Browns, Asos Veteran Lola Okuyiga Has Big Plans for Her Brand, Wonder – WWD – Pen 18

wonder World: Wonder, the fashion and lifestyle brand started by former Brown, Asos and Topshop buyer Lola Okuiga, is releasing its first collaboration ahead of a retail launch later this year.

The brand has worked with the British graffiti artist and designer known as Insa to create a collection of NXT and physical jackets that will be released on Thursday at 4PM UK time.

Okuyiga, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in the UK, founded Wonder two years ago with the aim of “celebrating products and brands”.

Going forward, she plans to “collaborate, collaborate and consult with like-minded brands and artists” and launch an e-commerce site later this year. The site will initially carry Wonder products, and eventually add brands.

Lola Okuyiga is the founder of Wonder, and Brown is a former buyer at Topshop and Asos.
courtesy image

Okuiga said it wants to focus on “underrepresented audiences and brands” with upcoming collaborations Wonder X Alia and Wonder X ft petrol.

Meanwhile, the online store will be about creating a “luxury and streetwear fashion ecosystem that celebrates Black excellence” and ensuring that underrepresented brands and businesses can “win on all levels.” She seeks to increase “representation and ownership at the highest levels among the global black community and among omnipresent women.”

Asked why he founded Wonder, Okuiga said that after 12 years working in fashion and retail, “I noticed a lack of diversity at the C-suite level, which often saw women and other minorities not being able to hold onto the stakes for equity or ownership.” Without ‘doing’… Wonder was created to authentically fix some of these issues.

“I knew that as a black woman raised in Birmingham, born in Lagos, my filter on the world resonated with a relatively large audience and it gave me the confidence to do it on my own terms, working with brands, retailers And artists understand, in a way, to make amazing product moments happen both digitally and physically,” Okuiga said.

She said that Web 3.0 “really excites me because creatives are being rewarded without having to go through gatekeepers. What’s more, women and marginalized communities can take full ownership of their work and wage and income distribution.” can challenge the inequalities within. I hope Wonder can be an example of what is possible in this region.”

Wonder launched in the Metaverse earlier this month during Metaverse Fashion Week with the Decentraland pop-up. It previewed a selection of drops from the coming season and offered NFTs that act as pre-orders against future physical product drops.

The collaboration with Insa costs £666 for the physical jacket and associated NFTs; And £333 for Digital Jacket/NFT.

In the future, the brand will focus on virtual and physical products, with Okuiga leveraging its background in product design and development. She created one of Topshop’s all-time bestsellers, the super-skinny Joni Jeans style that generated millions in revenue for the retailer, which was sold to Asos last year.

Originally published at Pen 18

Feeling sidelined by ministers, 25 Maharashtra Congress MLAs want to meet Sonia Gandhi

MUMBAI: At least 25 Congress MLAs from Maharashtra have sought an appointment with party president Sonia Gandhi to complain against Congress ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government who “did not respond to their concerns”. The legislators, in a letter, urged Gandhi to intervene to “fix things”.

Some MLAs told ET that ministers in the MVA, especially Congress ministers, were “not coordinating” with them, asking one of them, “if ministers ignore requests to implement the work in MLAs’ constituencies.” So how will the party do well in the elections,” one of them asked.

Indicating the lack of coordination in the party, the MLAs said they came to know only last week that each Congress minister was assigned three party MLAs to address their issues appropriately. “We came to know when HK Patil held a meeting recently that Congress ministers were allotted three MLAs each. This was apparently done a few months after the MVA government was formed, but we only got to know about it. Found out only 2.5 years ago. Elections. Even now, no one knows which minister is associated with us,” said another Congress MLA.

Other Congress MLAs said the party lagged behind the Nationalist Congress Party as Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar regularly meets NCP MLAs, allocates funds and listens to their grievances. Another Congress MLA said, “NCP is attacking us. More funds are allocated to NCP ministries and if things remain the same, Congress in Maharashtra will be marginalized like other states.” The MLAs said that immediate action should be taken after the party’s defeat in Punjab. He said that if the party remains ‘useless’ in Maharashtra, there may be ‘similar results’.

Originally published at Pen 18

Opposed Ashish Mishra’s bail, gave security to witnesses: UP govt

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has claimed in the Supreme Court that it has opposed the bail application of Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri case and has provided security to all the witnesses in the case. Ashish Mishra is the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

The state government seems to have induced Divjot Singh, one of the grievously thrashed witnesses to come to the top court seeking protection recently, thrashed over the Holi controversy in the presence of his security details.

