Designer accuses Toronto Men’s Fashion Week of homophobia after being cut from show

Organizer says poor workmanship reason Mic. Carter’s L’UOMO STRANO collection will not hit the runway



A menswear designer is accusing Toronto’s newly minted men’s fashion week of homophobia after organizers cancelled his show just three days before the event.

Mic. Carter alleges his new collection was deemed “too feminine” and abruptly axed from the runway, while TOM Fashion Week organizers say the clothes were “frayed” and didn't meet quality standards.

The differing stories stem from a fitting last weekend in which TOMFW organizers met Carter to preview his L’UOMO STRANO collection. According to Carter, an event producer was upset by the clothes and told him to replace embroidered slippers with combat boots and eliminate some straw hats, which were allegedly called “bonnets.”

“They thought it was all extremely feminine and that it would be really embarrassing. They said they were concerned about the headlines saying that womenswear is being shown at men’s fashion week,” said Carter, 29, who spent about $10,000 on his yet-to-be-seen “Printemps” collection.

Carter says that when he refused to make the changes, a TOMFW representative called him Monday and cancelled his show altogether.

“The fact that they said you need to add combat boots, you need to add accessories, that sort of messaging felt very femme-phobic and homophobic,” said Carter.

But TOMFW’s executive director says the allegations are baseless.

“It’s not true at all,” said Jeff Rustia. “The workmanship needs to be improved. He needs to work harder on his collection.”

As for homophobia, Rustia said the idea is “absolutely ridiculous.”

“I’m surprised that the homophobia and femme-phobia is actually an issue. I’m a big support of LGBTTIQQ2SA community,” said Rustia, dressed in a gold sequin jacket, adding that he identifies as part of the community.

It’s not the first time that Rustia and Carter have together worked; Carter’s garments have shown at Canadian Philippine Fashion Week, which Rustia also founded.

“He created a fabulous dress, an ode to the butterfly dress. In fact I am quite surprised that it’s gotten to this point,” Rustia said.

Androgyny is nothing new for Carter, whose garments often veer away from gender norms. His most recent shows have included male models in cropped shirts, skirts and blue streaks in their hair.

The Toronto designer spent nearly five months and about $10,000 on the collection. He is no longer sure when the garments will show. It’s a tough blow; Toronto’s few fashion shows are the prime places to make a splash among local buyers and media.

“I’m trying not to take it personally and put it in to perspective. They wanted something that was very corporate,” Carter said.

New Look's kimono success heralds beachwear as proper fashion category

Once all you needed for a beach holiday was a bikini, a towel and sunglasses. These days cover-ups are also de rigueur


Selling 40,000 kimonos a week is an impressive retail stat in anyone's book - but this is less about New Look picking an on-the-money trend, and more about beachwear emerging as a fully fledged category in fashion All of these kimonos have been shifted. since April, when people start shopping for their holiday and glossy magazines advocate buying clothes specifically designed for that purpose.

. Retailers ranging from Asos to Net-a-Porter have dedicated beachwear pages on their websites Once confined to a bikini, a towel and a pair of sunglasses, what we wear on the beach now includes a cover-up - such as these kimonos - along with surf-influenced rash shirts, board shorts, beach dresses and accessories such as espadrilles and raffia bags Basically, a holiday is no longer time off from fashion -. it's another occasion to dress up.

Kimonos are the latest beach cover-up shape to prove a winner - possibly because they have beach-to-bar glamour New Look's often have pretty floral prints and an unstructured shape -. The kind of clothing item that signifies a post-sun cocktail at the end of a day on the beach.

. In the world of cover-ups, they follow kaftans, once a boho classic, now a Made in Chelsea favourite The kimono's time at the pinnacle of packing lists is due to be limited too The beach shirt -. A longer line, loose button -up design currently championed by Topshop - is the alpha cover-up for late summer holidays, one about to eclipse the kimono If beachwear is a fully fledged fashion category, it has the trend cycles to match..

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An Anthem For Boys Who Wear Dresses

How many kindie rock songs have been inspired by a HuffPost Parents story? It's impossible to know for sure, but this anthem for boys who wear dresses and girls who don't dress "girly enough" for society's tastes is one: "Costume Party" by the Grammy-nominated, electro-pop Brooklyn duo The Pop Ups.
(Scroll down for the world premiere of the video for the song.)

