She's the Married At First Sight star loved by fans for her daring approach to romance, love and fashion.

And now Martha Kalifatidis has shared a daring bikini snap to Instagram revealing more than she may have intended.

The 30-year-old recently posted a photo of herself posing in a lime green two-piece and as fans have been quick to point out - she's showing a small hint of nipple.

Martha Kalifatidis has given fans a cheeky glimpse of nipple in a new bikini photo. Picture: Instagram / marthaa_k

Undaunted by the apparent wardrobe malfunction, Martha jokingly captioned the snap: "@mbrunelli (Michael Brunelli) won't be taking pics of me in 2020."

Within moments of sharing the racy bikini snap, fans flooded the post, and at the time of writing, the smouldering pic had garnered more than 24,000 likes.

"Nip slip babe," one person pointed out.

"You can see the top of your nipple just FYI," another said.

"Bit nippy where you are," another teased.

One remarked: "I spy with my nipple eye."

Martha owned her nip slip with her trademark sass. Picture: marthaa_k

Others appeared to be less than delighted with the photo, with one person stating the reality star had "half a nipple showing" before adding, "so not classy".

"Oh dear, that's awkward," another wrote.

While some thought the commotion over a cheeky flash was all too much.

"People here really be losing their minds over a half nip, get over it guys," another said.

Martha's boyfriend Michael also jumped on the thread and left a cheeky comment that read: "Anyone looking for a personal photographer in 2020?"

As to be expected, this set off a trail of remarks with people getting in on the joke saying they would sign him up "only if he could make them look as hot as Martha".

Martha and Michael celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary by sharing this racy photo to Instagram in September. Picture: marthaa_k

Martha is also known for her refreshingly honest approach to life.

She recently spoke to news.com.au about how she gained six kilograms while holidaying overseas, saying she was happy with her body.

While at 60kg she's not overweight, Martha said accepting herself and her body as it is hadn't been without some effort.

"A few years ago this would have actually killed me," she said, adding: "I would have been miserable about gaining this much weight."

RELATED: MAFS' Martha poses in rare make-up free video

RELATED: MAFS star Martha reveals reality of naked Instagram photo

"I wouldn't have been able to cope. I was a person who would literally count every single calorie before it passed my lips - even down to a single square of chocolate."

Martha recently shared this snap to Instagram of herself wearing her trademark leopard-print bikini, telling news.com.au she had gained 6kg when it was taken. Picture: Instagram/Marthaa_k_

At this stage, she revealed she wasn't overly worried "about a few extra kilograms" and said she planned to tone up and return to a healthier lifestyle - but not by doing anything "drastic".

"I have started to clean up my diet, but I will still have a drink with friends or go out to dinner,' she said.

"If I overindulge one night, then I will be really 'clean' for three days.

"This means I will make sure I have plenty of fluid, lots of broth and drink lots of freshly juiced vegies to flush it out."

Martha said she no longer believed in being perfect. Her goal these days is to achieve balance. Picture: marthaa_k

As well as tweaking her diet, exercise will also form part of the plan. However, hardcore HIIT workouts will be swapped for running, pilates or targeted training sessions with Michael.

"Michael has been helping me a lot because he is so fit. He is like a machine," Martha said.

"He never misses a day and he is a really good influence on me. He encourages me to get up and go to the gym with him."

Martha said her goal wasn't to lose weight. She hopes by revamping her diet and approach to exercise she will "trim down" and feel more energised.

"I don't care what the scales say. It's more about how I feel. I want to feel healthy and fit," she said.

Martha and Michael celebrated a year together in September after they met and "married" on season six of Married At First Sight.

Since finding fame on the reality show, Martha, who is also a make-up artist, has become a social media influencer with an Instagram account that boasts more than 296,000 followers.

See original here:
'People here really be losing their minds over a half nip' - Observer

LEXINGTON. Ky. (Dec. 19, 2019) University professors likeMarilyn Campbell know their students well, give them opportunities to be part of their researchand provide mentorship on everything from personal issues to graduate school applications.

As a lecturer at the University of Kentucky in the College of Education, Campbell ensures students have a chance for hands-on learning in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion.

Campbells work involves mentoring studentsin both classrooms and research labsand covers topics that combine her passion for nutrition and exercise science. She frequently works with students to prepare them for graduate school.

One such student, Jessica Gadberry, is finishing up physical therapy school at UK's College of Health Sciences. When she heard there was an opportunity to recognize a mentor, Campbell immediately came to mind.

As I look back on how I have grown as a medical professional, I have to give a large amount of credit to Dr. Campbell for being such a strong role model, Gadberry said. She has a heart that wants to help others succeed.

Many students planning to go into health and medical careers come from an exercise science background. Campbells students in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, for instance, learn to use devices and develop skills taught in physical therapy school.

Our program provides good preparation for health and medical graduate schools because we are very hands-on, Campbell said. To give you an idea of what that looks like, we do body composition testing where students use skin calipers to measure fat and they get inside underwater weighing tanks to measure body composition. And, they are often working on treadmills to do aerobic testing.

As a researcher, Campbell is currently looking at how nutritional supplements, such as the popular spice turmeric, can influence exercise performance.Turmeric is a root found in many Asian and Indian dishes. Curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, is thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Both masters and undergraduate students are working with Campbell and her colleagueHaley Bergstrom, who focuses on sports performance, to study whether or not curcumin can impact exercise performance and recovery.

Research was an area that was foreign to me, so Dr. Campbell used it as a way to help open new doors to my educational foundation, Gadberry said. During this time, I was also going through a period where I was preparing for physical therapy school, so, with her experience, she was able to mentally prepare me with what to expect. She also set time aside to prepare me to enhance my confidence with interviews and public speaking.

This past summer, Campbell had a chance to work particularly closely with a group of students who went with her on a three-week study abroad trip to Italy. She helped them explore how the Mediterranean diet compares to the typical American diet, and how the diets components impact athletes and other physically active individuals.

Pursuing research in her own undergraduate program was not something Campbell had a chance to do.

I am fortunate to be able to offer this opportunity to my students through the support here at UK," Campbell said.

Campbell was one of two UK faculty members recognized for their dedication to mentoring with theExcellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Awardduring the13thannual Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars last May.

View post:
Exercise Science Professor Mentors Students Focused on Health and Medical Careers - UKNow

From showrunner/executive producer Marja-Lewis Ryan, the Showtime series The L Word: Generation Q, the sequel to the groundbreaking series that debuted in 2004, continues to follow the lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Heiley) and Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig), as they experience love and heartbreak in Los Angeles. And picking back up with them, 10 years later, means a chance to get to know new characters, including Dani Nez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas) and Gigi (Sepideh Moafi), all of whom have their own trials and tribulations on their roads of self-discovery.

