Fashion

Grace Bumbry, 1st Black Singer At Bayreuth, Dies At 86

Published

2 years ago

2023-05-08

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK – Grace Bumbry, a groundbreaking mezzo-soprano who became the first Black vocalist to perform at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival after a career spanning more than three decades on the world’s most prestigious stages, has died. She was 86 years old.

According to her publicist, David Lee Brewer, Bumbry died on Sunday at Evangelisches Krankenhaus in Vienna.

On October 20, she suffered a stroke while flying from Vienna to New York for her induction into Opera America’s Opera Hall of Fame. She was hit by the airliner 15 minutes before landing, was treated at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, and flew back to Vienna on December 8. Brewer said Monday that she had been in and out of institutions since then.

Bumbry was born in St. Louis on January 4, 1937. Her father, Benjamin, worked as a railway porter, and her mother, Melzia Walker, was a schoolteacher.

She sang in the choir at Ville’s Sumner High School and won a talent contest sponsored by radio station KMOX, which included a scholarship to the St. Louis Institute of Music, but she was denied admittance because of her race. She appeared on CBS’s “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,” then went on to attend Boston University College of Fine Arts and Northwestern University, where she met soprano Lotte Lehmann, who became her instructor and mentor at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.

Bumbry, who was largely recognized as a mezzo but also sang some soprano roles, was inspired when her mother took her to hear Marian Anderson, the American contralto who became the first Black singer at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1955. Bumbry was a member of an acclaimed age of Black opera singers that included Leontyne Price, Shirley Verrett, George Shirley, Reri Grist, and Martina Arroyo.

Bumbry was one of the Met National Council Auditions winners in 1958. She made her Paris Opéra debut the following year as Amneris in “Aida.”

Bumbry was largely recognized as a mezzo but also sang some soprano roles.

The next year, Wieland Wagner, the composer’s grandson, cast her as Venus in a new production of “Tannhäuser” at the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth. Bumbry’s inclusion in a production that included stars Wolfgang Windgassen, Victoria de los Angeles, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau prompted 200 letters of criticism to the festival.

“I remember being discriminated against in the United States, so why should it be different in Germany?” In 2021, Bumbry told St. Louis Magazine. “I knew I needed to get up there and show them what I’m all about.” When we were in high school, our teachers — and, of course, my parents — taught us that we are all the same. You are not superior to anyone, nor are you inferior to anyone. You must always provide your best effort.”

Her Bayreuth debut on July 23, 1961, received largely excellent reviews.

“A very large voice, though a little lackluster in color.” “It’s a voice that hasn’t’s-et,’ as the teachers say,” Harold C. Schonberg wrote in The New York Times. “She is a singer with a bright future.”

As a result of the publicity, Bumbry was invited to sing at a White House state banquet the following February by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Debuts followed at Carnegie Hall in November 1962, the Royal Opera House in London in 1963, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1964.

Bumbry’s final full opera at the Met was on November 3, 1986, at Amneris in Verdi’s “Aida,”

On October 7, 1965, she made her Met debut as Princess Eboli in Verdi’s “Don Carlo,” the first of 216 appearances with the company.

“Her assurance, self-possession, and character projection are the kind from which a substantial career can be made,” said Irving Kolodin in the Saturday Review.

Bumbry’s final full opera at the Met was on November 3, 1986, at Amneris in Verdi’s “Aida,” though she returned a decade later for the James Levine 25th anniversary gala to sing “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix (Softly awakens my heart)” from Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila.”

In 1989, she performed in the first completely staged performance of work at Paris’ Bastille Opéra, in Berlioz’s “Les Troyens (The Trojans).” She was honored at the Kennedy Centre Honours in 2009.

Bumbry’s marriage to Polish tenor Erwin Jaeckel, which began in 1963, ended in divorce in 1972. Charles and Benjamin Bumbry were his brothers.

According to Brewer, tributes are being prepared for Vienna and New York.

SOURCE – (AP)

Fashion

New Croc Clogs Mean Matching Togs For Your Dogs

Published

1 month ago

2024-10-13

Kiara Grace

Crocs, the foam footwear company, is known for its quirky designs, which range from cowboy boots to fried chicken-scented charms. Crocs is putting its best paw forward this month with the release of a range of clogs for dogs.

