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Nearly A Decade Later, Harlem's Fashion Row Continues to Take on NYFW

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Swizz Beatz accepting the HFR ICON 360 Award
Image by Marcus Rosendoll

Nine years ago, I had an idea to produce a fashion show in Harlem, which would later be known as Harlem's Fashion Row (HFR). Over the years, my purpose for HFR has become clearer than ever; I now realize, I'm the vessel that's being used to provide a platform for multicultural designers. At HFR's 9th annual Fashion Show and Style Awards, sponsored by CoverGirl and Motions, I reminded the audience that HFR is ours. Some people would say the fashion industry is not warm and definitely not friendly; however, I've experienced something quite different. There are more people than I could even begin to name that have allowed HFR to succeed.

Before our designers presented their collections, we acknowledged those in this industry who have made exceptional accomplishments. They all had the most incredible stories behind their rise to the top. We honored Elaine Welteroth, the Editor of Teen Vogue, Kyle Hagler, the president of Next Model Management, Eric Archibald, esteemed celebrity stylist, and our 2016 ICON 360 Award recipient Swizz Beatz.

As of now, the staggering statistic is still true. Only 1 % of designers shown during NYFW, are carried in major department stores, look like most the designers that show with HFR. I believe it's up to all of us, to support multicultural designers. They need us. They don't have it all together, so we need to offer advice, take the time to review their collections, help them with their lookbooks, connect them with buyers, give them a placement, or feature them in a story. The designers selected were JRU by Jakai Franks, Lois London by Rahdika Perera-Hernandez, Kahindo by Kahindo Mateene, and Terese Syndonna by Terese Brown.

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Image by Marcus Rosendoll

Each designer brought a different point of view to Fashion Week. JRU was selected from a partnership with Shiona Turini and Bermuda Fashion Festival. He presented a collection that was a fresh take on menswear, influenced by the colors and culture of Bermuda. Lois London made us all want to head back to the beach in her collection of resort wear that resulted in claps from a usually cool and collected fashion crowd. Terese Sydonna, who is currently sold in over 10 stores nationwide, speaks to the real woman that is looking for solution based contemporary clothing that sparks confidence in every woman no matter what size she is. Kahindo played with fabrics inspired by her Congolese roots. She presented a women's wear collection with an abundance of texture and models that hit the runway with gold brushed bare feet.

Multicultural designers often find the fashion industry inaccessible. We had global PR Directors, top publicists, influencers who have connected HFR with the White House, and a host of top fashion editors. The fact that we had over 400 top fashion influencers, including editors from major magazines, attend the event at Pier 59, proves that the fashion industry wants to see multicultural designers win. HFR exists because we believe that our voices matter, our lives matter, and most of all, our points of view matters.

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Elaine Welteroth, Editor of Teen Vogue
Image by Marcus Rosendoll

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Hillary Clinton-Inspired Flash Mob Is Pro-Pantsuit, Anti-Donald Trump

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It’s official. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her collection of pantsuits have started a movement ― and it’s a groovy one.


A flash mob of pantsuit-clad dancers took over New York City’s Union Square Park in Manhattan on Sunday to pay homage to Clinton. More than 100 dancers donned suits in a rainbow of colors as they rocked out to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling.”


And what feeling can the dancers not stop, you might ask? Organizers said it’s the sense of pride they feel for Clinton and the revulsion they have for her GOP opponent, Donald Trump.


The open invitation for the “Pantsuit Power Dance” included a line from The Guardian opinion writer Lindy West: “If we care about our future as a non-blown-up planet, it’s time to stop treating the Democratic candidate as if she’s barely better than a literal white supremacist.”


Facebook post from the flash mob co-organizer expressed similar views: “We are looking for ... all those fun folks who don’t want to see this country ruled under Donald.”




The dancers raided nearly every thrift shop in town to debut their epic collection of Clinton-inspired pantsuits, Vogue reported. They clearly made their point.


“We’re not just out here to dance,” filmmaker and choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall told Vogue. “We’re out here to say we support what this woman stands for.”


We’re pretty sure that Clinton, sensible pantsuit and all, would approve this message.





Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly
incites
political violence
and is a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-911_565b1950e4b08e945feb7326"> style="font-weight: 400;">serial liar, href="http://www.huffingtonpost
.com/entry/9-outrageous-things-donald-trump-has-said-about-latinos_55e483a1e4b0c818f618904b"> style="font-weight: 400;">rampant xenophobe,
racist, style="font-weight: 400;">misogynist and href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-stephen-colbert-birther_56022a33e4b00310edf92f7a"> >birther who has
repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from
entering the U.S.

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If Your Shoes Hurt When Wearing Them, Why Buy Them!?

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Fashion week is being celebrated worldwide; it's the beginning of fall and time to buy new shoes again. The fall collection of your favorite shoe designers such as Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik are now available at your favorite shoe boutique, department store or on line. Women worldwide are excited about the hot new "uncomfortable" fashion footwear to choose from. They are designed to look sexy, sophisticated and create an emotional buy. The reality is they are not designed to be comfortable or fit your feet comfortably. However, as the shoe gods say "better to look good then to feel good". The question is when buying new shoes and knowing how they can kill your feet. Why buy them! The answer is because I want too and they look fabulous with my evening gown, fall wardrobe, business suite or dress for that special occasion and I cannot live without them!

