It’s the weekend, baby!

I don’t know about you, but I’m sat here scratching my head, wondering where the week’s gone. Well, that’s a consequence of the whirlwind that is Fashion Month. With summer officially coming to a close, complete with temperature dips and bulky outerwear, fashion does what it does best – wishes away the season. It’s all eyes on Spring/Summer 2023 as London and Milan’s Fashion Weeks stepped into the spotlight, booting some of the industry’s favorites into the spotlight.

Everyone came with their A-game – Prada offered a masterclass in understated elegance, JW Anderson flexed its QWERTY skills, Chopova Lowena took us to skirt heaven, Kim Jones saluted Karl Largerfield through Fendi, and Ancuta Sarca re-booted Nike.

Another busy week on Fashion island, hey? While you take a short but deserved breath ahead of Paris, there’s plenty more to catch up on…

Amidst the ongoing drama that plagues YEEZY GAP, Ye joined the buzz of Tik-Tok while the second round of YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga touched down. In other celebrity news, Robert Pattinson curated an art auction, Donald Glover cracked out the short shorts, Brad Pitt quietly snuck into skincare, and Pete Davidson served H&M.

There’s been plenty happening in the sneaker world, from Nike Air Jordans 1 to “Sketch” Air Max 95s, more New Balance 990v3s from Teddy Santis, alternate takes on the 9060 silhouette, CDG Vans, UNDERCOVER Air Force 1s, ON’s cleanest sneaker yet, and Palace linked up with New Balance for a collaboration void of 99xs – who’d have thought it!?

Now, I’m sure that’s enough to keep you busy until Monday – see you in Paris?

The Rolex Daytona is Not Just a Hype Watch: It’s an Icon

“If you Google the most famous Rolex watch of all time, you will most likely be given one of two answers: the Submariner or the Daytona. Something tells me, however, that in a post-pandemic world – where following watch Instagram accounts is de rigueur, and “speaking Rolex” has moved well beyond athletes and Wall St types – that the Daytona would safely claim the throne of watch infamy.”

All Things Julia Fox at Highsnobiety’s Milan Fashion Week Party

“Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 can be described in two words: Julia Fox. The 32-year-old actress, model, and sudden superstar is as headline-worthy as the fashion shows she’s been attending and, thus, our party in her honor is itself a big deal.”

Luxury is the New Standard for Chained & Able

“Stepping into the fashion industry, or any industry for that matter is undoubtedly a daunting task. As you prepare to take the plunge, a whirlpool of uncertainty awaits your first mistakes – and what of the challenge of overcoming detractors within your social circles, or worse yet, within yourself?”

Studying 70 Years of Moncler with Remo Ruffini

“On the music database genius.com, “Moncler” has 983 matches in lyrics. Two tracks by 21 Savage, Bank Account and ball w/o u, are among the most popular entries, with 2.8 million and 972.5k views respectively. In song titles, “Moncler” shows up in 163 entries, with Juice WRLD’s Purple Moncler topping the list with 143k searches. As the chorus of the track unfolds on “Walking ’round Atlanta in a purple Moncler,” a Reddit loophole brings to life a thread dedicated to the rapper’s go-to puffer jacket: In a screenshot from his now-deleted Instagram profile, Juice is wearing a Moncler Men’s 2 1952 Purple Down Lorent Vest, with the caption reading, “@moncler SPONSER ME PLS.””

Afrobeats Has Gotten its Flowers, Now What?

“Afrobeats has a narrative problem. For years, the story of the genre – and every African artist within it – has revolved around the golden ticket of crossing over from the fringes into global mainstream music. Afrobeats’ recent explosion has only served to anchor this anecdote that many artists also follow in their music: beat the odds, make it to riches, fame, and Western approval. But what if that’s already happened?”

Carl Jones Wants to Create the Next Pixar Using the Web 3.0 Community and NFTs

““Sometimes you get so many voices in a room telling you what to do that you can lose your own voice. It’s not uncommon for a TV network to want to reach or market to a specific demographic. This can pull away from the authenticity of a project — and this ‘inauthenticity’ does not have a place in our current cultural space.””

When we hear the word “drug” it can have negative connotations, but of course there are some drugs that have altered our lives immeasurably for the better, as well.

These 5 drugs changed the world, there’s no doubt about it – but only some of them did more good than harm.

5. Nitroglycerin

Image Credit: iStock

When nitroglycerin was invented in 1847 it replaced gunpowder as the world’s most powerful explosive. It was also the first modern drug to successfully treat angina, which is chest pain associated with heart disease.

