Fredrik Lerneryd Captures Beauty & Ballet Magic Of Mike Wamaya's Kibera Dance School

Fredrik Lerneryd Captures Beauty & Ballet Magic Of Mike Wamaya's Kibera Dance School

"The sun rose in Kibera this morning, and it rose in my world, too, with my rapture over these Fredrik Lerneryd images of ballet dancers in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi. They are my best Christmas gift.

Anne of Carversville has a long psychological, emotional and now functional relationship with Kibera. Initially, my lovefest with the largest slum in Africa was triggered by JR's famous 'Women Are Heroes' project, with Kibera being one of the four slums featured in his everyday examination of the beauty and heroic female efforts worldwide. Over time I pieced together collection of intimate and deeply personal connections to Kibera through my muse Dan Eldon.  The functional dimension of AOC's connection to Kibera is GLAMTRIBALE's support of The Kibera School for Girls, with 5% of revenues. Another 5% is earmarked for elephant conservation.

The dancers photographed by Fredrik Lerneryd learn dance through a program run by UK-based charity Anno's Africa, which provides alternative arts education to over 800 children in Kenya. "

Tributes Continue For The Remarkable Editrix Franca Sozzani | Steven Meisel's 2005 'Hollywood Life'

The tributes to Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani, who died of lung cancer last Thursday. continue to resonate. W's Stefano Tonchi shares his thoughts on the truly remarkable Sozzani.

Franca was assertive, with a directness that was born of the strength of her convictions. She was loud and clear when she talked; you didn’t second-guess her. She did not tolerate bullshit, but she loved to listen to ideas. She was also very good at managing talented photographers and stylists—which is both an incredible honor and incredibly frustrating—to allow them to do their best work. Italian Vogue had a tradition of working with important photographers like Helmut Newton, but there was always this sense of control. When she got there, she let the photographers take over.

The many admirers of France Sozzani have references her most notorious editorials and issues devoted to a single message. I wrote at length about America's PC fashionistas and self-appointed culture critics who were besides themselves with ire over Meisel's 'Water & Oil' editorial that put fashion within the values context of the BP oil spill. Simply stated, the Americanas couldn't get beyond step one of taking the editorial literally. I imagine France Sozzani took a deep sigh over that fiasco, when the editorial so concretely and without ambiguity was focused on environmentalism and a commentary on the irrelevance of fashion in a world where nature is suffocating in tar sands. .

Related: Remembering Franca Sozzani: A Worldview That Mattered by Vanessa Friedman of New York Times

Another major fashion adventure between Franca Sozzani and Steven Meisel was Linda Evangelista's 'Hollywood Life', published in 2005 as a social commentary on the need to be a woman with a young face in Hollywood. As always Sozzani was daring in her willingness to pursue ugliness (the procedures) in an American-values world that celebrates California girl youth and perfection. Sozzani was far more captivated by personality and presence, than beauty.

Linda Evangelista By Steven Meisel In 'Hollywood Life' For Vogue Italia July 2005 AOC Body Beat

George Michaels' 'Freedom': Christy, Cindy, Linda, Naomi and Tatjana Reflect On Making The Video

Christy, Linda, Naomi, Cindy & Tatjana by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Australia As 'Supernova'

Last year celebrated the 25th anniversary of George Michael's 1990 music video 'Freedom!', an anthem for women, LGBTQ people, women and men of color, and hundreds of kindred spirits everywhere who were trying to establish their own identities against the patriarchal, monotheistic, global norms confining us in their medicine-bottle vision of appropriate behaviors and self-identiites. 

George Michaels threw a sledge hammer into that power structure metaphorically -- if not actually -- with his 'Freedom' video and lyrics. As The Republican War on Women and many more -- based on its Godly, male-centric vision for America -- rolls into Washington, led by their new God Donald Trump --  we revisit 'Freedom' a day after progressive spirits are crushed by the death of George Michaels at 53.  In a year when we've lost some of our best -- Bowie, and Prince come to mind, and now Michaels, our loss isn't only about talent but rather critical messaging and philosophy. 

