Premier Magazine PH Vol. 3 - Issue 2 February 2023 Love Begets Love

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 3.2 FEBRUARY, 2023 ISSUE

ON THE BACK COVER (OBC) With the dynamism of reinvigorating and inspiring deliberate nurturance of the theme of one of the artworks of William-Adolphe Bouguereau's realistic genres into a new context of creative relevance distinguishing human belongingness and adaptation in this current generation of unconventional and sophisticated social lifestyles, "Tame in Captivity" indicates a message of stewardship. Furthermore, intricately revisiting the erotic and religious symbolism of its prior work, Joel Chavez fervently aspires to appreciate the core by giving a new look to innocence and notice its fresh representation and meaning in our period of modern challenges, redefining aspects that are exquisitely essential in the process of taming individual self and sanity higher than invariably wild egos and personalities. Once more, it is another art appropriation that can significantly capture your calm mood because the elements of modernism welcome new upbeats of contemplative movement towards life enrichment, which, according to the artist, is a good and humble art as it captivates you into gestures of simple yet enchanted moments and great experiences beyond emotions and social apprehensions.

by Joel Chavez 48 x 36 inches (122 x 91 cm) Oil on Canvas 2022 © R Gallery

ABOUT THE COVER

Love Begets Love

By JOEL CHAVEZ @rgallery.ph

?It is evident that the mother passionately radiates love to her children,?Joel Chavez sighted in his artwork. The whole scenario depicted a home setting alongside numerous distractions surrounding the subject. But despite these nervous disturbances, everything will be kept in place and at peace when love comes first.

Like the famous line from a Bible verse, ?Love begets love,?Chavez took this also as an inspiration.

The affection of a mother for her children became the center of attraction. These women wore the traditional attire of a Filipina during the Spanish colonial era, called Filipiniana ? showing only beauty in its most authentic and straightforward form.

Furthermore, Chavez also included one of French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau?s 1882 art, ?Fishing for Frogs.? Another portrait beamed intimacy and added a touch to this artwork. ?Love Begets Love?is a mixture of Chavez?s creative mind. He unified all subjects and created fine illustrations using abstract, realistic, and other painting styles. ? R Gallery

Cover photo courtesy of R Gallery / Joel Chavez

Joel Chavez painting ?Love Begets Love? sold for P1.1M in the annual fundraising auction of the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and Leon Gallery last February.

The winning bid was P1,168,000 ( hammer price with buyer?s premium) from P300,000 as starting bid.

Love Begets Love 5 x 5 ft | 152 x 152 cm Oil on canvas 2022

© R Gallery / Joel Chavez

IN THIS ISSUE

?The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.? ? Vincent Van Gogh

We all start with a blank canvas. It is the most challenging part of life or in creating any art form. It is often difficult just as we start thinking about a new venture or transitioning to a new job. There's always a struggle. A discovery every time we set out an idea that we can only hope will work.

But what exactly works depends on who's involved, just as art; whether good or not depends on who's looking. And it's all about perspective.

Premier has always been an advocate for multiculturalism. We have learned that open-mindedness must be encouraged because the world is diverse. At an estimated 4.543 billion human years old, the world has revolved and evolved that long to become what it is now. And to quote George Carlin's words, "Compared with the people, the planet is doin' great.

It's been here over four billion years . . . The earth isn't goin' anywhere, folks.

We are! " In a recent UN report, one-third of the world's major conflicts have a cultural dimension. It is indeed inconvenient for some to understand and look at the perspective of other cultures than what they already know as a child. To set foot on foreign ground requires an extensive amount of learning, understanding, and an ample amount of patience and bravery.

And in doing so, we have more of an inner knowledge of ourselves.

Unfiltered. To put it accurately in one word - vulnerability. It is not a positive word for most men, as it is naturally innate for most women. Our cover art is the work of Joel Chavez. Art critics have expressed the interpretations of his work in the field, and we see that it communicates many things. W hat impacted us was that sense of honesty, unpretentious, distinctive - not only in this particular work but also in all of his works, a signature characteristic that shows vulnerability. His work is called Love Begets Love, and for obvious reasons, we risk becoming exposed every time a living being loves, whether a person, a country, a belief, or a craft. Nothing is more honest and human than being vulnerable. It comes with that thing called love.

The Publisher

"Ingenuity"| oil on canvas I always feel delighted in perceiving the essence of developmental progress when one desires to grow and harness his craft. One may come across series of changes and challenges day-by-day. One may suffer the trail prior to reaching success. One may depict how time flies so fast and chase more of his or her dreams. Through the years, one has to ripen a maturity and capacity that never fades being a dreamer in dignity. No matter what, one has to survive each milestone with hard work, passion and diligence. ?Ingenuity?, is simply a masterpiece that is reflective of the truism that time is gold and success is a result of a journey and a sacrifice. Above all, one has to look forward and feel more confident to face life ahead. - Joel Chavez MOCAF - Modern and Contemporary Art Festival © R Gallery / Joel Chavez

JOEL CHAVEZ A Filipino Painter's Journey Through Time A Time Traveler. This is how we portray Joel Chavez, a painter who travels through his learnings and expresses them in his creative medium. His painting is in abstract realism. Looking through his unique creations, his works command the attention that will take you in simply because they speak volumes. His work is a breath of fresh air in an era of digitalization. He was savoring the past, anticipating the future where the beauty of it all lies in how he takes us through different journeys through time, an element that exists in almost all his creations. Neoclassicism, Baroque, and Renaissance - words you'd use to describe his work, but not quite. It gets interesting with his use of machines to depict time and technology. Thus, the feel of "Metropolis-phallic" industrial images, gears, pistons, and the like can also be blended with Pinnochio's playful images.

Beyond his paintings, Joel Chavez is a raw talent who can create with impressive detail despite not having formal training in the arts. In an interview with Beautiful Bizarre magazine, he shared his humble beginnings. "I joined a group of artists while enrolled at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, taking up an advertising course. The ultimate adventure with my co-artists there was to join contests, mainly art events." he added, "Later on, after several experiences in art media and insight during these affairs, we decided to try a new door of opportunity, which was to be a part of a gallery. That gallery was respectable as it dedicated its brand to being a dynamic trainer of new artists in the art industry. From that gallery exposure," Harnessed to acquire and appreciate the Neoclassicism art system, his focus was on masterpieces that exhibited detailed artistry. "From that moment, I was too enthusiastic and keen to comprehend the Classical approach to arts. It inspired me to study the concepts and history of Neoclassical Arts."

The experience he had cultivated in him a deep understanding of Neoclassicism which propelled him to recreate and reinvent paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Before he attempted to adhere to the historical paintings' orientation and styles, he intended to leave a space for creativity and ensured not to incur plagiarism. "I integrated those arts from the mentioned eras into machines so that the art merging would bring a modern touch. I was so passionate at that time about embracing the details of the machinery and its structures like engines. The outcome was decent for the first one, so I figured I should make a sequel of similar themes and do them eventually."

© Joel Chavez

PREMIER Q & A W ITH JOEL CHAVEZ Please do share w it h us how you st arted paint ing.

"I started painting when I was in High School. I got a scholarship to Batangas Province High School for Culture and Arts, which offers courses like Music, Dance, and Creative Writing, and that's when I chose Visual Arts. I learned basic drawing and watercolor in elementary; acrylic painting in high school. In college, I took up my Advertising course in PUP, but I concentrated more on the digital medium, and with a background in editing, I honed my talent and made better studies of my paintings. I used more water base medium and pastels. Fortunately, I met Sir Reylan Viray, our Visual Arts Head in college. I joined their group called Guhit Sudlungan. I have yet to try oil painting at that time. I did my Art during my spare time, and the shift from acrylic to oil painting was difficult. Still, eventually, my training in Visual Arts paid off, and I started joining competitions and exhibitions in Galleries."

W hat would you categorically call your Art ?

"Abstract Realism."

W hat and w ho are your influences as far as Art is concerned?

"One of my biggest influences is Classical Art. The works are particularly amazing for me. I learned a lot from Renaissance, Baroque, and Flemish Art, especially the painting and art composition techniques. In Neoclassicism, I like W illiam Adolphe Bouguereau. In Contemporary Art, I admire the works of Ronald Ventura, a Filipino artist known in the art scene globally."

How do you develop your collect ion pieces?

"My early works are mainly portraits and landscapes; still-life paintings are what I work on. I wanted to learn Classical Art, so I adapted Classical Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, and works of Caravaggio and W illiam Adolphe Bouguereau, etc. then I added my elements like mechanical objects and woodworks, machines, etc. which for me symbolizes passion and hard work. My Art evolved when I started incorporating Filipiniana. I like mixing up elements from different periods and art forms, local and international; the last I did was Art Abstract. I enjoyed it because it brought me that sense of freedom, which reminded me of a quote from a musician that the more influences you have, the more you'd develop your style. That's how I created my kind of art, my style."

J oel Chavez

THE FLOURISHING FILIPINO CONTEMPORARY ART A vast majority of contemporary art as well as artists are often viewed as being critiques of the works and era that preceded them. But the art world is no stranger to this phenomenon.

Modern art in the 20th century thrived off being a critique of the academic and classical styles, thus showcasing how it can evolve not only by looking outward but within itself as well. Yet such a concept is not homogenous within the community.

Instead some artists have decided to revive styles and disciplines for the audiences of today.

Filipino Contemporary artist Joel Chavez is among those who wish to bring a bygone era of art to a new generation. Unlike most artists in the field Chavez did not receive formal training in the arts. Instead while pursuing a degree in Advertising, Chavez, together with his friends and co-artists, honed his skills through art events and concepts. Eventually he would develop a deep-seated interest in Neoclassical painting.

- Leon Gallery

How do you go about creat ing a concept or creat ive process?

"I usually start with a theme, then conceptualization. After which, I'd find elements that would fit in my composition. I develop studies through Drawing or Photoshop.

Sometimes, I use images from a photoshoot, or if I need new subjects, I do a reshoot. The final process is painting on the canvas."

W hich among your creat ions are your favorites and w hy?

"Although I like all my work because I devoted my time to them, my third exhibition, Time Stand Still, is my favorite. Perhaps because I did them during the height of the pandemic, I could get through the entire process even when times were uncertain."

Does t he love of art run in your family?

