Friday, September 14, 2012

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Zimbabwe launches media complaints watchdog

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Stocks open higher day after Fed move

In this Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, photo, a pair of traders work in their booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. Stocks soared on Thursday after the Federal Reserve announced a package of aggressive measures to help the U.S. economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, photo, a pair of traders work in their booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. Stocks soared on Thursday after the Federal Reserve announced a package of aggressive measures to help the U.S. economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? Stocks opened higher Friday, on track to record one of their best weeks since June, after the Federal Reserve stepped in again to help the disappointing economic recovery.

Just before 11 a.m. EDT, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66 points at 13,606. The Dow rocketed higher by 206 points on Thursday after the Fed announcement and closed at a four-year high.

The Fed pledged to spend $40 billion on mortgage bonds to drive down long-term interest rates and push investors into stocks. It also extended its guarantee of super-low interest rates by six months, into 2015.

The Dow has climbed 2.3 percent this week, its best performance since early June. The last two weeks for the Standard & Poor's 500 index have also been the best since June.

A summer rally has put the Dow within 600 points of its all-time high ? 14,164, set on Oct. 9, 2007.

European and Asian stocks spiked Friday in their first trading after the Fed move. French stocks were up 2 percent and German stocks 1 percent. The Nikkei average in Japan climbed almost 2 percent.

In the United States, the S&P was up 12 points at 1,472, and the Nasdaq composite index was up 35 at 3,191.

UnitedHealth Group rose 59 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $54.48 after an announcement that it will be added to the Dow, replacing Kraft Foods. It is the first change in the makeup of the 30-stock average since June 2009.

In the broader market, energy stocks were the best performers and telecommunications companies the worst.

The price of oil rose above $100 for the first time since May before dipping back below. It was up $1.35 for the day at $99.65. Unrest in the Middle East this week has heightened concerns about world oil supply.

Alpha Natural Resources was the best performer in the S&P 500. It rose 63 cents, or 7.7 percent, to $8.86. Valero Energy, Chesapeake and Chevron were among the other winners among energy stocks.

Gold pushed higher for a second day, rising $3 an ounce to $1,775. Gold tends to rise after the Fed announcements like Thursday's, partly because investors fear inflation and partly because a weaker dollar makes gold more expensive.

As investors moved into stocks, they pulled money out of bonds, driving yields up. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed 0.16 percentage pont to 1.88 percent, its highest since early May.

The dollar lost ground for a second day against world currencies. The euro climbed a penny and a half to $1.315.

The Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased in August by a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent, mostly because of higher gasoline prices. Outside of gas and cars, sales rose only 0.1 percent, weaker than in July.

And the cost of fuel drove up consumer prices in August by the most in three years, according to the Labor Department. Without higher energy costs, inflation was static.

Apple, the most valuable American company in history and the biggest stock in the S&P and Nasdaq, set an all-time high, $695.86. At midmorning it had fallen back to $693.55, up $10.57, or 1.6 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-09-14-Wall%20Street/id-5d107b89d20e4bf4b1d881600745dd32

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Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006): Alex Trained to Be Spy

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006): Alex Trained to Be Spy

The clip alex trained to be spy from Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006) with Bill Nighy, Alex Pettyfer I think you've probably realised your uncle didn't work for a bank. The Royal and General doesn't exist. He worked for us. Who are you? My name is Mrs Jones. I run the Special Operation division of Ml6. Wait a minute are you saying he lied to me? He lied to everyone. Sorry. Part of his job. Lan Rider was one of our best agents. Until you got him killed. He got himself killed. It's an occupational hazard, I'm afraid. Not if you're a banker. Mr Blunt wants to talk to you. We have a proposition we'd like to make. We want you to work for us. You're not being serious? Actually, it's not my habit to make jokes. You're making one now. I don't wanna be a spy. In case you haven't noticed, I'm still at school. I'll take that as a no, then. What a great shame. Your uncle would be very disappointed. What? Letting him down like that. But then, I suppose... Young people. How can you say that? He wouldn't want me here. He spent his life making sure I never knew anything about it. Really? Then how do you explain... ...this? First-rate martial arts moves. Perfectly executed. Who trained you? Nobody trained me. You're a first-grade dan. A black belt at karate. Who paid for the lessons? It was my choice. No. All your life Ian Rider was preparing you. You speak French, German and Japanese. He took me on holiday. You've been scuba-diving, mountain climbing, abseiling... They were my hobbies. ...white-water rafting, rifle shooting, martial arts.
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Kindergarten Cop (1990): the Assignment

