Luxury Brands Should Augment Human Touch Despite Coronavirus

Today’s luxury has been largely based on creating high emotions built on human touch and connections, both on the supply and demand sides.

On the supply side, the human element is essential for consumers. Just take the hand-made craftsmanship of products and the delivery of high-quality experiences by professionals at the top of their game in showrooms, stores or hospitality.

On the demand side, the human touch enables consumers to establish deep connection with other cultures and loved ones through the consumption of original, creative, unforgettable goods and experiences.

But what if COVID-19 and the probably longish measures of social distancing ahead undermine the very possibility of protecting some of this human touch? How can consumers continue enjoying the high emotions and the sense of connection at the core of luxury if the human touch effect is temporarily weakened?

Fashion Fights The Virus: All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go

America’s fashion industry is concerned.

With thoughtful eyes, little Barney once looked directly at us and said: “you’ll all need clothes.”

Today, Barney’s is bankrupt, the stores have shuttered, and we aren’t worried about our clothes, we’re worried about the future of our industry - and we all want to survive in this crazy coronavirus environment.

We worry about our health, we worry about our employees, we worry about our families, we worry about our customers, we worry about our rent, and sometimes we just worry to worry. Honestly, If the federal government doesn’t help us fund our short-term future, then our long-term vision could easily resemble a horror story out of Tales from the Crypt.

It is beyond encouraging that Anna Wintour, Tory Burch, and several other industry notables are reaching out to Government, in an effort to encourage them to create a financial package for our industry. It is critical that fashion be included in the financial distribution. The reasons for inclusion are obvious. Retail directly employs about 12% of America, and indirectly employs 25% of America. Our consumer represents 66% of our nations GDP. While fashion isn’t the only component of retail, we are often the most visible. When we lead, others follow.

If our Government wants the economic “bounce back” (that they expect to happen when we reopen), then it is critical that they support the industries that can provide it. It is also appalling to listen to news conferences, when they inevitably talk about supporting the cruise line industry. Let’s get that one thing straight, while most of us love cruising, the cruise industry supports about 422,000 jobs and retail supports about 52 million jobs. If we don’t have a job in the next year, how are we going to take a cruise?

Right now, fashion is getting hammered every day, and the messaging from Government to our industry has been, at best, weak.

We bought goods months ago for the spring season. Now spring has arrived, and the customers have left. Our product (that we sourced from around the world) has been delayed, cancellations are running in the millions, landlords are asking for rent, and employees need to be paid. To make matters worse, the Administration continues to charge tariffs to our inbound invoices, and that adds insult to our injury, and causes us to pay far more for less. The scenario that we are operating under is just about as retail ugly as it can possibly get.

If government helps us with funding, if the virus storm abates, if customers are released from lock-down, if we can afford to stay the course, then we will all survive. Truth be told, we were hurting before the virus, now the pain has just become more intense. Let’s support our trade associations who are advocating for us, and let’s support our industry notables that have made their case to Capitol Hill, and let’s hope that the Administration is listening.

As industry colleagues search for good news, in a tweet on Friday, seemingly out of the blue, beloved designer Christian Siriano wrote: “If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks, my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help.”

History always presents poignant moments, and Christian Siriano’s single heroic tweet immediately shifted our short-term dynamic to action. In minutes, our industry rose and mobilized. Masks and gowns are on the way. This is what we do.

In addition to Christian, we soon learned of several excellent American companies including Parkdale Mills, Hanes, and Fruit of the Loom who are ramping up the production of face masks. It is expected that they will be reaching millions per week!

Little Barney had it right. Yes, we all need clothes, but our industry will continue to do what we can to lead, and others will certainly follow.

As we all struggle through difficult times, think about what YOU can do to help.
vestidos de noche
Think about Christian Siriano, think about that great quote from the Children’s book, The Little Engine That Could: 

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I know I can.”

Kanye West Schedules Surprise Sunday Service During Paris Fashion Week

Musician and fashion designer Kanye West is bringing his popular Sunday Service to Paris tomorrow starting at 9am. The popular event, which he has staged in different cities and festivals such as Coachella, features a gospel-choir reinterpreting his songs. Only a small handful of editors received the coveted invitation earlier today, followed by another e-vite for the Yeezy Season 8 show scheduled for Monday night.

This unexpected addition to the fashion week calendar by West is a bold move, given the tense climate in Paris with the anxiety of coronavirus hanging in the air. It’s unclear if the show will reveal the entire collection or what the format of the presentation will be. Each Yeezy reveal has been different. In the past, West has staged large-scale fashion performances, Instagram-driven campaigns and a runway show.

