Wempe Unveils The ‘Iron Walker’ Stainless Steel Sports Watch Collection

Among the biggest trends in timepieces are stainless steel watches with integrated bracelets. Wempe, the German retailer and manufacturer of luxury watches and jewels, entered this watchmaking category with a collection of 16 watches for men and women called “Iron Walker.”

What may be different for a luxury watch is the inspiration behind the product: Ironworkers. These are tradesmen whose primary job is to assemble the structural metal framework supports for new buildings. Today, these are highly trained and highly skilled professionals. However, during the early 20th century, these workers were as much daredevils as tradesmen, working with substandard equipment by current standards and with few safety precautions while dangling upwards of 1,000 feet in the air performing difficult tasks on narrow steel beams. Their most important and high-profile works are large bridges and skyscrapers that remain landmarks a century later. It is the latter that is the story behind the watches, says Kim-Eva Wempe, the fourth-generation CEO of the family owned firm, and Bernhard Stoll, CEO of the Wempe Watch Division.

“We were inspired by a story about the steel construction workers in the USA who operated without safety equipment as they assemble the skeleton of a skyscraper,” Stoll says. “That’s how we came up with the idea to create a watch using a precise stainless-steel case featuring integrated strap lugs.”

Kim-Eva Wempe adds, “By coincidence, our Wempe showroom in New York is located on Fifth Avenue in one of the first high-rises built with a steel skeleton.”

A 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan In Estes Park, Colorado

There is an oft-repeated tale that when a fellow drives to Colorado via Nebraska, he’s stopped at the border and issued a Subaru or a Prius, a man-bun and a beard. (Ok, I’m the one who oft-repeats it.)

It’s a joke, but not really. In Boulder and the surrounding areas, there is nary a Rolls to be seen, nor a Bentley. The wealth in Boulder county is considerable but the folks aren’t flashy like that.

My test Cullinan therefore created two kinds of stir - the “What is that?” kind, and the freak-out when I drove past the occasional ballfield and the game would halt. Kids know what’s up.

Then there was the buddy who said “The front looks like you could grate cheese and the back looks like a Jeep.” A case of sour grapes, methinks. Or rancid Grey Poupon. I said “lol” in my head and glided away with a masked neighbor in the back seat who simply couldn’t believe how nice it was inside and outside. I couldn’t believe it either, and this was my 3rd Cullinan.

Undeterred by the peanut gallery, where did my main driving partner and I go? Why, to the supermarket, of course. But not the Safeway, King Sooper or Sprouts down the block. We had to go get milk in Estes Park, some 40 miles away.

COVID-19: These Fashion And Beauty Brands Are Mobilizing To Solve Shortages

While a few fashion and beauty brands have chosen to sell coronavirus-marketed products in response to the pandemic, others have begun to mobilize against growing shortages of vital supplies.

Rather than making clothes and beauty products, some of the world’s biggest brands have reworked their resources to manufacture face masks and hand sanitizers. And not for the everyday person’s non-essential use, but for the healthcare workers who need them most.

H&M and Zara (or rather, Inditex, its parent company) were among the first to shift their sizeable operations towards the manufacturing of medical supplies and Mango has pledged to distribute two million face masks throughout Spain’s hospitals.

LVMH—the multinational which owns Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, Fendi, Givenchy, and more—is using its supply chain to source 40 million face masks from China and had promised a five million euro minimum spend to fund their first week of deliveries. The majority of which are expected to be sent across Spain, France and Italy, which have fast become COVID-19’s most-affected countries.

At the request of Tuscan authorities, Prada has begun production of 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 face masks. Daily hospital deliveries are expected to begin on April 6 in Italy.

Meanwhile, French luxury conglomerate Kering has committed to sourcing three million Chinese face masks for its own country’s health service. Among its many high-end brands, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent have been rallied to make masks while Kering’s largest, Gucci, has said it will manufacture and donate 1.1 million face masks and 55,000 medical overalls to the Italian authorities.