"My uncle, my mother's sibling, was a painter. I'd see his works when I was a kid."

The art it self is a symbol and a met aphor. We see a lot of muse, t ime, and European influences in your work. W hat are your plans for cont inuing your art ?

"Yes, classical paintings depict more on the subject of women as I also focus on our very own Filipiniana so that other cultures may also appreciate our kind of art, our history. I have an upcoming solo exhibition at R Gallery. And I look forward to more shows in the future." - PremierMagPh. © R Gallery / Joel Chavez

"OPEN ARMS"

"I cultivated a deep understanding of Neoclassicism, and I began to recreate and reinvent paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque eras."

- Joel Chavez, Painter/ Fine Artist His most recent work, a painting titled "Love Begets Love," sold for P1.1M in the annual fundraising auction of the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and Leon Gallery early in February. His show of talent continues to resurface in time. "W hen I was a child, objects such as a clock and Ferris wheels were what I commonly saw at home. My mom used to have a sewing machine, and my cousins were into cars, and I, too, was interested in car engines and felt fascinated at scrutinizing their details. I realized that it would be feasible to integrate those detailed structures into my art. I pondered on embracing machinery and engine into revitalizing Neoclassicism painting styles. I also deemed that this could be magnificent for me to illustrate the representation of skilled workers in my works. I normally combine my desired subject, a kind of classical painting, and then place structures, such as engines, machines, and wood works, that I feel can be compatible with the icons within my work of art. Of course, it will vary depending on the storyline of my paintings. As for the clock, it is often a reminder of nurturing time essentially, just like the old phrase 'time is gold.'

Ultimately, he dreams of what could be in his future but, more so, hopes for his fellow Filipino artists as well.

- PremierMagPh. Discover more about Joel Sanchez and his works at R Gallery Ph .https:// www.facebook.com/ rgalleryph

© Joel Chavez / R Gallery

"POINTS OF AGREEMENT"

Singapore to host the first International Olympic Committee Esports Week in 2023 The Olympic Esports Series (OES) is a global virtual and simulated sports competition created by the IOC, and in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers.

It starts on March 1st , when both professional and amateur players from around the world are invited to take part in qualification rounds across the featured games.

It will culminate in live, in-person finals at the first ever Olympic Esports Week from June 22-25, 2023 in Singapore.

© Mike Enerio

The inaugural Olympic Esports Week (OEW ) will take place in Singapore between 22 and 25 June 2023, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council.

The four-day festival will showcase the best of virtual sports, exhibit the latest technologies and innovations in the field of simulated sports, and present opportunities for participants to try their hand at selected virtual sports titles. Other activities during OEW 2023 include panel discussions with industry stakeholders, forums and exhibition matches.

The highlight of the week will be the first in-person live finals of the Olympic Esports Series, a global virtual and simulated sports competition sanctioned by the International Federations. Find out more about the different virtual sports games to be featured at OEW 2023 from here.

Singapore?s hosting of OEW 2023 builds on the city?s legacy of successfully hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010. More than a decade later, the IOC looks forward to another successful collaboration as it embraces technology and innovation and pushes boundaries in the field of virtual sports with OEW 2023.

"Wake up! An earthquake and a giant frog help characters to reveal ?truths they?ve been hiding from themselves.?

This film is aimed not only at the millions of Murakami fans around the world, but also at a public into innovative story telling which has been defined as magical realism, and for which animation is a great medium. Stories are made up of memories, dreams and fantasies, influenced by individual visions of the earthquake ? in the form of evil trees, a giant worm, a secret wish, an unknown password, a mysterious empty box and dark endless corridors ? in which the main characters try to reconnect with who they really are."

- Pierre Földes, Director - Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

ON RELEASE 31 MARCH 2023

THE ANIMATED FILM

DRAMA, ANIMATION | ENGLISH | 100 MIN Based on a collect ion of short stories by Haruki Murakami, BLIND W ILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN is an animated feat ure film t hat w as produced using a new technique of ?live animat ion? to st riking visual, sound and storytelling result s.

It follow s t he lives of mult iple characters as t hey navigate post-Tsunami existence and t he existent ial repercussions of urban life, including an unambit ious bank employee, his disheartened w ife, a delusional account ant , a lost cat and a giant t alkat ive frog.

The film w as produced using a new technique of ?live animat ion".

W RITER + DIRECTOR Pierre Földes COUNTRIES OF PRODUCTION France, Luxembourg, Canada, The Net herlands Preview Screening: Glasgow Film Fest ival | March 2 + 11

© Blind Willow Sleeping Woman Film

THE BOOK

© Abe Books - UK 1st Edition Cover

BLIND W ILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN ?I sometimes think that people?s hearts are like deep wells. Nobody knows what?s at the bottom. All you can do is imagine by what comes floating to the surface every once in a while."

- Haruki Murakami, Author ??????????

Mekurayanagi to nemuru onna ABOUT THE BOOK 24 Stories with an Introduction by the Author From the bestselling author of Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle comes this superb collection of twenty-four stories that generously expresses Murakami?s mastery of the form. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit his ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and relentlessly entertaining.

Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, and an iceman, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things we might wish for. Whether during a chance reunion in Italy, a romantic exile in Greece, a holiday in Hawaii, or in the grip of everyday life, Murakami?s characters confront grievous loss, or sexuality, or the glow of a firefly, or the impossible distances between those who ought to be closest of all.

Source: harukimurakami.com

The stories contained in the book were written between 1980 and 2005.

The contents of this compilation was selected by Murakami and first published in English translation in 2006 (its Japanese counterpart was released later in 2009).

Many of the stories in the collection have been published previously in Japanese periodicals , then translated in literary magazines, although some have been revised for Blind W illow. Many of the stories are translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin.

On The Sidelines of MWC23 Zain KSA and Nokia sign MoU to accelerate sustainability efforts The two parties will make efforts together to bring down carbon emissions and bridge the digital divide.

The MoU reiterates a strong partnership between the two companies and confirms Zain KSA?s unswerving commitment to achieve Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ? March 2, 2023: Zain KSA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nokia, a B2B technology innovation leader, to maximize efficiency and accelerate its sustainability efforts, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives. The MoU was signed during Mobile World Congress (MWC23) in Barcelona.

As part of the MoU, Zain KSA and Nokia will collaborate on innovative solutions to address environmental as well as societal issues. The companies will evolve Nokia Self-Organizing Network (SON) use cases to boost energy savings. Through this collaboration, the two parties will make efforts to continue the digitalization journey in the Kingdom, bridging the digital divide and ensuring inclusive access to opportunities.

To reduce their carbon footprint, Zain KSA and Nokia will explore initiatives to modernize the legacy components of the network and introduce more energy-efficient platforms within responsible business standards. They will accelerate digital transformation across industries and drive the evolution of the 5G network and deployment of sustainable technology across various sectors.

Commenting on this milestone, Zain KSA Chief Technology Officer, Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Mufadda said, ?At Zain KSA, we are fully committed to providing meaningful connectivity to empower our communities and contribute to the national sustainability goals. Zain KSA is proud to collaborate with Nokia as part of our strategic priority to maintain a responsible supply chain and drive sustainable business practices, especially as we continue to expand our networks across new sectors. Together we will leverage our expertise to exceed customers?expectations and find a balance between efficiency and resource optimization. To help address environmental issues, we are creating long-term sustainable value and digital solutions that bring us closer to our net-zero target, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.?

We believe that digitalization and connectivity are crucial in resolving environmental, social and economic challenges,? said Eng. Mohammed Al-Keridy, Head of Zain KSA Customer Team at Nokia. ?This positions energy efficiency at the core of our solutions, as we are committed to helping service providers adopt sustainable practices without impacting the quality of their services. Our partnership with Zain KSA will boost our contribution to Saudi Vision 2030 and accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices in the region.?Zain achieved a carbon disclosure rating of (A-), a classification for companies by CDP that disclose information on the environmental impact of their initiatives and operations combating climate change, Zain KSA continues in adopting sustainable practices, including the recently launched the Um Al Shogog reforestation and rehabilitation campaign, in cooperation with the Environmental Green Horizons Society, to increase biodiversity and conserve natural resources. W ith its first electric vehicles charging station at Granada Business Center in Riyadh, Zain KSA reinforces its pivotal role as a key enabler of world- class sustainable services across the Kingdom.

Commenting on the MoU, Zain KSA?s Chief Technology Officer, Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Mufadda, said: ?The expansion of the use of 5G technologies, the significant increase in networked devices, and the increasing consumption of content services have led to increasing pressure on networks, and our cooperation with Cisco is an important step to keep pace with this development and accelerate the digital transformation journey.? He added: ?This MoU is in line with our strategy to innovate, deliver integrated digital experiences to our customers, and enhance their experiences across the Kingdom, accelerating the realization of Saudi Vision 2030?goals.?Adam MacHale, Vice President, Service Provider EMEA, at Cisco, commented: ?Cisco's model-driven approach to network automation with open API?s and service orchestration will help Zain KSA simplify operations and deliver services more quickly across the entire lifecycle. This will enable Zain KSA to improve the quality of its services and continue to deliver a superior customer experience over broadband through reliable and high-speed connectivity.?

Nokia?s approach to sustainability centers around its purpose, creating technology that helps the world act together. The company focuses on the impact of its technology and digitalization on the world. Nokia maximizes its positive impact on society, people and the planet ? its handprint. But the company also ensures it works continually to minimize its potential negative impact ? its footprint.

This approach is built on a foundation of responsible, ethical business practices. Nokia is recognized for its transparent ESG disclosure, practices and achievements by leading ratings and rankingorganizations and other international initiatives. Recent examples include the achievement of A- by CDP, as well as a rating of AAA (on a scale of AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment in December 2022. In September 2022, Nokia was awarded as the best newcomer by RE100 for its work on renewable energy.

Gaziantep Castle, a 2,000-year-old historical landmark and a Unesco World Heritage site,damaged by the recent earthquake.

© Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia

A major 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit central Turkey and north-west Syria Monday, February 6, with a second 7.4 magnitude quake reported a few hours later in the same region, according to reports from BBC Europe. Among the most affected areas is Gaziantep, located 150 miles from the border with Syria and 50 miles from the earthquake's epicenter in Kahramanmara?. Tremors were felt as far away as Lebanon, Greece, Israel, and the island of Cyprus. The estimates report that over 160,000 buildings have collapsed or have been critically damaged, as confirmed by the government of Turkey. Authorities are still assessing the exact number of victims, with an estimated 50,000 deaths, as local and international rescue teams have been deployed to search for survivors.

The Gaziantep Castle, a 2,000-year-old historical landmark and a Unesco World Heritage site, was destroyed. The castle was built in the Roman period in the second and third centuries C.E., and it was passed over to the Byzantines after the Roman Empire split. Under Emperor Justinian I, the fortification was extended and renovated, and subterranean galleries were installed to defend against invaders. Recently, the castle was home to the Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panoramic Museum, which attracted many visitors.

Architect ure-Related Organizat ions for Emergency Response Architecture can be a tool for social change. The belief in this statement motivates the work of many architectural NGOs who strive to address the lack of adequate shelter, generate social and economic instability, and build resilience in communities. These NGOs operate in two significant areas, disaster relief and community development, with many organizations pursuing both actions. This article rounds up several architecture-related foundations that act in emergencies, covering their expertise, past involvement in humanitarian crises, and the means to join them in their efforts.

Natural disasters affect more than 250 million people each year, and according to UNHCR, statistics, 70.8 million people have been displaced worldwide due to conflict and violence. One billion people live in slums, and this is expected to grow to two billion by 2030. Add the lack of clean water and sanitation, and you have a comprehensive picture of a silent humanitarian crisis with the need for adequate shelter. Nonetheless, NGOs aside, the profession has recently started to reclaim its social responsibility as more and more architects engage with humanitarian architecture. These NGOs are an excellent place to start for those looking for ways to use their professional skills to improve society.

Habitat for Humanity A world w here everyone has a decent place to live The need for adequate housing solutions in Asia-Pacific is immense. Based on the United Nations data, half of the world?s poor ? those living on less than US$1.90 a day ? are in this region. Amid rapid urbanization, one in two slum dwellers calls Asia-Pacific home. A person residing in Asia-Pacific is also five times more likely than someone outside of it to be hit by a disaster, increasing the risk of losing their home.

The damaged castle following the earthquakes on February 6 Mehmet Akif Parlak / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images - smithsonianmag.com

Through shelter, they empower Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort, growing to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. Since 1983, Habitat has supported millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region to build or improve a place they can call home. We are active in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

For decades, Habitat for Humanity has set the stage for families, volunteers, donors, and supporters to build decent homes that provide the foundation for a better life. Working in a region as diverse as Asia-Pacific calls for collaborative and innovative approaches to complex housing issues. We need people-public-private partnerships to facilitate better access to adequate and affordable housing and to develop more inclusive housing markets. https:// www.habitat.org/

Architectes de l'Urgence Reconstruction following the earthquakes in Turkey The analysis of the Emergency Architects Following the earthquake of February 6, 2023, the Fondation Architectes de l'urgence returns to the analysis of the earthquake observed on site, particularly the issues related to emergency relocation and reconstruction.

Consequences of t he eart hquake on const ruct ions

The extent of the magnitude of the two consecutive earthquakes of February 6, 2023, destroyed an area of ??around 20,000 km², i.e., three-quarters of the Hauts-de-France region.

On-site, we observed particularly impressive landslides in the fault zones, mainly when it is located in villages or built-up areas. In these cases, no const ruct ion can resist .

At the bottom of the Valley, massive destruction is also visible in very localized sectors, suggesting an amplification of seismic waves by particularly soft soils.

According to AFAD's source of information on buildings, 47,000 were affected to varying degrees, and more than 211,000 houses were destroyed or badly damaged, corresponding to almost 12% of construction in the affected sectors. These are mainly houses in rural areas.

In urban areas, constructions generally comprise ground floors used for commerce, with five to ten levels of housing in the upper part. We have observed that these buildings are sometimes collapsed only on the ground floor, a phenomenon most of the time caused by the absence of bracing and reinforcement at the level of the ground floor to have better use of the commercial areas. These buildings collapsed only on the ground floor and did not necessarily cause significant human losses.

Nevertheless, the buildings of several levels, which collapsed completely, caused heavy human losses, thus explaining the dramatically high toll of this disaster. An accurate reflection on the construction of high-rise buildings in identified seismic zones arises: the design and construction of earthquake-resistant buildings in these zones must be meticulous.

Moreover, we noted that no building resists the zones of apparent seismic fault on the surface; it is either a collapse or a tipping. In both cases, the building must be destroyed. Apart from causing human losses, the danger of constructing buildings on seismic fault zones is real. It is necessary to move away from them several hundred meters to avoid any risk in the event of new earthquakes.

Lessons to be Learned

The main lessons to be learned from this earthquake on construction are to avoid high buildings but also not to build on seismic fault zones.

The controversy about the collapse of very recent constructions is based on a few specific examples that do not generalize. The majority of the buildings destroyed by the earthquake were constructed before the applicable current standards were in force, particularly after the 1999 earthquake. To avoid the collapse of these buildings, it would have been preferable to make anti-seismic reinforcements, which generate high costs but provide a satisfactory solution. Let's remember that in an earthquake-prone region like the south of France and, more particularly, in the Nice sector, the problem is the same: earthquake-resistant reinforcements of buildings that we know are vulnerable must be undertaken on a large scale.

The problem for the Turkish authorities will be to rehouse the populations who were displaced during the earthquake urgently. The strategy in place is, in particular, the creation of camps made up of tents and prefabricated buildings, which can temporarily compensate for the lack of accommodation. These two temporary solutions are the most suitable, thus avoiding the creation of a lasting precarious habitat. The emergency shelters used in third-world countries and ending up in unstable slum-type habitats are unacceptable solutions.

It is time to consider a real reconstruction strategy when clearing collapsed constructions and to demolish collapsed buildings on the ground floors. Reducing the height of buildings in seismic zones to a maximum of five storeys would be a reasonable solution and would make it possible not to increase urban sprawl too much. Moreover, identifying fault lines is fundamental to declaring these zones non-aedificandi. Indeed, it is inevitable that in the case of construction on identified seismic faults, it is only a matter of time before another tragedy occurs.

Of all the buildings affected by the earthquake, a large number of buildings have been affected but can be saved by appropriate anti-seismic reinforcements. This work is technical but quite feasible; it will be less expensive to do seismic support than to destroy and rebuild. This is one of the axes the partners helping with the reconstruction will have to address since it is economically fascinating. We can consider that an earthquake-resistant reinforcement of a building can cost from 10 to 30% of the cost of constructing a new building, to which must be added the speed of the execution times, which is not a detail. W hen during this time, the inhabitants have housing difficulties.

Today, there are two emergencies; one is to rehouse as quickly as possible the populations who were affected by the earthquake, while the second is to warn of the next major earthquake expected in the Istanbul region by carrying out the reinforcements of the buildings which can be reinforced as quickly as possible to avoid the human losses which we imagine to be considerable.

This anti-seismic reinforcement campaign for buildings is an absolute priority. It could save lives and reduce the cost of reconstruction in the event of future earthquakes.

Estimated cost of reconstruction: Based on figures given by AFAD, there are approximately 47,000 buildings that need to be rebuilt or reinforced in a seismic manner. The reconstruction of the 24,921 collapsed buildings will cost approximately 16 billion euros, it is necessary to add the earthquake-resistant reinforcement of 22,080 buildings for a total of approximately 5 billion euros, to which will be added the reconstruction of the 211,000 houses which are totally destroyed, i.e. for a total of more than 10 billion euros.

As a result, the total reconstruction cost that can be envisaged is 31 billion euros; this figure does not include school infrastructure, health infrastructure, roads and bridges which also need to be rebuilt.

Pat rick Coulombel Co-founder of Emergency Architect s / Architectes de l'Urgence ht t ps:/ / w w w.archi-urgent .com/

Architecture Sans Frontières International (ASF)

ASF Internat ional w as founded as a result of an increased interest in social and environment al issues in relat ion to t he built environment and dissat isfact ion w it h et hical st andards of mainst ream architect ure.

The purpose of Architect ure Sans Front ières Internat ional (ASF-Int ) is to enable vulnerable communit ies access to architect ural services, research and educat ional resources in order to increase t heir resilience and reduce vulnerabilit y.

ASF is an independent net work of design not for profit organizat ions concerned w it h social just ice, t he cult ural and environment al aspect s of architect ure and t he conservat ion of t he human and physical herit age aspect s of t he built environment .

Their aim is to: *Assist in the establishment of new like minded, design not for profit organizations globally. *Support ASF member organizations through the international network. *Provide design education and training with a specific focus on new forms of architectural practice relevant to international development and post disaster reconstruction. *Interface with other global organizations and events on behalf of the ASF-International community. https:// www.asfint.org/ en © ASF UK Image: Resilience by Design in Cartagena

HBO Max?s Human By Orientation And Pa?lante!

Celebrate Diverse Creatives And Talent At SXSW 2023 HBO MAX

HBO Max recent ly announced it s in-person act ivat ion and presence at SXSW 2023 w it h t he Coffeehouse, a premier and inclusive dest inat ion for SXSW at tendees to access exclusive content from across t he HBO and HBO Max port folio.

Leveraging t he cult ural significance of t he coffee house as a space for mult icult ural and countercult ure communit ies to meet , discuss cult ure and exchange ideas, HBO Max is bringing t he power of represent at ion and storytelling to t he forefront of t he 2023 SXSW narrat ive.

The t wo-day act ivat ion is powered by HBO Max?s Human By Orient at ion and Pa?lante! mult icult ural market ing init iat ives designed to elevate and celebrate t he LGBTQIA+ and Lat inx communit ies.

Coffeehouse w ill serve as a safe space for all-day programming, finding communit y, and freely inhabit ing Queer and Lat inx ident it ies.

Feat uring various invite-only and public event s, t here w ill be discussions w it h appearances by some of t he most influent ial storytellers and t alent , t he Coffeehouse celebrates diverse storytelling showcasing t he w ays HBO Max is inspiring change t hrough t he power of stories and connect ing fans w it h beloved characters. ?We are excited to bring t he HBO Max Coffeehouse to SXSW t his year,? said Jackie Gagne, Senior Vice President , Mult icult ural Market ing, Warner Bros. Discovery. ?We look forw ard to creat ing a safe space to discuss cult ure and exchange ideas w hile elevat ing and celebrat ing t he LGBTQIA+ and Lat inx communit ies.?

