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A 1,250-foot Photo Exhibit is Reopening at Brooklyn Bridge Park

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fence.jpg"The Fence," a very, very long installation organized by New York-based United Photo Industries and showcasing the work of 40 photographers, has reopened for its fourth year in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The outdoor exhibition has work selected by a jury of editors and photo professionals including photo editors at National Geographic and The New York Times, and functions as a companion to similar exhibitions in Atlanta, Houston, and Boston.

The installation stretches from the Northern tip of the park to Pier 5 at Joralemon Street. There's a tour of the exhibit on July 23rd at 6 pm. For more info, go here.

"We're In a Watershed Moment:" Political Punks Downtown Boys on Police Brutality and the Power of Protest

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Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 3.39.12 PM.pngGiven America's current chaotic climate, Downtown Boys are the most relevant band in the country. Part of our Beautiful People Class of 2015, the Providence-based sextet creates blistering political punk that takes on the prison-industrial complex, racism, and sexism... just to name a few. Their new album, Full Communism, came out this past May when police brutality was yet again back in the news following the death of Freddie Gray while in custody of the Baltimore police. In an #ICantBreathe-age of general frustration, unrest and too much complacency, Downtown Boys aren't shy about raising their voices and speaking out with songs like "Future Police" and "Wave of History." We talked to frontwoman Victoria Ruiz, guitar and backup vocalist Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Adrienne Berry, and drummer Norlan Olivo after a show at New York's Palisades to learn more about what makes them tick.

How'd you all first meet and decide to start a band?

Joey L DeFrancesco: It's a piecemeal question I guess. A few of us first met playing in the What Cheer? Brigade, which is a brass band in Providence -- this kind of punk brass band -- and we got the idea to start playing music from that. Victoria and I first met at the Renaissance Providence Hotel, where we were working, and later, organizing. Workers are still calling for a boycott of that hotel. Adrienne used to live in Detroit and then moved to Providence, and we met her through some other stuff, and then she joined. It's been a process to get to the current manifestation of the band.

Speaking of the Renaissance Providence, I've seen your viral YouTube video, in which you brought a marching band to the hotel in celebration of your quitting. What was the impetus for doing that?

DeFrancesco: They treat people like shit at that hotel, like they do at a lot of non-union hotels all over the country. And people are fighting back. I worked in room service; Victoria worked at the front desk, and in [reception]. In my department they paid us sub-minimum wage -- $5 an hour -- and the managers and the hotel were stealing more than half of our tip money. In housekeeping they're making these people clean 16, 17, 18 rooms a day in 8 hours. I think people have a hard conception of what that means, but it's a huge thing -- you have these massive duvets, you're on your hands and knees with chemicals. People were getting chemical burns. We were taking out an OSHA lawsuit about the stuff that was going on in the hotel. It's not unique to that hotel.

I was there for 3 or 4 years and we were organizing and fighting with the guy in the video and we eventually decided to leave, so I wanted to have like one big fun action as I was leaving the hotel. But the fight continues there, and there's still people organizing there at the Renaissance.

And Victoria, you moved from NYC to Providence, right?

Victoria Ruiz: Yeah.

I read that one of the main inspirations for your move from NYC to Providence was to find more activist causes, is that true?

Ruiz: Yeah, I moved to Providence because I heard about a lot of really good organizing that was happening at the hotels and also immigrant rights organizing and anti-prison-industrial-complex organizing and activism. Also, there are a lot of artists there. It's a place where you can actually work and work on many things -- like have a wage job and an art job and pay rent. In an age where gentrification's so prevalent everywhere, all over America, it's really hard to find that opportunity.

So it's like what NY once was, basically.

Ruiz: Yes! I went to college in NY and I was obsessed with the LES and Harlem. Obsessed. I was like "I'm never going to leave New York: this is it." I was so in love, and in 4 years saw just so much gentrification -- like bad land grabs and stuff -- and I moved to Providence. I was like "Oh my God! This is the romance! This is it!"

Victoria, you like to talk in-between songs and oftentimes it seems like there's an educational bent. How'd that become part of your set?

Ruiz: It's funny, when we first started I was only yelling at people, and I got a lot of "I love your energy, I didn't understand a word you were saying, but I love your energy!" Which is an awesome thing to hear, but after a while, though, you constantly have to push yourself. I'm like "Man! I'm talking about these important things, and I don't want to just throw them away," and I felt a responsibility not to. Now I try to actually focus and make them understandable. They all come from experiences and things that our songs are about.

Does that also play into the bilingual aspects of your songs?

Ruiz: Yeah! Norlan and I are Latino and sometimes you see one Latino person or you see like all Latino people [in a band], but to see a truly mixed band [where] everyone is their true self is super special. The bilingual stuff comes a lot out of protest chants.

I feel like that speaks a lot to the inclusiveness you guys try to practice.

