How Steve Aoki Responds To Trump's America Through Fashion

It takes a big name, like a politician or the President, to shut down a New York City block. But for Steve Aoki, that’s exactly what happened.


On Tuesday night, the popular DJ-turned-designer hosted a runway show-cum-concert, replete with a marching band and on-stage performances by Aoki himself, in which hundreds of fans gathered for free to preview items from the musician’s Dim Mak collection, and get the first-listen on songs from his upcoming studio album.

The collection is mainstream accessible, fusing extreme American normcore (white dad sneakers and cargo shorts) with Japanese streetwear-inspired hoodies and denim. Aoki worked with popular graffiti artist David Choe as well.

For as much as the clothes represent Aoki’s global perspective (he says pocket placements and materials he saw in Japan inspired him), it also represents the state of American politics.

Jackets are emblazoned with the national anthem’s “land of the free,” and screen printed shirts and hoodies say “paradise” and “any means necessary.” There also shirts featuring palm trees made of razor blades and barbed wire teeth-baring guard dogs.

“When we were creating this mood board, obviously on our minds was the Trump presidency and this regression, this state of chaos and how to find paradise through this difficult era we’re in. The imagery is based around that,” Aoki says.

Political fashion has been something of a theme over the last year on international runways, eliciting both approval and eye rolls from fashion critics.

Some applaud a designer’s ambition to promote progressiveness via T-shirts. Others say time is better spent actually protesting (And sometimes those protests happen right on the runway, unplanned.) Still, fashion has done its part to put its money where its mouth is, at least for organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Aoki, well known for his cake-throwing antics and signature long black hair (he says he won’t soon cut it unless he becomes a monk) has produced five collections for his men’s clothing line, Dim Mak Collection. His most recent, shown during Fall-Winter New York Fashion Week in February, received mixed reviews. (Vogue said it had doubtless appeal. Vice said it was confused.)

When asked whether he thinks statement T-shirts and politically-inspired fashion can inspire effective change, Aoki said, “I think it’s just the expression of what’s happening around us now, at least for me. I want to feel something before I create the mood board.”

Aoki continued: “There’s all this shit we have to deal with throughout the day. Every day we keep looking for our pursuit of happiness.”

Gigi Hadid Takes A Super Stylish Walk On The Moon For The June/July Issue of Harper's Bazaar

Following last month’s 150th anniversary issue of the iconic fashion magazine (which featured Kendall Jenner on the cover—as well as projected across the Empire State Building), the 22-year-old supermodel is on the June/July issue wearing a hot pink feathered Prada hat. The shoot, by famed photographer Mariano Vivanco, is an even more glamorous take than Hadid’s last Harper’s Bazaar cover in October 2016, where she posed with a white horse in a shoot that harkened back to her days riding horseback growing up.
This time, Hadid took us out of this world entirely, posing in a space-inspired shoot where she can be seen running on the moon wearing a silver, sparkly Dolce & Gabbana dress with a pair of Stuart Weitzman heels in her hand (she’s a face of the shoe brand).

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In another shot, Hadid looked like a high fashion astronaut in a silver Chanel cape, puffer jacket and knee-high boots, posing in front of a spaceship at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In the accompanying article, the magazine turned to one of Hadid’s close friends, Taylor Swift, to give the world an inside peek at what their A-list friendship is like.

“As a friend, Gigi is one of the first people I go to for advice. She has this incredible ability to see all sides of a situation and simplify it for you,” Swift told the magazine. And the “Bad Blood” singer revealed that Gigi has none of the diva behavior one might expect from a top model. “Gigi’s number one rule is to treat people the way she’d want to be treated. She’s on time (or early) to work, says hello to everyone on set, asks them how they are and actually listens to their response,” she said. “She is an innately kind and inclusive person.”

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It’s clear that Hadid’s commitment to her career is impressive, and she admitted that at times, her drive can also be a weakness. “A lot of the time I feel suffocated by my own work ethic and by the expectations I put on myself,” Gigi said. “[Bella Hadid] is so understanding of the demands of this job and it’s really nice when you have people who say, ‘It’s okay to take time for yourself.'”

And although the model is a regular on the biggest runways in fashion (think: Chanel, Balmain, Versace) and fronts huge brand campaigns (like Maybelline, Topshop and Tommy Hilfiger), Hadid said she still gets anxiety walking the runway.