European textile manufacturer Miroglio Group, which makes fabrics for over 3,000 clients each year, has also retooled its firm in northwest Italy to produce washable cotton and elastane masks. 10,000 of which were delivered last week, with another 600,000 expected by middle of next week. The company plans to service Italy first, but hopes it can look further afield as production ramps up towards 100,000 face masks per day. 

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The Female Gaze In Fashion Photography

Where are all the great women fashion photographers? Ahead of women’s history month in March, one exhibition is looking at two key figures of the female gaze in fashion. Opening March 5, the Staley Wise Gallery in New York features two trailblazing women who broke ground in fashion photography; 2 Women of Style is the name of this two-woman exhibit showcasing the works of Louise Dahl-Wolfe; who shot for Harper’s Bazaar in the 1930s, and Stephanie Pfriender Stylander; a New York photographer who shot Kate Moss in 1991, when she was just 17. Granted, there are countless women fashion photographers who changed the game, from Regina Lelang to Deborah Turbeville and more recently, Ellen von Unwerth. Here, Pfriender Stylander shares her personal history as a photographer, her triumphs, challenges and what she respects most about actors.

I never really thought about being a woman photographer, I always looked at myself as a photographer. My background was such that my mother during the 1940s and 1950s had a great career, got married in her 40s, and with her as my role model as well as her girlfriends that were always around I saw strong women, women that did what they wanted to do, choosing careers and travel. Funny stories that I do remember are when my team and I would arrive at an airport to meet the driver and the welcome sign would have my male assistants name as the photographer. When I look back especially now, there must have been prejudices and losses of jobs, but the flip side could be that subjects and situations may have seen a woman photographer as less threatening.

                                                                 

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A Weekend Dining Guide To Buenos Aires

For many, the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is synonymous with several things: stately, neoclassical architecture. (No wonder the metropolitan is frequently nicknamed “the Paris of South America.”) Tango. A lively theater culture. (Fun fact: there’s almost 300 theaters in Buenos Aires, with the opera house Teatro Colón being the most iconic.) Eva Perón. (She’s buried at Recoleta Cemetery, another famed city site.)

And last but not least: Malbec and steaks. Though these will always remain defining properties of Buenos Aires' culinary landscape, there’s far more to discover here than wine and beef. Even better? You can experience much of the city’s diverse restaurant scene in just one weekend.

Below, our handy guide on where to dine, and where to stay in Argentina’s capital.

Perched in the hip, up-and-coming neighborhood of Villa Crespo is Malvón. Start your day off right by pairing a stack of the popular pancakes with a piping mug of coffee, and nab a table on the picturesque patio when the sun’s out.

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Fashion Deals To Shop Before Black Friday 2019

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the way, and they're set to be even bigger events than last year. Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and fickle, and with the multi-faceted e-commerce landscape at our fingertips 24/7, brands understand that they need to go the extra mile when communicating with modern shoppers. Accordingly, for the holiday 2019 season, many retailers will begin their marketing efforts earlier than they did last year. Deals will likely be even better, and there will be more of them too — so no matter what you're looking for, there should be something for you.

November 1 marks the unofficial commencement of the holiday shopping season – and a peak sales for designer retailer promotions. Here are three trends from this season's runways on sale now.

Elevated Athleisure

Activewear currently makes up 24 percent of apparel sales – with no signs of its growth slowing down, according to The Future of Apparel study recently conducted by NPD Group. Correspondingly, the athleisure and streetwear trends have transformed the luxury fashion industry in recent years. Designer-sportswear collaborations become increasingly common within the industry, such as Adidas partnerships with the likes of Alexander Wang and Stella McCartney, it is clear there is a large market of consumers craving more elevated athleisure offerings.

While our society's daily attire choices are more informal than they were a few years ago, many of us still want to wear sleek and sophisticated styles while remaining both casual and comfortable. To create a balanced look that allows you to indulge in these two sartorial desires, try out a well-fitting sweatshirt paired with high-shine leggings (another trend this season) or a pair of tailored track pants.

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Johnny Schembri Discusses The Rise Of His Australian Fashion Brand, BY JOHNNY

In the market for a gorgeous little LBD, or any other color for that matter? Well, of course you are, and you should head over to BY JOHNNY and check out his collection.