During this 1-on-1 interview, actress Katherine Moennig (whos also an executive producer on the series) talked about when she realized the series would actually be returning, being more involved this time around, why it was tricky to get back into this character, figuring out what Shane has been up to for the last 10 years, getting to work with some of her former co-stars, weaving the original characters with the new characters, her desire to direct an episode, and the hope that this series will continue beyond this eight-episode season.

Image via Showtime

Collider: Theres been talk of this show possibly coming back for awhile now. When did you realize it was actually going to happen?

KATHERINE MOENNIG: Well, when Jennifer [Beals], Leisha [Hailey] and myself went to Ilene Chaiken, it was in 2012. We were like, For whatever reason, we feel like this isnt over yet, and we dont know why and we dont know in what format. Reboots didnt exist, at that time. The only option was really a TV movie, and those didnt exist. We didnt understand what format it would take, but wed been working for awhile, trying to find a way to bring this back. And then, finally, I believe it was in 2017 that we found out Showtime was interested in bringing it back, as well. So then, we went through the process. Ilene said, I want a younger voice to speak for this generation, along with the three of you. I give credit to Ilene for doing that. So then, it was going through the process of finding that voice. Thats where we all met [Marja-Lewis Ryan] Once Marja came on board, it was still a matter of wondering, Will we be making just a pilot? When will that happen? And then, before we knew it, I believe it was in early February that we found out it was going directly to series. And so, here we are now. Its been a long road. It was a good seven or eight year process of getting this to where it is now.

And youre signed on as executive producer this time. Was that because you wanted more involvement and more of a say in how things would go?

MOENNIG: Yeah. Since we were a part of the original series, the purpose of having that title is also to help add to that voice. We understand the show. Granted, it is in a new world, but there has to be some root in the old. And so, thats where were able to collaborate and come up with things. Its been a wonderful experience.

You want consistency, but you also want an evolution, and it seems like thats a tricky balance.

MOENNIG: It is a tricky balance, and its hard to do. And that only happens with a lot of collaboration and discussion, and spit-balling ideas, and finding a happy medium. Thus far, its been a really wonderful line of communication.

Image via Showtime

Was it really comfortable to get back into this character, especially knowing that you dont have to pick up right where you left off and shes evolved?

MOENNIG: For me, it was tricky because Ive been doing another series for so long, and a very different character on a very different, stylized show. My brain has been in that gear for so long that to shift back into this gear takes a minute. I spend a lot of time maybe overthinking it, so by the time I get to work and the director yells, Action!, Im in it. Im always just trying to find the truth of the truth of the situation. As long as I focus on the truth and the honesty, hopefully, the rest of it just falls into place.

Does it also help that youre looking at some familiar faces from the last time around?

MOENNIG: Oh, yeah. Thats just a gift. That doesnt come around often, and were so fortunate to have each other to lean on again.

Is it fun to get to explore these characters, at a different point in their lives?

MOENNIG: Yeah, it is actually interesting. Theres a lot of reflection and a lot of imagination. Sometimes the imagination goes off in crazy directions and you have to reel that back in. Its a real testament to think that us, as people, mature and evolve and grow, but we really are who we are, at our core. And to keep that in mind, throughout this journey, is a fascinating case study.

Was there a lot of conversation about where Shane has been, along with where shes going?

MOENNIG: In terms of where shes been, Marj and I sussed that out, with Ilenes voice in it, as well. We sussed out where shes been, these last ten year, and a lot of that was for story points and things that Ive been told I cant talk about. But in terms of where shes been, on her own accord, I treat that as my own personal monologue that I have in my head, and its just for me to become reacquainted and to understand who she is again. Thats something that I dont share with anyone. Its really just for my own benefit. It might not even make sense to anyone else. I need some sort of anchor, so thats where my work and my homework comes in.

Image via Showtime

What can you say about where we see Shane again, and her connection to the friends that she had before?

MOENNIG: We meet up with her again when shes coming back to L.A., after being gone for awhile. Shes coming back because shes getting away from a very loaded history. Shes becoming reacquainted in L.A., and reconnecting with her friends. Shes in the process of finding her footing in this town that she knew so well, but shes been out of, for so long. Im happy to say that shes done well for herself. Id hate to see her starting from a low point again. Im happy that shes starting from a place of security. But she still has some unfinished demons that she has to contend with, and a past that she has to handle. That, I believe, is going to be her process, throughout the season, along with some other things.

Is she coming back, as a result of her own choosing?

MOENNIG: Yes, she made the choice to come back. It was conscious choice that shes coming back. L.A., to Shane, is her safety net.

Will we also see you interacting with some of the new characters?

MOENNIG: Yeah. The three of us are each involved with a number of these characters, in our own way and for different reasons. Some are already established, and some arent. In that regard, its a matter of us learning from each other. Some are work-related, and some are not. Its like life. You come across all of these different personalities, and you see how they interact and what trouble they get up to. There are some good recurring characters. Im hoping that, at some point, some of the older characters from our show will be back, as well. I hope. Theres a playing field for a lot to be explored and discussed.

Are Shanes biggest issues still coming from relationship drama, or has she figured that out more?

MOENNIG: Maybe. As you get older, your stakes raise more. Shes no longer the lost 20-something, whos able to fly by, on the seat of her pants. She has stakes now. The challenge for her is, can she rise to the occasion?

Image via Showtime

A show like this will have two different audiences, the audience that loved the original show and that wants to see what the original characters are up to, and youll have a whole new audience that doesnt have that history. How does the new cast fit in, and what are you most excited about, as far as the new characters?

MOENNIG: Im curious just to see what this newer generation does. There are two generations. The younger generation has a sensibility thats different than our generation. What Im curious about is to see how that gets translated on screen. Thats the beauty of evolution. People just become more and more advanced with their either emotional life, and the way they identify with themselves. Im curious to see how much of that is explored.

Are there things that you appreciate about Shane now, that you maybe didnt realize before?

MOENNIG: I appreciate her having fun cause I think she needs to have some fun. Shes a heavy soul, so I appreciate her having fun, and I also appreciate her wisdom. What I mostly appreciate is her hustler mentality and how she gets things done. I can appreciate that happening, as shes getting older, as well. Thats more interesting to see, as you get older. She hasnt let go of those qualities. Shes still fun at heart.

Have you thought about directing an episode of the show?

MOENNIG: I have thought about that. Maybe in the next season or two, Id be curious to direct an episode. I think I could do it. Ive done enough television to understand how to do it. When I read something, I see it in my brain, so the thought of then putting it in the way my brain sees it and collaborating, in that way, excites me more than I think it ever has, in the past. I never thought I would be interested and Ive always said no, but recently I thought, You know what? I actually would enjoy that. Right now, I wanna focus on my work, but once that becomes more familial, which only happens with time, thats when Ill stick my foot in and beg to direct an episode, if theyll let me.