Unfortunately, factory workers who had been exposed to nitroglycerin began to experience headaches and skin flushing, since the drug is a vasodilator (it opens the blood vessels) – but those reactions allowed researchers to realize it could have purposes other than blowing stuff up.

Nitro has made it possible for millions of people with varying stages of heart disease to live more normal lives, and also paved the way for other blood pressure-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, and statins – all of which have extended the average lifespan in Western countries.

There is a downside even to that, however, as we’re seeing higher rates of death from cancer and other non-communicable disease, but I think that overall, we’re all still better off.

4. Anaesthesia

Image Credit: iStock

It was way back in the 1700s when English chemist Joseph Priestly discovered his “phlogisticated nitrous air,” and his fellow scientist Humphry Davy for the idea that it could be used as pain relief in surgery.

At the time, however, it became more of a recreational drug than anything else.

In 1834, French chemist John-Baptiste Dumas discovered chloroform. A few years later, in 1847, Scottish doctor James Young Simpson used it to assist in a difficult birth.

After that it began to be used more often in surgeries, which led to better recovery rates and fewer patients perishing from shock.

All drugs have potential side effects, though, and even modern anaesthetics pose risks of suppressing the nervous system.

3. The Birth Control Pill

Image Credit: iStock

In 1951, heiress Katharine McCormick funded research by Gregory Pincus that developed into an effective hormonal contraceptive. He found that progesterone helped stop ovulation, and conducted trials on vulnerable women in Puerto Rico, many of whom did not consent and experienced side affects.

The drug was first released in 1960, approved by the FDA because they viewed the risk of pregnancy to be greater than the risk of the pill’s side effects, like blood clots and strokes.

It took a federal government inquiry into the side effects to get the pill’s hormone levels lowered dramatically, and now we all get a patient information sheet that informs us of associated risks, as well.

The availability of the pill caused major life changes, like people having smaller families, and increased family income as more women were able to maintain lucrative careers even after having children.

2. Penicillin

Image Credit: iStock

You’ve probably heard that, in 1928, Scottish physician Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin…on accident.

He went on holiday with some cultures of streptococcus bacteria left out in his laboratory, and upon his return, saw that some airborne penicillin had stopped the bacteria from growing.

It was Australian pathologist Howard Florey who, along with his team, stabilized penicillin and conducted the first human trials – and with help from American financiers, it saved the lives of thousands of men during WWII.

Penicillin has been almost universally good in what it has done, though now we are living in an age where drug-resistant strains of bacteria are cropping up right and left.

1. Diazepam

Image Credit: iStock

Librium, first created and marketed in 1955, was the first nervous system depressant available to the public. It, and other similar drugs that followed, were not supposed to be “cures” for things like anxiety, but to assist those who suffered in being better able to engage in psychotherapy.

In 1959, Polish-American chemist Leo Sternbach chemically altered Librium to produce diazepam, which was much more powerful. It was marketed in 1963 as Valium.

Valium and its modern antidepressant counterparts are cheap and easy to get, allowing people to manage stress and anxiety without getting to the root cause with a therapists.

The good thing is that it’s more difficult to overdose on modern drugs, which also have fewer side effects.

Even with the best of intentions, things can go wrong – but it’s always a better place to start from, regardless.

No thoughts, just another day of A$AP Rocky looking effortlessly stylish in a western cowboy’s favorite wedding getup.

On September 23, a day before his headlining set at Rolling Loud, A$AP Rocky got another fly ‘fit off while out and about in New York City.

The ‘fit in question? Mr. Fashion Killa walked the city’s streets wearing a black blazer, two-tone jeans, and steel-toe cowboy boots, aka Rocky’s version of the western tuxedo, also known as the cowboy tux.

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Though the southwestern wedding uniform calls for a cowboy hat and bolo tie in some cases, braids and a Versace tie just feel more suitable for Rocky’s tastes. So, we’ll let it slide.

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Topped off with black shades and joint in his mouth, Rocky issued another painlessly cool style moment, to say the least.

In other words, it was another regular day for the man that’s equally a master of street style as his girlfriend, Rihanna.

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Though the pair are arguably the most fashionable celeb couple on the block, their respective style reigns remain supreme.

Rocky has impressively pulled off childhood ‘fits at the age of 33, in between making headlines with furry wigs and giving Brad Pitt a run for his money in leather Givenchy skirts. And these moments are just within the past two months.

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Since stepping on the scene circa 2010, the rapper has been praised for his casually-cool street style (that bandana Loewe suit is still a moment), winning grin, and simply being the “prettiest man alive,” as GQ dubbed him.

Though style will always be a second nature thing for Rocky, it looks like he’s on focused on big things at the moment — like potentially bringing Rih out of her music hiatus.

