For venture capitalists, Newbury Street is in fashion - The Boston Globe |
- For venture capitalists, Newbury Street is in fashion - The Boston Globe
- The Co-opting of Modest Fashion - The New York Times
- Star Wars X Levi's Combines the Force with Fashion - Star Wars
- Fall fashion trends: The top 3 things you need to add to your fall wardrobe - Virginia Tech Collegiate Times
| For venture capitalists, Newbury Street is in fashion - The Boston Globe Posted: 20 Oct 2019 04:30 PM PDT Advertisement But a decade ago, a younger generation of entrepreneurs were starting and growing companies in the city, rather than the suburbs. They and their employees wanted to walk, bike, or take public transit to work. A few venture capital firms tuned into that, and returned to the city — Kendall Square in Cambridge, or back to downtown or out to the Seaport District. But then, Kendall and the Seaport got too pricey for most startups, as bigger companies (think Google, Biogen, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and PTC) gobbled up office space. Up-and-coming startups were finding cheaper space in Downtown Crossing, the Financial District, and the Back Bay. At one time, I found it odd going to the Prudential Center to visit a fast-growing e-commerce company; now that company, Wayfair, is one of the biggest office tenants in the city, and it has spread out around Copley Square. So in 2014, when it needed to raise money, Wayfair didn't have to go far: Newbury Street, where Spark Capital was among the first of the region's major firms to open an office, back in 2005. Advertisement "We saw the sprawling suburban VC offices as the boneyard, and decided we needed to be in Boston," said Spark cofounder Todd Dagres. "The tech space was changing, and the city seemed like the place to be at the time. It differentiated us from other VCs. Now, you're different if you are in the suburbs." Next came Third Rock Ventures, in 2007. "Having worked together in Cambridge for twenty-plus years, we were looking for something nontraditional," says chief operating officer Kevin Gillis. Located above a Miniluxe nail salon, Third Rock is known for helping to commercialize recently discovered technologies from research hospitals and academic labs. So it doesn't hurt to be close to Cambridge, Longwood Medical Area, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Among the companies that Third Rock has backed are Editas Medicine, which is using gene editing to address eye diseases, and Sage Therapeutics, developing new drugs to treat depression. Both are now publicly traded. And this summer, Third Rock announced it had raised $770 million in fresh capital to invest in new health care startups. Over the Nike Store is Flare Capital Partners, which also funds health care startups, but more on the technologies used for payments or managing patient data, rather than in new medicines. Being able to walk to work is part of the appeal for Flare cofounder Michael Greeley, who lives on Beacon Hill. And he noted that space in most Back Bay office towers is "crazy expensive right now," with Wayfair and other rapidly growing tenants, such as DraftKings, taking over much of the available space. Advertisement Rick Grinnell, a founder of Glasswing Ventures, observed that Kendall Square and the Seaport "have become impossible to get to, or out of, given congestion." Plus, there's often parking available on Newbury's metered spots during the day, he says, for the reasonable price of $7.50 for two hours. "Given that I used to have an office in Kendall, and then the Financial District, the number of guest complaints about visiting and parking have gone down substantially," Grinnell said. And with smaller buildings, it's easy to get an entire floor and have guests come directly off the elevator into a custom-designed space, rather than a generic hallway. Much of the office space on Newbury is being upgraded, said Wil Catlin,of Boston Realty Advisors. When I contacted him last week, Catlin said he had three tours scheduled for investment firms looking at offices on Newbury Street. Of course, the upgraded workspaces, combined with demand from deep-pocketed tenants, means that rents are rising — from the $60 per square foot range up to $80 or $90 per square foot, Catlin said. Three of the newest venture capital firms on Newbury are at opposite ends of the street. Elephant Partners raised $250 million last year to invest in mobile apps, consumer-oriented websites, and software for businesses. Its library-like office is upstairs from Dolce & Gabbana, at the high-priced end of Newbury near the Public Garden. Elephant's founders include Andrew Hunt, who previously helped start Warby Parker, located one block west of Elephant's offices. (That block has another new arrival on Newbury: Innospark Ventures, which invests in artificial intelligence startups.) Advertisement At the Massachusetts Avenue end, above Urban Outfitters, is Mendoza Ventures, which manages a small fund of about $10 million. It invests in cybersecurity, financial tech, and artificial intelligence startups and was founded by the husband-and-wife team of Adrian and Senofer Mendoza. Adrian Mendoza recalls his days an entrepreneur looking for money and having to drive to Waltham to meet with venture capital firms. "You had to go to the mountaintop to make your offering to the Waltham gods," he said. Now, Mendoza says, "the number of entrepreneurs who've ridden bikes to meet us feels like it is half or three-quarters of them. The whole drive-to-Waltham thing is over." Scott Kirsner can be reached at kirsner@pobox.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottKirsner.  |
