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

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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.