The genesis of "Costume Party," a song which espouses the basic but somehow contentious idea that "clothes are just the way that we dress," can be traced back to band member Jason Rabinowitz's youthful affinity for his sister's silk lavender dress. The singer admits to "dancing around in it and having costume parties with my sister. We did this for months!" The current-day inspiration for the song's creation came about from repeated stories in the media about boys wanting to wear dresses and society chiding them for their fashion inclination. There was this one about a boy wearing a dress as his Halloween costume, this one about a band's video featuring a boy in a dress being teased and told to wear regular "boy clothes," the 5-year-old banned from his after-school program for wearing dresses and this recent viral example of a son who prefers to dress like Sofia the First. Boys in dresses, if nothing else, has proved a lightening rod topic, but why? We're talking about clothing -- cuts of fabric, sewn and hemmed and tailored. Why the fuss? Rabinowitz, a relatively new parent, says that "playing dress up is a wonderful way to explore parts of your personality. Acting, playing, trying things on; these are healthy behaviors any child who's allowed to, will enjoy and benefit from."

He's spot-on. As a dad to a pair of older kids, I've observed that playtime is more wonderful when there are fewer rules, especially ones that bring gender into the equation. Wanna keep the wood-burning kit up high in the closet? Understandable, but don't you dare divide up the dress-up box by gender. A girl sporting a shirt and tie? Cool. A boy Letting It Go like Elsa? Rock on.

It makes sense, then, that "Costume Party" doesn't take umbrage with a boy or girl's fashion sense: detective, chef, baseball player, dancer, going to a ball in a lavender dress, whatever -- the song reminds kids, and parents too, that it is more than OK to revel in the freedom and creativity of childhood. Rabinowitz adds that "allowing for a place to play that's not tied to gender stereotypes is wonderful," and says of his own childhood dress-wearing experience, "I loved that lavender dress and still remember it fondly. I admire my parents for not shutting it down, for allowing me to be myself."

The song is one of many outstanding cuts from the band's third album, Appetite for Construction, set to be released on August 19. The smart money is on not just another nomination, but a victory at next year's Grammy Award ceremony. The album is THAT good.

If you aren't yet hip to the Golden Age of Family Music that we're currently living in, you'll probably be surprised to hear Daft Punk quality beats, top-notch musicianship and not a single instruction for brushing teeth or saying please and thank you in this song performed by handsome young dudes who could easily be MTV heartthrobs

Wilkinsburg bridesmaid's dress helps fight cancer

Almost every woman who has been a bridesmaid has heard the words, "You can wear this dress again."

And almost every woman has groaned when she heard them.

But not Rebecca Whitlinger of Wilkinsburg. Ms. Whitlinger has traveled extensively and appeared in a bridesmaid's dress she wore in a friend's wedding 26 years ago. And not only does she still wear it, she often uses it to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Caring Center, where she is executive director.

"I decided I was going to do something fun with the dress I knew I would never really 'wear it again' -. After all there were five other friends of mine who owned the exact same dress,". She said She decided to start wearing the dress to all sorts of places - both unusual and everyday events.

The attention she received has been astounding. Ms. Whitlinger has appeared on "The Today Show," "Oprah" and "Inside Edition" and in People magazine, to name just a few. She also landed a book deal.

"That was one of the most fun things about the dress," she said.

"Always a Bridesmaid: 89 ways to recycle the dress" was published in 1999. Part of the proceeds went to the Cancer Caring Center, where Ms. Whitlinger has worked since 1994.

"We decided to use the dress and create a fundraiser around it because it was so much fun," she said.

That fundraiser "Bridesmaids Revisited, Ushers Unlimited," was held four years running from 1998 to 2001. It featured guests wearing old bridesmaids' dresses, suits and tuxes, along with a couple getting married.

This year, Ms. Whitlinger and her staff decided to encourage others to dust off their old dresses and participate in their annual walk fundraiser, for the "Bridesmaid Walk" on Sept. 21 at the Waterfront.

"It is a way to add something different to our walk and keep with our tradition. We want people to come in their old bridesmaids, prom and wedding dresses," she said.

Ms. Whitlinger's custom-made dress cost approximately $ 180 in 1988. 

"I've definitely gotten my money's worth," she said.