Two parts flirty, and two parts a whole lotta fun, expect form flitting dresses that are designed to show you off. There’s something for everyone too, whether your after a midi dress for a cocktail party or a little number (check out the statement ‘birthday dress’) you’ll find a dress (or several) that you’ll fall in love with.

Felicity Carter: How, when, why did you get into the industry?

Johnny Schembri: In between completing my studies and starting BY JOHNNY, I worked in a PR Showroom for a few years. This gave me the perfect foundation to get a greater understanding of the industry and business side to fashion. I started BY JOHNNY in 2009 selling one off designs at the fringe market. I always loved the idea of design a product and seeing it come to life, which brought me to the fashion industry.

How would you sum up the aesthetic?

JS: Our signature bold aesthetic is very unique, mixing delicate body contouring with sharp shapes, strong silhouettes and bold graphics. Each season offers a strong and concise image and message that is very much; bold and vibrant.

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How Mercedes-Benz Drives Fashion In Berlin And Beyond

Berlin’s complex cultural histories are reflected in its street style scene. In 2016, I first wrote about the capital of Germany as “the most under-valued fashion capital of Europe”. In recent years its reputation has been upgraded thanks to an influx of fashion tech startups and international expansion of emerging German brands such as Marcell Von Berlin, IVANMAN, SADAK, and others. It was time to attend the latest edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin which has been playing a large role in the city’s fashion renaissance. I wanted to experience the innovative spirit of local designers and see for myself how the iconic automaker’s event management and design knowhow is shaping up the future of global fashion.

Austrian designer Christoph Rumpf was selected as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talents - young designers initiative - to open the week. A recent winner of the prestigious Hyères Festival, Rumpf is making a name for himself in the industry on principles of upcycling and sustainable design. Many participants share this ethos, including the duo behind Richert Beil whose striking collection was rooted in Germanic cultural heritage.

Similarly, Berlin runways are open to relative newcomers like #Damur with just five seasons under their progressive streetwear belt as well as luxury athleisure maker Sportalm which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. European ideals of femininity were artfully reexamined in the looks from two MBFW regulars Rebekka Ruétz and Lena Hoschek. Meanwhile, designer Danny Reinke had charmed the audiences and the critics with his self-proclaimed “German Nerdiness” evident in the irony and intelligence of styling. Overall, a solid lineup for a wide buyer spectrum and a range of price points.

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Meet Caroline Constas, A Female Founder In Fashion

It's the days leading up to Montréal Grand Prix and designer Caroline Constas is being fêted the by the luxury Canadian department store, Holt Renfrew, at their annual Grand Prix event.

She enters the party being held at the top floor of the Ritz Carlton, her statuesque framed draped in a long, white, strapless goddess-gown of her own design. Earlier in the day, she posted a photo of herself with her collection's display at the store with a caption that read, "Dreams to come true."

For Constas, this year's Grand Prix event is not only a dream come true, but it's also a homecoming of sorts. Being honored by the department store coincides with the Montréal native's 5th of year in business at the helm of her namesake label.

"I've been dreaming of working with them [Holt Renfrew] for years and years because growing up in Montréal, that was the place you aspired to shop," she says.

As a young fashion brand, to stay in business in a cutthroat industry after 5 years is, indeed, recognition-worthy. Constas, however, has done more than just stay in business—her brand is thriving, and the Holt Renfrew event is an acknowledgment of her success.

Her collection's whimsical-yet-elegant vibe is directly inspired by Constas' upbringing and globetrotting lifestyle, which is marked by life in New York, summers in Greece and inspiration trips to foreign countries.

"It started when I was 8 years old, and I was traveling to Greece every summer to visit family," she says. She is the daughter of a Greek-Lebanese father and an American mother who, through these visits, exposed her to the world from a very young age.

During her childhood travels, she found herself sketching the clothes she wanted to wear on her holidays, and over time she became aware of the keen eye she possessed for spotting trends that crossed borders.

"I was always very focused and aware of fashion and how fashion differed, and how it was similar across different cultures. I was able to see what was overlapping between different countries," she says.

