A Look At The Central European Fashion Week

Budapest has its share of wow moments in pop culture: from Will Smith's viral dance atop the famous Chain Bridge to the record-breaking crowds at the iconic Sziget Festival (more than double the size of Coachella). Steeped in history at the crossroads of Western empires, the sprawling capital of Hungary has become the default "European city" for Hollywood producers posing as Moscow, London, Rome and other locations in blockbuster films. While Hungarian scientists have recently reported a revolutionary discovery of a fifth natural force, Hungarian designers have long perfected the quieter alchemy of fashion. Today, more than ever, Budapest could be a place for much needed intercultural dialogue with fashion rising to the occasion. Earlier this month, Budapest Central European Fashion Week has wrapped its spring-summer 2020 season and here are my impressions from the event.

Established in 2018, the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency has taken on the task of governing the domestic fashion industry and attracting international talent to the local market. The two-venue approach to staging a fashion week illustrated both the potential and challenge familiar to platforms in emergent markets. With many beautiful landmarks fighting for tourist attention, the demanding logistics of multiple runway presentations often comes with limitations. This year's juxtaposition of a contemporary gem Bálna and a historic Tesla building seemed to bookmark the future and the past. The present belonged to the designers.

All eyes were on Nanushka, the country's strongest fashion export, created by Szandra Sándar. The brand designs for "the Modern Bohemian." Given Central European roots of this cultural concept, it has the carte blanche to adapt the style for the digital nomads of the 21st century. Fabulous vegan leather helps! "Designed, crafted and born in Budapest," the Áeron collection by Eszter Áron gently pushed the boundaries of minimalism by introducing softer lines and richer hues to its signature palette.

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Does Using Social Media Really Affect Your Attention Span?

Does social media usage permanently reduce attention span? If yes, then is there any solution to it? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Nir Eyal, Author of "Hooked" and "Indistractable",, on Quora:

Short answer: no, there is no research that shows that social media permanently reduces attention span.

Because of what I write about — distraction, behavior, focus — I hear all the time the criticism that social media is ruining people’s minds. That it’s capturing our attention, wrecking our relationships, and taking from us more than it gives. But it turns out: there’s no scientific proof that it “permanently reduce attention span.” When a researcher did a deep look at the studies published on social media, she found unreliable research methods, exaggerated claims, and bad data. A lot of what had been published about the effects of social media was just plain wrong.

I’d say this: Overuse of tech can have negative consequences. But it’s not inherently good or bad. The answer is more nuanced. It has to do with how much you use, who is using, what they are doing and what they would be doing instead of using. Tech offers an easy-to-reach distraction, and that you do need to manage. For me, I manage it by building time for social media into my schedule—it makes for a guilt-free chance to look at my various feeds, enjoy content, get updates on people’s lives. What I don’t do—and what I’d urge you not to do—is to use it as a way of avoiding whatever task you should be doing at that moment.

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Fashion's Best New Men's Denim Brand Isn't Who You Think It Is

Over the last five years I’ve split five pairs of expensive, designer jeans right down the back seam (yes, there)—two pairs of Seven7s, two pairs of AGs, and a pair from Marmot designed for pretzel-bending rock climbers with an origami-like, gusseted crotch.

My problem was playing ice hockey growing up. Two decades later, I still have outsized quads and glutes relative to my waist and inseam, which makes it impossible for me to wear any pants off the rack. Denim is my fashion enemy #1. They either fit like yoga pants or knickers.

When loose fitting, wide-cut “dad jeans” recently began making a comeback, I quietly rejoiced that my old baggy Levis and Carhartts were back in style. My wife recoiled. For the next few years I gave up on denim entirely—which made my wife recoil even further as I retreated back to even less well fitted pleated chinos. Then, thankfully for both of us, along came Monfrere.

“Ever since I was 14 I always wanted to work in fashion,” says Steven Dann, co-founder of the startup jeans brand.

“I started my journey with fashion working at Maraolo, which was a shoe and accessory store in Great Neck that carried all high-end designer brands. I went on to work for Armani, Gucci, Versace and Donna Karen. No matter what kind of education you have there is no schooling for working with these people one on one.”

In 2005, after a decade of mentoring, Dann went out on his and launched his first eponymously named boutique Steven Dann in downtown Great Neck not far from where he began his first job, with his own hand-curated collection of designer brands. The boutique was an immediate hit, leading to Dann opening a second in nearby Greenvale, followed by his own namesake shoe line in 2011. While Dann featured a few select denim brands in his stores, they were more back rack accessories than designers he led with in his storefront windows. Marriage would eventually change all that.

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Best Costa Rica Luxury Resorts

This story was written in collaboration with Forbes Finds. Forbes Finds covers products and experiences we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.

When it comes to luxury travel, Costa Rica is a destination that offers a variety of choices. Would you rather spend top dollar at a beachfront hideaway, a mountain enclave with world-class service, or an experiential property that keeps you as busy and active as you want to be? No matter your answer, there’s a Costa Rica luxury resort for you.

