Headline

Miniskirt Pioneer Dies At 93

Published

1 year ago

April 13, 2023

Fashion designer Mary Quant, the style queen of Britain’s Swinging Sixties who popularised the miniskirt, died on Thursday aged 93, her family said, prompting a flood of tributes.

Whether Quant actually invented the then scandalously short skirts has long been disputed, with French designer Andre Courreges insisting he was the first to raise hemlines high on the thigh.

But there is no doubt that without Quant, the mini would not have become an icon of 1960s youth rebellion.

The diminutive designer — whose trademark bob was styled by Vidal Sassoon — was also credited with creating hot pants, the skinny-rib sweater and waterproof mascara.

Alexandra Shulman, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, called her a “visionary” while Britain’s V&A design museum paid tribute to her “trailblazing” legacy.

“It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion,” the museum said on Twitter.

“She was one of the original disruptors, whose trend-setting work changed the way we thought as well as how we dressed,” added Professor Frances Corner of London’s Goldsmiths college, where Quant studied.

“This profound impact took us from the black and white world of the 1950s to the technicolour brilliance of the 1960s and beyond.”

– ‘Shorter, Shorter’ –
Quant opened her first boutique, Bazaar, in 1955 with her future husband and business partner Alexander Plunket Greene, who died in 1990.

Located in Chelsea, which would become the beating heart of Swinging London, the shop sold clothes and accessories and its basement restaurant became a meeting point for young people and artists.

The whole Chelsea district was soon attracting celebrities such as the actors Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn and pop stars including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Quant raised hemlines well above the knee, creating short dresses and skirts with simple shapes and strong colours that she described as “arrogant, aggressive and sexy”.

“Good taste is death, vulgarity is life,” she told The Guardian.

Her models were showcased in provocative window displays overlooking the King’s Road, which became a miniskirt catwalk and drew American photographers keen to capture Swinging London.

“City gents in bowler hats beat on our shop window with their umbrellas shouting ‘Immoral!’ and ‘Disgusting!’ at the sight of our miniskirts over the tights, but customers poured in to buy,” she recalled in her 1966 book “Quant by Quant”.

The designer was also widely quoted as saying that “it was the girls on the King’s Road who invented the mini… I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘Shorter, shorter’”.

– ‘Quite outrageous’ –
The era’s most high-profile model Lesley Lawson, better known as Twiggy, made the miniskirt popular abroad, and with business booming, Quant opened a second shop in London in 1957.

She explored geometric designs, polka dots and contrasting colours, and played with new fabrics, including PVC and stretch fabrics, to achieve a modern and playful look.

She entered the American market in the early 1960s, collaborating with department store JC Penney. She also created the cheaper Ginger Group line and went into cosmetics, all her designs featuring a trademark daisy.

Quant also scandalised British society with her frank views on sex, making headlines when she famously said she had shaved her pubic hair into the shape of a heart and dyed it green.

Although her heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s, when she turned her sights on the Japanese market, Quant’s legacy can still be seen on the high street, with its high fashion at low prices.

She sold her make-up company to a Japanese group in 2000, staying on as consultant.

Alongside making it in America, Quant considered being knighted in 2015 her greatest achievement, and called Queen Elizabeth II, who made her a dame, “the wisest woman I’ve ever met”.

Asked by The Guardian in 2016 what she would change if she could edit her past, Quant replied: “Not much, I’ve had a lovely time.”

Headline

Kenya Deports Nigerian Captured On CCTV Assaulting Woman In Wheelchair [VIDEO]

Published

11 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian national who was caught on CCTV camera assaulting a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair in Nairobi has been deported.

In the footage that went viral on April 26, 2024, the Nigerian man identified as John Nwankwo Noko, is seen clobbering a helpless Ms. Pauline in the head before two other ladies looking on intervened to stop the act.

In a statement signed by State Department of Gender Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe, Nwankwo was deported on Saturday, May 4, 2024, for assaulting his partner, Ms Pauline.

He is accused of physically assaulting his partner, a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair, raising concerns about cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

“The act of violence has not only violated the rights of an individual but has also highlighted the broader issues of gender-based violence, that is rampant in our society,” Orwoba said in the statement.