Image via Showtime

What do you enjoy about working with Jennifer Beals and Leisha Hailey?

MOENNIG: Theyre my family. Ive known then for 17 or 18 years. Ive known them for a really long time. Theyre my family, and theres nothing better. Theres a shorthand that the three of us have, and its only gotten stronger with time. I value those two. Theres just a synergy with us. We all approach it from the same place, so we can hold each other up. If we see something differently, it will only add to the work. Theyre wonderful scene partners. They really are.

Are you hoping to continue this series for more seasons? Is there still more to explore?

MOENNIG: I think theres more to explore, yeah. I could be wrong, but I dont see this series being just eight episodes. I think theres a lot to explore, and I believe thats the intention of everyone involved. The television landscape is hungry for that, and Im happy to be a part of that.

The L Word: Generation Q airs on Sunday nights on Showtime.

See original here:
Katherine Moennig on The L Word: Generation Q and Directing an Episode - Collider.com

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor at Cannes.

Once, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were synonymous with fashion but it is the last decade that acquainted us with a fresher, more contemporary school of thought. 2010 to 2019 offered a never-ending list of trends - some we loved, others not so much. From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's purple lips to Lady Gaga's meat dress to Sonam Kapoor's impressive styling, these last 10 years witnessed some big fashion moments. If there's one thing that we are thankful for, it is the evolution of the style scene in the decade gone by. From the dominance of Bollywood stars on international red carpets to embracing inclusiveness (Pregnant models on the ramp? Yes, please), the fashion industry has changed and grown. So, as the decade ends, let's take a look at 10 fashion moments to remember 2010-2019 by.

Ooh La La, Desi Girls At Cannes

The red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival is one of the most glamorous in the world of showbiz. In fact, there's often grumbling about how the fashion threatens to overshadow the cinema at Cannes. In this tour de force of big gowns and big jewels, how is a desi girl to stand out? By packing a saree in her suitcase, of course. Over the decade, Indian stars attending Cannes discovered that the surest way to make a splash was to wear an Indian outfit - Vidya Balan, who was a jury member in 2013, wore nothing else, appearing in a series of Sabyasachi ensembles including maroon outfit with a heavily embroidered black dupatta and a white and gold saree. Cannes veteran Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has also picked sarees on several occasions, memorably an Abu-Sandeep drape she wore with a jacket the year she attended the film festival after giving birth to daughter Aaradhya. Sonam Kapoor, known for her fashion forwardness, took the saree look a notch higher in an Anamika Khanna saree and jacket with a nose ring as well as a metallic blue structured ensemble by Rimzim Dadu. She also picked saree-inspired gowns by Anamika Khanna for the red carpet.

Vidya Balan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor at Cannes.

Looks That Went Viral

The Internet never forgets and this list would have been incomplete without discussing the looks - good, bad and just plain ugly - that the collective online memory will remember forever. Remember when the Internet couldn't 'mauve' on (pun intended) from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's purple lips at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival? The Guru actress, rarely one to take a fashion risk, surprised us with startling lips that supplied Twitter with a lifetime of memes. Also unforgettable was Angeline Jolie's exposed right leg at the 2012 Oscars. Angelina's Atelier Versace dress was a hit but it was her leg, freed by a thigh-high slit and shown off by the actress' clearly deliberate limb-exposing pose, that stole the show, so much so that special fan pages and Twitter accounts dedicated to Angelina's right leg were created on social media. If we had to crown one person the queen of viral looks, it would be Priyanka Chopra who not only made a Google end-of-year list for her Oscar dress but also gave us back-to-back meme inspiring Met Gala appearances. In 2016, Priyanka's white Zuhair Murad gown was the seventh most-searched Oscar dress. The next year, she wore a Ralph Lauren trench gown to the Met Gala, which Twitter compared to Aladdin's carpet, malai in a cup of tea, a tent and what not. But that didn't stop the Quantico actress from experimenting with her look at subsequent Met Galas. In 2019, Priyanka went with a futuristic Dior gown styled with an Afro and dramatic make-up in keeping with the theme 'Camp: Notes On Fashion.' Mostly lauded for sartorial choices, Sonam Kapoor was, for once, on the receiving end of mixed reactions to her Elie Saab feathered dress that she wore to the screening of Inside Out at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015.

Here are a few looks that went viral.

Priyanka Chopra And Deepika Padukone's Global Domination

This was the decade that Priyanka and Deepika took the world by storm. The former starred in her own American network show, Quantico, following it up with a villainous turn in the Baywatch movie opposite Dwayne Johnson; the latter made her Hollywood debut in Vin Diesel's xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage. With these international projects came international red carpet appearances. Both Priyanka and Deepika appeared at the Met Gala and the Cannes Film Festival. Priyanka showed up at the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys. Deepika was invited to Oscar after-parties and the MTV EMAs in 2016; she also travelled the world attending xXxpremieres in one show-stopping dress after another.

Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone at Met Gala 2019.

Bollywood Sets Fashion Trends

When it comes to filmy fashion, history will be much kinder to 2010-2019 than it was to the Eighties or Nineties. This was the decade that gave us films which offered some steal-worthy, rather than cringeworthy, looks. Aisha, Student Of The Year 2 and Veere Di Wedding spring to mind. Across the world, Sex And The City 2 was continuing OG fashion influencer Carrie Bradshaw's style revolution - in Bollywood, Sonam Kapoor and gang were doing their best to make films that served up entertainment with a side of fashion inspo. In 2010, the same year that Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte went to Abu Dhabi, Sonam Kapoor gave us a film that can be best described as every fashionista's dream come true - Aisha. Action Replayy (2010) and Bombay Velvet (2014) redefined retro fashion. Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Student Of The Year (2012) and Veere Di Wedding gave us fashion goals for the wedding season.

Aisha and Sex And The City 2 gave us major fashion goals.

Baby Bumps On Runways

This fashion moment was empowering in every sense. Mothers-to-be took over fashion ramps and were a sheer delight to watch and learn from. Kareena Kapoor, pregnant with Taimur, walked the ramp in an embellished Sabyasachi Mukherjee lehenga in 2016. Supermodel Carol Gracias and TV star Shweta Salve also took catwalks by storm. In 2018, Neha Dhupia walked the ramp for fashion designer Payal Singhal's show at the Lakme Fashion Week, where she was accompanied by her husband Angad Bedi.

When pregnant Kareena Kapoor, Shweta Salve and Carol Gracias walked the ramps.