| The Co-opting of Modest Fashion - The New York Times Posted: 15 Oct 2019 04:00 AM PDT  Once upon a time, women's wear was rife with transparency. With miniskirts and spaghetti-strap dresses and tank tops. With fashions intended to show some skin and combat the heat. Not anymore. Now we have hems that sweep the floor, sleeves that dangle so far down they are practically in the dust and necklines that rise to the chin. Cardi B winning Paris Fashion Week in a head-to-toe matching bodysuit, coat and skirt, not an inch of skin exposed. There is no longer any doubt that what used to be called "modest" dressing — clothes sensitive to religious requirements more than fashion — has become a part of mainstream trend. But what does that mean for women whose modest clothes are about more than just style? Nadia Krayem, an Australian photographer, has worked with Think Fashion, the group behind Modest Fashion Week, and photographed the "hijabi ballerina" Stephanie Kurlow. She said that while she believes the mainstreaming of modest fashion has "made modest dressing easier," she has concerns over its evolution. "It has been appropriated," Ms. Krayem said. And in this, perhaps, shorn of its original context and message. Today modest dressing means "different things to different groups," said Batsheva Hay, a lawyer turned designer now known for her prairie-style dresses. When she began to observe Shabbat with her Orthodox Jewish husband, she said she could only find appropriate dresses she liked on a "vintage" trawl — until she made them herself using old Laura Ashley fabrics. To her, it's "the spirit of the clothes" that's important. Marwa Biltagi, a modest fashion blogger who works under the name Mademoiselle Meme, said that for her, modest dressing refers to "the adamant choice to show less skin, wear looser clothing and have the freedom to dress in a more conservative manner." As for Dina Torkia, an influencer known as Dina Tokio, who rose to fame as one of a number of Muslim women who openly proclaimed they "loved fashion," it's about choice. She said that "modest fashion is open to interpretation from whoever chooses to define their dress sense with the term." That may have something to do with growing awareness around the modest fashion sector and the rise of that consumer group as a shopping power; the need for "armor" in a world that feels increasingly scary and unpredictable; or the cultural shifts that followed the #MeToo movement, as many women rejected the male gaze. Whatever the reason, what was once a religious uniform has been largely transformed into a style that's vulnerable to the fluctuations of a capricious industry, which has implications for the public understanding of observant dress. Indeed, a quick search on Instagram presents a wide spectrum of what is deemed modest fashion, including cropped leather pants, bodycon dresses and skyscraper heels teamed with the long and loose. Net-a-Porter's curated selection of modest apparel — introduced in 2015 as "the Ramadan edit" — now includes a diverse array of pussy-bow blouses, sequin adorned gowns and lamé tea dresses. Dedicated modest retailers, such as the Modist and Aab, display jumpsuits and cropped pants on their websites. This blurring of boundaries and intention has been perhaps most obvious when it comes to the head scarf: an easy identifier for notions of modesty, a clear and visible religious symbol for many, a recent lightning rod for the debate over individual freedom in the secular state — and, on occasion, a fashion accessory. It's hard, for example, to spot the difference between the head scarf (or hat) worn consistently for religious reasons by the Muslim model Halima Aden, and the head wraps and coverings worn on magazine covers by Nicki Minaj (Elle) and Kaia Gerber (British Vogue) for styling purposes — not to mention on every model on the Marc Jacobs runway in 2017. Perhaps that is why Sharmeen Choudhury, a primary schoolteacher in London, says she no longer believes that everything marketed as modest qualifies for the designation. "I don't consider extremely tight clothing to be modest, even if it covers every inch of the body," she said. Her "boundaries," she added, are driven by her Islamic faith. The modest fashion designer Yasmin Safri of the label Arabian Nites emphasized the importance of "historical definitions" for her brand; she focuses on Islamic descriptions of modesty, taking "cultural silhouettes" and giving them a "contemporary twist." "It's never been about just putting long sleeves on a top and calling it modest fashion," she said. Indeed, Ms. Torkia, the influencer, no longer frequently adopts a head scarf or markets herself specifically through the lens of modesty. These days, she said, "modest" is "simply a term used to describe an alternative style."  |
| Star Wars X Levi's Combines the Force with Fashion - Star Wars Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:08 AM PDT Levi's have been a part of the fabric of the Star Wars galaxy since the beginning, when the costume for Luke Skywalker incorporated a pair of bleached white Levi's jeans into the standard wardrobe of a Tatooine moisture farmer.
Jonathan Cheung, now the senior vice president of design innovation at Levi's, can still recall exactly how he felt seeing Star Wars: A New Hope unfold for the first time in the theater. "I remember being absolutely gobsmacked, open mouthed, breathless in the cinema when I watched it," Cheung says. "It must have been 1977? And it remains, to this day, my personally most-watched film in a cinema. I watched it at least five times in its first release."