Yeezy shows often serve as a platform for West to link to his other projects. In 2016, the Atlanta-born artist performed songs from his then-unfinished album The Life of Pablo at Madison Square Gardens in New York alongside the debut of Season 3. Not much is known about Season 8, although his wife and muse, Kim Kardashian-West, has been seen wearing nude-colored flip flops from the collection seen last summer while out in Los Angeles.

flower girl dresses

The Ultimate Guide To The Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii always tops travelers’ lists, and the islands have become almost mythical in many would-be visitors’ eyes. But after deciding to visit America’s 50th state (which is always a good idea), where to go in Hawaii is the second most crucial step. There are a total of eight main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago in the North Pacific, though Niihau and Kahoolawe are forbidden to visitors. Of the remaining six—Hawaii Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu—each island is unique in its ambiance and attractions, and all are perfect winter travel destinations.

Hawaii is renowned for its natural beauty, but the culture and heritage of the islands are equally enticing and waiting to be explored. We’ve categorized each island according to interests—whether you’re intrigued by tropical adventure, secluded luxury or cultural immersion, we have something for everyone in the list below. From the legendary surf of Oahu to the breathtaking mountains of Kauai, read on for your ultimate guide to the Hawaiian islands.

The Island of Hawaii is a must-visit for travelers yearning to reconnect with nature and experience what is known as the ‘old Hawaii’—as in, before the islands became as popular as they are today with tourists. The largest of the Hawaiian islands, the Island of Hawaii is nearly double the size of all the other islands combined, hence its nickname as the “Big Island.” Hawaii Island is also known as the Island of Discovery, and there’s much to explore in the island’s two distinct regions: the Kona and the Hilo areas of the island. Kona, located on the western side of the island, is sunnier and the volcanic landscape is home to coffee farms and breathtaking views of the Pacific—we recommend staying at Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast, to maximize that tropical bliss. Explore the black sand coast of Punaluu Beach and visit the five-acre farm of Kona Natural Soap, located just south of Kona in the town of Holualoa, for a tour (and chocolate-tasting) with the charismatic owner, Greg Colden. King Kamehameha spent his last years in Kona, and you can get in touch with royalty yourself with a Hāloa ʻĀina Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood Tour  up in the highlands.

It rains more in Hilo, and travelers are advised to explore the waterfalls and tropical flowers that flourish on this lush part of the island. Check-in at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and explore the Haleolono fish pond before embarking on an ATV tour with the charismatic guides at The Umuama Experience. Afterward, head to the Temple Bar, the recently-opened craft beer & wine bar restaurant that’s a hit with visitors and locals alike. Additionally, the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, located 45 minutes to the south of Hilo, is a must-do for any traveler. Meanwhile, the Pōhāhā I Ka Lani Tour at Waipiʻo Valley Lookout is another can’t-miss activity (thanks to your fantastic hosts who share details about the island’s history and culture while you ascend to the overlook.) Finally, no matter where you are staying on the island, check out the schedule for Chef Brian Hirata’s pop-up dining experience, Na’au Hilo. The aim of the culinary project is “Ka ho’oilina malamalama,” which means enlightened through heritage. One meal will leave you with even more appreciative of the natural beauty of Hawaii Island—and how delicious its fruits can be. 

Fashion Books To Get You In The Fashion Week Mood

Fashion week, err, month is currently on its second half with the shows finishing in New York and London. Almost immediately Milan follows. Then culminating in Paris. While you may only be seeing the collections from your web browser, why not enhance the experience by adding these newly released fashion tomes to your library.

Before magazine circulation numbers started to decline resulting in the slashing of fashion editorial budgets, photoshoots to highlight the new fashions used to be lavish affairs. Some would take weeks to produce with a battalion of crew and trunks of clothes shipped to far-flung destinations to create what would become iconic visual memories. Vogue has contributed to many of these images and in this latest book, we get to see those pictures, which not only trace the evolution of fashion, but serve as a tourism commentary. There in the early years showed the advent of air travel, making it possible for editors to travel to exotic locales like Morocco, India and Turkey. There is Linda Evangelista doing tai chi in China just as the country was opening up to the rest of the world. See Christy Turlington show off a ruby red coat outside the Winter Palace before the USSR’s dissolution. And of course there’s Veruschka wearing a fur coat with a sumo wrestler in a snow covered Japanese landscape (A fashion sitting that would reportedly go down in the magazine’s history as the most expensive). Call this fashion escapism at its most fabulous.

                                                      Brudekjoler

The Best Back-To-College Women's Fashion and Accessories for 2019

Maybe your college countdown clock has been ticking since May, or perhaps it’s just begun. Either way, only a few weeks stand between you and another year of college life. With a future full of social events you may not even know about yet, and a closet lacking in space, you need to think carefully about what you pack for the next semester–or two.

