Great fashion houses continue to create not just great fashion, but also great fashion films in place of their once-live fashion shows.
A perfect example is this film for Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Fall and Winter collection.
The Film is by Virgil Abloh And ‘moved By The Motion’, and stars yasiin bey, Saul Williams and Kai Isaiah Jamal. It was directed by Wu Tsang
Original Film Score by Asma Maroof.
Roman-born designer Farhad Re debuted his newest collection in a series of artistic photographs set in a natural environment and entitled, “Le dernier papillon au monde,” which translates as the Last Butterfly in the World.
Showing now in Paris, Farhad is a darling of the European fashion set, designing elegant compositions for celebrity names such as Ursula Andress, Catherine Deneuve, and Princess Soraya.
His latest collection, featuring model Tiffany Fournier, includes a poetic statement that places it in context.
“Faced with the disastrous state of the planet, trying to make fashion virtuous, from its production to its distribution, is no longer enough … We must scream, while nature is dying, silently.
A symbol. This is how Farhad Re wanted this capsule collection, recalling that without nature, culture would not exist. A flutter of butterfly wings capable of triggering a tornado halfway around the world? The metaphor is worn, knowing that he is the only man responsible for the annihilation of the living … What will happen then when the last wing flap of the last butterfly in the world occurs?
Hope is in art. Three months of work were necessary for each creation, entirely cut, painted and embroidered by hand … By transforming the woman in the most majestic of insects, sublime chrysalis with bright and iridescent hues, emerging from pollution like a purified renewal in creations made of silk organza and integrating recycled plastic, seeming to come alive when worn, like an extension of the flesh, – perfect fusion between the woman and what clothes her – Farhad Re wants to believe in the heralding vital forces more radiant auspices, and delivers us an essential message: beauty alone can save the world.”
Photography Greg Alexander for MÉPHISTOPHÉLÈS Productions
Art director Sebastien Vienne
Hair & make up Carine Larchet for Eugène Perma & LaRochePosay
Model Tiffany Fournier
Looking for great red wine options but have a budget between $30 and $50? You can’t go wrong with these 6 releases that will leave you and your fellow wine tasters giddy for more, and your wallet not feeling empty.
The 2019 Herzog Cab is not only Kosher, it’s also certified organic and made with no added sulfites. It’s a lighter Cab, which suits many tastes for a less robust red.
Drink it any time of day, and definitely not just for the holidays
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Celebrity wines are getting better and better, probably because the celebrities who make them now are actual Wine lovers who want to drink their own vintages. Avaline comes from a partnership between Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power
The red wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. Made with handpicked organic grapes from Europe, and is vegan friendly, with no added artificial ingredients or sugars.
We love the taste!
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The 2017 San Simeon Cab benefited from a long growing season, with the vineyards situated on California’s Central Coast in the Paso Robles appellation of San Luis Obispo County. Aged in Oak Barrels, and mixed with a bit of Petit Verdot, this Cabernet is robust yet velvety. We consider it like comfort food in the form of wine.
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Alder Springs has been making wine for about 30 years, since Stu Bewley bought a former 6,000 acre cattle operation in northern Mendocino County and started growing grapes instead.
If you love deep reds, you’ll find both their 2013 Kinesis and 2013 Syrah attractive additions to your tasting palate. The Kinesis is a blend of 49% Grenache 32% Counoise 19% Mourvédre. A choice that goes well with meats and smoked foods, but it is also quite versatile whatever the dish. The Syrah is made from 100% Syrah at an elevation of 2600 feet, and contains tantalizing notes of leather and dark fruits.
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This Monterey Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes sourced from the Riboli Family farms estate vineyards in Monterey and the Loma Vista and Sarmento Vineyards. Well-priced and well structured, any Pinot lover would find this a fun tasting experience.
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Happiness is the spice of life is a truism. What is also true is that spice is a source of happiness. Especially when cooking and eating your meals. If you want to give someone an ongoing source of happiness, giving them (or yourself), a few great spice sets will never steer you wrong.
Without a well stocked spice collection, the home chef is like a painter with just one color. Sounds rather bland, doesn’t it?
