Groupon's hottest deal ever: A chance to meet Brad Pitt for $10

Great dining and activity deals are expected from Groupon, but a chance to meet an A-list actor? Now that's an option too. Brad Pitt has teamed with the deal-of-the-day site to raise money for his Make It Right organization.

For a mere $10, fans and philanthropists can enter for a chance to win the opportunity to meet the "World War Z" star. The prize includes two VIP tickets to the Make It Right Gala (held May 17 in New Orleans), the chance for a group meet-and-greet with Pitt, airfare and hotel for two, transportation to and a private tour of the Ninth Ward site, and the option to volunteer for a day at the site.

Bruno Mars and Kings of Leon will be performing at the gala.

Make It Right was founded by the actor in 2007 to build safe, green homes and buildings for communities in need. He launched the group after visiting New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina hit, when he saw how little had been done to rebuild the hardest hit area of the city, the Lower Ninth Ward. 

For those with bigger savings accounts and who want a guaranteed opportunity to meet Pitt, Groupon is offering the "epic deal." A $25,000 donation gets the buyer everything in the contest, plus airfare upgraded to first class and a hotel suite. Only nine epic deals are available. According to the website, $22,500 of each epic deal will go to Make It Right.

Pitt is the latest A-list actor to offer fans a chance to meet him to benefit charity.George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon all recently offered themselves up for dates in order to raise money for the organizations closest to their hearts.

Brad Pitt is wonderful dad: Angelina Jolie

Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie has revealed that she loves nothing more than watching actor fiance Brad Pitt taking care of their six kids.

Jolie , 38, who is yet to tie the knot with Pitt, said the 12 Years a Slave star is a wonderful and loving father, reported Showbiz Spy.

"Brad has always been such a wonderful and loving father. It's such a beautiful and sexy quality in a man when he takes his responsibilities as a father very seriously. I still get very emotional when I watch Brad play with the children -- he is so naturally devoted and joyful around them," she said.

The Maleficent actor  said Pitt instilled the sense of motherhood in her. "W hen I was younger, I never imagined being a mother. Then those maternal feelings  evolved and deepened once I began adopting and started living with Brad, which made me want to have children of our own," she said.

"Brad is so good about taking over when I'm working, but I'd rather be home for dinner and read my children bedtime stories," she added. - 

Fashion faves with Richard Moodyini

Real men wear pink.

They also get pedicures, trim their eyebrows and wear accessories like scarves and rings. That’s an assertion by one of the most stylishly minded men in the Twin Cities — philanthropist, producer, promoter and businessman Richard Moody.

“Men are embracing fashion more and more, because it somewhat defines who you are,” Moody said during a photo shoot at his downtown office. “Competition is really stiff now. … It’s important to sell yourself, and fashion is all a part of that.”

Unlike so many fashions that ride in and out of town like the wind, Moody said his “cowboy chic” style is tried and true. Whether he’s showing up to lunch with friends or attending one of his philanthropic events, Moody always brings his A-game — a pair of cowboy boots and, of course, plenty of accessories. Moody shared a few of his closet staples.

Scarves

“I always wear a scarf. I travel a lot, so I wear them for warmth. Also, they’re another accessory for your outfits. You can mix and match colors. They’re like watches or rings or jewelry. Yes, real men can wear scarves.”

Boots

“These are my cowboy chic boots and they’ve walked all over the world. They were made in Spain, but I got them at a flea market in Amsterdam. I have a closet full of other shoes and some designer shoes, but I always go to my boots.”

Accessories

“I love accessories. These bracelets are one strand and I’ve looped them a couple times. I love watches, too. A man with his watches is like a woman with her shoes. I probably have 15 different colored watches.”

Jacket

“I picked up this seersucker jacket at an upscale consignment store. It’s a great summer color — it just popped and it was $55. I love consignment shops like Second Debut or Fashion Avenue. It’s repurposed, reused and renewed, and that’s important because we wind up with so much in our closets. My philosophy is when something comes in my closet, I take something out to donate.”

Aimee Blanchette •

JD Sports Fashion tipped to 30% profit increase

RETAIL group JD Sports Fashion is expected to unveil a sharp rise in profits this week as it continues to attract teenagers and twentysomethings seeking designer trainers and tracksuits.

The firm cheered the City with its post-Christmas update in January, citing a strong performance for its stores over Christmas. Pre-tax profits are tipped to have risen by about 30 per cent to £71 million.