Olivo: There's sort of this juxtaposition that we have as a band, where we are like this "force": we are this punk band, but the messages that we are giving people, the way that we are preforming, and the fun energy that we are bringing to the music is really important, as opposed to a lot of punk or hardcore bands that don't have any of this juxtaposition. It's just like angry, (for the most part) white males talking about angry stuff and yelling at people. It's sort of interesting that dynamic: how to balance having fun with a positive message, but also just being a punk band and staying true to that sort of aesthetic.

What are your thoughts on what's happening in our country with recent events in Texas, Ferguson, Ohio and Baltimore, among other places?

Ruiz: What's going on in Baltimore is just the next step in history. It's completely related to the trans-atlantic slave trade, it's completely related to neoliberalism, it's completely related to the way this country functions. We are in a complete watershed moment. It's completely urgent, completely critical, and it's completely violent -- on both sides. I think it should not be romanticized by the left and it also shouldn't be alienated by the right. Everyone has a part in making it relevant, and thinking about the step before it, and really the step after it. It comes up because police in the US are the kin of slave brigades, who are the kin of slave owners, who are the kin of white, male imperialists that came to this country and massacred Native Americans. Freddie Grey is resting in power with many people who have been massacred over the past 500 years, and the people who are rioting and who are fighting are in solidarity with the people who have resisted and fought for the past 500 years, and will continue for the next 500 years.

Get the Kleenex Out for Greg Holden's Touching "Boys In The Street" Video

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Along with artists like Miley Cyrus, UK-born, but Brooklyn based singer-songwriter, Greg Holden is admirably using his voice to express his support of LGBT rights. In his latest music video for his song, "Boys in The Street," Holden touches our hearts as he tells the story of a young man coming out to his father. Although the two ultimately come to understand each other, it's no smooth path to seeing eye to eye. By creatively using mannequins instead of actors, the video demonstrates that this tale is not limited to an individual experience, but it is representative of various parent-child relationships everywhere. Watch it if your ready for some tears to be jerked.

"'Happy' is a Revolutionary Song": Al Gore and Pharrell Talk Music, Optimism and Live Earth 2015

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Photo: Masha Macpherson / AP

Al Gore and Pharrell Williams want us -- one billion of us -- to "take climate action now" by signing a petition that they will submit to the UN's Climate Change Conference in December. To that end, they've announced Live Earth Road to Paris, a day of linked concerts, taking place this fall, that will span all seven continents. Last month, the two environmentalists (Pharrell works with the sustainable textile brand Bionic Yarn) spoke with us about their sky-high goals.

When did you guys meet?

Al Gore: Well, that would be back in 2007. Pharrell was already a giant figure in music and entertainment and popular culture back then. Of course it's way more than that now, but he had already been part of the Neptunes and produced all these amazing acts. When I called him up to ask him to consider helping with the first Live Earth, I honestly called knowing a lot about him and knowing that we would hit it off -- but we more than hit it off. I don't want to overstate this, but we had a conversation that went on for hours and it really was unusually gratifying. I felt like I had made a friend in short order, and it's kind of embarrassing to say this with Pharrell on the line, but I'm really super impressed with his mind and art, and we just have very similar outlooks and both want to make the world a better place. 

Pharrell, what was it like for you getting that call?

Pharrell Williams: First of all, Al, that was super kind of you. Second of all, you know, it's Al Gore, man! This is a guy who at that time had recently released [An Inconvenient Truth] and it was brilliant because the pundits made just as much noise as the advocates did. I credit him and his movement with just getting everyone's attention, whether they agreed or they disagreed. That was the best thing it could have ever done, because it made everybody weigh in with what they thought about it. And they paid attention all because of this brilliant film that this man put out. So here it is, like, the Vice President, who has made one of the biggest pieces of informative content about our home, something that we take for granted so much so that people kind of forget that we do live on a planet. You know, if you're going to and fro every day, you forget that the planet is round; it's not just this flat place that goes on forever. It's going through a change, and this guy did that. So, I guess that was a very long answer just to say... when you hear everything he'd done, then you know what it meant for me to get that phone call. 

What kind of engagement are you aiming for with Live Earth 2015, other than getting people to sign the petition? How do you want people to take action -- by raising their own voices? Using their social networks? Donating money?

AG: You know, we're not trying to raise money; we're trying to raise awareness. We're trying to raise commitment. And what we're asking people to do is not only to watch and enjoy Live Earth, but to become a change agent and sign the petition -- and if you want to, take a selfie and document the fact that you are signing @LiveEarth and post the photos and encourage your friends to sign the Live Earth petition. Volunteer to host a Live Earth viewing party. Use the hashtag #ClimateChangeAgent. Just get involved and make our system of advocacy and self-government and representative democracy work better than it has on a lot of issues, because we've got to make it work on this: the whole future depends on it. We're going to win this, OK? I'm very optimistic, but the reason I am optimistic is because I have faith that people are going to respond.

