I felt like I was fatherless because of what we call American exceptionalism. He is still alive, I must make it clear. But our relationship is really over. In this divided country, our situation is not uncommon. Anger over the election results last November seems to have cooled down, and homes and streets have begun to quieten again. However, the instability that former President Donald Trump sparked continues, as Americans choose sides in the longer war: “Who on Earth matters?”. Opposition between the two factions One faction thinks it is right to worry about others, who are different from them, and for those they need to protect. The other side also claims to be right in worrying about themselves, their like-minded people, and even those they see as needing protection. Exceptionalism is a deeply rooted belief in America. We Americans have always believed that we are better than others. God, the universe, the gods – all supernatural powers that bless humanity – have given Americans a special freedom. Even now, in the middle of summer 2021, we can decide whether we want to believe in the existence of a global pandemic, and if we want to participate in controlling the spread of the coronavirus. While many Americans have to endure starvation, poverty or experience fear and loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic; On the contrary, millions of other Americans still believe that tragedy will never come. Those experiencing the pain of Covid-19, or those who have witnessed others go hungry or lose friends and family forever, believe that we are all in a very difficult situation. We’re just fine until everyone else is safe. Often, the only difference between these groups of people is the news channel they watch, and how that channel covers science or conspiracy theories. In a chaotic world where hundreds of millions of people are begging for a vaccine, this country is throwing away thousands of doses a day because Americans – in so many places – refuse to get vaccinated before the vaccine expires. My father is one of them. Influence from news sources During the pandemic, while we were following the government’s lockdown and social distancing requirements, I didn’t get a chance to visit him. But now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you again. I, you and everyone around will not be safe if you do not get vaccinated. I myself do not know how long he will hold out to witness this situation. My dad and I both spent a lot of time reading news during the pandemic, from different sources, of course. To be honest, I am proud to have opened up and changed my mind about SARS-CoV-2 and the threat to humanity since it was discovered. Every day, I try to stay up to date with the latest epidemiological information and public health recommendations. I’m the type of American who believes my sources are trustworthy. As a nurse, I believe I am knowledgeable enough to read published medical studies and draw my own conclusions. I’m on the side of science. On the contrary, my father is also very proud because he follows the news every night, reads and shares articles he finds online, and is careful with the advice he receives. He is the type of American who believes that Fox News is the only news channel that tells the truth, even if they are influenced by other news sources, by big corporations and the “bad guys” of the Democratic Party in power. in Washington, DC He was the kind of American who taught himself enough to understand what was going on in the world, to know who to believe. But he chose to believe the seemingly secret information his friends shared on Facebook about the conspiracy of scientists and the government. He read an article saying that hundreds of people died from vaccination, so now he claims to never vaccinate. Not one of his acquaintances has died from Covid-19. As a white middle-class man with a military pension and lifelong medical care for veterans, he never had to fear poverty, disease, loss, or disease. To him, the threat posed by the coronavirus is nothing more than the exaggeration of the press and propaganda apparatus. In a country house with a beautiful lawn and large backyard, is it wrong for you to hold fast to American exceptionalism, even if it causes your relationship with your son to fall apart? The son you believe he is the victim of corona virus conspiracies? Lots of other people don’t have the privilege of choosing like my dad. Millions of Americans are grieving the loss of someone they love, a job, and what we once called “normal”. They are fighting every day for their lives, while those around them angrily protest against the restrictions, even if it is to protect public health. Each person chooses to listen to a separate news channel, so the way they suffer is also very different. The influence of paranoid conspiracy theories My best friend, a wonderful couple, belongs to a group of Americans convinced that free public education is a tool of government propaganda and oppression. So they let the kids learn at home. When some people start to believe in paranoid conspiracy theories and let it affect children, it’s