Crocs has partnered with pet supply provider and subscription service BARK to develop Pet Clogs as part of their annual “Croctober” campaign, which features a fan-inspired product.

New Croc Clogs Mean Matching Togs For Your Dogs

Companies frequently release promotional or limited-time merchandise to increase brand awareness. Special flavors of sodas or candies, collaborations with influencers or other brands, and even items that aren’t meant to be taken seriously can all help a company gain attention and stand out in a crowded marketplace among shoppers fighting inflation and looking to stretch their dollars.

“(The market) is returning, from my perspective, to what it was before the pandemic, which is that key promotional periods are extremely important,” CEO Andrew Rees told analysts during an earnings call in August. “We believe you have to participate in those promotional periods to get your fair share of consumer spending.”

Americans have spent more money on their pets during the last decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pet expenses climbed by 77.9% between 2013 and 2021.

Pet owners spent a total of $147 billion on pet-related expenses in 2023, with that figure expected to rise to $150.6 billion this year, according to the American Pet Products Association.

However, observers believe Crocs’ entry into the pet industry is more than simply another eye-catching marketing stunt; it is a show of the power of its devoted fan base.

The Power of Fandom
Despite — or perhaps because of — regular ridicule from fashionistas, Crocs has carved out a niche for themselves in mainstream culture. Its meme status and proclivity for going viral are aided by star-studded collaborations from Justin Bieber to Bad Bunny.

And sales of the footwear brand skyrocketed in 2020, owing to the increase of casual fashion during the pandemic.

“Crocs has a very strong base of fans, and it is very good at engaging with them via social channels and marketing campaigns,” said Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData.

New Croc Clogs Mean Matching Togs For Your Dogs

If you need proof of the power of its fans, look at how rapidly limited-edition releases sell out. In 2021, a pair of adult clogs modeled by the Disney/Pixar character Lightning McQueen from the film “Cars” sold out in less than an hour after debuting on the Crocs website.

Crocs’ continued success with its fans, which Saunders described as “cult-like,” may be due to its active interaction with its consumers, making even the most seemingly ludicrous fan requests a reality (see: Crocs inspired by the DreamWorks movie character “Shrek”).

According to Saunders, the introduction of Pet Crocs, which the business describes as “one of the most highly requested products in brand history,” is another move aimed at younger, more social media-savvy consumers.

“In many instances these will be fun purchases which people will share on social media, helping to amplify the Crocs brand,” according to him.

SOURCE | CNN

Fashion

Exploring the Best Mechanical Watches in Today’s Market

Published

2 months ago

2024-10-02

Geoff Brown

Curiously enough, despite the arrival of the smart watch with all its multitasking allure and its flashy functionality, mechanical watches have grown a lot in popularity over the past few years.

And though the Quartz revolution has made watches so much more affordable and accessible to everybody, the advance in manufacturing technology has brought to us in recent decades some outstanding mechanical timepieces that rival the affordability of higher-end Quartz ones.

If you’re looking for a mechanical watch that is worth it and is also affordable, you’ve come to the right place because today, we’re going to be listing the best mechanical watches in 2024.

Best Mechanical Watches

Seiko Recraft

The Seiko Recraft is a wacky collection, out of which we prefer the SMK P27 with its lovely green dial and the rectangular case shape with slightly curved edges. It’s a rarity in the watch world, a vintage-inspired timepiece, reminiscent of the 1970s. The watch comes with only 50 meters of water resistance, an automatic movement without hacking function and without hand winding, and just a mineral crystal hard lex protecting the dial, but it’s an impressive timepiece nonetheless, and it costs a humble $275.

Tissot Everytime Swissmatic

An elegant and affordable piece that costs around $400. It’s one of the best mechanical timepieces you can get for the money. The simplicity of its dial, the clean and minimalistic esthetic with that lovely contrast between the stark the dial and the silver hue of the case, hands and indices, really make for a stunning watch. And inside, there’s a reliable Swiss automatic movement with a hearty power reserve of 70 hours with an accuracy of plus or minus 10 seconds a day, proving to be quite a capable mechanical caliber, especially for that price.

Citizen NJ0100 Automatic

One of the big Japanese names in affordable watches is Citizen and their NJ0100 Automatic proves to be quite a sight, powered by a Myota 8210 automatic movement with a water resistance of 50 meters. The price doesn’t exceed $150, so it’s perfect, but the fact that it’s an older model and not in production anymore makes it a little harder to find. But if you look around the internet, you should find plenty.