Kindergarten Cop (1990): the Assignment

The clip the assignment from Kindergarten Cop (1990) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Reed eat so much. Yeah, I know. I'm hypoglycemic. If I don't eat regularly... I get a little nuts. So... where you from? Austria. How long you been a cop? I been a cop for 12 years. My father was a cop... my brother was a cop... my mother was a cop's wife. And I have no hobbies. You two are booked on the first flight to Portland tomorrow. Locate Crisp's wife and offer her immunity in exchange for her testimony against him. No offense to O'Hallahan... but this is my case, and I work alone. He works alone. Not anymore. She's going in undercover as a substitute kindergarten teacher. Not exactly a job for you. I used to be a teacher. We'll be fine. What do I do? She locates the kid... you find the mother and the cash... and Crisp spends his life making license plates. Bon voyage. Oh, and, Kimble, the name's O'Hara. OK. Here's the wife at 17. Real name's Rachel Myatt. She's from Hannibal, Missouri, class of '76. Cheerleader, first violin in the school orchestra... captain of the girls' softball team. Her ambition was "To travel... experience life... and meet interesting people. " Like Crisp. Okay. Relax. Don't let him get to you. That's her 10 years later. It's a great shot of an ear. You get in touch with her parents? They're both dead. The only relative she's got left is the kid. Hey. Okay. This is the only picture we have of him. Cullen Jr., aged 3 months. That helps much. It's the best I could do.
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How To Knit a Scarf

How To Knit a Scarf

Learn how to knit a scarf and give personalized presents to family and friends.
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Tags: Recreation Knitting Scarves Making Winter Starting Beginning Crafts Hobbies Needlework
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How To Knit a Hat

How To Knit a Hat

Learn how to knit a hat with this tutorial.
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Tags: Recreation Knitting Hats Beanie Cap Making Winter Starting Beginning Crafts Hobbies
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How to Make Lanterns Out of Old Jars

How to Make Lanterns Out of Old Jars

Make lanterns out of old jars. It's easy and inexpensive, and they look beautiful!
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Tags: Recreation Crafts Hobbies Making Lanterns Lights Recycling Using Glass Lighting Backyard
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Spiral Peyote - Beads Baubles and Jewels 905 with Leslie Rogalski

Spiral Peyote - Beads Baubles and Jewels 905 with Leslie Rogalski

In Beads Baubles and Jewels episode 905, Step by Step Beads magazine editor Leslie Rogalski shows us a way to use the incomplete sections of spiral peyote to make a finished piece.
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Making A Pull Ring Fuse Out Of A Book Of Matches - HD

Making A Pull Ring Fuse Out Of A Book Of Matches - HD

I will show you how to make a fuse out of a book of matches. This is an extremal easy and quick fuse to make because you do not need to take the match powder off the match heads, mix it with water, put it on a piece of string, let it dry.......... and 4 hours later you have a fuse. This fuse only takes about 10 minutes to make and if made correctly, you will have a fuse that will work about 95% of the time. Note: before you use this fuse for anything I would recommend you make at least 5 test fuses first.
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How To Make A Homemade BB Gun (Pea Shooter) - HD

