The camp of the Super Eagles has been presented with soothing news as one of the foreign based players for next month’s AFCON qualifier in Tanzania will be making a return after a short spell on the sidelines.
According to a report on The Nation, Emmanuel Emenike will be back to action for Al Ain against Al Jazirah in a UAE league match today, August 28.
This is good news for Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh as he gave Emenike, an invite for the Super Eagles showdown against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
Emenike in training
 
Al Ain coach Zlako Dalic said Emenike, who had a muscle pain which kept him out of the club’s league opener, will see action on Friday.
Dalic said: “We will play Emenike in Friday’s game for 45 minutes because he did not participate in the team’s training for some days thus he has not attained the required level of readiness that will enable him play a full game, and after the game, he will be released to join his national team.”
Sunday Oliseh invited
The issue of wedding gowns is one of ultimate importance to every woman getting married. You want to look you best and outshine every other woman at your wedding.
Below are tips to choosing the perfect dress:
Do your research. Before you begin to look around, research gowns. You should always have a bit of knowledge about dresses before you even set foot into a bridal shop.
Start your search as early as possible. The more time you have to look for your dress, the less stressed for time that you will be and you will be able to try as many as possible.
Decide on a silhouette. Wedding dresses are made in several different silhouettes. Before considering anything else, know which type of gown will flatter your figure the best. Look at photos of each type.
Do not buy a dress in the hope that you will lose weight or add weight. That will only stress you and ruin the fun of preparing for your wedding day. Buy a perfect dress that suits your body shape.
Decide on a budget. When deciding on your budget, you don’t need to set a very specific price. Just make it a general range, such as N100, 000 – 200,000. You can always break this rule later if you’re able to and really want to, but it helps to have a general range.

About 200 migrants mainly Africans bound for Italy are feared dead, after their boat sank off the Libyan coast on Thursday, August 27.
Migrant 4
The Libyan coast guard is not fully equipped and so could not handle the situation to the best . Photo: AFP
Security officials in the western town of Zuwara, where the overcrowded boat had set off, said at least 400 people were on board. It is suspected that many were trapped in the hold when it capsized.
According to officials, the Libyan coast guard rescued around 201, by late evening of which 147 were brought to a detention facility for illegal migrants in Sabratha, west of Tripoli.
 
The Guardian UK reports that the migrants on board had been from sub-Saharan Africa, Pakistan, Syria, Morocco and Bangladesh.
The boat accident could not be immediately confirmed by the Italian coast guard, which has been coordinating rescue operations with the European Union off the Libyan coast.
migrant6
Properties belonging to migrants floating on the ocean, as rescue operations continue. Photo: AFP
Migrants 2
Few bodies were washed ashore, while many others were seen floating on the water.
GRAPHIC CONTENT Rescue workers pull the bodies of illegal immigrants onto shore of al-Qarbole, some 60 kilometres east of Tripoli on August 25, 2014 after a boat carrying 200 illegal immigrants from sub-Sahara Africa sunk off the Libyan capital two days earlier. Libya, which is mired in unrest and political chaos, has been a launchpad for illegal migrants seeking a better life in Europe but who turn to people smugglers to get them across the Mediterranean. AFP PHOTO / MAHMUD TURKIA
Rescue workers pull the bodies of illegal immigrants to shore. after a boat carrying 200 illegal immigrants from sub-Sahara Africa sunk off the coast of Libya. Photo: AFP
More lives might have been saved but Libya’s coast guard has very limited capabilities, relying on small inflatables, tug boats and fishing vessels.
The Libyan western town of Zuwara is located near the Tunisian border. For some time now the town has acted as a major launchpad for smugglers shipping migrants to Italy.
 