The state also claimed that it was in the process of deciding to appeal against the bail of Ashish Mishra and the limitation period for doing so was not yet over. The affidavit was filed ahead of hearing of an application seeking cancellation of bail granted to Ashish Mishra.

The state government objected to the claims made by the families of the victims of the case that the state had not effectively opposed the bail of Ashish Mishra. The state said that the AAG had told the court that “by the vehicle of the applicant and his followers, the protesters were crushed and five persons – Nakshatra Singh, Daljit Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Gurvinder Singh and Raman Kashyap – died and 13 Others killed. Injured”. The applicant fled after firing, the affidavit quoted AAG as saying.

The state also claimed that the witness who was recently thrashed was done for a different reason and was corroborated by his gunner. The state claimed that his gunner’s views were supported by other eyewitnesses.

The state argued that all the witnesses had said that it had nothing to do with the ruling party’s victory in the elections and termed the attempt to link the beating to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident as unwarranted.

The state said each witness in the case was assigned an armed gunner with a permanent security guard and was constantly being watched through CCTV cameras and police, who were on duty at barricades around their homes.

The state’s affidavit, filed by the home department, said security has been provided to around 98 witnesses. The families of the victims have accused the state government of not effectively opposing their bail. He has also accused the state of not filing an appeal. He also claimed that his lawyer, who was appearing through video conferencing, was cut off during the hearing and applications to hear him again were rejected by the High Court.

Originally published at Pen 18

Elon Musk claims SEC ‘misconduct’ as Tesla CEO seeks end to limits on tweets

Elon Musk accuses the US Securities and Exchange Commission of “misconduct” as Tesla Inc’s chief executive tries to pull out of a 2018 deal with the regulator, limiting his Twitter posts about the electric carmaker .

Musk wants to block an SEC subpoena seeking information about Tesla’s public-disclosure controls and in 2018 agreed to undo a set of court orders that led to an in-house official relating to his company. Tweets were reviewed. Known as the “twitter sitter” of the CEO.

Musk’s attorneys said in a New York court filing Tuesday, “The SEC argues that it has the absolute right to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, as long as it receives a formal order.” ” “But there are limits to the investigative power of the SEC, especially once, as here, it is specifically taking advantage of a binding order recorded and supervised by this Court.”

According to the court filing, Musk accused the SEC of “misconduct” in its investigations of him and Tesla.

The SEC declined to comment.

Musk, who earlier this month asked a judge to end monitoring of his tweets, claims the SEC is harassing him with demands for an overly comprehensive investigation and that the 2018 deal violates his right to free speech. Is. He rejected the agency’s arguments that he independently agreed to the limits and that a review of his tweets by the company’s securities attorney did not amount to government regulation of his speech.

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“It is irrelevant to whom the SEC has assigned this duty; Mr. Musk’s speech is restricted as a result of the SEC’s prosecution,” he said in a federal court filing.

The SEC has said it has a “legitimate purpose” in investigating whether Tesla has institutional control over corporate disclosures and whether Musk is complying with them.

The case is in US Securities and Exchange Commission v. Musk, 18-CV-08865, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

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Originally published at Pen 18

India US News: India, US to hold 2+2 dialogue on April 11

India and the United States are scheduled to hold 2+2 talks in Washington on April 11.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will meet their counterparts External Affairs Minister Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. There will also be other meetings between Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.

The last 2+2 ministerial talks between the two countries were held in New Delhi in October 2020.

India and the United States held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting in Washington in September last year and exchanged assessments on developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the western Indian Ocean.

The two sides took stock of progress and developments in the bilateral agenda under the India-US Strategic Partnership, including defence, global public health, economic and commercial cooperation, science and technology, clean energy and climate finance, and people-to-people ties. ,

Originally published at Pen 18

Top Gun Maverick Trailer is Out, And Tom Cruise is All Set to Rule The Skies – Pen 18

new Delhi: Thirty-six years into the wait and well, the wait is worth it regardless of age.Also Read – Weird! Rooster charges Rs.30 ticket fare for traveling in Telangana state bus. Watch

A sequel to the 1986 release Top Gun is very much ahead, or should we say flying, what with the action taking place in the skies. Also Read – Emirates Ad of Woman Standing on Top of Burj Khalifa Is So ‘Real’; Airline reveals how it was shot watch viral video

The ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ trailer is out and LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, is back in business as usual. The trailer presents incredible air-combat sequences that might have never been seen on screen before and with Cruise in charge, you better believe it. Also Read – WATCH: David Beckham-Tom Cruise Fist Bump After Luke Shaw’s Goal Vs Italy In Euro 2020 Final At Wembley, Video Viral

watch the trailer

Miles Teller plays Goose’s son, Rooster as the trailer follows newly released photos. Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in Top Gun, is Maverick’s radar intercept officer, and best friend, but is tragically killed when he hits the jettison aircraft canopy head-first.

