The fresh essence of Spring/Summer

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From everyday styles to glamorous cocktail dresses, designers offered their latest prêt-à-porter from their Spring/Summer 2015 collection at Plaza Indonesia Fashion Week.

Young designer Yosep Sinudarsono took center stage of the fifth edition of the fashion week, which ran from March 23-27, as he showcased 40 designs from his ready-to-wear line, Lotuz.

Yosep said his Spring/Summer collection was inspired by the Roman goddess Pomona, who represented a modern revelation of a love story. “This collection is about love, extracting the mood, details and colors of Pomona’s story into the clothes,” he says.

This season, Yosep continues to highlight his constructed silhouettes with peplums and sculpted waist dresses.

A romantic mood swept the runway when he showcased a lot of two-tone dresses, with pink, light purple and silver as the main colors.

Handmade floral embroideries were seen on the chest, back and hips, enhancing the feminine touch in the dresses.

Moving on to the next sequence, Yosep changed the color palette to black and blue as he showed his creativity in combining several materials in one dress.

For example, in a royal blue satin jumpsuit with a peplum top, he outlined it with velvet to highlight a woman’s frame.

In addition, he also mixed luxurious satin and silk with casual wear linen and cotton.

“Ready-to-wear is often associated with the use of cotton and I want to keep that style by combining it with other materials for fresh designs,” said Yosep, who has dressed international celebrities, such as Grammy winning singer Estelle and TV personality Terri Seymour.

A tank-fit and flare dress with black velvet on the bottom edge, and a cut-out body fit dress with lines that toned up the body shape, were also highlights in this sequence.

In the last part, Yosep offered all-black designs.

To avoid the dresses looking dull, he applied some flashy little details on the right side of dresses and at the waist of the jumpsuits, and formed crystal beads into a belt on a plunge neckline dress.

“I dedicate this collection to working urban women who have high mobility. Some of the Spring/Summer designs can be worn for work and afterward,” he said.

Joining Yosep on the runway was , who also presented its latest collection, entitled “Midnight Bloom”, showcasing a series of gowns where a paintbrush had been used to design the batik.

“The collection is about beauty, confidence and elegance, showing unusual batik designs by combining traditional, firm, batik lines in blossoming floral patterns that represent the arrival of spring,” said creative director Anita Asmaya Sanin.

Midnight Bloom was dominated by dusk and color palettes with some shades of white to lift up the whole tone of the clothes.

A-line dresses, loose blouses and jumpsuits were presented, along with several cropped jackets and capes.

In addition, also offered some Palazzo trousers that were really popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

The dresses were made from woven cloth and silk as well as sheer fabric mixed with sequin and lace.

“Through this collection we want to highlight the use of burnout silk to make batik our signature,” Anita said.

Meanwhile, Bateeq presented more day-to-day styles for its “Tumaruntum” collection.

Inspired by Truntum batik from Central Java, which features a small flower motif, Bateeq showcased a light and colorful collection.

In some designs, the flowers were magnified and were the central focus, while in others, small flowers brightened up the plain dresses.

3 Heartbreaking reasons people gave for giving up a pet

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People give up their pets for all sorts of reasons. Some of them are more selfish than others.

Animal lovers are quick to cluck their tongues at people who give up their family pets, but all too often life circumstances change and keeping a pet becomes impossible, which is why more than 7.6 million pets end up in shelters every year in the United States.

Here are just a few heartbreaking reasons people are forced to give up their beloved pets every day.

1. A new baby A new baby creates all sorts of chaos, and the family pet is a common casualty. Some animals can become aggressive with children, which is dangerous and another matter altogether.

But sometimes a new baby makes caring for a family pet overwhelming. Take Claire Zulkey, who wrote a full confession about how caring for her once beloved Greyhound became a major hassle after having a baby. It’s common for couples to treat pets as if they were children but find that once they have actual children, there isn’t the time to sleep and groom, much less walk and care for a pet.