Most migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to make it to Europe see Libya as a transit route. Exploiting the country’s lawlessness and state of pandemonium, smugglers network bring Syrians into Libya via Egypt or nationals of sub-Saharan countries via Niger, Sudan and Chad.
The International Organisation for Migration has said that above 2,300 people have died this year, all in attempts to reach Europe by boat. This figure is alarming when compared to the 3,279 migrant deaths recorded all through last year.
On Thursday, August 27, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel said 50 refugees were found dead in a parked lorry in Austria near the Hungarian border, the discovery has shaken European leaders discussing the migrant crisis at a Balkans summit.
, putting them in overcrowded makeshift detention facilities such as schools or military barracks where they live in poor conditions lacking medical care.
There used to be deportation of migrants caught in the North African country, but the unrest between armed groups have interrupted that exercise, because most of the lands that border across to Niger, Algeria, and Chad have been cut off.

Top international lead singer of legendary Irish band U2 and founder of One Campaign, Bono is currently in Nigeria.

The music star who is spear-heading One Campaign’s philanthropic movement to alleviate poverty in Africa met some of Nigerian celebrities including Cobhams Asuquo, Waje, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Banky W, among others.

Waje and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, featured on One Campaign’s theme song for female empowerment called ‘Strong Girl’ and produced by award winning music producer, Cobhams.
See more photos below:
Femi Kuti with legendary artist
Waje, Omotola and Bono
READ ALSO:
Dj Lambo and the International star
Legendary singer  and Omotola
Banky W, Diamond and Waje
This time around a remix of the song is being made and will feature Banky W, D’banj and Tanzanian pop star Diamond Platnumz.
Yemi Alade is also part of the train of the One Campaign team.
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Thousands try to escape troubled regions in Africa and Middle East and in hope of finding better lives in Europe but many of them find their death instead.
The refugees live in horrendous conditions in Europe.
World migrant crisis claims many lives each day. Thousands refugees try to get to Europe from their troubled homelands in search of better lives – but many of them find their graves instead. Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned after two boats carrying at least 500 migrants capsized off Libya shores early on Thursday.
Overloaded boats often capsize. Lucky are those few who survive.
The victims included refugees from Syria, Bangladesh and several sub-Saharan African countries.
These refugees were lucky enough to reach the European shore.
So far rescuers recovered more than 80 bodies from the water.
But many find their death in Mediterranean. Rescuers work in the biological protection suits because they are afraid of Ebola outbreaks and other dangerous diseases.
200 more people were lucky enough to survive and were saved. Still, more than two hundred are still missing.
50 decomposing refugees’ bodies have been found in abandoned lorry in Austria.
Meanwhile 50 migrants’ bodies – men, women and children, were found today in an abandoned lorry in Austria. The authorities investigating this horrendous case came to a conclusion that by the time when vehicle crossed he Austrian border the victims were probably already dead. The cause of their death is yet to be established.
Thousands try to break at the Macedonian borders with Greece confronted by riot police.
At the same time, on Thursday Macedonia declared a state of emergency after hundreds of migrants have rushed at Macedonian border forces in an attempt to leave Greece.
Riot police holds back crowds of refugees.
Riot police beat back the migrants, men, women and children mercilessly with batons and shields. Many people were injured, some of them critically.
Child frightened by tough policemen
“Macedonian authorities are responding as if they were dealing with rioters rather than refugees who have fled conflict and persecution,” told the press Amnesty International deputy Europe director Gauri van Gulik, speaking on that outrageous issue.
Razor wire has been rolled across the Macedonian frontier to prevent people from entering.
More than 44,000 refugees have travelled through Macedonia in the past two months. To prevent migrants from entering razor wire has been rolled but it didn’t help much.
Razor wire can’t stop the migrants.
Thousands refugees have been stuck at the border.
Thousands refugees have been stuck at the border.
However, Macedonia had to re-open its border with Greece after migrant crisis at the border worsened to an extreme level.
Migrant crisis worsened every day and Macedonia had to open its borders again.
The death toll for migrants from Nigeria and other African countries drowned in Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of 2015 is already worse than the death toll for Titanic catastrophe.

It is about ten days to the 100-day deadline Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign set for itself to accomplish a raft of promises made before the March polls.
There are noteworthy indications of progress, but the new government must try to achieve more for the millions of Nigerians who put their hopes on the new leader.
Buharimeter, the initiative that is monitoring how the president is implementing his promises,
The ruling party has set up a mechanism to monitor and evaluate and other vows made by Buhari during the presidential campaign.
 