Lady Gaga's Fashion Renaissance

If there's one thing that changed over these last 10 years, it is Lady Gaga's sense of style. The singer began the decade in looks that turned the octane up from flamboyant to outrageous to outright shocking - meat dress, check. Then, after peak Gaga mid-decade, she switched downwards from outre to elegant, finally showing up the 2019 Oscars in a relatively conventional Hedi Slimane ballgown in black. Do we like it? We think the Poker Face hitmaker looks great whatever she wears - sometimes, though, we do miss the ghost of Gaga past.

The evolution of Lady Gaga's style.

A New Style: The Rise Of Airport And Gym Looks

It is almost impossible to scroll down your social media feed without chancing upon a celebrity's picture, right? Some at gyms, some at the airport and some pictures are just plain old selfies. In the last decade, the rise of airport and gym looks has been quite a thing, a function partly of social media and partly of paparazzi culture. Conscious of cameras wherever they went, celebrities began paying special attention to their off-duty style. From trackpants, jumpsuits, tracksuits and oversized tees, the airport looks scream practicality and we love it. Let Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor (despite a self-professed disdain for the 'airport look'), Anushka Sharma and other stars be your guides to nailing comfort yet stylish dressing for travel. Also, leave it to Bollywood stars to make gym outfits look photoshoot-worthy with a collection of tank tops, track pants, cycling shorts, ponytails and quirky sneakers. Nobody gets the gym look better than Malaika Arora, Janhvi Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan.

Some airport and gym looks that we loved.

Celebrity Clothing Brands

Perhaps a natural fallout of the airport and gym looks becoming fashion standard was that celebs realised that giving people that opportunity to dress like them IRL was a business opportunity that would fly. They went from fashion muses to fashion icons to, yes, fashion entrepreneurs; in the last ten years, several Bollywood stars started their own clothing and beauty lines - sisters Sonam and Rhea Kapoor launched Rheson in 2017, Deepika Padukone started her apparel label All About You in 2015, Anushka Sharma came up with Nush in 2017 and Katrina Kaif started her cosmetic and beauty line Kay By Katrina in 2019. Hrithik Roshan has an activewear label called HRX and Shahid Kapoor runs the fashion label Skult. Bipasha Basu started a line called Trunk Label.

Anushka Sharma in Nush and Sonam Kapoor in a Reason outfit.

Blurred Fashion Lines

If 10 years ago, we told you that a top male star had showed up at an award show wearing a skirt, you would probably laugh it off as a joke. But times changed and so did fashion, with more than a little help from Ranveer Singh who has worn everything from a septum ring on a magazine cover to skirts on red carpets to a high ponytail at an award show. Gender-neutral power dressing is slowly becoming the new normal, with actresses showing up in tuxedos and suits at big ticket events with increasing frequency. Lady Gaga's done it, so has Sonam Kapoor and so have any number of other stars. May their tribe live long and prosper.

Ranveer Singh and Sonam Kapoor embraced androgynous fashion and how.

Hair: The Long And The Short Of It

Style experiments were not confined to celebs' outfits. Over the last few years, Bollywood stars experimented with their hairdos and how. How can we forget Anushka Sharma's pixie hair in the 2014 film PK or her wild curls in the 2018 blockbuster Sanju? In real life too, Anushka sported a lob and she looked simply fab. Even Deepika Padukone, known for her voluminous tresses, took a short cut this year. Katrina Kaif's red hair all but overshadowed her outfits at her sole Cannes appearance in 2015. And there's no mentioning hair without naming chameleon Kangana Ranaut, who shuttles between curly and sleek with clockwork regularity.

Bollywood stars experimented with their hair.

Bonus: That One Perfect Red Carpet Moment

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has a hit-and-miss equation with fashion, more miss than hit, it must be said. However, in 2014, she gifted us a standout red carpet look at the Cannes Film Festival, redeeming years of fashion fails in a gold mermaid gown by Roberto Cavalli, accessorised with coral lips and va-va-voom hair. In short, she slayed. All is forgiven, Aishwarya - if there is a fashion moment that sums the decade up, it is this.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's 2014 Cannes look.

That's all, folks. See you in 2020.

More:
Top 10 Fashion Moments Of The Decade, From Sarees At Cannes To Baby Bumps On Ramps - NDTV News

The increasing obesity level and rising concern for health have occupied the minds of consumers. People have become conscious about their eating habits fueling the demand for healthy foods. Majority of the population across the globe opts for food products with fewer calories but rich in essential nutrients and vitamins. One such product is fruit and vegetable seeds which have procured the acceptance among the consumers due to their dense nutrient content.

The evolution in the market has shepherded the development of different types of seeds such as: apple seeds, cucumber seeds, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond seeds among others. Among these melon seeds lay a pivot role due to the multi-benefit profile and easy availability contributing to the growth of global melon seeds market to an impressive extent. Currently, the demand for melon seeds have high demand in bakery, desserts, and others as it contains unsaturated fats and higher fiber content.

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Melon seeds have high demand in food processing especially for making traditional desserts. These seeds have numerous health benefits such as: boosting the immunity, normalizing blood-fat levels, weight loss and contribute to the wound healing process. The omega-3 fatty acids and rich protein content play a vital role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Apart from the health benefits, melon seeds are highly recommended in the cosmetic products due to the ability to stimulate cell growth and maintaining suppleness of skin.

The phytochemical and anti-microbial activity of the melon seeds makes them a nexus ingredient for the elimination of bacterial infection. Over the past few years, the demand for melon seeds has increased widely in the APAC mainly in: India, Japan, China, Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia. The growing consumer awareness regarding the benefits from melon seeds has augmented its market value at a global level.

Some of the key players operating in theglobal melon seed marketare: Cronus Seeds, Yuksel Tohum A.S., Sakata Seed Corporation, Ahern Seeds, Limagrain, East-West Seed, Nunhems, HaZera seeds, United Genetics, Semilas Fito, Syngenta, Origene Seeds, among others.

Melon seeds offer profuse benefits be it in the healthcare, food or cosmetic sector. In the underway era of a healthy lifestyle, melon seeds have swept its way into the market. Therefore, the participants need to forge their way especially into North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific countries as it has wide applications in food, cosmetics and personal care industry.

This post was originally published on Market Research Sheets

Link:
Melon Seed Market Increasing Trends of Own Lawn and Gardens in Residential & Commercial Construction 2018 2026 - Market Research Sheets

This is the time of the year when predictions and trends in almost every sector are being made or revealed by businesses worldwide. Joining in is Travelport unveiling the 2020 Trends that will shape travel experiences at the start of the next decade.

The independent research carried out among global travellers, travel professionals and brands leaders revealed among the trends impacting online travel are the rise of the environment travellers, demand for more self-service options, superapps domination and changes in retailing travel.

