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This Partnership Between J. Lo and Giuseppe Zanotti Makes So Much Sense

The year 2016 might be known for many, many things (among them: the return of Pokemon, the revival of Juicy Couture, oh, and apparently an election), but it will also go down as the year that pop stars joined forces with high-end shoe designers.

First it was Rihanna, who teamed up with Manolo Blahnik on a pair of denim boots that were so tall, they basically doubled as pants. Now, Jennifer Lopez is jumping on the bandwagon, through a collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti. Officially titled Giuseppe for Jennifer Lopez, the collection was created in homage of the starlet’s Swarovski-encrusted personal style, both on and off the red carpet. She confirmed that sentiment in a statement: “The collection Giuseppe and I have created is everything you would expect from the both of us bad ass high heels with shapes that are fierce and of course, have some sparkle!”

The full collection will include an open-toe bootie covered in crystals, a sneaker wedge and strappy snakeskin gladiator sandals; two leather handbags have made it into the range as well, both of which coordinate with the shoe styles. Though Zanotti has previously taken part in A-list collaborations with Beyoncé, Kanye West and Kid Cudi, this range with J. Lo is the most in-depth, according to WWD. It is also the most high end fashion product that Lopez has designed, including her fashion range for Kohl’s, her jewelry line for Endless and her 18-piece perfume collection under the Coty umbrella.

These Zanotti shoes, which will cost between $795 and $1,995, will be available in Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, plus Zanotti’s namesake stores and e-comm destination, by January 2017. If you adore Swarovski crystals and love teetering on towering stilettos, this collab seems to be worth the wait. However, we’re hopeful that tucked into each shoe box is a note that discloses J. Lo’s secret for aging in reverse.

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Why nautical fashion is sailing into style this season

Almost every summer, you’ll have noticed that there’s definitely something about a sailor and his nautical stripes which captures the collective imagination; take a look around any high street store and you'll see first-hand the popularity of this tried and tested seafaring trend. And because it’s so incredibly easy to wear, it's unsurprising that designers keep returning to this old favourite.

At its core is the basic Breton-stripe top, which was originally worn by French sailors in the 1850’s so they’d be easier to spot if they had the misfortune of falling overboard. So what was initially rooted in practicality and pragmatism is now the linchpin upon which any number of our staple summer essentials is based. Indeed, this maritime kit has long been a source of fashion inspiration; from Coco Chanel to Jean Paul Gaultier the ubiquitous stripe has never failed to rouse our sense of style.

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But you can ignore the stripe altogether if you so wish and plump for nautical inspired emblems and prints instead; there’s teeny-weeny sailing ships on swim shorts at Polo Ralph Lauren or big leviathan sea monsters at Alexander McQueen. And as for accessories, marine inspired leather bracelets will do the trick. But if you’re still feeling very low-risk about the whole thing, then by all means hang onto the stripe, just not necessarily the navy variety; bolts of brightly coloured lines add a welcome twist to the equation.

Its also worth remembering that what’s so wonderful about this particular trend, is that you can buy into it without looking as though you’ve even tried to make an effort. There’s something unassuming about the whole thing. So go ahead and indulge your nautical whims, raise your metaphorical anchor and sail off confidently into well charted waters.

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Cara Delevingne unveils her new hair cut - and is proof the so-called 'Mum LOB' can look cool

She may be more famous for her brows than her hair, but yesterday Cara Delevingne lopped off her lengthy locks in favour of a long bob, courtesy of LA stylist Mara Roszak.

And she had the receipts to prove it before even setting a foot outside, Instagramming her missing inches while the haircut was still in progress. Later debuting the cut at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Delevingne's new look is as sexy and as shaggy as we have come to expect from her.

On the other hand, it's not exactly a new style. The long bob has been having a renaissance in recent months, with even the former Queen of hair extensions Victoria Beckham losing a few inches in her pursuit of the summery, airy look given to her by Luke Hersheson. Last month, when the New York Times made a somewhat ham-fisted attempt at criticising the bob for being 'Mom hair', they faced a brutal backlash from the vast majority of those who read it - including our own Grace Timothy.

Saying that, for a fairly simple look, it can be tricky to style - and with the wrong hair texture, it can be a downright disaster. John Frieda stylist Jonathan Eagland explains: 'This cut isn't ideal for very thick, course hair. I get asked to cut this style more and more - it's so versatile and workable and looks really cool. You can blow-dry it smooth for a sleek look, have it with messy waves for a rock-chick look, or put it in a half-up, half-down bun.'

Don't go too short too soon

As with many going for a dramatic change, Delevingne started with very long hair she'd had for a very long time. But is it right for you? 'Ask yourself if you're really ready for a change,' says Eagland. 'If your hair is fine go for one blunt length to avoid flyaways whereas if hair is heavier it's best to cut in layers - make sure they are long enough to still tie your hair up as this is a bug bear for people going from long to shorter hair.'

Be prepared for higher maintenance hair

Unlike super-long hair which can easily be forgotten about for months on end before a reluctant trip to the hairdressers, a long bob needs upkeep. 'Keeping hair at this mid-length is high maintenance,' says Eagland. 'To keep it looking its best all the time you will need to have it cut every six to eight weeks.'

How to style your new 'do

Straight hair will need volume if this look is to be pulled off as effortlessly as Delevingne manages (well, we can't promise that...) 'If you have straight, fine hair you will want to blow dry it as this will add volume and texture,' explains Eagland. 'Salt sprays, root boosters or Color Wow’s Carb Cocktail, (which is unbelievable, it’s like a mousse but without the sticky texture and is completely weightless) are all great for giving hair guts and volume.'

