LOUIS VUITTON GETS DOTTY WITH JAPANESE ARTIST YAYOI KUSAMA

Louis Vuitton has a long history of iconic artist collaborations under Marc Jacobs’s direction: there were Stephen Sprouse’s graffiti bags in 2001, Takashi Murakami’s colorful monogram bags in 2003, and Richard Prince’s joke-printed bags in 2007. Now, the brand is pairing up with a new artist: Yayoi Kusama.

Jacobs first met Kusama in 2006, when she presented him with a monogrammed Vuitton bag painted all over with her signature polka dots. Now that the two are teaming up in a bigger way, those same dots will be covering everything from trenchcoats to silk pajamas to watches and hitting Vuitton stores on July 10—just in time for the Whitney Museum’s Kusama retrospective which opens two days later. A second installment of the collaboration—monogrammed leather goods covered in Kusama’s tentaclelike “nerves” motif—will hit in October.

“Her energy is just endless,” Jacobs said of the Japanese artist. “Through the painstaking sort of obsession in each of her canvasses and installations that she’s created, you see this world that never ends. I guess that’s what I admire and that’s what I respond to in terms of feeling for her and for her work… For many people who don’t look at art or go to galleries, or maybe they’re not aware of Kusama’s work, there will be a new venue, a new place to see this work and to come to appreciate it through the eyes of Louis Vuitton.”

See one more image of the collection after the jump.

By Elle /by TOMMYE FITZPATRICK

Kristen Stewart: Black and Snow White BY ELLE MAG

LOVE THE SHOOT THEY DID FOR THE UPCOMING COVER OF ELLE MAGAZINE WITH KRISTEN STEWART! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE MOVIE! LOVE JODIE

With more than 20 films to her credit and not a rom-com among them, the 'Snow White and The Huntsman' star knows what's best for her, and she has the mass audience to prove it

Courtesy of Elle!

Spring 2012 Trend: Great Escape by Elle & JoJo Beach Wear

Summer is fast approaching, so let the daydreaming begin! Here, the season's surf's-up neons, saturated florals, and Rasta brights—paired with the perfect summer tunes below!

 Photo By Jhonny Villaronga for JoJo Beach Wear

  Photo By Jhonny Villaronga for JoJo Beach Wear

  Photo By Jhonny Villaronga for JoJo Beach Wear

 Photo By Jhonny Villaronga for JoJo Beach Wear

Photo by Zach Ramsey for JoJo Beach Wear & MODA Fashion Magazine

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROL

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. GIVE UP ON BLAME

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. GIVE UP YOUR SELF-DEFEATING SELF-TALK

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. GIVE UP YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. GIVE UP COMPLAINING

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. GIVE UP THE LUXURY OF CRITICISM

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO IMPRESS OTHERS

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. GIVE UP YOUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. GIVE UP LABELS

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. GIVE UP ON YOUR FEARS

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. GIVE UP YOUR EXCUSES

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. GIVE UP THE PAST

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. GIVE UP ATTACHMENT

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. GIVE UP LIVING YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

Courtesy of Purpose Fairy.

HERE’S THAT LUXURY KARDASHIAN FRAGRANCE YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

Kim Kardashian already has three fragrances under her belt, but her fourth is different: “We are reaching a more mature audience who we believe can really share in Kim’s experiences in reflecting on what she’s gone through,” a Lord & Taylor rep told WWD. It might be fair to say that no one will ever understand what Kim has gone through (or goes through), but that won’t stop anyone from buying something branded with a K.

True Reflection, Kim’s fourth scent, is her first in the luxury category and is so-called because, well, Kim has a lot on which to reflect.  There’s the divorce, the flour bombing, and the newuber-famous boyfriend, all of which the reality star plays down by telling the trade that the perfume’s name is really just about “overcoming things and letting your true self come out.”

As for the campaign, the inspiration’s pretty obvious.  The white slip and soft waves are straight out of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  “I was channeling Elizabeth Taylor. When I was shooting it, her auctions were going up for sale. I was learning more about her. She’s an idol of mine.”  If Lindsay Lohan doesn’t work out, those Lifetime producers should give Kim a call.

Classic Movie Rock Gods and Goddesses

Tom Cruise's Stacee Jaxx will take his place in the Hollywood music pantheon next month. See other rock-star performances by Kristen Stewart, Jamie Foxx, and Val Kilmer

CORTESY OF  ELLE

How To Contour Like A Pro

Michelangelo, El Greco, Bernini…all of these masters were able to take blocks of marble, wood, and other materials and sculpt them into smooth, chiseled, polished perfection. Human bodies may not be as smooth, hard, or even uniform as the master’s mediums, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fake it when appropriate!