hard to tell them to give up their beliefs. There is a very small gap between homeschooling and believing in untested medical methods. It’s like believing in the magical qualities of crystals or some type of oil with herbal extracts that can heal diseases. And so, the road from believing in an untested cure to becoming an anti-vaccine is also very short. I wonder when those kind people are trapped in the trap of unscientific information and far from reality, do they ever question whether the news they receive every day can be trusted or not? Such is the situation of my friends. They are neither white nor financially stable, their jobs are difficult during the pandemic, and they know people who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. They do not have the privilege of sitting on the lawn mower in their front yard while waiting for the inconvenience of the blockade to end. They are forced to look for other sources of information and monitor the spread of the virus and listen to warnings about the disease. They surreptitiously and shamefully vaccinate themselves and their children. A discreet wife told me this secret. She also talks about how dozens of parents share supporting information and materials in homeschooling advocacy groups. They talk non-stop about the threat vaccines pose to children, echoing conspiracy theories about the dangers of masks and social distancing. She confided in me about the feeling of letting people down when she got vaccinated. American exceptionalism gives people the belief that they can avoid the difficulties others face. White and affluent parents believe they can “escape” the infection, but not everyone can. Definitely not my friends. When comparing two streams of information, what will they believe? Only fools believe in science without proof, and with the expectation that truth cannot be false. Science changes when new research is published. News channels are gaining a reputation for distinguishing between bad science and good science, and then they deliver news to readers who are increasingly confused about what is good and bad. Freedom goes too? “Why?” – some people may ask – “Can I believe what I hear, only to hear something completely different after a few months? Should I believe something dangerous is happening when no one I know is suffering?” It was my father, who read the news about the racist cases he had never heard of, and then deduced that the broadcaster would be full of lies to advance his own policy purposes. It was my friends who heard the online community say the truth was nothing compared to what their families went through. American pride is shaken when many cannot distinguish between science and conspiracy theory. And they are afraid. So I lost my dad to American exceptionalism. During the pandemic, I couldn’t see him. With an underlying medical condition, I am at high risk of death if I contract Covid-19. I could not speak to him without often ending in a heated argument. “Why doesn’t the other person come to his senses when he falls into conspiracies?” – Each of us asked ourselves the same. Why do some people believe that they are special, blessed by God, the universe, the gods? Just because something bad hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it never will. We Americans are free to decide whether or not to believe in the existence of a global pandemic; as well as believing it affects all of us; Or do we participate in preventing deaths by simply getting two shots and wearing masks in public? We are free to decide who on Earth matters while expired, unopened vaccines are rejected across the country. I often wonder, do we have too much freedom?

Usually, Swedish design is not too flashy but focuses on simplicity and minimalism. However, people in this Scandinavian country tend to prefer luxurious interiors. Because of their busy life and work, they want a space to relax and rest, a place that feels like “real home”. In the living room, designers Laven and Walgren arranged a set of wooden bookshelves to hide clutter and optimize sound quality. Before being redesigned, the apartment lacked the open space that customers wanted. To make up for that, Laven and Walgren have brought a new space with flexible French-influenced layouts with elegant parquet floors and luxurious plaster ceilings. The old-fashioned floors and cramped kitchen have also been redesigned in a minimalist way, decorated with wood and stone, giving a feeling of spaciousness and luxury. In private spaces such as bedrooms, Swedish sensibilities are preserved, focusing on function and clean lines. The color focuses on blues that are soothing to the eye. The desk is designed towards the window, giving the most light, and also has some potted plants and flowers to help increase the natural element. The bathroom has a bespoke marble floor and mirror area by Studio Lawahl, while the lights in the room come from the brand Vistosi. Another area in the bathroom is also covered with marble. In short, this design has been combined between Scandinavian minimalism and European elegance, but it still shows uniqueness.