A key factor to her success is that Constas herself is the ultimate muse for her brand—she knows her customer because she is her customer. "I start each season with the question: What do I want to wear that isn't in the market?" she says, admitting she is designing for herself first and foremost, knowing that women like herself will gravitate to what she's offering.

In addition, Constas is regularly featured on her company's social media in her designs and also posts pictures and musings from her personal travels. Images of her wearing her label bring the clothes to life in a way only she can, and the content, as a result, is a physical embodiment of the Caroline Constas brand story. She is undoubtedly one of her company's biggest assets.

In the beginning days of her label, it was this idea of creating clothes for her own personal lifestyle led to the creation of the Lou top, the design that put her name on the map.

Constas had always been searching for cotton shirting in feminine shapes and came up with an off the shoulder silhouette in a blue striped fabric traditionally used for dress shirts. An editor came in to view the collection, snapped a pic of the shirt and posted it to social media, which then led to Oprah's stylist pulling the shirt for a shoot. The next thing she knew, the Lou top was on the cover of O Magazine. "It was absolutely surreal," the designer says of the experience.

Are you Nuts for Nature? If so, this program is for you!

Have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with a bobcat or even a skunk, discover microscopic water animals, build a birdhouse, or learn the art of using binoculars?

Families will have a chance to do all this and more at the Nuts for Nature event taking place at the Carden Recreation Centre on Sunday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is part of The Couchiching Conservancy’s Passport to Nature, which is a series of free events for those who want to have fun exploring the outdoors, experience new things and learn from experts.

Nuts for Nature is specially designed for kids (of all ages) and their families and features a jam-packed program of over 20 activities ranging from wagon rides and hikes to birdhouse building and hands-on binocular lessons.

"One of the really neat things about this event is the opportunity for kids to get up-close with nature," explains Tom Wilson, one of the organizers. "A highlight for kids is being able to touch animals that have been orphaned, which are brought to the event by Speaking of Wildlife, a wildlife education organization.

"Our water activities are also really popular, where kids get to discover microscopic animals," said Wilson. "And, of course, everyone loves the wagon rides and free ice-cream!"

Nuts for Nature is made possible by the volunteers from The Couchiching Conservancy and Carden Field Naturalists who lead activities, and by generous sponsors, including Lafarge, James Dick Construction, Dufferin Aggregates, The Miller Group, Staples Orillia, Brechin Timber Mart, and Kawartha Dairy.

Nature, not natives, must be the priority for Molesworth

Ospri's​ admission that it poisoned 90 per cent of deer in one area of Molesworth using aerial 1080 was unique. Not just because of the rare admission of culpability, more as a rule. Ospri does not monitor outcomes of its aerial 1080 operations.

Between 2008 and 2016 Ospri reported to the Environmental Protection Agency that, of the 2.75 million hectares of land (a third of the public conservation estate) aerially treated with 1080, they monitored possum numbers before and after the drops for a mere 7 per cent of it.

And the evidence of hundreds of dead ladybugs, a carnivorous insect, found on the carcasses of the poisoned deer on Molesworth, should be of equal concern to conservation, especially since the journal Biological Conservation reported that more than 40 per cent of insect populations are plummeting worldwide. But that's what we call conservation – demonising animals for their natural behaviour and then poisoning them.

Deer are a valuable game resource in New Zealand. Hunting is an integral part of our heritage and provides social, mental and physical wellbeing for about 167,000 recreational hunters, as well as putting free-range, organic, humanely killed and highly nutritious meat on the family table. Too few Kiwis can afford to even buy meat, let alone venison at $75 a kilogram.

The Frozen Wonder of America's Biggest Ice Castle

Depending on how old you are, you'll either stand in front of the Ice Castle in North Woodstock, New Hampshire and think that you're walking into Superman's Fortress of Solitude, or that you've been transported to Arendelle, and you're about to enter Elsa's Ice Palace. Whether or not you think you're in Frozen, parts of you will feel frozen soon enough. Even on a mild winter day, even with your warmest snow gear, the Ice Castle is very cold.

