One of my passions is learning about different CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs and how they impact their respective fields. The imperative to collaborate across fields has become apparent in recent years, and I enjoy studying how these efforts come about in a global context. CSR is an integral tool for sustainability. A recent article published on CSR Europe’s website discusses the future of how collaboration among major players in the NGO field will drive sustainability. BMW is leading the path for this with a collaboration with CSR Europe called “Drive Sustainability.” The article I’m referring to is entitled, “Collaboration: Lack of trust is the main challenge to overcome,” where Ferdinand Geckeler, the Sustainability Manager at BMW is interviewed to discuss his perspective on how collaboration in the auto industry (and across industries) can ensure there is a collective effort for sustainability across NGOs.

As the article asserts, the largest barrier to collaboration is a lack of trust, which is usually justified across industries by the concept of marketplace competition. It makes sense (in theory) that NGOs do not want to share too much about their proprietary works, which would cut into competition. Geckeler thinks this trust issue can be overcome, and I believe this to also be true: Geckeler proposes that the trust issue across industries can be overcome by adhering to a common good (and a common ground) as there are common issues that competitors share together. For example, climate change will affect all NGO competitors in the auto industry (and across industries).

There are significant drawbacks, but they aren’t insurmountable. As Geckeler states in the article, “The main drawback is that our economic system in Europe does not recognize sustainability. I think that we need to add legislation like a supply chain transparency regulation to improve the system step by step, in order to tune the economic machine in a sustainable way.” Policy change in Europe and a shared understanding that sustainability is a shared issue will be setting us all on the right path to ensuring that we are globally on target to reach the UN’s Global Goals by 2030. If this is modeled well by the EU, the US most certainly should follow suit as as there is a shared imperative for sustainability and fears related to competition in the marketplace should not be the barrier for NGOs to collaborate. The program that BMW is leading in collaboration with CSR Europe is setting the stage for how the world can begin standardizing their CSR practices, and the enormity of the good that can do is invaluable.

Every year of my life has included watching the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert (Neujahrskonzert). The annual concert is now a global tradition for ringing in the new year, listening to classical music which is part of the fabric of Austria. I was privileged to have grown up listening to this music and it’s a joy to continue honoring the tradition of the New Year’s Concert (I am making it a goal of mine to receive the coveted tickets for the concert one year!) to enjoy this tradition with my fellow countrymen. You can watch the performance on PBS, as well as stream the concert from the PBS Great Performances website.

Another glorious part of the tradition of the concert is the Vienna Ballet’s involvement: each year, a group of the dancers are featured in a segment on Great Performances on PBS during the concert to dance in beautifully designed costumes alongside the music. Each year, the designer who is given the honor to design the costumes is able to express their artistic flair however they like – they are truly given artistic freedom.

The Neujahrskonzert is a “glorious and enduring representation of the spirit, passion, and respect held for the Austrian tradition of music, song, and dance… the elegance of an era that blended high art with popular entertainment.” (Austrian Information, November/December 2003). Truly, this is the best way of describing how the New Year’s Concert rings in the new year: it’s honoring the past with the tradition of this music and refreshing us all for the future, which holds excitement for what is to come, exactly what this music conveys. Johann Strauss Sr. “Radetzky March” is performed as the closing of every single concert (below) refreshing us all for the new year. ENJOY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The oil painting above, “Diana and Cupid” is by Pompeo Batoni, which he completed in 1761.  The painting was commissioned by Sir Humphrey Morice (1723 – 1785), a wealthy merchant and the director of the Bank of England.  You can see the painting at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and to me, it’s a work that has great significance in representing and combining themes of love and violence.

While the painting does not have an inherently violent theme, it is the presence of the bow in the goddess Diana’s hands, and the way in which Cupid reaches in vain for it, gives me the impression that humans have a natural inclination for the lust for power, or perhaps a desire for what one cannot have as Diana withholds Cupid’s bow.  The image of Diana in the painting is inspired by a statue in the Vatican of the Sleeping Ariadne (below). The work in the Vatican was purchased in 1512 by Pope Julius II. Ariadne was identified to be Cleopatra, who has been consistently depicted thereafter in a reclining position (as famously remembered in Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of the Egyptian ruler in the film 1963 film Cleopatra).

