GEEK CHIC: HOLOLENS

Transform your world with holograms

Microsoft is making moves. Great moves. Moves that have this Apple lover pretty excited. I guess that in itself could be considered a victory for Microsoft, but let me explain why. Last Wednesday Microsoft unveiled a number of software updates as well as a giant 4K display tablet PC that you mount on your wall, which is all fine but what i'm excited about is this:

Called the "HoloLens", it is the worlds first holographic computer AND YOU WEAR IT ON YOUR FACE. How #CertifiedCOOL is that??

No wonder Google stopped development of its Glass project because this is on a whole other level... Just look at some of its capabilities:

From checking to-do lists, the weather, looking up recipes, or playing a game; to planning your next trip, or calling for help on DIY projects, the sky is the limit for what you can do on the HoloLens. Even more impressive is this:

You're given the capability of exploring other planets!

Watch and be amazed:

HoloLens is currently just a prototype but Microsoft plans on releasing it to developers this Spring.

Well played, Microsoft. HoloLens is definitely #CertifiedCOOL.

By: Oliver Pernt

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TREND TALK: HELLO AFRICA!

A NEW COOL IS RISING OUT OF AFRICA

Africa’s influence in fashion, business and innovation is growing. According to trending watch.com “…Africans are expecting brands to champion, support and cater to the identities they create for themselves.”  The new Guinness ad highlights a society of “elegant” people in the Congo known as the Sapeurs. The video follows these trendsetters who believe in ‘putting more in, to get more out.’ What shapes their identity is not economic status, but creativity and respect expressed through fashion.

Beyoncé on the cover of L' Officiel Magazine

Singer Elle Varner rocks an african teacup dress on-set of video shoot

Solange in African inspired outfit on the cover of Complex magazine

Rihanna accessorizes with African bangles during her 2010 AMA performance 

African Design Makes Waves:

As African-inspired prints & patterns are becoming more popular with fashion bloggers, trend-setting celebrities (like Beyonce & Rhianna), top stylists and designers; Africa is continues to make big waves in fashion and design. African Batik fabrics such as Dutch Wax prints (also known as Wax Hollandais), Ghanaian Kente cloth and Ankara, Kanga (a fabric from East Africa) have been worn down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Balenciaga collection for spring 2013 featured African fashion influenced by Dutch wax prints and Ankara. H&M included African elements in their 2012 collection developed by the designers of the Italian fashion label Marni.

Recently Project Makowla launched an innovative new service that allows vendors to sell their African-inspired pieces and reach their consumers all over the world in a more direct manner. Now, people can have custom pieces based created with authentic African fabrics. The process is simple. Customers send photos of their favorite design, measurements and their choice of African fabric. A seamstress from West Africa or Ghana will then create the custom piece and ship it directly to the customer.  

Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu is another example of the impact and cultural reach that Africa is making globally. Olowu was one of the first designers to collaborate with JCPenny and released a limited edition collection in the spring of 2013. Based in London, Olowu pulls influences from his London up-bringing as well as his Jamaican and Nigerian roots. FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is just one of the many celebrities that have been seen in his head-turning designs. 

Duro 2013 Collection for JCPenny

Another COOL movement, Africa is Now, goes beyond fashion and includes five themes to promote innovative solutions; Africa is Sharp, Urban, Tradition Reinvented, Resourceful and Transformed. As a part of the movement, the Indaba Project has been created to feature works in design, dècor and architecture across the continent. Rebranding Rwanda is is one of the projects in the works under this project. 

Other projects include developing art exhibitions and galleries in Dakar called Dak'Art. International artists are selected from all over the world with the aim of creating a global image. There is also a kickstarter campaign called BRCK which developed the first mobile wifi device built for Africa’s most undeveloped regions.

There are so many more innovative African-influenced projects happening all over  world. To get more information on these #Certified COOL and creative projects, you can visit the official Design Indaba site. You can also get in on all the cultural vibes below with our style edit! Happy shopping and stay COOL.

THE SHOPPING BAG
#CertifiedCOOL AFRICANA FASHION FINDS 

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By: Joanne Joseph, COOL Contributor

FASHION FILES: LE Haute Bride

By: Joanne Joseph

Stèphane Rollands high fashion couture dress designs are breathtaking. Rolland is a French designer who was first recognized by fashion powerhouse Balenciaga. He was immediately hired and given the task of working on the men’s collection at 20 years old. By the age of 24, he launched his own collection and since then, his pieces have been stocked in 80 boutiques and department stores all over the world.