There are many reasons why fashion footwear or high heels may not be comfortable. The heel height, 6" versus 3" will determine the type of foot problems that can be triggered. Unfortunately our feet were not originally designed to wear 6" heels so they have to adapt to the different heel heights and slopes. Footwear designed with a steep slope or pitch will throw your foot forward placing all the weight and pressure on the balls of your feet. The natural fat pad on the ball of the foot will drift forward towards the webs of your toes and expose the head of metatarsal bones to the floor of the shoe. Fashion footwear does not provide enough padding in the toe box area nor are they designed with adequate arch support to take pressure off the ball of your foot. When you factor in that traditionally fashion footwear is designed with very thin leather outer-soles the ball of the foot can get very sore when walking, or standing on hard floor surfaces for long periods of time.

Another reason why these types of shoes can be uncomfortable and cause foot problems is because the range of motion in your great toe joint may be limited due to the development of a bunion deformity or bone spurs forming around the joint. If the toe does not have adequate motion and flexibility it will not be able to rotate around the joint smoothly. The great toe will not be able to tolerate the pitch of the shoe causing sharp pains and sometimes swelling in that joint. That is why you only want to wear them into a restaurant and kick them off once you're seated or bring a pair of flats when you plan to go dancing.

The lack of arch support in fashion footwear is well known and continues to be a major reason why women get arch pain, foot cramps, tired feet and leg fatigue when wearing them. Women who have flat feet are more susceptible to these types of problems because the arch muscles in the foot are unstable and get fatigued.

It is difficult to make a shoe with the perfect slope or the exact amount of arch support that will accommodate everyone's foot type. That is why orthotics or over the counter arch supports play an important role in making women's fashion footwear more comfortable and supportive. They take pressure off the ball of the foot, increase motion in the great toe joint, provide instant support and prevent arch fatigue allowing women to wear the shoes they love to wear in comfort.

The key to success in using these types of products is finding ones that will fit in the shoes without taking up to much room or change your shoe size. Custom orthotics can be helpful as long as they are not too bulky and accommodate the different heel heights. Over the counter arch products is another option and can also provide great support. The best way to find these products on line is to google key words such as arch supports, orthotics and instant arch support.

So buy at your own risk and walk happily ever after!


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How I Stopped Buying Things I Don't Need

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This article is part of HuffPost’s “Reclaim” campaign, an ongoing project spotlighting the world’s waste crisis and how we can begin to solve it.


I’m kind of an impulsive shopper. You might even call me a compulsive shopper. I never met a white Zara blouse I didn’t like. 


I’m also an introvert who primarily enjoys the company of New York City streets. This means a Saturday walk in November can easily turn into a $75 binge on bathing suit bottoms at H&M.


I buy something cool and cheap, rip the tags from my bounty and, by the next week, I’ve lost all interested in wearing it. On top of that, I hate returning things. My aversion is rooted in a chronic lack of patience, general interpersonal anxiety and tendency to become lightheaded while waiting in lines.


When you don’t have a ton of money or an excess of square footage to call home, these habits can get out of hand. Within the last year, I realized things for me were way, way out of hand. 


Running late to work one day, with my hands two feet deep in new blouses, I was forced to confront the fact that I was draining a modest bank account into an even more modest bedroom closet.


The person I wanted to be has one quality black blazer she wears every day. The person I had become would crawl beneath a sale rack to claim three.


Solving my problem meant confronting a lifetime of neuroses and unproductive coping mechanisms. The first step was to start returning unworn items to the stores where I found them. The next would be to stop over-buying altogether.



I was draining a modest bank account into an even more modest bedroom closet.



Fashion is estimated to be one of the most polluting industries in the world. One facet of this complex problem is the sheer volume of stuff we throw out: About 85 percent of America’s 15.1 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills in 2013. Secondhand clothes are often sent to cheap markets in the developing world, compromising local vendors’ ability to compete.


According to the International Labor Organization, many of the 170 million child laborers across the globe are employed in garment and textile-making industries ― in part because of massive demand for inexpensive, trendy clothes in the Western world. 


Meanwhile, my walls were dripping with cheap scarves and reckless materialism. I was paying a premium for cage-free eggs from chickens treated better than some of the humans who made my clothes. I was dropping off piles of never-worn polyester to Goodwill on the way to the farmers market with reusable bags. It didn’t make sense to me anymore.



But returning things was not a habit I ever developed. It’s certainly not something I ever learned from my parents. My mom grew up poor and my dad grew up cheap, so I inherited an irrepressible drive to acquire as many things as possible for the lowest possible price. Where frugality began, more good sense didn’t always follow. If you took a gamble on a bargain purchase and it didn’t work out, you just cut your losses.


Why spend two hours and $5 on subway fare to return a $10 blouse when you can just buy more hangers? 


More importantly, shopping for deals was a bonding activity for my mother, sister and me. Even as an adult confronting my own issues with clutter and overspending, the idea of declining my mother’s invitations to the outlet mall fills me with guilt.


For our family, buying things for people is an act of love. My mother sent me many of the unworn items that remain in my closet, which I imagine her buying and mailing with an excitement I understand all too well. A therapist once told me that my “money issues” with regard to shopping are really my “mommy issues.” I stopped by Urban Outfitters on the way home.


So here’s how I began to break out of the cycle. 


I could keep buying clothing under two conditions: I’d leave the tags on an item until I wore it, and I’d keep my receipts. Previously I’d throw away both immediately with post-purchase euphoria. And rather than wear the item immediately, I’d wait until I really wanted to wear it. Often, that moment never came. 



A therapist once told me my “money issues” are really my “mommy issues.” I stopped by Urban Outfitters on the way home.



I found that when I bought a new item on a whim, I’d get bored with it faster than its return policy would expire. I always had the option to bring it back.