You need maximum fashion and function with minimal cost. You need shoes that can carry you from the darty to the party, and accessories to make yesterday’s outfit seem ... not so yesterday.
                                                                   Evening Dresses

Meet Caroline Constas, A Female Founder In Fashion

It's the days leading up to Montréal Grand Prix and designer Caroline Constas is being fêted the by the luxury Canadian department store, Holt Renfrew, at their annual Grand Prix event.

She enters the party being held at the top floor of the Ritz Carlton, her statuesque framed draped in a long, white, strapless goddess-gown of her own design. Earlier in the day, she posted a photo of herself with her collection's display at the store with a caption that read, "Dreams to come true."

For Constas, this year's Grand Prix event is not only a dream come true, but it's also a homecoming of sorts. Being honored by the department store coincides with the Montréal native's 5th of year in business at the helm of her namesake label.

"I've been dreaming of working with them [Holt Renfrew] for years and years because growing up in Montréal, that was the place you aspired to shop," she says.

As a young fashion brand, to stay in business in a cutthroat industry after 5 years is, indeed, recognition-worthy. Constas, however, has done more than just stay in business—her brand is thriving, and the Holt Renfrew event is an acknowledgment of her success.

Her collection's whimsical-yet-elegant vibe is directly inspired by Constas' upbringing and globetrotting lifestyle, which is marked by life in New York, summers in Greece and inspiration trips to foreign countries.

"It started when I was 8 years old, and I was traveling to Greece every summer to visit family," she says. She is the daughter of a Greek-Lebanese father and an American mother who, through these visits, exposed her to the world from a very young age.

During her childhood travels, she found herself sketching the clothes she wanted to wear on her holidays, and over time she became aware of the keen eye she possessed for spotting trends that crossed borders.

"I was always very focused and aware of fashion and how fashion differed, and how it was similar across different cultures. I was able to see what was overlapping between different countries," she says.

A key factor to her success is that Constas herself is the ultimate muse for her brand—she knows her customer because she is her customer. "I start each season with the question: What do I want to wear that isn't in the market?" she says, admitting she is designing for herself first and foremost, knowing that women like herself will gravitate to what she's offering.

In addition, Constas is regularly featured on her company's social media in her designs and also posts pictures and musings from her personal travels. Images of her wearing her label bring the clothes to life in a way only she can, and the content, as a result, is a physical embodiment of the Caroline Constas brand story. She is undoubtedly one of her company's biggest assets.

In the beginning days of her label, it was this idea of creating clothes for her own personal lifestyle led to the creation of the Lou top, the design that put her name on the map.

Constas had always been searching for cotton shirting in feminine shapes and came up with an off the shoulder silhouette in a blue striped fabric traditionally used for dress shirts. An editor came in to view the collection, snapped a pic of the shirt and posted it to social media, which then led to Oprah's stylist pulling the shirt for a shoot. The next thing she knew, the Lou top was on the cover of O Magazine. "It was absolutely surreal," the designer says of the experience.

Engine flooded at the first Bedford Festival of Motoring

It's likely to have been the best Bedford Kite Festival yet, with much more on offer than previous years and thousands descending on Russell Park and the Embankment to enjoy the sunshine and attractions.

It was also the first Bedford Festival of Motoring, Canoe Trail were giving people a chance to try canoeing and kayaking and there's a dance tent live until 11pm tonight.

But it was a slip of a handbrake that appears to have caused the highlight for many.

As many cars and people started to head home, one Ford Focus RS owner moved his car to allow some flags anchored under his tyres to be removed.

He apparently said that he leant across to let the handbrake off and the slope was more than he expected.

Naturally gravity kicked in and the car sped down the bank and into the river opposite the Longholme Boat House.
It took a couple of hours for recovery vehicles to lift the customised car, said to be valued at £25,000, but a patient and eager crowd stayed on to watch it rise from the shallow River Great Ouse.

In a classic case of schadenfreude, one bystander, Tom, saw the unfortunate incident unfold: "I couldn't believe what was happening. It's the best entertainment we've ever had, and for free."

No one was said to have been hurt in the incident, although a couple of people on a park bench did have to get out of the way quite quickly.

The car owner also ended up in the river, but was helped out by some friendly kayakers.

The Kite Festival isn't over yet. The dance music tent will be entertaining people until 11pm and then it all starts again on Sunday at 11am with kite displays and activities in Russell Park and more cars along the Embankment.

Thousands tap into Powassan Maple Syrup Festival

You never know who or what you’ll see at the annual Powassan Maple Syrup Festival.