Last year, Harper's Bazaar asked the fabulous 5 -- Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz -- who made the 'Freedom' video to reflect back on that day. 

Naomi Campbell

"I came to the set on the first day they were shooting. On my god, it was crazy! It was during the fashion collections, so I came straight from Paris, and I'd done 4 or 5 shows the day before and we finished at 2 o'clock in the morning. They didn't have the Eurostar then, so I took the 6 o'clock train to London and then went to the airport. I didn't sleep -- I went from the plane to the shower to the set. I was up all night working to work all night again! But it was great. I love George Michael, and I love all the girls who were in it, and the director, David Fincher, is a great filmmaker."

Tatjana Patitz

"All the models and I knew George Michael -- I think I had done a photo shoot with him at some point before. His manager contacted my agent to see if I could do the video. George wasn't in it -- he wasn't even on the set when I was there. David Fincher directed it, which was so exciting even then because he had already done one of Madonna's. 

Linda Evangelista

"25 years later, this video -- and not my magazine covers -- is what people mention the most when they approach me on the street. It's pretty incredible."

Christy Turlington

"It was a whirlwind. I flew in from LA and drove straight to the set, so I was pretty delirious. Each of us filmed for a day on our own, except Linda and I overlapped on the last day because we had a scene together. They were long days. I don't recall any specific direction from David Fincher. He was focused on the lighting I recall. George was there the whole time."

Cindy Crawford

"I remember them sending me a Walkman so I could learn the words before I got to set. The studio was huge and dark and smoky. Someone explained to me that my first shot would be in a bathtub. They oiled me up and put me in an empty tub with a smoke machine to look like steam. I had to sit on an apple crate because you couldn't see me over the edge of the tub. My second shot was sitting on a chair with a towel on my head, and I kept thinking my part wasn't going to be that sexy. I watched the video recently, as I wanted to write about the whole supermodel phenomenon in my new book, 'Becoming', and my kids were like, "Hey, we know that song!" I think it stands the test of time and still looks amazing today. I like how David Fincher saw something different in each of us and tried to bring that out in the video."

As Trump Readies Planned Parenthood Rodeo, Half of Trump Voters Support Funding & Expect Him To Stand Down

As Trump Readies Planned Parenthood Rodeo, Half of Trump Voters Support Funding & Expect Him To Stand Down

Planned Parenthood is sending a message to Donald Trump and the Republicans: They will defund us "At Their Peril". 

In a shocking-to-many new study by Harvard's School for Public Health, almost half of Trump supporters are against cutting all federal funds to Planned Parenthood. Add Clinton voters with 70% wanting continued federal funding for PP and it's clear that making defunding Planned Parenthood a top priority could be perilous for Republicans. 

The primarily women's health-care provider followed up on the study results with focus groups this month with Trump voters in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, writes Vogue. Many men had a lot to say. Dawn Laguens, executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) explained the essential nature of Planned Parenthood clinics in rural, medically underserved regions, including those in key Trump-supporting states. 

Tony Gum Creates 'Mercurial Aesthetic' Free of Racial, Cultural Or Sexual Oppression

Tony Gum Creates 'Mercurial Aesthetic' Free of Racial, Cultural Or Sexual Oppression

Women artists were more obvious in this year's Art Basel in Miami, and especially at PULSE Miami Beach.

At Christopher Moller Gallery, young Capetown artist Tony Gum, born Zipho Gum, was such a smash in New York March 2016 and then Art Basel Miami December 2016, that she was just named in ArtNet's 14 Emerging Women Artists to Watch in 2017.

Vogue called Tony Gum "the coolest girl in Cape Town", based on her tightly curated Instagram feed. Her Instagram becomes a gallery to communicate with corporate brands like Coca-Cola and Adidas about issues of race, women, pop culture and art through the lens of her own penetrating, clear-eyed, articulate and sophisticated vision.

