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Bradley Cooper's 'The Elephant Man' Breaking Records On Broadway

Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper has officially become a Broadway hit-maker. After only six weeks of performances, the Broadway run of "The Elephant Man" starring Cooper has recouped its capitalization of more than $3 million.

Cooper joins a long list of film actors whose presence in Broadway shows guarantees solid ticket sales. Other stars who have made successful Broadway appearances include Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman and Denzel Washington.

"The Elephant Man," which is playing at Manhattan's Booth Theatre, has enjoyed sold-out houses consistently since previews began in November of this year. As of Dec. 28, the show has made $7.1 million. Christmas week performances alone earned more than $1 million. This broke a record for the venue, where no other show has ever grossed more than $1 million in a single week.


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Bradley stars in the Bernard Pomerance play alongside Patricia Clarkson and Alessando Nivola. He plays John Merrick, better known in real life as Joseph Merrick. Merrick lived in Victorian England and suffered extreme deformities that earned him the nickname "The Elephant Man."

The play originally premiered on Broadway in 1979 at the Booth. It follows Merrick's life and his struggle to live with dignity despite his appearance. Interestingly, prosthetic makeup is not used on the actor playing Merrick, leaving the audience free to imagine his deformities while the actor portrays them only through the way he moves.

This has been a big week for Cooper in terms of his film career as well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his new movie "American Sniper" broke a box office record, yielding the biggest opening ever for a limited Christmas release.

The production of "The Elephant Man" is scheduled to end its Broadway run on Feb. 22 of 2015. "American Sniper" expands to a nationwide release on Jan. 16.

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2014: Τα σημαντικότερα fashion γεγονότα που μας απασχόλησαν τη φετινή χρονιά

Ένα rewind στις στιγμές που μονοπώλησαν το ενδιαφέρον των fashionistas.

Ήταν μια πολύ σημαντική χρονιά φέτος για το λαμπερό κόσμο της μόδας, με πολλά γεγονότα που σημάδεψαν, είτε με καλό, είτε με άσχημο τρόπο το 2014. Ανάμεσα σε όλα όσα συνέβησαν, ξεχωρίσαμε τις πέντε πιο σημαντικές στιγμές για τη φετινή χρονιά:

Ο θάνατος του γνωστού σχεδιαστή σόκαρε όλο τον πλανήτη, τον Οκτώβριο. Ο de la Renta υπέκυψε στον καρκίνο, χάνοντας τη μάχη του που ξεκίνησε το 2006. Ο κόσμος της μόδας θα τον θυμάται για τις elegant δημιουργίες του που έντυσαν τις σημαντικότερες διάσημες γυναίκες και φυσικά, για τον ευγενικό του χαρακτήρα.



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Ένα από τα πιο πολυαναμενόμενα fashion shows πραγματοποιήθηκε το Μάρτιο, το πρώτο του Nicolas Ghesquière για το γνωστό οίκο μόδας, Louis Vuitton. Ο σχεδιαστής διαδέχθηκε το Marc Jacobs και δημιούργησε τη συλλογή για τη σεζόν Φθινόπωρο/Χειμώνας 2014, η οποία ήταν μια τεράστια επιτυχία για τον ίδιο, αλλά και για το brand.

Το 2014 ήταν αναμφισβήτητα η χρονιά της. Γιατί; Η 19χρονη Jenner έκανε το ντεμπούτο της στο modelling το Φεβρουάριο, στο show του Marc Jacobs και έκτοτε έχει περπατήσει για τον οίκο Chanel, έγινε το πρόσωπο της Estée Lauder και του Givenchy και κολλητή με την Cara Delevingne. Χρειάζεται να πούμε περισσότερα;

Έγιναν πολλοί γάμοι φέτος, όμως εμείς ξεχωρίσαμε δύο: Αυτόν της Kim Kardashian με τον Kanye West και αυτόν της Olivia Palermo με τον Johannes Huebl. Οι Kim και Kanye παντρεύτηκαν, πραγματοποιώντας ένα πολυτελέστατο γάμο στην Ιταλία, στον οποίο η νύφη φόρεσε αποκλειστικά Givenchy. Olivia και Johannes παντρεύτηκαν σε κλειστό κύκλο, στο Bedford της Νέας Υόρκης, ενώ το style icon επέλεξε ένα πολύ διαφορετικό νυφικό σύνολο για την πιο ξεχωριστή της μέρα. Μια παραμυθένια φούστα, συνδυάστηκε με μια κασμιρένια κρεμ μπλούζα, και τα δύο της σχεδιάστριας Carolina Herrera, με το σύντροφό της να επιλέγει επίσης λευκό κοστούμι.