“I think it’s always going to be nerve-racking for me,” Hadid said. “There’s always a little thing, like the shoes [are tight] or the dress is heavy or whatever, so that’s what you’re focused on, to make sure your walk is going to go well.”

Katy Perry’s Met Gala Outfit Had a Hidden Message About Her New Album

Katy Perry has been slowly releasing new music, hinting that a new album is in the works, and today, she confirmed speculation. In an Instagram post this morning, Perry revealed both the name of her forthcoming album and its accompanying tour.

Perry’s fifth album is titled “Witness.”  She has yet to announce the exact date of its release, but fans can most likely expect it ahead of her tour. Her web site currently shows dates starting May 27 for Radio 1’s Big Weekend, with an official tour kickoff on Sept. 7.
Eagle-eyed Perry fans may have noticed that the singer actually wore the title of her new album in the past couple of weeks. She attended the Met Gala in a custom Maison Margiela “Artisanal” ensemble, complete with a red silk tulle veil and headpiece with the word “witness” across the front.
Perry released the visuals for her latest track, “Bon Appétit” featuring Migos, on Friday. Over the weekend, she posted a video of a blinking eye showing the date 5/15, teasing fans that she would be making an announcement today.
Back in April, Perry attended Coachella and threw an Easter brunch in celebration of her shoe collection.

“People would ask me for years, ‘Are you going to foray into fashion?’ Music is always my root but I have creative branches, very female-based things I like in the marketplace, where I explore how to put my spin on it,” she previously told WWD.

Just 13 Photos of Emily Ratajkowski in Bikinis

Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski knows a thing or two about not only rocking a bikini but also how to take a great bikini picture. Scroll through the 25-year-old’s Instagram and it’s easy to see why she has almost 13 million followers. From hanging out on boats in France to posing side by side with her mom, Ratajkowski is almost always in a bikini. To see just how the model slays in her bikinis, here are 13 photos that prove it.

At 70 Years Old, Susan Sarandon Is More of a Knock-Out Than Ever

Here's further proof that age ain't nothin' but a number.

The Cannes Film Festival isn't the place to rock a low-key look, but Susan Sarandon took things to a whole other level when she hit the red carpet at the film festival's opening night gala Wednesday in a suede dress that made jaws drop.

The 70-year-old Oscar winner put her assets on display in the plunging, off-the-shoulder Alberta Ferretti number, which showed off a ton of cleavage as she struck a few fierce poses in dark shades (to block out the haters, obvs). The body-hugging look came complete with a thigh-high split too, so Sarandon made no qualms about showing off her toned leg as she made her way down the famous Palais des Festivals red carpet for the opening screening of Ismael's Ghosts.
And she deserved to be the star of the night in that eye-popping green dress. With her hair styled in a soft wavy bob and sapphire drop earrings, she propped her hand on her hip and flashed a confident smize as if to say, "Yes, I wore this dress, and I don't care what anyone has to say about it."

Eva Longoria Wore Her Dress Backwards the First Time She Attended the Cannes Film Festival

While the onslaught of award show season has finally come to an end, and the fashion industry’s biggest event of the year the Met Gala has come and gone with all of its avant garde creations, there’s still one final momentous red carpet event standing between every celebrity, model, and It Girl until they can officially go on a much deserved vacation, and that’s Cannes. And while a number of supermodels have already descended upon the seaside town for the annual film festival, the A-listers are only now just packing up their couture and boarding their private jets. But in the meantime, Eva Longoria celebrated the 70th anniversary of the festival and her twelfth anniversary attending with a throwback photo and the embarrassing story behind it.

The actress shared a shot of herself on Instagram walking the red carpet at the French event in 2005 wearing a blush colored mini dress with a pink and brown diamond pattern embellished with neon yellow florets, cinched at the waist with a black band, and featuring a very low neckline coming almost all the way down to her belly button. But Longoria had a confession to make about the cut of that particular shift, writing in the caption, “Flashback to my first year in Cannes 12 years ago! I look like a baby! Fun fact: I had my dress on backward 🙈 Yep. Backwards and didn’t know it!!!!”
But while she may have struggled with her dress the first year she attended, clearly things on the Cannes red carpet were only uphill from there. Since 2005, the L’Oreal ambassador has become a staple of the film festival, regularly making best dressed lists in an assortment of black tie gowns. Like the black strapless column gown she wore to last year’s premiere of Money Monster featuring glittering beaded embellishment down the front and a small train, the pearl covered top and white skirt she also wore last year to Café Society, or this long sleeve lilac gown from 2016 with daring sheer lace side panels. But whether she has them on backwards or frontwards, one thing’s clear, when you’re Eva Longoria there’s no wrong way to wear a dress.