Parting with the item was painless, but something that took 10 minutes to buy often took far, far more time to return. It wasn’t long before I realized the excitement of buying something new wasn’t worth the time and effort involved in returning it. 


Finally, a closet filled with cheap clothes I barely liked no longer appealed to me. And now that I was keeping better track of the items I bought only to endure an aggressive Zara return line a week later, I just couldn’t be bothered to buy them in the first place. 


With that small change, I’m happier and slightly richer. I feel better about myself as a global citizen and as a woman with at least a little self-discipline. Walking past a department store on payday isn’t exactly easy, but paying rent on time and choosing an outfit in under five minutes definitely is. 


While I didn’t completely cure myself of the impulse to shop, I put up enough barriers to doing so that I created a clearer path to reducing frivolous consumption. Will I resist buying underwear later this week to postpone doing laundry? Well, I’m only human. 


More stories like this:


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Let Prince Harry Hug His Way Right Into Your Heart

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Prince Harry has a way of impressing and delighting us just about every time he makes an official appearance. Between his work for mental health, his commitment to causes that are important to him and, OK, that smile, there’s much Harry is doing right these days. 


That lovableness was all the way on display in London Monday during an awards ceremony for Wellchild, a U.K.-based charity that provides services and resources to young people living with serious health issues. Harry showed off some total “cool uncle” hand gestures, a few balloon animals, and this hug from “Inspirational Child” award-winner Ollie Carroll, a 5-year-old who suffers from Batten disease:



According to Wellchild, the awards celebrate “the inspirational qualities of the U.K.’s seriously ill children and young people along with the dedicated health professionals who go that extra mile to really make a difference to their lives.”


Harry, who has been the organization’s patron since 2007, joined in the festivities and interacted with the children and their families. Social media was understandably abuzz about the whole thing, including Kensington Palace’s own Twitter account, which followed Harry through the evening while he received a stuffed animal:






Sported one super cool bracelet:






And shared some inspiring words about the event itself:






Sigh. See more photos from the event below. 


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Are You Using The Right Conditioner For Your Hair Type?

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By Stephen J. Praetorius for GQ.


No two manes are created equal. Why treat them that way?



When it comes to seemingly simple task of taking a shower, there exists no shortage of decisions to be made, conditioner notwithstanding. For one, you’ve got to choose when it is you’re going to do the deed: are you going to follow the curve and soak your body in the morning, or are you going to eke out a few extra minutes of sleep by taking the plunge after dark? What are you going to soap up with? How are you going to dry off? The list goes on and on. Which is why we (almost) feel bad letting you know that there’s one more question you need to ask yourself: are you using the right conditioner for your particular mane?


You see, massaging in the right conditioner for your hair type can mean the difference between sporting a head of lust-worthy locks, and suffering a dreaded bad hair day. Just think: how could thick, curly hair require the same upkeep as a mop containing sparse, pin-straight strands? It couldn’t, plain and simple. And so, instead of getting overwhelmed by choices and grabbing the first condition that catches your eye, you need to consciously choose the lather that suits your hair type. Below, a few simple tips to help guide your hand.


Hair Type: Wavy As the Ocean



If your hair is the happy middle ground — not straight, but not too curly either — you want a bottle that toes a line too, equal parts moisturizing and lightweight. Baxter’s mint-tinged blend fits the bill.


Baxter of California Daily Moisturizing Conditioner, $19, baxterofcalifornia.com


Hair Type: Flat and Fine



If your locks hang straight down from your skull, unable to keep a curl if they tried, reach for a conditioner that’ll grant your hair with the body it craves, like this Bumble and Bumble thickening option.


Bumble and Bumble Thickening Conditioner, $27, bumbleandbumble.com


Hair Type: Curly As Hell



Tight, round ringlets are all too often ruined by dryness, so what you’re going to want to do is opt for a deep-moisturizing lather to end the drought. This choice by Verb is just what you need to do the trick.


Verb Hydrating Conditioner, $14, sephora.com


Hair Type: So Much Grease



On the flip side of the spectrum, some mane’s have more moisture than they know what to do with. For those, go for a light daily conditioner, like Malin+ Goetz cilantro-infused rub, or just skip stuff altogether.


Malin + Goetz Cilantro Hair Conditioner, $22,malinandgoetz.com


Hair Type: Silver Fox



Maybe you’re getting older. Or maybe you decided to go with a Lochte-inspired dye job. Either way, keep newly silver locks looking their best with a conditioner that’s been specially formulated for the scenario.


V76 Brightening Conditioner, $19, v76.com


Hair Type: Thin, and Getting Thinner



At some point in most men’s lives, hopefully a long way down the line, they’ll see some measure of hair loss. Not to worry, though, because there’s hope. With the right conditioner, you can fight back against baldness, keeping hair shiny and well-hydrated in the process.


Lab Series Age Rescue+ Densifying Conditioner, $29, labseries.com


More from GQ:


7 Grooming Moves to Steal From Your Favorite Rapper


The Best Haircuts for Men


The Best Facial Hair for Your Face Shape


4 Question to Ask Yourself Before Growing a Goatee


The Hottest Women of the 21st Century


Kanye West’s 100 Best Outfits


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Prince Harry Offers A Perfect Take On Vets Experiencing PTSD

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Prince Harry’s latest comments about veterans and mental health is a message we can get behind.


Last week, the prince told the ITV News that there needs to be a greater sense of openness and encouragement for military members when it comes to mental health issues. The interview came right as Harry joined injured veterans on part of a 1,000 mile walk across Britain in order to raise awareness for wounded former service members.


