Centuries later, Stede Bonnet’s motivations and actual aptitude for piracy remain unclear. But he still managed to make the history books—in his nightgown, no less.

By Steve Gorman About 5-1/2 years from now, astronomers predict, an asteroid about as wide as the Empire

No – celebrities won’t be wearing pajamas at the 2024 Met Gala. Yesterday, Vogue announced the theme of The Costume Institute’s 2024 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Met Gala motif entitled, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The reveal was met with a myriad of confused individuals online, predicting a display of designer jammies on the red carpet for the famed opening as well as a parade of princesses on the museum steps thinking “Sleeping Beauties” was a reference to the classic Disney animation. Yet, neither are correct. So, if the theme doesn’t call for nighties or knights, what does “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” mean? First, let’s dive into the intention of the exhibit. The new exhibit promises to display 250 archive pieces from the Costume Insititute’s permanent collection, some of which date back 400 years to the Elizabethan period. According to Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, the entire exhibit is centered around 50 historical garments, latent and so fragile they can never be worn again – the “sleeping beauties” of the exhibit. The main motivating piece was a Charles Frederick Worth original, an 1877 silk satin ball gown. Each delicate piece, some no longer in their true form, will be reimagined inside innovative casings made to bring the garments back to life. While the inherent movement of each piece is apparent even in a state of stillness, CGI, soundscaping, light projection, the illusion technique Pepper’s ghost, and video animation will be installed to propel these pieces out of their shelling. Just as a 17th century bodice is said to be contextualised next to a modern acquisition, each archival treasure will be juxtaposed with more current designs from lauded creatives like Stella McCartney, Phillip Lim, Yves Saint Laurent, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Christian Dior, all mimicing the same structural concept of its counterpart. Through careful curation, the organic essence of each textile piece will be categorised under three “zones” or sections – land, sea, and sky. By doing this, the idea is to highlight views of the natural world, how perception of these areas has changed, and how they’ve been configured in fashion. In other words, we’ll get to see the evolution of nature and how it’s been developed by industry inventors. Notable pieces by Alexander McQueen like the razor-clam shell dress from the 2001 “Voss” spring/summer collection and the mesmerising butterfly dress from Sarah Burton’s first collection at the fashion house in 2011, will be featured. Overall, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” intends to dig up tangible pieces of history, some of which were put to rest years ago, to motivate conversation about natural elements and emotion, as well as pay homage to the intimacy between a garment and its wearer with the transformative power of current technology. Based on the aim of the exhibit, we can expect to see the A-listers attending the Met Gala – the annual Costume Institute benefit held on the first Monday in May – in custom-made or revived period pieces that channel all or one of the sections. Designers often collaborate with celebrities to come up with renditions of past runway looks, but this time they’ll most likely be imagining traditional structures, built with organic fabrics and materials. The looks should implement a historical aspect, reminiscing on the evolution of fashion in tandem with conversations and feelings about climate and landscape. We may see a lot of creatives tap figures from Elizabethan times, playing with long and full silhouettes. But one guarantee for the Met Gala every year is stars dressing with absolutely no intention of being on theme. So, who knows maybe someone will show up in their matching PJ set. Read More Met Gala officially announces its 2024 theme Karlie Kloss pokes fun at viral Met Gala 2019 dress: ‘Looking camp right in the eye’ We can’t bash or boast billionaire Kylie Jenner’s brand – yet