Chub Nadrofsky walked through the crowd dressed as Sappy, the festival mascot, encouraging people to head down to the Sportsplex to enjoy maple corn on the cob.

"We cook corn on the cob and then you can put maple syrup and butter on it," laughed Nadrofsky.

"I’ve been doing this for about 10 years on and off. You see the kids having fun, and I get to talk to a lot of people. With some people, it is the only time I get to see them."

That kind of good-natured, fun-filled attitude was evident at every turn at the 22nd annual festival.

Despite the early morning cold and flurries, people began arriving at 7 a.m. to enjoy a hearty pancake breakfast, a festival tradition.

By the end of the day, Powassan’s population of 3,200 was expected to swell to somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000.

"It is a great economic boost. It brings a lot of people from out of town and they get to see the great town of Powassan and what it has to offer. They check out the local stores and restaurants, so it is great for the community," explained festival chair Mike Odrowski.

The one-day festival draws people from as far away as London, Windsor, Timmins, and Sault Ste. Marie.

"We’re one of the largest one-day events here in Northern Ontario. Anything north of Barrie, we’re pretty much one of the largest ones," said Odrowski.


Over 150 vendors lined the main street and packed the Sportsplex.

"There is something here for all age groups. We have all kinds of fresh baked goods. Agriculture Canada is here with Maple the cow. Kids get to learn about dairy farming and how to milk a cow. We have the Great Canadian Lumberjack Show again this year, and there is great musical entertainment all day long. There are too many things going on to list," smiled Odrowski.   

Six of the vendors were local maple syrup producers.

Lori Costello co-owner of Bella Hill Maple Syrup has been bringing her tasty products to the festival for the past 11 years.

"It is the time of year when it is nice to get outside and usually the weather if fairly nice, although it is cold today. We even got snow this morning. But it is nice to get everyone together and celebrate," said Costello.

"The maple butter tarts are always a hit. We’ve had those for maybe the past five or six years. This year with our syrup, we have the Temagami tart master making maple butter tarts. There’s all different kinds, some with wild blueberries in them too."

For more than two decades the festival has become a spring ritual for families.

"I just like getting out and seeing what everyone has to offer, what they bring. It is just something I’ve done since I was a kid," said Powassan resident Ashley McLeod.

"It is always very friendly and there is always so many people, depending on the weather." 

Snow won't stop Stratford Garden Festival from sprouting

Even a significant amount of snowfall won't stop the Stratford Garden Festival from sprouting.

The 19th edition of the spring- and plant-themed event, presented by the Lung Association of Ontario, starts Thursday at the Rotary Complex and continues through the weekend. Despite several centimetres of precipitation falling Wednesday Janeen Collins-Dera, the lung association's community engagement co-ordinator for this region, said about 70 per cent of the gardens were already in place.

"It's all coming together beautifully," she said from the Rotary Complex with various vendors busy setting up in the background.

Tracy Brennan, the organization's manager of community engagement for this area, said the event serves as a reminder that "spring is just around the corner." The pair pointed out the festival appeals to gardening enthusiasts while also showcasing local talent.

"This is a very creative community and it's a chance for our landscapers to take a lead and work collaboratively together to create this festival," Brennan said. "We've got a wonderful array of gardening experts."

She added it offers a chance to glean some tips in a no-pressure environment.

"You get to dream a little bit," she said.

A long list of featured speakers is headlined by Mark Cullen and son Ben, who will be taking control of the podium Friday and Saturday at 12:30 p.m., respectively. They will both be speaking on their latest book Escape to Reality: How the World is Changing Gardening, and Gardening is Changing the World. Local speakers such as Jim Fitzgerald and Marty Klomp are also part of the 20-plus person lineup.

The event kicks off at noon Thursday and runs until 5 p.m. punctuated with an afternoon seniors' tea.

"A beloved community event," Brennan said. "When they come in and pay their admission they get a free coffee and a little biscuit."

It continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday and concludes 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

As for the lung aspect, Brennan said one in five Canadians have lung disease.

"And five out of five of us need to breathe," she said.

This local event has raised over $1 million for research and programs since its inception.

"It's pretty amazing," she said.

Local lung health support and exercise groups will be launched soon, Brennan said.

This year's theme is urban agriculture and small space gardening. Admission is $10 while children under age 12 get in free.

Welsh farmstead is rare medieval hall house, experts confirm

A Welsh farmhouse that was once in such poor condition that rainwater ran through its rooms is in fact an exceptionally rare 600-year-old medieval hall house, it has been confirmed, after conservation experts used a groundbreaking new dating technique originally developed by climate change scientists.