Mental health is a sensitive subject amongst a lot of people, but it doesn’t need to be,” he told the outlet. “We need to talk to about it more, get ret rid of the stigma.”


He’s absolutely correct. The negative perceptions around mental health conditions often prevent people from seeking treatment ― but a greater, cultural conversation around them could help alleviate that. As many as 20 percent of American veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have PTSD. And nearly 20 former service members die by suicide each day.


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Prince Harry has been advocating for more mental health awareness for veterans for years following his own service in the British Armed Forces. He teamed up with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year to launch Heads Together, a sweeping mental health initiative in the U.K. that’s focused on reducing stigma.


In 2014 he also created the Invictus Games, a worldwide sporting event that celebrates wounded veterans. At the 2016 games, which took place in Orlando, Fla. in May, he spoke with first lady Michelle Obama about the importance of seeking help for psychological disorders like PTSD.


[Mental illness] is not a life sentence,” Prince Harry said during an appearance with the first lady on “Good Morning America.” “If you open up and speak about it and get the right help as soon as possible, then you can find coping mechanisms and you can get your life back on track.”


The prince’s advocacy couldn’t be more necessary during a time when veteran mental health is at the forefront of the political narrative here at home. Ultimately, the prince told ITV, there needs to be more compassion toward veterans who may be dealing with a mental health issue and awareness that experiencing one is not a weakness.


“A lot of these [veterans] have never had a chance to really talk about their feelings and their emotions,” he said. “The worst thing when you’re in the forces is trying to talk about your issues and people not accepting them and people not understanding it. It’s a hidden injury.”

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5 Quotes From The Very Sexy Susan Sarandon To Mark Her 70th

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Happy birthday, Susan Sarandon! The spunky actress turns 70 on Oct. 4 and is still one of our all-time favorite redheads. We’ve envied her looks since “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” wanted to be her best friend since “Thelma and Louise,” and have always admired her for being an inspiration when it comes to aging and body confidence.


We’ve rounded up some of her most inspiring and interesting quotes. Susan, we hope you keep rocking your cleavage in this decade and beyond!  



“Sex — that’s good for your skin, right?” ― Susan Sarandon to You Magazine in May 2016



“I feel just as sexy as I did when I was younger — more so, in fact. I see old pictures of myself and I prefer the way I look now because I’ve had more life.” ― Susan Sarandon to You Magazine in May 2016


 



“If I’ve learned anything with age, it’s to be honest to myself and to allow myself a little fun from time to time.” — Susan Sarandon to Livingly in January 2016. 



“I think women have the right to do whatever they want to their bodies that make them feel good about themselves.” — Susan Sarandon to IGN in November 2004. 



 


“I hear women [of a certain age] talking about becoming invisible. My interpretation of anti-aging means anti-becoming invisible.” — Susan Sarandon to Refinery29 in June 2016. 


  

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Watch This Little Girl Destroy Gender Stereotypes In Clothing

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Daisy Edmonds, an 8-year-old from the U.K., does gymnastics, martial arts and theater. But if you ask us, she’s also a spokesperson for gender equality. 


Her mom recently recorded Daisy’s reaction to a display of girls and boys T-shirts they spotted during a trip to Tesco.


With phrases like “hey,” “beautiful,” and “I feel fabulous,” the girls T-shirts contrasted dramatically with those offered for boys, which were emblazoned with words like “hero,” “desert adventure awaits,” and “think outside the box.”





”It’s unfair because everyone thinks that girls should just be pretty, and boys should just be adventurous... Why should boys and girls clothes even be separated? Because we’re just as good as each other,” Daisy says in the video.


Daisy proceeds to explain that while thinking outside the box inspires people to be adventurous and follow their dreams, a shirt that says “hey!” isn’t very inspiring at all. 


“What is that even supposed to mean?” she asks, before planting some of the boys T-shirts in the girls section.


Daisy’s mom Becky Edmonds shared the video to a Facebook page she uses to keep her family updated on her daughters’ lives, and things took off: it’s been viewed over 1.7 million times since it was posted Sept. 24. 


Edmonds says the issue of sexism and stereotyping is something often talked about within the family. 


“We have three girls, and we are much more aware of casual sexism than we ever were before we had children,” she told The Huffington Post. “I didn’t really notice [before], but now that I have my own kids I think ‘They’re amazing, my kids can change the world,’ and I can’t stand the idea that just because they’re girls they might not have the same opportunities.” 


The video eventually grabbed the attention of Tesco staff. Edmonds explained on her Facebook page that it wasn’t until the local paper contacted her that she and Daisy heard back from the retail chain:





As she points out, they’re not just pointing the finger just at Tesco. Many businesses are guilty of perpetuating stereotypes for girls and boys; Tesco joins a long list of offenders including Old Navy, various magazines for kids and teens, and toy manufacturers, too.






“It’s like when you buy a red car, and then all of a sudden you start to see loads of red cars. Now that we’ve noticed it, we’re starting to see it everywhere,” Edmonds said. 


Luckily, there are brands doing work to end stereotypes in clothing, and hopefully Daisy’s powerful, adorable message resonates with retailers everywhere. 

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20 Comics That Sum Up Halloween For Parents

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Halloween can be a challenging time for parents. After spending all year telling their kids not to accept candy from strangers, they have to persuade them to knock on people’s doors and beg for it. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.


Between the costume struggles, sugar highs and pumpkin-carving debacles, parents have their hands full every October. Luckily, they have a sense of humor about it.


We’ve rounded up some hilarious comics that sum up parents’ Halloween struggles (and small victories). Keep calm and spook on!