Karlie Kloss has finally addressed her viral Met Gala moment, in which she claimed to be “looking camp right in the eye” but somewhat missed the mark. Back in 2019, the theme for the annual Met Gala was “Camp: Notes on Fashion” based on Susan Sontag’s essay, Notes on Camp. The star-studded guest list pulled out all the fashion stops - Lady Gaga changed her outfit not once but four times on the red carpet alone, while Jared Leto arrived in a custom Gucci suit carrying a replica of his own head. As for Karlie Kloss, the Victoria’s Secret model teased her highly-anticipated outfit on Instagram before walking the red carpet. “Looking camp right in the eye,” she captioned her photo, which showed Kloss’ laser-focused stare into a compact mirror. But when she arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City - alongside her husband, Joshua Kushner - her outfit reveal was not exactly on theme. Instead, Kloss wore a metallic gold mini-dress with black puffed sleeves designed by Dapper Dan for Gucci - a more subdued number compared to the extravagant looks worn by fellow Met Gala attendees. However, the moment has since gone down in history as one of the best memes on the internet and, in turn, has become camp itself. Now, the 31-year-old model has spoken about the Instagram-post-turned-viral-meme in a video for Vogue shared on 8 November. In the clip, the supermodel broke down some of her most memorable fashion looks, including the 2019 Met Gala. “Oh boy,” Kloss said, as she turned to the iconic photo. “This was the Met Gala that, I think I broke the internet, but not in a good way. I still get trolled about this look, where I was ‘looking camp straight in the eye’ and I still get - rightfully - get trolled." “I’ll accept it. Honestly, I deserved that one,” she admitted. On 8 November, it was announced that the theme for the 2024 Met Gala will be “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”. The annual fashion fundraiser, which supports the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, will be centred around 50 historically significant pieces, some of which are far too fragile ever to be worn again - the “Sleeping Beauties”. Nearly 250 items will also be drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, featuring designs from Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Givenchy to span 400 years of fashion history. One of the main inspirations behind the theme were two fragile pieces from 1877 that are now too old to be worn: an Elizabethan bodice and a silk satin ball gown by the American couturier, Charles Frederick Worth. The exhibition will also be strongly focused on sustainability in fashion. It will be designed around three main “zones” - land, sea, and sky - and each zone will symbolise the natural materials used within it to create garments. In May, the theme for the 2023 Met Gala was in honour of late legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”. While walking the red carpet, Kloss shocked fans when she revealed that she was expecting her second child with Kushner. The model showed off her growing baby bump in a black dress from Loewe, designed by Jonathan Anderson. Kloss went on to welcome her second son, Elijah Jude, just two months later. The couple, who were married in 2018, are also parents to son Levi Joseph, two. Read More Met Gala officially announces its 2024 theme We can’t bash or boast billionaire Kylie Jenner’s brand – yet Former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld says ‘no one’ wanted to dress Kim Kardashian Met Gala officially announces its 2024 theme We can’t bash or boast billionaire Kylie Jenner’s brand – yet Former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld says ‘no one’ wanted to dress Kim Kardashian

The 2024 Met Gala theme is focused on 400 years of fashion and the exhibit is taking a stance on sustainability and the environment.

Megan Thee Stallion raps over a heavy guitar riff on her metal remix of 'Cobra'.

The Great Depression was caused by the 1929 stock market crash and plunged the entire country into poverty … right? Maybe not.

The theme for the 2024 Met Gala has finally been revealed. On Wednesday 8 November, Vogue announced that the upcoming theme for the annual fashion gala will be “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”. The Met Gala, which is held each year on the first Monday in May, supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. According to Vogue, nearly 250 items will be drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection - some rarely seen in public - to span 400 years of fashion history. The exhibit will feature a variety of fashion, from 17th century Elizabethan style items to contemporary pieces from designers like Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Connor Ives. Iconic haute couture creators - such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Givenchy - will also be present throughout the collection. The museum’s exhibition will be centred around 50 historically significant and aesthetically pleasing pieces from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, some of which are far too fragile ever to be worn again. More follows… Read More We can’t bash or boast billionaire Kylie Jenner’s brand – yet Former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld says ‘no one’ wanted to dress Kim Kardashian Why does Philadelphia Eagles player AJ Brown wear pink shoes?

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON U.S. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said on Tuesday he would continue his blockade of

