Mark A. Carlson

The Electronic Divide Did not Go Absent, It Went Underground

Mark A. Carlson 4 months ago

In 1998, talking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologies, President Invoice Clinton reported, “Today, affluent colleges are pretty much a few situations as very likely to have Internet access in the classroom white learners are far more than two times as most likely as black students to have computer systems in their homes. We can prolong prospect to all Americans or leave

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Fall fashion-forward: Throwing out old rules | The Avenue

Mark A. Carlson 4 months ago

As the sun sets on summer fashion, the calendar says that light clothes are out and sweater weather is back. Gainesville is finally starting to notice.

Faced with a few days that have pushed to the extreme and neared 60 degrees, students have been left wondering if forcibly following the fashion calendar and abiding by restrictive style rules is relevant to the Swamp lifestyle.

Valerie Muzondi thinks rules like them — be it avoiding pieces because of body type and gender or not wearing white after Labor Day — belong in the back of the closet. 

The 20-year-old UF graphic design junior is the art director of Rowdy Magazine, a Gainesville-based fashion and culture magazine focused on Gen Z-related topics. She said she doesn’t follow these rules and that they don’t have a place in today’s vogue because they defeat fashion’s creative purpose. 

You can find yourself through your

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Gastric Sleeve and Lap Band Houston

Mark A. Carlson 5 months ago

People who are obese and in search of a safe way to lose weight will be happy to find out about the stomach lap band and the gastric sleeves, which are popular weight loss options for individuals whose bodies don’t react to normal diets and exercises. Lap Band Houston has become a frequent option for people suffering from severe obesity although it is a non-permanent weight loss treatment, while Gastric Sleeve Texas is believed to provide the same efficient weight loss results although it is a permanent procedure. However, advocates of the gastric sleeve claim that this procedure is better since it requires less follow up medical visits, being more convenient for the patients who can get back to their normal lives within a short period of time. The process of Lap Band Houston is very simple and it does not involve any cutting or stapling of the stomach. The … Read More

The Designer Bags That We Really Love for 2020

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

At the beginning of the year, we already knew which designer bags were going to dominate in 2020. How did we predict correctly? Well, it’s a lot more than just guesswork. We spend time speaking to brands, buyers and looking at what’s trending in the fashion industry to see which bags are going to come out on top during the year. Of course, cult buys and new brands can emerge at any moment surprising even the most seasoned of fashion buyers and editors, but there are certain new styles that I guarantee we’ll be talking about as hero buys this December. 

That said, we didn’t know the pandemic was coming and the financial implications of that on the fashion industry and personal budgets. However, despite this, global fashion search platform Lyst revealed just yesterday in its round-up of the most popular brands of the year so far that the

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We’re Letting Go of These 5 Outdated Summer Fashion Trends and Adopting These

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

You probably feel like spring only just began, but actually, summer is nearly here, which means there is a whole new set of trends to consider. And along with new waves of fashionable pieces, there are bound to be a few outdated summer trends worth letting go of. To provide you with some helpful insights, we’re sharing the trends we’re putting to bed and what we’re adding to our summer closets as we prep for summer 2020. While some of these outdated trends might not surprise you, you’ll be pleased to see that there’s one trend in particular multiple editors will be opting for as soon as summer hits. If you’re ready to start building your summer wardrobe, scroll down to see what we’ll be wearing, and feel free to add them to your cart along the way.

Letting Go: Gladiator Sandals

Swapping For: Two-Strap Sandals

“I think gladiator

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This New Size-Inclusive Swimwear Line Is Going to Be Everywhere

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

Confession time: For an industry that’s so creative, I’m always a little dismayed by the lack of inclusive-sizing. Sure, there are designers that are revolutionizing sizing with the industry, and more recently, 11 Honoré launched its high-end private label catered to creating clothing for women of all sizes, but when it comes to creating plus-size clothing at all price ranges, the industry still has some work to do. As if it weren’t already hard enough to find great plus-size brands to shop for regular clothing, shopping for a swimsuit can feel like an impossible feat. 