Here is a brief summary of the trends (view the infographic here):

Travellers are becoming more and more conscious of the environment when on the road for pleasure or business. Travelports survey finds 42% of leisure travellers make travel choices based on environmental factors, while 55% of business travellers choose eco-friendly travel options.

Travellers are moving towards self-service options with 55% of those surveyed preferring to hear about travel disruption via digital communications rather than speak with a person on the phone. This trend is prevalent among Gen Z (born between 1996-2010), deemed the future business traveller in the report, who manage their high expectations through technology.

Superapps give users a one-stop shop to communicate, shop online, book travel, bank, find a date, order food and pay for anything within a single, unified smartphone app. They are well established in South-east Asia with tech giants WeChat, Grab and Gojek leading the way in providing their customers with the all-in-one app.

According to Travelport, superapps are spreading west from their established base in South-east Asia. Travel brands that want to deliver holistic mobile customer experiences have to think about how they engage travellers within these apps and in their own mobile channels, advised the technology company.

The research find that 2020 will see an accelerated rate of change in the way travel is retailed and purchased online. This includes wider and more complex multi-content reach, more enriched and comparable offerings, more focus on relevance than magnitude and increase in automation that enables customer self-service.

These insights into the forces which will shape travel experiences as we start a new decade show were seeing rapid change in content retailing particularly online and an evolution of mobile travel as we all increasingly depend on our devices to help us navigate the world, commented Fiona Shanley, chief customer and marketing officer at Travelport .

Its clear to see customers are driving change across the travel industry with new topics, such as the environmental impact of travel and when an agency could successfully employ a bot, showing the 2020s will be another era of rapid change for travel.

Featured image credit: hanohiki/Getty Images

Read the rest here:
These are the trends that will shape travel experiences in the next decade - Web In Travel

Its the end of the decade and were looking back at what games we loved the most. Ive compiled a list of my 10 favorite games of the last 10 years. Since lists are always divisive by nature, I feel compelled to say that I formed my list by using a very simple metric: What 10 games did I love playing the most?

That means my list may not be the most diverse one youll see, but its 100% honest. I didnt throw in games for genres I dont play just to tick off a box, I picked what I enjoyed. That being said, there is nothing wrong with a little healthy disagreement should you choose to engage with us.

The original Super Mario Galaxy was everything I wanted in a Mario game. As someone who didnt love Super Mario Sunshine as much as most, I wanted a game that took Mario to a variety of locations, utilized the power ups (new and old) in creative ways, and recaptured some of that pure Nintendo fun I felt was missing from Sunshine. Galaxy delivered all that and became my favorite Mario game at the time.

Super Mario Galaxy 2, released in 2010, initially gave off a Lost Levels vibe. It was the sequel to a smash where the gameplay and aesthetic stay the same. It was the subtle changes, along with one major addition, that made this game surpass the original.

Galaxys main issue was that the levels were scattered inside the hub area, meaning you had to go to different areas to play different levels. G2 streamlined this with Starship Mario, an intentionally concise hub planet where you could travel to whichever planet you wanted by interacting with the starship steering wheel. The levels were displayed on a grid (Much like Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS). The ability to dive into any of the planets I had discovered immediately was a massive time saver. Some were disappointed there was less to do as far as hub world exploration went, but I care about the levels themselves, and this game trims all the fat and gets right down to it.

While Galaxy had an elaborate (for a Mario game) plot, Shigeru Miyamoto specifically wanted Galaxy 2 to have as little story as possible. I mean, this is why the man is a genius. Fun trumps everything. Get out of my way and let me play.

The main difference between 1 and 2 was the addition of Yoshi, whose moves and controls were actually better suited and easier to handle using the Wiimote and Nunchuk.When I look back at some of my favorite games of the Nintendo Wii, I often forget how much of a nuisance motion controls were. Donkey Kong Country Returns was an exceptional game, but going back to it I was unable to tolerate the shaking and the waggling. The Mario Galaxy games were always the exception (unless you count pointing the Wiimote at the screen to collect Star Bits, because I always hated that little bit of business).

Are there better overall Mario games? Yes. Are there more groundbreaking Mario games? Yes. So why is Galaxy 2 my favorite Mario game of the decade? Its the one I had the most fun playing. I consulted the metric, and that checks out.

Honorable Mention: Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World

What started out as a Flash game turned into a bona fide indie smash. These days the indie game market is flooded with rogue-lite, procedurally generated titles, but Isaac is my all time favorite of the genre, and is in my top 3 favorite games of all time.

What drew me to this title was the look. It is heavily inspired by the dungeon layout of the original The Legend of Zelda title, so to me this was like playing a Zelda dungeon generator. A never ending supply of fresh gameplay perfection.

Through the years the game has received multiple updates, subtitle changes, added items and challenges. The greatest feature of this game is its ability to force you to use your judgment, make choices, and learn through experience how to become a better player.

Isaac is the first game I wrote about here because it meant so much to me. Ive since become a rabid Edmund McMillen fan, who has the ability to make games I dont normally like, and turn them into unforgiving, tough as nails experiences that will often turn you into a sadist.

Also, I got a Platinum trophy for it, and completed every single thing the game has to offer which took meyears. And I still play it every week.

Honorable Mention: Dead Cells, Spelunky

Ni No Kuni is the perfect RPG. It has breathtaking animation from the Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, known for the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. The battle system is simple, but has deep, layered functionality that you will need to master during the back end of the adventure.

You play as Oliver, a young boy who lost his mother and is dealing with the loss as best he can. You are joined on your adventure by Drippy, your doll that comes to life after your tears awaken him. He speaks in a charming Welsh accent and serves as your main sidekick. You will gain two other companions as well, Esther, the daughter of a great sage, and Swaine, a boastful petty thief.

As a kid, when RPGs were not yet popular, I used to dream of bright and vast worlds teeming with secrets to uncover. This is what my mind envisioned. A game that gives you dozens of different game play mechanics to play with should you so choose.

To this day I have never played a Pokemon game, but Ni No Kuni allows you to capture enemies, raise them, power them up, and have them fight alongside you in battle. You can control as many or as few characters and familiars as you want in battles.

The battles themselves unfold in a way that allows you to wander the play field instead of standing still like many of the RPGs at the time. I found the battles to be interesting, and when they started to become tedious, I would experiment with different weapons and attacks, which would lead to discovering new item drops and better methods of fighting.

The animation is stunning, but so is the music and the voice acting. When Ni No Kuni II released, I was disappointed that they severely scaled back the voice acting. The PS3 games use of voice acting made the game so much more immersive.

Now that Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch has been released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, you should do yourself a favor and pick it up. You wont be sorry.