Design inspiration can come from anywhere, but it’s important to know how you feel at that moment. Hello. When did you first realize you had to become a fashion designer? Or rather, I didn’t have a chance to notice it (laughs). When I was young, I was familiar with fashion-related jobs, so I did fashion like an instinct. I don’t want to say that I was born to be a designer because when I was born and grew up with fashion, fashion gradually penetrated into my bloodline from time to time. What inspired you to minimalism from the beginning to this day? When I started my career, I experimented with many styles. Then it occurred to me that what I like is more minimalistic. For me, minimalism is simple things that bring more emotions to the wearer than showing off. In other words, an outfit can be minimalist on the outside but hide a lot on the inside. I have never considered myself a minimalist designer because I believe fashion has its own language. Never use your language to describe it, let it tell its own story. Therefore, I never name my collection. When making BST too, I also don’t get inspiration from anywhere because inspiration can come at any time, the important thing is that I cherish my feelings at that time. By not following splendid designs, many textures or attachments but loyal to the streamlined design, are you afraid that customers will be boring or difficult to conquer Gen Z – the generation of customers who catch the trend? ultra-fast direction? When I chose this direction, I clearly defined my audience. The harsh reality is that I can’t design things to please everyone. Usually customers come to me, they have noticed the difference from my clothes. One more thing is that I always design a wardrobe for my clients, which means they can mix and match the looks of this season with previous seasons to create a variety of outfits. On the Gen Z side, it’s a different challenge. They are people with a rich background of fashion knowledge thanks to social networking platforms. I’m also pretty confident that my Gen Z customers are quite numerous. Whatever the era, Gen Z is not only young people with different fashion sense, there are also people who are passionate about minimalism. All in all, Gen Z is a challenge for me to develop more novel product lines in the future. After more than 10 years in the profession, what is the biggest achievement in your career? I think it’s something that I never get bored with what I’m doing. Even though I have been doing fashion, I still love it, still want to see the designs I make every day, not sell the soul of creativity for money (laughs). Minimalism does not make a woman gorgeous, but helps them to express their inner emotional values ​​through clothes What is the image of the woman of GIA STUDIOS? Customers of GIA STUDIOS fall in the age group of 20 – 45 years old. First, I don’t use the word “elegant and sophisticated” to describe a woman who knows her best. My clothes help them express their personality and who they are. Second, they are women who love beauty. The beauty here is not only the things that show on the outside but also the inner beauty. In the end, they wear mine to a party, sure, they’re not the most gorgeous, they’ll be the most confident woman. That’s what makes women irresistible. Making gorgeous things so beautiful is hard but making simple things so delicate is even harder, how did you do it? When making gorgeous things, it’s obvious that the bad points are covered up, but when doing the simple things, how many flaws are easily revealed. That requires the designer to make each cut delicate, the lines to open and close so gracefully, or the cut to be the sharpest. When designing, I don’t sketch first. I would take from the archives the previous designs for the mannequin to wear, and then with the assistant to edit it as I envisioned in my head. Next is cutting, assembling the details and sewing into a draft. After that, I started editing and perfecting the design to make it more beautiful. Can you share a little bit about your future plans? In the near future, I will reposition the GIA STUDIOS brand in Vietnam. Actually, in the past 2 years, I have focused on foreign markets quite a lot. I want to show people my vision more clearly. Besides, I will develop the brand’s production apparatus to have more categories. Specifically, the direction GIA STUDIOS becomes a lifestyle brand, not just clothes. Honoring Vietnam’s cultural heritage through everyday wear with a combination of contemporary art and fashion It is not uncommon for designers to use artistic materials as inspiration for their designs, so can you share more about the highlights of the Ao Dai project inspired by contemporary art? Many people think that traditional or culturally attached clothes are used for holiday wear or souvenirs. But for me, Vietnamese culture is a great material to make fashionable clothes for women to wear every day. In your opinion, how is the interference between fashion and modern Vietnamese art expressed? In fact, there is always an invisible link between art and fashion. It all boils down to the concept of “a form of creating beauty”, that is, a form