But if you can bundle yourself up and spend some time in the Ice Castle, you'll find a living sculpture to winter unlike anything else in New England - or many other places in the country, for that matter. There are five other castles in North America (in Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah and Alberta, Canada), but the New Hampshire castle is the biggest of them all, weighing in at a staggering 20 tons of ice. Over the course of this year's 10 week season, the attraction will welcome about 160,000 visitors.

Inside, you won't find any Disney characters singing about how the cold never bothered them anyway - unless you visit on a Saturday afternoon, when there are actually princess meet and greets. What you will find is thousands upon thousands of icicles, grown on the "icicle farm" in the back of the property, that the castle's architects use to build the coves, corridors and archways of the frozen structure.

The process goes like this: Once the icicles are large enough, they're added to the castle structure each day. When they're positioned properly, they're then coated with water from an enormous sprayer to freeze them into place. Because the castle changes from sun and rain, and because the "ice artisans" add more ice daily, the castle changes from one day to the next, and no two visits are the same.

Where To Find 2019's Best Hotels In The Middle East

When one region turns out over-the-top Five-Star hotels like Dubai's Burj Al Arab Jumeirah (where a stay in a marble-filled duplex suite comes with amenities like a 24-karat-gold iPad along with access to one of the world's largest fleets of chauffeured Rolls-Royces) and Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace (a dazzling $3 billion palace covered in gold leaf — even the camel burgers are topped with the shimmering, edible metal), you know that more big things await.

Forbes Travel Guide announced the 2019 edition of its annual Star Awards on February 20 and, just as it did in 2018, the Middle East had a strong showing.

The region's shining cluster of Star-Rated properties continues to grow, both in well-established luxury destinations like Dubai and in newly awarded cities across the peninsula.

The 61st annual collection of top-rated hotels featured a host of new additions to the region, including one brand-new Five-Star property, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, just outside the UAE's capital that wows with its 2,000-piece art collection, sensational 21,500-square-foot spa and sterling service.

Other top Middle East destinations also added to their roster of sumptuous stays with a host of newly awarded Forbes Travel Guide Recommended properties. One standout in Dubai's already stellar scene is Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai, which impressed with its 54th-floor poolside bar and array of international eateries (don't miss Miss Lily's Jamaican brunch on Fridays).

Across the gulf in Qatar, Doha added four new Recommended retreats to its lineup: the tropical, Maldives-style Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, with its overwater villas; the arabesque, private-island escape of Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl-Doha and its Illusion nightclub and Spa by Clarins; the foodie-focused Shangri-La Hotel, Doha, with its Argentine steakhouse and Chinese dim sum dining room; and the beachfront Sharq Village & Spa's sumptuous low-rise villas, serenely tucked just outside the bustling city.

A snowboarding adventure in the Arctic Circle

I'm on top of the world, in all senses of the term: we're 500 miles inside the Arctic Circle in Norway's Lyngen Alps and I'm buzzing at having reached the summit of Riššavárri, after a 31/2-hour hike.

Jagged white peaks rise starkly from snaking, deep blue fjords, the sun is shining, the light's amazing – and there's no one here but me and my guide, Mikal Nerberg. With more than 60 summits over 1,000 metres, the Lyngen Alps have a quasi-mythical status among hardcore skiers. It's a purely touring destination: there are no ski lifts, so any mountain you want to ride down you have to hike up, using “skins” on your skis for grip. With ski fans increasingly wanting a fitness break, rather than just boozy lunches and downhill meanders, touring is a growth area.

The Lyngen Alps is where alpine guides come on holiday once their European season finishes, and where they bring their best and favourite guests. I'm here in early April but the season runs until June, when there's skiing in the midnight sun.

We planned our route the day before, poring over a giant map, with Mikal pointing out the many peaks at our disposal. Riššavárri, at 1,251 metres, seems a good entry-level option. The temperature hasn't fluctuated dramatically lately and it hasn't snowed for a week so the snow pack should be stable, though as this is the high Arctic the weather can suddenly change. “This is more like a mountain expedition than you might expect,” said Mikal.

