New York Art Community Responds To Apparent Beheading Of Jamal Khashoggi By Rejecting Saudi Funds

New York Art Community Responds To Apparent Beheading Of Jamal Khashoggi By Rejecting Saudi Funds

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and Columbia University have responded to the apparent seizure and Turkish reports of hideous torture and beheading by the Saudi government of Washington Post journalist and American legal resident Jamal Khashoggi.

ArtNet News reports that Saudi funding for a new Arab art initiative is under the microscope. The diplomatic crisis coincides with the launch in New York of the first-ever Arab Art & Education Initiative, a year-long cultural exchange across the city’s five boroughs.

The Middle East Art Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, withdrew from the program almost immediately after news broke about Khashoggi walking into the Saudi embassy in Istanbul and not being seen again.

Eighty-five percent of the Arab Art and Education Initiative’s funding comes from sources outside of Saudi Arabia, according to artNet News.

Dem. Rep Raul Grijalva Expands Proposed Protections Under CECIL Animal Trophies Act

Dem. Rep Raul Grijalva Expands Proposed Protections Under CECIL Animal Trophies Act

US Rep. Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), the top House Democrat overseeing endangered species legislation on trophy hunting, has expanded Endangered Species Act protections with new requirements that legal animal imports must help conserve the animal’s species.

Grijalva named the legislation — not introduced for the first time — the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large Animal Trophies Act, or CECIL Animal Trophies Act, after Cecil the African lion whose 2015 killing by American dentist and big-game hunter Walter Palmer caused an international uproar.

CECIL would prohibit elephant and lion trophy imports from Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and it comes at a time when many Trump supporters who are big-game hunters are infuriated by delays in easing restrictions against killing the animals.

“The bottom line is they are afraid as shit to get off the fence,” Dwight Miloff, a frequent trophy hunter, told The Hill. “They know if they get off the fence the anti-hunting people will be up in arms, and if they don’t grant them the people who put in the money for the permit will be pissed off.”

In A Time Of Turmoil, Dr. Mukwege's Nobel Peace Prize Is A Heavenly Gift For Us All

In A Time Of Turmoil, Dr. Mukwege's Nobel Peace Prize Is A Heavenly Gift For Us All

Introduction from Anne: Professor De Reus considered the humanitarian righteousness of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Congolese physician Denis Mukwege in 2015, a tremendous honor that was not his that year.

AOC has a decade-long history of writing about the courageous vision of Dr. Mukwege and the horrific challenges faced by women of the Congo. To awaken on October 5, 2018 and read that Dr. Mukwege and activist Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman once taken captive by ISIS, were sharing the 2018 Nobel prize was truly good news at a stressful time in America and around the world.

I met up with Professor De Reus in my own East Coast backyard and also watched her TEDx Talk featured at the end of her article. If you don’t know about Dr. Mukwege and his Panzi Hospital, Lee Ann De Reus shares an excellent 2015 overview.

Liya Kebede In 'Modern Bohemia' By Bjorn Iooss For Sunday Times Style Magazine UK Sept. 30, 2018

Liya Kebede In 'Modern Bohemia' By Bjorn Iooss For Sunday Times Style Magazine UK Sept. 30, 2018

Top model Liya Kebede is styled by Verity Parker in ‘Modern Bohemia’, a psychedelic mix of good vibrations clothes from Gucci, Prada, Balenciaga and more. Bjorn Iooss flashes the Ethiopian beauty and global women’s activist for The Sunday Times Style Magazine UK.

Like Christy Turlington Burns, featured today about her upcoming fifth installment documentary around maternal health, Kebede is also dedicated to maternal health as an ambassador for the World Health Organization and through her own Lemlem Foundation.

Global Citizen Dakota Johnson Covers Tatler UK November 2018, Lensed By Jack Waterlot

Global Citizen Dakota Johnson Covers Tatler UK November 2018, Lensed By Jack Waterlot

Actor Dakota Johnson covers the November 2018 issue of Tatler UK. The upcoming ‘Suspiria’ star is styled by Petra Flannery in luxe looks lensed by Jack Waterlot.