One mother, Jenny, has a 2-year-old and is expecting her second baby any day and experiencing the same anxiety about caring for her dog Finzi, which is acting out. Although she’s not yet ready to give him up, she’s fed up with harnesses and dealing with his increasing anxious behavior. Recently, Finzi attacked a neighbor dog, which has left her contemplating how long she’ll be able to keep him.

“If there’s another instance like the other week, he’s gonna cross the rainbow bridge,” she said at her wits end and nine months pregnant.

Does being aggressive with other dogs warrant a death sentence or a trip to the shelter? Would it be fair to give Finzi to another family who would likely find themselves dealing with the same aggressive behavior toward other dogs?

2. Having to move One bride was devastated weeks before her wedding when she was faced with giving up her dog because her financé’s landlord didn’t allow pets.

"I feel like I’m giving my child up for adoption," one woman posted on the Wedding Bee message board. "It’s 5 weeks until the wedding, and I’m going to have to take him back to his breeders 2 weeks before my wedding."

After reading about the bride-to-be’s sad decision, so many people, as they do on the internet, commented how terrible and selfish she was to give up her dog.

"Don't give him up!," one commenter wrote. "You never know where he will end up: (that's so awful…) There has to be an appt for rent that allows your dog. Please look harder."

But is that fair? The ASPCA suggests that when you’re looking for pet-friendly housing, you should make up a "pet resume," complete with a photo and a brief description about the pet to try and make landlords feel more comfortable with your pet. But is that a realistic expectation?

3. Military deployment When Holly, a specialist in the Army National Guard, was deployed, she was terrified about what would happen to her beloved dog Jasper. She and so many of our service men and women have to cope with the reality that leaving for war also means leaving their pets. Luckily, there are volunteer organizations like Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, which has a nationwide network of foster families ready to take in pets of deployed military families for up to a year.

"Jasper was with an amazing foster family," Holly wrote in her thanks to the organization. "His foster mom not only treated him like her own, but she gave me the peace of mind so I could focus on the task at hand."

Holly says Jasper’s foster mom also made a Facebook page so Holly could check up on how he was doing while she was away.

There are many organizations in place to help military families find foster placements for their pets, and yet it's simpler for many to just either take their pets into shelters or just set them free, which will almost certainly kill the dog eventually.

One Australian soldier gave up his dog Prinny for adoption after being deployed to Iraq. Prinny was eventually adopted by a loving family who even wrote an open letter to the soldier to let him know his dog was safe with the Rescued With Love organization.

"I don’t know where you are, or how to find you to tell you Prinny is safe," Kae Norman from Rescued With Love wrote. "Maybe this will find you. All I know is my throat ached when I read your writing on that form when you handed her over — and I could not try to let you know she is safe, and very happy. Stay safe soldier."

No matter the reason people choose to give up their pets, one thing is certain, it always invites judgment. So what do you think?

5-Year-old girl creates makeup tutorial videos, internet goes nuts

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A 5-year-old from Colombia has caused a controversy because she has made a couple of makeup tutorial videos, and people just cannot deal with it.

Little Danna Gomez loves makeup and makeup videos, and the Daily Mail reports that her aunt filmed her giving little tutorials of her own. While many think the videos are adorable, others are not so charmed. They speak about how kids should be kids, makeup videos are too adult and that this only serves to further sexualize children.

While I do agree that "kids these days" do seem to grow up faster than ever, I do not really see the problem with these videos. Little kids love to pretend to be adults. It's part of growing up. Little kids love to pretend to play house, they love to "work" on cars, they pretend to breastfeed their baby dolls, they play school... And for many little ones, they love makeup.

Whether an adult allows a child to play with makeup is a huge question, of course, with some not allowing their kids to wear it until they are around 13 years old (or even older). However, I remember playing with makeup when I was a kid — my brother was my makeup "artist" and applied eyeshadow not only on my upper lids but below my eyes as well, and despite looking like a clown, I was in heaven. And I'll never forget being a teen and getting so mad at my little cousin who had sneaked into my room and wrecked her face with my stash (sorry, Lindsay, for yelling at you!). Messing with makeup is part of growing up for many kids.

