Jeremy Corbyn vows to fight austerity in TUC speech - BBC News Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to fight the government's proposed welfare cuts and other austerity measures, labelling the Conservatives "poverty deniers". In a speech to TUC Congress in Brighton, the new Labour leader said austerity was a "political choice, not an economic necessity". He also signalled he would fight plans for conditions on union strike ballots, saying unions were vital to UK society. He said he would not be "an all-seeing all-knowing leader". He told delegates that he wanted input from all parts of society, including unions, to develop a different kind of inclusive, digital politics. Ahead of the TUC speech leading unions warned they will vote for a UK exit from the EU if workers' rights are weakened by the PM's EU renegotiations. Follow the latest developments in text and video But Mr Corbyn appeared to suggest he would not back an "in" vote at any cost, with Labour MPs saying the changes Mr Cameron agreed to social and employment protections had to be "right ones".
Future Of Fashion: Technology On The Catwalk By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent One thing never goes out of fashion: talking about wearable technology at London Fashion Week. The jamboree shows up twice a year and technology is always at the forefront - whether it's Burberry live streaming their shows, or exotic LED dresses. Problem is that wearable technology has never been very wearable, nor very technological. Is this year any different? Well, perhaps we’re seeing wearable technology disappear, finally. Lauren Bowker is the founder of The Unseen, a label that uses advanced materials to visualise 'unseen' things like digital data. A dress designed by CuteCircuit using tech-centric threads The piece itself is closer to a sculpture than anything else, and very subtle. Video: Apple Enters Wearable Tech Market "We're not necessarily interested in implementing wires and lights and going down the wearable computing route. Video: Wearable Tech Data Worries Video: Wearable Tech: Hit Or Miss?
Topshop Gets Called Out For Unrealistic Mannequin Body Standards By now, it seems as if most retailers have been involved in some sort of controversy. And while some have been because of tasteless graphics, or hypersexualized advertisements, one thing we continue to see over and over again—and frankly, we're tired of it—is the ridiculous body standards reinforced by the mannequins that model the clothing. Topshop, the popular British brand that boasts collaborations with stars like Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, has come under fire after a shopper noticed that the store's mannequin had extremely thin legs. "Perhaps it's about time you became responsible for the impression you have on women and young girls and helped them feel good about themselves rather than impose these ridiculous standards," Berry wrote in a post on Topshop's Facebook page. It appears that Berry's action had a positive effect, as Topshop responded with a public post declaring that they would no longer be "placing any further orders on this style of mannequin."
Wearable devices: where fashion and technology collide With the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Gear and Google's Glass this year, wearable technology has reached a turning point. These devices may not look like fashion items, but they are simply the starting point for the wearable technology revolution which is set to sweep both the technology and fashion industries. O2 recently unveiled a series of designer handbags that double as phones as part of a project that illustrates the possibilities of gadget recycling. While these pieces are a light-hearted take on the category of wearable technology, they illustrate how the whole notion of wearable technology is growing. "The key to good product design is having a need for something, not creating something because you can," said designer Sean Miles, who created the bags. "We’re moving closer to a point where we want 24/7 access to whatever bit of technology or data we need to get access to, and the most obvious way to do that is to integrate it into an accessory or a piece of clothing.
UK Plus Size Fashion Week Founder, Rianne Ward, On Why We Should Embrace The Term 'Plus Size' There's a lot of debate about whether the fashion industry should ditch the term "plus-size", but one woman firmly behind keeping it alive is Rianne Ward. Ward is committed to making the fashion industry more inclusive and diverse, but for her the only way to change it is from within - and this involves not only talking the industry's talk, but walking its walk. "'Plus-size' is the term the industry uses and we should embrace it," she tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle. "I have no problem with the term. That's why she's launched , UK Plus Size Fashion Week (UKPSFW), which runs from 11-13 September, the week prior to the official London Fashion Week. UK Plus Size Fashion Week runs from 11-13 September Ward hopes the event's timing, central London location and professionalism will help establish plus size fashion as a "serious" player within the industry. The event builds on British Plus Size Fashion Week, an event Ward co-founded in 2013. "I've always been big," she tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle.
Fashion meets the future as garments go hi-tech Social media users curate the runway at Fyodor Golan's London Fashion Week show An interactive garment created by Nokia Lumias became the world's first interactive smart skirt Celebrities including Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldof whip out their smartphones on the front row at London Fashion Week Apple launched its smart watch in September, allowing users to call and message friends with a click on the device Ralph Lauren's biometric shirt tracks your body's data before sending it to your smartphone Google Glass is often credited as the trailblazer of wearable tech, and the product has since been adopted by designer Diane von Furstenberg Jawbone Up tracks weight and fitness through its wristband and smartphone app, helping to integrate health management into your daily routine Fitbit has proved to be one of the most popular wearable creations, helping to fuse the gap between fashion and technology. Futuristic fashion "We have become better online than in stores.