Luckily for women everywhere, the brand Good American is back at it. Launched in 2016 by Emma Grede and Khloé Kardashian, the brand became the place to shop for plus-size denim and was picked up by all our favorite retailers. This past June, the brand has decided to take it to the next level

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The On-the-Rise Musician Who Champions Self-Love and Fresh Style

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

Not that you wouldn’t already be impressed by the styling and quality of images below, but for some context, we asked on-the-rise musician Maad if she would be interested in producing a quick at-home photoshoot to accompany her interview. She excitedly agreed, and the rest is history. What we expected was an assortment of creatively posed looks taken on an iPhone, maybe a friend’s camera, but what we got was a four-look, high-quality, full-blown photoshoot that was all executed at Maad’s home with the help of just one close friend. Now that you’ve been filled in on how impressed we are with the photos below, it’s time for me to brag even further about this artist.

In her short time being a solo artist, singer and songwriter Maad has released 2 EPs: Lé Funk in 2017 and Technicolor in 2018. The genre of her music is difficult to put in

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Five takeaways from the Fuji Super GT curtain-raiser

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

The new GR Supra will be very hard to beat

On Sunday, the all-new GR Supra became the fourth new Toyota GT500 model in a row to win on its SUPER GT debut, following the Lexus SC430 (2006), the RC F (2014) and the LC500 (2017). And it did so in dominant style, locking out the top five positions and leaving rival marques Honda and Nissan, also with new cars for the 2020 rules, to lick their wounds.

After topping pre-testing and then practice on Saturday evening, Honda went into qualifying as the favourite for pole with its new front-engined NSX-GT, but it was tyre choice on an unexpectedly warm day at Fuji Speedway that made all the difference in the end. Even the temperature rising between Q1 and Q2 made a difference; Nirei Fukuzumi shattered Ronnie Quintarelli’s lap record in Q1 at the wheel of the #8 ARTA Honda,

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Inside Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s Suddenly Serious Romance

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

Well, that’s one way to celebrate a milestone birthday. 

Technically Brooklyn Beckham turned the big 2-1 back in March, but months later, after the dust had settled from his up-til-dawn bash and every last one of the Spice Girls reunion pics had been posted, Victoria Beckham and David Beckham‘s eldest received the gift of a lifetime, girlfriend of less than a year, Nicola Peltz, agreeing to be his bride. 

“Two weeks ago I asked my soulmate to marry me and she said yes xx,” he wrote on Instagram July 11, posting an engagement snap captured by 9-year-old sister Harper Beckham. “I am the luckiest man in the world. I promise to be the best husband and the best daddy one day.”

Which could be some day awfully soon. Because the reportedly five-carat emerald cut diamond had scarcely settled on the 25-year-old actress’ left hand before the Daily

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Happy 25th birthday to Cher’s perfect hair in ‘Clueless’

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago
Happy 25th birthday to Cher’s perfect hair in ‘Clueless’

25 years on, Clueless is remembered and revered for all sorts of things: the bold fashion, the sly wit, the uncanny way that Paul Rudd has refused to age even a little bit since 1995.

But the very first time you see it, the very first thing you notice about its heroine is her hair. And even now, it remains one of the film’s most defining features.

It’s with us from the opening shot of Clueless — the only thing you can really make out as Cher zips down a Beverly Hills street in her Jeep, before you can get a good look at her face or her clothes. A glorious curtain of it marks our proper introduction to her a few seconds later, as she flips it back over her face in a close-up.

Image: Giphy

Straight and thick

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The XFL and 17 Other Sports Leagues That Failed

Mark A. Carlson 6 months ago

Leagues like the NFL have more than a century of history and have evolved into multibillion-dollar organizations — but they all started from humble beginnings. Many ambitious startup leagues have attempted to duplicate that magic only to realize that running a sports league is no easy feat. Some failed startup leagues organized around existing sports. Others created imaginative and unfamiliar new athletic contests. All, however, have an interesting story — and maybe even lessons you can learn from their failures.

