the Middle East."

I should add here that when I refer to "China," I do not only mean the Chinese government, but also small to medium-sized private firms and multinational corporations.

Africa's 'free-for-all' intellectual property rights
So who is responsible for copyright violations in Africa?

"There are a few complicating factors" in the Sino-African relationship, according to Cobus van Staden of the South African Institute of International Affairs. Van Staden is the co-founder of the China Africa Project, along with Eric Olander.

"There are high level products and low level products all coming out of China. But the most important thing is that Africans have been very active in funneling Chinese-made products to Africa," said van Staden, who hosts a regular podcast on Africa-China relations.

A large group of Africans in China act as middlemen for legitimate as well as illegitimate African traders.

But van Staden believes Chinese authorities are starting to take the issue more seriously. "Reports in the past are about counterfeit products coming in, but I think the Chinese government has been implementing new screening procedures."

Unified Africa regulations against Chinese influence
From electronic gadgets to stationery, from providing cheap skilled labor to exporting natural resources, China has Africa covered.

"Interestingly, all kinds of school uniforms find their way here," said Ismail Bello, deputy secretary general of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria. China's labor force is equipped with the know-how similar to most European nations. So arguably, it is cheaper for a primary school in Nigeria to import uniforms from China than to buy them from a local garment industry.

"The Nigerian textile and garment industry is at its lowest ebb," Bello said. "In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, this industry thrived to an extent that it exported to the West African region, occasionally to East Africa. With the liberalization of the textile market in the 1990s and the influx of Chinese textiles, the industry began to decline."

"Local producers possibly have less than 15 percent of the market shares. It has resulted in several closures and loss of jobs over the years," Bello said.

In the 1980's, Nigeria's garment industry employed about 500,000 people. Currently, only about 15,000 work in the industry, according to the union.

So what's the solution? Regulations! "I do think that having a stronger unified regulatory kind of apparatus to protect African intellectual property is really important," said van Staden.

But would China respect a unified African regulatory apparatus like the African Continental Free Trade Agreement - a proposed version of the agreement was sind in March 2018 by 44 out of 55 African Union member states. If ratified, the pact would lay down rules of trade for the entire African continent.

According to van Staden, Chinese firms might actually adhere to such rules. "Botswana and South Africa have complex regulatory framework and Chinese companies tend to work according to local laws," van Staden argued.

The relationship between the African continent and China is complex. It has its positive and negative sides.

Eric Olander explains: "I can tell you that China is the worst thing that ever happened to Africa and list all of the horrors committed over the past ten years. I would be correct in every point."

"I can also tell you that China is the best thing that has ever happened to Africa and, again, I would be correct in every point. This is not a binary relationship," Olander said.

Rare Fashion Show Gives Hope In Violent Eastern Congo

A model display a creation by Miki Sikabwe during a fashion show in Beni Eastern Congo . Young Congolese designer Miki Sikabwe has trained in Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya, but hasn't gotten the chance to show her work locally in eastern Congo for years because of insecurity.



BENI, CONGO (AP) — Congolese designer Miki Sikabwe has trained in Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya but never had the chance to show her work at home because of insecurity. That changed over the weekend, when a handful of designers presented the first fashion shows in eastern Congo's city of Beni in years. It was a welcome distraction for residents who have faced attacks by Allied Democratic Forces rebels and other armed groups that have killed thousands over the past three years.

"I am happy to be exhibiting my necklaces and clothes made with local products here in Beni and I believe this will give hope to the people here," Sikabwe said, also showing off men's clothing made from bright African wax prints.

She and thousands of others in eastern Congo have wondered when the violence will end. Earlier this month, ADF rebels attacked the local United Nations mission, killing 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers and five Congolese soldiers in the single deadliest assault on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in nearly 25 years.

Uganda and Congo have launched a joint military offensive against the rebels, bringing optimism to a region that has known violence for decades. Beni's fashion week was canceled in 2014 after rebel attacks began in earnest, killing some 1,000 people within months.

Mayor Nyonyi Bwanakawa said he believes the city is becoming safer. "We would like to show the world that in Beni, and in northeast Congo, there is life and tourists can come here," he said. Beni lies at the foot of Mount Ruwenzori, which is surrounded by the well-known Virunga National Park.

Over the weekend, nearly 600 people packed into a nightclub for the fashion show featuring colored loincloths, masks and traditional materials designed into modern styles. Roselyne Mbiya was the lead designer, using Congolese fabrics mixed with floral designs and lace.

She said some of the show's proceeds will go to women who have been raped by the ADF rebels, saying they need to feel they are still loved by society.

