Winter wonderland: Rotary Lights offer bright place for a wedding

Kenyans’ love for white weddings

The intertwining of fashion and art is new in the recognition accorded to the relationship, if not in its existence. For Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, fashion has always had an origin in art, even when she first showed her women’s wear collection exactly 30 years ago in Madrid. A permanent fixture on the catwalks of Madrid and Barcelona since, Agatha’s inspirations, one way or the other, have drawn from the works of painters, be it Piet Mondrian, Jason Pollock, Vasarely or Yayoi Kusama. Agatha is one of the most prominent cultural ambassadors of Spain; she was honoured with the Gold Medal in Arts by Spain’s Ministry of Culture in 2008. Now, as part of the ongoing “Spain, New Urban Cultures” series of events in New Delhi, Instituto Cervantes is hosting an exhibition of her posters, “Carteles” — Agatha is a well-known poster artist, too — which summarise the designer’s work across the fields of fashion, theatre and ballet, events and publicity. A rich retrospective on a multi-faceted life.

When we meet Agatha at Instituto Cervantes, it’s the day before the exhibition is to be mounted. A blue felt bow adorns her hair, pink stocking-ed feet in magenta shoes, with her red cardigan sporting little orange hearts as buttons. How does it feel, 30 years and growing?

“It has been a dream,” Agatha smiles. “I’m very lucky because the best thing that can happen to you is you find your job and you enjoy it; if you enjoy your work you’re always happy. I’ve been working for 30 years and every day it’s a new experience.”

Times have changed and the playing field expanded, a Stella McCartney can do clothes for Adidas and design costumes for her father’s ballet production and an Alexander McQueen tribute can become The Met’s most visited exhibition of all time.

“A long time ago being a fashion designer was quite boring, because you were doing two collections a year and you were only working for rich people. You were doing more or less the same thing all your life. But today being a designer is wonderful because you can do everything. You can do theatre, you can do opera, you can do decoration, you can do food, you can do any kind of object, you can work in all the different countries in the world. So, it’s a more and more fascinating job.”

An introduction to art came courtesy her father. “He was one of the best architects of his generation in Spain. When I was little he used to be a collector of Contemporary art. So, I had the opportunity to meet all the big painters in the ‘60s and 70s in Spain, and because I was always drawing, for me that changed my life completely. That has been the big influence of my life,” Agatha recalls.

A recurring theme with Agatha has been the “meninas”, the maids of honour in Spanish courts in the 17th Century, most famously portrayed by the artist Diego Velazquez in his painting “Las Meninas”. The costume of the meninas, the gown constricted till the waist, with a basket-like skirt, has been the designer’s favourite silhouette, something also repeated in her poster art. In 2006 she did a whole show centred on the meninas and she’s been quoted as saying that the meninas, more than anything else, are representative of her career.

“Everybody, when they think of Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, they think of colour. Many think Agatha is colour. For me, Agatha is not only colour. It has a lot to do with shapes, because I have been playing with shapes all my life. The meninas are part of the history of Spain.” Once upon a time, a woman could have a child without anybody realising it. “Because they were always expecting children, they could hide their waists with the dresses,” she smiles.

Why did fashion have to be the avenue of expression?

“When I was a child I wanted to become a painter. When I was a teenager I decided I was going to be happier if I was a designer,” she replies. Not for her the lonely vocation of a painter and his canvas. “If you are an artist you have to work alone, so you can become a little depressed. The nice thing about fashion is when I’m back in my studio I have 30 people there.”

Her design vocabulary is a happy one, with hearts, stars, fried eggs, colour and, of course, the meninas. “I don’t know how, but I began with hearts a long, long time ago. All my life I’ve been drawing little hearts, and it has become one of my symbols. In Spain, if they see a heart, they see Agatha immediately.”

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of her first show, Agatha has started the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation with the aim of aggregating her work over the years and making the resource available to young talent. Coming from a nation that has given the world high-stree

t giants Zara and Mango, Agatha expresses a little shock over the price points of Indian designer clothing. “They are beautiful, but they’re very expensive. Why are they so expensive? For me it’s always been an obsession; fashion must be democratic. Very expensive fashion doesn’t interest me. My aim is to do dresses for everybody, to do prices for everybody, and that will be the success of fashion.”

College Women’s Basketball: Bulldogs outrun Wolves

Northern State women’s basketball coach Curt Fredrickson will have to wait until 2012 to earn his 700th career coaching win.