As the old BAPE saying goes, “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape.” However, the primate-focused streetwear brand tends to make exceptions when it comes to its partners.

Take Drake’s October Very Own (OVO for short), for instance. In 2021, BAPE welcomed the Certified Lover Boy’s brand into its universe, tweaking its famed phrase to “Ape Shall Never Kill Owl.”

For BAPE and OVO’s Fall/Winter 2022 collab, the divine BAPE rule still stands — well, according to the duo’s latest bomber jacket, at least.

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BAPE and OVO’s FW22 MA-1 jacket — as seen on Drake’s BFF and DJ Zack Bia above — undoubtedly leads the collection, boasting a heap of co-branded details from sleeve to sleeve.

One arm boasts BAPE’s famed camo print while the other totes OVO’s gilded glittery Arabic writing, which translates to “the family” in English. As for in between, OVO’s owl figure and the remixed “Ape Shall Never Kill Owl” are stamped on the jacket’s chest.

Speaking of remixes, ape heads toting owl figures and OVO logos with STA tails also comprised BAPE x OVO’s FW22 offerings, from subtle prints on flashy shark hoodies to large-scale designs on basic tees.

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A step up from the Future-led FW21 collection, BAPE x OVO FW22 sees the duo get into their lifestyle bag with pieces like Ape Head money clip, cigar ashtrays, and head cushions, ranging from ¥6,600 to ¥11,600 (approx. $46 to $77).

Are we surprised, though, especially with the brand led by Drake involved? The Canadian rapper is known for his expensive lifestyle, where million-dollar chains, iced-out Richard Millie’s, and hefty betting is abundant. They don’t call him Champagne Papi for nothing.

A BATHING APE® x OVO® collection will be available at authorized BAPE STORE® and https://t.co/KulC1U1GBI Saturday, September 24th. @welcomeovo #bape #abathingape #ovo #octobersveryown pic.twitter.com/vy22crU3KA

— BAPE.COM (@BAPEOFFICIAL) September 21, 2022

The BAPE x OVO FW22 preview has been met with mixed reviews, with some looking to cop and others outright verbally trashing the latest collaborative collection.

Like with anything in life, there are lovers and haters. But then, there are BAPE heads and Drake simps who I suspect will undoubtedly go hard for their faves’ collection, which lands on September 24 at BAPE’s online store and BAPE stores.

Ahead of Ferragamo’s Spring/Summer 2023 presentation on September 24, the Italian luxury house unveiled its new logo: just “Ferragamo.”

Sleek, modern, and save founder Salvatore Ferragmo’s first name, the maison’s branding indicated a new era was amongst us — the Maximilian Davis era.

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A fellow Fashion East grad and fave designer to style icons like Rihanna and Dua Lipa, Davis jumped straight into his creative director position at Ferragamo back in March. And now, the new chapter of Ferragamo under the direction of the British-Trinidadian designer is finally here.

For the SS23 collection, Davis honored the Ferragamo while breathing fresh air into the very fashion house he built, stating, “I wanted to pay tribute to Salvatore’s start by bringing in the culture of Hollywood – but new Hollywood.”

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At Davis’ Ferragamo, effortless sexiness and elegance go hand-in-hand, epitomized through sophisticated tailoring, a sensual color palette, and juxtaposing trims — Davis’ signatures that have made the designer one of the most exciting creatives to watch.

Sheer-draped dresses and cutout hooded gowns expose yet conceal models simultaneously. Power suits are even more…powerful as crossover blazer jackets join micro-mini skirts.

Menswear totes plunging necklines and Donald Glover-esque shorty-shorts, revealing male cleavage and knee behavior, respectively.

Ferragamo’s signature bags now boasts ombre and glittery looks, preserving the house’s craftsmanship while issuing a sense of modernity into the historic brand.

Davis puts it best when describing Ferragamo SS23: “Its ease and sensuality.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Ferragamo may no longer carry the name of its founder, but Ferragamo’s legacy is undoubtedly ever-present in the label’s SS23 collection — elevated through a new S word: sexy.

More than 20,000 species of bees around the world are essential pollinators for farming and wild plants, but recently their numbers have been declining at a rate that alarms experts and laypeople alike.

“Populations are declining due to a variety of factors including human development, pesticides, disease, and a changing climate,” a representative from The Honeybee Conservancy told Bored Panda.

If you’re concerned and want to do your part to help, below are 6 simple ideas that could make a difference for the bees in your yard – and beyond.

#6. Build a bee hotel.