Kerry Washington @ The 72nd Golden Globe Awards

Kerry Washington arrives at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. Washington  wore an of-the-moment midi length design by Mary Katrantzou.With lots of easy breezy makeup, minimal jewelry and loose hair, the Golden Globes opened the awards season with a red carpet chock-full of sparkly metallics, bright whites and dramatic reds. Washington is married to retired NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha. Image: Associated Press

Porscha Starr 2015 Lingerie Launch (Press Release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Greetings,

My name is Porscha and I am an online retailer. I’ve recently started an online store selling lingerie and I wonder if your company might be interested in this story.

This is a pretty new thing, and we hope to be big soon. We have an interesting story: Porscha Starr is a premier custom lingerie brand designing only the hottest lingerie and intimate apparel that is tailor made to its client. Porscha Starr has expanded its business beyond the Downtown Los Angeles showroom to its online store www.porschastarr.com. Porscha Starr Lingerie is well known for its edgy, alluring, fashion forward, sexy designs and custom created lingerie .The Porscha Starr customer is beautiful, sexy, alluring, playful, trendy, bold and fashion forward. I envisioned a clothing line that embodied the various surfaces of a woman: classy, sexy and edgy. Inspired by futuristic styles and trends, Porscha Starr Lingerie creates custom pieces that evoke confidence and high energy unveiling a Starr in every woman.    

The Porscha Starr 2015 Custom Collection Launches January 9, 2015. Would you share and spread the word about it? I’d really like to get some momentum going.

Please let me know if we can tell you anything more about our product and our story. Maybe other online retailers can learn a few things about selling online.

Thank you

Porscha Starr Lingerie

PHOTO-OP: Somalian Super Model Iman

Somalian super model and entrepreneur posing with Lucas Samaras' Sculpture Stiff Box at the Patrick Lannan Foundation, Palm Beach, Florida. Image: Norman Parkinson (1982).

Designer Oscar de la Renta Dead

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta presenting his Fall 1968 Collection June 3, 1968. Image: Sal Traina/Conde Nast Archives.

Oscar de la Renta who dressed first ladies, socialites and Hollywood stars for more than four decades, died Monday evening at his Connecticut home. He was 82.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, De la Renta was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. An award-winning designer, he worked for Lanvin and Balmain; his eponymous fashion house continues to dress leading figures, from film stars to royalty, into the 2010s. De la Renta is particularly known for his red carpet gowns and evening wear. 

From 1993 to 2002, Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house. In 2006, the Oscar de la Renta label diversified into bridal wear.

The Ambrose Ehirim - Eeefy Ify Ike Interview Exclusive

 I had thought it was "I'll be right back" kind of trip, not knowing her insights would start effecting some changes upon arrival to her native Nigeria. Motivational speaker, author, style icon, host, model, actress, fashion designer and ambassador, Eeefy Ify Ike, in this exclusive interview tells me about what had compelled her to dedicate her life to community service and why it was important. Facing the challenges, she founded the Patriotic Movement to empower the youths. She also talked about women who had inspired her and what it meant to her. Her newest book "Queen Of Cyber Space" has just been published, which she also talked about. Follow Eeefy on Facebook, Twitter and her Facebook Style Page

Excerpt:

 What took you to Nigeria after almost 20 years living in the western World?

I just came to Nigeria for a usual visit to my family and then the occurrences in Nigeria encouraged me to stay longer.  I arrived with only 2 pieces of luggage with my clothes, shoes and gifts. Incredible! Eeefy living with less materials! Smile!

 What were these occurrences?

When I arrived Nigeria January 2012 there was a riot about SUBSIDY and that imposed curfew and movement restrictions that irked my spirit and provoked me to thinking about Nigeria and her desperate condition!  I witnessed many Nigerians  lamenting the need for division, believing that our national problems can only be resolved through it.  I disagree with their belief because from my grasp of our problems in this nation, they cannot be rectified through division.  We as citizens of Nigeria still do not understand the fundamental principles of building a healthy and progressive nation, thus division can only plunge us further into oblivion. We should rather work towards synergy that will definitely help to heal and build our nation.  We have been amalgamated but have not learned to co-exist and we should try.  We must learn to rise above our cultural and religious differences and respect and appreciate one another as human beings. I have also witnessed the possibility for unity.  I observe oneness with Nigerians during sports games competitions and so I believe we can employ the same principles to build Nigeria and live in harmony if we are willing!

Nigeria is a nation with great potential and with our human and natural resources we have the capacity to be one of the greatest nations in the world but we need attitudinal change and patriotism to build Nigeria to her full potential.  We need patriotic citizens! We need leaders with compassion, great visions and innovative ideas.  We need servants and not dictators like those we usually vote into office.