Nicole Kidman Is Lensed By Will Davidson In 'Lionheart' For Vogue Australia January 2017

Nicole Kidman Is Lensed By Will Davidson In 'Lionheart' For Vogue Australia January 2017

Will Davidson captures the Lionheart fashion editorial, channeling Kidman's role in 'Lion', the story of a young man determined to trace his roots in rural India. The young man's journey, played by Dev Patel in the adult period of the film, is based on a true story of a small boy falling asleep on an empty train. He is alone and trapped as the train takes him hundreds of miles from his mother and brother to Kolkata. The five-year-old's final destination is Australia, as the adopted child of Kidman's character and her husband.

Dev Patel has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor for his role and Nicole Kidman as Best Supporting Actress for her. The film 'Lion' is nominated for Best Picture, Drama and Best Original Score.

For more information on the film, read on.

Nicole Kidman, centre, in a shot with Lion cast members as well as subject of the film, Saroo and his adoptive parents Sue and John Brierley during filming of 'Lion'

Global Antiquities Heavyweight Dealer Nancy Wiener Arrested In Manhattan

Wiener is also accused of having items—like a $500,000 bronze Buddha—restored to conceal signs of illegal excavations, like shovel marks. The aforementioned Buddha was seized in a March 2016 raid on her gallery, while affixed with a selling price of $1.5 million.

Prominent antiquities dealer Nancy Wiener was arrested in Manhattan on December 21 and charged with possessing stolen property in the form of looted antiquities from East Asis since at least 1999. Wiener is accused of destroying documents about the pedigree and purchase route of stolen objects she delivered to Christie's and Sotheby's as well as private collectors and institutions. She is charged with knowingly creating false paperwork.

ArtNet writes: that the arrest "comes as part of the US federal investigation Operation Hidden Idol, which has been tracking down antiquities smuggled into the country by the New York dealer Subhash Kapoor. Kapoor is currently on trial in Chennai, India, for allegedly heading a $100 million international smuggling ring, bringing 2,622 stolen objects to the US. Wiener was allegedly in possession of some of Kapoor’s stolen Indian antiquities."

One must also wonder about the hush-hush complicity of Sotheby's and Christies in facilitating her 'presitigious' alleged antiquities looting operation. ~ Anne

'Influencer' Amy Sall Sees No Place For Silent Mouths On Politics & The American Experience

Unlike many fashion 'infuencers', Amy Sall who has appeared in fashion campaigns for J Crew and Kenzo x H&M, uses her social media cache to promote social justice issues like advocating for African youth and the African diaspora. Sall is also the editor and founder of a journal of African Affairs, SUNU.

"I just think that we are in a time where you cannot be idle," Sall tells Christene Barberich, global editor-in-chief and cofounder of Refinery 29, in the latest episode of UnStyled. "You can't be a bystander. You can't be passive. What I noticed on certain social media accounts is that people tried to address some of the issues that we've been facing, but in a way that was almost performative. That, to me, is almost worse than just not saying anything at all. And you continue to post your vacation... People are being shot and killed in the streets. And to respond in a way that just seems like, I don't know, packaged, it doesn't feel right. It doesn't sit well with me."

Sall's Instagram feed is divine. Rich in beauty and intelligent thinking. One of the best I've seen. ~ Anne

Watching 'The Crown' With the QE2 Falling Apart In Dubai & John Boehner's Tears Long Gone From Trumpworld

Watching 'The Crown' With the QE2 Falling Apart In Dubai & John Boehner's Tears Long Gone From Trumpworld

Could we agree that any woman trying to lead the free world, who cried in prime time, would be run out of Dodge? I finally tuned into the Netflix series 'The Crown', and I assure you that the young queen Elizabeth will be steely and duty-driven -- keeping it together when her father dies. And that is exactly how the second episode ends, with Elizabeth burying her adoring love and grief for her dead father deep in her heart, now masked by royal obligations to her public and the entire British Empire.