Rolland’s gowns are sculpturesque and extravagant. So extravagant that at the Chanel and Giorgio Armani Prive Fall-Winter 2011-12 collection display, one of Rolland’s “brides” got stuck at the end of the runway for a moment. The model's gown was covered in so much embroidery that it weighed her down.

The designer has opened his own House for his Haute Couture creations in Paris. His pieces have graced the bodies of Lady Gaga, Beyoncè, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. Amidst all of the wedding frenzy and media coverage of the KIMYE wedding that took place on Saturday May 24^th, it’s only right that we shed light on these beautiful organic dress designs that are fit for the runway and would make any bride fall to their knees in awe.

WATCH THIS : INFLUENCERS

SYNOPSIS
INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

"Influencers" belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience.

See more COOL features on our blog THAT'S COOL. Just click and scroll down.

TREND TALK : WORK IT OUT

BUTI FITNESS

BALLET BUNGEE

KICKBOXING

AQUA

ROWING

REMIX YOUR ROUTINE WITH THESE 
COOL NEW WORKOUTS

1. BUTI FITNESS: BUTI is a high-intensity workout that fuses yoga and dance with circuits of plyometrics and conditioning. Classes range from 60 minutes and consist of deep stretching, BUTI shaking and heart-pounding cardio. www.ironflowerfitnessmiami.com

2. BALLET BUNGEE: Cardio-paced ballet moves (pliés in each position, releves, changements) with "help" from bungee bands attached to the ceiling. www.chaise23.com

3.KICKBOXING: Kickboxing (sometimes called aeroboxing) is a class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music. You’ll do some or all of the following: jump rope, shadow-box, forward kicks, punches, and the fancy footwork you see boxers do in the ring when they’re trying to avoid taking one on the chin. www.sobekick.com

4. AQUA: Bikes submerged in a dimly lit pool. No chains on the gear means water is your only resistance (don’t get excited; it’s not easy). In addition to cardio intervals, expect to forward crawl, breaststroke, and tread water — all while your legs keep pedaling. http://news.yahoo.com/video/aqua-cycling-making-waves-world-001804131.html

5. ROWING: Rowing is the only whole body cardio that burns fat and builds lean muscle at the same time. You can burn up to 800 calories in just one session. www.brooklyn-crew.com

With these great new workouts you can get that body you've always wanted. It's always COOL to switch your routine and try something new every once in a while, especially if you've been stuck at the same weight for weeks. 

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TREND TALK : THE BIG CHOP REVOLUTION

The natural hair care trend has exploded into a market of its own in recent years. Women with naturally course, kinky, thick, and curly hair have said BYE-BYE to relaxers and are doing “the big chop” to return to their natural hair textures. Dark & Lovely recently launched their natural hair product line as one of the first brands to buy major media spots with high quality ads specifically for natural hair products. As more and more women with naturally kinky hair embark on the natural hair journey it is a great time for these types of products to thrive in the hair care market.

There is an overwhelming number of natural hair blogs, vlogs and instagram has really become a central hub for the natural hair movement with hashtags like: #teamnatural,#naturalhairwecare, #curlies, #bighairdontcare, #naturalhairdaily. 

Curly Nikki has become like the Oprah of natural hair care. The stay-at-home-mom turned author is an expert on how to take control of your luxurious locks and even released a book called Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide To Healthy, Gorgeous, Natural Hair. On her website www.curlynikki.com, she provides excellent advice on getting started and maintaining natural curls. She has her favorite products listed with insightful reviews on the site as well as recipes to try from home. CurlyNikki has really been a leader in the natural hair movement and has inspired women including our very own, Johanne Wilson, to be proud of their natural hair. 

When it comes to natural hair video tutorials, Kim Love is the one to watch. 
She is known for her amazing video tutorials on getting that natural, cute, and sassy hairstyles that women often struggle with. She has even turned her passion for natural hair into a lucrative business, LUV Naturals.

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Johanne, (Cool Creative Inc Director & Editor of this blog) has been vetting natural hair care products for years and some of her new favorites are The Doux, Kreyol Essence, and Simplicity Hair Oil. She has been focusing on only using products with real ingredients. No filters, no alcohol, sulfates, parabens, or anything that will dry her hair out. She says you really have to become a label freak when trying to find the best product for your specific grade of natural hair. 