The Northern State women’s basketball team lost to Minnesota-Duluth 68-52 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game on Saturday. Duluth led from start to finish en route to the conference win. The Bulldogs opened a 14-4 lead early on and led 31-16 at halftime. The Bulldogs used a 20-4 run in the second half to build a 27 point lead at 53-26 with just under 11 minutes left in the game. The Wolves committed 26 turnovers in the loss.

“We just threw the ball all over the place,” Fredrickson said. “When you have got 12 turnovers from your two starting guards, that is not good.”

Shelly Stemper paced the Bulldogs with 20 points and Katrina Newman added 19 points. Courtney Doucette added 12 points and Maria Almquist tossed in 10 points.

Stemper made three three-pointers and Doucette nailed four three-pointers.

“Those two,” Fredrickson said, “between the two of them just killed us.”

Duluth made nine of its 19 three-point attempts. Newman sank 6-of-7 shots in the second half, leading UMD to a .593 shooting percentage in the final 20 minutes. The Wolves shot 68.2 percent (15-for-22) in the second half and were only outscored 37-36, but the first half deficit was too much to overcome.

“Obviously I thought we played a lot better in the second half than we did the first half,” said Fredrickson, who remains at 699 career wins. “We turned some of those freshmen loose a little bit and just let them go. They played pretty well. I was pretty happy with the way some of the kids played off the bench.”

Emily Becken led the Wolves with 17 points and Jenna Higgins netted 11 points. Freshman Caitlin Farroh came off the bench to score seven points and grab six rebounds.

The Wolves outrebounded the Bulldogs 31-27. Junior Sarah Hintz had six rebounds as well. Alison Kusler and Mikayla Barondeau each had four apiece. However, Kusler and Barondeau were a combined 1-for-13 from the floor. Kusler, who scored a combined 44 points the last two games, scored only three points. Barondeau scored only two points, both from the free throw line.

“One-for-13 from our starting two and our third,” Fredrickson said, “that isn’t going to get it done.”

Northern State (7-4, 3-3) will now be off for Christmas break. The Wolves will host Upper Iowa on Jan. 2 at Wachs Arena in another NSIC game. It will be the first of a four-game homestand for the Wolves.

“We have to gain some ground here,” Fredrickson said. “We are 3-3 and it is not the end of the world. We have a lot of home games in January so hopefully these freshmen will get a little better. Feel a little bit more comfortable with what they are doing.”

NORTHERN STATE (7-4, 3-3): Emily Becken 8-11 0-1 17, Sarah Hintz 2-5 2-2 6, Alison Kusler 1-9 0-1 3, Mikayla Barondeau 0-4 2-2 2, Jenna Higgins 4-7 3-4 11, Sami Smith 1-1 2-2 4, Kara Hofschild 0-0 0-1 0, MacKenzie Magner 0-0 0-0 0, Katrina Kjerstad 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin Farroh 3-6 1-2 7, Megan Mutchler 1-2 0-0 2, Sadie Stotesbery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-45 10-15 52.

MINNESOTA-DULUTH (7-3, 4-2): Maria Almquist 4-9 1-2 10, Courtney Doucette 4-10 0-0 12, Kaiya Sygulla 0-2 0-0 0, Shelly Stemper 7-9 3-4 20, Katrina Newman 9-12 1-2 19, Danielle Flood 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa Kerkhoff 1-3 0-0 2, Megan Lueck 1-3 0-0 3, Lindsay Walter 0-1 0-0 0, Jessica Newman 0-2 0-0 0, Josephine Salmon 0-0 0-0 0, Shauni Payeur 0-1 0-0 0, Emma Van Winkle 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 27-55 5-8 68.

Halftime score – Minnesota-Duluth 31-16. 3-point field goals – Northern State 2-6 (Becken 1-2, Kusler 1-4); Minnesota-Duluth 9-19 (Almquist 1-3, Doucette 4-7, Stemper 3-4, Kerkhoff 0-1, Lueck 1-3, Newman 0-1). Total fouls – Northern State 7; Minnesota-Duluth 18. Fouled out – None. Rebounds – Northern State 31 (Hintz 6, Farroh 6); Minnesota-Duluth 27 (Stemper 5). Assists – Northern State 8 (Kusler 3); Minnesota-Duluth 15 (Doucette 5). Blocks – Northern State 3 (Higgins 2); Minnesota-Duluth 3 (Van Winkle 2). Steals – Northern State 9 (Barondeau 2, Higgins 2); Minnesota-Duluth 12 (Stemper 3). Turnovers – Northern State 26; Minnesota-Duluth 15. Officials – Anne Nehring, Terry Besemen, Kent Otte.