Contouring will take round, plump, curvy figures and faces, and turn them into something that is more angular and leaner in appearance. With the right products, and the proper beauty technique, you too can create your own work of art—and instantly appear svelter, leaner, and better. Here’s how.

Set your surface

To contour your visage, first moisturize, prime, and apply the foundation of your choice. (I prefer liquid formulas, such as L’Oreal’s True Match, which not only provides customizable coverage, but also wears beautifully.) This creates an even surface that is ready to receive color.

The No. 3 of bronzer

Next, grab a matte powder or bronzer in a shade one or two levels deeper than your own natural skin tone, and proceed to apply it on those designated spots of the face that you wish to appear “sucked-in”—mainly your temples, sides of the nose, hollows of the cheeks, under the jaw bone, and in the crease of the eye. You are essentially applying the powder in a number three pattern.

Spotlight your high points

To finish, use a shimmering, light-reflecting powder or cream product in a color that is two to three shades lighter than your own. When applied, this will ‘spotlight’ and draw out the high points of your face. Blend the product into the area under your brow bone, apples of the cheeks, center of your chin, above the cupid’s bow of your lip, and on the bridge of your nose.

The end result

Overall, the contrast between the light colors used to bring out and the dark shades used to draw in, is what ultimately tricks your brain into seeing sharp angles that aren’t there naturally. With these steps, anyone can go from marshmallow to modelesque. Now isn’t sculpting a wonderful thing?

The same tricks that you used for your face can easily be applied to your body. To contour your abs, arms, legs, etc., grab a body bronzing cream or a water-resistant powder in a shade or three darker than your own, and  again apply on spots where you want to add definition. An easy trick that I typically use is to flex my muscle in the area I want to chisel. The edge or border of my muscle is exactly where I apply my contour, while the center of my muscle is where I want to apply the highlight. Six pack abs and toned triceps never came this easily!

How to Trim Your Own Bangs

Have your bangs become a bit of a burden? You’re not alone. This style requires a lot of mane-maintenance. If they’re growing out at an alarming rate, we suggest learning how to snip them yourself. Celebrity hairstylist Angelo David of Angelo David Salon in New York City shares a few simple foolproof tips on keeping your fringe looking fabulous at all times.

• Step 1: Starting with dry hair, section off a triangular section in the front, starting an inch or two from the crown of the head.

• Step 2: Using a fine-toothed comb, evenly gather hair in the front, letting it fall on the temples.

• Step 3: To create a blunt bang, hold hair taut with your fingers and slowly cut horizontally across, cutting a quarter inch at a time. (Make sure your scissors are sharp to make this process seamless and concise.) To create a wispy, textured look, twist the hair you’ve sectioned off a few times and hold it taut between your fingers. From there, begin cutting the ends at a 45-degree angle.

• Step 4: Don’t cut too much at once, and stop to check your work in the mirror regularly. You can always do additional trimming, if needed.

WISIN & YANDEL AND JENNIFER LOPEZ “FOLLOW THE LEADER”

WISIN & YANDEL AND JENNIFER LOPEZ
“FOLLOW THE LEADER”
HISTORIC WORLDWIDE TWITTER VIDEO PREMIERE THURSDAY MAY 3RD
 
THE FIRST MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE ON TWITTER
THAT WILL INCLUDE CELEBRITIES

THE LANDMARK EVENT MARKS THE FIRST BILINGUAL TWITTER CAMPAIGN IN HISTORY

OFFICIAL TEASER KICK–OFF CAMPAIGN FOR VIDEO PREMIERE AIRED THIS MORNING
ON ABC’S GOOD MORNING AMERICA

VIDEO ALSO TO PREMIERE ON MTV HITS, MTV TR3S, MTV HITS LATIN AMERICA, MTV LATIN AMERICA, VH1 MEXICO, VH1 ARGENTINA AND VH1 BRAZIL AND DIGITALLY ON VEVO
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH

MIAMI, Florida (May 2, 2012).  Grammy-winning, top-selling Latin music duo Wisin & Yandel and international recording artist, actress and superstar Jennifer Lopez will continue to raise the bar, when they premiere the video for their new single “Follow The Leader” via Twitter on Thursday, May 3rd, marking the first time that Twitter partners with major artists for an exclusive worldwide video premiere campaign.  This also marks another first for the social media giant, the very first Twitter bilingual campaign.

