Author: Press Room

I’m facing a dress which is as close to a miracle as I’ve ever seen. It’s a composition of geometric and curvy black pieces, apparently held together by nothing but air. In 2022, with the desire for skin-baring cutouts sweeping fashion, this incredible piece could easily contend as a dress of the year. The only thing is that it was designed in 1991, by the brilliant, quixotic, mysterious Sybilla, the then 28-year-old woman who put Spain on the map of avant-garde fashion.And now, finally, her work is getting a close-up viewing by a new generation at “Sybilla: The Invisible Thread,”…

CNN  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a visit to the Kerch Bridge, a key link between the annexed Crimean peninsula and mainland Russia which was partially destroyed by an explosion in October, according to Russian state media. Photos and videos from the visit have been released, including footage of Putin behind the wheel of a Mercedes vehicle sitting beside Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin. In another video Putin is seen walking along a section of the bridge. In the driving video, Khusnullin tells Putin that “metal was available for bridge parts, so the metal was brought over…

The prospect of Romania and Bulgaria joining the passport-free Schengen area appears to be dimming ahead of a key vote in Brussels, where their fate rests on a unanimous endorsement.At least two member states – Austria and the Netherlands – have expressed their opposition to Bulgaria’s accession and, in the Austrian case, also to Romania’s.Both candidates have been waiting to join Schengen since 2011 when the European Commission first said they were ready to become members, a view shared by the European Parliament.Croatia, however, seems to be better positioned to become part of Schengen, as no country has voiced a negative…

Amsterdam has launched a tourism campaign aimed at keeping “nuisance” tourists away.The “discouragement campaign” wants to keep out visitors who come to the city principally for drink, drugs and sex.It is particularly aimed at British tourists, who are considered some of the worst behaved visitors to the Dutch city.The advertising campaign comes after Amsterdam authorities introduced a series of measures to curb disruptive behaviour.Amsterdam wants ‘nuisance’ Brits to stay awayAmsterdam is hoping its new tourism campaign will change the city’s reputation as a destination primarily for drugs, alcohol and prostitution.City councillors are concerned that the red light district is attracting…

CNN  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law a bill that expands a ban on so-called LGBTQ “propaganda” in Russia, making it illegal for anyone to promote same-sex relationships or suggest that non-heterosexual orientations are “normal.” The ban was rubber-stamped by Putin just days after a harsh new “foreign agents” law came into effect, as the Kremlin cracks down on free speech and human rights as its military operation in Ukraine falters. The new laws significantly broaden the scope of a 2013 law which banned the dissemination of LGBTQ-related information to minors. The new iteration extends the…

The best of British? Tick. Conscious designers? Tick. Vintage Chanel? Tick. So far, Kate Middleton’s wardrobe for her high-profile trip to Boston with Prince William has been hitting all the right notes when it comes to showcasing royal style overseas. The Princess of Wales landed on US soil (the couple’s first visit in eight years) wearing perhaps her favorite label, Alexander McQueen, adding a sentimental pair of the late Princess Diana’s sapphire earrings and suede Gianvito Rossi heels to her amethyst suit. Since then, we’ve seen the vintage Chanel blazer that has become central to the Princess’s royal wardrobe, a festive…

Though words were hardly spoken, the audience watched in rapt silence for close to two hours while Swinton unpacked the raiment of films past like so many treasures salvaged from oblivion. Comparing this staging to the one he saw in Rome last summer, front row guest Haider Ackermann noted “the same fade of colors, the concentration, the centimeters and millimeters. Time stands still, it’s beautiful to look at. You sense that, despite time passing, everything remains.”Photo: Marc DomagePhoto: Marc DomageAs for Swinton, the designer said, “I have no words. It’s very strange. We’re so close and yet every time I…

Although nonhormonal birth control options are available, many do not provide the same effectiveness at stopping pregnancy as hormonal methods.Researchers have developed a nonhormonal gel that reinforces the cervical mucus barrier aiming to prevent pregnancy.Scientists have found the gel blocks 98% of sperm from entering the uterus when used on ovulating female sheep.A combined 225 million women around the world are estimated to use hormonal birth control either as a pill, injection, or implant to help prevent pregnancy.However, some women prefer nonhormonal birth control methods, such as condoms and copper intrauterine devices (IUDs). This can be due to health concerns,…

Going gray has never been chicer. No longer something to hide, the past couple of years have seen us embrace the shades nature gave us—gray and silver included. But most women would acknowledge those first silver strands can come as something of a shock. If that’s you, and you’re looking for a way to ease yourself into adjustment, allow us to introduce herringbone highlights.Herringbone highlights help marry natural shades with any newfound grays—and celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker are sporting the look. “I’ve always used the herringbone highlight technique, which involves applying foils at an angle in…

CNN  —  Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles toward Ukraine on Monday as it accused Kyiv of striking military airfields deep inside its territory. Dozens of missiles were launched by Russian forces towards Ukraine on Monday, cutting off water and electricity supplies in some areas, and killing at least one person in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, and at least two people in Zaporizhzhia, according to local authorities. Debris from one missile also crossed the Ukrainian border, hitting a town in Moldova. The Ukrainian Air Force said that more than 60 Russian missiles were intercepted. Yet some reached…