Before the election on what Nigerians should expect from his first 100 days in office.
However, Nigerians took to Twitter using the hastag #100wasteddays to express their dissatisfaction over Buhari’s slowness in implementing his promises.


Meet a man who lost his arms in an accident as a child but didn’t stop caring for his sick mother and their farm in Tongxin Village of Fengdu County, China.
Scroll down to see all the inspiring photos!
Chen Xingyin, 48, was electrocuted when he was just seven years old. Since then the boy has learnt how to cook, do household chores, look after livestock and cultivate two hectares of farmland using only his feet.
And even when his ageing mother, who is now 91 years, became paralysed and confined to bed Chen refused to give up.
 
Now he is the only one who runs his smallholding of farmland and raises a flock of 24 sheep, two buffalos and four hens.
Surprisingly, the disabled man does not complain complain of his destiny, trying to do as many things himself as possible.
Sometimes he even finds the strength and time to help his neighbours.

Xingyin, who feeds his mother with his mouth and his nimble toes, said, “I can’t leave my mother at home alone, especially not in her old age. I may not have hands, but I have a pair of good feet.”
 After a series of photographs depicting Chen spoon-feeding his mother emerged, he has become an example to follow and a hero of Chinese and international media.
Fifty seven illegal degree-awarding institutions operating in Nigeria have been blacklisted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
According to Professor Julius Okojie, the executive secretary of the NUC, certificates obtained from the institutions listed would not be accorded recognition for the purpose of election and participation in the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).
The Punch reports that investigation has also commenced into the activities of eight other illegal institutions which the universities commission said would be prosecuted soon.
In an in-house bulletin issued on Thursday in Abuja, the commission made its position known, explaining that the illegal fees charged students by operators of the illegal institutions would also be recovered.
NUC spokesperson Ibrahim Yakassai, told The Punch that the commission had always released names of institutions operating illegally for the attention of the public.
About a week ago, with the Nigerian regulatory body also informing that online degrees obtained from foreign institutions would not be accepted as a means of seeking employment or any doing other legitimate business in Nigeria.
Some of the blacklisted 57 illegal universities include: University of Accountancy and Management Studies; Christians of Charity American University of Science and Technology, Nkpor, Anambra State; University of Industry, Yaba, Lagos; University of Applied Sciences and Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin; and Blacksmith University, Awka.
Others are, Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana campuses in Nigeria; Royal University, Izhia, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; and Atlanta University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Sunday Adokpela University, Otada Adoka, Otukpo, Benue State; United Christian University, Macotis Campus, Imo State; United Nigeria University College, Okija, Anambra State; and Samuel Ahmadu University, Makurdi, Benue State.
On the list also were: UNESCO University, Ndoni, Rivers State; Saint Augustine’s University of Technology, Jos Plateau State; The International University, Missouri, USA, Kano and Lagos Study Centres; Columbus University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria; and Tiu International University, U.K., operating anywhere in Nigeria.
Pebbles University, U.K., operating anywhere in Nigeria; London External Studies U.K., operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pilgrims University, Lobi Business School, Makurdi, Benue State; West African Christian University; Bolta University College, Aba; completed the list of illegal institutions in the country.
Findings have revealed that Doreen Amata, Nigeria’s hopeful for a first medal at the ongoing IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, is without a coach.
Reports say the coach of the Nigerian high jumper, who qualified Nigeria for the final of the women’s high jump event at the world meet, is presently in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on another official assignment as Nigeria prepares for the All Africa Games.
Also, Amata’s American trainer, Nat Page, is in Beijing, albeit on the United States’ entourage to the championships, and she has been denied access to him.
Doreen Amata, a Nigerian high jump specialist was left stranded in Beijing
 
Kola Adebayo, the Nigerian coach who was supposed to be with the Nigerian medal hopeful, has been with her since 2013 but was deployed to camp with Team Nigeria for the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.
The Nigerian coach, while explaining his absence from the competition, sad: “Only the AFN can explain that. I’m just a coach and I adhere to directives given to me.
“It’s a technical event and she needs someone who understands the technical aspects of the sport with her. But if the federation says they want it that way, who am I to kick against it?”