So why is wearing makeup too adult and too grown up for a 5-year-old? If you would video your child pretending to be pregnant and out pops a baby from under her shirt, why is this so much worse? Does wearing makeup cross some line that cannot be uncrossed?

I'm simply not seeing the huge deal with this controversy. I agree that kids should be kids, but that includes pretend play and having fun while doing it. And while some have concern that she is using "adult" language, it's likely she herself watches makeup tutorial videos or discusses makeup techniques with her mother or her aunt. I think people would be better off worrying about their own families, real crime and social injustice — and being less concerned with this little girl playing with makeup.

X Factor judges get axed for horrific bullying of contestant

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New Zealand X Factor judges Willy Moon and Natalia Kills have been fired for their appalling comments about one contestant, Joe Irvine — and you'll be completely shocked when you hear what they said.

On Monday night after Irvine sang, the husband-and-wife judging team unleashed a tirade on him, attacking everything from his looks to his suit. And if you think that Simon Cowell is mean, then you clearly never had an encounter with Kills.

"Ladies and gentleman, I'm just going to state the obvious: We have a doppelgänger in our midst," she began. "As an artist who respects creative integrity and intellectual property, I am disgusted with how much you have copied my husband."

"From the hair, to the suit, do you not have any value or respect for originality? You're a laughingstock, it's cheesy, it's disgusting, I personally found it absolutely artistically atrocious," she added.

What's truly disgusting here is Kills' comments because she completely attacked Irvine, with many of her remarks having absolutely nothing to do with his performance but rather his appearance. She was furious that he allegedly copied her husband's style, which is nothing but a suit and slicked back hair, a look that many, many men have. Just saying.

But she wasn't done there. Kills continued her angry rant, saying she was "embarrassed to be sitting here in your presence, having to even dignify you with an answer of my opinion."

Moon then weighed in, telling the contestant he looked like "Norman Bates dressing up in his mother's clothing, it's just a little bit creepy — I feel like you're going to stitch someone's skin to your face and then kill everybody in the audience."

Speaking of the decision to fire the pair, Mediaworks chief executive Mark Weldon said, "Last night on X Factor both Kills and Moon made comments that were completely unacceptable. While the judges on X Factor are expected to provide critiques of the performances, we will not tolerate such destructive tirades from any of the judges."

"Contestants put their all into this competition and they should expect to receive feedback and criticism that is professional and constructive. We no longer have confidence that Kills and Moon are the right people to perform the role of X Factor judges and they will leave the show, effective immediately."

Willow Smith Allows for Fashion, But Only If the Fashion Allows for Mountain Climbing

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Misfit hero, songwriter, and junior philosopher Willow Smith seems to defy categories. But when asked to describe her aesthetic style, she had a specific category all lined up and ready to go: "High-fashion nomad." In an interview with Billboard, she explains:

High-fashion nomad. I could literally climb a mountain and survive a couple nights in nature. That's a requirement for my clothes because one day I was on the freeway and I saw a mountain, so I literally just pulled over and climbed it. If you're an artist, the way you dress also gives people a vibe of how your music is and your personality.

In sum, requirements of clothing include: suitable for mountaineering, helpful for overnight survival, and able to communicate artistic-vibes reports. Layers implied.

Ridiculously rich cats that will make your bank account jealous

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While you were working today, these well-heeled cats were living a life of luxury most of us can only fantasize about.

While it’s true that most of the cats on this list inherited their wealth from a handful of cuckoo benefactors, one cat on this list is a self-made millionaire. Yes, as if being a cat lounging around, napping and knocking stuff off counters wasn’t a great enough gig, these kitties have upped the ante big time.

Tinker is a tomcat that was a stray until he was found and loved by an old lady, Margaret Layne, who left Tinker with a home in North London and a trust fund when she died. Layne designated her neighbors Ann and Eugene Wheatley as Tinker’s caretakers and trustees. They drop off regular deliveries of fish, meat and milk to keep the kitty satisfied.

But there’s a catch. Tinker loses the $800,000 house should he wander off. Sounds like this stray better stay put for good.