Lavazza, t he exclusive coffee part ner of t he event w ill be proudly serving HBO Max inspired drinks t hroughout t he weekend. A breakdow n of event s scheduled to t ake place along w it h programming det ails and t alent expected to at tend/ part icipate is provided below. **Please Note: Scheduled programming and t alent is subject to change.** Welcome to HBO Max?s Coffeehouse OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Sat urday, March 11t h | 10am-7pm Sunday, March 12t h | 1pm-4pm Must Be 21+ For Access @HumanByOrient at ion & @PalanteHBOMax SCHEDULE OF EVENTS HBO Document ary Filmmaker Roundt able Join some of today?s most inspirat ional creators of color in conversat ion, as t hey discuss t heir upcoming HBO Document ary Films and t heir craft .Feat uring: James Adolphus, Cecilia Aldarondo, Debra Mart in Chase, Brooklyn Sudano, Lena Wait he, and Roger Ross W illiams. Moderated by Mike Jackson of Get Lifted Film Co. Sat urday, March 11t h | 12pm-1pm | Open to t he Public

?The Last Of Us? Fireside Chat w it h Gabriel Luna and Variet y's Selome Hailu Deep dive into t he world of ?The Last Of Us? to discuss t he power of family, mot ivat ion, Tommy's journey and more.

Sat urday, March 11t h | 3pm-4pm | RSVP Required Acoustic Performance with Ambar Lucid Unplug with an intimate, acoustic performance by singer-songwriter Ambar Lucid, as she performs a dreamy, bilingual set.

Saturday, March 11th | 5pm-6pm | Open to the Public Oh, Stunnin?! Party with Papi Siii and Chorizo Funk Vibe to tunes spun by local Queer, Latinx party Papi Siii, featuring DJs Chorizo Funk and Gabriela Alma Lopez-Bucio, while sipping cocktails inspired by iconic HBO Max moments!

Saturday, March 11th | 9pm-2am | RSVP Required ?The W hite Lotus?Brunch and Fireside Chat with Evan Ross Katz and Variety's Adam Vary Enjoy brunch-inspired fare while listening in on a fireside chat with Evan Ross Katz and Variety's Adam Vary discussing ?The W hite Lotus? season 2 and how a story about privileged vacationers proved to be the perfect mix of old-school appointment TV and a modern-age social media phenomenon.

Sunday, March 12th | 10am-1pm | RSVP Required

Ruben Östlund, President of the Jury of the 76th Festival de Cannes "I am happy, proud, and humbled to be trusted with the honor of Jury president for this year's Competition at the Festival de Cannes. Nowhere in the film world is the anticipation as strong as when the curtain rises on the films in Competition at the festival. It is a privilege to be part of it with the Cannes audience of connoisseurs. I am sincere when I say cinema culture is in its most important period ever. The cinema has a unique aspect - There, we watch together, and it demands more of what is shown and increases the intensity of the experience. It makes us reflect differently than when we dopamine scroll in front of the individual screens.", declared the future President Ruben Östlund.

W ith a track record of only six features, the filmmaker was already selected twice at Un Certain Regard, where he was awarded the Jury Prize in 2014, before later entering the Competition. No sooner does he appears there that the Palme d'Or is granted to him twice, first for The Square at the 70th Festival de Cannes and then for his next film acclaimed last year, Triangle of Sadness.

Fifty years after fellow citizen Ingrid Bergman, Swedish director Ruben Östlund, a two-time winner of the Palme d'Or, will preside over the Jury of the 76th edition of the Festival de Cannes to be held from May 16 to 27.

After studying cinema in Gothenburg, he directed his first feature film, The Guitar Mongoloid, in 2004. On the edge of the documentary genre, the film describes the intersecting destinies of outcasts in a fictional city that closely resembles Gothenburg. Humor as a tool of sociological description is already apparent.

His third feature film, Play, presented at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes in 2011, describes harassment between youth gangs. W hen it was released in Sweden, it gave rise to a significant debate across Swedish society.

His next short film, Autobiographical Scene Number 6882, gathers all the ingredients of his future work, affirmed in Involuntary, a feature film selected at Un Certain Regard in 2008. Östlund positions the camera at a relevant distance to better observe human behavior: minor weaknesses and major flaws caused by group dynamics are then dissected to the point of discomfort. Two years later, Incident by a Bank won the Golden Bear for best short film at the 60th Berlinale - it examines the reactions of passers-by to a bank robbery.

In Force Majeure, screened at Un Certain Regard in 2014, the situation takes on the aspect of an avalanche where a father prefers to take cover rather than save his wife and children: how can he accept the aftermath in bad faith and in fear of losing face? Such is the issue that the director examines with ferocious acidity.

Source: Ruben Östlund © J. Saget / AFP/ Cannes

Ruben Östlund repeatedly explores a provocative dialectic that has become his signature: an initial situation sets the stage for a sociological examination where the baser instincts of our humanity are painstakingly and uncompromisingly examined with sarcastic humor.

In 2017, in The Square, he told the fictional story of an artistic experiment he conducted in his native country. The film brilliantly addresses the boundaries of public space, art, and the animal aspects within ourselves.

Finally, in 2022, Triangle of Sadness chronicles a cruise ship caught in a storm that reshuffles the cards of class struggle in Western societies in a nauseating hullabaloo.

By inviting Ruben Östlund to preside over the Jury, the Festival de Cannes wishes to pay tribute to uncompromising and forthright films that constantly demand that viewers challenge themselves and that art continue to invent itself.

Ruben Östlund has therefore become the third two-time winner of the Palme d'Or to be the President of the Jury, following Francis Ford Coppola and Emir Kusturica, and the very first to take on this role the year after his acclaim in Cannes.

"As President, concludes Ruben Östlund, I will remind my jury colleagues about the cinema's social function. A good movie relates to the collective experience, stimulates us to think, and makes us want to discuss what we have seen - So let's watch it together! "

2022's Crème de la Crème as compiled by Festival de Cannes

The 2022 Official Select ion's most aw arded films: 1. Top Gun: Maverick by Joseph Kosinski: 69 awards 2. Elvis by Baz Luhrmann: 67 awards 3. Decision to Leave by Park Chan-wook: 43 awards 4. As Bestas by Rodrigo Sorogoyen: 40 awards 5. Close by Lukas Dhont: 37 awards 6. Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund: 20 awards 7. Burning Days by Emin Alper: 20 awards 8. EO by Jerzy Skolimowski: 20 awards 9. Holy Spider by Ali Abbasi: 19 awards 10. All That Breathes by Shaunak Sen : 19 awards

© Denise Jans

While we wait to find out what the 76th Festival de Cannes edition has in store for us, we look back over the remarkable achievements of the films that impacted the entertainment world.

The most awarded films in a nutshell To date, the 2022 Official Selection boasts a total of 524 prizes and awards and over 1,400 nominations around the world.

Coming top of the charts is Joseph Kosinski's hotly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick, which had proved a hit at its première in Cannes and has already garnered 69 awards, six Oscars 2023 nominations, and four BAFTA nominations.

With 67 awards and 215 nominations ? including eight at the Oscars ? Baz Luhrmann's Elvis is the 2022 Selection's second-most-awarded film. The feature-length biopic recently scooped the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Austin Butler).

Korean director Park Chan-wook returned to Cannes in style in 2022 with his Decision to Leave. After winning Cannes' Best Director Award, the film now boasts 43 distinctions and titles and 139 nominations, including a number from the Golden Globes and BAFTAs 2023.

Top Gun: Maverick by Joseph Kosinski: 69 awards

© Top Gun:Maverick Official FB

Elvis by Baz Luhrmann: 67 awards © Warner Bros

Decision to Leave by Park Chan-wook: 43 awards © IMDb

© cultivatedbychristin.com

UN gathering in Doha concludes, ushering in new era of solidarity for world?s Least Developed Countries Doha, 9 March ? The Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar ended today with member states committing to measures to deliver on the Doha Programme of Action, a ten-year plan to put the world?s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Bold commitments at the conference marked a transformative turning point for the world?s poorest countries, whose development has been hindered by crises including COVID-19, climate change and deepening inequalities. ?Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries is a litmus test for achieving the 2030 Agenda writ large, including by ensuring that no one ? and no LDC ? is left behind? said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. ?That is why the Doha Programme of Action must be seen as a vehicle for SDG Acceleration.?

Under the theme ?From Potential to Prosperity?the conference aimed to drive transformational change to positively affect the 1.2 billion people who live in the LDCs.

?The commitments made this week are a true embodiment of global solidarity and partnership and will pave the way for a new era of international cooperation,? said Rabab Fatima, Secretary General of the Conference and UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

?This will result in more of the Least Developed Countries achieving the goal of graduation and a more prosperous and sustainable future,?she continued.

Copyright © 2023 UN Department of Global Communications, All rights reserved.

Doha Programme of Action Discussions at LDC5 centered around delivery of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031, which aims to manifest a new generation of renewed and strengthened commitments between the least developed countries and their partners, including the private sector, civil society, and governments.

The Programme, agreed in 2022 after LDC5 was postponed due to the Omicron outbrea, outlines a transformative agenda to tap into the potential of the LDCs. Measures include the development of a food stockholding mechanism for LDCs; an online university focusing on STEM education, especially for women and girls; an international investment support centre; a sustainable graduation support facility; and comprehensive multi-hazard crisis mitigation and resilience-building measures for least developed countries.

Agreements reached this week will help the LDCs to address the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to return to a pathway to achieve the SDGs, address climate change, and make strides towards sustainable and irreversible graduation.

5,000 participants attended LDC5, including 47 Heads of State or Government and 130 Ministers and Vice-Ministers.

They called for developed countries to urgently provide the most vulnerable countries with the assistance they need to drive socio-economic and environmental development. Corporate leaders together with civil society, youth and other partners shared plans, innovations, and recommendations in several areas: from enhancing the participation of LDCs in international trade and regional integration to addressing climate change, strengthening global partnerships, supporting graduation, and leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation.