I told myself that change is necessary in this country but we must first become the change we want to see, for change starts from within and becomes projected into society. So I thought to myself, what can I do to contribute to the change I want to see? I realized that I could use my boldness and speaking skills to create awareness and inspire the youths.

 Then what did you do?

Well first I was introduced to a Presidential Special Advisor who employed my services to run an organization he started but had not developed.  I was proffered the job to develop an empowerment program under that club, which I spent almost 4 months developing with my staff which consisted of a group of university graduates that are very passionate Nigerians willing to work hard to contribute their creativity, time, funds and energy to build the Nation.  After 4 months of work and producing an impeccable program we could not reach an agreement for payment, so I took my unpaid staff and left!  After my exit I promised myself that I would not despair but take my experience as a challenge to complete my work here before I return to America. Thence Patriotic Movement was birthed!  

 You founded a youth organization called Patriotic Movement! What was the 

     inspiration behind working with the Nigerian youths?

We all want a change in our government because we believe government is responsible for the challenges in Nigeria. I agree that we should REVALUATE our method of governance and rewrite our constitution but I do not agree that government is entirely guilty of our dilemma!  I think Nigerians as a whole are guilty because the government are the people.  Today's citizen is tomorrow's leader.  An awful citizen makes an incompetent leader but a patriotic citizen makes a competent and just leader.  Good governance and effective leadership are constructed through patriotism and great nations are built by means of Justice, Human Rights, Creativity, Constructing, Building and Nurturing.  It takes a collective effort to resolve national challenges.

There is a general belief that the youths are the future and with their youthful exuberance, creative skills and innovative ideas they are obviously in the best position to continue to build our nation in the right direction, so they ought to be taught how to participate in building their own future and a successful nation.

So I set up an organization to promote peace, unity, patriotism and the raising of change vanguards amongst the Nigerian youths.  I believe that a nation plunged into chaos and disharmony in which the citizens are unpatriotic can never succeed so I need to promote these fundamental principles with my youth seminars. Furthermore, we hope to produce young men and women that will understand the true dynamics of leadership, so that the future generation can have better and competent leaders.  I am convinced that with such initiatives we can achieve our aim to heal and build Nigeria.  Now it is only realistic to say that I am aiming at a formidable height and many say it is a far-fetched goal but I believe with a collective effort it is possible. Perhaps it can come to fruition in future generations the older generation are already set in their ways, many government officials make it impossible for hardworking and creative youths to get a chance and rather exploit, abuse and manipulate them at will, the youths possess very low self esteem, are polluted in spirit and also steeped in the corruption that now governs our society.  As a woman and a believer in God I can only see a better future for Nigeria and so my hope drives my goals to inspire the youths.  We must lay the foundation now for those future generations.  We must create the right awareness and strive to instill great values in the youths to  impact their children and eventually these values will become a lifestyle and effect the change we wish to achieve for our nation.

Greatness cannot be achieved in one day and there are guiding principles that citizens of a nation must imbibe to build a progressive nation.

 You just published a new book, what is it about? What is it called? What inspired the

     writing and where can your readers find it?

Yes I have just published my second book last month called QUEEN OF CYBERSPACE. It is an inspirational book; a collective of my daily thoughts here in Nigeria that I share with fans on cyberspace, hence the title "Queen Of Cyberspace". At the moment it can be found in Silverbird Lifestyle store, Salamander Cafe and Cassava Republic book hut in Arts and Craft village all located in Abuja Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria... I'm making arrangements to send them to other Silverbird stores across the nation and Accra Ghana. It will also be loaded online.  

My first inspirational book was published in America " PEERING THROUGH THE DEPTHS OF LIFE" and can be found in Amazon and Barnes & Nobles in America.

My writings are inspired by my need to share my understanding of life hoping that my perceptions can lend those that are struggling a clearer perspective of life and their challenges and perhaps guide them towards gaining their own healing.

 When did you begin designing jewelry and handbags?

I started designing STYLE IS INNATE Jewelry early this year and only started designing bags a few months ago.

 What was the inspiration behind this creativity?