Llwyn Celyn, which lies in the Black Mountains on the border of England and Wales, was completed in 1420, an analysis of its timbers found, making it one of only a tiny number of domestic buildings to survive from one of the most destructive periods in Welsh history, immediately following the failed revolt of the Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr.

Conservation experts from the Landmark Trust, who first encountered the building in a perilous state of disrepair but still inhabited by two farmers in 2007, initially believed it dated from much later in the 15th century. But repeated attempts to date its ancient timbers with tree ring analysis failed, in part because the technique is less effective on trees that have grown in a wet climate.

Instead, they turned to a technique developed in the geography department at Swansea University. Never before used on an undated historic building, it analyses the oxygen, hydrogen and carbon isotopes preserved within the cellulose of a tree’s rings to determine the climate conditions in which the tree grew.

Each ring has a distinctive isotope signal, which can be used to determine very precisely the age of the timber, even on samples that would be undateable by conventional methods.

The new technique will potentially be "transformative" for the dating of historic buildings and timbers back to the arrival of the Romans, and potentially into the Bronze Age, according to Neil Loader, a professor of geography at the university.

Mind-blowingly gorgeous Georgia

We are on the midnight plane to Georgia. In various stages of inebriation, me and Dave WhatsApp this to our grown-up children. It's not our fault. Nothing ever is. Our Georgian Airways flight, the last one out of Gatwick, is delayed. What else is there to do but dutiful duty free?

Dave is my compadre, the finest travelling companion a woman could wish for. The best thing about her is that she will go absolutely anywhere but also has no idea where anywhere is. Except France – which she has taken against to such an extent that even French people speaking French near her makes her extremely annoyed. She can sniff out pretension at 100km, not that she knows what a kilometre is. And God help anyone she calls "piss-elegant".

Suffice to say, when we arrive in Tbilisi, I have to prod her awake and try to enthuse her, though I feel very rough myself. "All airports are the same. Why are we even here?" she asks.

We are in Georgia mostly, I remind her, because she loves post-Soviet places and last year when I was in Armenia to do a story, everyone kept saying: "Don't go to Georgia. There are big men with swords there who will kill you." So it's a must.

We arrive at Rooms Hotel in Tbilisi, a former Soviet-era publishing and printing house. I should say we partake of the city's immense cultural riches, but we go to bed and order burgers and chips on room service because we know how to live. When we come to, we realise we are actually in a completely fantastic place.

Beachcombers de luxe on the Kent coast

In Wendy Aldridge's Ramsgate home, the decor drops a few subtle hints to its coastal setting, but that's not really the main aim. Yes, there are paintings of skeletal fish and sailing boats and a Curtis Jeré wall sculpture depicting birds in flight. But it bears only a passing resemblance to the local gulls, which tend to loiter on street corners rather than fly in picturesque formations.

Wendy never aimed to create a sugar-sweet version of seaside style in this flat, which she renovated with her husband, James. "We wanted to include a few reminders that the sea is just outside the front door, but without being too obvious," she says. Instead, she has mixed 1970s, mid-century and contemporary designs together to create a less clichéd coastal look.

The couple, parents to Ida, eight, and Arlie, five, bought this basement flat two and a half years ago. They initially tried to buy in Margate but then looked five miles south to Ramsgate. No Turner Contemporary or Tracey Emin neons here, but there is a nice beach and some interesting architecture, including sea-facing Victorian townhouses, long since carved up into flats and bedsits.

This flat had been rented out for many years, so wasn't in the best shape, but two rooms had been knocked into one big space at the front. "This meant we could immediately imagine how it would work for us as a family," says Wendy.

Originally, this run of rooms would have been dedicated to serving a Victorian family on the floors above. Wendy fully embraced the flat's below-stairs vibe with dark paint colours, offset with glossy white tiling, flashes of gold and warm-toned mid-century furniture.

Then there's the centrepiece sofa – a louche 1970s number in sage-green velvet that was shipped over from Italy. "It's so low-slung, you literally sink into it," says Wendy. "I like to imagine it having a very glamorous life before it came to us, in a nightclub or a chic apartment," she adds. As if proof of its partying past, the upholstery bears the odd cigarette burn. "I'd never replace that velvet, so they'll remain as part of its character."

Facing it is a leather sofa by the Brazilian designer Percival Lafer, which almost qualifies as an impulse buy. "James went to pick up a chair and the guy was also thinking of selling his sofa. James rang to ask what I thought. I said, ‘If you can squeeze it into the car, go for it.' It fitted in by a whisker."