Ms. Whitlinger remains good friends with the woman in whose wedding she wore the now famous dress.

Using the dress, she has substantially raised awareness about the Cancer Caring Center, a cause to which she has devoted nearly her entire professional career.

The center specializes in providing free emotional support services to cancer patients and their families. The services include neighborhood support groups, counseling, art therapy, yoga and tai chi classes, and programming for children.

"We want to do anything we can to help," she said.

The center is always adding new services. The most recent addition is a new support group at UPMC Cancer Center in Washington. The group meets at 5:30 pm the second Tuesday of every month.

"We have not only more than 25 groups, which include different groups by location but also specialties including breast, colon, young adult, lung and general support groups. We also have a program for children ... with cancer where we partner with Animal Friends, "Ms. Whitlinger noted.

Ms. Whitlinger has traveled with the dress to such faraway places as Paris, Morocco and Peru. She also has had both her passport and driver's license photos taken while wearing the dress.

"I would not do anything illegal, indecent or immoral in the dress, but I definitely have a lot of fun with it," she said.

more details: http://www.aubridaldresses.com/bridesmaid-dresses.html

Adrienne Bailon Defends Rob Kardashian Comments After Kim, Khloe Disses: "We All Learn From Our First Loves"

Here comes round two! Adrienne Bailon defended her comments about Rob Kardashian via Instagram on Thursday, July 31, one day after Rob's sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian took her to task for dissing their family.

"Fame and career are two different things. I've always had a career. I have been working hard since I was 15 years old. Being someone's 'girlfriend' was never what I wanted to be famous for," Bailon, 30, wrote.

"What makes you 'famous' isn't always what you want to be 'labeled' as, or known for. If anyone should understand that…It should be you," she continued.

The feud between the star and her ex's family began when Bailon aired her grievances about Rob in an interview with Latina magazine earlier this week. "To be stuck with that Kardashian label, that was so hurtful to me and to my career," she told the mag. Bailon also noted how it "always bothered" her when people would ask why she didn't forgive Rob when he cheated on her. "He messed up," she said, and "was so disloyal."

Kim, in response, defended her brother via Twitter. "Funny how she says being with a Kardashian hurt her career yet the only reason she has this article is bc she is talking about a Kardashian," the reality star wrote on July 30. "So sad when people try to kick my brother when he is down #FamilyForever."

Khloe appeared to be taken aback by Bailon's comments, as well. "Thought her and I were cool SMH," she wrote, retweeting a fan who commented: "Adrienne has a lot of nerve to talk s--- about Rob when he is obviously dealing with s---."

Bailon ended her Instagram message with a positive outlook on her relationship with Rob, which lasted from 2007 to 2009. "I also stated in the article that none of this would have stopped me from being in love and being in that relationship. I just would have gone about it differently," she wrote. "You can love someone just as much in private. We all learn from our first loves."

Chloe Grace Moretz Is Dating Brooklyn Beckham: "They Were Each Others' Crush"

Chloe Grace Moretz has Beckham fever! The If I Stay actress is dating Brooklyn Beckham, David and Victoria Beckham's eldest son, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

Moretz, 17, and the aspiring model, 15, were introduced a couple of months ago through a mutual friend at SoulCycle in Santa Monica, Calif., where Brooklyn often works out with his famous father.

They've "gone on a couple dates and are seeing where it goes," the insider tells Us. "They were each others' crush." A second source notes that the couple have since returned to SoulCycle to take classes together.

The pair have tried to take advantage of Brooklyn's time in L.A. since exchanging information—he's currently back in London finishing school. Some of their other activities have included spending time at the beach, skateboarding, and catching a movie at the Third Street Promenade downtown.

"They don't drive, so they had to be chaperoned around," according to the first source. "It was very cute." Up next, Moretz is planning to take Beckham to her If I Stay film premiere.

Despite getting to know Beckham, Moretz told Flare magazine last month that she doesn't want her life to be all about relationships. "That's not my style," she said. "It's a tough age to fall in love: people change so quickly. I don't want to have to feel like I have to watch my step, 'cause I'm 17 and I shouldn't have to."

Her view is something she's shared with close friends. "I'm like, Dude, you're wasting away your entire high-school years, and now you're going to waste away your college years," she told the mag. "You're going to spend your entire life in a relationship and then you're going to get married...and then you're dead!"