Rooms and suites at the Andaz have floor-to-ceiling windows at this beach retreat nestled in the rainforest. Riverstone showers are adjacent to open-air balconies with expansive ocean views, and there are three distinct beaches and four pools, including a kid-friendly shallow pool and an adult-only tranquility pool. In other words, everyone can be happy here. There’s also a club for kids (ages 5-12) and the property is exceptionally pet-friendly.

Set on the lovely Gulf of Papagayo on the Northern Pacific coastline of Guanacaste, El Mangroove is an ideal base to explore both sea and land. Choose from water sports like snorkeling, paddleboarding and kayaking, or land adventures like hiking, horseback riding and waterfall-hunting. The all-inclusive plan is the way to go if you don’t want to think about planning meals, but it’s not required.

The Four Seasons brand is synonymous with luxury, and this Papagayo resort is a case in point. Set above the ocean, the rooms and suites are designed for supreme tranquility, famous for their proximity to the wide variety of birds and other wildlife that call Costa Rica home. The property was designed to maximize the soft light coming in from all angles. The spa is a destination unto itself and a perfect place to decompress, with a Volcanic Purification ritual that includes a seawater-and-volcanic-mud peloid and a bamboo massage.

Guardians of Spanish culture lay out election hopes and fears

Her heels clacking impossibly fast, a dancer slides across a Flamenco stage in Madrid, while in a Catalan town a burly man in a faded red shirt helps anchor a seven-layer human tower topped by a tiny girl.

Guardians of Spain's cultural heritage, Mariana Collado and David Tarrats view the future with some uncertainty as they prepare to vote in a national election that looks too close to call.

Collado, from the Flamenco heartland of southern Spain but working in the capital, has no time for political extremism - a far right party will enter parliament on Sunday for the first time in decades - and believes the next government should prioritize the arts.

"Life is full of a marvelous range of different colors and I think the extremes are not good at all," she told Reuters.

"I'm afraid that culture could disappear, because culture is the first thing that they get rid of when there's no money in the country."

Tarrats, from Vic west of Barcelona, uses his body like a construction block to perpetuate a 200-year-old Catalan tradition of tower-building rooted in skill, strength and, above all, trust - something that, as a separatist, he struggles to extend to politicians.

"I will vote for someone who defends the independence of Catalonia, my rights (and) my language, but it will be complicated because ... politicians only want to defend their seat," he said.

In Spain's gradually depopulating southern countryside, a grower of its signature olive crop feels largely abandoned by politicians too.

Falling wholesale prices mean Agustin Perea, from the Andalusian village of El Burgo, is finding it ever harder to make a living and he fears for the next generation.

"There are many young people who like farming but they are unable to work in this sector because it demands considerable investment," he said.

"(The government) have to help us a bit, otherwise (these) small towns are going to become empty."

(Reporting by Sergio Perez, Michael Gore, Jon Nazca, Jordi Rubio and Albert Gea, Writing by John Stonestreet; Editing by Susan Fenton)

VOLAR combina servicio comunitario, cultura española.

Hay muchas oportunidades para que los estudiantes se comuniquen con sus comunidades en el campus de NC State. Voluntarios Ahora en Raleigh, o VOLAR, es una de esas oportunidades para aquellos que desean ayudar a la comunidad de habla hispana de Raleigh. El programa se ejecuta a través del Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras y Literatura. Deborah Kane, profesora principal de lengua y literatura españolas, es la directora de VOLAR.

"Comenzamos como una iniciativa del Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras aquí en el Estado de Carolina del Norte para reunir a estudiantes de español en un cierto nivel de competencia con oportunidades de servicio a la comunidad donde pueden interactuar con hablantes nativos de español", dijo Kane.

VOLAR realiza dos tipos diferentes de servicio comunitario: oportunidades de un semestre y oportunidades de servicio de una sola vez.

"Una categoría son los compromisos de un semestre, donde los estudiantes van una vez a la semana. Hacen un turno regular, tal vez una hora a la semana todas las semanas o dos horas cada dos semanas", dijo Kane. "Depende de la organización. El otro es eventos únicos, por lo que pueden ir y trabajar tres horas en un sábado ... Dentro de esas dos categorías, en los compromisos del semestre tenemos una asociación con el Consulado de México".

Sus programas de alcance comunitario tienen un alcance diverso dentro de la comunidad de habla hispana de Raleigh, ayudando en varios programas en el Triángulo.

"Tenemos la Clínica de Puertas Abiertas de los Ministerios Urbanos, que es una clínica de salud gratuita para residentes de bajos ingresos de Raleigh", dijo Kane. "Entonces, no todos sus pacientes hablan español, pero sí muchos. Los estudiantes irán allí y trabajarán en la recepción y cuando las personas entren, los registren y se aseguren de que tengan una cita. Harán llamadas telefónicas a confirmar las citas; podrían hacer la entrevista inicial con los pacientes para establecer que son elegibles para recibir atención médica gratuita o reducida ".

Si bien no existen pautas estrictas para unirse a VOLAR, sí piden cierto nivel de competencia en español para ayudar con el trabajo voluntario en su comunidad.