Can’t sleep? Perhaps you’re overtired

Nerina Ramlakhan remembers when her daughter was a toddler, and how if she got too tired she would be unable to switch off. "There was a healthy level of tiredness," she says. "But if she went beyond that, she would be running on a kind of false energy. And then she wouldn't be able to switch off when she went to bed."

Overtiredness is recognised the world over in young children – but it is seemingly more and more common in adults. Dr Ramlakhan should know: she is a sleep psychologist and is increasingly seeing people who remind her of her little girl when she was younger.

There's certainly an irony that in our sophisticated, hi-tech, busy world we appear to be reverting to behaviour that we recognise and know how to treat in kids, but are somehow failing to deal with as adults. Overtiredness, sleep experts agree, is down to our always-on existence. In the past, says Ramlakhan, the author of The Little Book of Sleep, our days had naturally built-in downtime that gave us short snatches of rest. Today, that has disappeared for many of us. "We have become restless as a society – and that places more demands on us when we get into bed at night," she says. "We have lost the rituals and practices that gave us little respites during the day. In the past, you would go to the supermarket and, while you were waiting in the queue, you'd daydream, be a bit bored, look around. Now, any window like that will be filled by looking at your phone, answering some emails, sorting out your Amazon account."

You may think you are putting the time to good use – but that's not how your brain interprets it. There's a complex neurophysiology that requires breaks in tasks and concentration; if it's constantly bombarded, the brain becomes overloaded. The result, says Ramlakhan, is that it goes into what we might call survival mode: it assumes that something bad is about to happen, it ups the adrenaline and it puts out an urgent call for sugary snacks to provide quick-release energy.

And there's more: if your brain has become tuned to always reaching for the next thing to do, to never taking a moment to just pause and rest, then it will gradually become harder and harder to switch off at night. It's almost as if we're losing the ability to let go; and the biggest letting-go of all is falling asleep, which Ramlakhan describes as an act of trust. "There's a growing tendency to hold on, to keep on going, and it's manifesting in our sleep patterns as well. People say to me that they feel they're on the edge of sleep all night. They're getting up in the morning feeling exhausted. They say they keep waking up at night and can't get back to sleep. But it's normal to wake up at night; most of the time, we just go back to sleep."

US pianist Eric Lu wins top prize at Leeds competition

The 19th Leeds piano competition was won on Saturday night by Eric Lu, a 20-year-old from Boston in the United States, whose sparkling and supremely confident performance of Beethoven's fourth piano concerto secured him the top place, and also the Hallé orchestra prize.

The rebooted competition, held every three years, was co-founded 55 years old ago by Dame Fanny Waterman, and rapidly established itself as one of the world's foremost piano events, launching the careers of musicians including Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Mitsuko Uchida and András Schiff.

In recent years, however, fewer finalists have gone on to make their mark as international soloists and, as the event felt increasingly old-fashioned, it was felt that a new approach was needed.

The 95-year-old Waterman stepped down from her role as chairman and artistic director in 2015, and the competition's new directors, pianist Paul Lewis and Adam Gatehouse, announced an ambitious reboot that touched on every aspect of the competition. “We want to redefine what a music competition can give to young performers as well as audiences,” said Lewis, who also stressed that the competition needed to nurture its winners in the long term to help them develop lasting careers.

Twenty-four finalists aged between 20 and 29 were chosen from first rounds held in April in Berlin, New York and Singapore. The second round, in Leeds in early September, whittled that number down to 10, from which five finalists were selected, who each performed a concerto with the Hallé orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner in concerts in Leeds town hall on Friday and Saturday night.

Pepper spray, Christmas come to Gibsons film set

Wildfire smoke wasn't the only disturbance to mar production. While shooting on the government wharf the evening of Aug. 21, a man who Hayden said "appeared to be assaulted and doused in pepper spray" crawled onto set. The crew's first-aid team attended to the victim, dousing him in milk to wash out the spray.
RCMP Const. Karen Whitby later confirmed that the altercation occurred in Gibsons Harbour, and arose from a dispute over the ownership of a 27-foot Catalina sailboat named The Salty Dream. The victim was physically assaulted and sprayed with bear spray and the accused was arrested later that evening at 9 p.m. and charged with assault with a weapon.
"We did our best to ease his suffering until the RCMP and ambulance could arrive," said Hayden of the victim. He said the incident held up the shooting "a little bit," but that "there's never any doubt, when there's someone in trouble we need to help when we can."
The team spent a week in Gibsons as part of its two-week shooting schedule, shooting on and underneath the government wharf, at the marina and at a house near the Langdale Ferry Terminal.
"We were looking around on the Mainland and couldn't find anything that had this kind of beauty and scope," said Hayden. He said the production team finally landed on Gibsons because of its history in show business. "It's a film-friendly town," he said.
Wendy Gilbertson, director of parks and cultural services with the Town of Gibsons, said the Town was contacted in June about the project. She said the filming provided a boost to the local economy, with the sizable crew making purchases at local businesses such as hardware stores and restaurants. "They hire extras, they've hired security and traffic control," Gilbertson said. The team required a number of permits to get permission to shoot, including a $500 application.