The Bury-based group, which has more than 800 outlets in four countries and last year bought a controlling interest in Scottish outdoor clothing stalwart Tiso, revealed this year that like-for-like sales at its core business in the 48 weeks to 4 January were marginally better than the 5.8 per cent reported in November.

It hailed stronger Christmas sales for its sports stores and said margins were largely protected despite widespread discounting on the high street.

The group also includes other brands it has been trying to improve – outdoor stores under the Blacks and Millets fascias and the fashion chains Bank and Scotts.

JD chairman Peter Cowgill has said he expects “considerable progress” this year as the company looks to continue the turnaround of its outdoor stores and improve the performance of the fashion stores.

In the first half of the financial year, Millets dragged on the group’s soaring profits, following its decision not to scrap the chain.

JD had planned to merge the business with Blacks after it bought both brands out of administration but changed its mind and decided to keep Millets going, saving a number of branches.

Chris Tiso sold a controlling stake in his eponymous Edinburgh-based chain of stores to the group last November for an undisclosed sum.

JD said the deal would allow Tiso to grow and develop its business, which includes Alpine Bikes, George Fisher and Blues the ski shop. Tiso became part of JD’s outdoor division alongside Blacks and Millets.

Cowgill took over as chairman at Tiso while Chris Tiso continued as chief executive, a role he assumed in 1992 following the death of his father Graham. At the time, the business comprised a single brand and five shops and had £4m of revenue.

Chris Tiso told Scotland on Sunday’s sister title The Scotsman at the time: “We carry on as we are now, except it will help to be part of a bigger group. I have been asked if the product will change, if the quality of service will change and if the name will change. The answer is no, no and no.”

Coachella Style: Selena Gomez’s Sheer Dress, Kendall Jenner’s Shorts & More

The biggest stars are in Indio, Calif. attending Coachella and they’re dressed to the nines! Check out our gallery of all the best style straight from Coachella!

Hotter only than the sun at Coachella is the style of the celebs attending! Stars like Selena Gomez, 21, Kylie Jenner, 16, and Kendall Jenner, 18, are at the huge music & arts festival wearing some of their coolest looks yet. Look through our Coachella gallery and vote for your favorite look!

Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner & More Coachella Fashion

It’s clear that Selena is embracing her sexiness now that she’s back with Justin Bieber, 20, and we love her confidence! Selena looked beautiful in her sheer white lace dress and it was a perfect choice to match such a light, pretty dress with lace-up black boots. And her accessories game is on point with huge mirrored sunglasses, a hat to fend off the sun, and a jewelled bindi.Both of the Jenner sisters love short shorts! Kendall paired hers with a cute crop top and jewelled belt and Kylie opted for a slightly edgier loose, heather grey tank top and a studded fanny pack. Um, did Kylie Jenner just singlehandedly make fanny packs cool again? Can we have one?

Jared Leto, Kellan Lutz & More Coachella Fashion

Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, 34, and his wife, Lauren Parkesian, looked so cute as they danced together to the music of Ellie Goulding. Her black flowered maxi dress was so interesting with its thigh-high slit and peplum top — perfect for twirling around! Fun fact: these two actually first met at Coachella!

And please, let’s not forget the boys. Kellan Lutz, 29, is sporting a brand new… neck tattoo? We can only assume that it’s for The Expendables 3, which is currently in post-production, but hey, maybe he likes the look? We sure do.

Jared Leto, 42, looks, as ever, like he was born to be at Coachella with his long ombre hair and palm tree t-shirt.

What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Who’s got your favorite look at Coachella? Vote and comment below!

How to succeed in fashion: Be nice

Whatever impressions you may harbour about the fashion industry (perhaps fromThe Devil Wears Prada, say?), they are not all entirely true, at least not if you ask Fern Mallis, who as creator of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), says those are the two things she tells anyone she mentors.

Like some of the most accomplished people in the fashion industry, Mallis’ name may not immediately register. But her credentials are what’s helped make New York the fashion haven it is now — which was not always the case. When she founded what is now known as NYFW in 1993, fashion was a rather private club and not necessarily the economic or creative powerhouse it is today.

“They have to be in it for the right reasons. I think when organisers are in it to make a buck, to do it as a profit centre, that doesn’t work to me. I think it has to come from the purest place of creative talent that needs a platform that needs to be seen and heard,” says Mallis, speaking after an industry luncheon on Thursday ahead of the runway shows this weekend.Today, she’s in Dubai, watching as another fledgling fashion week takes off: Fashion Forward, which is now in its third season, after launching in April 2013.

