Straddling two continents and two worlds, the best way to take in
Istanbul—from the architecture of the Ottoman Empire to the pulsing
entrepreneurial energy of the twenty-first century—is to immerse yourself in its
duality. Enter New York–based jewelry designer and Istanbul native Selin Kent,
whose eponymous line of diamond-accented, geometrically modern pieces have been
popping up everywhere from Gisele's hands at the World Cup to Emma Watson's
red-carpet looks. A regular visitor since her move to the States, Kent has her
Turkish traveling wardrobe down pat: She relies on easy, chic pieces from
Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Maje, and Sandro to transition straight from a
gallery to a restaurant and out to a concert—though with the ever-evolving night
life and art scene, her itinerary (and her clothing requirements) continues to
grow.
STAY:
Kent recommends the über-hip SuB Karaköy Hotel (doubles start at $266 a
night), in the trendy Karaköy neighborhood. Located on the waterfront next to
one of the city's biggest ports, the luxe-industrial accommodations feature iron
bed frames sourced from old ship parts.
EAT:
When in town, Kent dines at Karaköy Lokantasi, which serves seasonal small
plates known as mezes that consist of classics like octopus, hummus, or mussels,
in an ultracool tiled setting. Despite recent restrictions on its sale, alcohol
is still pretty easy to come by, and no dinner is complete without Raki,
commonly known as "lion's milk," an anise-infused liquor said to have 90 percent
alcohol content.
SHOP:
The Grand Bazaar is mainly for tourists—artisans sell the real finds behind
the scenes at off-site boutiques, says Kent. The designer stocks up on
hard-to-find basics like Bebak Bitter Almond Milk makeup remover and silk
pillows embroidered with traditional Anatolian motifs from home-goods store
Atölye 11. "People appreciate the old, but they want to update the
tradition."
DO:
Don't forget a stop at one of the city's famous Turkish bathhouses for a
spruce up. Kiliç Ali Pasa Hamam, designed in the sixteenth century to serve the
Ottoman marine force, offers luxury hammam services—be prepared to strip down
and leave feeling totally refreshed. The best way to appreciate the city as a
whole is from the Bosphorus, Kent counsels. Catch a ferry from the city piers to
take a day trip to the tony Princes' Islands.
San Francisco-based clothing company Betabrand is known for its
attention-grabbing stunts. Positioning themselves as a Kickstarter for fashion,
their customers crowdfund clothing like Dress Pant Yoga Pants, “Gay Jeans” that
unveil rainbow threads with multiple wears, and even the zip-up, one-piece
Suitsy. But here’s one stunt we can all get behind: Hiring hilarious female
comedians and comedy writers as models.
The company's Fall Comedy Collection features 14 funny ladies modeling quirky
items like the 3D Dress, the Brain-Scan Dress, and the Nauseating Holiday Skirt.
Some of them are available for purchase, while others are still in the
crowdfunding phase.
Betabrand made waves this past spring by casting female PhDs to show off
their wares, which was a hit online. "We thought the next logical progression in
highly intelligent women would be comedic writers and stand-up comics," says
content producer Liz Rossof, who crafted the comedy collection. "Because
arguably it takes just about the same amount of brains to write comedy well." In
fact, Rossof says, a number of this fall's models had abandoned pursuing a
graduate degree in order to pursue their passion for comedy.
Since it was founded five years ago, Betabrand has never once gone through an
agency to hire a model, instead recruiting friends, family, and community
members. "We want to [feature] genuine people feeling comfortable and feeling
themselves in their clothing," Rossof says. The company also has a “Model
Citizen” app that lets customers upload photos of themselves modeling Betabrand
clothes to get a discount on future purchases. In the future, Rossof says, the
company would like to only rely on its customers as models.
Our favorite Betabrand model has to be comedy writer Sarah Haskins, who
co-created the sadly short-lived sitcom Trophy Wife (with fellow model Emily
Halpern) and also starred in the hilarious Target: Women series on Current.
Here’s Haskins on yogurt commercials.
Blake Lively just announced that she and husband Ryan Reynolds are expecting
in the most Blake Lively-Preserve-y way possible.
In a post entitled "Falling for Family," featuring the chic-est most
artisinal and sepia-toned baby shower you ever did see, the editors of the site
(including, presumably, Lively herself) wrote a dedication "to the women in our
lives who are right there, at that special moment; at the creation of
family."
"Today we celebrate them. With food to fill their tummies (as if that needs
more filling), presents to soothe their tired (and swollen) soles, toys to warm
their baby’s souls, projects to provoke them, and decorations to inspire
creativity and merriment in all. We had too much fun with this. Because there’s
so much to share, we break up our first ever Preserve Celebration into multiple
parts. In the upcoming days we will bring even more treats and fun. The entire
next month will be sprinkled with highlights for women in this exciting chapter
of their lives. Congratulations to all the expecting mothers out there."
Gisele Bundchen pays tribute to teen fashion blogger with cancer after she
passes away
A young fashion blogger who was befriended by the likes of Gisele Bundchen
and Taylor Swift passed away on Thursday after a three-year battle with
cancer.
Brazilian-born Karina Xavier, from Boston, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with
bone cancer in 2011 when she was just 13, but she refused to let her diagnosis
bring her down.
Instead, she continued to pursue her dream of becoming a make-up artist,
sharing posts and video tutorials on her blog, Chic by Karina, that was so
popular it earned her thousands of fans - including some very famous ones.
Yesterday, Gisele shared a photo of herself and Karina on Instagram and
posted a tribute to the brave teen.
'Last year I met a special girl,' wrote the supermodel. 'She inspired me and
so many others with her strength, positivity and love for life. Today she became
an angel. RIP. Sending all my love to her family.'
On Wednesday, it became clear from a post Karina's family shared on her
Instagram page that the teen's health was failing.
'Karina is having trouble breathing even with the machines! Her lungs are
very weak because of the tumors! We need a miracle!' read the post.
'Karina's been fighting with all she has left and day by day we see more of
how strong she really is! #prayforkarina'.
On Thursday morning, the family announced the tragic news with a picture of
Karina and a touching tribute.
'This morning God took our beautiful Karina. This is a tough time but we know
she is in a better place, in peace. Her legacy will live on forever, and she
will always be remembered.'
Karina became inspired to start a fashion and beauty blog during her cancer
treatment, when she would pass the time watching make-up tutorials online.
She launched the blog in 2012, when her bone cancer was in remission.
And even after the cancer returned last year, she kept posting videos and
advice, quickly amassing hundreds of thousands of followers.
In December 2013, fellow Brazilian Gisele visited Karina, and they filmed a
make-up video together in their native Portuguese.
The meeting evidently made an impression on the model, who posted an image of
them together with the caption: 'It was a pleasure to see you again
@chicbykarina. You are warrior, an inspiration of positivity and courage. I will
be praying for you. Sending you love and light always.'
And in August, yet another famous face stopped by to meet Karina after being
inspired by her story - Taylor Swift.
The pair smiled for a selfie together taken from Karina's hospital bed.
Even up until the moment her lungs collapsed in June and she was placed in an
induced coma in mid-September, Karina only ever saw the bright side of
things.
She told the Boston Globe in June that Gisele's words of advice - 'When life
gives you lemons, make lemonade' - stuck with her and helped her stay positive
throughout her battle.
'So my life right now is lemons because I have cancer,' she said. 'But I made
it a lemonade with my blog. I made it more sweet.'