Honorable Mention: Dragon Quest XI: Echos of an Elusive Age

Slow down. Thats what I told myself when I began playing Skyrim back in 2011. I had gotten Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion when I first got a PS3 and I could not get into it. It was too confusing, too aimless. I didnt know what I was doing. I didnt know what set townsfolk off. So for Skyrim, I went slow. I took it all in.

I wound up putting over 200 hours into my initial playthrough of the game. Ive since played several other times as Ive repurchased it for PS4 and Nintendo Switch (Im a re-purchaser).

I remember finding out someone I knew played the game as much as I did. We spent hours talking about our techniques, our strategies, the funny quirks and bugs, and clever ways to exploit the game. When you have a game as huge as this, you adapt to the glitches.

As you play through the game, youll make a home for yourself, become an adept locksmith, an alchemist, a spell caster, a blacksmith, a loving (or indifferent) spouse, an intrepid explorer, and more. Seriously, the list could just keep going. Its all there for you, and you get to pick and choose which things you want to do which in my case waseverything.

Also, Im not a PC gamer, but if mods are your thing, Skyrim has got the goods.

Honorable Mention: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt

I never played a Persona game until I owned a PS Vita and was told by everyone that it wasthegame to own for the system. I got it and was instantly distraught because it wasnt what I wanted the game to be. There was too much story and not enough action. There didnt seem to be enough time in the day to do everything I wanted to do. I was intrigued by the central mystery of the game, and found the characters to be engaging, but I wondered when the little voice in the back of my brain would start asking if we were having fun yet.

Then something happened: I stopped worrying. I just made choices. I lived with what I chose and didnt live in regret for the choices I didnt make. Islowed down, the exact thing I made a conscious choice to do from the get-go when playing Skyrim, and it made me totally fall in love with this game.

The game is part murder mystery, part action RPG, part life simulator, and part surrealist fever dream. Having since gone forward and back in the series as a player, I now know the general idea of a Persona game, but having played 4 first, Im partial to it over the others, including the gorgeous5which I have not finished as of yet.

The gameplay is classic JRPG goodness, but what is really stunning is the depth of the characters, and the way they wrestling with their darker emotions. The game went places I didnt know mainstream games went. There was an emotional honesty that is missing in games where your character is usually either a paragon of virtue or an amoral jerk. Getting me to care about gaming characters is tough, but I did with these, and I never wanted to fracture relationships with people I liked.

A game this good, this different, this honest, deserves at least a look from gamers to see if it clicks for you the way it surprisingly clicked for me.

Honorable Mention: Persona 5, Tokyo Mirage Session #FE

2013? I cant believe its been this long since a new GTA game came out, although from what I hear, another one is potentially on the horizon.

I was slightly disenchanted with Rockstars fourth mainline entry in the series. It was overstuffed and excessive, and not in that good way that this series does so well. You were constantly bombarded with people vying for your attention and personally, it gave me too manyoptions. The game map was littered with so many points of interest they often overwhelmed me, especially as someone who likes to do all the side missions before the main campaign.

Luckily, the franchise got me back with V, a return to my favorite location in the series, San Andreas. Here, you are in control of three separate characters: Michael, the presumed dead FIB informant living a pretty sweet life in witness protection; Franklin, a low level criminal dissatisfied with high risk/ low reward jobs and friends who dont have his back; and Trevor, a complete and total sociopath.

The dialogue is classic GTA: over-the-top vulgar, offensive, and button pushing. It doesnt hold back in any regard, and yet, has a lot of smart things to say about how society acts (or reacts) to people they deem to be the problem. Whether its through dialogue in missions, people on the street, TV programs and commercials (that you can lose an hour just watching along with your character) and even websites, the games satire is simultaneously grandiose and realistic.

The current gen systems also got First Person mode, which allows you to turn the game into a FPS for when shit goes down. I found this to be perhaps the greatest addition to the series, as you can approach gunfights several different ways.

The graphics are stunning, the AI of NPCs is worthy of its own article, and the gameplay is pure joy (if anarchy and an unleashed id are your bag).

Honorable Mention: Yakuza 0

It wasnt the first 8 bit throwback game, it was just the one that mastered the art of making an old school game that replaces every boring tedious 8 bit game mechanic with a cool, often random, fun alternative.

The tight platforming, the level design that call to mind Mega Man and Castlevania, the pixel perfect art, and a metric ton of content make this not only a great old school game, but a great game overall.

I played it on WiiU and kept getting add on content for free. RecentlyI plunked down $24.99 for the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which will entitle me toallthe DLC Yacht Club Games has to offer (the price as of Dec 10, 2019 is now $39.99, and is stilla deal).

Those who love an old school challenge will enjoy this game, which is tough but fair. I completed the main campaign myself, and still have most of the add on content to go through, and there is so much variety in gameplay that you are getting wholly new experiences, not reskinned characters and frivolous bells and whistles.

The team at Yacht Club Games outdid themselves, and I, for one, am looking forward to their next game, Shovel Knight Dig.

Honorable Mention: The Shantae series.

The WiiU was a commercial bust of a system. It was marketed so poorly even I had no idea what it was trying to be. Im a simple gamer when it comes to systems. I dont need it to do anything except play games (and now have streaming services). Its all about the games to me, and the WiiU hadgames. The fact most of its AAA library has been ported over to the Switch is proof of that.

When Super Mario Maker was announced it was a dream come true for me and millions of Mario fans that had always dreamed of creating their own levels. Not only that, having the WiiU pad meant you could design levels using a stylus on the screen. The controls were simple, intuitive and easy to do (and undo) anything you did.

You could instantly make the level playable at any point to see how it was in action. Make a jump impossible? Extend the floor a few blocks and have Mario try again. The game was all about experimentation and discovery. You had so many tools at your disposal, including special effects, sound effects, and clever new twists on items and enemies.

Sadly, Im not much of a level designer. I could make beautifullookinglevels (one inspired by Bubble Bobble got me the bulk of all my likes and stars), but never anything that was challenging in an inventive way. Luckily, the gaming community answered the call and created some brilliant levels. Some were good old fashioned platforming challenges, and some were Rube Goldberg contraptions, while others seemed to ape the punishing difficulty of Kaizo Mario levels.

Super Mario Maker 2 built on this, adding a Super Mario 3D World game style, a Story Mode (which is like a new Super Mario game insidea Mario Maker game), and just released DLC that allows you to create levels where you can play as Link from The Legend of Zelda, where you use your sword, shield, bombs and arrows.

I couldve chosen either games for this list, but since the original was so revolutionary I went with that one even though most people will, and should, purchase 2 since the Switch is Nintendos latest console. And SMM2 has slopes and the Angry Sun. You have no idea how much people wanted those back when the original game was out.