Photo Credit:: Danie Ware

Most people associate bees with hive living, but the truth is that most bees are more solitary, with 70% living underground and 30% living in trees or hollow stems. You can find plans for a bee condo or bee hotel online and build your own if you want to attract pollinators to your yard.

#5. Protect their habitat.

Photo Credit: Thomas Schiewer

Create gardens everywhere there’s green space – wildflowers can populate street corners, balconies, along roadways, and yes, in your backyard.

#4. Plant trees.

Photo Credit: Jill Wellington

It’s not just flowers that bees love – they also adore trees. Tree leaves and resin provide the nesting materials necessary for bees and many live in the trunks and thick limbs.

#3. Avoid harmful pesticides.

Photo Credit: Myriams-Fotos

If you do have a garden, check the products you’re using to reduce pests. If the chemicals they contain are part of the neonicotinoid family, you’ll want to ditch them. Instead, check for organic options or try introducing natural predators like praying mantises or ladybugs to your space.

#2. Sponsor a hive.

Photo Credit: Alexas_Fotos

There are initiatives in many communities that build and install stocked honeybee hives and solitary bee homes. You can donate today to sponsor one or more habitats you don’t have to build or maintain. It’s a win for everyone!

#1. Create a bee bath.

Photo Credit: Cornelia Moore

Much like a bird bath, a shallow dish or container filled with clean water and pebbles or stones that poke out of the water is a great retreat for tired bees in the middle of a long workday.

Now get out there and do your part!

Ray Whitby is a woodworker who comes up with all kinds of fascinating projects and in this video, he shows viewers how he constructed a cylindrical puzzle using 3-D printing and various woodworking techniques.

The finished product works as a jigsaw puzzle and as a piece of beautiful art.

Watch the video above to see how Whitby made this piece step-by-step.

If you want to see more great woodworking projects, follow Whitby’s page on YouTube.

If you’ve never seen animated embroidery before, you’re in for a treat.

Huw Messie is an artist who makes short animated films using embroidery and this one is called “Consistent Survey.”

Messie describes the video as “Unidentified equipment of a redundant process. Procedurally animated embroidery.”

This is really clever, take a look at the video above!

And check out Huw Messie’s Vimeo page and his Instagram page to see more of his videos.

Back in 1962 in Centralia, Pennsylvania, the town’s council met to discuss a new landfill that was getting too full and needed to be cleared in time for the town’s Memorial Day celebration. A proposal to burn the 300-foot-wide, 75-foot-long, 50-foot-deep pit passed with no serious opposition.

The council members could not have foreseen the ball they set rolling – one that seemed to solve one problem, but one that ignited a fire that ultimately couldn’t be stopped.

Photo Credit: Flickr/jsjgeology, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The pit had been lined with incombustible material that confined the fire, and after the contents had been reduced to ash, water was used to douse what remained of the flames. Problem solved, right?

Wrong.

Two days later, flames were seen again and then again a week after that. Firefighters couldn’t figure it out until they discovered a hole in the base of the pit. It was 15-feet-wide and several feet deep and, since it had been concealed by waste, was never filled with the incombustible materials used to contain the fire.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The hole let the fire out of the pit and into the labyrinth of coal mines atop which Centralia was built.

At this point, residents began to notice something was amiss. Foul odors entered their homes and businesses and smoke began to rise from the ground around the landfill.

A mine inspector was called. He found carbon monoxide levels in the smoke indicative of a mine fire and the Council, unwilling to admit they were at fault, reported a “fire of unknown origin” to the Lehigh Valley Coal Company.

Before they and the Susquehanna Coal Company could figure out how to extinguish the blaze, carbon monoxide levels rose to lethal levels, causing all area mines to be shut down.

Two different projects were undertaken in an attempt to put out the fires and save the town.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The first was an excavation; they planned to dig out the trenches and expose the flames in order to put them out. The idea fizzled when the amount of earth that would need to be moved made the project too expensive.

Next, they decided to flush out the fire using a mixture of crushed rock and water. It might have worked except for the unusually low temperatures that caused the water lines and rock grinding machines to freeze. The coal companies also worried they wouldn’t have enough of the mixture to totally fill the labyrinth, which would only cause the fire to move, not go out.

They didn’t have enough money to make sure it would work, and while they hemmed and hawed and tried to figure things out, the fire spread by 700 feet. Experts estimate that enough coal lies underneath Centralia to fuel the fire for another 250 years.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Even though the fire wasn’t going away (the opposite, actually) the cost, in the end, is what tied the town’s hands. In 1980 the federal government stepped in, spending $42 million to relocate residents and demolish the homes. It’s no longer legal to live there.

The highways running through town are hot to the touch and sulfurous gasses rise through the cracks on a regular basis.

Pretty wild!