How To Make A Homemade BB Gun (Pea Shooter) - HD

I will show to how to make a homemade BB Gun.
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Tags: Action Combat Pellet Fast Best What Bullets Make Cool Home Made Making Hobbies Pea Shooter
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Baby Shower Gifts Unique and Fun

Baby Shower Gifts Unique and Fun

http://www.bestbabythingsonline.info Unique and fun baby shower gifts you will love to give!
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Finger Puppets : Finger Puppets: Piggy Body

Finger Puppets : Finger Puppets: Piggy Body

Create all sorts of animals and bring them to life by making finger puppets. Learn some tips for making the body of your piggy from our craft expert in this free video. Expert: Karen Weisman Contact: www.kitchenandcrafts.com Bio: Karen Weisman teaches cooking, baking, cake decorating and various crafts such as mosaics and sewing. Filmmaker: Karen Weisman
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Producer of play about gays faces jail in Uganda

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Building a Team of Virtual Workers: 4 Issues to Avoid | Business Of ...

By Matt Keener, President of Keener Marketing Solutions and Author of the upcoming book Executive in Sweatpants.

With a national election just around the corner, a lot of politicians are talking about creating or ?saving? jobs.? What many politicians don?t realize is that Americans are taking control of their own destinies by leveraging the power of the Internet and freelance tools such as oDesk and Elance.? According to the Freelancers Union, nearly 1/3rd of the nation?s workforce is now comprised of independent contractors.

Business owners are faced with new challenges each day. ?In today?s economy, many entrepreneurs have to juggle more work with a slimmer staff. ?By hiring contractors or working with agencies, businesses can add much needed support without affecting headcount. However, leveraging outsourced labor does have its own set of unique issues. It is especially challenging to keep a virtual workforce motivated. In this article, we?ll take a look at a few of the issues that companies commonly encounter when working with contract employees or new agencies.

Issue #1: ?Bad Contractorshow to avoid hiring bad contract employees or agencies

Just like a bad employee, a bad contractor can create a lot of problems for an organization.? There are typically two types of ?bad contractors:? those who perform poorly and those who are dishonest.? The poor performers are usually the easiest to spot.? From a recruiting standpoint, if a person has a questionable track record it can be a sign that he or she may be incompetent.? The dishonest contractors are usually more difficult to identify.? Many companies do not realize they have hired a dishonest contractor until it is too late.? Common types of dishonesty from virtual team members can include: ?questionable billing practices, unethical work patterns (such as spamming or cutting corners), and even theft.? It is important to have a recruiting system in place to avoid hiring such people.

Issue #2:? The Silent Treatment

Another problem you can run into when managing virtual workers is the ?silent treatment.?? Unlike a typical workspace, you can?t physically tap your virtual team members on the shoulder and have a face-to-face meeting.? As a result, if you are not intentional with your communication, some contractors may feel like you are avoiding them (even if you?re not).? The fact is that many people need consistent positive reinforcement to stay motivated.? Being proactive will help avoid such issues.

Issue #3:? Those Pesky Time Zones

One of the most amazing things about using outsourced labor is that even a small company can have a virtual team working around the clock.? However, having a sales analysis team in India, a web team in the Philippines, and a graphic designer in France can create issues if you?re not careful.? If you?re creative, you can often find a time that works for everyone to meet as a cohesive team.? Using free productivity tools such as Freedcamp, Google Docs, and AnyMeeting can also keep everyone on the same page.

Issue #4:? Lack of Interest

Here?s a simple truth:? some contractors are more serious about serving your needs than others.? When building your virtual team, you may find that some of your hires begin to lose interest despite your best efforts to keep them engaged.? Unfortunately, this comes with the territory of using outsourced virtual labor.? One way to minimize this risk is to look for contractors who are focused on working from home full time.? This simple strategy can help you find contractors who are focused on serving your needs for the long haul.