The case was first brought to the attention of the police by Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Wednesday, May 1.

Orwoba, acting on the video that first went viral on social media on April 29, visited the woman at her home, who confirmed that her life was in danger.

She [the woman] claimed that her Nigerian partner “had been threatening to kill her and her two domestic workers if they outed him,” Orwoba said.

Senator Orwoba then reported the matter to Karen Police Station, after which it was picked up by the offices of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure, and that of Immigration PS Julius Bitok.

“Mr Nwankwo Noko has been arrested and processed for deportation,” Gender PS confirmed.

The nominated senator, who has continually advocated for violence against women has since demanded an end to the rising cases, saying they not only leave women with physical and emotional damage but also tear the moral fabric of our society.

“We strongly condemn such behavior and we shall continue working towards creating a safer environment for women, free of fear,” Orwoba added.

Watch footage below:

John Nwankwo, a devil, assaults woman in wheelchair in Kenya…
Criminal:
John Nwankwo Noko
Crime:
Nigerian man by the name of John Nwankwo Noko was captured on CCTV assaulting a woman in a wheelchair. In the footage, the ruthless man is seen raining kicks and blows on the… pic.twitter.com/COGgqaFEzd
— CitizenOlu (@jagabanolu) April 26, 2024

Headline

Woman Wins $1million Lottery For Second Time In 10 Weeks

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Christine Wilson of Attleboro recently claimed a $1 million jackpot, the Massachusetts State Lottery announced on Wednesday, May 1.

Amazingly, it marked the second $1 million prize she’d won in just 10 weeks.

Wilson’s latest winnings came from playing the 100X Cash $10 instant ticket game. The scratch game involves matching any of the player’s numbers or bonus numbers to any winning number.

In February, Wilson claimed her first $1 million lottery prize after playing the Lifetime Millions $50 instant ticket game.

When she won her first prize, Wilson said that she would use some of the money to buy an SUV. Now she plans to put her new winnings towards savings.

As with her first jackpot prize back in February, for her latest win, Wilson opted for the cash payout option of $650,000 before taxes.

And it’s not just Wilson who is reaping the rewards for her latest jackpot. The Family Food Mart that sold her the ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus.

Wilson joins other lucky folks who have won a lottery jackpot twice in the last year. In February, a Michigan man won a $110,000 prize by playing the state’s Fantasy 5 Double Play drawing. Six months earlier, the man had also netted $110,000 via the same game.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, Jennifer Minton of Gloucester, Virginia, won $50,000 playing that state’s Safari Quest online game. A week later, she won again, netting a $1 million prize.

And in March of that same year, a couple from Australia scored two $1 million prizes on separate tickets in the same drawing for Australia’s Monday & Wednesday Lotto game.

Headline

70 Passengers Fall Ill, Vomit Bug During Flight From Mauritius To Frankfurt

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

About 70 passengers fell ill with a vomiting bug mid-way through their flight from Mauritius to Frankfurt.

According to Mail Online, Condor airline Flight DE2315 was travelling on Thursday, May 2, from Mauritius to Frankfurt when it became clear that many passengers on board were suffering from the bug.

The aircraft landed in the German city at around 5.33pm where it was greeted with a large contingent of emergency services.

Crew had called ahead to alert officials on the ground of the unfolding emergency.

It was found that 70 of the 290 passengers onboard had suddenly reported symptoms including nausea and vomiting.

A spokesperson for the Germany airline confirmed the incident to the country’s Bild tabloid, adding that the crew was not affected by the illness.

‘She [the pilot/crew] is also educated and trained for special situations like this,’ the statement to the newspaper said.

‘After carefully examining the overall situation, the flight continued. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where medical professionals were available to care for the affected guests.’

The airline, however, did not confirm the cause of the sudden illness, but noted that the food onboard would have been prepared in Mauritius.

‘Condor has already initiated an investigation into the case to get to the bottom of the cause and to derive possible measures from it,’ the spokeswoman added.

‘Condor is working closely with all responsible partners and authorities. There is currently no result available.

‘We generally do not participate in speculation about the cause, for example about individual menus on board that were prepared in Mauritius,’ the statement added.