Τριάμισι χρόνια μετά το ατυχές γεγονός που τον έθεσε εκτός μόδας, ο Galliano έκανε ένα πολύ δυναμικό comeback ως καλλιτεχνικός διευθυντής του οίκου Maison Martin Margiela. "Ο John Galliano είναι ένας από τα σημαντικότερα, αναμφισβήτητα ταλέντα όλων των εποχών - ένας μοναδικός και ξεχωριστός couturier για έναν οίκο που πάντα προκαλούσε και καινοτομούσε στο χώρο της μόδας", δήλωσε ο ιδιοκτήτης του brand, Renzo Russo, για την πρόσληψη του σχεδιαστή τον Οκτώβριο, ενώ το πρώτο του show θα πραγματοποιηθεί στο Λονδίνο, τον Ιανουάριο του 2015.

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Holiday Loungewear Fashion

One of the best parts of the holiday break is the opportunity to get some much needed lazy lounging time in.

Whether it’s hours of goodie baking, classic Christmas movie watching, snuggling up on the couch with the fam, or simply napping your afternoons away, the season to be jolly ushers in hibernation at its finest.

However, as a fashionista, being cooped up at your parents’ house is no excuse to slum in the style department. Bumming around can be an adorable endeavor when you’re rocking some trendy comfort gear.

Although you may have to succumb to inevitable nights of formal holiday dinner attire, once the plates have been cleared and the dessert’s been devoured, trade your dress and heels for clothes that are curl-up-on-the-couch comfortable yet still stylish enough for spur-of-the-moment family photos. Trust me, you do not want to be the girl in sweats on the Christmas card.

Check out these adorably comfy must-have loungewear pieces that will feel snuggly enough to stay indoors yet look appropriate for any impromptu outing.

Fancy Sweats

A fab pair of sequin covered sweat pants are the perfect combination of comfort and style. Not only are these sweats fancy enough to wear at the dinner table, the elastic waist band is conducive for those delicious home cooked feasts that will be too tempting to resist (it’s okay ladies, it’s the holidays, you can count calories once 2015 arrives).

Not to mention that they are incredibly cozy. You can even dress them up with some strappy stilettos and you’ll be ready for a night out on the town, without even having to take off your pj’s.

Show your humor with a sassy quote or funny graphic sweater. From Beyoncé inspired “I woke up like this” to a grumpy cat in space, it’s easy to sass up the winter weather blues with a comfortable and trendy sweater that you’ll never want to take off.



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Come spring semester and you can even recycle it for those lazy I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school days.

A cozy pair of thermal leggings allows you to feel like you ditched your pants for a comfy second skin.

Although the plain black is a classic go to, take on the holiday spirit and opt for a festive printed set that pair perfectly with a baggy sweater or oversized tee. Slip on some boots and you’ve got an outfit ready to take from the sofa to the grocery store.

Just because you plan on spending the entire weekend binge watching everything and anything on Netflix doesn’t mean you can’t get dressed. And, by dressed, I mean put on a pair of pajamas so stylish and flattering that you’ll be reluctant to ever take them off.

In fact, you might even be tempted to wear them outside of the house — you know, once you get through season six of “Parks and Recreation” and need to restock your snacks.

What’s better than snuggling up under a blanket all day long? Constantly being able to wear one. You literally do not have to sacrifice the warmth of a blankie in order to get up from your comfort zone.

An oversized cape or wrap cardigan is both stylish and functional for those moments when keeping a blanket perpetually wrapped around you seems inappropriate (we don’t like those moments).

Accessorize from head to toe while keeping your legs and feet warm with a chunky set of knit socks.

A thigh high pair of knit socks look flirty with an oversized sweater or pajama shorts. The best part is that you don’t even have to wear shoes with them, although they look adorable peeking out over a pair of boots.

No ensemble is complete without a chic pair of shoes, including your loungewear. Strut your stuff around the house and keep your toes warm and cozy with a fuzzy pair of slippers.