The brainchild of WWE boss Vince McMahon (back then it was the WWF), the XFL lasted for only a single season in 2001 — and then many years after that, it came back to start a season in 2020.

When the league started, McMahon used the age-old twin marketing devices of sex and violence — which he successfully employed to make wrestling a multibillion-dollar global enterprise — to sell … Read More

I Work in Fashion and Always Save on These 4 Items (But Splurge on These 3)

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago

I’ve been following San Francisco–based stylist and designer Amber Richele or a while now. Her inspiring Instagram feed is a master class in high-low style. It’s really no surprise that she just gets it when you consider she has cool personal style mixed with the fact that she also works in the fashion industry. Fun fact: She’s a visual merchandiser for J.Crew and the owner and designer of her own namesake label.

Given her heightened sartorial point of view with high-low styling, I thought it could be intriguing to tap her for insights into the items she thinks are worth saving on, along with the pieces she’s okay with splurging on from time to time thanks to their timelessness and cost per wear. Of course, the items in question are all based on her own preferences, and your clothing mix should always be based on what works

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Paris (Digital) Fashion Week: Kolor’s Junichi Abe

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago
Photo credit: Kolor
Photo credit: Kolor

From Esquire

The coronavirus has come for Fashion Week, but Fashion Week is unbowed. With the 2020 edition of show season going all-digital, the key designers talk us through how they’ve adapted to showing clothes in a world where showing clothes is (almost) impossible.

What’s been the biggest challenge with producing a lockdown fashion ‘show’?

For this unusual season, we are using a special camera system to present a video. Even though I was not the one actually making it, this kind of production was the biggest challenge for us during lockdown.

What’s been the biggest opportunity?

We needed to show our collection in an unusual way and a video for Paris Fashion Week was exactly that. Being able to create new projects – and create something we’ve never done before – became our biggest opportunity.

What non-fashion skills have you picked up during lockdown?

Since the

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SHEIN apologises and removes a swastika style necklace from its website following backlash online

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago

Fashion brand SHEIN has apologised and removed a swastika style necklace from its website after receiving criticism about the product via social media.

Earlier this week customers headed to Twitter and Instagram to point out the discovery of a listing for a “metal pendant necklace” in the shape of a swastika.

“I am so disgusted by @sheinofficial’s sheer ignorance and blatant disrespect towards other cultures and religions,” activist and YouTuber Nabelor Noor wrote on Instagram.

Read more: I purchased Amazon’s viral £26 dress and it did not disappoint

Meanwhile, fashion influencer Marissa Casey Grossman, known as Fashion Ambitionist, also headed to social media to share her frustration and disappointment about the necklace.

Sharing a screenshot of the product, while it was still on sale, she called out the company’s decision to sell the necklace in the accompanying caption.

“HOLY F**K. I have zero words,” she wrote. “I will NEVER

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The Black-owned fashion brand lighting up country music

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago
Neon Cowboys: The Black-owned fashion brand lighting up country music

Asia Hall got the idea for Neon Cowboys at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California one year. Each time she’d attended the festival prior to that moment, Hall had reveled in watching the Coachella and country music kids come together around something they loved, welcoming each other with open arms. Hall wanted to make something for them that was unique; something that would stand out and signal the beginning of a more inclusive country music culture.

So, she got some neon wire and some cowboy hats, and made 13 prototypes for what would eventually become the wildly popular light-up cowboy hats that have taken the internet by storm. She and some friends wore the prototypes to Stagecoach the following year and got an enormous amount of attention; that’s when Hall knew she was onto something. “Because I’m also a

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Designer Daniel w Fletcher On The Future Of Fashion And The Perfection Of Celine Dion

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago
Photo credit: Daniel w Fletcher
Photo credit: Daniel w Fletcher

From Esquire

The coronavirus has come for Fashion Week, but Fashion Week is unbowed. With the 2020 edition of LFWM going all-digital, the event’s key designers talk us through how they’ve adapted to showing clothes in a world where showing clothes is (almost) impossible.