Adebayo however, says in spite of his physical presence in China, he has been giving Amata guidelines on what to do, and is hopeful the 27-year-old will put up a fine outing in the final of the women’s long jump event on Saturday.
“We talk regularly and also chat on the social media. I keep reminding her on what to do and what to avoid. She’s a cool-headed person and I know she won’t do what I tell her not to do, even though I’m not there.
“This is what I can do from home to help her and I’m hoping she will make Nigerians proud in the final on Saturday,” Adebayo offered.
In early morning of August 28, Friday, the fire has hit the residence of the Senate president Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
The fire happened at the Abuja home of Saraki in the Maitama area of Abuja.
Senate president is still living in his personal house. The incident was confirmed by Saraki on his Twitter handle.
 
Some residents of the sprawling edifice raised the alarm when they noticed a heavy smoke inside the gymnasium of the senate president.
Confirming the incident the special adviser to the Senate president on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the incident was caused by an electric spark from one of the air conditioners in the gymnasium of his principal.
He clarified that Saraki had been duly informed of the incident, adding that nobody was injured in the process.
 
Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as the new Senate president after the country’s main political parties struck a power-sharing deal in the upper chamber.

Since Caitlyn Jenner came out as transgender, much speculation has revolved around her sexuality. Caitlyn herself has not said much definitively on the matter, as she herself is still figuring it out. But in a promo for ther next episode of I Am Cait, she discusses desiring a potential relationship with a man, and what she might want out of it.
"It would be very attractive to me to have a guy treat me like a woman," Jenner, 65, says to her close friend Jennifer Finney Boylan, who reacts to the statement with a look of consternation. "That you would be treated like a normal woman... Like any other woman on the street and not make it this big trans thing or this or that. Just a normal relationship."
But, as Boylan reminds Jenner, she is a normal woman and she should never let a man dictate her self-worth.
"It's a thing that women do. We look to men to give us self-worth," Boylan says. "I think now that you're in the sisterhood, you have gone through such trouble to become a woman. Don't be a stupid one. Be a smart one."
One of the most interesting aspects of I Am Cait is how it's allowed its protagonist to learn and to make mistakes and Caitlyn's willingness to ask questions and to seek knowledge has been a powerful process to watch unfold. You can see the full sneak peek on People.
“This past week has not changed my life.”
That’s the overarching sentiment many young people have about the market mayhem that has dominated headlines for several days.
While professional traders, money managers and Wall Street watchers all over the world are experiencing whiplash, we wondered if your typical American 20-something even knew about the market’s ups and downs, let alone reach any level of panic. So we headed out to Bryant Park Wednesday – where many young professionals working nearby like to enjoy downtime on a nice summer day – to get a sense of how young folks are feeling about the market.
The overwhelming majority of interviewees (none of whom work in the finance industry) told us that they are neither interested nor personally invested in the markets.
Of the nine people we spoke with, only one has money in the stock market. Which is probably pretty representative of the broader demographic’s investing habits, as so many surveys have said. 
According to a Bankrate study from March of this year, only 26% of millennials invest in equities.
And, just 14% of respondents aged 18 to 29 say they trust Wall Street to “do the right thing all or most of the time,” according to a May survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Stephanie Serafino, 26, said: “I’m a little nervous, but most of my investments are long-term so I’m not looking for day-to-day returns.” She said the fact that she has investments makes her an anomaly among her friends. “I think [investing] is fun, but a lot of people aren’t that privileged at this age [to have enough savings].”
Emily Tully, 28, falls into that category. “The market is not something I follow; I’m just trying to pay off my student loa
Beyond being strapped for cash, Kyle Fasano, 28, feels burned, albeit tangentially, by the 2008 recession. “I don’t trust [the stock market]. I know too many people who lost too much money,” he said. “I see market stories all the time, but I don’t follow them because it’s hard to tell what’s true and what’s not.”
Others, meanwhile, were entirely uninterested in the market frenzy. Devorah Backman, 25, said, “I don’t know enough to panic or to even know if I should be panicking.”
Thomas Rosal, 22, had a similar response: “I have friends who invest in the market and some work in those places where news like this matters very much; they’re having emergency meetings. But personally, I have no involvement. I’m very detached.”
When asked whether the market mood swings came up in their everyday conversation, responses varied depending on the respondent’s age. It became clear the younger they are, the less of a blip the market rout is making on their radar.
“Most of my friends are just out of college, so the markets aren’t something that we really talk about,” Peter Simonson, 21, said.
“My friends and I don’t talk about the stock market,” 22-year-old Hector Gorez told us. “Maybe once I get older and understand a bit more, I’d be interested in investing.