And to pull off Cara's exact look? 'I would use a salt spray to damp hair, then rough dry with hair flipped upside down to lift the roots, then smooth the hairline and tong the mid sections.

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Parents who cook “healthy” food from recipe books for young children might be better advised to serve ready meals, scientists have warned.

Half of the recipes contained too many calories and could help lead to childhood obesity and poor health, they concluded.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen compared 408 recipes from the 55 bestselling cookbooks for infants and compared them to 278 children’s meals from major supermarkets across the UK.

Parenting experts recommend the introduction of solid foods at six months old and suggest that meals should include a variety of food to provide a balanced diet rich in a broad range of nutrients.

Home cooked meals were found to provide 26 per cent more energy and 44 per cent more protein and total fat, including saturated fat, than commercial products.

While almost two thirds of commercial products met dietary recommendations on energy density, only around a third of home cooked meals did. Over half exceeded the maximum calorie range however they were between six and 77 per cent more nutritious.

“The majority of commercial meals met energy recommendations and can provide a convenient alternative which includes a greater vegetable variety per meal,” said lead author Sharon Carstairs of the Health Services Research Unit at Aberdeen.

“Home-cooked recipes provided more nutrients than commercial, however the majority of these recipes exceeded energy and fat recommendations

“Dietary fats contribute essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins together with energy and sensory qualities, thus are vital for the growing child, however excessive intakes may impact on childhood obesity and health.”

However, home-cooked meals were found to be cheaper, costing just 33p per 100g compared with 68p for supermarket meals.

Prof Julian Hamilton-Shield, Professor of Diabetes and Metabolic Endocrinology, University of Bristol, said that many parents did not relay on cookery books to produce healthy meals for their children.

“This research study examined the nutrient quality of commercial ready prepared meals and commercial recipe book meals.

“This is not really the same as comparing to home cooked meals produced by parents (as the authors do point out). It is very likely that infant-specific, commercial recipe books are only accessed by a minority of families cooking at home for their infants.

“If anything, the study does call into question the value of 'expert' infant recipe books over pre-prepared meals or ordinary home cooking. ”

The research was published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for fraud, according to people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors are scrutinizing whether the carmaker violated U.S. securities laws, they said. The inquiry is in early stages, according to two people, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is confidential and declined to specify what conduct is being investigated.

A civil lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, the Italian-controlled multinational corporation established in late 2014 by merging Fiat S.p.A. into a new holding company, may provide clues about what prosecutors are looking at. A Chicago-area dealer alleges the company inflated its U.S. car sales by paying dealers to report selling more vehicles than they actually did.

Shawn Morgan, a spokeswoman for Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Fiat Chrysler, didn’t immediately respond to a telephone and e-mail request for comment. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which typically investigates securities fraud cases along with the Justice Department, declined to comment.

Record Sales

A criminal investigation could deliver a blow to the automaker, which has posted record vehicle sales Fiat acquired full control of Chrysler in 2014 through a government-backed bailout that brought the maker of Jeep and Dodge brands out of bankruptcy in 2009. In December, Fiat Chrysler said it had the best month of U.S. sales in the company’s 90-year history with 217,527 vehicles sold -- recording its 69th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains.

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That performance was challenged in a private lawsuit filed in January by dealerships in Illinois and Florida that alleged the sales were padded through a scheme by which dealers -- sometimes unbeknownst to their owners -- were paid to create false New Vehicle Delivery Reports. Similar claims were made in a 2015 lawsuit filed by a dealer of Fiat Chrysler-owned Maseratis.

Fiat Chrysler, in a Jan. 14 regulatory filing, said an internal investigation concluded the padding allegations were baseless and that the lawsuit was "nothing more than the product of two disgruntled dealers." In the sales-padding cases, a federal judge in Chicago is considering Fiat Chrysler’s request to dismiss one of the lawsuits while a judge in Brooklyn is deciding whether to merge two other cases.

Similar Claims

Fiat Chrysler isn’t the only carmaker accused of boosting sales numbers by getting dealers to inflate their figures. Similar claims have also been made against Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, also known as BMW, for paying its dealers as much as $1,750 a vehicle in December to put new models in their service fleets, the cars owners use when their vehicles are being worked on. Dealers booked the sales immediately, and the deliveries helped the company hit its target, people familiar with the practice told Bloomberg News in February.

BMW beat Lexus for the year by about 1,400 cars and Daimler AG’s Mercedes by almost 3,000, setting a record for its U.S. sales, according to Autodata Corp., a research company. BMW has said it sometimes gives dealers incentives to refresh their loaner fleets with new cars, which it says is an important part of its marketing plan.

Investor Claims

Fiat Chrysler is also fighting investor claims that the auto maker played down the economic impact of manufacturing problems that led to expensive recalls. A lawsuit, filed in September in federal court in Manhattan by a group of investors, alleges the company made false and misleading statements about flaws in its manufacturing process and quality control that led to at least 11 million vehicles being recalled.

To back up their claim, the plaintiffs refer to the $105 million penalty imposed in July 2015 by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration related to the company’s handling of recalls for 23 issues. The settlement with the regulator caused Fiat Chrysler in October to increase its reserves by $866 million to cover future warranty and recall costs.

Fiat Chrysler has asked the judge to dismiss that case, arguing in part that the company was unable to predict the outcome of the regulator inquiry at the time it put away funds for a possible resolution.

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