Honorable Mention: Super Mario Maker 2

I love the Zelda series, but even I have issues with some of the games. I found Zelda II to be ugly and lacking replayability. I found the first few hours of Twilight Princess to be an interminable slog and overly hand-holdy (despite it having my all time favorite Zelda character in it, Midna). And Skyward Swordgoodnessdid that game disappoint me in almost every way.

Breath of the Wild is a revelation. Its back to basics approach was married with open world exploration in a way that few games have been able to capture. There is literally no other game world I love exploring more than Hyrule in BotW. The world itself is gigantic. Ive played the game for hundreds of hours and there are still several areas I have barely explored.

Anyone who has played the game will know this world is teeming with things to find. You can spend a whole day searching for Korok seeds (there are 900 of them total), or looking for hidden treasure chests under ground, underwater, or in hidden caves.

Its not just about discovering items, its about encountering moments. Ive seen whirlwinds scoop up fish and rain them down like a Biblical storm of frogs. I once froze an enemy in a block of ice and watched as his buddies chipped away at it with their spears.

There is also a renewed sense of agency in the game, as you can often complete tasks and shrines (which replace the standard dungeons) in dozens of different ways. This is a game where if you can dream up a possible solution, chances are the programmers have set you up for success. Nothing is more disheartening than having a clever idea, only to discover the people behind the game either didnt plan for that, or couldnt be bothered to include it.

There is a reason these games take so long to come out. Breath of the Wild is not above criticism and small, minor complaints, but it is a masterpiece that every gamer should experience to relive the feeling of freedom wandering the world of Hyrule in a way they havent since the original 8 bit game.

Honorable Mention: Horizon Zero Dawn

Mild Spoilers Ahead

The original God of War games were a product of their time. The ultra violent, nihilistic tone was part of their charm. Im not a hand wringer when it comes to social commentary, and find the policing of art (whether its TV, movies, music or gaming) to be just as curious today as I did when I was a gamer in the late 80s and early 90s. Oddly enough, it seems like whatever side of the political spectrum you fall on, someone has an opinion about why the thing you like is bad, or problematic, or whatever buzzword armchair critics and people with a strong, aggressive Twitter presence are currently using.

Kratos, the main character of the series, has always been a bit of a lightening rod. Even someone like myself found him to be abrasive and downright unlikable at times. He went from a tortured warrior, towellan asshole.

I was not thrilled however when I heard the new game would try to evolve the character. Too often, that means reckoning with toxic masculinity or reshaping a character to fit more with standard societal norms, to which I am not opposed. However, it is often done in a clumsy, or preachy, way that extracts the heart of what made something different in the first place.

God of War (2018) is an evolution of Kratos, a brilliant, gorgeous, amazing evolution. Kratos is now older (the gray in his beard tells you this). He is a father now, to a young boy, Atreus (although more often than not he simply refers to him as Boy). He has left the world of Greek mythology behind in favor of Norse mythology. He disemboweled most of the Greek legends and gods anyway.

Where Kratos was once a perpetually enraged monster, he is now a survivalist, hell bent on teaching his son to survive in the brutal and often unkind world. He is not harsh with his son out of anger; he is that way because his son needs to learn how to survive in a world where good and evil are not always clearly defined.

The game is stunningly played out as one continuous shot beginning with the title screen. Atreus is almost always by your side, and if this gives you any apprehensions fear not, this is no escort mission where you have to protect a helpless NPC that constantly makes life hard for you. Atreus can be leveled up as well, and you can customize how he plays as well.

Many were upset when they found out Kratos uses an ax in this game, instead of his usual Blades of Chaos, but once you adapt to the mechanics of the ax, you may find that you love itmorethan the old familiar. Plus, if you dont, you return to your home midway through the game, pull up the floor boards and retrieve your beloved Blades in a scene that gave me chills when I pieced together what he was doing.

This game did indeed reckon with the bad part of Kratos, and it did it with masterful storytelling. It didnt excuse the past actions of Kratos, but it allowed him to move forward and continue to grow. He would scold his son, he would yell, but he would also listen, he allowed Atreus to express himself as well. Not to mention, there is probably no moment that better encapsulates this new Kratos than when we watch as he moves his hand slowly toward the back of his son, looking to simply comfort him, before pulling away his hand and holding back. Its not that he is withholding, or incapable of empathy, he is just trying to figure out how to love his son the best way he knows how. Its powerful and its real, and it honestly moved me in a way few games ever have.

Thats all she wrote, kiddos. The 2010s are over, and the 20s are upon us. What did you think of my list? Are you upset I had no XBox or 3DS titles on it? Where were the sports games, or real time strategy games? Lets talk about it.

Plus, whats better than one list? Two lists! Our own Collin Henderson will be revealing his top 10 list soon as well. Then the debates can truly begin!

Help us keep the conversation alive! We publish new content daily that can easily be found by following us onTwitter,Instagram, by joining ourFacebook Page, or becoming an email subscriber here onthe site. Thank you as always for your support of 25YL!

If you would like to write for 25YL leave us a message on our websitehereor send an email to: andrew@25YearsLaterSite.com

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Editor's Choice: Johnny's 10 Favorite Games of the Decade - 25YearsLaterSite.com

Screenshot: Centro Storico Fiat (Youtube)

Fiat went through the wringer in the 1970s. The original 500 was canned and the the brand introduced a new wave of front-wheel drive hatches. Eventuallyr the Ritmo was launched, but not before a major injection of cash from a man in North Africa named Muammar Qaddafi. The first Fiat plant was opened in the major overseas market of Brazil. The company had to change because it was up against a lot back then. And while most of the marques more creative decisions of the era at least appeared to attempt to drive sales (Fiat X1/9, I see you), this film stands apart.

Because when Fiat of 1977, in the midst of all those growing pains, decided to put out a short animated film, it didnt make up your average short advertising film. No, this was nothing like BMWs The Hire. Its hardly an ad at all, to be honest. Why? Because the film itself is honest. It holds back almost nothing about the challenges car culture posed to humanity and vice versa back in 1977. I guess thats what an angsty Fiat, torn up by a market in upheaval, might put out. Its oddly raw, even pessimistic about the product its promoting, but thats exactly what I like about it.

The nearly forty-minute film intersperses animated shorts of varying styles with live-action sketches depicting a motorist confronted by the very real human ills created and exacerbated by the automobile. From depicting choking congestion and the dangers of road rage to a somewhat racist attempt to tackle automotive machismo, the animated segments slowly convince the protagonist that his love affair with cars is much more costly than he first realized.

All ll the while the animators challenge the viewer with ever more imaginative depictions of cars, the people who drive them, and the roads they occupy. I wish I could speak a little more to whats going on with the style of animation (Ill pretend to go to film school someday) but just take a moment to see a few of the shorts. Each one clearly took an immense effort to animate and the results are just beautiful.