Speaking about playing Anastasia Steele in ‘Shades of Grey’, Dakota tells Tatler: “Playing sexual characters is interesting to me,' she says. 'I find it powerful... I've always been fascinated by women who are in touch with their sexuality, who are proud of it, who are not passive about it. I don't think that in order to be respected and in order to feel powerful that you need to be sexless.' She rails against the double standards in society that mean a man can be aggressive and admired for it, whereas 'if you're forthright [as a woman], if you're bossy, and you say what you mean and mean what you say, then sometimes you might be called a bitch or a diva.' She pauses. 'Which is wild.'“

When Time’s Up was formed, Dakota says,'My grandmother (Tippi Hedren) was like, "Guys! This has been going on forever!" It's terrible. She's so strong. She's so elegant. She's so smart and so talented. Her career was completely ruined because she said no. Because she stood up for herself. And so Hitchcock destroyed her. It's not okay to behave in a certain way in order to put yourself in a position of power or leverage. I think my grandmother is extremely supportive of the movement. My mother is extremely supportive. This does need to change.'

'The Model Mafia' Is Stronger Together, Lensed By Carlota Guerrero For Porter Edit September 28, 2018

'The Model Mafia' Is Stronger Together, Lensed By Carlota Guerrero For Porter Edit September 28, 2018

The September 28 issue of Porter Edit focues on The Model Mafia and the banner headline ‘Stronger Together’. Tracy Taylor styles the model flock for images by Carlota Guerrero.

AOC has followed the Model Mafia and model activism since it began. Here’s the images and Porter Edit article for reading, while we pull in our archives.

Michael Kors Buys Versace For $2.12 Billion, Diversifying Its Geographic Portfolio

Michael Kors Buys Versace For $2.12 Billion, Diversifying Its Geographic Portfolio

The Michael Kors group of luxury brands will rename itself Capri Holdings, inspired perhaps by its decision to buy the Italian fashion house Versace at a purchase price of $2.12 billion.

"We are excited to have Versace as part of our family of luxury brands, and we are committed to investing in its growth," Michael Kors Chairman and CEO John Idol said in the press release.

"We believe that the strength of the Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo brands, and the acquisition of Versace, position us to deliver multiple years of revenue and earnings growth," he added.

Michael Kors says as part of its long-term strategy it will aim to grow Versace to $2 billion of revenue globally while expanding its retail footprint to 300 stores from 200. It also hopes to build out Versace's e-commerce and omni-channel development.

The deal will help the American-based brand diversify its geographic portfolio from 66% Americas to 57% Americas; from 23% Europe to 24% Europe; and from 11% Asia to 19% Asia.

Empowering Women Is Key To Planned Population Growth in Africa, Educated Citizens, Good Health and Economic Development

Empowering Women Is Key To Planned Population Growth in Africa, Educated Citizens, Good Health and Economic Development

By Alex Ezeh, Dornsife Professor of Global Health, Drexel University

I think about the future of my continent in terms of three questions: Are Africans healthy? Do they have access to a good education? And do they have opportunities to apply their skills?

Millions more Africans have been able to answer yes to these questions in recent years. But there’s an elephant in the room. One of the keys to keeping this progress going is slowing down the rapid rates of population growth in parts of the continent. But population issues are so difficult to talk about that the development community has been ignoring them for years.

Population growth is a controversial topic because, in the not-too-distant past, some countries tried to control population growth with abusive, coercive policies, including forced sterilization. Now, human rights are again at the centre of the discussion about family planning, where they belong. But as part of repairing the wounds created by this history, population was removed from the development vocabulary altogether.

For the sake of Africa’s future, we should bring it back. Based on current trends, Africa as a whole is projected to double in size by 2050. Between 2050 and 2100, according to the United Nations, it could almost double again. In that case, the continent would have to quadruple its efforts just to maintain the current level of investment in health and education, which is too low already.