How do you stay focused on positive change and results while still letting people know that there are major problems that we have to take on?

PW: I think our biggest problem as a species is that people are just oblivious to the real effects. If anything, it's hard to get people to weigh in on something that they just don't see or detect. The awareness is needed because we have to get this petition signed. Without it, we can't get it done. It's that simple. Without the petition, we just can't get anything done, and we have to enlighten the folks. And that's what this is all about.

You both have kids. How do you urge your own families to follow your example, and what advice would you give to other parents?

AG: My kids are older than Pharrell's 'cause I'm older than Pharrell [laughs]. I'm blessed to have kids that really do understand this and have been making their own contributions to moving the problem towards a solution. I've got grandkids now, and one of the things that motivates me the most is [the question], What are we going to leave to our kids and grandkids? We are wired to respond to short term threats, but when we confront a huge global challenge, we've got to communicate with one another and use our capacity to rise above our limitations and see how much is at stake in order to be good parents and, in my case, grandparents, so that we can say to our kids, "We care about you. We care enough about you that we're going to try to build a future that's worthy of you." 

PW: My little boy is six, and I talk to him about the planet all the time so that, from a very young age, he's cognizant of our home. We only have one home. If your house burns down, there is no moving -- at least not now; we're not going to be on Mars for 20, 30 years, right? So we've got to figure this out here. There's smoke in the atmosphere, pun intended, and we have to open the windows to the greenhouse gases. 

Do you think that every celebrity, every politician has an obligation to do something like what you guys are doing?

PW: You know, when I first started out in the music industry, I had a huge problem whenever people would come down on athletes about their tattoos or the way that they act in public or how they dress when they're not in uniform. But I've learned that they were right. When you are known for something and you represent something, you're representing it all the time. A marine is not just a marine in uniform; a marine is a marine in his heart, no matter what he has on, so he rises to the occasion. And celebrities -- well, not myself -- are beacons of light and they are meant to enlighten. And if you're not doing that, then you're just going for selfish reasons. So I do think it is every artist's responsibility. In order for this beehive to work, every worker bee has to get involved.

AG: I'm trying to figure out how to say something without sounding like I'm just praising Pharrell to the skies. When somebody is speaking the truth in a powerful way, you can feel it, you can sense it. If there's no artificiality, no fame chasing, no ulterior motive... to use a corny Star Trek metaphor, the truth has a tractor beam: when you plug into it, it pulls you along. And when you speak the truth and you feel it deeply, those who can hear you can feel it. Pharrell doesn't speak out a lot about a lot of stuff, but he gives a lot of thoughtful consideration to what he gets involved in. And then when he does speak, people know that he's for real.

How do you think music can galvanize people to take action beyond watching the concert or listening to the album?

PW: An important fact is so much easier to remember when it rhymes and it has a melody. That is the original job and purpose of a song. It is to communicate a message, make it easier to remember. So here we're just going back to primal roots as a species. 

AG: Yeah, science proves that people hear music in a way that is different from the way they absorb any other kind of message. Without getting geeky on you, they can measure the brain activity, no kidding. Music is powerful in any culture, in every nationality, all through any age of time. I don't pretend to understand it, but there is absolutely no question that people respond to music in a way that's very different and more powerful than they respond to practically any other kind of message.

What songs have inspired you to do what you're doing?

AG: I remember as a kid growing up in the south, when Bob Dylan wrote "Blowin' in The Wind" and then later on when Peter Paul and Mary made it accessible to an even larger audience, it was one of many songs in that era that blew me away. I don't remember songs having a powerful message that changed my whole relationship to other people the way those civil rights songs did. That was the beginning of my awareness of how powerful music could be in motivating people to make the world a better place. 

PW: This kid Sawyer [Fredericks] that won The Voice, he represents something very new and different. His music wasn't necessarily all over pop radio, but his songs and his covers that he sings were at the top of the iTunes charts. America's heartland voted for this kid, and he's up here singing songs by John Fogerty and Ray LaMontagne: very earthy and very folk. And where there is folk and Americana, there is consideration for "live and let live" and that incredible hippie spirit that we had in the '60s and '70s. I think that there is something happening in this country, and I can feel the day coming where there will be a lot of songs about what's actually going on. You're asking me about songs that have impressions on me -- I feel like they have yet to be heard. 

AG: By the way, the one song that has had the biggest impact on a global basis in the last few years really is "Happy." I mean, when the rulers in Iran feel like they have to sit up and take notice because the young people in Iran are singing and dancing to "Happy"; when the United Nations has a special day to celebrate happy [the International Day of Happiness], it's really something. It connects for me to what we are doing on Live Earth because it really is a joyful experience to have a mission that is so important and so consequential and so meaningful for our kids. Sometimes people look at these big challenges and they think, Woe is me, we've got these terrible threats facing us. No! It is a joyful privilege to be able to turn your labors to really making the world a better place. That may sound corny to you, but I've gone through a big change in the last few years about the attitude and spirit of what this work is about. I'm optimistic, I'm hopeful we are going to win this, and the work that we are inviting people to join in is really joyful work that has a joyful outcome. "Happy" is a revolutionary song, in a very surprising way. People think of social action and global change as a heavy burden to undertake... no, it's not that at all. It really is a happy and joyful task to be able to see a path toward making the world a better place.