Watching 'The Crown' knowing that the electoral college voted on Monday for Donald Trump as America's next president, I can't help thinking about Republican John Boehner's arrival as Speaker of the House.  He wept through his 2010 60 Minutes interview, a reality that did not amuse me in the least, given the Republican agenda for America. In fact, those tears are typically called a charade when a damsel in distress turns on the floodgates.

Indeed when I wrote about Boehner's intentions to lead the charge against abortion and contraception rights in America, it was after after watching a chilling meeting with his chief of staff Mick Krieger accepting one of those tiny plastic babies in perfect form meant to represent a six-week old embryo. In reality, those cells and molecules are a blob about the size of a pomegranate seed, and I don't mean to be disrespectful in any way. But it's another example of post-factual information suggesting that these perfectly formed cereal box creatures (I am not making this up. Republicans put them in cereal and candy boxes at state fairs) are in any way representative of the actual pregnancy process.  To me the meeting signalled the hell that poor women in America would go through as Republicans ripped away not only abortion rights but also access to contraception and general health care for women living all over America in impoverished communities. There is no satisfaction in saying that my instincts were correct.

'Nasty Woman' T-Shirt Raises Over $100,000 In Trump's Name For Planned Parenthood

As the Donald Trump Administration launches its full-frontal assault on American women (you know, grab 'em by our pu#sies so we know who is boss), Katy Perry steps up to the plate reminding us that 'nasty women' get shit done.

After Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a 'nasty woman' during October's third presidential debate, the Internet and Twitter immediately claimed the term as a rallying call for women worldwide. The Cut reports that even today, the 'Nasty Woman' merchandise is flying off shelves shows no sign of slowing down.

The most successful item to date is Google Ghost's 'Nasty Woman' t-shirt, which donates half of proceeds from shirt revenue directly to Planned Parenthood and in Trump's name. The donation to date is $100,165 for Planned Parenthood.

If you are ready to rally for 'Nasty Women' worldwide, join us at the Washington DC Women's March on January 21 or at marches in your local community. See Women's March on Washington FB page.

Related: With regard to top Hillary supporter Lena Dunham's 'Distasteful Joke' about abortion, we can only say: with friends like her, who needs enemies. Thanks Lena for fueling every dirty, rotten image of feminism worldwide. Talk about East Coast, liberal narcissism that damages dirt poor women in Texas. Just yesterday, Texas -- which lost its big case to derail abortion and contraception rights in Texas -- moved again to block Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood for any reason.

Barbara Jatta Appointed First Female Director of Vatican Museums

Pope Francis' Tuesday announcement that art historian Barbara Jatta will become the new director of the Vatican Museums, marking the first time that a woman will lead one of the most important art institutions worldwide. Previously, Jatta worked at the Vatican Library, overseeing its collection of prints.

A Rome native, Jatta has worked for the Vatican since 1996 and will now become one of its most powerful administrators. While Pope Francis wants to increase the roles for women in the Catholic Church, he remains firm that the most important Vatican posts are reserved for cardinals and bishops, who are universally male. 

The Vatican Museums represent 54 galleries acrross seven kilometers, receiving six million visitors in 2015. Regularly listed among the top 10 visited museums in the world, the Vatican museums represent one of the Holy See's biggest income sources. Estimates are about $311 million in gross revenues and $41 million in profits are driven by Barbara Jatta's new assignment.

American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland Returns To Cuba As Cultural Ambassador

“It’s a great honor to be here,” Misty Copeland, the first Afro-American ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), said in the venue of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC). Copeland joined a group of U.S. personalities of culture, sports and the performing arts for a mid-November 2016 arrival in Cuba, after the renewal of diplomatic relations between both nations.

Misty Copeland is not the first figure of the ABT to come to the island, where cultural exchanges have been permitted for years. She was preceded by Cynthia Gregory, Ted Kivitt, Eleonor D’Antuono, Cynthia Harvey and other dancers. On Cuba reports on the decades long collaboration between American Ballet Theatre and the National Ballet of Cuba.