The launch of a celebrity brand is both mundane and rousing. Though it’s rarely groundbreaking when a public figure announces their new entrepreneurial project, due to the sheer frequency of them, we’re almost pressured to add our opinion regardless. Conversations circulate, complimenting inventiveness and speculating failure – and we, as their around-the-clock audience, are enticed to pick a side because after all, it’s a part of pop culture, a phenomenon which relies on commentary. Most recently, Kylie Jenner, the 26-year-old reality star responsible for her $1bn eponymous beauty company Kylie Cosmetics, declared her next career move in the fashion industry with her own clothing line, Khy. And there’s been a lot of talk. The moniker being motivated by her childhood nickname, Khy presents a line of mod items priced reasonably. To create the clothing line, Kylie partnered with her mom, Kris Jenner, as well as the impressive investor duo Emma and Jens Grede, co-founders of numerous celebrity brands such as Skims, Good American, and Brady. Khy aims to bridge the gap between quality and affordability with versatile pieces priced low, but high enough to forego the assumption of cheap garb. Between a bundle of faux leather outerwear with a subtle air of raunchiness, to nylon basics meant for layering, the fashion muse, along with designers Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl from the Berlin-based brand Namilia, crafted the first drop, surpassing $1m in sales within the first hour on 1 November, per a People report. “For this line the main goal is to bring major fashion pieces, and work with these amazing designers and have it be accessible – having everything in this first drop be under $200 dollars was very important to me,” the innovator told Vogue writer Luke Leitch. In conversation with the Wall Street Journal Magazine for its “Innovator’s Issue” ahead of the line’s debut, Kylie revealed she intends to rotate in a myriad of guest creatives to collaborate with throughout the year, with new drops to come every couple of weeks. However, the overarching concept for each collection will reflect her personal wardrobe and taste – this first, “001”, blending edgy character with biker chic. Her intention is allegedly to provide consumers with options suitable for every mood, which means we shouldn’t expect all pleather moto all the time. For me, the beauty mogul’s new venture drove a discerning fact to the forefront of my mind – luminaries are never going to stop creating namesake brands due to their financial standing and privileged connections, no matter their industry expertise or lack thereof. And this certainly rings true for the Kardashian/Jenners, a family with a growing appetite for commercial businesses. Admittedly, I was frustrated by Kylie’s decision to be an architect of her own label, knowing there’s a torrent of independent designers out there who’ve been working on contemporary projects for years and aren’t as widely recognised. For smaller creators, increasing brand visibility is challenging, while celebrities automatically have a widespread presence. But does that mean we should shame Kylie for utilising the mass following she’s built to advertise her new brand? Can we even compare the work of autonomous creatives to that of public figures? No. Because celebrities will inevitably take advantage of their notoriety, we need to be careful with how we talk about their business ventures, ensuring we aren’t lending fruitless attention to irrelevant points, unnecessarily boasting them or prematurely bashing them. According to Mosha Lundström Halbert, a fashion news writer and founder of “Newsfash,” an innovative media company, just as we can’t put celebrity clothing brands into the same category as renowned fashion houses like Gucci or Balenciaga, we can’t compare them to smaller designers who started their career in school. The industry presents us with a platter of concepts, and they shouldn’t be grouped all-together. “Just because something is fashion, just because a company creates clothing doesn’t mean that it’s a fashion brand,” Halbert told The Independent. “My expectations for brands that celebrities come out with are very different than how I look at a brand by a designer who has either come out of a fashion school or worked in the industry.” “I think we can’t lump everything together just because they’re all creating clothing and accessories. I don’t see this as in competition with other established fashion brands, especially when you look at the price point and how many brands are already on the market,” she continued. “Small designers need to be focusing on their own work and not... worrying about what Kylie Jenner is doing. Like, there is completely different lanes.” The target audience for an independent designer isn’t the same for a celebrity creator. Famed figures, like Kylie, with millions of followers, are hoping the mass of people who show a dedicated intrigue in their personal style, reccomendations, and taste will want to purchase clothing with their name on it. “The most important thing to understand is that celebrity launches stand for ‘launches for the masses’. Whereas, most small designers have their niche audiences that are more community-driven,” Bernard Garby, a popular fashion news TikToker, pointed out. As someone who works on the commercial side of luxury goods, Garby reiterated to The Independent that there are different markets underneath the vast umbrella of fashion. “They are two complete opposite markets with two absolutely different target audiences. Therefore, my advice to smaller brands is to focus less on competition and focus more on growing their communities and developing their loyalty