Fiat must have been aware that you might come away from this film a little worried that the automaker had totally lost its drive, that the tragedy of the motorcar had taken in its toll on the big brand from Turin, and thats why theres a disclaimer at the beginning:

The car is an integral part of the everyday life of the modern world. It provides material for paintings, songs, novels, posters, sculptures, comic strips, and films.

In CARTOONS youll be seeing the car as observed by animated cartoonists in moods that vary from from the absurd to the cynical. Some of these cartoons are critical of the car and drivers but we see no reason to conceal such attitudes for after all it is not the car that is good or bad, but the way we use it.

Lets use it intelligently, then and enjoy CARTOONS.

That seems to be a rather enlightened perspective for a piece of film put out by an automaker, but its important to remember just what Fiat was contending with during the late 70s. 1977, when this film came out, was right in the middle of the Years of Lead, when the Red Brigades had their sights on symbols of Italys troubled process of industrialization, Fiat chief among them. Add to that the backlash from the Right against that 1976 loan from Libya and all it entailed and Fiat was in a tough spot.

Absent a clear explanation form the company itself, it seems reasonable to assume that putting out a project like this might have been seen as an aesthetic olive branch, an attempt to convey a degree of self-awareness on the part of Fiat that might have been seen as lacking by a company still helmed by the glamorous Agnelli clan.

Luckily, Fiat remains self-reflective and Centro Storico Fiat, Fiats archive, has brought the film (along with many other visual artifacts from the firms past) to Youtube.

This version is in Italian, but the quality is a lot nicer.

It should be noted that in addition to cartoons, the Agnelli family was still making sure that the company was still succeeding in the auto market, at least enough to pay for trips to the French Riviera.

While Fiat seemed to be aware that the effects of the proliferation of the automobile were in full effect, it still had some hope for the car as a force for fun and excitement. It was still making the 124 Spider in 1977 and the recently-introduced Bertone-penned, mid-engined X1/9 was also on offer. You know, in case you werent totally sold on the cars are merely a neutral medium for the automation of human existence thesis Fiat was clearly onto with these cartoons, for whatever its worth.

Read this article:
In 1977, Fiat Put The Car In Cartoons - Jalopnik

Marta Pozzan in Marta x AFRM.

Marta Pozzans first capsule collection with AFRM, AFRM x Marta Pozzan, launched just in time for the holidays. The Italian content creator and actress wanted to create more than just a wardrobe, but a positive message to her fans and followers. AFRM, which stands for affirmation, is known for writing positive messages on their tags and packaging to uplift the women wearing the clothes. I love the idea of filling our lives with positive and meaningful affirmations; its very important to me as a creative to also give that message to my followers and to remind them that were humans before anything else. We should all respect each other and uplift one another, shared Pozzan on the message of her collaboration. The collaboration was inspired by Pozzans eclectic European background with colorful prints and unique designs.

Marta Pozzan in Marta x AFRM.

Before Pozzan became a designer or graced the covers of Elle, she got her start as a ghost writer for a Vanity Fair in Milan, Italy. Fashion has always been everything to me and working for Vanity Fair taught me so much about designers, the publishing world and creative writing too. Then they had me host little fashion segments for their YouTube channel and thats when I realized I wanted to do more on-camera work and so after graduating from college I came to Los Angeles, went to acting school for a year and then social media took off and brand partnerships became my thing, explained Pozzan on how she grew her social media following to over half a million followers.

Social media transformed Pozzans career for the better and allowed her to garner new opportunities that wouldnt have been presented to her otherwise. Although influencers have become more common over the last few years, Pozzan finds that many people do not understand what her job is. So when TEDx asked her to speak with Oretta Corbelli as digital creator she felt sharing her experience with social media would bring help bring awareness to the industry for those not familiar. I feel like a lot of people ask me on a daily about my job and how it works so it only felt natural to want to explore the topic on a TEDx talk! Also I feel like TEDx brings so much credibility to the table that it made total sense to want to discuss certain aspects of my career on it as it will perhaps be seen by some of the non-industry people out there as something more official and legitimate, said Pozzan.

Marta Pozzan and Oretta Corbelli at TEDx.

Pozzan also felt it was important to highlight how positive social media can be when used correctly, I think if you have a good foundation as a human (which includes education, self awareness and basic social skills) you can do so much good on social media: become your own boss, have your own brand, do charity work, support other peoples business, share your work as an artist, and so on. And the beautiful thing is that if you have a voice and you put it out there anybody can hear it and relate to it and thats how you create a community and awareness around topics that need to be talked about.

For Pozzan using social media has helped her connect with people around the world to bring important issues to light such as mental health. As far as the fad of influencers, Pozzan doesnt see the industry going anywhere anytime soon, There are so many unique and special voices that have helped, inspired and motivated people out there and if they keep doing that in the truest form of what the word influencing means I dont see why they would fade. Influencers bring more approachability to their audience as theyre not yet fully perceived as traditional celebrities and thats a pretty impactful aspect of how influencers are beneficial to brands.

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Marta Pozzan On Her AFRM Design Collaboration And Bringing The Business Of Social Media To TEDx - Forbes

Photo: Courtesy of Ecco

Lidia Yuknavitch, author of Verge (out Feb 4): Hands down, the book that carried me through the year was Ocean Vuongs On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. Im willing to bet this book carried legions of us, with the brutal and yet also tender beauty of the poetics, the intimacy between bodies, the weight of the heart suspended inside longing. This is a book that multiplies meanings, but at the center is a queer coming-of-age story as well as a bicultural family history. The shadow of a mother-son relationship and the shadow of the America-Vietnam relationship haunts the story. I fell in love with the narrator a hundred times over. I also felt suspended between the atomized mother who cannot fully understand the language of her son, a sons attempt to both inhabit as well as break free from his own family history, and the force of nature it takes to wrestle the gap. The language went into my body.

Anna Wiener, author of Uncanny Valley (out Jan 14): What a pleasure it was to read Caleb Crains Overthrow, a novel about political crisis, political optimism, technology, divination, surveillance, queerness, digital subversion, and the profound possibilities of empathy. The book, which is set in the near past, follows a small group of friendsall young, all attempting to carve out a lifewho refer to themselves as the Working Group for the Refinement of the Perception of Feelings. The group lives in an unnamed but familiar city, where there is growing excitement and energy around a particular public, collective political action, la Occupy Wall Street. Some members have telepathic powersmaybewhich lead to an unusual style of digital exploitation. All are struggling for selfhood, connection, privacy, and intimacy, in a time when such pursuits can feel nearly Sisyphean. Perspectives shift, as do individual commitments. The reader begins to question certain narrative realities; this is part of the fun.

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10 Authors on The Best Books They Read in 2019 - Vogue