Find more info on Live Earth Road to Paris here.

Beirut Gets Wes Anderson-Absurdist in their Video for "No No No"

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Taking some cues from Wes Anderson, Beirut pull out the blush-tone pastels, Futura-mimicky typography and quirky hijinks in their new video for "No No No."

The title track of their new album due out in September, the video is a silly, absurdist parody of the American Bandstand set-up...which would probably explain the surprise baguette, puke scene and cardboard guitar. Oh, and a skunk. And this whimsical attitude is reflected within "No No No's" upbeat jaunt and gleeful brass, which contrasts nicely with frontman Zach Condon's sonorous, cognac-soaked voice. Watch the video below.

Mr. Mickey's Favorite Looks from London Collection Mens

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London is a city of extremes. You see the hippest kids in the latest streetwear trends rubbing elbows with immaculately turned-out business men in Savile Row suits. Luckily we love both ends of the London men's style spectrum. Take a peek at Mr. Mickey's favorite looks from LCM both high-end and ultra-hip.

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.04.56 PM.pngBurberry's luxurious black and white as worn by Victor Hansen, MM's favorite male model of the season.

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.09.49 PM.pngChristopher Shannon's way-oversized denim dungarees

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.15.14 PM.pngJW Anderson's uber chic 1980s angdrogyny


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Alexander McQueen's Op Art suit

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.26.38 PM.pngCoach's pop art 'twin set' and shearling shower slides

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.21.58 PM.pngSibling's disco quarterback

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.13.30 PM.pngKTZ's fantastic plastic

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.29.02 PM.pngTom Ford's update of Andy Warhol's Factory look

Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 3.11.12 PM.pngNasir Mazhar's urban ninja


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Margaret Howell's sophisticated sportswear

Photographs via Style.com
Tom Ford photograph via WWD.com




alice + olivia Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary With a Bash In Montauk

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(Photo by Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com)

"I remember when we first opened feeling like people didn't really dress up in the Hamptons," alice + olivia designer Stacey Bendet says of the fashion scene out on Long Island when she debuted her first store in East Hampton ten years ago. "Since then there's been a fashion and scene explosion. People dress more like they do in New York City when they go out." In honor of the ten-year anniversary of the brand's first brick-and-mortar shop, Bendet and friends are celebrating with a big bash in Montauk this weekend. While Montauk may have, in Bendet's words, become "Williamsburg abroad," the longtime Hampton-goer remembers when everyone would party in Southampton and Montauk was still a quieter surfer scene.

"I still flash back to being in college and that excitement of driving out for a party," she says. "I remember going to the first Diddy White Party and feeling like it was the coolest place in the world," Bendet recalls. It's clear that the designer has a soft spot for the area and that her decision to open her first store in East Hampton was no coincidence. "The alice + olivia girl loves a party and there is never a moment without one in the Hamptons!" she says.

And what should that alice + olivia party girl be wearing this summer?

"It's all about crochet kaftans, kimonos, long skirts and a summer bohemian feel," she says. "But I will say, I still envision the traditional Hamptonite ladies in all white and the men in their preppy pastel checks and plaids..."

Rob Zombie is Directing a Groucho Marx Biopic

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groucho1.jpgIn a bizarre piece of movie development news, Rob Zombie -- the guy who wrote and directed House of 1000 Corpses -- is directing a Groucho Marx biopic. It's not like Marx, one of the most popular and influential comedians of the past ever, is a bad subject for a biopic. The movie, which will be based on Raised Eyebrows, a memoir written by Groucho secretary Steve Soliar, is just a little surprising. It's also going to be focused relatively narrowly on Groucho's final years, when he was hanging out at Studio 54 and reportedly exploited by Canadian actress Erin Fleming. It's a time that Zombie describes as Groucho's "Sunset Boulevard." So this might be a really interesting movie, but it also might just be too sad to watch. Put it another way: We wouldn't bet our lives on it being a success.




Truly, Beyonce Being On-Beat is a Law of Physics

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beyonce-dance.pngThe #BeyonceAlwaysOnBeat meme is yet another permutation of the world's collective worship of Beyonce, showcasing the way that you can watch her dance to pretty much anything and it will still work somehow. Finally, someone tried it with the chicken dance. Yes, the chicken dance. And the result is... stunning? Horrifying? Perfect? We use a lot of adjectives to describe Bey, it's definitely one of those.