But if the rate of population growth slows down there will be more resources to invest in each African’s health, education, and opportunity – in other words, in a good life.

In Africa, Concern Mounts About The Safety Of Botswana's Thriving (And Challenging) Elephant Population

In Africa, Concern Mounts About The Safety Of Botswana's Thriving (And Challenging) Elephant Population

My heart dropped two weeks ago, when global news outlets reported that about 90 carcasses of illegally killed Botswana elephants had been found around a famous wildlife sanctuary Chobe National Park. Thanks to exceptional conservation efforts mandated by Botswana’s former president Ian Khama, the country’s elephant population has swelled to an estimated 120,000  – believed to be the highest concentration of African elephants in the world.

I was embarassed, frankly, over articles that I wrote several years ago about another of Botswana’s great treasures — the adjacent to Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta — and its promise of feminine principles in new luxury lodgings and wildlife conservation in the Okavango Delta. With a love of elephants decades old and a commitment to donate 5% of our GlamTribal business revenues to elephant conservation, I’m not a Pollyanna on the plight of Africa’s elephants.

Days became two weeks, and I failed to write about the Botswana elephants, until I found a tremendous resource last night called The Conversation.com. What a goddess send!!

Ross Harvey, Senior Researcher in Natural Resource Governance (Africa), South African Institute of International Affairs picks up the story of the terrible tragedy for Botswana’s elephants.

Doutzen Kroes Says Ambassador Role For #Knot On My Planet Gives Her Sense Of Purpose

Doutzen Kroes Says Ambassador Role For #Knot On My Planet Gives Her Sense Of Purpose

Supermodel Doutzen Kroes didn’t just become an activist two years ago, but the Dutch superstar model, mom, wife, design collaborator and activist for humanity tells Vanity Fair that it’s her role as global ambassador for #Knot on My Planet that gives her a tremendous sense of purpose.

Vanity Fair checked in with Kroes before shooting the new #Knot on My Planet campaign with Naomi Campbell and Serena Williams also part of the production. The Knot on My Planet elephant conservation effort gained momentum when Reed Krakoff became chief artistic officer of Tiffany & Co. last year. The new collection will expand beyond elephants to also include rhino and lion pieces.

Tiffany has partnered with the Elephant Crisis Fund on the #KnotOnMyPlanet campaign, launching an initial campaign featuring Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington Burns, Naomi Campbell and other prominent voices tying a knot to never forget elephants under threat from ivory poachers.

While there has been some good news — China banned all commercial ivory trading in 2017 — the situation remains bleak in many African countries. Most recently, nearly 100 elephants were discovered dead in Botswana, a country that has relaxed its elephant protection policies under its newly-elected president Mokgweetsi Masisi. New reports in Africa are that Botswana is also considering lifting its hunting ban.

Followup October. 21, 2018: The New York Times wrote on September 28 an article ‘Doubts Mount in Botswana Over Charity’s Claim of Elephant ‘Poaching Frenzy’.

We will dig much deeper into the very thoughtful arguments raised in this article concerning the influences of outside groups involved in elephant conservation being pitted against the wishes and interests of native Africans living on the land. The NYT article is too complex and valuable a read to treat it as an addendum.

AFRICAN ELEPHANTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY SUSAN MCCONNELL.

Returning to Tiffany & Co, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany and chairman and president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, sat down with Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, to discuss his tireless efforts on behalf of these magnificent creatures and what we can all do to help.

LA Moves To Ban Fur Sales & Manufacture, Following San Francisco, West Hollywood & Berkeley

LA Moves To Ban Fur Sales & Manufacture, Following San Francisco, West Hollywood & Berkeley

Los Angeles, long associated with red carpet glitz and glamour, has voted to ban the sale of fur products, making it the largest American city to respond to a unanimous City Council vote to draft an ordinance that will ultimately prohibit the manufacture and sale of new fur products within the city.