Beginning at 7am PT/10am ET Jennifer Lopez  (@JLO) and Wisin y Yandel (@wisinyyandel) will begin a series of tweets that will LEAD their FOLLOWERS to the music video premiere destination on Twitter.   TV celebrities Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) and Ellen De Generes  (@theellenshow) and music superstar Enrique Iglesias (@enrigue305) are slated to play along too.  #FollowTheLeader.

Projected to reach 50+ million followers, the campaign kicked off this morning with an official teaser live on ABC’s Good Morning America where they announced the set up of the Twitter “game”.

Beginning Friday, May 4th, VEVO will digitally premiere “Follow The Leader” on their site, while the video also makes its full-length television debut, when it premieres exclusively on MTV Hits, Tr3s, VH1 Latin America, MTV Hits Latin America and VH1 Brazil beginning at 6am/EST.
Wisin, Yandel and JLO shot the video for "Follow the Leader" in Acapulco, Mexico, under the direction of Hollywood director Jessy Terrero.  The action-packed video has the recording artists practicing Parkour, the physical discipline of efficient/dynamic movement around obstacles which is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

"We loved working with Jennifer on the video.   She handled everything like a trooper. . . shooting in the intense heat, attempting her own stunts and all the time having a blast," said Wisin.  "The video is action-packed, has Acapulco in the backdrop and of course the beautiful and incomparable JLo. We hope all of our fans love this video as much as we do," added Yandel.
"Follow the Leader" was written by Wisin & Yandel, Jennifer Lopez and the Bloodline Sisters and produced by Jonas Saeed & Niclas Kings.  It was recorded in Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. The single debuted on iTunes Latin’s Top 5 and is topping radio station playlists throughout the country. It has also reached #1 in six countries in Latin America. This is the first single off the duo's upcoming album "Líderes" which is set to be released in June.  "Líderes" also includes collaborations with music superstars Chris Brown, T-Pain, and Timbaland.

Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Wisin & Yandel embark on a North American tour summer hitting nearly 20 cities nationwide starting July 14, 2012. The tour, promoted by AEG Live will go on sale beginning Friday, May 4, 2012 at www.ticketmaster.com.

About Wisin & Yandel
Worldwide top-selling Latin urban music artists, Wisin & Yandel have been hugely successful during their 13 year career as a duo. They have garnered numerous multi-platinum certifications in the United States and Latin America and dozens of prestigious awards including a Grammy and two Latin Grammys. On tour, Wisin & Yandel have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, becoming the only artists in the Urban Latin Music genre to sell out both the Staples Center and Madison Square Garden in the US. Wisin & Yandel’s shows are nothing short of exhilarating.  The duo travels with their 10 piece band, 8 dancers, and a state-of-the art audiovisual show; but the true stars, absolutely are Wisin & Yandel and their unique brand of Latin urban music, a fusion of genres and styles delivered with a power and passion that no one in their musical genre can match.  They have recorded and shared the stage with many of the biggest artists in the music industry, including: Enrique Iglesias, 50 Cent, Ricky Martin, Pitbull, T-Pain, Romeo Santos, Aventura, Akon and Nelly Furtado, among many others. The duo's next album "Lideres" will be released in June and features collaborations with superstars Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, T-Pain and Timbaland.  For updated information on Wisin & Yandel, visit: www.wisinyandelpr.com, www.facebook.com/wisinyyandel, or www.twitter.com/wisinyyandel.

About Jennifer Lopez
International icon, Jennifer Lopez is an entertainer, recording artist, film actress, producer, fashion designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.  Lopez has sold over 55 million records worldwide and has starred in multiple # 1 box office films including The Wedding Planner and Monster-In-Law.   She has achieved global landmark success and broken records when it comes to her music.  Last year, "On The Floor" became the Most Watched Music Video by a female artist in the History of YouTube, with a staggering 1/2 billion views!     JLO's music has impacted every continent in the world, transcending borders and languages.   The music and her celebrity has struck a common thread with all generations and all "walks of life."   With #1 singles, #1 albums, #1 music videos, #1 TV series, #1 box-office smashes, Jennifer Lopez is the definition of an icon.   The Wedding Planner was the nation's top grossing film, in 2001, while her album, JLO, was #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.  The two simultaneous #1 honors made Lopez the first woman in history to have a #1 movie and album in the same week. 2012 will mark another first, embarking on the most extensive concert tour of her career.

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Photo: Luis Carmona

Media Contact, Wisin & Yandel:
Jennifer J. Nieman, The Nieman Group

Media Contact, Jennifer Lopez:
Mark Young, The Fame Factory