If that was too much to handle, calm down a little with Bey's Drake collaboration, "Can I." Then catch up on the rest of the meme. [via Cosmo]

Be Bad Girl RiRi for a Day with her New Collection of Temporary Tattoos

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Always wanted to try out what it feels like to be Bad Girl RiRi for a day, but don't have access to the best kush in 'bados and reindeer antlers? Well now you can with the singer's new collection of temporary tattoos.

A collaboration with designer Jacquie Aiche, they represent Rihanna's "darker, Gothic side" mixed with daintier elements like cameos, foliage-inspired swirls and nods to henna. 

You can purchase the refined collections in either black or gold, with each pack coming with several choker, knuckle and cuticle tats, as well as a DIY nameplate option. The only question we have is where's the ribcage Isis


A photo posted by Rihanna Daily (@rihannadaily) on


Channing Tatum's Penis Is Named Gilbert and Other Highlights From His Reddit AMA

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BFA_3520_383153.jpg(Photo by Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com)

Channing Tatum seems to have embraced the fact that celebrities' private lives are public -- especially when they star in a movie about a stripping convention, as he will in the sequel Magic Mike XXL, premiering July 1. "I thought I'd expose myself... to your questions, " he cheekily (pun intended) introduced his Reddit AMA.

So, in case you have any burning questions about using the bathroom outside during a blizzard, concocting the perfect PB&J, or, of course, selecting a penis nickname, read on for some enlightening pieces of information about your boy Chan.


He's had some pretty, er, unique overseas adventures.

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He's obsessed with a video game about shooting pirates.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 11.50.57.pngAs a Game of Thrones fan, he identifies with a teenage king.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 11.58.23.pngBut as far as fictional characters go,
he's also pretty into Care Bear's lion and rabbit.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.25.34.pngHe's not his own biggest fan.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.30.36.pngHe finds that people become kinder when you strip them of their clothing, which could explain a lot.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.04.35.png His perfect PB&J is dangerously cheesy.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.18.32.pngAnd, in his wildest dreams, it grows from a palm tree.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.35.23.pngHis zombie apocalypse survival strategy involves a crossbow, ninja chimpanzees, and Sandra Bullock's house.
Screenshot 2015-06-18 12.44.29.pngAnd now, the moment we've all been waiting for...
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But it looks like Gilbert (or is it Gilbert Gilbert?) won't be making an appearance on screen.
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Tatum also announced a contest to attend the Magic Mike XXL premiere, promising "a ginormous stripshow" afterward -- in case you haven't gotten enough, ahem, exposure to him.

In a Desperate Attempt to Appear Cool, Zookeepers are Mimicking Chris Pratt

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prattkeeping.jpgJurassic World is a big, big, big hit. While the effects of its opening weekend on the movie industry may be, um, bad, it has spawned at least one thing that's fun to think about on the internet:  #JurassicZoo, under which zookeepers are posting photos of themselves trying to "wrangle" their charges in a similar fashion to Chris Pratt's character in the movie.

Some of them include larger animals.


Others are... smaller.


Okay: #JurassicZoo is a lot of fun, especially for the smaller animals. But other than the whole "keeping animals caged" thing, zookeeping is pretty awesome by itself! If this gets people to pay attention to those who get to hang out with animals all day great, but otherwise? Keep doing you, zookeepers. You don't need Chris Pratt to make you feel special.


Amy Schumer Is Going to Open For Madonna in NYC this Fall

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2 hot Blondes Together! Im soooooo HAPpY! Watch out ❤️#rebeltour here we come!

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on


(Photo via Instagram)

Praise the powers/booking agents that be for getting BAMF Amy Schumer to open for our very own goddess Madonna on the NYC dates for her Rebel Heart tour this September. 

Schumer took to social media earlier this morning to confirm her spot with an old "audition tape" of her singing along to Madonna's "Like A Prayer." Looks like her (and our) prayers have finally been answered. 

10 Actors from the '50s and '60s to Crush Over

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Movie star hotties are not exactly a new phenomenon. Come with me into the fan mag mentality of days past, when film icons were always worth mooning over. Here are 10 titillating pinup types of the golden age. All together, they comprise a fabulous list of the husbands that got away, but not in my mind.

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ALDO RAY  (1926-1991)

A Pennsylvania-born Italian American, Aldo provided a sturdy film presence with a husky voice and a bit of a twinkle. He played opposite Judy Holliday (The Marrying Kind) and Rita Hayworth (Miss Sadie Thompson) and his presence was always felt. The guy was solid.

ebfa6040941b3cf90e2048d4cdee98c8.jpgTY HARDIN (1930-)
Ty starred in the TV series Bronco
and in very of-their-time melodramas like The Chapman Report and Berserk (opposite cougar Joan Crawford). In another remarkable achievement, he's been married eight times. But mainly he's notable for his very handsome Palm Springsy looks, which endure on celluloid.