Tommaso ($13 million) Tommaso looks like an everyday black, stray cat, but don’t let his looks fool you — this is one rich cat. Tommaso was taken in by Maria Assunta in Milan, Italy, and upon her death in late 2011, she left her $13 million estate to the cat. Unfortunately, Italian law doesn’t allow the cat to hold wealth and property, so the estate — and the cat — were handed over to a nurse who had taken care of Assunta.

Blackie ($25 million) Blackie was lucky enough to befriend Ben Rea, who left the cat a $25 million fortune when he died. Featured in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s richest cat, no one seems to know where Blackie is today. Probably in a bungalow on a private island with the world’s largest pile of cat nip. I hope you're having a blast wherever you are, Blackie.

Tardar Sauce, a.k.a. Grumpy Cat ($100 million) After a picture of Tardar Sauce was posted on Reddit, the feline in a perpetual foul mood, now billed as "Grumpy Cat," became an overnight sensation. The cat, from humble beginnings in Morrison, Arizona, has gone on to become a big star — and big earner.

Grumpy Cat’s owner, Tabatha Bundesen, was once working as a waitress and is now in control of what is rumored to be Grumpy Cat’s $100 million fortune. While Tabatha says that number is way off the mark, Grumpy Cat is reported to have earned more in the past couple of years than Hollywood heavyweights Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz when you add up the book deals, TV appearances and the deal to be Friskies spokescat.

Gap's new CEO sees women's wear as path to brand comeback

namesake brand is in a deep funk again. And the company’s CEO says that a much more inspired women’s wear collection is key to restoring the chain’s health.

Gap’s comparable sales fell 5% last year, compared to a flat performance at sister chain Banana Republic and a 5% jump at value chain Old Navy. Gap has been facing stiff competition from fast fashion stores like H&M and Uniqlo, and basic clothing has become more of a commodity. Add to that mediocre fashion designs and you have an iconic but faltering brand.

In an effort to find its footing again, Gap recently eliminated the role of creative director that had been held by star design consultant Rebekka Bay, whom it had hired just over 2 years earlier after she successfully launched H&M’s upscale Cos brand. Gap also hired a new brand president. Gap Inc CEO Art Peck, who headed the brand a few years ago himself, said on Thursday that fixing Gap brand was his “No. 1 priority.” And that means focusing on improving its women’s wear in particular.

“It starts with righting the women’s business. There’s an esthetic issue, which we’re working on today with urgency,” Peck said, speaking on his first earnings call as CEO this week. Peck replaced longtime CEO Glenn Murphy earlier this month. “We need to have the women’s business hitting on all cylinders in order for the business the performances that we expect.”

Gap also announced on Thursday it had hired former L Brands  LB 2.36%  executive Wendi Goldman to the newly created role of executive vice president for Gap product design and development. Peck acknowledged she has her work cut out for her.

While women’s denim is showing a bit of improvement, Peck said that Gap is missing the mark fashion wise on tops, particularly wovens and knits, with poor fits and an unappealing esthetic. “She’s just not responding to the product there right now at all,” Peck said, referring to Gap’s female consumers disinterest in the current merchandise.

The problem for Gap is that it has already bought for the spring and summer seasons, so it warned its profit for the brand-new fiscal year will be hit by a “slower turnaround at Gap brand.”

Gap was also the author of its own problems in other ways. Gap was slower than its sister brands to speed up its supply chain, handcuffing it when it comes to responding to fashion hits or misses and reacting to what H&M and Uniqlo do. So Peck is making it a priority to shorten the product calendar at Gap, and is making other changes so it can quickly ramp up production of things are proving to be popular items.

Peck, who was president of Gap North America and its 700 stores from February 2011 to November 2012, pointed to his own experience to prove the Gap brand can strike again. Gap had struggled for a few years, closed 200 stores, but then had a massive home run in 2013 with bright colored jeans and “on-trend” products. Indeed, Peck promised more color and print and patterns later this year.

Gap Inc cannot afford to have its $6.2 billion-a-year namesake brand falter for very long. It generates 38% of the parent company’s sales, and the brand is expanding overseas. Its mens, babies, and Fit lines are doing well. But the biggest category in the Gap brand – women- is not. And that has to change.