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- A former franchisee alerted a Subway advertising executive in 2008 about her concerns about pitchman Jared Fogle, according to her lawyer.
Cindy Mills exchanged phone numbers with Fogle after they met at an event, said Robert Beasley, a lawyer in Florida who represents Mills. After Fogle began talking about paying for sex with minors, the lawyer said Mills alerted a regional Subway contact in Florida where her business was based.
Later, he said Mills alerted Jeff Moody, who was in charge of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, which handles the company's marketing.
Subway did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday. The company has said it does not have a record of the complaints by the former franchisee about Fogle, which were previously reported by Business Insider. The publication initially kept Mills' identity anonymous at her request, but identified her on Thursday. It also identified Moody as the Subway executive she alerted.
Beasley said Mills became comfortable about coming forward after Fogle agreed on Aug. 19 to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex with girls as young as 16 and received child pornography. Mills was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening. But according to Beasley:
—Mills offered to show Moody the texts from Fogle, but Moody stopped her and said he didn't want to hear anymore.
—Moody said he had dealt with similar comments, and reassured Mills that Fogle had met a teacher who would get him grounded.
"To me, it was confirmation that they knew about it," Beasley said.
Beasley said Mills explored the idea of suing Subway, but that there is a "good bit of legal separation between Jared and Subway." Beasley said the company is structured in a way that insulates it from Fogle.
Phone numbers listed for Jeff Moody and Theresa Moody, who is listed as a property co-owner, were not answered Thursday. When reached by The Associated Press earlier this week, a woman who identified herself as Theresa Moody said Jeff Moody did not want to speak about the Fogle case.
Moody is currently CEO of Rita's Italian Ice, according to LinkedIn. The site says he was CEO of Subway's franchise advertising fund from 2007 to 2011.
The agreement with Fogle released by prosecutors said Fogle will pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each get $100,000. The document noted that the payments would not prevent any identified or unidentified victims from pursuing civil litigation.
The government agreed not to seek a sentence of more than 12 and a half years in prison, and Fogle agreed not to ask for less than five years.
The same day authorities announced the deal with Fogle, Subway said it had ended its relationship with its pitchman of 15 years.
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Olivier & Jennifer - 2.jpg If you were to close your eyes and think "luxury," you might imagine 29-year-old designer Olivier Rousteing being manhandled by superstar stunner Jennifer Lopez. We're pleased to say that, with this story, we have made that vision a reality. Rousteing is four years into his tenure as creative director of Balmain, one of the most talked- and tweeted-about luxury brands in the world; he's also one of the biggest social media stars of his native France. Lopez, sexier than ever at 46 years of age, is busy preparing for her 2016 residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas and killing it on every red carpet she crosses. At their PAPER shoot in the Hamptons, Lopez appeared in a fringed Balmain gown and said, "Fringe benefits!" Those in attendance swooned collectively, Rousteing included. Later, we spoke with the two of them about the intersections of fashion, luxury, race, feminism, pop culture... and nude-male Instas, of course.


Jennifer, photos of the dress you wore for your birthday are everywhere. You look amazing.