Bella Hadid Leaves Little to the Imagination With Revealing Cannes Gown

At the opening ceremony of the 70th Cannes Film Festival, the model walked the red carpet wearing a custom Alexandre Vauthier dress. The piece featured a structured bodice with a plunging neckline and a draped skirt with a nearly hip-high slit.

She paired the luminous look with strappy Olgana Paris heels, as well as a massive diamond necklace with a large sapphire pendant from Chopard.
While the sparkling piece of jewelry was the anchor of the outfit, it was the 20-year-old’s wardrobe malfunction that really drew all the attention.

Just a little wind and a slight move in the wrong direction and the Dior Makeup ambassador was showing her skin-tone undergarments.

This isn’t the first time Hadid has experienced overexposure on the red carpet. At the same event in 2016, she also showed a little more skin than she probably intended to while wearing a red silk halter dress with a hip-high opening.

Yet Hadid just brushed it off. As she shared on Instagram on Tuesday ahead of attending Cannes again, the accidental flashing and red gown was one of her “favorite moments.” At the time, she told Glamour about the gown, “I’ve always wanted to wear a red dress; it’s just been my dream since I was a little girl.” She added, “Ever since prom … it’s always been what I wanted to wear, but I never could. I’m usually very simple with my red carpet looks — I tend to just wear black — so this was a big risk. I was sort of scared about it, but I’ve had so much nice feedback, which was exciting.”

For 2016’s similar look, Hadid’s stylist, Elizabeth Sulcer, told Vanity Fair that the dress included a built-in silk bodysuit. Sulcer added that “top-stick [tape] is always a good idea. Practice makes perfect.”

And, as the other adage goes, third time’s a charm — can’t wait until 2018!

Woman Becomes a Body-Shaming Meme, but She ‘Literally Couldn’t Care Less’

Negative memes of people’s bodies — usually a photo with commentary about the person’s looks — have unfortunately become more and more prevalent in the digital age. With the tools to create a joke image and send it worldwide on their smartphones, many can’t resist the urge to be cruel.

A body-positive Instagram called PlusBabyGirl shared the most recent unfunny meme making the rounds, pointing out that if you’re going to try to make a joke, it helps to use the right words. Not only that, but calling a stranger fat isn’t exactly cutting-edge comedy.

Normally, the account highlights body-positive images of women, but it also calls out negativity. And the woman in the nasty meme? She literally doesn’t care. Wherever the meme-makers originally hijacked her image from, she has reclaimed it, posting it on her own Instagram account with a very clear message: “I’m an insecure crybaby LMFAO but at the same time I literally couldn’t care less.”

Her caption nails the dichotomy most women experience when insulted, the mix of feeling hurt by cruel comments and also not caring what a complete stranger thinks.

This isn’t the first incident where a woman has spoken out about being the subject of a cruel meme. Lizzie Velasquez is a well-known motivational speaker, but she never signed up to be the subject of a cruel meme. Velasquez, who was born with a rare, undiagnosed congenital disease that causes the inability to put on body fat, came upon a meme using her picture and poking fun at her frail appearance.
Velasquez shared the meme herself to call attention to the carelessness with which we entertain ourselves on the Internet — something worth considering the next time you’re about to share a meme making fun of a stranger’s looks.

Supermodel Niki Taylor Hasn’t Posed in a Swimsuit Since the ’90s — Until Now

Ahead of the rebooted Baywatch premiere, Pamela Anderson’s iconic red one-piece is getting a modern-day makeover. And while the flattering shape and bright color are all about the same, it’s the women modeling the suit for Swimsuits For All that really inject newness into the classic piece. Model Ashley Graham is joined by Teyana Taylor (rapper, dancer, and Kanye West muse) and model Niki Taylor for a beach-themed photo shoot showing off the “Lifeguard Swimsuit,” which retails for $58 and is available in sizes 4 to 22.
While Graham, an ambassador and guest designer for the swimwear brand, has been posing for the company frequently in bikinis and other styles, it’s been more than a decade since Niki, a top model in the ’90s, has done so.
In fact, Niki, who posed for Sports Illustrated among lots of other major publications, told People that she hadn’t posed in a swimsuit since the ’90s before this campaign. “I was a bit nervous. But my life was always being outside and I live for the beach,” she said.
Since the 42-year-old’s 2001 car accident, which left her in a coma for six weeks and required more than 50 procedures and extensive physical therapy, she’s been focused on her family, health, and charity work. “I’ve had four children, taken time off, and had some pretty major surgery … so it was never something I was thinking about, but then I thought … ‘Why not?’ And I have to tell you, it was great.”
And the model, who called the shoot “surreal,” might even consider posing in swimwear again. She added, “Especially when you remember being a little girl, seeing Sports Illustrated magazines and saying, ‘Wow these ladies are beautiful!’ Being as though I’m posing alongside two previous SI issue models, my next stop just might be SI!”