From cute little booties to funny slippers, keep your feet floating in a cloud of fluff as they take advantage of not having to do all of the work for once.

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With personal shoppers, gift giving is in the bag

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif — On a recent Wednesday, Sara Aplanalp pulls back an unmarked beige door at the rear of Neiman Marcus Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif.

She says hello to a security officer in a black suit as she signs her name on a clipboard. Within moments, she’s on the department store floor, dashing across the shiny marble in 4-inch Via Spiga heels.

“You can never go wrong with a pair of Manolos,” she says, handling a pair of snakeskin pumps that retail for $935. “It’s all about gray. Gray is the new neutral.”

Aplanalp isn’t shopping for herself. She’s shopping for Jeff, a 49-year-old Newport Coast resident and business owner. The shoes are for his wife. (We’ve changed Jeff’s name to ensure the holiday surprises for his family.)

The personal shopping industry — which is expected to grow 2 percent annually over the next five years, according to market research firm IBIS World — is tapping an important trend: personalization.

Aplanalp is one of two full-time personal shoppers at Fashion Island. She works with customers in person, by phone, text message and through email. Her job is to narrow down the perfect gift or outfit by your deadline — whether it’s that day or weeks ahead.

The Irvine Company, which owns Fashion Island, debuted the personal shopper service in July 2013. Aplanalp can’t take tips and there’s no commission. She’s paid by the Irvine Company to essentially build brand loyalty. The service is free for shoppers, even the gift wrapping.

“Personal shopping had this stigma that it was reserved for the elites — the VIPs — and that’s not the case anymore,” Aplanalp says.

Jeff, who had never used a personal shopper before, has handed over the fate of his holiday gifts for his wife, parents, business partner, office assistant — even the family dog — to Aplanalp’s expertise.

“Last Christmas was a nightmare, which is why I was so interested in this,” he says. “I am the Dec. 24 panic-stricken shopper. After so many years of doing it that way, I decided to do something different.”

At Neiman Marcus, Aplanalp texts him a picture of shoes his wife might like. Then she’s off to other stores including Rebecca Taylor, Traditional Jewelers and Bose — plowing through Jeff’s gift list.

Next she texts him a picture of a leather wine carrier at Gary’s, a men’s retail store.


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“Very cool design. Let’s do that one,” Jeff responds via text.

She drops by Nespresso for his parents, conservative folks in their 70s, where she finds a deal for a dual coffee and espresso maker.

“Wow, that’s perfect. I’ll take it,” he texts. After she finalizes his color preference and the store’s return policy (at his request), she’ll go back with his credit card and buy the gift.

Jeff is the personal shopper’s ideal client. He’s busy, he’s career-driven and he doesn’t have the best gift-giving skills.

“Most people don’t have time,” Aplanalp says. “They’re working their butts off. Or they don’t know how to shop and don’t want to.”

Jeff might have had a generous budget of $9,000, but Aplanalp works with just about any budget. She recently helped a woman find a $150 dress for a backyard wedding and helped a 20-something career women get a gift for a friend at Lululemon.

By the end of the day, she had the majority of Jeff’s items crossed off — well before his Dec. 15 deadline — and planned to gather more ideas for his wife.

To most, running the 75-acre shopping center — albeit in heels — would be exhausting. But to Aplanalp, it’s all in a day’s work.

“I told her, it’s probably saved me three days’ time and a lot of frustration,” Jeff says.

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DVF Wants YOU — Here's How To Answer Her Call
It's not every day a bona fide living legend offers you a leg up in the fashion industry. So, if you've got the talent and the style, and now you just need your "in," read on — we've got some big news.



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House of DVF is currently casting "smart, driven, and hard-working women" to become Diane von Furstenberg's new brand ambassador. Interested candidates need to have a great sense of style, major creativity, and eagerness to learn about all aspects of the fashion industry, from design to marketing and PR, from one of the best in the business.

And of course, the lucky few will be whisked around the world to represent the DVF brand at fashion, cultural, and philanthropic events — you know, if that sweetens the deal at all.

Whether you're a blogging hopeful, a would-be PR maven, or dream of designing a piece as iconic as the wrap dress someday, check out the full casting notice below and head to DVFCasting.com to throw your hat in the ring. Just don't forget the little people (like us) when you're living the high life. Deal?

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