Projected to take two years to institute, the first step is to draft a city ordinance that takes into consideration “how fur apparel is utilized by religious organizations, and possible exemptions, as well as potential conflicts with federal and state laws relating to sale of fur products derived from legally trapped animals,” writes The LA Times.

West Hollywood already has a fur ban, but the law was changed to exempt fur from animals legally trapped under state law. Berkeley and San Francisco have fur bans, adapted to comply with local laws and ordinances.

Keith Kaplan, spokesman for the Fur Information Council of America, a trade group for manufacturers and fur merchants, argued that global retail fur sales are $35.8 billion and that more than 1 million people were employed, as of 2014.

Big industry brands abandoning fur in their collections include Michael Kors, Armani, Gucci and most recently Burberry.

The current London Fashion Week promoted itself as being fur free.

SC Nominee Brett Kavanaugh & Accuser Christine Blasey Ford To Testify Sept. 26

The announcement that accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford have both been invited to testify under oath in a public hearing next Monday ended a day of Senate Republican leaders projecting defiance on calls to slow down the confirmation process.

Dr. Ford has accused Judge Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a house party when he was 17 and she 15. Ford charges that a “stumbling drunk” Kavanaugh attacked her, with his friend Mark Judge present, when she went upstairs to go to the bathroom. According to Ford, Kavanaugh then jumped on top of her, tried to take her clothes off, and when she tried to scream, put his hand over her mouth and turned up the music. She said was able to free herself when Judge jumped on the bed, too, sending the three tumbling, giving her a chance to run into the bathroom and lock the door.

Blasey Ford took and passed a professionally administered polygraph test, administered by a retired FBI agent.

The hearing with Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist in Northern California, sets up a potentially explosive public showdown, stirring up painful to women memories of the 1991 testimony of Anita Hill, who accused the future Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Next Monday’s hearing will play against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and countless sexual harassment and sexual assault accusations against Donald Trump. His presidency has fired up Democratic women across the nation in massive civic actions and unheard of numbers of women running for political offices at every level in every state.

In an article by her friends in tonight’s The Mercury News, the headline reads #MeToo spurred Christine Blasey Ford to open up. . .

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was a key force in ending the misguided perceptions among Republican white men leaders that the scheduled vote by the judiciary committee would still happen on Thursday. Or that the hearing would somehow not be public.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), a senior member of the judiciary committee, told reporters Monday morning that a hearing was out of the question, calling it a  “show trial.” But after a meeting with Collins in her office, it became clear that his position was no longer untenable, writes The Daily Beast.

“I have said that in order for me to assess the credibility of these allegations that I want to have both individuals come before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testify under oath,” Collins told reporters Monday afternoon.

Collins won; Cornyn lost. And Collins was joined shortly after by her close associate, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, another pro-choice Republican woman.

Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), made it clear Sunday evening that he would not support Kavanaugh without Blasey Ford publicly telling her story.

“Obviously these are serious charges,” Flake, who sits on the judiciary committee, told reporters. “And if they're true, I think they're disqualifying.” South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday night that he also found believable testimony from Blase Ford the end of Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Today there are no female Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, but there are four Democratic women, including ranking member Dianne Feinstein, who was elected the year after the Hill-Thomas hearings, in what came to be known as "The Year of the Woman."

Both Sen. Collins and Murkowski are more moderate than most Republican senators. They definitely hold the keys to Brett Kavanaugh’s future, but we shouldn’t assume that other Republican men won’t be persuaded to vote down the nomination.

No one is guaranteed a seat on the US Supreme Court.

H&M Conscious Exclusive Delivers First Fall Collection With Liu Wen | Fall/Winter 2018 Lookbook

H&M Conscious Exclusive Delivers First Fall Collection With Liu Wen | Fall/Winter 2018 Lookbook

Supermodel Liu Wen shares the first Fall-Winter collection from H&M’s Conscious Exclusive collection. Launching on September 27 online, the romantic silhouettes are inspired by ancient tapestry and include materials made from recycled cashmere and velvet, coupled with 100% organic silk.