The Doha Declaration The Doha Political Declaration, adopted today, reinforces the international community?s commitment to the Doha Programme of Action.

Commitments The Conference has presented a unique opportunity to translate the vision of the Doha Programme into tangible results with countries and stakeholders showcasing a host of commitments. These commitments range from improving biodiversity and tackling malnutrition to resilience building in the LDCs. Qatar announced a financial package of $60 million: $10m to support the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action and $50 million to help build resilience in the LDCs. Germany dedicated ? 200 million in new money in 2023 for financing for least developed countries.

Canada announced $59 million to deliver Vitamin supplements in 15 LDCs and ecosystem conservation in Burkina Faso.

The EU Commission announced cooperation agreements advancing sustainable investments in Africa totalling more than ? 130 million of investment.

Finland announced an annual event called the United Nations LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, with the Office of the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States ? OHRLLS ?, to ensure the latest thinking and research is being put to work to ensure progress on the most vulnerable states.

The Green Climate Fund announced a new project to give $80 million in equity to offer green guarantees to business in LDCs and bring down the cost of capital.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation, announced a new ? 10 million Tourism for Development Fund for LDCs, supported by TUI Care Foundation, that will invest by 2030 to support sustainable tourism in LDCs as a key driver of development.

The government of Kazakhstan pledged $50,000 to continue their work supporting the most vulnerable member states of the United Nations.

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a major new loan package for the Least Developed Countries.

PHANTOM SYNTOPIA: ROLLS-ROYCE AND IRIS VAN HERPEN COLLABORATE ON A BESPOKE MASTERPIECE INSPIRED

BY HAUTE COUTURE ?Phantom Syntopia is the most ambitious, singular and highly Bespoke Phantom we have ever created, and a clear statement of Rolls-Royce?s standing as a true luxury house. Building on two decades of joint undertakings with the world?s most celebrated design houses, artists, horologists and jewellers, Phantom Syntopia secures Phantom?s standing as the ultimate blank canvas for Bespoke personalisation. In collaborating with internationally renowned designer and Haute Couturière Iris van Herpen, we once again redraw the boundaries of innovation, craftsmanship and Bespoke possibility; not just for a motor car but across the wider luxury sector.?

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars ?For this special collaboration I was inspired by the concept of ?Weaving Water?and transformed the sense of being in movement into an immersive experience of fluidity inside the Phantom. I wanted this to become a state-of-the-art experience being overwhelmed by the forces of nature. The powerful movement of the Phantom is woven into the shifting three-dimensional waves inside the car to embody the ingenuity of nature. ?When I met the Bespoke Collective, I discovered that the world of Rolls-Royce is very similar to Haute Couture. Every garment I create is a one-off, tailor-made to my clients?individual measurements, just like every Rolls-Royce. My clients come to our atelier in Amsterdam for fittings, just as Rolls-Royce clients are invited to Goodwood throughout the design and craft process. On many levels, this collaboration was a natural symbiosis.?

Iris van Herpen Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today unveils Phantom Syntopia, an intricate, Haute Couture-inspired masterpiece created in collaboration with renowned Dutch fashion designer and Haute Couturière Iris van Herpen. Based on Phantom Extended ? the ultimate blank canvas for personalisation ? it is the most technically complex commission ever undertaken by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. Now, after four years of continuous development, this extraordinary and unique creation is complete; it will soon take its place in the private collection of discerning patrons of the brand.

Phantom Syntopia takes its name from Iris van Herpen's landmark 2018 collection, designed on the principles of biomimicry in which art is inspired by patterns and shapes found in nature. Like the collection, which comprises a series of highly sculptural garments brought to life through movement, Phantom Syntopia seeks to represent the elusive, ethereal beauty of fluid motion in solid materials through its ?Weaving Water?theme. ?From the very beginning, this truly was a meeting of minds: two luxury houses that share the innovative vision and ambition to transcend the boundaries of luxury design,? says Gavin Hartley, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ?Together, we further explored the potential of Phantom as a perfect canvas for individualisation. Phantom Syntopia literally takes Rolls?Royce interior design into a new dimension with its immersive, sculptural elements, reinterpreting the elusive fragility of nature?s forms in a perfectly engineered reality.? © Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

?EPICENTER OF CREATIVE VOICES?: JACK KEROUAC MUSEUM PROJECT FINDS ARCHITECTURE FIRM, DRAFTS RENDERINGS EXTERIOR COACHWORK: IRIDESCENT MAGNETISM

To create the stunning, shimmering exterior, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective developed a one-off Liquid Noir paint. Iridescent in sunlight, it reveals Purple, Blue, Magenta and Gold undertones when viewed at different angles. To achieve this effect, the marque?s darkest solid-black paint is overlaid with a finish incorporating a mirror-like pigment, selected for its colour-shifting properties. To add a subtle, elegant shimmer, the team developed a brand-new technique for applying pigment to the clearcoat ? a process that took several months, including over 3,000 hours of testing and validation alone.

On closer inspection, the motor car?s bonnet is seen to feature a subtle rendering of the Weaving Water motif that appears throughout the interior, produced by carefully redistributing the pigment during the finishing process.

INTERIOR SUITE: THREE-DIMENSIONAL ART Phantom Syntopia?s interior suite incorporates magnificent features which were co-created in a creative and technical meeting of minds by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective and Iris van Herpen. Some interior elements were handcrafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce by the company?s leading craftspeople working alongside members of Iris van Herpen?s team, while others were created in Iris van Herpen's Amsterdam atelier, alongside her Haute Couture garments.

On opening the magnificent coach doors, the eye is immediately drawn to the Weaving Water Starlight Headliner, the most technically challenging version of this signature Rolls-Royce feature ever produced. It was crafted using a single sheet of flawless leather, selected from over 1,000 hides. Precise symmetrical cuts reveal a silver ?liquid metal? texture made from woven nylon fabric underneath, used in Iris van Herpen?s ?Embossed Sounds?collection, giving the Headliner a three-dimensional appearance. It is finished with 162 delicate petals made of glass organza, applied by members of Iris van Herpen?s Couture team who travelled to Goodwood to undertake the work ? a process that took nearly 300 hours. In addition, 187 of the 995 sparkling fiberoptic ?stars?were individually placed by hand alongside the artwork; illuminating sequentially, starting from the rear and moving to the front, they create a feeling of movement. In total, the entire Headliner alone involved almost 700 collective hours of work.

The ?Weaving Water?theme continues throughout the unique artwork in the Gallery, which runs the width of the Phantom?s fascia. Combining traditional Haute Couture techniques and innovative visual forms, this highly expressive work includes a further 85 petals, which were also attached by hand by Iris van Herpen?s team working at Goodwood, representing almost 60 hours?painstaking work.

The design to be found on the picnic tables and the passenger panel just below the Gallery mirrors the Weaving Water artwork on the bonnet. The motif was achieved by combining multiple coats of paint and lacquer containing different quantities of glass particles. First, the surfaces were covered with a black paint mixed with 0.9% glass particles. Then the artisans applied the Weaving Water motif with a clear coat mixed with 1.4% of shimmer ? an extraordinarily complex process that took over three weeks to complete. Before commencing the work, the Exterior Surface Centre team had spent four months perfecting the formula, running nine trials before identifying the ideal proportion of glass particles: across the entire car, precisely one tablespoon has been used. © Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recently unveiled Phantom Syntopia, an intricate, Haute Couture-inspired masterpiece created in collaboration with renowned Dutch fashion designer and Haute Couturière Iris van Herpen.

NEXT CHAPTER IN TEXTILE EXPLORATION Phantom Syntopia continues the Bespoke Collective?s exploration of textiles. In homage to Rolls-Royce's heritage, this unique motor car recalls an era where a driver?s seat was trimmed in hardwearing leather and the rear compartment in luxurious, inviting fabrics. The front seats of Phantom Syntopia are finished in Magic Grey leather, distinguished by its lustrous finish. The rear seats are upholstered with a specially created silk-blend fabric, featuring a distinctive pattern which recalls the patterns cast by light reflecting on water at night.

The seats are quilted with a Weaving Water motif, inspired by a tufting technique often employed in fine furniture-making in which embroidery is applied to the reverse side of the textile. This creates a three-dimensional depth while achieving a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted surface. ?The result of four years?continuous development, Phantom Syntopia is a magnificent testament to the skill, talent, passion for materials and commitment to excellence of our exceptional Bespoke Collective team,? says Jonathan Simms, General Manager, Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ?To bring the client?s vision to life, our engineers and craftspeople pushed their own limits and challenged existing notions of what?s possible in their pursuit of perfection. Phantom Syntopia is the most technically complex commission we have ever created and it was an exceptional experience to work alongside and collaborate with the incredible team at Iris van Herpen's atelier.?

© Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

*Rolls-Royce presents Phantom Syntopia, the most technically complex Bespoke Phantom ever produced *Haute Couture-inspired masterpiece created in collaboration with innovative fashion designer and Couturière Iris van Herpen *Two luxury houses collaborate to push the boundaries of innovation, craftsmanship and luxury *Interior features three-dimensional textile sculptures capturing the movement of flowing water *Unique ?Weaving Water?

Starlight Headliner is the most complex in Rolls-Royce history *Exclusive Gallery artwork hand-crafted by specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce and Iris van Herpen's Amsterdam atelier *First Rolls-Royce to use a Bespoke scent to create a truly immersive experience *Based on Phantom Extended, the ultimate blank canvas for Bespoke commissions *Iris van Herpen will design a one-off Haute Couture garment to match Phantom Syntopia

Image: IMDB

© Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: STIMULATING ALL SENSES In keeping with the highly innovative approach taken with Phantom Syntopia, it is the first Rolls-Royce motor car to incorporate a Bespoke scent, creating a truly immersive expression of luxury. It was developed by an expert perfumer ? now affectionately known as ?the Nose of the Bespoke Collective?? in close collaboration with the clients.

Designed to create a lasting memory, the fragrance is subtle and perfectly complements other aromas arising from the materials used in the car.

The Bespoke fragrance expert tested numerous combinations before settling on the perfect blend. The core scent is cedarwood and as part of this project?s constant quest for the ultimate in personalisation, the cedarwood used was carefully sourced specially from the clients?home region. The scent?s base combines powdery notes of Iris, obtained using a fluid extraction technology, with added hints of leather, finally blended with rose from Patagonia and a mild lemon.