The Doux: For Smart Chicks with Real Hair

The Doux (pronounced “doo”) is a modern hair care system that offers non-toxic solutions for smoothing curly, kinky, and wavy hair into both curly and straight styles, regardless of your curl pattern or style preference. From the Ladies First Purifying shampoo, to the C.R.E.A.M repair mask, there is something within their product line that can help you during that natural transition. The Doux introduces 5 stages that helps maintain the look you want and continue healthy hair growth: 1. Cleanse 2. Condition 3. Style 4. Finish 5. Lenghthen. Do The Doux products contain alcohol? Yes. Cetyl Alcohol is the "good witch"of the alcohol family. Its purpose is actually the opposite of what it maysound like: it's an emollient used to help the hair and skin absorb moisture.The Doux has great info on their website to help naturalists maintain their curls.

I always wondered why so many Haitian girls had long healthy hair. Well I just found out that one of their age-old secrets is Palma Christi: Haitian Black Castor Oil. Kreyol Essence has recently launched a line of highly potent, organic, and authentic products from Haiti. The goal at Kreyol Essence is to "liberate the community from costly and unsafe products that have given us false promises and broken dreams of beauty and health." Johanne has been using this particular product for about 2 months and says it leaves her hair moist and she's already noticed some new growth. 

REVIEW UPDATE 4/13/13 (by Johanne): I just tried the Palma Shea Goat & Coconut Krem ak Lait (cream & milk) and it is AMAZING! It smells so delicious and my hair is unbelievably soft and detangled. I sealed it with the Palma Shea Original Hair & Body Butter. My hair is so happy right now.

Simplicity Hair Oil Blend is a hair care company that produces all-natural products for women, men and children of all ethnicities. Their transforming products helps slow-growing, lifeless, dry and hard-to-manage hair by making it thicker, shinier and balanced. The all-natural formula is lightweight and chemical free with no preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors or fragrances. This is hands-down one of our favorite products because of the amazing smell, the potent ingredients, and immediate results.

Johanne's happy hair
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We recently reached out to one of our friends, Kristina Bingham-Jones,
who recently did the BIG CHOP. She answered some questions to give us some insight about beginning her natural hair journey.

What motivated you to decide to go natural?

Johanne's cute hair styles! In my mind I thought if I were to ever wear my natural texture I would only be able to rock a fro! Boy was I wrong and ignorant to the power of our natural hair! Johanne would rock it up, down, curly, even in a high bun! One of the biggest fears is how I would be perceived by people who don't understand our hair. The acceptance of our co-workers really made me comfortable to think about possibly trying it. 

A new hairstylist who deals with natural hair, who Johanne actually recommended, grabbed my new growth and looked at me and said "why not grow it out. This is the healthiest hair you will ever have". I think the term "healthy" in reference to my hair was a shocker. I loved to hear that! I'm so used to the terms "dry","brittle", and “broken,”“ split-ends “so to hear healthy was like a new experience for me!

My last relaxer left me shedding way more than normal so I was nervous when it came time to relax my new growth so I went past the normal 3 month schedule I was used to and was okay with it which normally would never happen! Two of my best friends are also growing their hair out and challenged me to do it with them! We are calling it our road to 30. At 30 we all want healthy beautiful hair! What's been the biggest shocker to us is we can easily achieve the same straight hair look even with natural hair! 

What product line do you use in order to maintain your curls?

The first twist out I tried was with my girlfriends products! She used a macadamia nut leave in on my hair and then mixed Eco Gel with Carols daughter soufflé. Iwas so nervous to use the Eco gel, I guess the word gel just made me nervous, but I went with it not knowing enough about it to not try it. Well the results were not good. My braids weren't completely dry, but when it did dry and my hair was soooo crunchy and dry!!!! When it was time for me to use my own products at home I went to Sally's and bought Shea moisture's coconut and hibiscus moisture mist and their milk and it worked so well! My hair was so soft and smelled amazing!!!!

Where do you go for your natural hair care advice? 

Blogs,YouTube videos (most of my info), friends, and stylist.

YouTubeis amazing! I can spend a full weekend looking at nothing but videos!

It is so exciting to see so much information out there for girls who want to see and wear their natural full hair for the first time in their life! The videos, blogs, and all of the products that are now available make the natural thing do-able. Another thought I had was we can easily achieve the straight hair European look, but not everyone can achieve thick, tightly coiled, full natural hair look. 

The Big Chop Revolution has really grown so fast, no signs of slowing down. 
Let us know if you've done the big chop. How's it going? Send us pics, questions, and comments! We'd love to hear from you.
Until next time... Stay COOL my friends.

xoxo Meco

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