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Karl Lagerfeld Suggests Kim Kardashian Shouldn't Be 'Surprised' About Robbery

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Karl Lagerfeld seems to think Kim Kardashian is partly to blame for the traumatic robbery she faced in Paris Sunday night. 


The fashion designer spoke to the Associated Press about the robbery that occurred at the Parisian hotel where Kardashian was staying for Paris Fashion Week.


“[She is] too public, too public — we have to see in what time we live. You cannot display your wealth then be surprised that some people want to share it,” Lagerfeld said following his Chanel Paris Fashion Week showing. “I don’t understand why [Kardashian] was in a hotel with no security and things like this. If you are that famous and you put all your jewelry on the net, you go to hotels where nobody can come near to the room.” 



While Lagerfeld might be offering a warning now, he also shared words of love for Kardashian. 




Other celebrities offered their words of support, notably after social media users began joking about the incident. 










Kardashian was held at gunpoint by two “armed and masked” men who entered the residence and stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from her. The reality star and mother of two feared for her life during the attack. 


“She begged for them to let her live and [said] she has babies at home,” a source told E! News. “Then they wrapped her mouth in tape and put her in the bathtub. She thought they were for sure going to kill her.”


The 36-year-old was in the unit with her friend and stylist Simone Harouche at the time of the robbery. According to E!, Harouche was able to text Kardashian’s bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, for help. 

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Your Fall Outfit Inspo, Courtesy Of Paris Fashion Week

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Quel dommage, it’s the last day of Paris Fashion Week.


But fear not, chéries. Thanks to the power of the internet, we spectators can happily continue looking at all the Chanel robots, celebrities and, of course, impeccable street style for days and weeks to come. 


Fashion week attendees always step it up in the City of Light, delighting our sartorial senses and prompting us to pine for an entirely new wardrobe. But guess what? That’s probably not even necessary. Denim has been a big star of the past few days, along with party pants, cool coats and more things that might be in your closet already. And if they’re not, we’ve found a few affordable options ― listed and linked below ― so you can spice up a look for less. 


So voila, below, your fall outfit inspiration. You can remercier us later. 


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

What The Internet's Fave Dog Can Teach Us About The Perils of 'Trendy' Pets

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Kathy Crandell remembers the days when it seemed like barely anyone she met knew what a shiba inu was.


“People would always ask what kind of dog [I had] or say, ‘it looks like a fox,’” Crandell, founder of Shiba Inu Rescue of Florida, told The Huffington Post.


Now, not so much. The breed’s presence has exploded in U.S. pop culture over the past eight years. The expressive-faced dogs are ubiquitous in online memes, cutesy listicles and even appear in commercials.


But dog rescuers say that while the popularity surge has brought about a greater numbers of volunteers and people interested in their work, it’s also led to more abandoned shibas. And while shibas are by no means the breed that winds up in shelters the most, the consequences of their rise in popularity is a compelling example of the pitfalls that can occur when a particular type of pet become “trendy.”





“More people are getting them, without question,” Zennia Barahona, president of NYC Shiba Rescue, said. “Our first few years we had 5 or 6 dogs in foster care. [Now] we can hit numbers of 20 dogs … and having a waiting list.”


The tide began turning for shibas in the U.S. in late 2008, when a San Francisco-based shiba inu puppy cam hit the web and became an internet sensation.


Two years later, a Japanese woman posted several photos of her shiba, Kabosu, online, including one where Kabosu, paws crossed, looked at the camera with a particularly funny expression. That photo would ultimately become the most iconic face of the “doge” meme — a trend of pairing photos of shiba inus with captions meant to convey their humorous internal monologues, most famously with the phrase “much wow.”










The doge meme even led to Dogecoin, a digital currency featuring Kabosu as its logo.


While this all sounds a little ridiculous, shiba rescuers believe the phenomenon has had a serious impact on the state of shibas in the U.S.


“I think the biggest change is that when I initially started the rescue, a lot of people hadn’t even heard of the breed before,” Barahona said. “Now that’s changed a hundred percent. Now they’re like, ‘Oh it’s the meme,’ or ‘it’s the much wow dog.’”




In February, a rep for the National Shiba Club of America told Slate that they had not heard of “any uptick in breeding or adoption of shibas” at “the national level.” But data from the American Kennel Club, obtained by HuffPost, indicates otherwise. According to the AKC’s annual popularity rankings, which is based on how many owners opt to register their dogs with the AKC, shiba inus were the 67th most popular dog breed in the U.S. in 2007. By 2015, the breed had risen to the 45th most popular.


And the shiba’s rising trendiness has led to some people jumping on the bandwagon without doing any real research about the breed.


“The memes don’t represent the personality,” Barahona said. “The breed is not necessarily for everyone.”


It’s never a good idea to get any pet without knowing much about the animal, and it can be an especially big problem with shibas, as their cartoonishly cute faces and small size belie a breed that tends to be being highly independent, energetic, and stubborn. Devoting a good chunk of time to training the dog is crucial, and if they aren’t socialized properly, they can also run into aggression problems. 


Shibas also do particularly badly in shelters, said Nathalie Abutaha founder and president of DC Shiba Inu Rescue.




“They tend to shut down or they can be a little more reactive or aggressive than they actually are,” she said. Her own three pet shibas were all scheduled to be euthanized at shelters when she got them, she said. One of them, she said, is ”the sweetest cuddly teddy bear,” but was so distressed at the shelter that “they had to get him out [of the kennel] with a catch pole and a tranquilizer gun.”