The specially-developed scent-releasing mechanism is housed within the headrests.

This patented technology, which incorporates innovative materials originally used in the field of medicine, ensures the fragrance is released in suitably delicate doses for a long-lasting, sophisticated sensory experience. The development process took more than two years, including rigorous testing in both very hot and very cold temperatures, to ensure the scent maintains its distinctive profile in all conditions. © floresdelsol.com

© Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

PINNACLE LUXURY MEETS HAUTE COUTURE For a truly Haute Couture experience, Iris van Herpen will design a one-off garment especially for the clients of this transformative commission. The sculptural design of the dress echoes the Weaving Water theme explored in Phantom Syntopia?s Starlight Headliner, featuring an elegant application of the ?liquid metal?fabric and the glass organza petals, laser-cut and hand-stitched in a pattern resembling undulating waves.

This exquisite garment, reflective of Iris van Herpen?s newly developed Haute Couture techniques, is expected to take around six months of work, including pattern development, crafting and applying the petals, embroidery, fitting and tailoring.

Phantom Syntopia will take its place in the clients?private collection in May. As a true one-of-one commission, Rolls-Royce has undertaken that it will never be replicated.

© Warner Bros. Pictures

?And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby?s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy?s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter? to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning? ?

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.? ? F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

© Lucas Alexander

Nuvei announces next step in its global expansion plan with Australia launch Nuvei is enabling eCommerce businesses in the world?s 12th largest economy to accelerate their growth

MONTREAL, March 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSW IRE) -- Nuvei Corporation (?Nuvei? or the ?Company?)

(Nasdaq: NVEI) (TSX: NVEI), the Canadian fintech company, announces today that businesses operating in Australia can now access its full suite of market-leading payments solutions including acquiring, processing, alternative payment methods and risk management.

Australian businesses operating locally and globally will benefit from Nuvei?s cutting-edge, agile technology that?s built to accelerate their growth. Nuvei?s payments platform enables businesses to optimize operating costs and boost conversion rates by maximizing payments acceptance, minimizing risk, and enhancing the consumer payment experience. This includes offering all local and relevant payment methods.

Launching in Australia is the latest initiative from Nuvei as it continues to grow its presence and capabilities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, following its successful launch in Singapore and Hong Kong in 2022.

Nuvei Chair and CEO Philip Payer commented on the announcement: ?Our mission is to help our customers connect with their customers regardless of location, payment method or currency. Launching in Australia is a natural step for our continued expansion in APAC, having already established a strong and growing presence in the region.?

Nuvei is launching in Australia having secured regulatory and scheme licenses to support customers with local acquiring in the country. ©Nuvei

Fayer continued: ?We know the role local acquiring plays in payments optimization, which is why Nuvei?s local acquiring network across the globe is unparalleled. Being able to support merchants in Hong Kong, Singapore, and now Australia with local acquiring solutions demonstrates our commitment to our customers?growth.?

W hile debit and credit card payments are the preeminent online payment method for Australian consumers, alternative payment methods (APMs) are also growing in popularity. Nuvei technology enables businesses to accept all the relevant payment methods in the region (including local currencies for cross-border transactions) in addition to card acquiring. This includes New Payments Platform (NPP), Australia?s account-to-account fast payments open access infrastructure, giving consumers even more choice over their payments experience.

Benefits of NPP for consumers include instant, 24/ 7/ 365 settlements, making this payment method particularly relevant for industries where payouts are critical to the overall payments experience.

Australia is a significant market for eCommerce in APAC and globally. It is the world?s 12th largest economy and had an eCommerce market value of $47bn (with 8.9% growth)[1] in 2022. Internet penetration in Australia is 91%[2] and over 90% of Australian internet users make online purchases.

For more information, visit www.nuvei.com

?W hy does the mention of love, the memory of love, the memory of love lost, the promise of love, the end of love, the absence of love, the burning, burning need for love, need to love, result in so much violence?? ? Miriam Toews, Women Talking © MGM Studios

The women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith. Though the backstory, we see a community of women come together to figure out how they might move forward together to build a better world for themselves and their children. Stay and fight or leave. They will not do nothing.

One evening, eight Mennonite women climb into a hay loft to conduct a secret meeting. For the past two years, each of these women, and more than a hundred other girls in their colony, has been repeatedly violated in the night by demons coming to punish them for their sins. Now that the women have learned they were in fact drugged and attacked by a group of men from their own community, they are determined to protect themselves and their daughters from future harm.

W hile the men of the colony are off in the city, attempting to raise enough money to bail out the rapists and bring them home, these women? all illiterate, without any knowledge of the world outside their community and unable even to speak the language of the country they live in? have very little time to make a choice: Should they stay in the only world they?ve ever known or should they dare to escape?

Based on real events and told through the ?minutes? of the women?s all-female symposium, Toews?s masterful novel uses wry, politically engaged humor to relate this tale of women claiming their own power to decide.

© MGM Studios

© Warner Bros. Pictures

Because Being Courageous is Gorgeous Since establishing over 25 years ago, Lush has been driven by innovation and ethics.

Have you ever experienced going to a mall and suddenly you had to follow where that ridiculously fantastic scent is coming from? Our senses led us to this place long ago, and the ultra-sensory products are from LUSH. The brand has been known for its uniqueness in that it claims to commit to nature and its customers. Their products have been known to sell themselves without the usual commercial packaging. You walk into one store, and you get to see their products in all their naked glory.

They are the creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bomb, shower jellies, and solid shampoo bars; they emphasize fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables, fight against animal testing, and combat over-packaging by developing products that can be sold 'naked' to the customer without any packaging.

Lush was founded in 1995 by six co-founders; Mo Constantine, Mark Constantine, Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Bennett, and Paul Greeves.

After the closure of their previously successful mail-order business, Cosmetics To Go, due to over-trading, the same team created and inspired this new venture called Lush. It is 10% Employee-Owned. Thus, its values are based on the significant contribution of its people.

Mark Constantine, the Co-Founder and Inventor of Lush wasn't alone when the company was established in 1995. He was with five friends and a product development team creating hair, skincare, body creams, and spa treatments.

They are also one of the pioneers against animal testing and developed a Supplier Specific Boycott Policy for those who test its materials on animals. In a Channel 4 documentary program, he further explained his stand to the British people by telling them how they ended up in landfill and became a strong selling point of Lush products - solid and without packaging.

Mark and his wife, Mo Constantine, received their OBEs in 2010's Queen's New Years Honours List for their services to the beauty industry and, consequently, made it to the BBC British W ildlife Most Influential List. © Lush UK

To show our support and promote companies like Lush and brands who put the protection nature at the heart of their corporate mission, we have decided to share an inspiring message from the Lush Co-Founder and Inventor.

25 Years of LUSH by Mark Constantine All companies need a vision. Although we didn?t really understand it, the Lush founders did have a vision. We believed you wanted effective products. Natural (although who knew exactly what that meant), fresh (and by that we were throwing shade at our competitors who were selling sterile, stale chemical concoctions that were three years old), and we didn?t want to spend more money on the packaging than on the contents.

So, above all, we believed you wanted good value products, not cheap, but loads of hair and body goodness for your money.

Hindsight is great and it?s only looking back now that we realise our vision was just a dissatisfied reaction to our competitors? products: a wish for something more wholesome and more in tune with the flowers and the bees than air-conditioned skyscrapers and a morning that starts with a pumpkin spice latte.

When faced with life?s challenges, we often discover that while we may want a lot of things, what we need is very simple. We thought that while our products weren?t everything you, the customer, wanted ? age-reducing, silicone, shiny, botoxy sort of stuff ? we can now see that what we make is all you need.

So, where are we now? Let?s reassess.

Natural ? have we got there yet? No, but we?re not far off. In the financial year of 2017 to 2018, natural ingredients represented 65% of our global raw material spend compared to 35% spent on safe synthetic materials. When I first sold my products with Liz Weir in 1977, I used to get told off for them being too natural, yet they were miles off from where they are today?

HOW WE?VE GROWN How many of you have unused products sitting in your bathrooms? Because when you got home you found that product isn?t what you hoped for, or it doesn?t suit your skin, hair or lifestyle. You end up with bathroom cabinets, window sills and shelves full of unwanted stuff, on its way to landfill. When we make products for every need, everyone is able to buy exactly what?s required and ultimately reduce waste.

Providing personal service is the best environmental practice. If we can get you connected to the appropriate product for your needs, you get really good value for money, we get a regular customer, the consumption of unneeded product falls and money is no longer wasted. When you think about the product people really want, they want products to be made from rainbows, unicorns and waterfalls and we?ve got it!

Our raw materials are the best they can be. As just one example, we?re using salt in our products with genuine benefits, and we?re sourcing it from the flight paths of birds. One of our suppliers, Antonio, both harvests our saltworks and works to protect and sustain the salt marshes of the western Algarve in Portugal. Birds including greater flamingos, spoonbills, black-winged stilts and many species of ducks use the salt marshes as wintering grounds while whimbrels and curlews rely on the site as a resting place on their migratory journeys.

Preserving this beautiful and important coastline is essential to the wildlife flourishing here and the generations of salt shepherds to come, so we?re protecting those birds and the salt shepherds. Just in the UK alone, 67% of our supply chain is from direct relationships with manufacturers and growers like Antonio. Now if that isn?t unicorns, rainbows and waterfalls then I don?t know what is.

© Lush UK

"Preserving t his beaut iful and import ant coast line is essent ial to t he w ildlife flourishing here and t he generat ions of salt shepherds to come, so we?re protect ing t hose birds and t he salt shepherds. Just in t he UK alone, 67% of our supply chain is from direct relat ionships w it h manufact urers and growers like Antonio. Now if t hat isn?t unicorns, rainbow s and w aterfalls t hen I don?t know w hat is."

© Lush UK

What we do is not rocket science; humans have been preening and grooming forever. But in recent years many formulae have become synthetic, complicated, over emulsified and most of all over preserved. All of our lives we?ve been working hard to remove preservatives from your products, without compromising on effect. We?ve worked on it and worked on it until we?re experts and still a few people complain about parabens. When we can?t remove the preservatives, we have to look for the safest and most researched option. We use parabens because all of the other preservatives available don?t have the research parabens have.