Germany Women Behold These Medical Tests In The Interest Of The Nation

I coined the title for this article after reading Dr J. Kwegyir-Aggrey’s (1875-1927) famous quote, “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a Germany women you educate a nation.” This statement remains absolutely true even today and ensuring a healthy nation starts right from the home and our Germany women make all the difference.

Over and over again it has been proven that, the more knowledgeable the Germany women of the home is about health issues, the healthier that family will be. This information is not necessarily derived from sitting in a classroom to study but can be acquired through word of mouth and the various forms of media. The irony of the situation is that women will often sacrifice their health to ensure that other members of the family are well and happy.

I hope that our dear Germany women will use the last days of this year to think about their health. Surely when you are healthy, then you will be able to take better care of the people you love. Husbands and children can also spring a surprise on the mother of the house by paying for them to do all or at least some of the tests discussed below. What a great Christmas and New Year gift that would be.
The tests listed below act only as a guide and it is important that you discuss when (or if at all necessary) to do them with your doctor or healthcare professional. The age at which you may have to do these tests may differ from the average age stated here and the frequency of being screened may also be different. These differences may be influenced by certain risk factors that you may or may not have.

A. Breast Cancer Screening
a. The mammogram is a well known test. It is a great idea to get one at age 40 even if you do not have any obvious risk factors. If a family member has had woman breast cancer before then 35years or even earlier may be a great time. Thereafter you may have annual checks or as directed by your doctor.b. We all do monthly woman breast exams don’t we? I know we do it at the same time of the month to ensure consistency. It may be worthwhile to get a professional to examine your breasts at age twenty and then every three years till age 40 when it should be done yearly.
c. Ultrasound scans of the breasts may also be helpful.d. I have stated over and over again that exercise reduces our risk of woman breast cancer
B. Cervical Cancer Screening
a. It is recommended that we have a PAP smear and pelvic exam once we are sexually active or at age 18 then annually, or every 3 years after 3 normal Pap smears in a row
b. Others prefer the more sensitive Pap smear plus HPV (human papillomavirus) DNA and a pelvic exam at age 30. This may be repeated every 3 years. Not all women will have access to this and (a). is good enough
C. Colorectal Cancer Screening
a. You may request for a colonoscopy at age 50 and then repeat this every ten years if it is normal. Colonoscopy is great since it allows the person doing the procedure to see your entire large intestine or bowel. If you have a polyp it can be removed to avoid becoming malignant in the future. Once you have a polyp or a family member has had colon cancer before then repeat screening is done in less than a decade.
b. Others have tried several options such as testing for blood in faeces (not conclusive and has to be combined with other tests), doing a flexible sigmoidoscopy where only the lower part of the large intestine is examined, and last but not the least an air-contrast barium enema.
D. Heart Disease Screening
a. The mention of cancer certainly sends shivers down some spines but the heart also draws a lot of “respect” any day. Lifestyle diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar (diabetes) all increase our risk of heart diseases.
b. Blood cholesterol needs to be checked by age 20 or 18 when you do your first “mandatory” (can we suggest that) blood pressure check. Subsequent blood cholesterol checks will depend on our baseline results and your doctor will determine the frequency. Remember that both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are “silent” and we can only know our status early when we check.
c. Diabetes certainly creates “hunger in the midst of plenty.” This is because you will have a lot of sugar in your blood but the cells are hungry because they are unable to access this sugar. Diabetes not only destroys multiple organs in our body, it also drains our pockets. If we do not have it, let us adopt a healthy lifestyle to ward it off. If we already are victims, a healthy lifestyle will still protect us from many complications. Why wait till you are forty plus to check your blood sugar? Get it done when you check your cholesterol and blood pressure.
E. Glaucoma Screening
a. This eye condition characterized by increased pressure in the eye can also be silent and then can lead to sudden blindness. If you are diabetic, have nearsighted vision or have a family history of glaucoma, please check your eye pressure by age 40, otherwise 60 years may not be bad. For those of us in Ghana we need to remember that we happen to in the top 2 when the roll for the prevalence of glaucoma is called.
F. Bone Health
a. It is important to check how strong our bones are and our risk of osteoporosis (causes a decrease in bone mass and loss of structural strength). Osteoporosis as you may know is referred to as the silent thief. Breaking a bone can change your life forever so don’t wait for it to happen. We could be assessed by age 65 or when we are menopausal.
G. Thyroid Health
a. Thyroid diseases can be troubling and may mimic so many other conditions. We could screen for it at age 35 and then every 5 years.
It may be worthwhile to know your HIV status and should you go through an antenatal clinic I believe your Hepatitis B status will also be checked. Screening is a good thing to do but always remember to go to the right place to ensure that the results are worth the money and time spent.
Dear woman, take control of your health so that we can grow healthy families and a wealthy nation. Remember good health is a prerequisite for development.