Bad breeding practices compound the problem. Puppy-seekers will often eschew responsible breeders — who can have long waiting lists, higher prices and a thorough screening process for new owners — in favor of going to pet stores. And most pet store puppies come from puppy mills, where dogs are bred in deplorable conditions, with little attention paid to genetics, meaning that the puppies are more likely to have serious health and behavioral problems.


Abutaha said her group used to see only abandoned adult dogs, but that’s been changing since 2012 or so. More people are purchasing puppies as “impulse buys” and then realize the pups are more than they can handle.




None of this means shibas aren’t great dogs. Love for shibas is the whole reason that people like Crandell, Barahona and Abutaha got started rescuing them in the first place. After all, some of the same traits that can make shibas so frustrating for unprepared dog owners — like their energy and intelligence — is also what makes them so lovable to shiba-holics.


That’s why DC Shiba Rescue devotes energy to helping overwhelmed dog owners figure out how they can keep their pets. Mostly, that means educating people about positive reinforcement training — humane training that relies on rewards and establishing trust, instead of the more archaic “old school” tactics that rely on punishments like electric or choke collars.


A lot of people, Abutaha said, realize that the dogs really aren’t so hard to handle, once they learn the right way to do it.


“That’s a big part of our rescue, educating the humans,” she said.

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Adults and Their Halloween Costumes: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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Years ago, I was cornered for my thoughts about the psychological meaning of adults' Halloween costume choices. Creatively misquoted, I think maybe it's time to set the record straight-- you can't diagnosis a person from their Halloween costume-- not officially anyway. Behind every French maid costume or superhero cape is a unique woman or man wearing that outfit. If a costume gave us great insight into understanding someone, mental health professionals, matchmakers, and corporate and political institutions would throw more Halloween parties.

Motivations and behaviors differ. And we've all made a few misguided wardrobe decisions in our lives. Therefore, jumping to conclusions or generalizing based on a good or bad Halloween costume choice, is never a good idea. Instead, let's take a look at a few costume favorites for adults and some possible motivations for choosing that look.

Superman, Batman, or any action hero
Possible motivations:
Want to feel powerful in a comic book kind of way.
Already feel powerful and want to showcase that in a comic book kind of way.
Liked the movie.
Liked the outfit.
Look good in the colors.
Somebody dared me.
It was the only costume in the store/house.

Sexy Witch or Vampire
Possible motivations:
Obsessed with Dark Shadows, Elvira, or Twilight.
Want to step out of that "nice" comfort zone and appear mean, yet attractive.
Have lost weight and decided to wear my old black prom dress or tux with the hat/cape.
No one would expect it.
Somebody dared me.

Zombie
Possible motivations:
Love the film genre and decided to see how long it would take in the makeup chair to get the look.
Wanted to scare my BFFs and this was the best way to do it.
No one would expect it.
Somebody dared me.

Now let's refrain from being too judgmental and focus on the important part of Halloween-- candy. Happy Halloween!

Ever made a bad costume decision? Share your story in the comments.

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10 Halloween Costumes Perfect For Fun-Loving Middle-Aged Couples

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Halloween. The one night of the year when it’s totally acceptable to be inappropriate and downright hilarious. For midlifers, it’s your one chance to throw caution to the wind, shock your kids ― and your neighbors ― and dress up however you want. We say, go big or go home.


Whether it’s nostalgia or just a little humor you prefer, we found the best costumes to rock one of our favorite holidays later this month.


Middle-Aged Barbie And Midlife Crisis Ken



When your costume isn’t all that far from reality... 


 


Total Boobs






Their kids will probably have nightmares for years to come.


The Emoji Couple 






Flo From Progressive And Jake From State Farm 






LOL. 


Netflix And Chill






Down with the lingo.


 


Kathy Bates And James Caan In “Misery”






Creepy... but also epic.


 


Wine And Cheese 






Keepin’ it classy.


Hugh Hefner And His Playboy Bunnies






This will haunt your kids forever.


 


Lucy And Ricky






Or Fred and Ethel for the bickering couple.


 


“A Christmas Story” Leg Lamp 






 Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. 

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Rihanna Rocks Locs Like The Goddess That She Is

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Drop everything: Rihanna has a brand new look.


It appears everyone’s favorite bad girl has an affinity for going long these days ― like the super long sleeves in her Puma collection and now, super long locs on her head.



buffalo $oldier

A photo posted by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on




On Monday Rih raked in 1.3 million likes on the first Instagram photo of her newest ‘do, which she fittingly captioned “buffalo $oldier.” 


Since then, she’s been spotted rocking the tresses out and about in New York City...



... and of course, again on Instagram. 



foreign.

A photo posted by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on




We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: There’s no look this woman doesn’t fully and completely work (work, work, work, work).

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Sexy Lingerie Campaign Demonstrates The Right Way To Be Inclusive

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In the ongoing move toward a more inclusive fashion industry, not every brand is getting it right. Lonely Label, the body-positive lingerie company of our dreams, however, is nailing it. 


Its newest ad is inclusive not by acknowledging the number of women over a certain size involved, but simply by featuring nine beautifully diverse women of different ages, body types and skin colors ― entities that the brand’s designer and founder said in a statement are “the differences that make us who we are.”



Lonely has been celebrating diversity since 2009. Just recently in August, it debuted a stunning, un-retouched image of Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke as part of its Lonely Girls Project


In keeping its photos un-retouched and recruiting many different women to star in its projects, the brand hopes to inspire women to feel good in the skin they’re in. Stylist Zara Mirkin, who worked the shoot, explained in a statement: “I just want women to accept who they are and appreciate what they bring to this world and very importantly be proud of what they look like – any size or skin color.”



Check out more images from the campaign below, and head to Lonely Label to shop. 