The jewelry was inspired by activities with my youth organization.  My organization is planning mass youth seminars across the country with regards to healing the nation.  We believe healing starts from discovery and to teach the youths how to participate in healing and building the nation we must acquire the required correct information to disseminate them. So I started to research and in the process I discovered some of our natural minerals and gemstones... Out of excitement and passion for jewelry and the need to enhance the beauty of women and heal their self esteem I started designing jewelry.  I soon realized that it is also a strong inspirational example for the unemployed youths who can explore that market and develop extra lucrative skills. In addition these natural stones also possess medicinal properties that a lot of people are not aware of. I am eager to learn and share them and perhaps someone in need of healing can use them accordingly.  The jewelry are being introduced to stores in Nigeria now.   I have also exported some of these beautiful handcrafted gems to the United States.  I want to promote the beauty of Nigeria to the world so that the westerners will learn to gain appreciation for our land.

 Who are your role models?

I have a few role models but I am going to mention only those that relate to my present projects.

I'm inspired by the talk show host Oprah for her strength. A woman that endured struggles in her early years but did not wallow in that failure. She rose above her challenges, took authority over her life and is now impacting the lives of others.

I'm inspired by Dora Akunyuli. Because of her determination in her fight against crime and illegal drugs in our society. And all the risks she took especially getting NAFDAC to burn down the factories and warehouses where illegal drugs were manufactured, stored and sold.  That is a stride to save lives that would have been destroyed by those illegal drugs. Her work was even recognized internationally.  That work specifically is a reflection of patriotism... Sacrificing for the growth of her country.  I am traveling that path with my organization - Patriotic Movement.  I crave to inspire the youths to heal and build this nation. I wish to inspire them to take authority of their lives and work to reach their full potential.

I'm inspired by Stella Okoli, a woman with indomitable spirit.  She felt the need to also save lives and thereby started a small pharmaceutical company that produces good drugs and that small business expanded over the years through her hard-work and consistency, now known as Emzor, her pharmaceutical company is now the flagship of credible indigenous drug manufacturers in Nigeria.

 What is your biggest passion in life?

My biggest passion in life is to be a voice for change!

 When do you intend going back home to the US?

I hope to return to my life in America after my upcoming event here in Abuja. Though I will go back and forth as I now have demanding projects in Nigeria, which includes my new jewelry and bag business and my youth movement.

  May I ask what your upcoming event is about?

My forthcoming event is the official launch of Patriotic Movement.  Though we have done events but have not launched officially.  The official launch begins with a very significant National program.  My organization Patriotic Movement has partnered with National Orientation Agency in Abuja Federal Capital Territory, which is a government agency authorized to carry out orientation programmes in the country.  We need prayers from everyone because it has been quite challenging with such program especially dealing with many ignorant, greedy and selfish authorities and government officials who are willing vessels of doom against our nation.

  Do you have any advice for fellow Nigerians in Diaspora?

Diasporans, you ought to consider making more efforts to heal and build Nigeria!  I understand your disappointments and frustrations. Believe me after spending 2 unplanned years working and struggling in Nigeria I realized life in Nigeria is even more difficult than I perceived it to be peering through my perfect lens from America. I realized the lack of structure in our country!  I realized our government has not made efforts to provide citizens the foundation upon which they can structure their lives, hence the high rate of crime.  However, you should contribute to the change you crave to see in Nigeria at least for the families you left behind.  Spend less time criticizing and more time exploring solutions.  We are the government that we are so eager to abuse. Without the intention to be redundant, today's citizen is tomorrow's leader.  Some of our incumbent ministers are even Diasporans that returned home to make a difference, so you could be the next governor or minister.  The lifestyle you relish in your country of residence can be duplicated here with your willingness, perseverance and hard-work!  They were human beings that came together to build that country you now enjoy, they are not machines!  Are they more superior beings than you?

Do not relegate yourself to the background and become a nuisance! The endless times spent on forums in cyberspace and gatherings spewing evil against Nigeria and fellow Nigerians, passing strictures at government and apportioning blames should be channeled into contributing to the change you want! Denying Nigeria is denying who you are! Nigeria and her ills is reflected in your image as a Nigerian, whether you like it or not, Naturalized in a foreign country or not and in spite of the perfect life you've made for yourself abroad.  

Nigeria beckons your creativity!

Nigeria beckons your energy!

Nigeria beckons your soul!

Nigeria beckons your patriotism!

Let us rise in our religious and cultural diversity and overcome our differences,

Let us join forces symbolically to appreciate our unique geographical entity!

Let us heal and build Nigeria and become the pride of Africa!

Eeefy and members of the Patriotic Movement she founded to empower the youths. The movement in its mission statement from its website says "NIGERIAN YOUTHS MUST RISE TO HEAL THE NATION AND THEY MUST DO SO THROUGH PATRIOTISM, PEACE AND UNITY. THERE IS POWER IN SYNERGY. IT TAKES A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO RESOLVE A NATIONAL CHALLENGE."