The film’s release got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now set to hit the theaters on May 27. Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick co-star Manny Jacinto has said that, despite all the delays, the film will be worth the audience’s wait.

The trailer of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ shows new fighter jets keeping new technology in mind.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick promises the adventure of a lifetime as Maverick is tasked with training a new batch of aviators for a dangerous mission.

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Originally published at Pen 18

Ariana DeBose Oscars Win, Valentino Pantsuit According to Stylist – WWD – Pen 18

Ariana Debos concluded her historic awards season Sunday night at the 2022 Oscars, where she received her first Academy Award for her role as Anita in “West Side Story,” making her an openly LGBTQ person and Afro- The Latina woman became the first woman to win. Best Supporting Actress Award.

Debos celebrated her historic win in another extravagant fashion moment thanks to her stylists Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston, who dressed the star in a custom red Valentino pantsuit with a matching cape that wowed onlookers on the red carpet.

“Red was telling subconsciously,” Smith explained. “we did yellow” [at the Critics’ Choice and BAFTAs], which was a tribute to Anita, and then Lal is back and we paid tribute to Anita with a Laal moment. We wanted to mix masculine and feminine elements, so the cape and bralette gave it feminine mysticism, and the trousers were as strong and daring as a suit moment. ,

Smith explained that the look was authentic to DeBoss’ style, which helped it resonate with audiences.

“What you saw on the red carpet was something that was Ariana DeBos,” he said. “That’s why it was so special because it’s her, it really was her.”

Ariana DeBos at the 2022 Oscars
Gilbert Flores for Variety

Valentino has been a go-to brand for DeBoss, right before his “West Side Story” press tour late last year. Smith explained that Valentino and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli were one of the first major houses to work with the actress when others were not accepting the newcomer.

,[Valentino] The train was on the bandwagon before exiting the park and driving, you know what I mean? he said. “They never made Ariana feel like she was a token, and trust me there were some brands where it was really worth how they said no to us in the beginning and then all of a sudden you want to open the doors and tell us Want to give everything. It’s just not real.”

DeBose kicked off awards season at the 2022 SAG Awards by wearing a fuchsia dress with draped back detailing from Valentino’s Spring 2022 Couture collection. For Critics’ Choice and BAFTAs, she paid tribute to her Latin roots by wearing gowns by Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. Both were also dressed in yellow as a tribute to Debos’ character Anita, who wears a yellow outfit in the film.

After the Oscars, DeBose changed into a custom Mônot black mini dress with bow detailing on the back, which Smith explained was a way to close this chapter of DeBose’s style.

“We wanted to close with black and it was a little scary and a little brave, but we kept the bow on the back,” he said. “So, if she was to win an Oscar it would be a nice way of saying that we completely wrapped it up and put it in a bow. By the grace of God, she won, so the narrative made sense.”

Smith and Adamiston also styled “Aladdin” star Naomi Scott on Sunday night, dressing her in a Fendi Spring 2022 Couture gown for the Oscars and a black cut-out Armani dress at the Vanity Fair after-party.

The stylist reflected on what it meant for her to be a part of DeBose’s historic moment and the greater significance of her Oscar win.

,[Edmiston and I] Told each other that hopefully we will have another opportunity to be an Oscar nominee and possibly an Oscar winner,” he said. “But, if I’ve never styled another person in my life, if I never do another red carpet, I can happily say I’ll be fine with it because last night just ended so many things.” My career as a stylist hasn’t been easy as a black man, as a gay man. It’s not an industry that I’ve really always embraced. Ariana being given that opportunity – Which is a woman of color and a quirky woman – who also has the same experiences that I have, but in Hollywood, it’s so incredibly powerful that it took someone who was cut from the same clothes that I’ve got to see me and Sarah, and then say, ‘Let’s get up together.'”

Ariana Debos
Michael Buckner / WWD

Read more here:

Zadrian Smith Talks 10 Celebrities Styling for the BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards

Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston Talk Ariana DeBos’ ‘Classic Americana’ Style

How 10 Oscars Red Carpet Dresses Looked on the Fashion Week Runway?

Originally published at Pen 18