Your Team, Your Rules

Remember ? you set the rules.? With your team spread throughout the world, it is important that you are especially proactive in setting boundaries and expectations.? Hold your virtual team accountable just as you would any onsite employee.? In doing so, you can give your organization a great opportunity to benefit from the ever-growing pool of virtual workers.

????

The content shared in this blog post is the author?s opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of Xerox.? Matt Keener is President of Keener Marketing Solutions, LLC and is also the author of the upcoming book Executive in Sweatpants.? Visit his blog for helpful tips and tools for launching and growing a successful virtual consulting business.

Source: http://businessofwork.blogs.xerox.com/2012/09/building-a-team-of-virtual-workers-4-issues-to-avoid/

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Katie Holmes is newest Fashion Week design star

NEW YORK (AP) ? Katie Holmes greeted well-wishers in a black leather blazer and gold beaded heels as she became the latest celebrity to take a serious stab at fashion with her Holmes & Yang preview at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday.

The celebrities who once lined the front rows of these seasonal previews in party dresses have increasingly made their way backstage into positions of power.

Celebrity names are commonplace on mass-market brands: The Kardashian sisters, Venus Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Daisy Fuentes, Heidi Klum and reality stars Whitney Port and Lauren Conrad each have department-store brands.

But a handful have also become serious fashion forces. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are among the most imitated ? or sincerely flattered ? U.S. designers for their brand The Row, and this year were named top womenswear designers by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Victoria Beckham's previews are among the week's most hotly anticipated, and paparazzi-free.

Gwen Stefani, Nicole Richie and celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe have also pulled away from the pack.

"The lines that are successful are very authentic," said Susan Kaufman, editor in chief of People StyleWatch. "The key is the celebrity being involved, being involved in the look and the concept, and to be proud to wear the clothes."

On that measure, Holmes seems ready to join the club. Showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week seems a major commitment to the brand. "It was very clean but with a cool factor," Kaufman said. "I can easily see her (Holmes) wearing it."

MICHAEL KORS

Michael Kors' sunny disposition found a home in Southern California for the upcoming spring fashion season. He turned out an optimistic, cheerful and modernist collection that he said was inspired by the architecture, attitude and mostly the weather he enjoys every time he makes a trip to the West Coast.

"You could be sitting at the Beverly Hills Hotel, by the pool, and you could find this entire palette whether it's the palm green, the turquoise of the pool, the yellow of the sky ? of the sun," he said in a backstage interview. "And I love all the architecture that we see whenever I go out to California. ... You're seeing a lot of that kind of geometry play into the collection here."

Stripes were strong, and he opened the show with a female model in a red-and-navy striped bodysuit with a zip-front navy skirt with a crisp white belt, while her male runway companion had on a green-and-navy striped pullover and striped pants. On later outfits Kors played with the proportion of the stripes, mixing thick and thin, and even horizontal and vertical.

Kors said he purposely included bright colors and fun details on clothes that, while technically for spring, get shipped in February.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Latex and leather: That's what keeps Oscar de la Renta modern while maintaining his position as the godfather of uptown style.

On his runway Tuesday evening, de la Renta equally paid homage to the decorative and frothy styles that have been his hallmark for more than four decades as well as the new technologies that keep fashion ahead of the pop culture curve.

One of the most remarkable looks was a two-piece dress made of ivory silk faille and with a feminine peplum around the hips that also featured a top layer of a latex flower appliques that could have been the icing on the most delicious cake.

Leather has been a staple of this round of previews for editors, stylists and retailers, but de la Renta took the risk with latex, which actually seemed even lighter and more supple than the buttery leathers the crowd has seen.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA CHILDRENSWEAR

Like a proud grandfather, de la Renta beamed Wednesday as bite-size models showed off his first full children's collection for spring, a garden party of floral and lace party dresses for girls and classic layered looks for boys.

One lucky little model hitched a ride in a wagon painted in a blue petal design to complement her red dress in the same print. Two boys toted skateboards for their strut down the runway and two others glided on scooters.