Wine & Beer Festival in New Boston Saturday

One area woman's experience with lupus inspired her to seek ways to help others here who may be afflicted with the autoimmune disease.
                                                 

To that end, Sandy Tutt organized the Put on Purple for Lupus Wine & Beer Festival at Oak Grove Golf Club on Saturday in New Boston with a wine and beer garden running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., a two-man scramble golf tournament starting at 8:30 a.m., an artisan market starting at 9 a.m. and a car and truck show starting at 10 a.m.

The wine garden has a $10 entry, which gives festival-goers a glass and a tote bag. Tastings are $1 with glasses of wine for $5. Bottles of wine will be sold, too, by the 10 Texas wineries participating. Texas wineries include Red Road Vineyard and Winery, Enoch's Stomp Winery and Vineyard, O'Farrell Country Vineyards, White Fox Vineyards, Homestead Winery and others.

Among the more than 30 vendors will be sellers of crafts, homemade jewelry, massage therapy, custom cookware and more. "The vendors are free to the public to come out and shop," Tutt said. "We also have two food trucks that are going to be there."

Unique vendors include Bleau Dog Vintage Decor & Boutique, The Quirky Quilting Bee Shop, Bon Temps Art, D & R Gourmet Blends, Rose of Sharon Acres, Pink Ride, ELV Shots, The Mess Sergeant's's Custom Cookware and Wood Working and more.

As for food vendors, they'll supply the barbecue and crawfish eats. For the truck and car show, it's a $10 entry fee but free for the public to see. The public will also serve as judge. A silent auction, door prizes and children's activities are also part of this inaugural event.

Proceeds will got to the Dallas chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America. Tutt's goal is to help people in this area and raise awareness about lupus. She's seen a lack of lupus support groups and medical care here, so she wants to change this via the foundation's help.

Tutt was diagnosed with lupus five years ago. At the time, she had no idea what it was. "The more research I did, I realized there was nothing in Texarkana," she recalled.

Tutt traveled to see doctors and eventually contacted the Lupus Foundation of America. Her experience with their fundraising walk the past three years inspired her to start this wine and beer festival. This is the third year for the golf tournament portion.

She's devoted the past year to organizing this family-friendly festival and looks forward to seeing people there.

Technology enriches Chinese lunar New Year customs

Gifting red envelopes stuffed with cash to relatives and friends, visiting temple fairs and making traditional dishes are customs during the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival.
                                                   

These old customs have a new face in the digital age, according to a report issued this week by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Robotic devices have replaced food and new clothes to become popular gifts during the festival.

The sales of steam mops, dish-washers, robot window cleaners and cooking robots on Alibaba's online platform Tmall increased by 320 percent, 188 percent, 169 percent and 145 percent year on year, respectively, during the seven-day festival holiday that ended Wednesday, the report said.

The dining tables of the Chinese have also changed. In addition to the traditional dishes of fish, rice cakes and dumplings, families are using online market places to buy exotic delicacies from all over the world.

The sales of imported fresh food on Tmall surged by around 300 percent during the festival year on year. Chilean king crabs, Boston lobsters, and fish from New Zealand are the most popular, according to the report.

The online availability of temple fair tickets revived this traditional custom. In Beijing, a total of 300,000 temple fairs tickets were sold online between Feb. 8-10.

Digital red envelopes also took the place of traditional paper ones. More than 250 million users of Alipay across the world collected five "fu" -- literally meaning happiness -- characters in the holiday.

Users from over 1,700 cities outside China participated in the Chinese "fu"-scanning game, which allows users grabbing a digital red packet after collecting five "fu" characters.

Duan Baolin, vice chairman with China Folklore Society, said that the customs, new or old, all represent the culture of Spring Festival. "Carrying on the old and innovating the new are both necessary to integrate the culture of the Spring Festival into our life," said Duan.

The report is based on data of Alibaba's 10-plus online platforms including Tmall, Taobao and Alipay.

Several Celtic Imbolc Customs & Traditions for the Feast of Brighid

Imbolc, pronounced IM-olg or IM-olk, evolved into St. Brighid’s day, and is considered the first day of spring. St Brighid’s feast is a February 1st continuation of Imbolc pagan traditions. It is one of the four fire festivals celebrated by the ancient Celts. It probably occurred on what we consider Feb 11th, due to the shift to the gregorian calendar. But the Fire festivals are celebrated always on the kalends of the month sharing the same Irish name as the festival.
                                                 

If you want to join in any of these practices in Texas this Feb, join us for the Imbolc Retreat.

