fashion

Bionic Yarn.

No, not from Spiderman, but yarn and fabrics made up of single-use plastic bottles--many found floating in the ocean--sewed into hip clothes. That's the idea behind the company Bionic Yarn, co-founded by Tyson Toussant, partnered with ocean protector Paul Watson, and with recording artist Pharrell Williams as their Creative Director.



They make denim jeans, snowboarding jackets, boat covers, furniture, and other products using their innovating product.

Their concept is to clean the oceans and promote using reusable products. For instance, they promote facts about plastic bottle usage:







Apparently, since "plastic bottles are made up of the same polymer as polyester," Bionic Yarn can bypass the use of crude oil-based yarn products through their own recycling process.




They refine the bottles into chips and then heat and pull-apart the fibers and spin them into yarn. They can then mix the yarn with cotten or wool for whatever item they want to sew.




These aren't your Mama's recycled pants.

Check out their products here.

On the tails of the release of more realistic Barbie body types, Hijarbie is the fashionable Instagram project of Haneefa Adam, a Nigerian woman who runs a modest fashion company called Hanie. A sizeable population of women in the world are Muslim and wear hijab, so it's no surprise why this Barbie who dresses fashionably in hijabs and abayas is so popular. 



Barbie is known for her beautiful outfits, and this is no exception. Adam is hoping to introduce some realistic diversity into Barbie's closet. Much of the inspiration for this doll comes from fashion icons who also specialize pairing their hijab with stylish clothes. 

This young woman exemplifies bravery.

Laxmi (only goes by her first name) survived an acid attack over a decade ago. The depraved soulless perpetrators, an older man and his friend, poured acid on her face and arms after she turned down the older man's marriage proposal.

She was 15 years old dude.

After trucking through a series of hefty priced medical treatments and a few surgeries, Laxmi has come out as an impressive activist; and acts as the literal 'face of courage' for a new fashion campaign in India.

Her public interest litigation catalyzed the landmark judgment in 2013, when the Supreme Court called for restrictions on the sale of acids and also greater compensation for any victims. Just a heads up—there are around 1,000 acid attacks in India every year, and these victims face massive, almost crippling social taboo as result.

To this day, Laxmi continues onwards with her campaign through the Chhanv Foundation and Stop Acid Attacks. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by Michelle Obama in 2014.

A new app is makes it possible search for a nail polish to match anything you can take a picture of. 



When you find the nail polish you were looking for, you can favorite it or even buy it.

Remember the long lines and human stampedes for Furby and Cabbage Patch Dolls in the '90s?

Well, this is sort of like that. But for cheaply-made clothing.

Balmain for H&M's Collection, promoted by Kylie Jenner, dropped today across the globe and was sold out in many stores within seconds. Videos showing the chaos starting popping up all over the Internet.

Shoppers in Paris can be seen above sprinting their way through the store, ripping clothes from mannequins.

In Croatia, people got pushy.

And Istanbul was a total mess.

Oh, and the website crashed when the line went on sale this morning.

Hug your family tight tonight, people of the world. There is no more Balmain. The end is near.

Backstreet's back, alright?

'90s music fans were all amazed when the Backstreet Boys reunited to close out the Balmain x H&M fashion show in New York City last night.

The group met on stage to perform their singles "I Want It That Way" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."

Backstreet Boys make an appearance at #balmainxhm! pic.twitter.com/kv137XPDYG

— Footwear News (@FootwearNews) October 21, 2015

Omg the backstreet boys are performing for #HMBALMAINATION pic.twitter.com/5J4nTP22HI

— NYBOOGIEMANʕ•̫͡•ʔ (@NYDoorman) October 21, 2015

Omfg! @backstreetboys #HMBALMAINATION pic.twitter.com/Au5FCDrmpl

— Charles Manning (@CharlesEManning) October 21, 2015

Group members Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Nick Carter, and Howie Dorough were all present for the performance.

And McLean talked to Rolling Stone about a possible tour with the Spice Girls.

Someone please make this happen.

People are falling head over heels for these fall fashions.

Rick Owens had his big show at Paris fashion week Oct. 1 and think, and models, really took a turn.

As The New York Times reported, it started out normally enough:

Then came the first of many models who wore fellow travelers on their backs like knapsacks, trussed to them with padded straps, face up, face down, upside-down or trailing: women bearing women, often in gymnastic contortions. (They were reportedly local gymnasts.) "She ain't heavy," the message seemed to run, "she's my sister."

It was transporting and affecting (not least because of the live performance by the vocalist Eska), as well as confounding and odd. There were gasps and iPhone photos, but no immediate explanation from Mr. Owens, a provocateur with a long history of and taste for on-the-runway theatrics.

I'm tired of people saying fashion is out of touch. Rick Owens' show full of wearable practical accessible garms pic.twitter.com/mGWgWipL9V

— Jack Guinness (@Jackguinness) October 1, 2015

Rick Owens' human backpacks on the runway #MFWSS16 pic.twitter.com/MgjOGjUexs

— Kanyeberly (@Kimblagh) October 1, 2015

The baggage we all carry is...each other. Rick Owens show, #PFW pic.twitter.com/vR9MXWc2jY

— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) October 1, 2015

Final Exit from Rick Owens FW16 is Aces. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/SNZnLrhjev

— Jules (@JulienDecanali) October 1, 2015

No word on the cost of such high fashion.