of creating beauty that only those inspired by art can perceive. Some Vietnamese designers also use Vietnamese art and express them through motifs, specific attachment details or unique innovative shapes… but your designs focus on minimalism, so what do you think? Can minimalism fully express the spirit of art? Why? I think the important thing is how we apply that cultural material. Minimalist clothing also has its own expression. For example, Le Pho’s famous painting of a woman wearing a white ao dai, I can feel the penetration of the dress through his skin-colored brush strokes. So, I made a tunic out of organza that consisted of many layers on top of each other. That’s how I perceive Le Pho’s painting on my designs (laughs). Thank you for your interesting sharing! Posts : To Hoang Bao

The Chinese foreign minister participates in online exchanges with the US Foreign Relations Council. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. In his speech, Mr. Vuong Nghi emphasized that the important phone call on New Year’s Eve between the heads of the two countries has indicated a great direction for the Sino-US relationship, the dialogue in Anchorage (Alaska) has opened. direct high-level interaction between the two parties in the context of an epidemic. However, the new administration’s policy toward China in the US has not yet removed the shadow of its predecessor, has not escaped the misunderstanding in perception of China and has not found the right way to conclude. delivery with this country. He gave 5 points on how to view the Sino-US relationship from a strategic perspective, wanting the US to perceive objectively and to deal with China’s development; to work together with China to find a new way to peacefully coexist and win cooperation together; respect and tolerate the path and regime that China chooses; practice authentic multilateralism and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs. The Chinese Foreign Minister reaffirms that the country’s development and reassurance are “not meant to replace or defeat anyone” and that it needs equality. “Either China or the US is successful does not mean the other side fails,” he said. Separating from the world’s second largest economy and facing China’s 1.4 billion people, it not only does not help the US in resolving the conflicts faced, but also confuses the world ” . According to Mr. Vuong Nghi, the key to properly handling the relationship between the two sides is “whether the US can accept the peaceful rise of a major country with a social regime, cultural history and a period of time. develop differently or not “. China welcomes President Biden’s administration to return to multilateralism, said Wang Yi, but said that true multilateralism is “not allowed to confront the new group under the banner of multilateralism. , do not set up closed factions under the guise of multilateralism “. The Chinese Foreign Minister also reaffirmed that Beijing will “respond legally” when “national sovereignty and national dignity are threatened and violated”. He called on the two countries to go beyond the inevitable view that “conflict is bound to arise between emerging and current powers”, beyond ideological differences and social regimes, beyond thinking. Cold War and group confrontation, actively seeking ways to live peacefully and win cooperation between the two great powers./.

Over time, those game discs gradually piled up. However, those who buy back take it as pride. “Pile of shame” was so popular that it appeared in Urban Dictionary – the famous slang dictionary in America. The popularity of “Pile Of Shame” also directly aroused problems of consumerism: customers buy games to own instead of play. We also gradually get caught up in brilliant advertisements in the media, some heated discussion on forums, and then hit the buy button without thinking. The feeling of buying and possessing overwhelms the user’s feeling of wanting to play. “Pile of shame” therefore also grows with time. The popularity of “Pile Of Shame” also directly aroused consumerism problems. Customers buy games to own instead of play. Photo: Kotaku. Capturing the psychology of consumers, brands also regularly launch many discount programs to stimulate demand. For example, at each sale of Steam, the participant will never go back empty-handed because there are too many items with “unexpected” discounts. Walking around the shelves, you will convince yourself with statements like “This has decreased a lot compared to before, buy it because you are saving and saving is smart”. As a result, a lot of games are brought home and you are just enjoying the feeling of having them for a while. After that, the products were gradually forgotten. Instead of just shopping without any concern about practicality, users should learn to spend effectively. Don’t try to buy too much until you have actually finished playing all the games. In fact, games are always sold by manufacturers all year round, do not stock up on them for fear of out of stock. Games exist for the sole purpose of being played by the user. If you just buy and never touch it, chances are you are causing the game titles to be distorted.