Some had their end-of-runway pause before the cameras down like the bigger pros ? and all wore huge smiles.

De la Renta launched a small collection of kidswear for spring of this year. Generally, de la Renta children's party dresses last season didn't exceed $350 ? far from the priciest in the lucrative toddler-with-bucks market.

BETSEY JOHNSON

Betsey Johnson threw herself a big, crazy 70th birthday party with pal Cyndi Lauper belting "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and confetti-slinging models prancing decade-by-decade down a runway in her wild clothes, including one clutching a not-happy-looking baby pig.

Johnson's grown daughter Lulu popped out of a huge faux birthday cake on stage and watched with her two young kids as grandma performed her signature cartwheel and splits.

If anybody deserves a night out, it's the flamboyant Johnson, a breast cancer survivor who lost control of her signature boutiques after Betsey Johnson LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April.

The brand will continue on a wholesale basis and online, with moderately priced clothing sold in department stores, along with accessories and other licenses.

So why not celebrate? Huge video displays offered glimpses of her rock roots in the swinging '60s, as models held up glitter-lettered signs marking the decades, culminating in new clothes for spring with a princess theme.

Johnson's actual birthday is Aug. 10, 1942, but who's counting.

HOLMES & YANG

Holmes might have just tipped off the paparazzi on how to find her: They should look for a woman a camel-colored suede capelet with red shorts, or, if it's later in the day, maybe a strapless jumpsuit with beaded fringe running down the side.

Holmes and her design partner and longtime stylist, Jeanne Yang, didn't have a runway, just 14 models on pedestals.

One wore a black leather lingerie-style camisole with an olive silk button-front maxi skirt, and another had on a black lace slouchy blazer with black lace short ? an outfit right on trend with what tastemakers have been seeing this round of previews.

Many of the outfits hit on the menswear silhouettes and luxury fabrics Holmes favors.

NANETTE LEPORE

It's not uncommon for little gifts to be given out at Fashion Week shows, but the one that awaited guests at Nanette Lepore was not the usual fragrance or hair-care item: It was a big blue Obama-Biden button.

Backstage, Lepore said she'd been upset that nobody seemed to be talking about the election. "So I decided, even if you don't support who I'm supporting, at least pay attention to it!"

Lepore delivered a colorful and snappy Spring 2013 collection, dominated by a brilliant shade of green she calls clover. "Greens were just feeling so fresh to me this season," she said.

The clover shade appeared in everything from jackets to tops to trousers to dresses to swimsuits, in solids and in prints. It was often accompanied by black and white, either in stripes or in checks.

RACHEL ZOE

Rachel Zoe showed that the relaxed glam she is known for doesn't always have to mean a bohemian maxi dress. She presented a collection that was a bit more of a tailored take on "effortless cool."

The first look out was a white skirt suit. OK, it was a maxi, to-the-floor hemline, but it was the sharp styling that will linger with the audience.

Even the tunic and fluid pants, jumpsuit and romper that seem to fit with Zoe's core muse had more strength to them, thanks to graphic, mod, black-and-white contrasts.

The paillete-covered T-shirts and sweatshirts also added a new twist.

She said she had in mind 1960s fashion icons Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Charlotte Rampling. They are, she said, "glamorous all the time and that's who I design for."

BIBHU MOHAPATRA

Bibhu Mohapatra was working on costumes for an opera in upstate New York not long ago when he saw an insect that fascinated him: a luna moth.

That graceful insect inspired his Spring 2013 collection, in which he embellished both daywear and evening gowns alike with intricate cutouts, filigree-inspired prints, appliques and embroidery.

For daytime, a sleeveless white top had "drapes," an almost winglike effect. It was paired with a steel-colored pencil skirt. An onyx leather dress was enhanced by intricate laser cutouts. A sea green and sand-colored suede dress with silk inserts was one of the most wearable daytime looks.