Cecilia Brännsten, H&M group environmental sustainability manager, explains that as consumers hug words like “transparency” and “traceability’, retailers and manufacturers are pressed to innovate sustainable materials and methods.

This season the Swedish high-street giant has introduced recycled cashmere created from leftover yarn that has been respun, and velvet made of recycled polyester partly sourced from used uniforms. “We have been developing this velvet for years to get a quality we're happy with,” Brännsten explains of the brand's closed loop production efforts on these heavier materials that have finally come to fruition in its first autumn/winter Conscious Exclusive line.

Lady Gaga Is The Walking Wounded, Lensed By Inez & Vinoodh For Vogue US October 2018

Lady Gaga Is The Walking Wounded, Lensed By Inez & Vinoodh For Vogue US October 2018

Lady Gaga covers the October 2018 issue of Vogue US, styled in sensual glam looks by Tonne Goodman.  Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are behind the lens, with hair by Frederic Aspiras and makeup by Sarah Tanno.

On October 5, Warnes Bros. Pictures will release version #4 of the tragi-musical love story 'A Star Is Born', starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Vogue's Jonathan van Meter writes: 

The first version came out in 1937, starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, followed by Judy Garland and James Mason in 1954 and Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976. Gaga thinks of it less as a remake than as a “traveling legacy.” Directed by Cooper, in his debut, the film is remarkably assured, deeply engaging, and works on several levels: as a romance, a drama, a musical, and something else entirely, almost as if you’re watching something live, or documentary footage of a good old-fashioned rock-’n’-roll concert movie. 

“I wanted to tell a love story,” says Cooper, “and to me there’s no better way than through music. With music, it’s impossible to hide. Every fiber of your body becomes alive when you sing.” As Sean Penn said, after seeing the film more than once, “It’s the best, most important commercial film I’ve seen in so many years,” and he described the stars as “miracles.” Cooper and Gaga, and the film itself, are likely to be nominated for all manner of awards."

Sitting in Gaga's house in Malibu, Van Meter goes on and on and on about Cooper. LOL Wait up! He just noted that Gaga held her own with Cooper.  Miracle of miracles, apparently. The soundtrack will be released the same day as the movie, and because this is a Lady Gaga production, "she has had a big hand in it". Hmmm, wouldn't yah think? I mean the girl can do something right. She CAN sing and she knows how to make songs that appeal to zillions of people who adore her. But wait up, Cooper zooms back into view: "There were many writers and producers who worked on different songs, but the brain trust was Gaga and Cooper, working closely with the blues-oriented producer and songwriter Ben Rice and Lukas Nelson, who’s Willie’s son." Whew! At least Gaga came before Cooper in the Lady Gaga Production brain trust. 

Now for Gaga: she is a multi-paragraph, basket case: we know little about her new boyfriend Christian Carino -- first things first. Same paragraph we hear abut her being sexually assaulted as a teenager. I think we know that for about 20 years. Come on Jonathan. Give us some new and exciting insights about Lady Gaga. Throw her a meaty bone and let her talk. Enough of you; we want to hear from her. 

Okay, she makes an appearance in #MeToo, but scratch that. Does she have an opinion? Nope. We're on to her PSTD and mental health issues. Pain. The woman's got pain. Like we know all that, too, Jonathan. Women know about all these issues, one part of the life of an enormously talented woman. She is not defined exclusively by her pain. How about talent? How about Trump? How about resistance? Are their any accomplishments? Any wisdom learned along the way?

Nope. We're onto the fibromyalgia and extreme nerve pain caused by fibromyalgia. Amazingly, the walking basket case known as Lady Gaga somehow made it through the filming of this new movie with the real star Bradley Cooper.  How she made it to Venice for the film festival two weeks ago is a major miracle. I saw her strutting around in the new Celine collection from her buddy Hedi Slimane. Now I'm thinking that Bradley Cooler was carring her on his back, and they just cropped him out of the shots to save her reputation. 

