Stainless steel appliances. They’re eye-pleasing, sleek and darned near a cliche these days. But that ubiquity means a lot of people are wrestling with the same problem: how to keep stainless steel clean, ward off scratches and keep a notoriously touchy surface factory-fresh. Deservedly or not, stainless steel has picked up a reputation as something of a dirt magnet. “It is a surface that requ...

Manager says Taiwan’s first W hotel aims to exceed 45 percent occupancy rate this year TAIPEI ― In the bustling central business district of Xinyi in Taipei, W Taipei hotel encased in radiant glass stands tall not far from the iconic 101 Tower which shoots up more than 500 meters into the sky. Arriving at the first W hotel in Taiwan, a large stainless steel installation called “The Chain” is se...

‘Korean chic’ gains attention overseas via YouTube and makeup brands With Girl’s Generation’s bubbly song “Snowy Wish” running in the background, a Thai girl with the YouTube ID onnbaby demonstrates how to pull off the “Korean flawless look.” “I have seen lots of people doing Korean makeup styles and yes, I am now doing one of them too!” she says. The basic steps she points out are ― one, clea...

Weddings put on hold as salons close early TUNIS (AFP) ― A flash blow wave but no time for a wash, a quick eyebrow shaping, rushed facials or a hurried massage: anxious women dart in and out of Tunis’ beauty salons before the nightly curfew descends. Used to staying open until 10 pm or 11 pm to doll up clients for parties or late-night weddings, the salons now empty out early as everyone rushes...

A model holds up a ring mounting a rare translucent pink diamond during a Sotheby's auction press preview in Geneva. Mounted in a ring the 10.99-carat, emerald-cut stone that is classified as "fancy intense pink" sold for a price of $10.8 million(7.6 million Euro) during a Sotheby's auction in Geneva on May 17. (Yonhap News) GENEVA (AFP) - An extremely rare translucent pink diamond fetched a pri...

Two government ministries and the Seoul local administration agreed Wednesday to join forces to promote Korea’s fashion industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Seoul Metropolitan Government pledged to cooperate on fashion-related projects under the agreement signed at Seoul Palace Hotel. The three governmental organizations will run a Fashion Ind...

CAP D’ANTIBES (AP) ― Two days before the Cannes Film Festival opens, the glamour got pumping on the French Riviera at Chanel’s 2011-12 Cruise show ― worthy of a screen siren from Hollywood’s golden age. Would-be Marlene Dietrichts sauntered the catwalk Monday in bias-cut gowns of ivory silk that twinkled at the neckline with oversized pearls, their sultry gaits reflecting the very easygoing geta...

I‘ve long been an admirer of Greg Mortenson, the author of the phenomenal best-seller “Three Cups of Tea.” The book tells how he began building girls’ schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan after making a pledge to the villagers of Korphe, who had rescued him from a failed attempt to summit the world‘s second-highest peak, K-2. To see his work, I traveled with Greg in 2007 to visit schools he’d bui...

Han Song marries hanji and natural dyeing to create eco-friendly jeans The following is the second in a series of articles on the contemporizing of Korean culture -- Ed. In the fickle world of fashion, where trends come and go every few months and new items fill the store racks virtually every week, a designer who devotes years to a singular vision is a rarity. Han Song whose eponymous Han Son...

LOS ANGELES ― Jeans for this spring and summer have gone from basic blues and intense indigo to Technicolor versions of playful Crayola shades. It’s all very 1980s a la Esprit or Benetton, but this time there’s nothing junior about colored denim. It’s coming in sleek skinny shapes and cropped lengths that liven up simple T-shirts or button-downs and work well with neutral sandals or flats rather ...

NEW YORK (AP) ― Teenage girls largely live in a lookalike culture, wearing the same styles that they got in the same stores as their friends. On prom night, though, the idea is to stand out, making sure no one arrives to the big dance in the same outfit. To ensure their uniqueness ― after they’ve shopped in faraway malls and tapped into store registries ― girls are using social media to claim di...

Used toys are notoriously difficult to recycle; most end up in trash bins LOS ANGELES ― Americans bought 2.9 billion toys last year. As I stumble through the house after play dates, it sometimes feels as if my 8-year-old son owns all of them. Our living room is exploding with Lego bricks, Nerf weaponry and rubbery bounce balls. My son’s bedroom is, more often than not, carpeted with Pokemon car...