Misty Copeland Covers Self December 2017

Misty Copeland Is 'Misty On Pointe' As Self Magazine Prepares To Close Its Print Publication AOC Body

Misty Copeland Is 'Misty On Pointe' in Self Magazine's December issue. Self's February 2017 issue represents the last print issue of the women's health, wellness and fitness publication. With the exception of special issues devoted to core topics important to readers, Self will move to a strictly digital platform, facing the reality that its print advertising pages were down 32% through October.

Related: Misty Copeland Is Promoted to Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre in AOC Women In-Depth -- includes 60 Minutes Interview and multiple Copeland articles.

Read Misty Copeland's interview with Self.

AOC in Cuba

IMF's Christine Lagarde Found Guilty In French Negligence Case | No Fine Or Jail Time

IMF's Christine Lagarde Found Guilty In French Negligence Case | No Fine Or Jail Time

Even the prosecutor in the case against International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde described it as a weak one seriously lacking in evidence that Lagarde misused public funds as France's finance minister. Jean-Claude Marin wanted judges last Thursday that they were treading a fine line between the law and politics, being guilty themselves of confusing 'criminal negligence' with 'making a bad political decision'.

Nevertheless, Lagarde, who was formerly France's finance minister, was gound guilty of negligence, with no penalties. 

Gerry Rice, a spokesperson for the Washington-based IMF said the fund's executive board would meet later on Monday to consider options. The IMF is currently under scrutiny for its role in the Greek bailout and is deeply concerned about its future in a Donald Trump administration.

The New York Times writes that Lagarde's departure from the fund is considered unlikely, as the executive board has stood firmly behind her.

Updated: IMF Chief Christine Lagarde Will Keep Her Job Despite Conviction Fortune

Jennifer Lawrence Talks Clinton Politics & America's Future On Good Morning America

Jennifer Lawrence Is Lensed by Ben Hassett In 'Extra Terrestre' For Yo Dona December 2016

Top actor Jennifer Lawrence spoke out Monday morning about her post Trump-election mindset. "I didn't mean to speak to only people who voted for Hillary ," Lawrence told Micael Strahan on 'Good Morning America.' "I meant to just speak to the divide . . . for any presidential candidate, being very extreme is scary, left or right."

The 'Passengers' actor made headlines post-November election, when she penned an essay for Broadly Don't Be Afraid, Be Loud: Jennifer Lawrence on What We Do Next.

Do not let this defeat you--let this enrage you!

Bagging Big Party, Father Honors Daughter's Wedding With Houses for India's Homeless

A wealthy Indian businessman had intended to celebrate his daughter's wedding with an extravagant party for which he had saved for years. But then a better idea came to fruition.

Instead of paying for the marriage ceremony, Ajay Munot, a cloth and wheat trader based in the Aurangabad district of eastern India, spent the Rs 7 million to 8 million he had saved for the wedding on building homes for the poor, the Free Press Journal reports.

Munot's wedding savings, worth around £93,000, were spent on constructing 90 houses on two acres of land. Each home was 240 square feet, had two windows and doors and had access to filtered drinking water. To insure success, the businessman carefully selected the residents of the new homes under three conditions: they needed to be poor, living in a slum and not suffering from an addiction.

The bride and groom are deeply honored by this long-lasting gift in their honor. via Elle UK

Politics Daily: Trump & Treason | Did Silicon Valley Create Donald Trump?

Silicon Valley Meets Its Biggest Creation: Donald Trump Vanity Fair

For years, Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park featured a rectangular sign that reflected the ambition and spirit of Mark Zuckerberg and his legions of dedicated employees. It read, in bold, red lettering, “Move Fast and Break Things.” Twitter had a similar poster that hung in its San Francisco office, noting “Let’s Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow.” These mantras aren’t an anomaly in Silicon Valley’s playground-like campuses. Cubicles, hallways, cafeterias, and meeting rooms are festooned with Rockne-esque white-board-style slogans such as “Done Is Better Than Perfect” or “Fortune Favors the Bold,” or “Don’t Bury Your Failures, Let Them Inspire You.”