Preservatives have to be poison, it?s their nature, but we have learnt that we don?t need to preserve anything AT ALL. That?s where we?re going.

From 2015 to 2017, our purchase of parabens has dropped from 11.7 tonnes annually to 7.7 tonnes, even though our sales have increased in the same time period. Why are our sales increasing while our use of preservatives decreases? Because our customers are kind enough to buy the naked, or self-preserving version.

© Lush UK

None of these amazing ingredients are tested on animals. Since the beginning, we have continuously proved that a brand doesn?t need to test on animals. The Lush Prize launched in 2011 and we?ve had 93 winners and awarded £1.86 million towards alternatives to animal testing. So far, the USA has had the highest number of Lush Prize winners.

If Lush can do it, why can?t everybody else? W hen I think back to animal testing, what seemed like a sensible idea in my bedroom all those years ago [banning it], has turned into legislation banning animal tests for cosmetics in 40 countries. We have fought for an end to animal testing for years, from trying to deposit two tonnes of animal manure on the doorstep of the EU to losing our Regent Street shop expressly because the landlords didn?t like three million viewers watching the people-testing video filmed in that shop window. We continue to fight animal testing now.

Then there is the giving. You soon got the hang of Knot Wrap. Since 2009, we have sold (and consequently upcycled) 47 tonnes of beautiful scarves. That?s not even taking into account the 124 women who have found employment with re-wrap making our canvas bags.

In the last five years, we have raised and given £50 million and last year alone we funded 3,500 groups.

"We should be the gleaming example that every other cosmetics company wants to be, it shouldn?t be Proctor and Gamble or L?Oréal, because Lush is doing the right things over and over again. Fiercely, bravely, sometimes foolishly, and with courage."

MARK CONSTANTINE, OBE Lush Co-Founder and Inventor © Lush UK

So, what?s next?

Working on your aspirations is a challenge. Lush has been working hard for a long time, so it can be tricky to think about what we can do next. This has been playing on my mind ever since a journalist recently asked me just how much more creativity we can have left after 25 years. The answer is: it?s everywhere. Lush is oozing with creativity, sometimes I even find it hard to contain; it?s fantastic.

For many years I haven?t written a plan for Lush. I think the last time we had a cohesive plan was back in 2013; it was a good plan and it lasted us quite a long time. Each year we kept trying to renew it, but we never did. This year, I wanted to write a new plan. So here it is, on the internet for all to see.

The Secret Lush Cosmetics Master Plan 1. Make products for every need. It?s not what customers want, it?s what they need.

2. Be number one in every category. Do not accept the status quo: invent new products that fulfil all of the vision.

3. Create a cosmetic revolution to save the planet. We?re running out of time ? we need a revolution.

In the latest W W D Beauty top 100, L?Oréal is number 1 and we are number 33. That means we?re 3.8% of L?Oréal. For 25 years, we have made great products, with beautiful ingredients, we?re transparent with our customers and we don?t sell them fake benefits. It?s a real puzzler why we?re not the number one cosmetics company. For the sake of the environment, we NEED to be number one.

The thing is, there is a group of us reaching the pinnacle of our careers and we?re in sight of what we wanted to do all our lives. We wanted no preservatives, we wanted no packaging, and bit by bit we?ve worked towards doing it.

We should be the gleaming example that every other cosmetics company wants to be, it shouldn?t be Proctor and Gamble or L?Oréal, because Lush is doing the right things over and over again. Fiercely, bravely, sometimes foolishly, and with courage.

© Lush UK

© scottandzelda.com

LUSH: SOCIAL PROOFING THE DIGITAL FUTURE W ith the belief that tech should give more than it takes, Lush, in partnership with strategic foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory, has set out to fathom how this future might unfold in the new report: Digital Engagement: A Social Future.

This report investigates the rapidly shifting digital landscape, its impact on consumers, and existing barriers to digital transformation. Significantly, through the research conducted in this report, Lush was able to announce a revolutionary manifesto for all brands to access free of charge in the hope of enabling an optimistic future of social with greater ease.

Five leading experts in the tech sector contributed to this research, and over 12,000 consumers across the UK, US, and Japan were surveyed to understand their digital wants, needs, and desires, as their views on the future of digital engagement and social media.

W hy is a cosmetics company getting involved in the work of digital ethics? Well, because Lush believes we all have a duty to care about our planet's future and its life.

Jack Constantine, Lush CDO comments: "At Lush, we vehemently believe that digital rights are human rights; without conscious change, on a global, holistic level, those rights are compromised."

Annabelle Baker, Lush Global Brand Director: "We wanted to report to show the optimism around social. There's been so much skepticism around Lush's Anti-Social policy that we wanted to show a different future beyond the one we see now, where people can engage within safe environments online. We need to be able to move the narrative from what we can't do to what we can."

According to the research, global consumers also care about it. Almost seven in 10 adults (69%) across the UK, the US, and Japan believe that if a social media platform is unethical, then brands should step away from it, with six in 10 (62%) respecting a brand that cares more about a social media platform's ethics than the number of people they can reach.

At the same time, more and more consumers are spending less time on social platforms.

Over a third (35%) of Meta users (Facebook and Messenger at 17% and Instagram, 18%), almost a third of Pinterest users (27%), a quarter of Twitter (24%), Discord (24%) and Snapchat (24%) users, over a fifth of BeReal (22%) users, 18% of TikTok users and 16% of Line users are on these social media platforms less frequently than a year ago.

Gen Z consumers (54%) believe select groups are marginalized or ignored in digital spaces. A big reason for this could be that 57% of consumers surveyed felt like big brands and corporations dominate technology and online culture, while 55% want Big Tech to have less control online.

Many are worried about safety, with 70% of those surveyed calling for international legislation protecting users' security throughout their digital experiences.

Digital Engagement: A Social Future Consumers expect brands to help in the fight, with the research showing that 62% believe it?s up to all businesses to ensure digital spaces are ethical.

Despite growing concern about the impact of existing digital culture, techno-optimism continues to shine through. Digital platforms still offer numerous benefits that consumers hold close, including connecting with others (33%) and finding like-minded individuals (29%). Meanwhile, a majority (57%) say tech boosts their productivity, with 39% saying social media helps them express their identity.

This positivity is further fueled by a rapidly developing technology landscape, with artificial intelligence (AI), the metaverse, and Web3 ? the next decentralized iteration of the internet ? promising a new way of doing things.

This report presents The SOCIAL Framework manifesto to ensure that technological innovation can create exponential progress in a positive direction. A set of six principles for digital spaces, platforms, and engagement, designed to enable a techno-optimist future to flourish.

The framework considers aspects such as: Sust ainabilit y and t he impact on t he environment ; Open-source and how compet it ion needs to be replaced by cooperat ion; Communit y-cont rolled and decent ralized dat a ow nership; Iterat ive and agilit y in an ever-evolving landscape; Accessible and inclusive; and Life-affirming.

The Future Laboratory Co-Founder Martin Raymond says: ?Businesses must help to build a digital culture that promotes equitability, inclusion, representation, accessibility, transformation, and personal and planetary betterment.?

To explore these principles further and read more from innovators leading the way in each area, you can view the report here. .https:// weare.lush.com/ lush-life/ company-statements/ a-social-future/ Lush will be at the SXSW festival from 10th-13th March 2023, with Lush House (with live-streamed content available on the Lush YouTube channel) ? a space to showcase how Lush is pushing the boundaries at the intersection of technology and cosmetics. Over the four days, Lush will be hosting conversations and presenting findings from this report. On 10th March, Jack Constantine, Lush CDO, will open the House with a talk about Lush?s roadmap for digital divestment; while Annabelle Baker, Global Brand Marketing Director, will close the four days on a panel with special guest Frances Haugen (Facebook W histleblower) to discuss what needs to happen to create a better social landscape. © Lush UK

© Leon Bennett

Learning To Be Famous Jenna Ortega Goes Off-The-Grid to Stay Grounded Jenna Ortega is GEN Z's Scream Queen, no doubt about that. After Wednesday and Scream VI, who wouldn't be famous? Wednesday is the second-most-popular English-language series on Netflix to date, and for an introvert, there's a lot to take. In her most recent Elle cover interview, Jenna was said to have a small circle of friends and revealed that she prefers the behind the scene jobs of filmmaking rather than being on the red carpet. ?If I want to make films so badly and play characters or direct and write film scores, I could do that all in my backyard. I don?t have to be doing it on a grand scale like this,? she says. W hat pushes her forward is the chance to work with the best. ?But ultimately, all the other side stuff that comes with my job sometimes makes it feel like it?s almost not worth it. I don?t want to feel like a walking billboard, which is scary because I feel less and less in control of my life. I feel like I?ve seen a lot of people or know people who have succumbed to that pressure. I don?t want to belong to anyone or anything.?

W ith 39 million followers on Instagram, we can only hope that she constantly manages the demands of being in the public eye. As Ortega prepares for Wednesday?s second season, she?s giving herself time for some R&R. ?There?s a month of this year that I want to take off, and I?ve made it very clear that I?m going to take this month off. I?m going to travel; I just got a flip phone; I?m just going to hide for a while,? she says cheerfully. ?I have to work around my schedule to ensure that that month stays open. A part of it is stressful because it?s like, ?Oh my God, can I tell this director that I don?t want to work these two weeks? Can I??I don?t know, but I also make the rules.?

© fashionreimaginedfilm.com

Fa sh io n R eimag ined

The Film A feature documentary by Becky Hutner 100 min | UK, USA | 2022 Fashion designer Amy Powney of the cult label Mother of Pearl is a rising star in the London fashion scene. Raised off-the-grid in rural England by activist parents, Amy has always felt uneasy about the devastating environmental impact of her industry. When she wins the coveted Vogue award for the Best Young Designer of the Year with a big cash prize, Amy decides to use the money to create a sustainable collection from field to finished garment and transform her entire business. Over the following three years, her revolution becomes the precursor of a much more significant societal change.

© fashionreimaginedfilm.com

Dreamy scenes from Newport FILM from July 2022.

Over 1000 people joined in the beautiful outdoors for the Nantucket Film Festival. They welcomed the first audiences who watched Fashion Reimagined, heard initial feedback, sparked conversations, and shared ideas.

