Lightup Concepts

Sarah Jessica Parker is, once again, making it that much easier for us to achieve Carrie Bradshaw–level sartorial greatness. The actress turned shoe designer has released her second collection of shoes, available exclusively at Nordstrom. The fall collection of Parker’s eponymous line is full of ladylike silhouettes in autumnal colors like navy, olive, red, and coral. There are some tried-and-true favorites, like the Carrie, a pointed-toe, T-strap pump, and the Love, a simple but sexy pump, in addition to the new designs. Parker has also continued her tradition of naming the styles after women that inspire her, like the Blythe (below, left).  “Named for the great Blythe Danner, this beautiful shoe exudes a sort of sophistication. A metropolitan personality,” Parker says. “I’m thrilled with the inky blue and the shoe’s proud silhouette.” She describes the Rachel (below, right), which is named after her sister, as a sexy but feminine slingback. It wouldn’t be a ...

Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped at least 30 boys and girls from a village in northeast Nigeria during the weekend. The abductions appear to be the latest in a string of recent kidnappings by Boko Haram that dims hope for the anticipated release of 219 schoolgirls ‎held by the group since April following a controversial ceasefire declared by Nigerian authorities. Heavily armed Boko Haram gunmen invaded the town of Mafa in Borno state Friday and Saturday and seized 30 boys and girls, local leaders said. The news of the kidnappings was slow to emerge due to lack of telecom service in the region, where most telecom towers have been destroyed in Boko Haram's five-year insurgency against Nigeria's government. "‎In the past two days Boko Haram insurgents stormed Mafa and abducted 30 boys aged 13 and above and girls aged 11 and above," Mafa local government chairman Shettima Maina said. Nigeria's challenges Boko Haram hostages freed in Cameroon He kept fighting for...

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff won a hotly contested runoff election on Sunday. With more than 99% of votes counted, the incumbent Rousseff had 51.59% of the vote, according to official results. Opposition candidate Aecio Neves garnered 48.41%. Neves said he called to congratulate Rousseff, who thanked voters on Twitter late Sunday for their support. The election was one of the tightest competitions in recent years. Before becoming the country's first female president in 2011, Rousseff, from the Workers' Party, was chief of staff to former President Lula da Silva. She claims that under the presidencies of her predecessor and herself, masses of Brazilians have risen out of poverty. Rousseff, 66, presided over the soccer World Cup in Brazil. She took a lot of political flack over how public money was spent. The President defeated Neves, a 54-year-old economist, who is a well-known name and a career politician. His campaign slogan promised reforms to lower inflat...

A 5-year-old boy who recently returned to New York City from the West African nation of Guinea is being tested for Ebola after he was rushed to the hospital with symptoms consistent with the disease, according to health officials. The child was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center on Sunday night by emergency medical workers outfitted in personal protective gear and immediately placed in isolation. The New York City health commissioner, Mary T. Bassett, speaking on MSNBC, said that they expected to get the results back by early afternoon. The family returned in recent days from Guinea and the people who lived in the home with the boy were immediately ordered quarantined in their apartment, according to city officials. While the child’s travel history was clear, and worrisome, it was less certain whether he had any known contacts with people infected with Ebola. There have been dozens of suspicious cases in New York City, and in almost all of the cases, doctors were able to r...

The 8-year-old girl who was molested by Mama June's new guy is June's own daughter, Anna ... and Anna wanted us to tell everybody. TMZ broke the story ... June is dating her ex, Mark McDaniel, who was released in March after serving 10 years in prison for forcing a girl to perform oral sex on him. June has been dating McDaniel since his release -- something she denies despite photos and other evidence -- and that's why TLC cancelled "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." Sources tell TMZ ... Anna Cardwell -- who is now 20 and married with a child -- believed her mom earlier today that she was not dating the man who molested her.  But we're told Anna has now received a lot more info, and is now convinced June betrayed her by seeing McDaniel again. Anna -- known on the show as Chickadee -- wants it known she's the victim because it makes what her mom is doing all the more egregious. We're told Anna feels her relationship with her mom has been destroyed, and ...

Beyoncé has teamed up with Topshop for a new activewear brand! The company, called Parkwood Topshop Athletic Ltd., will launch its first products next fall. “I have always loved Topshop for its fashion credentials and forward thinking,” Beyoncé said in a statement. “Working with its development team to create and produce a technical and fashion-led collection is exciting and I’m looking forward to participating in all aspects of this partnership.” The pieces from Beyoncé and Topshop’s joint venture will span dance, fitness, and sports categories, according to WWD. If you’ve ever caught a performance by the “Flawless” singer, you’ve probably admired her physical prowess and workout ethic so this new endeavor seems like a sensible step for Queen Bey, who is no stranger to clothing design with her House of Deréon ready-to-wear line. Athleisure has recently become one of the biggest movements in fashion, with an increasing number of brands launching sportswear lines. And one especi...

OCTOBER 23, 2014 The Duchess of Cambridge attended the Action on Addiction Autumn Gala in London in a black Temperley London frock accessorized with black pumps, a black sequined clutch, simple drop earrings, and her signature blowout. OCTOBER 21, 2014 Duchess Kate looked gorgeous at her second appearance since announcing she's expecting. Middleton wore a sexy ice blue Jenny Packham gown that featured three-quarter length sleeves, a ruched bodice, and a thigh-high slit. She accessorized with cream ankle strap heels and a cream clutch. OCTOBER 21, 2014 The Duchess accessorized her gray Alexander McQueen coatdress with a Jane Taylor hat, a black Jenny Packham clutch, and black pumps for her first official engagement (welcoming President of Singapore Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife, Mary, to London) since announcing her second pregnancy. AUGUST 5, 2014 Middleton chose a royal blue L.K. Bennett crepe sheath dress for a visit to the Tower of London’s ‘Blood Swept Lands...

                                    There was pandemonium at the Ugbowo Campus of the University of Benin on Friday when a 300-level student of the Department of Chemistry, Gbenedio Ejyroghene, was gruesomely murdered by unknown gunmen. PUNCH Metro learnt that Ejyroghene, popularly called “Kazito,” was taking part in a jeans carnival organised for final-year students of the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the 1000-Lecture Theatre field of the faculty when he was shot in the head by the assailants around 7pm. A source in the institution, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the late chemistry student was on probation until his death and was often spotted in the final-year class of the department. He said, “He was in 300 level and was on probation. But he was not always in his class. “A final-year jeans carnival was being held on that day for the faculty and students were havi...

An Oprah Winfrey fan got her wish and met the legendary talker Saturday night in Miami ... unfortunately it came after O's driver ran over her foot. It went down outside Prime 112, one of the hottest restaurants in town.  Lori Geller Bender tells the NY Post she was heading into the restaurant when she saw O get in her SUV and begin to pull away. Then the car rolled right over her foot. Bender says the driver put the car in reverse, freeing her foot ... and Oprah came flying out of the car to check on her. She was fine and says Oprah was super nice ... comforting her and taking a photo. Bender says, "It has always been on my bucket list to meet Oprah, but I could never have imagined it would be because her driver ran over my toe."