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The Best Celebrity Haircuts Of 2016 (So Far)

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By Liza Corsillo for GQ.


Getting the approval of style-minded guys these days (and, well, us) takes more than great personal style. It also takes some serious grooming game. This is especially true for the world's leading men, who spend their days and nights basking in the limelight. After all, fame comes with responsibilities, like staying ahead of the curve when it comes to hair trends. It's a simple thing to expect when you realize these guys have some of the best hands in the business sculpting their perfect ’dos. In fact, without them how would you, or any guy, know what kind of haircut to ask for? And whose photo would you bring to the barber, for that matter? The good news is that this year has already gifted us with a fresh batch of hair gods, and more are soon to come (i.e., when Jon Snow comes back to life) as 2016 rolls on. To get you started, here are 2016's very best famous haircuts, so far.


OSCAR ISAAC, THE WAVY GENTLEMAN



RYAN GOSLING, THE OLD HOLLYWOOD



HARRY SHUM JR., THE HIGH AND NOT-SO-TIGHT



JOE MANGANIELLO, THE SEXY SIDE PART



GORDON HAYWARD, THE BULLETPROOF UNDERCUT



LEON BRIDGES, THE FAUX PART



DOMHNALL GLEESON, THE MESSY SWOOP



DONALD GLOVER, THE DANDY WILDMAN



RYAN REYNOLDS, THE NICE GUY FADE



AUSTIN BUTLER, THE OMBRÉ SURFER



IMAN SHUMPERT, THE BOX



JUSTIN BIEBER, THE BLEACHED UNDERCUT



GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL, THE SALT-AND-PEPPER SIDE PART



GEORGE CLOONEY, THE SILVER FOX



JADEN SMITH, THE GO YOUR OWN WAY



NICK JONAS, THE POP STAR BUZZ



JUSTIN THEROUX, THE TOUGH GUY BEDHEAD



CHRIS PINE, THE NEXT GENERATION WAVE



IDRIS ELBA, THE LEADING MAN HIGH AND TIGHT



AZIZ ANSARI, THE TIGHT AND EASY



THE WEEKND, THE REINVENTION CUT



JEFF GOLDBLUM, THE SILVER WAVE



ZAYN MALIK, THE UNKEMPT CURLS



More from GQ:


The Best Haircuts for Men


How to Grow Out Your Buzz Cut This Fall


The Best Facial Hair for Your Face Shape


4 Question to Ask Yourself Before Growing a Goatee


7 Grooming Moves to Steal From Your Favorite Rapper


The Hottest Women of the 21st Century


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Here's How Coach Bags Turned From Coveted Classics Into Tacky Chaos

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This article is part of HuffPost’s “Reclaim” campaign, an ongoing project spotlighting the world’s waste crisis and how we can begin to solve it.


In college, a friend gifted me one of those old-school Coach bags that some girls’ mothers and grandmothers used to carry. It’s made of unfussy black leather with brass hardware and a long shoulder strap. I imagine it might look at home in a church pew. 


I love this bag for aesthetic and practical reasons, for both its lovely simplicity and its time-tested sturdiness. My own grandmother carried a similar model to mine for most of my life until last year when, due to her Alzheimer’s, she baked it in the oven, where it finally met its demise. 


There’s a reason “vintage Coach” turns up so many results on Etsy and Ebay: The company’s classic items last forever.


But times change, and so did Coach bags. They became more detailed over the years, their designs more complex and, in some cases, downright tacky ― and they just didn’t hold up against wear and tear like their vintage cousins did. 


Around 2000, the company shifted its offerings from simply designed, neutral-toned leather purses to bags made of mixed materials ― that is, leather paired with canvas or nylon ― available in an array of colors and logo prints.


These days, the company says it’s trying to move away from such designs. But even as it begins to offer more basic, vintage-inspired products, Coach’s website also sells new designs with intricate embroidery, contrast stitching, studs, fringe and bright patterns. 


These products have never come cheap. In 1989, when my simple “Court” bag debuted in stores, it retailed for $176, or about $342 in today’s currency. Prices for Coach bags today remain around $225 to $550 for midsize designs.


Customers who can afford these luxury items should rightfully expect them to last a long time. And though Coach’s complex designs might look good for a while, embellishments can easily suffer damage, and canvas or nylon can’t take a beating nearly so well as solid leather. 



“When you have intricate designs, sometimes you may suffer in durability,” Chris Moore, owner of Manhattan handbag repair shop Artbag, told The Huffington Post over the phone. 


Coach seems to have realized this is a problem. 


Last year it began offering a collection of “Icon” bags, which are intended to look “familiar to the millions who grew up with Coach bags,” according to a statement from the company. Made from solid leather instead of a combination of materials, many of the bags in this new line are throwbacks to the simple, sturdy designs the company sold for decades ― the ones that lasted for decades.


Still, some of the new Icon bags feature delicate embellishments. Moore pointed out that plain bag designs are “not very attractive” to many women these days. Bags with complex designs are just more popular, even though they might wear down more quickly. 


Tony Pecorella, owner of repair shop Modern Leather Goods in Manhattan, said that bags combining canvas and nylon with traditional leather add up to a product that simply can never be as durable as solid leather.


But he was also quick to defend Coach’s previous attempts to sell such items, saying that mixed-material bags, as well as the newer all-leather items with embellishments, are “where the styles have gone” in the fashion world.  



Styles, though, are fickle things, and they’ve caused Coach plenty of recent suffering. 


Fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Zara have made keeping up with trends a hobby for the masses, turning runway styles into affordable goods in mere weeks while shortening the period of time before clothing and accessory designs appear outdated.