What’s been the biggest challenge with producing a lockdown fashion ‘show’?

Manufacturing was one of the biggest challenges this season. When lockdown set in all of the factories started to close, but this collection was made possible by the amazing seamstresses I’ve worked with directly, sending them fabrics and patterns so they could work from home. This collection is a testament to their skill and dedication.

What’s been the biggest opportunity?

I saw this as an opportunity to be more conscious of how much I was putting out into the world, not making looks that would go no further than the

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H&M, ModCloth, Richer Poorer & More

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago

We love these products, and we hope you do too. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!.

We’ve made our Fourth of July sales plans, and may we just say, there’s a ton of fantastic fashion deals happening over the long weekend.

Some that caught our eye include the massive markdowns at H&M, where summer styles are up to 50% off! And ModCloth is offering 30% off regular priced items and an additional 35% off sale stuff! Then, there’s Richer Poorer giving us 50% off select items!

We’ve rounded up the best fashion deals happening over the long weekend. Shop below and enjoy all the good sales!

Best Fourth of July Sales 2020 A to Z

Aerie: Get up to 60% off the entire Aerie Collection,

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Everything you need to pack for your next trip abroad as travel restrictions lift

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago
Get prepared ahead of 6 July, when international travel to Europe will be allowed, with our holiday packing guide: iStock/The Independent
Get prepared ahead of 6 July, when international travel to Europe will be allowed, with our holiday packing guide: iStock/The Independent

If you had grand plans for a sunny holiday this year that you’d given up on, a trip abroad may become a possibility sooner than you think.

From 6 July, British holidaymakers will once again be able to travel overseas in line with the easing of international travel restrictions across Europe, to nations where the risk of contracting coronavirus is regarded as low.

As part of a new traffic light system that will be imposed by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, if a country on the continent has low and declining rates of infection, it will receive an amber or green status. This will allow travellers to visit and return without needing to self-isolate for 14 days – a concept which has been named the “air bridges” scheme.

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Oprah and 24 More Celebrities With Secret Business Empires

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago

Most celebrities stick to the trade that made them a star, but a few use their fame and fortune as a business platform. If the company takes off, some shift from the spotlight to a corner office, while others find a way to shine at both. To get inspired to aim big with your own career goals, check out some famous entrepreneurs with bona fide mogul status.

Last updated: Jan. 1, 2020

Jessica Alba

  • Net Worth: $200 million
  • Business: The Honest Company

Valued at $756 million as of October 2017, Jessica Alba launched The Honest Company in 2012 to provide consumers with safe, nontoxic household and baby products. In 2016, the company pulled in a reported $250 million in revenue.

In its latest funding round in June 2018, The Honest Company raised $200 million in a series led by consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton, according to The Hollywood

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Save Up to 70% on Designer Dresses at the Big Style Sale from Amazon

Mark A. Carlson 7 months ago

Dress deals continue! The Amazon Summer Sale — also known as the Big Style Sale — is offering customers incredible savings on all types and styles of dresses through Sunday. Although Amazon Prime Day is postponed indefinitely, their Amazon fashion summer sale includes white hot sales and fashion deals from loads of brands that offer a discount of up to 80% off. Kate Spade New York, Rebecca Minkoff, Levi’s, Tumi luggage and Tory Burch are among the retailer brand names that are part of the Amazon Summer Sale.

Shop the Big Style Sale for top women’s clothing fashion brands like Self Portrait, For Love & Lemons, ASTR the Label, Black Halo and Theory and save anywhere from 25% to more than 70% off the regular price. If you’ve been thinking about freshening up your wardrobe with a few new summer dresses or are already planning outfits with

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