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FRED WILLIAMSON (1938-)

A football hero who became a movie icon a la Jim Brown, Williamson was in one classic film comedy (M*A*S*H), one Liza movie (Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon), and a bunch of exploitation flicks (Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem). More recently, he stayed relevant with parts in From Dusk Till Dawn and Inglorious Basterds. Whatever his project of the moment, the man redefines hunk-a-dunka-do.


DENNIS O'KEEFE (1908-1968)
O'Keefe became an MGM player in the 1930s and kept working, partly thanks to his movie star looks. He did an occasional quality film, but generally nothing too distinguished (Topper Returns, Dishonored Lady). But who cares? Dennis had a square jaw, nice bone structure, and a lovely bit of a randy look in the eye.

BEAUTIFUL MEN GAVIN.jpgJOHN GAVIN (1931-)
With his chiseled looks, Gavin could portray carnality without even trying. He did three extremely memorable films (Imitation of Life, Psycho, and Thoroughly Modern Millie) and he's also remembered for almost getting to be James Bond and for definitely being the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico from 1981-86. Accept no imitation of Gavin. He's the man for me.

Alain-Delon-In-1963.jpegALAIN DELON (1935-)
Alain was alternately called the French James Dean and the male Brigitte Bardot, but he was his own homme, smoldering in art films like Purple Noon, Rocco and His Brothers, and The Leopard. The guy didn't make it as a Hollywood star, but he did make it as a real-life romancer, having been linked with Romy Schneider, Nico, and other lucky people. C'est si bon.

139272_full.jpgMICHAEL PARKS (1938-)
A motorcycle riding TV star, Parks played one of the ultimate roles -- a scantily clad Adam in The Bible -- as well as helping populate '60s swinging romps like The Idol and The Happening. Tarantino re-anointed him by putting him in Kill Bill films and Django Unchained. Any movie with him in it is a welcome exercise in Parks and recreation.

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KEIR DULLEA (1936-)
A handsome, somewhat otherworldly actor, Dullea debuted in 1961's The Hoodlum Priest and went on to films like the missing person drama Bunny Lake is Missing (in which he played a psycho) and 1968's sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which he gave Hal a run for his gigabytes. Keir Dullea, not gone tomorrow.

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TOM TRYON (1926-91)
From I Married a Monster From Outer Space to the hyped dud The Cardinal, the handsomely cheekboned Tryon didn't attain first tier movie stardom. But he then wrote the book The Other and he also came out of the closet, making it big as a novelist/gay. Interestingly, one of his books was the basis for Billy Wilder's cult film Fedora.


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HENRY SILVA (1928-)

A New York actor of Sicilian and Spanish descent, this guy always projected an interesting, uncertain ethnicity and reliably played heavies, with roles in The Manchurian Candidate and Johnny Cool. He was cool all right. Henry had "it."








The New Antwerp Six: Rising Belgian Designers Shaking Up the Fashion Scene

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Avant-garde is an everyday thing in Antwerp, Belgium's most fashionable city. The world's diamond trading capital burst onto the fashion scene in 1988, when the Antwerp Six (Walter van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee), all graduates from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Arts, showed their deconstructed collections together at London Fashion Week. Current design stars Raf Simons, Kris van Assche and Bernhard Willhelm have all once called Antwerp home.

Aside from the fame of the Six, Antwerp's fashion stardom is largely due to the sterling reputation of the Royal Academy, where Walter Van Beirendonck is artistic director. With a highly selective admission process, the Academy draws talented fashion students from around the world for its conceptual take on garment creation. And as home to several luxury houses, the city just north of Brussels has become a hotspot for young fashion creatives, retaining many Academy graduates who choose to remain in the city when their studies are over.

Below, get to know six rising stars from the Antwerp scene.

CJ_Collage_R.jpgChristian Wijnants

"Belgian fashion is about individualism," says the Brussels-born designer, whose rich, layered graphics combined with elegant knitwear are simultaneously subtle and outstanding and A-line skirts paired with over-sized cardigans take on a new look under his eye. It's a delicate hand that caught the attention of Dries Van Noten, who named Wijnants' graduate collection from the Royal Academy 'Best Collection' in 2000 before taking him under his wing in Antwerp. From there, Christian went on to work with Angelo Tarlazzi in Paris before he returned to Antwerp to launch his eponymous label in 2003. Having already sold his collection to more than 100 boutiques worldwide, including Barneys and Harvey Nichols, the designer will finally get his own flagship in Antwerp in September.

"Antwerp has a rich history and I love the city. It keeps on inspiring me."-- Christian Wijnants

CJ_Collage_G.jpgWim Bruynooghe

"There's a nostalgic greyness," to Antwerp that inspires Wim Bruynooghe, who grew up in the nearby coastal city of Ostende. Both cities have an openness that comes from their location directly on the North Sea.