Pokémon products have really bottomed out.

With a stacked cast of 718 Pokémon in their Pokédex, it looks like the possibilities are endless. Especially for companies trying to make money on the back end and not take one on the cheek.

We're done.

But seriously, the official Japanese Pokémon Center store announced their newest line of products today and, simply, it highlights Pokémon butts.

It's called the Hip Pop Parade.



And it is a very extensive line. Butts on butts on butts.

There are keychains.



There are coin purses and tote bags.

There are decals and coffee mugs.



And so much more.

We're not sure we would sport these money makers, but we can't deny they are just a little bit cute.

Put the bun down.

Rodney Sinclair, the Director of Dermatology at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne is trying to spread the word about the dangers of the man bun. You know, that topknot hairstyle that you're growing your hair out for. The one you're hoping is still in fashion by the time you actually have the length to achieve it.

That one.

Well, Sinclair says that the tight constriction placed on the hair can cause something called 'traction alopecia', meaning specific baldness in certain parts of your carefully coifed head.

Like this:



Writing in The Independent, Sinclair cautions that the end of your hair is nigh:

Traction alopecia is the hair loss that occurs after persistent gentle pulling on the roots over several hours or days.

Unlike a hair pluck which is painful, persistent gentle pulling may go unnoticed until bald spots or alopecia starts to appear.

...Even tight ponytails can produce traction alopecia, which means the new style of the 'man braid' and the 'man bun' can also have an effect on men's hairlines.

...When hair is pulled back in a ponytail, the hairs at the margins of the scalp tend to receive the greatest tensile force and hair loss becomes most noticeable on the scalp margins and the outermost hairs of the braid. These hairs are lost first, producing a receding hairline and widening of the part lines.

...Twisting hair into a bun on the top of the head can produce a horseshoe alopecia in the centre of the scalp.

...Unfortunately the only measure that halts progression of traction alopecia is redistributing the tension in the hair. A return to normal is not possible for those who have early androgenetic alopecia or who have developed scarring from prolonged traction. However for most people, a cure is available with their own hair brush.

So, there you have it.

Surely, that will end the trend forever.

Sadly, it was before my hair got long enough.

There are limits to what we can tolerate in modern, artisanal culture. The pickles are good, the micro distilleries are neat and many of the crafts are delightful in their own way.

Bindle bags might just be beyond the pale, however.

The New York Times profiled the Bindle Bros, Josiah and Dusty and chronicled their rising entrepreneurial exploits.

"We're trying to build adventures, one stick, one bindle at a time," Dusty likes to say, referring to the famous hobo accouterment he and his older brother make and sell in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

As their business card states, the Bindle Brothers specialize in "locally-grown, naturally-fallen, artisanal bindle bags." In doing so, they are reviving an item not seen since the days of Steinbeck, when itinerant farmhands and rail-hopping hobos known as "bindle stiffs" made sacks to carry their meager belongings around the country.

Already, the Bindle Brothers have been featured in a glowing video profile by Business Company magazine. In the video, Josiah, who is the chief executive officer and frequent spokesman, likens the bindle to "luggage at its purest" and explains that he and Dusty are selling not a mere stick and a sack but the promise of adventure.

Thankfully, this is all a joke. And a pretty well done one as well. They certainly capture the spirit of the waxed mustaches, monocles and DIY spirit that has spilled on our culture.

And they gave us this quote as well:

"The Giving Tree is our Bible, we just pretend that Steinbeck wrote it."

It’ only been a few days since a pilot drew a penis in the sky in Florida, and another phallic phenomenon has already taken over the Internet.

The above screenshot of Network Ten anchor Natarsha Belling was posted to UNILAD’s Facebook page this past weekend, and it has since blown up and been shared on a number of different news sites around the world.

It was also trending on Facebook.

“Once you see it, you cannot unsee it…” UNILAD writes in the caption.

Unfortunate for her, but true. You will never not see a penis on Belling’s neckline.

No response yet from her on Twitter.

So far 2015 has been a good year for viral outfits. Which will you be wearing this Halloween? The white and gold dress, blue and black dress or penis jacket?

Though the shirt has been removed from their site (or sold out), Urban Outfitters got into hot water this weekend for this stained and damaged "vintage" Kent State sweater. The historically-minded among you will recognize Kent State as the site of a Vietnam War protest in 1970 that ended with the police shooting of four student protesters.

Urban Outfitters claims that the item's appearance is due to aging, stains, and miscoloration, though obviously it looks more than a little like the violent aftermath of the protest itself. Their official statement on the sweater doesn't help their case much:



TL;DR: Company known for ripping off art designs, pandering to bratty youths, and doing attention-grabbing things to gain publicity among other attention-grabbing bratty youths acts according to form. Carry on.

Having ripped jeans has been a fashion statement of danger and toughness in the past but it has never been more legit until now.

The Kamine Zoo in Hitachi, Japan recently took part in an unusual fundraiser: sell jeans that have been gnawed on by their lions, tigers and bears. Large sheets of denim were wrapped around objects like tires, logs and rubber balls for the animals to chew on. The deliberately torn material was then sewn into what they're calling "Zoo Jeans" and are to be sold at auction to raise money for the animals. No price has been set for the jeans.