According to the data of Pinterest , the number of searches for “maximalist” keyword is 5 times as much, and “maximistic decoration for small space” on this page is also 3 times higher than in 2019. Browsing on social networking sites, viewers also encounter more posts regarding colorful spaces with maximalist decor. Experts say that the rise of maximalism could be the result of people spending more time at home and changes in living spaces that delight them. Like the name suggests, those who choose the “as much as possible” décor aim to turn the house into a “home”. It’s a space with brightly colored walls covered with artwork, countless trees and furniture in one space. Maximumism is the opposite of minimalism – a trend that is popular in 2019 thanks to shows like “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”, which encourage people to follow a “as little as possible” lifestyle. Michelle Fahmy, interior designer and one of the manufacturers of the Apartment Therapy 2021 , talk to Insider that maximism is more practical for people in everyday life than minimalism. “Maximumism allows people to freely experiment with objects and design choices in their spaces, express themselves through their surroundings,” Fahmy said. Maximumism allows people to turn the house into a “home” by arranging the things they love. Experts say it is no coincidence that maximalism has become a trend during the pandemic. Swasti Sarna, Pinterest’s senior manager, said: “When stuck at home, people want to decorate their house in a way that makes themselves feel good and remind them of special moments, due to there is an increase in maximalism. Danielle Blundell, director of Apartment Therapy also agrees, saying that maximism is suitable for people who spend more time at home. “They arrange and fill the space with the things they love in a way that makes themselves comfortable. When the house is full of things they like, it can really boost the mood and make the owner almond. happier “. The secret to maximism in small spaces is to ensure that colors, textures, and patterns blend in with each other. Small spaces require layering rather than spread, meaning the selected parts need to fit together. “For me, maximalism encourages the use of my small space in the boldest possible way. It gives me the opportunity to experiment with a variety of colors, prints and textures,” says Megan Zietz – a person of maximum style – express.

Romantic imagery and story combined with more ecological concerns Alexander McQueen’s spring / summer 2010 spring / summer runway collection was named Plato’s Atlantis before his death in February 2010. Named after the fictional sunken island of the Greek philosopher that shows a revelation. a myth about climate change, in which melting ice caps cause sea levels to rise. McQueen’s designs show an evolution of adaptation: disguised as bizarre human-animal hybrids gradually transforming into creatures that might exist in the future with shimmering gills and scales. . More than a decade later, McQueen’s heralded fears became familiar on the catwalk amidst the imaginary seas and deeper worries. Most recently, Rixo and 16Arlington’s spring-summer 2021 collection is mermaid-inspired and offers clamshell clutches suitable for any citizen wishing to protect the sea. This image also appeared at Burberry’s spring / summer 2021 show with a color palette of loose blue shirts, flap coats, shiny rubber boots and thigh-high boots, while more text is found in the presence of the grid. But the video introducing the suit has even more ominous connotations, the scene of models walking through a forest accompanied by groups of men in suits and dark glasses, their silent presence, perhaps. is hints about approaching sharks. Darker notions of the sea often stem from fear. Some of these fears are immediate – panic at what cannot be seen, potential dangers lurking beneath the waves – while others pull us back to the question of future. hybrid of the sea. A suitable designer to interrogate these fears is Marine Serre. Pay special attention to the potential for environmental destruction, the French designer’s approach is both practical and foresight. Her aesthetic abilities hint at a futuristic world in which clothing can behave more like armor, while her process relies on coarse fabrics, traceable materials, and unexpected objects. These usually include spoils from the ocean, Serre accessories including shells, imitation pearls, and aluminum drink cans like debris washed into the shore. Can fashion’s relationship with the ocean inspire the cleaning industry its actions? More and more designers are using textiles made from plastic bottles recovered from the ocean. No one knows exactly how polluted our seas are, but one estimate from 2015 suggests that the oceans have accumulated more than 150 million tons of plastic – a figure that is forecast to triple by 2040 minus