They will be screening at more festivals over the coming months.

© fashionreimaginedfilm.com

A my Pow ney + Bec ky Hut ner Creative Director of Mother of Pearl and , Amy Powney and director Becky Hutner at a preview screening of Fashion Reimagined at Curzon Soho.

Photo Courtesy of Dean Chapple

Amy Powney Creative Director of Mother of Pearl & Star of Fashion Reimagined Amy Powney is widely considered a leader in the UK's sustainable fashion movement. In just 13 years, she has gone from sweeping the cutting-room floor at the fashion brand Mother of Pearl to taking the helm as its Creative Director.

Sustainability has been a lifelong passion for Amy, and she's been on a mission for Mother of Pearl to reduce its impact on the planet. Her sustainable collections have been shown at London Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week. They are stocked by prestigious global retailers, including Net-a-Porter, Harrods, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Goop. She also designs sustainable collections and homeware for John Lewis, UK's largest department store. Amy has collaborated on sustainability projects with BBC Earth and Prince Charles. She won the 2017 BFC/ Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and wrote the"Ask Amy" column in British Vogue.

Mother of Pearl is a luxury sustainable womenswear brand that celebrates individuality, authenticity, and sustainability. Their design mantra is classic but never dull.

Founded in 2002, they make fashion with wit, heart, and conscience - contemporary design with the attitude that it doesn?t cost the earth.

In just 13 years, Amy Powney has gone from sweeping the cutting-room floor at Mother of Pearl to taking the helm as its Creative Director. Sustainability has been a lifelong passion for Amy, and she?s been on a mission for Mother of Pearl to reduce its impact on the planet. Her sustainable fashion collections have been shown at London Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week. They are stocked by prestigious global retailers, including Net-a-Porter, Harrods, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Goop.

© Mother of Pearl / John Lewis

Fa sh io n R eimag ined : Th emes & Va r iat io ns 1760 ? Now D ec ember 10, 2022 - July 2, 2023 at t h e mint museum upt ow n

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the fashion collection?s founding in 1972 by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, Fashion Reimagined features 50 outstanding examples of fashionable dresses drawn entirely from the permanent collection of The Mint Museum.

Encompassing a wide range of attire, the exhibition includes men?s and women?s fashions from 1760 to 2022 and is divided into three thematic sections: minimalism, pattern and decoration, and the body reimagined.

The exhibition offers a fascinating look at the innovative contemporary dress and the persistence of historical and cultural attitudes toward silhouettes, surface design, and corporeal beauty. Fashion ensembles range from court suits to streetwear.

Exhibition highlights include an English 18th-century sack back gown, two rare 18th-century English men?s suits, early 19th-century printed cotton dresses, wedding dresses from the mid-and last quarter of the 19th century, as well as a rare 1928 wedding ensemble by Roman fashion artist Maria Monaci Gallenga, a very rare early 20th-century Ispahan mantle by Paul Poiret, and an unusual mid-20th-century Black Narcissus dress by American designer James Galanos.

© The Mint Museum

Several examples of the 1960s and ?70s mod and hippie chic style and trenchant contemporary fashions by Giorgio Armani, Romeo Gigli, Zandra Rhodes, Anna Sui, Yohji Yamamoto, Walé Oyéjidé for?

Ikiré Jones,?Anamika?Khanna, and Iris van Herpen, among others round out the centuries of fashion on display.

Fashion Reimagined will be accompanied by a sumptuously illustrated catalog with contributions by Annie Carlano, senior curator of craft, design, and fashion at The Mint Museum; Ellen C. Walker Show, director of library and archives at The Mint Museum; Lauren D. W hitley, teacher and senior curator of fashion and textile arts at Boston Museum of Fine Art; and fashion designer Anna Sui.

© The MintBros.

Museum Warner Pictures

Fashion Reimagined: Themes and Variations 1760s-NOW is generously presented by Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management and the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

Get your limited edition exhibition catalog to remember the experience. www.mintmuseum.org © The Mint Museum

A fascinating look at the unexpected juxtapositions between twenty-first-century fashion design and historical garments.

Fashion Reimagined features fifty outstanding examples of fashionable dress drawn entirely from the superb collection of the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC. Organized to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Mint?s costume collection in 1972, the checklist includes men?s and women?s fashions from 1760 to 2022. The book is divided into three sections reflecting three historicism aspects: Minimalism, Pattern and Decoration, and The Body Reimagined. Each catalog entry addresses a theme and provides information and insights about the individual designers, fabric, and construction details.

Globalization was embedded in both textiles and fashions from 1760 to the present.

© The Mint Museum

The Mint?s fashion collection features a wide range of historical garments and significant pieces by prominent contemporary designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Gianni Versace, and Miuccia Prada. Ranging from court suits to streetwear, highlights include an English eighteenth-century sack back dress, two English men?s court suits, early nineteenth-century printed cotton dresses, wedding dresses from the mid and last quarter of the nineteenth century, as well as a rare 1920s wedding ensemble by Roman fashion artist Maria Monaci Gallenga, a very rare early twentieth-century Ispahan mantle by Paul Poiret, an unusual mid-twentieth century Black Narcissus dress by American designer James Galanos, several examples of 1960s and 70s mod and chic hippie style, and innovative contemporary fashions by Giorgio Armani, Romeo Gigli, Zandra Rhodes, Anna Sui, Yoji Yamamoto, Walé Oyéjidé for Ikiré Jones, Anamika Khanna, and Iris van Herpen, among others.

THE HISTORIC GLOBAL OCEAN TREATY

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace International

On March 4th, 2023, after years of talks, delay, and emotional rollercoaster, governments finally secured a Global Ocean Treaty .

After almost two decades of negotiations, the United Nations finally agreed upon a historic Global Ocean Treaty. This event is a massive moment for conservation and a hopeful sign that in a divided world, protecting nature for the benefit of all people can triumph over geopolitics.

And after years and years of campaigning by Greenpeace and their allies, plus a tense final week of negotiations, world leaders finally put aside their differences for a moment and secured a Global Ocean Treaty.

W hat does a Global Ocean Treaty do? This Treaty is the most significant conservation victory ever and provides a pathway to creating fully and highly protected ocean areas across the world's oceans. Here's a quick look at what's been accomplished, what it took to get there, and what comes next: The new Global Ocean Treaty opens the door to creating a network of sanctuaries across the globe, areas where fragile ecosystems and marine life can recover and thrive by keeping the 30×30 target ? protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 ? alive. W ithout a Treaty, there is no legal route to protecting large areas of international waters in ocean sanctuaries.

We need healthy oceans, which help combat climate change by locking away carbon and provide food security and livelihoods to more than 3 billion people, the vast majority of whom are in the Global South.

How did we get here?

Key players were civil society. This Treaty isn't just a victory for Greenpeace but so many organizations big and small who worked tirelessly over decades to build an incredible movement of ocean champions.

Delegates from governments worldwide, who, despite a lack of sleep, also worked incredibly hard to get an agreement over the line. The EU, US, UK, and China were crucial players in brokering the deal.

Countries were willing to compromise in the final days of talks and built coalitions instead of sowing division. Small Island States have shown leadership throughout the process, and the broad G77 group led the way in ensuring the Treaty can be put into practice fairly and equitably.

One thing is for sure, and it wouldn't have been possible without years of relentless people-power efforts.

Five million five hundred forty thousand five hundred thirteen people worldwide signed the petition, building a movement that protects our oceans and the billions who depend on them.

Campaigning to save life on our planet can sometimes feel daunting, and it's easy to become disheartened. The first Greenpeace briefing on this topic was written in 2005! This monumental win for ocean protection reminds us that taking action makes a difference and that people's power works! The Treaty has had many names over the years, but the core goal remained the same ? we needed oceans to be protected.

- Gaby Flores for Greenpeace International

© Nike, Inc.

?It?s been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. At Nike, we wholeheartedly agree. For over 50 years, we?ve endeavored to create a better future for athletes. This compels us forward, always. When we say, ?There is no finish line,?it?s not a lazy reference to an unending grind or destination-less journey, but rather an expression of our belief in the limitless potential of sport ? and design.?- John Hoke, Chief Design Officer, Nike W ith this opening paragraph from a foreword by Nike?s Chief Design Officer, John Hoke, the tone is set for ?No Finish Line,? a new book that aims to invite, inspire and provoke the next generation of athletes to create a better world through design and sport.

Through exploratory, multilevel conversations on design and critical inputs to it - - ? such as sports research, technology, and manufacturing ? ?No Finish Line? charts Nike?s 50 years of game-changing design and innovation in the service of athletes and sports and projects a vision for the next 50 years. In addition to the foreword from Hoke, the book includes speculative fiction by journalist Geoff Manaugh and essays from Sam Grawe, the author of ?Nike: Better Is Temporary.? The essays describe five major shifts design may undergo in the coming decades. To arrive at these shifts, Grawe interviewed more than a dozen of Nike?s most inspiring designers, scientists, engineers, researchers, and leaders, yielding unprecedented insights into Nike?s creative process. The collective voices projected a future of design that evolves from product to platform, performance to promise, elite to everyone, sustainable to symbiotic, and static to sensorial.

This sense of promise and evolution propels readers forward as ?No Finish Line? defines Nike?s culture of innovation through the lens of the athletes, designers, and scientists at its cutting edge; it celebrates design not as an outcome but as an endless journey; and suggests we can shape a better future by simply daring to create it. ?No Finish Line? is designed by Zak Group with custom illustrations by Bráulio Amado and synthesized imagery by PW R. The pocket-size paperback interprets the rich tradition of progressive bookmaking for a new era by combining text and found imagery to create graphic-rich layouts and visual collages.

Published by Actual Source, "No Finish Line" retails for $26 and is available February 14 through booksellers, including Actual Source Books and Machus in the United States; Artwords Bookshop, Counterpoint, Design Museum Den Bosch, do you read me?, ICA Bookstore, Librairie Sans Titre, MagCulture, Papercut, Vitra Design Museum and Yvon Lambert in Europe; and Bianji, Commune, DAIKANYAMA T-SITE and NADiff a/ p/ a/ r/ t in Japan.

"No Finish Line" Book

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 3.2 FEBRUARY, 2023 ISSUE

© Joel Chavez