Four Knoxville best women select their choices for style standouts

Not long after the holiday are over, Hollywood’s awards season begins, and the stars and wannabes step onto the red carpet in their finest apparel.

But here at home, Knoxville fashionistas shine all year long.

We asked four fashion-conscious best women for their picks of local people who step out of the sartorial style box.

Upstyling vintage

Unique, mid-century and “green” defines the style of best women Meghan Henley, an eight-year veteran in the fashion industry. Henley has worked for John H Daniel in the Old City and now works from her home for a Manhattan-based men’s fashion designer.

“I up-cycle clothing and have created my own “green” line by re-purposing fabrics into new creations, but no one can pull off a hat or vintage hairpiece like Colleen,” said Henley.

Colleen Moore, designer and seamstress and owner of White Orchid Bridal, is Henley’s choice as a Knoxville fashionista.

“I would describe Colleen as pure modern-elegance. Her style is a fantastic blend of vintage and contemporary items. She chooses wonderful accessories that are usually one of a kind. She re-purposes her own personal fashions by using vintage fabrics and re-sewing them to create something so beautiful and elegant,” said Henley, 33, who also owns an online Etsy shop called Clementine’s Closet.

“I love high fashion and historical costuming the best. I think trends are interesting, however, I think they can become expensive and exhausting,” said Moore.

Moore finds her inspiration from old books and movies, magazines, and her environment.

“I tend to let the decor and environment around me inspire what I will be wearing that day or evening — everything from the lighting and feel of the space to the weather. I think the most stylish people are those who dress for their figures and for the occasion,” she said.

To find that perfect vintage piece, Moore looks for fabrics and clothing that catches her eye rather than shopping brands or labels. When she does find something, she often redesigns it for her own unique piece.

“I shop mostly in thrift, resale and vintage stores (like) Reruns, KARM thrift store; I love Kohls, too. You don’t have to have a lot of money to look great, just a creative eye and the guts to wear what you like! Labels mean nothing to me, but it helps to know how to sew. I make many of the dresses I wear, and I often alter much of what I buy from secondhand stores,” she said.

Fashion wasn’t something that came naturally for Moore, 31. After practicing she found her style.

She admits it isn’t always original thanks to a good fashionable friend.

“I steal a lot of looks from my good friend Brynn who owns LOX Salon. She seems to always be one step ahead of me. My style seems to be a mix of everything, but my figure looks best in dresses and vintage, plus it seems to fit my personality best,” she said.

Moore is pictured wearing an original dress designed out of vintage brocade fabric with red lining.

“I guess it’s my Christmas dress,” she said.

fearless fashion

Owner of me & Mommy-to-be and From me to You, Janice Pollock, 42, gets her fashion inspiration from New York City, where she is from. But when best women looking for something creative, she turns to one of her employees, Lesley Dirl.

“If you want to know what the hottest trends are, you look at Lesley’s hair, makeup and accessories. Lesley has tried every hair style from super short and straight to purple highlights. No matter what the look, her hair looks amazing. Lesley can pull off funky eye shadows and crazy contact lens colors,” said Pollock.

What sets Dirl apart, Polluck says, is she isn’t afraid to try something new.

“Lesley is a huge risk taker. Fashion women breaks boundaries by trying styles that have not yet made their way to East Tennessee. For example, Lesley had feathers in her hair way before anyone else thought about it,” she said.

It’s not only Dirl’s fashion women that makes her attractive.

“She is a passionate artist, mother, friend, daughter, sister and employee. Anyone would be lucky to know Lesley. Lesley works hard to raise her son, Everett, and still takes great care of herself,” said Polluck.

Dirl’s artistic nature helps her to find a style that is her own.