These maxims have their value, and they have helped inspire a wealth-generation machine unlike any other in human history. But moving too fast can come with consequences, especially when the mantra is heeded by young people who are often still in their 20s and 30s. In fact, the tech industry’s adherence to an ideology of rapid acceleration helps explain why America finds itself in its current predicament, with hackers reportedly involved in swaying our election and a growing acceptance of xenophobia spreading across the nation. Perhaps many of the people who convened at Trump Tower were so focused on those mottos that they did not realize an outcome they might create.

Donald Trump raises specter of treason The Boston Globe

In a damning op-ed John Shattuck lays out the particulars of a treasonous act against the American government and Trump's refusal to buy into the conclusions of America's intelligence agencies that Russia interfered with the American election.

The federal crime of treason is committed by a person “owing allegiance to the United States who . . . adheres to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort,” and misprision of treason is committed by a person “having knowledge of the commission of any treason [who] conceals and does not disclose” the crime. By denigrating or seeking to prevent an investigation of the Russian cyberattack Trump is giving aid or comfort to an enemy of the United States, a crime that is enhanced if the fourth explanation applies — that he is in fact seeking to cover up his staff’s or his own involvement in or prior knowledge of the attack.

ExxonMobil helped defeat Russia sanctions bill Politico

ExxonMobil successfully lobbied against the STAND for Ukraine Act, a bill that would have converted into law for five years President Obama's punishing measures against Russia for annexing Crimea. With the Senate refusing to act on the bill, proposed Secy of State Rex Tillerson is posed to roll back sanctions and relaunch a deal he made with Russia that is worth a staggering amount of money to ExxonMobile and Putin himself.

More reading:

Donald Trump and the Rise of Alt-Reality Media Politico Magazine

The Donald Trump Appointment Tracker Marie Claire

Diversity Gets Major Uplift On US Fashion Magazine Covers Reports Fashionista

Fashionista beat me to the topic of diversity on US magazine covers. I was about to praise Vogue US for featuring women of color three months in a row -- November 2016-January 2017.

Fashionista has tracked diversity on magazine covers in-depth for several years, and finally we are celebrating some progress.

This time last year, we reported a disappointing statistic: That diversity on the covers of 10 leading U.S. fashion publications — Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Nylon, Teen Vogue, Vogue and W — did not improve in 2015 from 2014. In 2015, 27 of 136 covers featured people of color* while the year before, 27 of 137 did. It was an improvement, technically, but only from 19.7 percent to 19.8 percent. 

In 2016, however, there have been sizable lifts in cover star diversity across the board. For consistency's sake, we reviewed the covers from the same titles we looked at in 2015 — all 147 of them. And we found that 53 of 147 covers — or 36 percent — starred people of color*, as compared to 2015's 19.8 percent. That's a 16.9 percent rise.

AOC gives Vogue US a sound round of applause for featuring three inspiring women of color in a row: Lupita Nyong'o, Michelle Obama and 'Loving' star and Golden Globe nominee Ruth Negga. See their editorials, covers and interviews.

Vogue US January 2017: Ruth Negga

Interview and Editorial

Vogue US December 2016: Michelle Obama

Editorial and Anne's commentary about Michelle Obama's mission to educate girls worldwide.

Vogue US November 2016: Lupita Nyong'o

Editorial and Anne's rich rieview of Lupita's trip to Kenya.

Blockbuster House of Dior Exhibit Opens In Melbourne, Australia August 25, 2017

The House of Dior turned to Australia for the first presentation of a complete collection outside of Paris. The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia will commemorate the 1948 showing in Sydney, Australia as part of its 2017 exhibition 'The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture.'