With a palette of blues, grays and neutrals mixed with ruffles that tumble down from the shoulder or waist, the rough and tumble influence of the North Atlantic is  apparent. While the label is still relatively new, the recent opening of a flagship in Antwerp has held the buying public's attention in a fast-paced industry. "Creating a hype around a sweater seems way too easy and that's not what fashion should be about. We prefer instead to create a world."

CJ_Collage_B_S.jpgToos Franken

A small, one-woman shop, Toos Franken took a non-conventional path to launching her line in 2014. After working as an assistant in the pattern ateliers at Ann Demeulemeester and Haider Ackermann, Franken enrolled in a two-year patternmaking course before branching out on her own. These experiences as a patternmaker shine through in her womenswear, the entirety of which she still makes by hand. In her first collection, she produced about 150 individual pieces of about 30 styles; each piece feels, then, one-of-a-kind, which fits well with Franken's design philosophy.

"You should buy clothes because you love them and not because you want an excessive amount of them. It costs a lot of money to buy handmade in Belgium, so I don't want them to be worn out in a year or that people will recognize it as something from a previous season. They will stand out a little bit but I want my jacket to be something that you can keep for 20 years and then give it to your granddaughter."

CJ_Collage_O_S.jpgCedric Jacquemyn

Growing up in the shadow of the Antwerp Six shaped Cedric Jacquemyn's understanding of fashion entirely. The group's influence is seen not only in Jacquemyn's designs, which rely heavily on draping to create sophisticated urban menswear looks that layer well, but also very much determines the way his business has developed since its inception in 2010. 

"I've always been interested in Belgian fashion and in Antwerp. There's a focus on smaller, more independent fashion brands. If you look at Belgian fashion labels, there's always this quest for being free and though your life or your label may get more serious, the strength of the Royal Academy is that it forced creative thinking, which in turn becomes a reminder of your freedom. Doing what you believe in means it takes longer to get off the ground."

Still, Jacquemyn remains confident about the trajectory of Belgian fashion. "For the first time in Belgian history, you have labels who are no longer being designed by Belgians but all the labels stay true to themselves."

While that's true of his own designs, over the last five years, Jacquemyn says his label has changed very much on the business side. Having already shown in Paris, London and Copenhagen, Jacquemyn has decided to sit this runway season out in favor of gaining a closer connection to the wearer and concentrating on the more personalized sales approach. "We make the prototypes in my atelier by hand but work with Belgian production companies. It's important for us, then, to find more stores that are focused on quality, on the handmade garment. Shops becoming more like galleries is the future of fashion."

"There's a cooperative, not competitive atmosphere here, which is inspiring."-- Cedric Jacquemyn

CJ_Collage_p.jpgMarius Janusauskus

The youngest of the bunch, Marius Janusauskus has just put the finishing touches on his first collection after graduating from the Royal Academy in 2012. "It was inspired by Gertrude Stein," he says. "The American traveling to Paris and the mix of two cultures and the mixing of symbols." An interesting inspirational mix, considering Janusauskus had to do extra legwork after first arriving in Antwerp after growing up in post-Soviet Lithuania.
 
"I came out of post-Soviet Lithuania, so for me the whole Western culture we were denied access to was so foreign, that barrier between us and them. I had to study Western culture, the symbols, looks and ideas that I was lacking before because of growing up with Russian culture."

That homework paid off with a collection that's both comfortable and wearable while also remaining forward-thinking in its style.

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Photos by Quentin De Wispelaere

Devon Halfnight Leflufy


Though only just getting started in the fashion world, Devon Halfnight Leflufy already has the strong credentials necessary for a major breakthrough. One of 26 designers nominated for the second edition of the LVMH Prize, the Canadian-born menswear designer works with buyers in Paris, presents his collections in New York and has already been picked up by Opening Ceremony in LA, though he still calls Antwerp home, even after finishing his Master's from the Royal Academy. "I'm struck by the juxtaposition of history and tradition, against an emptiness that allows you to work and explore freely."




The Coolest Person in the Room: Jake Levy

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photo via Instagram

In our column, "The Coolest Person In the Room," we're asking our favorite nightlife pros (hosts, DJs, door people, promoters, bar/club owners, club kids, bartenders, socialites) to tell us about who they think is the one party person whose look is always on point, whose energy is contagious, and whose scene is worth checking out -- basically, that person at the club who they've got their eye on and think we all should know. In each installment, the previous "coolest person in the room" will pass the baton and nominate someone else. 

Last week we featured Sussi Suss and he's been kind enough to nominate our next 'Coolest Person in the Room,'Jake Levy.

Who is Jake?

Jake Levy, an LA native now living in New York, is a self-made fashion icon. [Whether he's] posting outfits he styled on Instagram or twirling across the dance floor, everybody knows Jake. Jake often hosts parties atPaul's Baby Grand and Subrosa, and always keeps everyone dancing until the sun comes up. The amount of energy this eager-to-please sweetheart has is so bright and refreshing. You can't help but love him.