Flash forward more than 40 years later, and those shared histories have combined for the first Star Wars X Levi's collection, a new line that incorporates everything from subtle hints of the opening crawl woven into selvedge, the edge of the denim visible only at the cuff, to entire space battles printed onto fabric for a bold, standout look. Spend a few moments talking to Cheung and it's clear that he's deeply invested in both the emotional pull of Star Wars storytelling and the storied history of denim as a pop culture staple. Levi's didn't just make the cut as part of Mark Hamill's wardrobe in the first Star Wars film, the San Francisco-based denim maker was also worn by the crew behind the scenes. "So many people working on the set wore Levi's, George Lucas being notably one of them," Cheung says. The two brands joining forces now, at the end of the Skywalker saga, only seems natural. "If you're from around these parts then your kind of default pair of pants are Levi's. That's how the Luke Skywalker pants came about. They're the default option." Cheung recently sat down with StarWars.com to talk about his philosophical approach to the new collection, the aptly-named denim Jedi on his design team, and exactly how he felt walking into Lucasfilm for the first time. Wear the pants At its core, the new collection is Levi's standard issue, infused with new prints, buttons and looming details, and unexpected plays on Star Wars quotes and nostalgic imagery. "Essentially it's kind of T-shirts and jeans, which is the Levi's uniform," Cheung says. But it's anything but business as usual.
For the subtlest piece in the collection, a special loom was used to weave "May the Force Be with You" in black and yellow on the selvedge, typically the red line at the ankle of a pair of jeans that marks the edge of the weaving at the seam. "It is such a universal uplifting phrase, you know?" Cheung says. "It's the kind of thing you might tell yourself or your children before you face a particular challenge." And the technique itself invokes "several layers of nerdiness" in terms of the history of Levi's denim and weaving processes overall. "It tends to be much more rare and much more expensive and I think we went the extra mile with this by customizing that selvedge," Cheung says. Leave them uncuffed and no one will even know you're wearing a piece of Star Wars apparel. "It's their personal secret. If they didn't cuff the jeans up, no one would know at all. So we wanted that as well. If you know, you know."
Pieces in the line also include customized buttons in the same hue as the crawl. "The buttons are black with yellow writing, which is unique for this. We've never done that." Future fan-made vintage
Standard-issue denim jackets have an added pop of color on back panels printed to recreate one of the very first posters for the films among other designs. Cheung says the poster piece in particular was intended as a nod to fans customizing their own denim jackets for years. "We were looking to recreate fan-made vintage," Cheung says. "There's a future-vintage flavor to it. You can't quite place the timeline. It feels very familiar and has that nostalgia but also it's new." Toying with you
A few of the shirts and pullovers incorporate images of the original Kenner action figures that captured so many imaginations when the films were first released. "We wanted to evoke this feeling of delight," Cheung says. "We wanted to find a connection that wasn't obvious. 'Oh wow, it's different!'" Wookiee speak Cheung issued the same marching orders to his denim Jedi when it came to capturing quotes running down long sleeves. For instance, one pullover has a quote from Chewbacca: "Ggwwwrghh!" "Obviously the quote for Chewie becomes somewhat of a challenge," Cheung says. "We have a very hirsute graphic design lead who I suspect has some Wookiee DNA and he was able to give us the Wookiee quote. Like Han, he speaks Wookiee." Other quotes are a little more quotable. "The quotes have become part of Star Wars' fingerprint on popular culture," Cheung says. "We wanted to have this little bit of irreverence and sense of humor and self-awareness and a bit of irony around the pieces." Portrait of a princess Some pieces also incorporate character portraits, including Chewbacca windswept on Hoth and a classic black-and-white portrait taken of Carrie Fisher in her full Leia costume behind the scenes. "I think Chewbacca is basically the Cindy Crawford of Wookiees," Cheung jokes. "It looks like a high-fashion shoot so we were determined to get that in."
For the Leia piece, Cheung says it was about evoking the strength of both the character and the actor who portrayed her. "We wanted to pay respect to Carrie Fisher and also what Leia stood for, so we were looking for an iconic image that kind of projected that. There were quite a few we could have used. That was the one we landed on. A real strong portrait of Leia." A battle for the ages
One of the collection's most stand-out prints is a nod to the two powerhouse brands, "icons meeting icons," Cheung says. Trucker jackets and 501 jeans became the canvas for a print that pays homage to one of the first film's most enduring sequences — the Rebel Alliance versus the Death Star dogfight. "That's the highlight of the first movie and one of the most iconic pieces of cinematic history of all time," Cheung says. "Let's put it on one of the most iconic pieces of clothing."