Instead of getting a resort bus or cable car to our starting point, we take a ferry across the fjord from Lyngseidet to Olderdalen. Our hike begins at sea level, rising up through a forest of elder and silver birch, the trees bowed under the weight of the snow. Mikal is on touring skis, while I'm on a splitboard - a snowboard that splits in two so it can be used like touring skis. The way isn't too steep, but Mikal insists on a slow pace and makes us stop for snacks every hour to keep energy levels up.

Coming out of the woods we see our target summit, high in the sky, and still another 1,000 metres away. The climb quickly gets steeper but at the hour-two stop I still feel OK. As we reach hour three, however, I begin to wonder if I'll ever make it to the top.

The silver lining is the view, which as we rise becomes an increasingly amazing distraction. For the last half-hour I really have to dig in, hypnotised by Mikal's steps ahead of me but at the top the feeling of elation is intense.

I put my board together, while Mikal checks the snow to see which line would be our best descent. We set off, navigate some juddering wind-ruined snow then find a pocket of lovely soft pillow-like powder. Further down we ride super-fast spring slush, passing giant boulders of icy snow, and then cut into the forest we climbed through earlier, dodging the tightly packed tree trunks and stumps as if in a computer game. We emerge into a snowfield and ride down to the fjord, a complete run from summit to sea.

Artist, biologist finds inspiration in nature

The natural world has always intrigued Eamonn Leonard. As a child growing up in Huntsville, Ala., he would often seek refuge in the outdoors which led to an ever-growing fascination with the plants he found there.

"I have always liked plants and being outside. I grew up in big family, I am one of six so it was always noisy inside," he said with a laugh. "I would escape to the yard and I started noticing all the different plants and trees. I became curious about what they were."

That led to Leonard developing a passion for gardening that took him through his high school years. He went on to study horticulture in college, eventually signing on as a biologist with the local branch of the Department of Natural Resources.

"I've been with the DNR for 11 years. It started with a coastal habitat mapping project, which was basically mapping different plant communities in the 11 coastal counties. It was a planning resource for conservation and prioritizing where we focus our efforts," he said. "If you didn't have a map, you would have no idea where to do that. And this got me involved more with invasive species management."

It's become a focal point of his work. Leonard shares information on how these plants impact the native landscape. He also offers lectures and programs through his side project, Coastal Wildscapes, that helps locals learn more about what is best to plant in yards.

"I really do what I can to promote the use of native plants as opposed to nonnative plants, even if they are not invasive. While they are not harmful, the native plants benefit wildlife, especially the pollinators and the birds. We want to re-create the natural food web in home landscapes wherever possible," he said.

His passion for plants also led to other endeavors. In a round-about way, it helped Leonard discover his artistic side.

"I was pretty active with the Catholic church downtown and we wanted to build planters for the front ... but we didn't want them to get stolen so I thought it would be great to use concrete because it's heavy," he said. "That was about six years ago."

"Building the planters for the church really set me on the journey to do more. I just kept playing with it and it's really always changing. I make small planters for window seals, I do stencil work for the pots too," he said.

Hawaiian conservationists vow to fight telescope plans despite court approval

Those in favor of building the telescope stress that it will be among the largest of its kind in the northern hemisphere, providing images of space that are 10 times sharper than the Hubble space telescope. The technology "will allow us to reach back 13bn years to answer fundamental questions about the advent of the universe," says the telescope's website.

Two comparable telescopes are already under way in Chile and some astronomers have said that if it isn't constructed, the US could lose its edge in astronomy.

Meanwhile, Hawaiians say that Mauna Kea is sacred land that has been damaged and polluted under University of Hawaii's management. The university leases the land – an inactive volcano – from the state and so far, 13 telescopes have already been built on the mountain.

In 2017, OHA, a semi-autonomous state agency, filed a lawsuit against the state and university. In its arguments, the agency brought up the results of several audits of the mountain which suggested that there have been "adverse" cultural, archaeological, historical and natural resource impacts on Mauna Kea since the first telescopes began being built.

The agency said this week that talks with the state had broken down, and it intended to continue with the lawsuit.