“That raw talent then needs infrastructure. You need someone to build it, someone to manage it, and you need outreach to invite the right people to come to it and you need help to market it and publicise it. What’s really nice in this day and age, and was not when I first started fashion week, are all these new programmes and incubators and mentorship programmes, schools and design districts. That’s all pretty fabulous. All of that is kind of coalescing now in Dubai. I think that all feels right.”

It’s not just NYFW Mallis has under her belt — she’s guided fashion weeks from Miami to Melbourne to Mumbai. Most things are the same, she says, but each city’s culture can bring something unique to a fashion week that shouldn’t be glossed over.

“I think the ones that work the best are the ones that are so conscious of their culture and where they are and who they are that they bring that to the table. If you take a textbook and try and do it it doesn’t always fit.”

Her lasting memories of Mumbai fashion week include disruptive photographers and of course, the Bollywood showstoppers.

“People love that and hate that. When they don’t do it, they complain, ‘where is the star?’; when they do do it, they go ‘why is this star on the runway?’ So that’s a no-win situation.”

That’s just as much the case with celebrity fashion show guests in other countries, she adds, remarking that more and more designers are paying stars to attend their shows.

“Some people consistently do it very well. Michael Kors has fabulous people and you know he has relationships with them, you know he is friends with these people, from Debra Messing to Michael Douglas.

“When those celebrities are there, and they are getting a tonne of media, they are in all the magazines — it’s a whole new ballgame because of tweeting and instagramming — that’s branding. That designer’s name is out there a billion times more than it would have been. I think somewhere it registers.”

Quote/unquote

“There’s about 400 fashion weeks in the world. Who’s to play God and say you shouldn’t have one? As long as people manage the expectations of what they are doing. Are they going to be the next Milan or Paris? No. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get some buzz in your city and get people excited and go shopping.” — On whether every city should have a fashion week

'FASHION IS TEMPORARY, YSL IS FOREVER'

Yves Saint Laurent was a prodigy, who introduced a new identity to women and made their bodies feel free. Apart from being an anti-war activist, Saint Laurent was a revolutionist breaking the borders between ready-to-wear and haute couture.

Now a film, "Yves Saint Laurent" (YSL), focuses on the life story of his fashion genius starting from when the highly gifted 21-year-old designer was the right-hand man of fashion guru Christian Dior. Saint Laurent took over Dior's place when he suddenly died and then Saint Laurent's popularity began to spread with his first collection. He then became a rising star of the fashion world. During one of his fashion shows, Saint Laurent met with French industrialist Pierre Bergé.

As the time went on, their friendship turned into an affection which entirely changed Saint Laurent's life. After refusing to comply with mandatory military service, he received psychological treatment and after he had recovered, Saint Laurent learned that he lost his job at Dior. After this, he decided to create his own brand, YSL.

As you may know, biographical films are always problematic. Generally, the family or friends of the person in question refuse to accept the validity of the film or will argue there are key omissions.

By contrast, "YSL" reveals Laurent's private and business life on an equal basis. You may see the clichés of biographical films in "YSL."
Laurent's first designs were not understood by his peers but managed to shatter the rules of the fashion world. He achieved the success he deserved.

Other cliché scenes include the social exclusion of Saint Laurent because he is homosexual, the problematic relationship with his mother and becoming a party boy following his success.

It is worth watching this film because Saint Laurent was a revolutionary designer who recreated the woman's identity, whether it be by presenting a female model in a men's suit during one of his fashion shows or producing readto- wear clothing. Laurent included ethical clothing and accessories in his collections and integrated art and fashion with his "Mondrian collection" in the 1970s. Laurent said of himself, "I would like draw models and create freely."

However, Saint Laurent was not always a stand-up guy. He was known as a drug addict and for hanging out at orgies but at the same time this king of the fashion world never abandoned his love for Bergé. The passionate relationship between Bergé and Laurent is moving.
Throughout his life Laurent was a friend of Bergé and the ups and downs of his emotional world seem to be, at least in part, the origin of his creativity.

Director Jalil Lespert screens the life of Saint Laurent through a simple film language.

His delicate world, the storms breaking out in his soul and his psychology focused on creativity come across as entirely realistic. On top of that the film's visual images are excellent.

When it comes to film performers, I can say that Pierre Niney did not only act, but experienced Laurent's life in his body. You may feel as if you were watching the real Yves Saint.

His performance is stunning. Do not be surprised if you come across his name or Guillaume Gallianne, who plays Pierre Bergeacute, in film award nominations.