Considering images of the adorable Cupid, the son of Venus, and the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection, it’s interesting to consider themes that arise through that: how violence and love seem so different, yet are not entirely separate, and that they are not parallel themes, but they are interwoven themes.  The arrow is present with Cupid for a reason… love wounds and inflames the heart and love can conquer all.

One of my most coveted routines, my skincare routine is one that I take great care for since I know that moisture and proper skincare can give you the most glowing complexion, which ensures that you don’t need to cover your skin with much makeup. My skin type is oily combination and for years through adolescence and now into adulthood, I have battled acne on and off. It was definitely more pesky in adolescence and I think I have finally lived into a skincare routine that makes sure my skin stays balanced which minimizes breakouts; hydration and minimizing oil on your skin is key.

Over the years, I’ve accumulated quite a bit of knowledge related to healthy skincare, and many times, you will read about how drinking lots of water, exercise, and a healthy, balanced nutrition is also involved with having great skin. This is all true in my opinion, and it’s also about identifying the best regimen for your skin type with identifying any triggers that could cause any issue for your skin (for example, I think certain chocolate can make me breakout).

I think the formula to great skin (whichever skin type you have!) is the 3-Step concept that was initially released in a 1968 issue of Vogue magazine to orient readers to a new cosmetics line that Estée Lauder was planning to release called Clinique. My mother (whose degree is in cosmetology) has showed me the best way to take care of your skin, which has always included these steps which are the key to great skin. The 3-Steps which never fail:

1. Cleanse
2. Exfoliate
3. Moisturize

Clinique has a 3-Step kit where you can buy the products famously associated, but you can also tweak the products to be of your preference of brand and adapt to your skin type. One tip: never go to bed without washing all of your makeup off, that is the golden rule of skincare. Every evening, I enjoy a cup of Chamomile tea to help me relax and fall asleep, as well as combat acne. I drink it as often as I can and definitely in the evening. Also, avoid poor lifestyle habits which will take a toll on your skin (smoking and drinking). Moreover, take care of all of your skin, it’s vital to your health.

I am a huge fan of the concept of beauty boutiques and a strong beauty brand that can stand alone in a timeless way. More recently, there has been a resurgence in this (beauty lovers: think Blushington, a boutique where you can get your makeup done in LA and NY and other spots around the country). Valerie Beverly Hills in particular is ultra chic and classic. Valerie’s namesake brand is in her signature lavender color and she has done makeup for movie stars galore (Lisa Rinna loves her eye patches so much that she uses them almost everyday apparently).

Valerie definitely pioneered the rose shaped blush (which has been a major hit with beauty influencers, especially with the version from Milani Cosmetics) and her classic makeup look is nice and glamorous, like the look below. I have admired Valerie’s beauty style since I came across the boutique when I was reading Molly Bloom’s memoir, Molly’s Game last year. I think the Valerie Beverly Hills boutique stands the test of time in Beverly Hills, especially when she maneuvers so many other powerhouse beauty brands, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills. I think Valerie is here to stay, and her brand is strong enough to still be a fixture of Beverly Hills. If you’re looking for last minute holiday gifts in the beauty department, look no further!

Based out of Sydney, Australia, Meshki has become increasingly well known as a power player among other fast fashion brands (their largest competitors would be the UK brands House of CB and Oh Polly to name a couple). The unique part about Meshki’s branding is how they have cultivated an aesthetic – from the moment that I saw their Instagram page, I noticed that there is a specific aesthetic that they have done an incredible job at cultivating. Celebrities like Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter are catching on and have worn pieces from their collections. The bottom line is – if you’re going anywhere for New Year’s Eve, make sure to find a piece from Meshki, because they no doubt have you covered with the NYE glam look.

It’s truly amazing what you can find on Instagram.  Hailing from Albania, Valdrin Sahiti is known there for creating amazingly luxurious designs, the form so large, that its presence cannot be mistaken – and yet, he does an incredible job of integrating detail that emphasizes the female form.  His bridal dresses are particularly stunning.  He has boutiques in New York, Brussels, Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar… and I wouldn’t be surprised if these designs appeared more frequently on the red carpets in Hollywood sooner than later…  (American female rapper Cardi B has already picked up on him and is a huge fan of his designs!) 

