Send Sam positive vibes as Miss Universe 2008 kicks into high gear
Preliminaries for Miss Universe began Sunday, where the contestants model in their bikinis; and the interviews on Monday are three minutes long, with three judges. This surprises me, because we interviewed the contestants in New Zealand over a minimum of 10 minutes with ?ve judges—and I dare say, though I never timed the sessions, […]
Kylie Minogue receives her OBE at Buckingham Palace
As reported earlier, Kylie Minogue has been to Buckingham Palace to collect her OBE, which was presented by HRH Prince Charles. Minogue arrived in a chauffeured limousine and had chatted and joked with the Prince during the investiture. She wore a cream dress with gold high heels. Attending in support of the Australian-born singer […]
Why it still can be the American century
[Cross-posted] In the spirit of July 4, I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of the United States retaining its in?uence in the 21st century. What many see is dire. Beyond the anti-war types’ opposition to the War on Terror, there are corrupt institutions, political and corporate, impeding progress on so […]
Kylie Minogue due to collect her OBE today
Singer Kylie Minogue, 40, who was awarded an OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year Honours’ List, is due to be invested at Buckingham Palace’s grand ballroom today. With HM the Queen in Scotland, the presentations will be done by HRH the Prince of Wales. Minogue already has the Order of […]
Renault’s better solutions to using petrol
We have to admit to being a little sceptical of some hybrids. For example, 2007’s Honda Accord Hybrid managed to get a mileage of 1 mpg better than the four-cylinder petrol model and 2 mpg than the V6, according to Consumer Reports. So when Tesla announced its roadster in 2006, we thought it’d be a […]
[Cross-posted] I was chatting to a company head serving a high-income, premium niche. And he’s felt no recession. He’s wondering if he should. For his company, sales are up and he’s even been able to focus on the higher-priced items at the expense of the lower ones. The general wisdom is: the rich […]
In depth: Nom D, Fly Guys and Donna Loveday
A very established New Zealand designer, Margarita Robertson of Nom D, and a newer label, Fly Guys, are pro?led on the Lucire site this week. Sam Mitchell’s Q&A with Margi is probably the most in-depth that has ever been published. And we’re running another ex-print piece: my interview with Design Museum senior curator Donna Loveday, […]
We did think the image above for the Czech opera Jen?fa, by Janá?ek, was too beautiful not to share. For a fashion magazine, it was easy to think it was connected to a beauty product. Jen?fa was performed at the Glyndebourne Festival before it begins touring in New Zealand in September. According to the release, […]
When institutionalization is troublesome
[Cross-posted] One theme that has been emerging—or I am reading way too much into it—is institutionalization. In the casual posts I put on to my personal blog over at Vox, the theme has come up a couple of times: once in a post about oil consumption dropping (really—see graph at left), and once in the […]
Reese Witherspoon in Japan, highlighting breast cancer issues
Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, in her capacity as Avon Global Ambassador and honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation, visited Japan and was the guest of honour at a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, where she met breast cancer survivors. The Foundation is focused on breast cancer, domestic violence and emergency relief. As part of Witherspoon’s […]