Jennifer Lopez: Oh, I know -- the little slutty dress. Yeah, that's good.

So what does luxury mean to you?

Lopez: To me, it's stuff that's very custom or made for you or fitted -- that's how I like all my clothes to feel. And when I think of luxury, whether it's a house or a car or any luxury item, it's like something special about it that feels like you. Or a piece of jewelry -- you know what I mean? It has to have a classic feel to it. I like things that are super trendy. I like things that look like they could've been in this era or that era, but it still feels modern.

Jennifer, what is it about Olivier's work that says luxury to you?

Lopez: Wearing them just now, it feels very much like me. I know probably every girl thinks this, and that's the genius of a designer: everybody who puts it on feels like, "Oh my god, this is made for me!" It's the velvet, it's the sparkle; it's so ready for the spotlight. I think every girl who wears any special thing, they want to feel like they're a star. And that's how you feel when you wear one of Olivier's dresses. Like, "OK, where are we going? There must be something special going on!"

Will we see that kind of specialness in your costumes for your Vegas residency that's coming up?

Lopez: Oh, for the Vegas? Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. That's what we're hoping for.

Olivier Rousteing: I'm for it completely.

Because if you do Balmain costumes, people would go crazy.

Lopez: I think of it like Bob Mackie with Cher, or even with Diana Ross. People like that who really created for a singer, a stage performer. You think of Cher at the Oscars -- that thing she wore on her head and everyone went, "Who did this?" Again, it was so her and it was so custom made. It goes back to how luxurious it was: you wouldn't see that everyday. That's what I imagine the Vegas show to be. I would love to work with Olivier on the show, even if he couldn't do the whole thing, to really create something timeless. We still talk about those things because they made such a mark, but Bob and Cher had a real relationship. It was those special relationships between designers that really created timeless fashion moments and timeless moments in pop culture.

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Olivier, I want to know what your definition of luxury is.

Rousteing: For me, luxury today is confidence in assuming who you are, where you are, no matter where you come from. And that's what I think I do with Balmain. A lot of people say it's a party dress or something, and I think Jennifer explained pretty well that she wants to wear it onstage. When you want to wear something onstage, you want to wear it not because it's a party dress, but because it's armor. It's something you feel really strong in that you're going to show to the world.

And your muses are always these beautiful, sexy women who are also very strong.

Rousteing: Yeah. For me, Balmain is almost feminist. It's about the power of girls and women in the world. And that's why I love Jennifer. All the muses that have inspired me are really strong and they sometimes fight against the world to show their own rules, which I think Jennifer did throughout her career and she's still doing it. You see many stars today try to look like her. She imposes her own rules. And when I think, "What is the Balmain girl?" it's this. It's a woman who knows what she wants and is going to express it.

Lopez: The concept of a fearless, strong woman who radiates confidence inside and out is an inspiring idea. It's a great thing for young girls and women to see Balmain's muses illustrated by these ideas of strength and beauty. For them it's about a woman who creates her own destiny and forges her own future.

Do you think that fashion houses need celebrities nowadays?

Rousteing: Yeah, because celebrities are so inspiring. It doesn't matter about the money or where you live or where you come from. I think celebrities have something to say to the world, and they have a communication that is so inspiring to the new generation. And communication is what's most important today. I think celebrities help fashion survive.

You've worked a lot with the Kardashians and the Jenners. What draws you to them?

Rousteing: It's what I said -- you go and fight against the rules. Like, there's no taboo. You are who you are and you're going to show it to the world. And it's what I'm doing on my own. I'm building my own business, my own story. When I got the [Balmain] job I was 25 and I was not known. I was not this big fashion name. I come from an orphanage. My parents are white, I'm black. Nothing in my life responds to a normal rule. So I love people who are assuming their own lives and showing people that dreams can come true.

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Certainly you play by your own rules on Instagram.

Rousteing: I'm risqué. In French we have a phrase: "Who doesn't take a risk doesn't get anything." And I'm really risqué, but I think Balmain is risqué. Living on the edge -- that's what I love about my life.