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Blue Moon

The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Blue Moon is a real stunner. It may be a little more expensive at $440, but still on the affordable side, and it’s worth all those bucks. It comes in a 40.5 millimeter stainless steel case with an automatic four R-3-5 movement as it’s ticking hot, reliable, and with a 41-hour power reserve. But the most captivating part of this timepiece is that dark blue sunburst style, giving the watch an artistic and captivating look.

Tufina Sahara Mechanical

The Tufina Sahara is among the most popular mechanical watches out there, one with a dressy look and plenty of variants to choose from. Our favorite is the rose gold one, which boasts a remarkable silver dial with an intricate skeleton composition, playing with light in such a way that it creates a mesmerizing show. On the technical side, it comes powered by a mechanical movement with 17 rubies, a 3 ATM water resistance, rhodium plated case, Alpha photoluminescent hands and a superb sapphire coated lens protecting the dial. The thin bezel and classic guarded crown gives this watch a very elegant look, and the fact that you can find it for about $990 makes it that much more appealing.

Orient Kamaso

The Orient Kamaso is a worthy divers watch, bringing some impressive features for less than $300. The sapphire crystal glass, for example, is a rare feature on affordable watches. Then there’s the rugged stainless steel case that is depth rated for 200 meters, another feature that usually comes with higher price tags. When it comes to appearance, the Kamaso has a stunning black, blue, red, or green sunburst dial, complemented by the rotating vessel, finished in the same color. Under the dial, there’s an automatic Orient Calibur F692, a movement that’s said to be reliable and accurate.

Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver

Remaining in the diving watch world, the Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver, a tribute to the Compressor case dive watchers that were the thing back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It comes with the Seco NH-3 five automatic movement, water resistance of 200 meters, and in two case sizes, 40 millimeters and 44 millimeters. What we’re most impressed with is the beautiful and refreshing dial. It’s a classic, but it’s also one that departs from the similar designs that most divers have.

Fashion

Shein Faces Scrutiny In Italy Over Possible Greenwashing

Published

2 months ago

2024-09-26

Kiara Grace

Italy’s antitrust police are looking into Shein, the online fast fashion behemoth, for potentially making false statements about its environmental efforts.

The country’s independent competition commission said in a statement that the greenwashing investigation would focus on Infinite Styles Serves Co. Limited, a Dublin-based company that manages Shein’s website and app.

Shein Faces Scrutiny In Italy Over Possible Greenwashing

Shein was started in China and is now headquartered in Singapore. It has risen to prominence in the retail industry, thanks to a business model that enables it to produce garments in real-time and deliver it straight to clients from factories mostly in China.

That has allowed the company to sell things at extremely low prices and attract customers who can go to its website and buy $11 sweaters, $2 cellphone cases, and other items from a constantly updated range of stuff.

However, Shein’s detractors have long contended that the company’s tactics foster overconsumption and environmental waste, both of which the retailer claims it is attempting to address.

However, Italian regulators accuse the corporation of misleading customers with statements about the environmental sustainability of the apparel it sells. Environmental organisations have claimed that similar deceptive methods, known as greenwashing, occur throughout the corporate sector.

Italy’s anti-trust office, known in Italian as AGCM, claims that some of the environmental references on Shein’s Italian website are misleading or omit information. Images advertising Shein’s garments as sustainable are also made “through generic, vague, confused, and/or misleading environmental assertions,” according to the authority.

The watchdog specifically mentioned information from Shien’s “evoluShein” line, claiming that it may have misled consumers into believing that the clothing they purchased could be recycled.

AGCM also claimed that Shein’s website’s declared commitment to decarbonisation was in “apparent contradiction” with the increases in greenhouse gas emissions listed in Shein’s sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023.

The online shop stated that it would assist with the Italian probe.

Shein Faces Scrutiny In Italy Over Possible Greenwashing

“We would also like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to complying with the laws and regulations in the markets where we operate and to maintaining transparency with our customers,” Shein said in a news release.

Shein has also faced issues in other parts of Europe. Critics and advocacy groups, including Amnesty International UK, have protested the company’s potential listing on the London Stock Exchange due to labour and environmental issues.

SOURCE | AP