Okay, to be reasonable here (which is difficult in reading this interview) Lady Gaga gets a nice almost last paragraph, while letting out a "mordant chuckle" before the Mister Softee truck sound enters HIS consciousness.

Tanzania's Elephant Population Hit Extremely Hard, Losing About 70% In Last Decade

AFTER BEING COLLARED AND REVIVED AN ELEPHANT MAKES ITS WAY BACK TO ITS HERD IN SELOUS GAME RESERVE, TANZANIA

Tanzania's Elephant Population Hit Extremely Hard, Losing About 70% In Last Decade

The global elephant populations is in a state of crisis in many countries. Tanzania is now a key center of Africa's poaching crisis, after a government census analyzing the nation's elephant population from 2009 to 2014 revealed a catastrophic loss of 60% of its elephants in just five years. 

Revealing elephant declines far greater than expected, the census estimated Tanzania's elephant population in 2014 at 43,330, down from 109,051 in 2009. Fast forward to 2018, and Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve has lost almost 90% of the park's elephants over the past 40 years. Forty years ago, 100,000 elephants roamed Selous, located in southern Tanzania, and today the number is estimated to be 15,200. 

"Tanzania has been extremely hard hit by the latest elephant poaching crisis that has hit the African continent for 10 years," Bas Huijbregts, WWF's African species manager, told CNN.

Burberry Formally Gives Up Fur, Moves To Recycled Packaging & Will Stop Burning Excess Inventory

Burberry Formally Gives Up Fur, Moves To Recycled Packaging & Will Stop Burning Excess Inventory

Burberry made two announcements on Thursday, following up on its May 2018 promise to review its use of real fur in its collections. Equally important, Burberry's chief executive Marco Gobbetti responded to criticism from the general public over its practice of destroying its unsold luxury products. In a first move for the luxury brands market, Burberry will become the first company to reuse, repair, donate or recycle all of its unsaleable products. 

Gobbetti said: “Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible. This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success. We are committed to applying the same creativity to all parts of Burberry as we do to our products.”

The amount of stock Burberry destroys had risen sharply in recent years, from £5.5 million in fiscal year 2013 to £28.6 million in the last fiscal year. Gobbetti also announced that the creation of a new logo triggered a need for all new packaging, shopping bags, marketing materials, and they would now use recycled materials. 

As for the company's use of fur, it's over at Burberry. Riccardo Tisci's debut collection presented at London Fashion Week on September 17 will be fur free. 

Colin Kaepernick Narrates 2 Minute ''Dream Crazy' TV Commercial Booked On NFL Football

Colin Kaepernick Narrates 2 Minute ''Dream Crazy' TV Commercial Booked On NFL Football

Hunkering down in its support of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick with derision from Trump and threats of a boycott, NIKE released a two-minute commercial narrated by him on Wednesday. NIKE also announced plans to run the ad on the NFL's first broadcast of the regular season.  

The ad, called “Dream Crazy,” features Mr. Kaepernick and other star athletes in the Nike stable, including Serena Williams and LeBron James. It implores viewers to dream big, using the inspiring stories of those stars and of everyday weekend warriors who overcame illness or disability to triumph athletically.  The emphasis on disabled and physically-impaired athletes is given huge exposure in the uplighting, American moxie, 'Just Do It' 30th anniversary commercial. 

Greg Hughes, a spokesman for NBC Sports, confirmed to the New York Times that Nike had purchased airtime on Thursday’s N.F.L. game. The commercial is a shorter, 90-second version of this ad released digitally Wednesday. The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nike is a major partner of the N.F.L.’s, providing the uniforms for all 32 teams and the clothing worn by everybody on an N.F.L. sideline.   Read on. 

Young Activists Parkland's Jaclyn Corin & Company, BLM DeRay Mckesson Featured By Vanity Fair

Young Activists Parkland's Jaclyn Corin & Company, BLM DeRay Mckesson Featured By Vanity Fair

The poor polling in predicting Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum's Florida Dem. gov primary win didn't take into consideration the Parkland students criss-crossing the state with a massive get out the vote effort among young people.