Imbolc and St. Brighid’s Day

It’s many names are Lá Fhéile Bríde, Laa’l Breeshey, Gwyl Mair Dechrau’r Gwanwyn, Goel Kantolyon, Gouel Varia ar Gouloú, Imbolc, Ogronia(Kondratiev 147) and Oímealg(146). Alexei tells us that the Giamos half of the year has its midpoint at Imbolc, and the waning of the winter begins. The name Imbolc comes from words meaning milk or lactation, and Old Celtic Oui-melko, or “Ewe’s milk”. It was a time of returning fertility, and so is associated with the Irish goddess of birth and childbirth.

Brighid as saint has well known lore about her life, however, the goddess she represents goes back to feats of the Irish mythological cycle. She connects to British and continental versions of herself: Brigandu, Brigantia, and the Romans observed her as a guise of Minerva. Her name means “high” or “exalted” one(148). Briga and bri and brig are names for high places, but also imply that they are imparting a fortitude and strength. Alexei calls it an upwelling of ‘force’. In our folk magics, the closest thing some recons have to energy are Bri and Bua. These are ‘power’ and ‘swelling’. Bri is inherent to a thing, while bua is imparted by action, say the ill energy of a battle being put into the ground itself, on top of the plains natural bri.

1. Make Brighid’s Crosses

Making St. Brighid’s crosses was very widespread and popular. They are made on the eve of the feast day. The native name for them are cros Bríde or bogha Bríde. They were hung in homes, cowsheds and stables. Little crosses were called Crosóg.

The diamond lozenge cross was the most common. These were made of rushes or straw. You can put twigs across the legs of the cross, making crosses at the ends of the legs. You can make more elaborate ones by increasing the number of lozenges or forming a wooden lattice about the cross by weaving the intersections(Danaher 16).

2. Make a Brídgeóg

Groups of young folks would go door to door almost like mummers, carrying a symbol of Brighid. While sometimes the cross, other times it was the Brídeóg, or effigy representing Bridhid, that was taken around. These groups were led by a ‘captain’ or lead by a “Bridget”. Young girls would be chosen for this role in their groups, and girls who were named after the saint were especially chosen. This probably incentivised the naming of girls after the Saint among parents.

3. Make a Crown of Rushes

The effigy was carried to neighbors houses and were welcomed in as they announced they were bringing the Saint’s blessing into the home. They would hand out crosses they had made as well(25). The representative of Bridget, if a young woman, would wear a crown of rushes(Brighid’s Crown) and carry a woven shield, and a veil made from the strongest grasses near wetlands.

Annual event celebrates the folk roots of Christmas

In many cultural traditions, the longest night of the year is a cause for celebration with music and dance.
                                             

Cape Ann has a tradition of its own, which started with Rose Sheehan four years ago when she wanted to bring the tales and songs from faraway lands to her new city of Gloucester.

A former resident of Greenfield, Sheehan planted a seed for a holiday tradition that has been going for more than 30 years in the western part of the state.

Her experiment here with “Welcome Yule! A Midwinter Celebration” found an eager audience, and she is now bringing her fourth annual event to the Gloucester Meetinghouse on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. This is a free event where families and all are welcome, she said.

She explained that “yule” is the name for the pre-Christian winter solstice festivals celebrated throughout northern Europe.

Sheehan, founder of Folk Life Studio, said this program “Welcome Yule!” highlights symbols and festivities associated with those older festivals, including wassailing, holly and ivy, yule logs, candles as well as some Christmas lore that blends the old customs with the newer festival.

Songs include “The Wren Boys’ Song,” “Green Grow the Rushes, O,” “Rise Up Jock” and “The Wexford Lullaby.” This year’s featured story will be the “Legend of La Befana,” a tale of Italy’s beloved bringer of gifts on the eve of the Epiphany.

A yule log procession, in which the audience is invited to touch the log with a holly leaf and make a wish for the new year, takes place, along with songs that invite the audience to sing along.

Martin Del Vecchio of Gloucester and his family have attended these events in years past and look forward to each new iteration.

Del Vecchio said he enjoys the lively and communal nature of the event.

The performers also feel the camaraderie that is apparent in this production.

Sheehan has seen a growing interest in this winter production.

“But the challenge is trying to build a core company of adults who want to participate and have time to rehearse,” she said. “However, I will continue to work to create these kinds of productions that help people feel connected.”