The upcoming exhibition, which is has been organized collaboratively by the museum and Christian Dior Couture, is a celebration of the House of Dior’s 70th anniversary. It will feature over 140 designs created between 1947 and today, highlighting the work of its head designers Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri (the company’s first female creative director, hired in July), not to mention Christian Dior himself, who died suddenly in 1957.

The exhibition will open on August 25, 2017 and run until November 7, 2017.

Aline Weber Hangs Out At Prada As We Drop Into Marfa, Texas

Snuggled in a vast expanse of desert, nearly 20 miles from the next town and some 200 from the nearest major airport, the place is the subject of much modern lore—people return awestruck from the tours of the Chinati Foundation, filled with wonder from the desert landscape and starry nights, and amped up on their great Instagram snap in front of Prada Marfa. Needless to say, Marfa has amassed a lot of hype.

Aline Weber Hangs Out At Prada In Marfa, Tex By Marc Pilaro For ODDA Spaces Issue

When Prada first opened a store in Marfa, Texas, lots of people were incredulous. After all, in 2007, Marfa Texas, population 2,485, went dark. The town was so broke that it couldn't pay its electricity bills, requiring the new mayor to turn off Marfa's streetlights -- every last one. 

"Today, Marfa lights up the sky," wrote City-Journal in a recent article. In 2015 an estimated 38,000 tourists -- mostly art lovers -- traveled from worldwide destination to this West Texas town. More than 45,000 are expected this year. 

Marfa has become more than a place. It is a “destination,” an arts-world station of the cross, or, to mix religious metaphors, a mecca of minimalism. What Lourdes is to ailing Catholics, Marfa is to aficionados of conceptual sculpture and painting. Think Art Basel in Miami, or Documenta in Germany. The temperature here in June can be scorching, but Marfa, in any season, has become supercool. “London, Paris, Rome, Marfa,” boasts a popular T-shirt sold at Squeeze, a tiny deli in the heart of town that specializes in chocolates and fruit and vegetable drinks.

In March 2016, Vogue writer Steff Yotka spent a weekend in Marfa, writing:

Snuggled in a vast expanse of desert, nearly 20 miles from the next town and some 200 from the nearest major airport, the place is the subject of much modern lore—people return awestruck from the tours of the Chinati Foundation, filled with wonder from the desert landscape and starry nights, and amped up on their great Instagram snap in front of Prada Marfa. Needless to say, Marfa has amassed a lot of hype.

GQ toured 7 of the Coolest Homes in Marfa, Texas in their current issue.

Writing about Tom Ford's new Golden Globe nominated film 'Nocturnal Animals', Mr. Porter drops into West Texas, with a stop in Marfa. Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Amy Adams for Best Actress. Tom Ford received nominations for Best Director of a Motion Picture and Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture.

Michelle Obama Raises Her Torch For Global Girl's Education In 'We Will Rise'

Michelle Obama Raises Her Torch For Global Girl's Education In 'We Will Rise'

It's factual to say that I'm in total avoidance psychologically and emotionally over the Obamas leaving the White House and the Trumps moving in. I do not intend to watch the inauguration and will probably be sobbing -- as I was last night watching CNN's film 'We Will Rise' about Michelle Obama's global education initiative for girls. CNN's Isha Sesay is joined by Freida Pinto and Meryl Streep as they travel to Liberia and Morocco in advance of Michelle Obama's arrival.

Watching the First Lady's plane land first in Liberia, I simply lost it totally and the tears were endless. I was so proud watching that big jet with USA emblazoned on it touch down, and my pain was acute knowing that most probably all the girls' and women's initiatives launched first by Hillary Clinton as Secy of State and then continued by Michelle Obama will be lost in a Trump Administration. Can you imagine Melania and Ivanka touching down In Liberia and Morocco -- unless it's Marrakech and the refurbished La Mamounia hotel? No, you can't.

Interviewed by CNN about her commitment to girls' education, Michelle Obama says: "This issue is personal for me".

For me, education was power.