Isaki said that although the state's decision marks the end of this legal battle, there are still options for halting the telescope. The University of Hawaii's lease on the mountain runs out in 2033 – only six years after the telescope's planned completion date.

"Our position is that [the university] should not be granted a new lease because they have not adequately demonstrated the ability to care for and protect the cultural and natural resources of Mauna Kea," she said.

Other opponents said they were not ready to share their plans, but would continue to oppose the telescope. In the past, protesters have blocked the road to the observatory sites.

"All I can say is that nothing has changed for me," said Joshua Lanakila Managauil, who has been involved in protests against the telescope and other ventures that affect the state's natural resources. "It's still my kupuna [ancestor] mountain. I will always protect my kupuna."

Work on the telescope originally began in 2015, but was halted when the Hawaii supreme court invalidated the work permit, saying that opponents of the project had not been given adequate time to voice their concerns in a public forum.

What followed was 44 days of testimony. The hearings concluded in March 2017, after which the state conservation district reissued the permit and the supreme court gave its approval.

The group in charge of the telescope project said that it will not begin construction until it has had a chance to coordinate with state and local officials.

Matisse to modernity: the evolution of black female models in art

In 1863, the French artist Édouard Manet painted Olympia, a reclining nude prostitute, shedding a scandalous light on Parisian brothel culture. But while much of the attention has been on the white model in the painting, Victorine Meurent, the black model beside her, Laure, has been largely overlooked by art historians.

"People have told me, ‘It’s not that I didn’t see the black maid in the painting, I just didn’t know what to say about her’," said the curator Denise Murrell. "I always felt she is presented in a more stronger light than maids usually are, and I wondered what could be said about her, even though art history said very little."

From photography to painting and sculpture, as well as film and print correspondence, this exhibit traces how the black figure has been key to the development of modern art over the past 150 years. Many of the artists here bring to light much of what art history has ignored.

"I’m looking for angles that are more relevant than just the standard narrative of the art world," said Murrell. "I’m giving a number of different narratives that can be discussed around the black figure; there is a wider variety of black models, especially the black female figure, in broader, social roles."


"It shows the historical weight and significance of what Harlem artists were doing at the time," said Murrell. "African American slavery or enslaved individuals were stereotyped and caricatured, and one thing Harlem Renaissance artists wanted to do was give dignity to black female figures, or to black figures, period."

The other Harlem Renaissance painters in the exhibit include William H Johnson, who captured the everyday lives of African Americans, whether it was groups of friends in urban settings to rural families, all of which tell "the critical story of modern portrayals of black figures", said Murrell.

The more recent artworks in the exhibit, made over the past 50 years, are different from those, say, 100 years ago. "It’s more empowered because we now have a presence, artists of color," she said. "You have black portraits by black artists, which broadens the range of artistic styles and strategies."

Maldives marine artwork destroyed for being a 'threat to Islamic unity'

A new sculptural work, Coralarium, created by artist and environmentalist Jason deCaires Taylor, was demolished last week after it was deemed anti-Islamic. The semi-submerged artwork was criticised by religious leaders and scholars in the Maldives, where Islam is the official religion. The depiction of human figures in art is discouraged under Islamic law.

The government ordered the destruction of the artwork, after a court ruled it to be a threat to "Islamic unity and the peace and interests of the Maldivian state", the Maldives Independent reported, despite the authorities previously granting permission.

The project by DeCaires Taylor, who is known for his underwater sculptures and galleries around the world, was commissioned by the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort, owned by the Accor hotel group, as an "intertidal gallery", and was completed in July. The large steel frame with cutouts aiming to mimic the marine world was intended to allow sea life to explore freely within, acting as a new habitat for coral and other species. Thirty human figures were positioned on top and inside the frame at tidal level, with others submerged beneath. The sculptures were based on life-casts of people, around half of them Maldivian, with some reimagined as hybrid forms including coral or root-like elements.

Nine months in the making, its creation involved a large team of marine engineers, steel fabricators, divers and mould-makers. Specialist materials included pH-neutral steel, which is safe for use in a marine environment. Changing according to light and tides, the artwork was open to resort guests and day visitors.