The result is a star field-covered ensemble dotted with X-wings, Star Destroyers, and the Millennium Falcon. "What that creates is this amazing starry outfit that's quite spectacular and I hope people feel the exhilaration and the thrill of it just as much as we do." 'More than just logos'
At the outset of any new collaboration, Cheung says he and his designers are always aiming to infuse their work with heartfelt sentiment. "I'm always looking for shared history and our design time is always looking for meaning," he says. "We want to do something that's more than just logos on a T-shirt. So any kind of backstory or relationship that we can find…it provides a subliminal backdrop, inspiration and a ground of authenticity to the creative process." He could hardly believe his luck the first time he walked the halls of Lucasfilm to begin discussions. "Pinch yourself. Is this really happening? I'm presenting myself like senior vice president of design," he says with a very serious tone. "And then inside there's the 10-year-old kid inside me at that cinema screaming my head off."
Now with the collection about to drop, he can't wait to begin seeing the response from fans of both brands in stores, on the streets, and inside theaters for the first showings of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. "It's such a mix of incredible gratitude and the awareness that we are building another slice of culture both for the Levi's archive and our legacy and the Star Wars legacy as well. It becomes part of the extended Star Wars family so I think it's a very, very special thing. I feel like it's creating history, a moment in pop culture." "We always want to go in as fans. We want people to feel the love and the excitement and the exhilaration and the pinch-yourself specialness that we genuinely feel. We feel that if we go in with that, some of that will come out in the end. And I certainly believe that has." Shop the new Star WarsX Levi's collection starting November 1 and check out even more images from the collection below!
Associate Editor Kristin Baver is a writer and all-around sci-fi nerd who always has just one more question in an inexhaustible list of curiosities. Sometimes she blurts out "It's a trap!" even when it's not. Do you know a fan who's most impressive? Hop on Twitter and tell @KristinBaver all about them. Site tags: #StarWarsBlog  |
| Posted: 20 Oct 2019 12:59 PM PDT  It's finally fall in Blacksburg. The leaves are slowly starting to change colors and fall off the trees. The 90-degree weather has come to a halt and been replaced with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. One thing to look forward to with the arrival of fall is the arrival of fall fashion. You can finally whip out those cute comfy sweaters and your funky patterned jeans that you stored in the back of your closet all summer. It is also an opportunity to say hello to the new fall trends this year, which you always end up buying clothes for even when you say you won't. . This year, a lot of the fall trends consist of things we have seen in the past that are being brought back into the limelight for a second coming. All of these "blast from the past" pieces consist of items from decades like the '70s, '80s and '90s. Although animal prints have been around for a very long time, the fashion world has been hot and cold with regard to them. Some years animal prints are in, and some years they are out. 2019 has arrived, though, and the verdict is in: animal prints are not a want, not a need, but a necessity for you to add to your wardrobe. Whether it be cheetah, leopard, tiger, zebra, cow or snakeskin, all these animal prints add something special and exciting to an outfit. It can turn a boring, black party outfit into a funky and eccentric look. One-shoulder slashed necklines have not really been a big thing in the past, but 2019 is making it a trend that will hopefully continue to last. This easy-to-style trend is making fashion headlines all over the U.S. and the world. It seems there are at least five girls wearing a top or dress with the exact slashed neckline look every time I go out to dinner or a party. I must admit that even I have a top like this that I'm in love with. . Puffy sleeves are back and better than ever thanks to all the celebrities, fashion runways and designers who decided now was the time to bring back the good old wacky, yet lovable, fashion trend this fall. This trend is a classic and, just like animal prints, it goes on and off the fashion spectrum every few years. When I went home for fall break and entered one of my favorite places on earth, Tysons Corner Center, I saw these puffy sleeves everywhere I turned. I could not seem to get away from them. I was surrounded by them in almost every store. I was not opposed to this; in fact, I loved it and even bought a few new blouses in the exact same style. Although there are many more 2019 fall fashion trends, these three seem to be the biggest and most well known out of them all this year. They all have a unique and interesting aspect to them, which draws people into these particular items when out shopping at the mall or surfing the stores online. Animal prints, slashed neck lines and puffy sleeves have come back into the hearts of fashion lovers all over the world. Don't worry, because Blacksburg will soon get hit with these too. If you have not already, you will be seeing these styles all over campus when you are crossing the Drillfield, walking to class, on Center Street, at a football game, out to dinner with friends or at a party. You can even pick up a few of these pieces at some of the fan-favorite boutiques in Blacksburg: 301 Rosemont, Fringe Benefit and Sundee Best. "My usual outfit is just jeans and a sweatshirt," said freshman Libby Humes. "I am not usually out there with my fashion choices, but since I tried wearing snakeskin prints I have not been able to stop and have even branched out to other animal prints, satin outfits and itty bags. I am happy I am going out of comfort zone to explore these new trends and be my unique powerful self." So be bold, be brave, try something new and embrace this year's fall fashion trends.
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