Meanwhile, Coach’s customers have actually started turning away from the mixed-material, logo-centric designs the company peddled ― very successfully ― throughout the 2000s. Sales over the past two years declined by $200 million, and Coach’s fluctuating stock prices are fueled by uncertainty over the brand’s future growth.  


Coach, in turn, is backing away from those in-your-face fabric “C” prints which, as of January, make up less than 5 percent of store sales. Furthermore, the company promises that its new Icon bags will “burnish and get better with time,” which sounds like a welcome change from its troubled experiments with flimsier products. 


Coach credits its creative director, Stuart Vevers, for the shift away from less resistant designs.


“When Stuart Vevers joined the brand in 2013 he looked to reinvent Coach with a modern luxury point of view yet staying true to our roots in leather craft,” the company said in a statement to HuffPost. 


But as Coach struggles to compete in a fast-fashion world and attempts to return to its roots, it’s tried not to completely turn its back on the people who bought one of its bags that broke down too soon.


As of 2015, the company’s handbags and leather goods now come with a one-year warranty, the industry standard. Repairs for “manufacturing defects” are free within that timeframe according to the company’s website. Other repairs, including general maintenance on bags after the first year, can be completed for “set fees.” 


Coach’s previous repair policy never offered free maintenance: For $20, you could send your bag away at any point in its lifespan for a fix-up. While this might have made sense at a time when bags were super durable, it no longer applies to every Coach bag.


And apparently these detail-rich bags require more effort on the part of the company’s repair people. In fact, Pecorella, one of the independent leather repair specialists we spoke to, recalled wondering how Coach had managed to keep pace with repair requests over the years.


Coach more or less admits this, saying in a statement to HuffPost that its “policy was updated a year ago to allow for Coach to accommodate more intricate work by our in-house craftsmen to ensure the highest quality and customer satisfaction with the repair.”


For the record, in 2012 I sent out my vintage bag for repairs under the old policy. One of its brass D-rings had worn out and, for $20, it came back in six weeks looking great. In 2016, I had the same problem, and the company fixed it for me again, this time for $40. That price hike for the same work was annoying, but it was certainly a better alternative than buying a whole new bag.


That Coach continues to offer repairs is handy, since independent leather repair specialists are expected to decrease in number over the next decade. 


In the meantime, fans of old-school Coach can hope the company continues to remember its heritage.


More stories like this:


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Why Thongs Could Be Bad For Your Health, And Other Underwear Facts

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For most of us, choosing our underwear in the morning is a matter of sticking our hand in a drawer. But that one simple act has health implications that should give us pause. For instance, did you know that you should have a pair of designated exercise underwear? Or that thongs may put you at risk for infection? 


Here are five facts about underwear we all should know: 


1. You should choose your exercise undies carefully. 





It’s time to invest in a pair of workout panties


Yes, we know it’s frustrating to buy even more underwear. But wearing your lacy thongs straight from the office to the gym could put you at risk for infection.


First off, it’s important to wear breathable undies during your workout. Opt for Lycra or cotton instead of lace or satin ― the latter trap moisture, which could lead to a yeast infection. Secondly, skip the thongs. While they’re a great way to avoid panty lines in yoga pants, thongs can bring E.coli from your rear up to the front as you move. Say bye-bye to UTIs and check out some seamless and hip-hugger styles here.


2. Going to bed commando may be the way to go. 





Do we really need to aerate our nether regions as we sleep? Survey says: maybe.


In general, women don’t need to sleep in the nude. But for women who suffer from vaginal inflammation, vulvitis, vaginitis or yeast infections, sleeping without underwear may help. Bacteria thrive in dark, warm, wet areas, making your underwear an ideal home. Stripping down allows everything to breathe and air out.


3. That said, you should still wear underwear during the day.





No underwear causes a whole host of other problems, particularly because clothing doesn’t tend to have a liner,” Dr. Raquel B. Dardik told Grandparents.com. “For one, if you’re wearing pants, the seam sits right in the vulval area and will constantly be rubbing the area. If you are wearing dresses or skirts, there’s nothing there to absorb vaginal moisture.” 


Are you thoroughly grossed out yet? Great, moving on.


4. Your thong could be putting you at risk for infection and irritation.





Remember how you’re supposed to wipe from front to back after using the bathroom? That’s because wiping from back to front can transport bacteria from your anus to your vagina and urethra.


When you wear a thong, that strip of fabric becomes a highway for bacteria to travel from your rear to your vagina or urethra.


“If you have a little bacteria — E. coli is the most common bacteria in the colon — in the back part of the fabric and you’re physically active, that material may move,” Dr. Jill M. Rabin previously told The Huffington Post. “All it has to do is move an inch or two and it’s next to the vagina or urethra. That thong may be depositing colonic bacteria into your vagina or urethra.”  


Keep in mind, thongs are perfectly safe for most people. But if you tend to contract infections, or you’re currently fighting off an infection, your thong may not be helping the situation. 


5. We should all be wearing cotton underwear.





Cotton underwear is breathable and absorbent. Silk and satin panties trap moisture, which allows bacteria to grow and can cause possible infections. Even if the crotch of your silky underwear is cotton, it’s probably not enough.


“When patients say [to me], ‘But the crotch is cotton,’ my response is that the layer outside the crotch is not,” Dr. Shieva Ghofrany previously told HuffPost. “...Thus making the cotton less breathable and thus allowing more moisture to be trapped and more possible imbalance leading to infections.”


Anyone else feeling like cotton granny panties are the way to go? Same. Stay safe and healthy out there, ladies.

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