Why do you love him? 

Jake is one of my favorite people in NYC because he radiates joy; his carefree personality makes every night out with him spontaneous and always refreshing. Going to clubs with Jake is a blast but I think the best time to hang out with him is during happy hour, drinking a margarita, flirting with European men...He always has everyone's attention. His style is nothing like New York has seen in a very long time -- it's corporate, Amish, gypsy-chic -- and not just club looks. He's always in something eye-catching that makes people ask "Where'd you get that?"

What makes him unique in nightlife? 

Jake is unique because he is so new; he is like a breath of fresh air in a hot, sweaty club at 3:30 a.m. He drives with positivity and always has a smile on his face; welcoming to those who are afraid of nightlife and just want to make friends. In nightlife there are a lot of negative people, but Jake brings joy to partygoers's nights, constantly asking how they are doing. Being one of the founders of the Instagram hashtag/trend/phenomenon, "#HEELCONCEPT," he also has made waves in the fashion and art worlds by making people get creative. His Instagram photos are like paintings.

When was the first time you ever met him? 

I don't really remember where I met Jake for the first time...but I do remember the day I first started to really love him. Jake and his roommate Stefan were having a housewarming party at their new home so deep in Brooklyn that it could have been in the country. [It was this] house with an old library, huge gates and a courtyard, so I looked over to my friend Sebastian (the one who introduced me to Jake) and we giggled about how insane it was that he lived in this grand palace. And so we went up this spiral staircase, where Jake greeted us at his door in a gigantic purple ball gown -- it had a hoop skirt and everything. He was running around the apartment greeting everybody with a warm hug and showing them around, and it's times like this that could really make anyone love him. 

What is your favorite memory you have of Jake? 

One of my favorite memories is the night I was hosting Straight Acting at This n' That in Brooklyn. I needed an outfit to wear and literally had no idea what I wanted to do, so Jake threw together an outfit in 5 minutes that was so on point, I could have worn it on a red carpet. He mixed latex with a sunhat and JPG with fetish gear and flowers. He's brimming with fresh ideas and I trust him 100% with styling. 

"Them Changes" Are Good: Thundercat Has a Mini-Album Coming Monday

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a385f5c5.jpgIf you've been listening to many major music releases over the last couple of years, you've probably heard Thundercat, a.k.a. Stephen Bruner, an extraordinarily talented bassist and producer, even if you've never heard his name. A frequent collaborator with Flying Lotus, Thundercat is all over last year's You're Dead!, as well as Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly. (For a longer read on his contributions, check out Jeff Weiss'excellent profile in Rolling Stone.)

Now, Thundercat is releasing his first new record since 2013's excellent Apocalypse, a mini-album titled The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam that reportedly features Herbie Hancock, on Lotus' Brainfeeder label. Check out the first released track, "Them Changes," below, then start getting very, very excited. [via Pitchfork]




Jesus Walks: Behold the Yeezy Boost 350, Kanye's New Kicks

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Craving "All Day" comfort? A shoe that will get you from point A to B in "FourFiveSeconds"? Well stop groaning (no matter how bad my jokes are), because Kanye's newest shoe, the Yeezy Boost 350, will be available starting June 27th.

A collaboration between Ye and Adidas, the second sneaker in his Boost collection are apparently made of "a breakthrough material" that fits like a second skin called Primeknit, which means that they'll carry you far while also providing for peak comfort. Printed with an eye-catching black and white knit design, both Kanye and Kim have been spotted testing out the kicks. Talk about taking the his & her's to the next level.

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Selfie with Mickey & Minnie

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on


"Jesus Walks," y'all.

h/ti-D


Listen to Robyn's New House Banger "Love Is Free"

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Robyn, amongst the greatest pop philosophers of our time (what's more moody existentialist than "Dancing On My Own"?), proclaims that "Love Is Free" on a new buoyant single that comes courtesy of a side project she's been teasing for a while now. 

Dubbed La Bagatelle Magique, the project is the result of recordings with bandmate Markus Jägerstedt and late collaborator Christian Falk, who died during the making of the album. As such, Robyn and Jägerstedt are still hoping to release a mini-album of completed material "really soon."

A verifiable club-ready, Euro-house banger (that also has a weird moment of Spanish?), listen to the track premiere on Annie Mac's BBC show, followed by an interview with Robyn herself. Listen below.

Hear Lauryn Hill's Stirring Cover Of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good"

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lauryn.jpgNetflix's Nina Simone documentary, What Happened, Ms. Simone?, looks fantastic. But it's not the whole package. A compilation of musicians covering the legendary singer is now set to be released July 10. The artists involved range from Usher to Common, but the prize is Lauryn Hill, who reportedly increased her involvement from the original plan of two songs to six. Rolling Stone premiered the first of these, a striking version of "Feeling Good," and you can hear it below.

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