New Desigual Campaign Features Unretouched Photos of Model Charli Howard

Fashion brand Desigual has teamed up with body positive advocate and model Charli Howard for their new summer campaign, which features bright, colorful photos that have not been retouched.

“How many fashion campaigns can you say haven’t been retouched?” Howard, 26, shared on her Instagram, along with a photo from the campaign. “Me for Desigual.”

The brand’s Instagram page includes the campaign images along with quotes from Howard about why starring an an unretouched shoot was meaningful to her.

“Beauty is measured in so many sizes and shapes, not just size 0,” she told the brand. “Diversity is the key to changing that.”

Howard said she wasn’t worried about putting any of her “faults” on display.

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“I don’t retouch my selfies at all and neither should you!” she said. “We all have insecurities and little faults, but that’s exactly what makes us unique and special.”

The model has spoken about feeling better about her body with more curves, so she now looks forward to modeling swimsuits.

“Now [that] I’m curvier, I feel so much sexier and excited to wear swimwear,” she told the brand.

She also weighed in on what makes someone a “real woman.”

“I think that every woman is a real woman,” said Howard. “Who cares if they are short, tall, thin, fat, athletic, heterosexual or gay? Every one of us is marvelous.”

'Flawless' heart-shaped diamond at Geneva auction

The largest ever “flawless” heart-shaped diamond to appear at auction will go under the hammer at Christie’s sale of precious jewels in Geneva this month, and is expected to fetch up to $20 million.

The 92-carat pendant suspended from a pearl sautoir is the showcase piece at Christie’s spring sale, set for May 17 at the ultra-luxe Four Seasons des Bergues hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Despite what Christie’s calls the piece’s “pure quality and magnitude”, the necklace is unlikely to approach the jaw-dropping sums paid for smaller coloured diamonds in recent years.

In Hong Kong last month the 59.60-carat “Pink Star” fetched a record $71.2 million (65.1 million euros), a price that highlighted the galloping market for rare pink and blue diamonds.

Film buffs with a seat at the Christie’s sale will also have the chance to bid on a set of ruby and diamond earrings and matching bracelet given to late Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor in 1957 by her then husband, director and producer Mike Todd.

Christie’s said the parure could sell for up to $500,000.

A total of 250 lots will be on offer at the auction, likely to be attended by high-end buyers from across the globe but especially Asia, a continent that has increasingly scooped up the world’s most valuable stones.

rance cracks down on super-skinny models

Super-thin models and secretly airbrushed photoshoots will soon be a thing of the past in fashion hub France, as authorities passed measures to protect young people from the dangers of anorexia.

A new law entered into force on Saturday which compels all models operating in France to provide a doctor’s note certifying that their Body Mass Index (BMI) is not too low and that they are in overall good health.

Under a second law, to come into force in October, all pictures of models that have been altered or photoshopped will have to carry a disclaimer to that effect.

The health ministry said the two measures aimed “to avoid the promotion of unattainable ideas of beauty and to prevent youth anorexia” as well as to protect the health of models, who are especially at risk from being underweight.

The doctor’s note will be valid for two years and will look particularly at a model’s BMI, with a reading under 18.5 classed underweight and liable to suffer from health problems.

BMI is calculated based on a ratio of height to weight with the average range generally between 18.5 and 24.9.

Employers contravening these laws could be liable to up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 75,000 euros ($82,500).

Some 600,000 young people are thought to suffer from eating disorders in France, including 40,000 people suffering from anorexia.

Eating disorders are the second most common cause of death of 15-24 year-olds, after road accidents.

The new laws follow similar measures taken in Spain in 2006, which banned models with a BMI under 18 from Madrid Fashion Week.

Israel has also banned agencies from employing models with a BMI under 18.5, as well as photo-shopping.