"Así que nuestros requisitos son que deban estar en español 202 o superior o tener el mismo nivel de competencia", dijo Kane. "Ese curso es solo una manera fácil de saber más o menos dónde están con el idioma, pero si es alguien que es orador nativo o nativo o han vivido [hablado el idioma] y no tienen necesariamente los cursos, damos la bienvenida a su participación ".

Kane sugiere que cualquier persona que desee unirse debe asistir a sus reuniones al comienzo de cada semestre.

"Simplemente tenemos una gran reunión al comienzo de cada semestre, y ahí es donde organizamos todas las diferentes actividades que se ofrecen ese semestre y los estudiantes pueden inscribirse", dijo Kane. "Tendremos orientaciones por lo general para esas asociaciones de un semestre, hay algo de capacitación y cosas por el estilo".

Emily Sands, profesora de lengua y literatura españolas, es asistente de VOLAR. Sands cree que unirse a VOLAR ayuda a reforzar la aptitud de un estudiante para aprender español y su deseo de hacerlo.

"Recibo comentarios de los estudiantes que la exposición les da más confianza en el uso del idioma y están expuestos a más áreas en las que se puede usar", dijo Sands. "Si las organizaciones con las que ya trabajamos u otras organizaciones pueden ver esa relación positiva, entonces podrían generar más oportunidades o podrían encontrar más formas en las que podamos involucrar a los estudiantes en las cosas".

VOLAR es una oportunidad para comprender mejor la cultura de habla hispana, aprender español y ver los efectos que el mundo real y las decisiones tienen en esa comunidad.

"Pero de lo que no se dan cuenta a menudo son los otros beneficios secundarios, la exposición cultural, como ir al Consulado de México y ser el único no mexicano que hay por la hora que estás allí", dijo Kane.

What's New At The 2019 South Beach Wine And Food Festival?

A defining feature of the last century was that most jobs were relatively clear cut (banker, electrician, teacher, etc). In our own time, however, people increasingly have careers that are underscored by a theme. In this respect, Sam Seidel is most certainly a 21st century kind of guy.

After splitting his time between studying at Brown University and teaching inmates at a nearby prison, Seidel has worked on everything from building the Student Experience Lab at the Business Innovation Factory to writing and publishing his first book Hip Hop Genius: Remixing Public Education. He now serves as the Director of K12 Strategy + Research at the Stanford D.School. At the root of all his endeavors is his fervent belief that if we can address the structural flaws in the way we educate people, we can also mitigate a lot of our other biggest problems.

To advance his mission, Seidel is notoriously willing to experiment with whatever tools, practices, and disciplines he encounters. I recently had the chance to sit down and talk with him about both the deeply entrenched problems and unparalleled opportunities involved in the adventure of reshaping modern education. If you’re involved in a business that ever requires that you attack seemingly intractable problems, pay close attention.

Michael Schein: The Stanford D.School is not the first place that comes to mind when I think about education. What made you join them?

Sam Seidel: The D.School is best known for teaching design thinking and helping build creative confidence in all kinds of different fields. While design thinking has been applied to products including everything from the Apple mouse to better toothbrushes, it can also be used to rethink schools and social systems. There are some serious structural problems with education and so the D.School seemed like the right place to tackle these problems creatively. My colleagues and I believe that applying the design thinking approach can be used to make real progress in improving education in quite a few different ways.

The Truth About Fat by Anthony Warner review – what the Angry Chef hates

I never quite knew what the word "sophistry" meant, until I read this book. I had a vague idea that it was something to do with making a false argument. But I looked the word up and saw that this wasn't quite right. Sophistry means the clever use of arguments that seem true. In Chaucer's time, it used to mean cunning, or craft. The original ancient Greek sophists were people, according to Plato, who were virtuoso athletes of words. Above all, sophists are plausible. That's what makes them so dangerous.

This is what came to mind reading the latest screed by Anthony Warner, who worked for many years at Premier Foods, one of the biggest food companies in Britain, which manufactures Mr Kipling cakes, Angel Delight desserts and Batchelors Super Noodles, among many other branded processed foods. Ten years ago, the Belfast Telegraph described Warner as TV presenter Loyd Grossman's "Italian development chef" because Warner was the person who helped Grossman develop his own-brand pasta sauces. But that was before Warner transmogrified into "The Angry Chef", the name of an expletive-ridden blog that he started writing in 2016 "exposing lies, pretension and stupidity in the world of food". He could have called himself "The Angry Consultant to the Food Industry" but it wouldn't have had quite the same ring.

To begin with, many in food writing circles considered Warner a breath of fresh air. I was one of them, going so far as to write a blurb for the book, welcoming it as a "bracing and funny tirade against the nonsense and harm done by food fads". I liked the way he skewered the quackery of alkaline diets and the absurd overuse of coconut oil and other so-called superfoods. I knew that Warner worked for the food industry, but I didn't feel that this had an undue impact on his arguments. Maybe there was an element of "my enemy's enemy is my friend" in my liking for Warner's writing. Over the course of my life, too many people close to me have developed eating disorders and when Warner attacked the restrictive rules and "nutribollocks" of the clean eating trend, his anger seemed righteous.