Fortunately, we’ve taken a look at several, and here are some of our favorites: SpiceWalla, Nielsen-Massey, and Mola Foods.
This kit has everything an experienced or novice home chef could want for most meals, hence the name “essential.” Eighteen different tins contain a variety of spices and seasonings, each packaged in a nice container that looks good on its own or in your spice rack.
The kit includes: Cumin Seed – Kashmiri Chilli Powder – Granulated Garlic -Granulated Onion – Dark Chilli Powder – Ground Yellow Mustard – Crushed Red Pepper – Smoked Paprika – Green Cardamom Powder – Cinnamon Powder – Cloves – Ground Turmeric – Coriander Seed – Mediterranean Oregano – Rosemary – Herbs de Provence – Fennel Seed – Ground Ginger.
What also makes it a great gift is that it will take quite a while for someone to get through all of these ingredients, and each time they use them they will think of you.
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Nielsen-Massey has long been the industry standard for high quality Pure Vanilla Extract. This is impressive, considering the competition from the artificial vanilla ‘flavoring’ brands, plus the amount of time and effort it takes to grow a real vanilla plant to fruit. Vanilla comes from an orchid vine, and the flowers produce seed pods from which the vanilla beans and essence are extracted. Anyone who has ever tried to grow orchids know that it is a labor and time intensive enterprise that gives us this fantastic taste.
Nielsen-Massey puts the same care into their other extracts, including one for Pure Almond and another for Pure Peppermint. Used together, you can imagine the feast of cookies and cakes that you can bring to the table!
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Mola Foods has a range of spice blends, and each is inspired by a particular culture or region of the World. Founded by Jeannette Bryant, her spices are vegan friendly and vibrant.
One thing you will find once you start using any of these spice blends is that it doesn’t really matter what it was originally intended to elicit. It could say Indian, it could say Ethiopian, it could say Spicy or General. You are going to use it on EVERYTHING. Eggs, steak, chicken, vegetables, stews, fish… The list goes on, because it turns out that they are not just fresh, they are also extremely versatile. The basic ingredients of garlic power, onion powder, salt, perhaps some turmeric, etc., can be used as a general seasoning, and they are used in exactly that way.
Prepare for heavy duty usage and happiness.
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In some parts of the world duck is a regular dish, especially among people who hunt it. But if you’re not a hunter or don’t live in those areas then duck might be a little bit more uncommon on your table. We recently have been testing recipes with Maple Leaf Farms duck breast, which is well known for some of the highest quality duck selections in the United States. Not to mention being a fairly upscale red meat option, the duck meat itself is quite lean and tasty.
When you cook duck breast for the first few times it’s best not to be too fancy, especially when you have the savory natural flavors already inherent in this type of poultry. We prefer to start off with a simple salt, pepper, garlic powder and skillet or oven recipe.
For example, using a sharp knife you score crosswise the fatty side of the duck. Then salt, pepper, and lightly powder both sides, and place the fatty side face down in a hot skillet with a small amount of California olive oil for about 10 minutes while the fat is rendering. Flip over and cook the other side for another 5 to 10 minutes on medium high. Alternatively, you could heat your oven to 425° and put the uncooked breast in for 10 minutes, then flip it to cook for another 10 minutes. It’s important to let your breast rest after you remove it from the skillet or oven so that it can re-absorb some of those juices and remain tender.
After you remove the duck from the skillet or pan, put the skillet back on the stove and heat to medium high and add a large splash of red wine, which you can use to create a red wine reduction sauce. You want to make sure that you use a spoon to scrape up the bits of fat and duck in the skillet and mix them into the sauce reduction. You also want to make sure the sauce has thickened and all of the alcohol in the wine has evaporated before using.
This sauce is perfect for the duck breast as it adds additional moisture and flavor, plus is a perfect complement to this dish.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it’s not going to be boring and plain.
Maple Leaf Farms
www.MapleLeafFarms.com
About Maple Leaf Farms
Maple Leaf Farms, Inc. is North America’s leading producer of quality duck products, supplying retail and food service markets throughout the world with innovative, value-added foods. Founded in 1958, Maple Leaf Farms is a fourth-generation family-owned company.