What is Slow Fashion? | Slow Fashioned When a new concept like Slow Fashion comes around it is often hard to describe it. We find ourselves grasping for parallels like: ‘Slow Fashion is a sister movement to Slow Food’ or using comparisons like ‘Slow Fashion is the opposite of Fast Fashion’ or even clarify a little more like: “Slow Fashion ≠Anti Fashion” or “quality over quantity” — and while it is important to understand what Slow Fashion IS and is NOT is some sort of familiar term or phrase it isn’t enough to capture the essence of the movement. Rather than pigeonhole the entire movement into these little sound bites we need start to explore what Slow Fashion CAN be rather than what it CAN’T — Slow Fashion opens up a world of creative possibilities in personal fashion that chasing fast trends at the mall never will: Slow Fashion… …Celebrates Personal Style Slow Fashion embraces the idea of personal expression through your clothing. Related articles:
How technology has changed student life Going back to my family dinner, and chatting about university life, it didn't take too long for the phrase "you kids have it so much easier these days" to feature. But, to be completely fair on my mother, she has a valid point. While we still have all the same educational benefits as those of the previous generation, we have so many more as well. We still have libraries available to us, but we also have countless virtual libraries that exist on the Internet, with services such as Emerald Insight. Studying used to be a process of sitting in these libraries with as many books from your reading list as you could get your hands on. Yet, while some students still prefer to do this, now a simple search for your chosen study topic on the Internet can produce inspiration and provide access to huge numbers of resources. Student faculty interaction is another area that has benefited from technology, for both parties. Student discounts have always been a perk of attending university.
Debating Style, Courtesy of Jeremy Scott and Carolina Herrera Photo Is Jeremy Scott the Donald Trump of American fashion? Not in terms of politics — definitely not in terms of politics — but in terms of positioning? His success is impossible to ignore, whether or not you liked the extended riff on bouffants, the B-52s, ’60s mod and cartoon caricatures he offered in pastel shades of patent, cotton knit and silk. Continue reading the main story Slide Show At the very least, it has exposed the extent to which many designers like to play it safe, and stick to the familiar party line. , for example, created his usual elaborate set — this time, an entire Caribbean lagoon complete with water, tiki bar and palm tree — for a show of peppy but entirely unoriginal striped crochets, flower-child patchwork prints and silk bombers. Continue reading the main story Slide Show This isn’t necessarily bad: There are plenty of women whose comfort zone is consistency. As was the subtle way Mr. Continue reading the main story Slide Show Photo As was the subtle way Mr.
Fashion and technology merge to improve consumer experience | euronews, hi-tech With the Internet revolutionising the way we shop, customers are increasingly avoiding dressing rooms, opting instead for the comfort of online shopping that usually offers liberal return policies. In a bid to entice customers back, some shops have been testing various amenities including so-called intelligent dressing rooms that allow users to “try on” different items without having to actually change clothes. Going one step further, the recent Fashion Tech in Tel Aviv aimed at bringing together the worlds of fashion and technology to see how the two can work together. Yael Kochman is the organiser of the event: “With technology you can change the way that people consume fashion, whether it’s online or in store, in real life, you can also do an omni-channel experience and combine the online and the offline together, and those startups really take it to the next level,” she said. But the true answer to customers’ desires could lie with with 3D printers.
Japan's women's magazines ramp up focus on politics amid widespread concern over Abe's security reforms Public anxiety over the security legislation is in the streets — and in print. Even women’s fashion magazines have discussed the topic alongside recipes and hemlines, in a measure of how deeply aware the public is of the changes afoot. An edition of Shukan Josei (Women’s Weekly) published on Sept. 8 focused on women who took part in a massive rally outside the Diet on Aug. 30 in protest at the security bills. “Dear Prime Minister Abe, Do you know why we are angry?” The article ended declaring: “We don’t need a prime minister who doesn’t understand how women feel.” In its July 14 edition, the same magazine carried a major 10-page feature about the security bills, including an interview with Seiichiro Murakami, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who opposes the legislation. “We were surprised by the large number of responses on Twitter and on the Internet,” said Bunichi Terada, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “They have no interest in splits within political parties,” he said.
Burberry turns to Snapchat before runway to debut London Fashion Week show The first look at Burberry’s latest collection won’t be seen on the runway. Instead, the fashions will be previewed on Snapchat in what the designer is calling “the first ever" Snapchat fashion show. The luxury brand famous for its trench coats will give fans an inside look at its newest styles on its Snapchat account Saturday. It’s a big play for Burberry to get the young adults and teenagers who dominate Snapchat to interact more with the brand. Snapchat has had a big digital presence during this week’s New York Fashion Week. The National Football League, Univision and Live Nation have also struck agreements with Snapchat to help promote their events. Burberry’s announcement included a rare statement from Snapchat Chief Executive Evan Spiegel, whose style preference is usually fashionable kicks, black jeans and a V-neck shirt. “Burberry is an iconic brand, and it's a thrill for us to give our community the first look at their new collection,” Spiegel said.
Can Feminists Like Fashion? - Forbes Céline 2012 Runway Feminism and fashion have always had a rocky relationship, a point hammered home in an article in Ms. magazine’s January issue, “If The Clothes Fit: A Feminist Take On Fashion.” The piece explores the tumultuous role that fashion has historically played in gender politics—both serving as a medium for the advancement of women, and as a weapon of restraint. It’s hard to deny the key role that fashion has played in the women’s movement. The Ms. article points to New York City women garment workers in the early 20th century who wore hats to signify that they were earning their own money, and thus financially independent. Women in the 1980s adopted a male style of dress (ties, tailored skirt suits, shoulder pads) in order to gain a foothold in the male dominated world of business. That being said, feminist notions that fashion can be destructive, certainly didn’t come from thin air. Fortunately, fashion in recent years does appear to be moving in a feminist direction.