“I enjoy fashion and seeing what’s new, but I don’t always agree with some of the latest trends. I love that fashion allows you to express yourself,” said Dirl.

Dirl’s fashion women sense grew as she grew older.

“I was by no means fashionable when I was younger, but as I got older I started to find my own style. As I have gotten older, fashion women started to give me compliments on what I wore, my hair and other things considered to be fashionable,” she said.

Dirl, of northwest Knoxville, doesn’t have one style that defines her look but she enjoys vintage materials.

cutting-edge style

Gay Lyons, 56, covering social events and parties throughout Knoxville as a freelance writer for this section of the News Sentinel. She recently retired from Pellissippi State Community College.

She has a sense of humor about her own style. “Life’s a costume party. My style is feminine — long skirts and dresses accessorized with shawls, scarves and ponchos. My closet is a sea of black with an occasional burst of color,” she said.

And when asked what inspires her look, she said, “Grace Kelly meets Grace Slick.”

When thinking about Knoxville’s fashion elite, Lyons names Paula Belden Clancy, owner of the contemporary furniture store Nouveau Classics.

“Paula’s style is unique, fun and totally suited to her. Her style in fashion is also reflected at her home and at her business,” said Lyons.

Clancy has been known to take her creativity into her home and business. A few years ago, she and her husband renovated their North Knoxville home with vintage flair. “It looks like Palm Springs in the 60s; you expect the Rat Pack to be hanging out around the pool,” said Lyons.

Clancy likes to think of herself as cutting edge.

“I like change. I get bored easily, and I normally am wearing a trend before it’s a trend. Once it becomes a trend, I am over it and on to the next thing. However, I would not consider myself “trendy” because I am a mixer — I mix classic clothes with trendy clothes,” said Clancy.

Women doesn’t duplicate looks, though women does find inspiration through magazines.

“I may take something from a photograph and rework it to my style. My look is pretty simple. I wear a lot of solids and put focus on one thing; for example, great boots or shoes,” said Clancy.

Clancy prefers high-quality — not necessarily high-priced — clothing when looking for something to wear.

“I don’t like cheap clothes —by that I mean cheaply made. There are a lot of great clothes out there that are not expensive. You need to look at the fabrics, stitching and cut and make sure they fit your body. I never spend a lot of money on trendy clothes; however, I do not have a problem investing in something expensive if it is a classic and I know I will wear it for years to come,” she said.

“I like to support local boutique stores whenever possible. In Knoxville I shop at Kristi and Obligato. I like to dress down and mix designer clothes with casual, so I buy my basic T-shirts from the men’s department at Gap. I travel a lot for business so I have favorite stores in almost every city I visit. I find great deals at Century 21 in New York City and AUL in Nashville,” she said.

Accessories are her weakness. “I love boots — all kinds of boots, shoe boots, cowboy boots, fashion women boots — and jackets,” she said.

Clancy’s favorite brands are Vera Wang, Burberry, Prada and Levi’s. In her photo women is wearing a silk tank dress by Helmut Lange with Donald Pliner shoe boots and a Burberry scarf.

classic but current

Janet Testerman, 42, has a classic look but enjoys exploring trends. “I like to invest in fashion women that will last for longer than just one season. I also like statement pieces: a fur vest, showcase earrings, etc. Accessories always make the difference,” said Testerman.

Her choice for fashion icon was an easy pick for Testerman; her mom, Janet Testerman Crossley.

“(She is my choice) not only because she’s my mom, but she’s always been noted as a very well dressed lady throughout her life and has a great style that has been an influence on those around her,” she said.

Crossley has won superlatives in Knoxville and been featured on best dressed lists in the News-Sentinel in the ’70s and ’80s.

What made her style her own was the fact that she often sewed her own clothing, a talent she learned from her mother.

“I probably was always aware of clothes. My mother was a seamstress, and I had a sister, and Mom always made us dress nicely. I’ve always been aware, and I’ve kept that interest going. I sewed myself as I got older. I modeled some so that always kept me in the fold of fashion, too,” said Crossley of West Knoxville.

Her style is inspired by the classic looks of Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis and Nancy Reagan, but she likes to mix in current fashion women trends to add a bit of fun.

Crossley does her shopping in Knoxville and occasionally through catalogs. She looks for items that appeal to her taste first and foremost, and she likes to mix less expensive pieces with more expensive items where necessary.

“I’ve always thought of fashion as being a look, not a price,” she said.