Bernie only endorsed the former Hillary supporter in the last month. Meanwhile, Parkland students were on the move with voter registration and barely received any recognition for turning out the votes last week. Big media and pollsters struggle with anything new that doesn't fit their narrative.

Reflecting an editorial shift, yesterday, BLM co-founder DeRay Mckesson was featured at Vanity Fair online, w/his now iconic Patagonia blue vest. (Not sure if article is in print). Now Vanity Fair takes an in-depth lookat Jaclyn Corin a key logistical brain behind the nationwide Parkland students movement. VF gives you 3 free articles a month, so take a read about this inspiring young people's movement across America and check out Deray's equally positive profile as he promotes his new book 'On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope'.

CGI Models Margot & Zhi Join Shudu In #Balmain Army; Is It The Beginning of the End for Humanity?

CGI Models Margot & Zhi Join Shudu In #Balmain Army; Is It The Beginning of the End for Humanity?

Everyone is welcome in Olivier Rousteing's #Balmain Army, a brand committed to diversity. The latest extension of the #Balmain Army includes CGI models (computer generated imagery). Rousteing worked with Cameron-James Wilson, the CGI artist and photographer behind Fenty Beauty's controversial Shudu model. 

Controversy surrounded Shudu when she made her debut in March of 2018. With social media saying the unknown Shudu was just a little too perfect, Wilson explained to the clamoring crowds: ""Basically Shudu is my creation, she’s my art piece that I am working on at the moment. She is not a real model unfortunately, but she represents a lot of the real models of today. There’s a big kind of movement with dark skin models, so she represents them and is inspired by them. Obviously some models like Duckie (Thot) were definitely big inspirations for her as well."

Refinery 29 has followed the story from its inception, writing: "This did not sit well with people, who believe Shudu represents a lot more than one man's digital art project. The news of her non-existence has triggered an online backlash, with people quickly pointing out how problematic it is that she, a Black woman, was created by a white man and "hired" instead of an actual Black model, a demographic that remains underrepresented in the fashion and beauty industries."

We will add that the CGI models now join sex robots as idealized female creations of the male mind. It's an interesting philosophical consideration in the evolution of fashion and female models. 

Shudu now joins two Balmain-exclusive, digital supermodels Margot and Zhi. 

Robin Wright Talks 'House of Cards' Finale, Pour Les Femmes Clothing Project For Porter Edit August 31, 2018

Robin Wright Talks 'House of Cards' Finale, Pour Les Femmes Clothing Project For Porter Edit August 31, 2018

'House of Cards' star, activist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, mom and newlywed Robin Wright covers the August 31 issue of Porter Edit. Helen Broadfoot styles Wright in relaxed, casual looks including multiple selections from Pour Les Femmes, her new clothing project inspired by Wright's first trip to the Congo over 10 years ago.  Lensed by Boo George, Robin Wright will be spending plenty of time in Paris, having married Clément Giraudet, Saint Laurent VIP relations manager in mid-August.  

The interview spends too much time on the disgraced Kevin Spacey -- although the dialogue is worth the read -- and not enough time on the women in the Congo, people far more important to Robin Wright than the former star president of 'House of Cards'.

AOC has covered all the topics in Wright's reflection on her involvement in the Congo. While we pull them together, the humanitarian activist reflects on her socially conscious clothing line Pour les Femmes:

The story behind the brand is pretty powerful: inspired by a trip to Congo over 10 years ago, Wright started the company with her friend Karen Fowler to provide economic opportunities – and a skilled trade in sewing – for women in conflict zones around the world. The range consists largely of pajamas, partly because both of them love to sleep (“I wish I could sleep like a teenager. But I love being in bed, working in bed, watching movies in bed,” says Wright), but also because pajamas represent comfort and security, which women in war-torn regions rarely have. “Buy our pajamas because you are helping a woman start her life again after being raped repeatedly,” she says, frankly. “It’s pretty simple.”