However, on 21 September the work was destroyed under court order with pickaxes, saws and ropes.

Can we stop fighting nature and start working with it?

Thirteen years ago, America changed. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept across the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana with catastrophic force, upending lives and devastating entire communities. For the people of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, nothing would be the same again. From that moment on, the lives of those who survived this terrible tragedy would forever be divided into two timelines - pre-Katrina and post-Katrina.

Since then, communities across the nation have seen a record number of hurricanes, wildfires and floods. And we know that the changing climate will only continue to exacerbate these threats. The saying that "today's flood is tomorrow's high tide" has perhaps never been more pertinent than when it comes to protecting our coasts.

If we want to prevent future tragedies of the magnitude of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Harvey and Maria, we need to shift our thinking from reacting to disaster to proactively managing these increasing risks by working with nature to design resilient systems and green infrastructure.

As a foundation with deep investments in tackling critical environmental problems by working with community partners to advance solutions that also make economic sense -- we believe that building a robust restoration economy is the clear answer. Why?

At the heart of plans to restore Louisiana's coast are projects that restore the natural function of the Mississippi River to deposit sediment that will rebuild and sustain wetlands. These sediment diversions, as they are called, are the best chance we have to slow the loss of coastal wetlands that so many people depend on for their communities, their livelihoods and their way of life.

Sediment diversions are an important piece of a larger 50-year, $92-billion Coastal Master Plan the state has developed to prioritize projects across the coast to build or maintain the most land. The aims are to build 800 square miles of wetlands, rebuild barrier islands and oyster reefs, and restore marshes to protect communities and habitat. To pay for this plan, the state is using oil spill funds as a down payment. It is also looking at new financial approaches such as environmental impact bonds and outcome-based, 'pay for success' contracting, as well as public-private partnership structures.

It Took 600 Years to Figure Out This Mysterious, Exploding Ancient Star

On a cold, clear March night, in 1427 AD, Korean royal astrologers watching the sky witnessed a new star appear. It lingered in the sky, between what they called the "third and fourth star" in the constellation Scorpius, for two weeks. Then it faded from view.

Six hundred years later, modern astronomers finally figured out what the Koreans saw that night: a nova explosion.

"The fact that this was a new star, that it didn't have a bushy tail, means it wasn't a comet," Michael Shara, curator of astrophysics for the American Museum of Natural History and one of the researchers who solved the mystery,told Motherboard's podcast Science Solved It. "[The fact] that it was seen only for 14 days means that it couldn't have been a supernova. The only other transient stellar event that gets bright enough to be seen with the naked eye is a nova."

A nova explosion happens when a white dwarf star in a binary system sucks up so much gas from its companion star that it explodes and casts off all of that matter into the surrounding space. This causes the white dwarf to burn up to 100 times more brightly than normal, making it visible on Earth with the naked eye, and creating a new star in the sky as bright as Polaris—the north star.

Modern astronomers had long supposed that this was the explanation behind the ancient record, but they were unable to verify it because they couldn't see any evidence of what the Koreans had seen. The record at the time located the new star between Scorpius's "third and fourth" star, but ancient maps number the stars differently. Based on a Chinese constellation map that was carved into stone around the same sky, astronomers thought they had identified where the star appeared.

"It led to a pair of stars that we looked between over and over again with a wide variety of telescopes for more than 25 years with no success," Shara said. "Finally I and my colleagues threw up our hands in disgust and said, ‘Who knows what they were drinking that night!'"

But in 2016, when a new cache of astronomical images was digitized, Shara decided to take a second look. He used a computer to run an automatic search between the two stars, and again came up empty-handed, so he expanded his search zone slightly, to one star above and one star below the original pair. He found the nova in about three minutes.

By being able to identify exactly where the nova had occurred, researchers could use the thousands of images collected over hundreds of years from various telescopes to get a play-by-play of the cycles that occur before and after a nova explosion.The results were published in Nature in 2017, and provided greater insight into how these systems function.

It may have taken 600 years, but we finally have an explanation for what caused a new star to appear—and vanish—so many years ago, all thanks to humanity's enduring obsession with documenting the night sky.