because that is their key to success,” he said. “If you’re a small designer with big commercial dreams, in fact, watch those celebrities and look at how they commercially approach and navigate their launch and get inspired by their work and see if there is anything you can adapt to your own business from their strategy,” Garby added. Whether we should speculate the success or failure of Kylie’s clothing venture, it’s too early, even though the reported sales so far suggest a favourable outcome. But there are a few factors that support both sides – the first being her unique selling point. At 17, Kylie capatilised on her love of makeup, noticing a need for matching lip liners and lipsticks as a frustrated consumer herself. During this time, she was also vocal about feeling insecure concerning the size of her lips, constantly overlining them before she got temporary filler in 2015. Therefore, the decision to outset a makeup brand was motivated by her identity. Her first product – a selection of lip kit duos – catalysed her entire empire. In Garby’s opinion, Kylie’s first company was “organic”. When we look at the streamline of successful businesses born from the Kardashian/Jenner family – Skims, Good American, Poosh – all were built based off an “organic” or intimate selling point. For Kim, making shapewear sexy reflected her longstanding sentiment of being unafraid to wear what you need to, to feel comfortable and confident in your figure. For Khloe, someone who’s spoken candidly about battling body insecurities amid public scrutiny, Good American focuses on size inclusivity, wanting to represent and empower women with a range of different body shapes. And Kourtney, the sister who’s avowed her love for wellness openly, invented Poosh, a “modern guide to living your best life,” according to her. “Looking at the Kardashians, it’s actually really interesting. They’ve tried a lot of businesses that haven’t panned out,” Halbert remarked. Between Dash, the family’s retail chain born in Calabasas which eventually closed in 2018, to “The Kardashian Kard,” a prepaid MasterCard debit card, the ravenous reality bunch weren’t always triumphant in their enterprises. So, if having an intimate devotion or being established in a particular niche has proven to help Kardashian brands prosper in the past, does this mean it won’t be long before Khy goes under? Speaking to Vogue, Kylie pointed to the personal anecdote which drove her to create Khy, ensuring consumers understand this venture isn’t all that arbitrary. Like so many, Kylie was a “Tumblr girl” during her teen years, drafting mood boards to mirror her current obsessions. Dubbed “Kalifornia Klasss,” the adolescent used the platform to realise herself then and the woman she’d become. She was “King Kylie,” and Khy has every bit to do with that persona. “It is really significant. King Kylie for me was less about what I was wearing, and more about how I felt in that era. I just felt confident, free, and I didn’t care what anyone said,” she said. “I think that there’s a lot of power in that and I’m definitely channeling my King Kylie energy this year.” Aside from having a unique selling point, Garby noted how pertinent product quality is, especially inside a competitive market. A celebrity can be a known fashion muse, model, or aspiring designer, but a brand will never truly thrive if the quality of the product is poor. “Establishment can help you drive awareness - but in the end - it comes down to the actual product that they try to sell,” Garby noted. Based on the current selection of faux leather items, made from thermoplastic polyme, which can take up to 500 years to decompose, can emit toxic chemicals once discarded, and have the potential to shed microplastics while being used, per a Nomomente analysis, I personally don’t see how Khy differs from other designs already out there, with the cropped leather jacket and strapless midi dress seemingly familiar to what you see priced similarly at Zara. Nevertheless, Kylie’s not alone, being backed by Emma and Jens Grede, the all-too-competent pair who are already responsible for the continued achievement of other Kardashian brands. Emma, who grew up in London, co-founded Good American with Khloe, and Safely, Kris Jenner’s line of natural cleaning products. Meanwhile, Jens, originally from Sweden, partnered with Kim as a co-founder of Skims, driving the company value up to $4bn in the years since it’s initial launch, according to The New York Times. As of now, details on Khy’s subsequent drop, “002”, remain under wraps as an omnipresence of anticipation looms over an eager audience waiting to see what the brand will offer next. While we can only really judge Khy off of personal style preference, quality, and fit, time will tell whether it’s just another celebrity brand doomed to fail or whether “King Kylie” will irrevocably shape understated luxury and fashion fads to come. The Independent has contacted Kylie’s representatives for comment. Read More Kylie Jenner says she and Travis Scott are doing ‘best job’ they can as co-parents Former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld says ‘no one’ wanted to dress Kim Kardashian Why does Philadelphia Eagles player AJ Brown wear pink shoes? Former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld says ‘no one’ wanted to dress Kim Kardashian Why does Philadelphia Eagles player AJ Brown wear pink shoes? Fast fashion retailer ASOS struggles to engage consumers as company losses balloon

Rebecca Ferguson has announced a nine-date UK tour in 2024 in support of her upcoming new album 'Heaven Part II'.

By David Stanway As the world struggles to renounce its burning of fossil fuels, scientists are studying whether