when taking drastic action. Since its inception in 2017, men’s clothing brand Botter has made the marine environment one of its core concerns. The Dutch duo’s fall / winter 2021 performance comes with a warning statement saying “no seas, no people, no us.” The long, loose seams of the collection Complemented with fishing clothing trim, diving suit neck and ocean plastic windbreaker It wasn’t just a question of fashion solutions, but Botter also announced that they were on the set. an underwater coral nursery on Curaçao, an island in the Caribbean. Even high fashion is participating and it certainly has fallen into the hands of the constantly innovating Iris van Herpen to take the lead. Following last year’s collection Sensory Seas, which explores the boundaries between marine organisms and the human nervous system, Van Herpen’s recent high-fashion show borrowed from the ocean in a Another way: the Dutch manufacturer teamed up with the Parley for the Oceans anti-pollution campaign on a fabric upholstered dress made of recycled plastic. As Herpen puts it “there aren’t many reasons for not using sustainable materials anymore, other than changing your mindset.” Right now, the sea offers some contradictory options for designers. It offers mythical and thrilling tales, buried treasures and biological beauties. It can be a place of freedom and imagination, perhaps welcome right now. But it also captures our destructive power, as well as our opportunity for renewal. This more optimized, more future-focused lineup is likely to expand, especially if Matty Bovan’s fall-winter 2021 collection is coming soon. The avant-garde designer described the sea as “frightening and astonishing” in an imaginary presentation of the chaotic aftermath of a shipwreck – evoking astonishing images of natural disaster. Like the ocean itself, immutable and perverted, the present ocean’s presence in fashion continues to bring about many things at once: refuge, escapism, resource potential, chaos. latent rhythm and how to grapple with an uncertain future.

Ribbed design is a big trend in home décor this year. If you are a lover of the subtleties of natural elements such as seashells, corals, and designs evoking a coastal style, then porcelain and glass products should be preferred. In addition, ribbed design is also a big trend in this year’s home décor. Collaborate with products with gold accents and glass box products to create an extremely beautiful and purposeful collection of table top accessories. Cosmetic display area This is where you display your entire collection Beauty enthusiasts know that it’s impossible to install shelves to hold all the cosmetic products you buy. Instead, build your own separate makeup area with a variety of shelves, tables and a large beautiful mirror. Beauty enthusiasts all dream of such a magical makeup area. Showcase your cosmetic collection and turn it into an impressive highlight. This is where you show off your entire collection, which is both for the purpose of satisfying your personal love of cosmetics, and as a highlight of your home. Scandinavian style bathroom Organic material décor interspersed with chic accessories is a recipe for Scandinavian style. There’s nothing better than indulging in a gentle warm bath after a long day. Adding around organic decorations interspersed with chic accessories is a recipe for Scandinavian style. This style helps you immerse yourself in nature in a bustling city and helps to quickly bring you a sense of relaxation when bathing. Maximalism gradually returned to love after a long period of minimalism Arranging furniture accessories that are not related together so that the overall beauty is an art. If your taste belongs to Maximalism and likes to decorate the house around bold colors, mixed with many details, accessories home décor strange and unrelated to each other. Then attract your eyes with a plate full of beaded hairpins or a glowing candle with your favorite shape like an angel, a flamingo, a bear, an open mouth, … and an impressive vase of flowers. Many similar colors to the accessories. Cosmetics and color art Cosmetics, perfumes, accessories can all be turned into great décor items. Putting a work of art together with a lovely cosmetic tray of the same color scheme is a quick and easy way to bring any space together. Taking advantage of color to harmonize space. Perfume display An easy way to make your home more luxurious and aesthetically pleasing is to set aside a corner to arrange the best perfume bottles next to scented candles, flowers or pearls. Place them on an ornate silver / wood / leather or silver / wood / leather tray, along with a well-decorated and detailed mirror. These beautiful perfume bottles are a great home decoration accessory. Having plenty of time to arrange them cleverly, or simply placing them side by side with a mirror is more than enough for a feeling of luxury.