In Italy, there is no precise law but the top agencies do not employ models with a BMI under 18.5.

Now Priyanka shoots for US late-night talk show

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra will appear on the "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" American talk show.
Priyanka on Wednesday took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself looking out through a window of a car.
"Back to my NYC...Mumbai-NYC-Africa-LA-Miami-NYC in 15 days! Phew... Another two weeks of many time zones coming up. Watch me live on 'Watch What Happens live' Tonight! 'Baywatch' May 25," Priyanka captioned the image.
Priyanka appeared on the show along with actress Amy Brenneman. She says it was fun to "hang out" with the international star.
"It was so much fun to meet you and hang out Amy Brenneman you are as amazing as the work you do. Much love."
"Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" is an American pop culture-based late-night talk show hosted by Andy Cohen. It features network channel Bravo's own reality programming in the manner of an after show, and celebrities' recent news.
Priyanka is currently busy promoting her maiden international film "Baywatch", which also stars Dwyane Johnson and Zac Efron.
Set to release on May 25, "Baywatch" is adapted from the popular 1990's show of the same name, which featured actress Pamela Anderson in a key role.
The "Bajirao Mastani" star will be seen essaying a negative role named Victoria Leeds in the forthcoming film.

Don't want the world of 'Baahubali' to end: Rajamouli

He's the man of the moment in Indian cinema. Filmmaker SS Rajamouli, basking in the phenomenal success of "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion", believes the world of "Baahubali" goes beyond films and there is so much more to explore. So, he doesn't want it to end. As the blockbuster film franchise -- which has set new box office records for Indian films -- comes to an end, audiences can still continue rooting for the characters from the world of "Baahubali" via comics, animation series and novels. "We created the world of 'Baahubali' for our actors to understand their character better. When we look at Baahubali and Bhallaladeva, the warring brothers, what we see in the film is just a minor part of their lives. In the 'Baahubali' universe, there is so much more worth knowing about them. The same applies to other characters too," Rajamouli told IANS. With child-like enthusiasm, he added: "The world of 'Baahubali' is so fascinating. I wish it doesn't end. It shouldn't end and I will pray for it." It's the urge to tell those stories which couldn't be included in the films, that persuaded Rajamouli and his team to explore other mediums. "There are backstories for each character in the world of 'Baahubali'... Some really powerful scenes which needed to be told. Unfortunately, film medium has its own limitation and not all stories work very well in it. The story of Sivagami, for instance, is so powerful and exhaustive, we realised it will work wonders as a novel," Rajamouli explained. Sivagami's story has been turned into a three-part novel. "The Rise of Sivagami" by Anand Neelakantan is the first book in the trilogy. Talking about the "Baahubali" universe being expanded into an animation series titled "Baahubali: The Lost Legends", Rajamouli said he's a big fan of the medium. "I'm a huge fan of Disney's films. Lately, I have been fascinated by 3D animation and I'm glad we could visualise 'Baahubali' universe through this medium. Even though it doesn't cater to a larger audience as cinema, it's widely popular and fast catching up in India," he said, taking pride in partnering with Graphic India and Amazon Prime Video for this initiative. The second episode from "Baahubali: The Lost Legends" will be unveiled on Friday on Amazon Prime. Asked if he would like to direct an animation film outside the world of "Baahubali", Rajamouli said: "As exciting as the idea sounds, it took us five years to take 'Baahubali' to the audience. It's going to be a very time-consuming process and I don't think I can afford so much time on a project again." Talking about the golden run of "Baahubali 2" at the ticket window, Rajamouli said he is still "in a state of daze". "I'm going to be honest and tell you that we wanted this kind of success. We strove hard and longed for it. When we achieved it, it's so hard to believe that I still cannot come to terms with this overwhelming feeling. It's tough to believe if this success is even real," he said. Will this success mean he will aspire to make something bigger next? "My long-time desire is to make a film on Mahabharat. You can imagine the scale on which it has to be made and it will be beyond anybody's imagination. It's been on my mind for quite long but I don't know yet when it will happen." Does he also feel that films such as "Sanghamitra" and Mohanlal's "Randamoozham", to be made on a lavish budget, are merely imitating the path taken by "Baahubali"? "I think 'Baahubali' has proven there is a market. There will be both kinds of films. The first kind of films will be backed by a fantastic script and a visionary director. There will also be other type of films that will be made because there is market," he added.