Some of the embellished gowns seemed a bit too busy. But a chartreuse and sand organza gown with a hand-pleated skirt made a wonderfully striking impression: the effect was that of a swirling breeze enveloping the model as she glided down the runway.

VIVIENNE TAM

Vivienne Tam took on the Five Elements of Chinese cosmology in an East-meets-West spring collection of three-color geometric applique and hexagonal cut work that moved with her models.

Touches of black patent shined like metallic silver and gold printed on cotton denim for tops and wide-leg cropped pants. A trench was also done in the bright silver.

A geometric design of white, jade green and black stole the show, in loose cropped pants, a short organza column dress and another looser and waisted dress with black straps and matching cutouts at the chest.

The yang? Reverse pleats at the hip in a long column dress. Nobody but the very thin, and hipless, can wear those.

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ

From the triangular cleavage cutouts to the plunging V-necklines, Narciso Rodriguez made his point with pointed shapes.

"It's a very graphic collection. It's kind of a signature at this point after so many years: the splicing, the color, especially black and white," said Rodriguez before his show on Tuesday.

But while the designer known for modern and architectural silhouettes showed a handful of black and white looks, color dominated the minimalist collection with blood-orange sheath dresses, a loose-fitting fuchsia blazer and silky tops with intricate, emerald embroidery.

The easy-breezy collection ended with a stream of silky soft, paper thin, slip dresses colorblocked with geometric shades of pink.

JENNY PACKHAM

British restraint? Not here.

The Jenny Packham catwalk was a parade of one glitzy, glamorous look after another, and she wasn't one to shy away from a single ? or thousands of ? beads, sequins and sparkles.

Packham wouldn't be doing justice to 1960s Las Vegas without them, right?

London-based Packham said in her notes that she took a long look at Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine and Angie Dickinson, aka "The Rat Pack Mascots," as inspiration. If these muses were to swing open the closet doors in spring 2013, they would find Packham's checkerboard-beaded gown, a swinging trapeze-beaded mini and the ultimate hostess dress, an orange T-shirt gown with embellished long-sleeve cuffs.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

Marc Jacobs threw a hipster picnic with a mashup of neon checks, plaids and stripes ? large, small, wide, narrow ? loaded into outfits as many as five at a time for his more moderately priced Marc by Marc Jacobs line.

Other looks for men and women were less busy. There was an edgy chic to a roomy ladies' button coat in off-white with embroidered silver dots, and another in solid bright pink with large pockets, vents and heather gray sleeves with matching pink trim at the cuffs.

Another button coat was more fitted, in a fuchsia pattern of smaller dots against dark blue.

But the line's spring show shouted bold, fun prints in bright orange, pink, purple and red.

J. CREW

J. Crew is sending its customer packing. The retailer presented a collection of upcoming styles on Tuesday that picked up influences from vacation spots around the world.

It was only natural to tap into the retailer's growing international presence, explained Tom Mora, women's vice president of design, in a pre-show interview. "I always have her (the J. Crew customer) in my head, and she travels with me. I'm mostly taking her to warm places."

One print on a pajama-top dress featured the image of a hotel and its pool ? probably Miami in the 1950s. And there was pink, lots of it.

WHITNEY EVE

Whitney Port turned to the crown jewels of London in prints that evoked precious stones, crystals and rock formations in gray, greens and a broad range of blues, from sky to, well, jewel.

Solid white blazers and loose shorts offset the show of color in dresses and lightweight cigarette pants for the spring collection of her Whitney Eve line. She used light black and gray that way as well, including her finale look, a long dress of shimmying fringe panels.

The actress who rose to prominence on MTV's reality show "The Hills," earning her own spinoff, "The City," launched the Whitney Port label in 2008, making use of masculine tailoring with a feminine aesthetic.

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AP Writers Leanne Italie, Jocelyn Noveck and Nicole Evatt contributed to this report.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/katie-holmes-newest-fashion-week-design-star-211017045.html

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