Nike is the Greek Goddess of victory.  Her Roman counterpart is Victoria.  The presence of victory culture is incredibly important in popular culture, and in culture more generally.  Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was often at Union Square growing up.  There is a monument with a small woman atop of it in the center of Union Square: that is the Dewey Monument, a monument to commemorate Admiral George Dewey and his victory in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.  The small woman atop of it is the Goddess of Victory.  It has been in the center of Union Square since 1903. 

I find it ironic that stores flanking Union Square include the athletic giant Nike (named after the Goddess of Victory) and Victoria’s Secret, which is most notable for their famous Victoria’s Secret Angels, known for wearing angel wings during their annual fashion show.  It’s as if the homage to Nike is now through the consumerism of these brands and the values that they represent, which is actually no small feat since Victoria’s Secret and Nike are arguably the more powerful movers and shakers in a global apparel industry. 

In Greek mythology, Nike is usually depicted in the hand of Zeus or Minerva.  Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus as the myths go, and Nike was known for flying around battlefields and rewarding the victors with glory and fame.  This is not unlike the way in which J.K. Rowling depicts the Golden Snitch ball in the game of Quidditch in Harry Potter. 

The importance of victory is valued in society and inherent to that value set is a worship of the ways in which victory can be seen out.  Moreover, there is a protective aspect of Nike in how she presents herself.  A couple more representations of angelic style have been worn at Miss Universe for the national costume portion of the show in the past.  In 2010, Miss USA Rima Fakih wore a costume as the national seal, and in 2015, Miss USA Olivia Jordan wore a costume of a bald eagle that gave similar undertones to outfits worn by Victoria’s Secret Angels. 

There is another angel who presents herself in a yearly fashion: Christkind comes to children as a gift giver in Austria and around Europe for Christmas rather than Santa Claus.  For me, I always thought Christkind was an incredibly magical figure, and I still think she is.  Christkind is an angelic representation of the Christ child, but she is also a reminder of the magic of angels and how they are correlated with victory.  Angels are truly our protectors. 

The term I’m referring to is complex.  Women today, more than ever, are empowered to be who they want to be and voice what they believe.  Truly, how is that precedent even the standard for what women should be happy with?  That’s why we still have a long way to go.  The term “Post-Feminist” is absolutely misleading.  In the world of feminism, it refers to a time after the 1970s saw a renaissance in feminist dialogues, but truly, we are not in a post-feminist world.

Attempts to dispell how women express themselves can be seen in how women perceive the way in which they should express themselves in relation to how other women express themselves.  This leads to how women see the impact of their objectification.  I am well aware that female objectification is still a prevalent issue in society and we must continue to grapple with that.  Kim Kardashian is a great example of this, she is aware of her own objectification, and yet continues to build upon this by feeding into what the public wants to see.  She has been criticized for that.  I would like to propose that we must go beyond constantly questioning the choices of women and taking a stance in trying to empathize more.  From a vantage point of empathy is where we can begin to affect the most change we want to see in the world.

Emily Ratajkowski, a vocal proponent for the furthering of feminist dialogues in today’s world stated in an article to Vogue Australia: “The only argument that I think is sort of interesting is the conversation that somehow I’m playing into a patriarchal society by looking the way I look and capitalising on my sexiness,” she says with a shrug. “But I don’t really care if me wearing a crop top is somehow playing into some patriarchy, because it makes me feel good about myself, and I shouldn’t be limited on that. Making rules as to what a feminist should look like or wear is insane to me.”  Her openness to explain the logic of her decision making is powerful, but the world in which I want to see if I have a daughter someday is one in which they should never even have to feel like they need to explain themselves, because they are accepted for the decisions that they make and they are not questioned for it because they are a woman.

If we continue on a road of questioning the way in which women choose to express themselves, we continue down a road of sidelining women.  Now, more than ever, we need women leaders around the world and we need to empower women to feel strong enough to do that.  As Emma Watson put it, feminism is a choice, and that’s powerful.

A rose is a rose is a… Miss USA?  Miss USA 2018, Sarah Rose Summers has gone ahead and competed in the Miss Universe pageant wearing a rose as her national costume this year.  Miss Summers opted for an homage to her middle name and the national flower of the US, which was fantastic choice, of course.  Wearing a white rose on her wrist was to highlight the #MeToo movement and how the social movement has been the most successful social movement in her lifetime thus far.  The national costume segment of the Miss Universe pageant has arguably become the most enticing part of the show – it’s along the lines of an even bolder version of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.  Bravo to Miss USA this year, that was an ideal choice.