Marc Jacobs got in trouble recently because he was a little naked.

Rousteing: Yeah, he showed his ass [on Instagram]. We are human and sometimes people forget that being a designer doesn't mean that you can't actually do what a normal person would do.

One of the things you've brought up before is racism in the industry. Balmain is one of the few luxury houses that cast diverse models. Why don't luxury houses cast more black or Asian models?

Rousteing: Because they're not living in the real world. You asked me why we need celebrities in fashion, which I think was really smart. Celebrities come from music. I think the music system is way more open-minded and way more diverse. Fashion people sometimes forget that, except for the front row that you're going to get at your show, there's an entire world that loves fashion. So it's important for me and for Balmain to show the diversity because it's also about the luxury of communication. And you don't communicate for just 10 people in the room during a show; you communicate to an entire world.

I'm seeing more and more fashion houses go the digital route and not do fashion shows anymore. What is your take on that?

Rousteing: I think fashion shows have to still exist, but I think the new way of showing is what's important now. The '90s were really important to fashion shows because you had Naomi, Claudia, Carla, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington. You wanted to see a show; you wanted to see those girls who were so inspiring. Fashion sometimes forgets that you need to inspire people. So that's why I think a lot of people start to get bored of shows -- you're not showing the real woman or real man on the catwalk. You just show hangers that wear clothes, and you don't even know their name and you forget them in a month. Everybody went to a mini-mall trend, so now a lot of shows start to look the same. I think fashion was interesting when you had the big, powerful houses that were not for only a trend. They wear what they wear -- their own identity. In France for example, you have Chanel, you have Yves Saint Laurent, you have Balmain, you have Balenciaga... I think we need to just be different and keep our identity no matter what's gonna be the trend. We just follow our trend.

Speaking of identity, you have a collection with H&M coming out. How do you keep your identity while doing a fast-fashion collection?

Rousteing: It's a bit of a challenge. But it's really, really important for me to keep my identity. It's been a lot of work on the fabric and the techniques because when they were saying, "What is Balmain for you?" I said, "It's couture, it's couture, it's couture." But couture isn't only about embellishment; couture is the amount of hours you're going to work on the fitting, on the tailoring of the jacket to make it perfect. We obviously switched some fabric and some techniques, but we worked so much to give people the DNA of the house. I wouldn't have done this collaboration if I couldn't give my identity.


Olivier & Jennifer - 1.jpg
And this will surely bring you new and younger fans who will then become fans of the main house.

Rousteing: Yeah, I think I'm going to get some new fans. But what Balmain was five years ago and what Balmain is today -- it already was in this direction of getting younger people. When you love music, when you love pop culture, you know what Balmain is today. When you love Kim, Kanye, Rihanna, Jennifer, you know Balmain. I'm connected to the music world, and that's what makes Balmain more real.

I love that you compare it to music, because your line is so entrenched in the music world.

Rousteing: Music is my life. I couldn't sketch and I couldn't create without music.

Lopez: Pop culture and fashion have always had a correlation, from old Hollywood to contemporary music. As a performer, I know that clothes are an expression of the music I create or the character I play.

We're having this moment now where we have Insta Girls and social media is a huge part of fashion. What do you think is going to happen next? Do you think we'll find the next big designer on Instagram?

Rousteing: Yeah. People get bored of what is fake. So I think Instagram is like a big, real TV in a way. A real social, digital story where, when you wake up, you're going to see my reality, I can see his reality, I can see your reality. I think after Instagram, people will go for even more reality. Because from Instagram, which I think is the real story, we're going to go to another app that's going to be even more real. You always want to know more and more and more.

So what does luxury mean to you both outside of fashion?

Rousteing: My luxury today is feeling free. It's freedom. I think it's the most priceless thing. And I'll tell you the truth: if you ask me, "What about Balmain is luxury?" it's not the amount of dresses that I did that cost more than $20,000. For me, luxury is feeling free to express who I am and what I want to do. That's luxury for me.
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