6 Of The Best Leopard Print Dresses - Tried And Tested By Us
'As a fully signed-up leopard lover, I fell in love with this dress at first sight. It's on the heavier side material wise (slightly thinner than denim) so it's definitely for the cooler summer day, but on the upside the weight makes it sit on the body perfectly.
'As you'd expect from ME + EM, the cut is extremely (I'm going to say it) flattering, skimming exactly where you want to skim. The model on their website wears a slightly baggier fit belted, which also looks great – you could size up if you preferred that silhouette as I found it true to size. But it's a real do-all dress, you feel smart and ready for anything when wearing it – especially with the adjustable zip front.' Rhiannon Evans, ELLE UK's Acting Site Director.
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'Leopard never really goes out of style, but its recent resurgence has reminded just how versatile this print can be. It took me years to realise you need to pick the perfect spot to keep things looking more Mrs Robinson than Pat Butcher – in short, go for realistic patterns, nothing too cartoony, in warm, natural tones.
'This leopard-print maxi from Poppy Delevingne's collaboration with Nobody's Child is made from a weighty lined chiffon, so it doesn't have any lustre (synthetic satins and animal print is typically a tricky combo) and thus works day to night. It's bias-cut to drape over rather than cling to the body, so it really flattered my mid-size, UK 12 figure.' Abigail Southan, ELLE UK's Senior Commerce Editor.
'I love me some leopard and long have. The print has been in my wardrobe in many guises: a cotton 'opera' coat I wore more or less everyday of my final year at university through to fun socks and, of course, very many dresses. Of late, a favourite is Ganni's deeply flattering Leopard Printed Cotton Tie Strap Midi Dress with its adjustable knots and A-line fit. The shoulders are surprisingly bold which gives the otherwise twee silhouette just enough edge. Patent sandals make for the perfect accompaniment for me, right now.' Naomi Pike, ELLE UK's Commissioning Editor.
'I've always been partial to a great dress (as a toddler all my screaming meltdowns were all dress-related, ask my mother…) but Damson Madder's Persephone midi number has made me re-think what it means for an outfit to be conservatively 'flattering'.
'The low-waist design sits just below the belly button, which feels a little strange at first and creates an unexpected silhouette. It will, I reckon, highlight some lumps and bumps, which mean this isn't a dress that aims to 'flatter' (read: make you look slimmer). What it does, however, is make you feel completely comfortable and unobstructed, I can wear it all day without feeling restricted in my movements or breathing, the straps are adjustable, the neckline makes me feel really sexy while still being appropriate for work (just throw on a cardi if your workplace is more formal), and it generally makes me feel incredibly happy, free and confident. The all-over leopard print is in a dark hue, which means it feels quite subtle and you can dress it up or down with accessories. My only wish is that it came with pockets. This design just re-defines what it means to be flattering, and that's worth every penny to me.' Medina Azaldin, ELLE UK's Beauty Editor.
'Like all Millenials, my love for leopard print ran deep in the 2010s, mainly in the guise of a Topshop Boutique faux fur coat I wore in my university years. Now I'm in my (early!) 30s, I'm a little bit cautious of the bold print, and I've swerved the leopard print jeans other mums my age have been wearing (with aplomb, might I add).
'This Ganni dress has more than done its part in reintroducing me to my beloved print. In a non stretch denim and mini length, my only gripe is its slightly long length for my preference and 5ft 3 stature - but it's nothing sizing down and taking to the tailor wouldn't fix.' Daisy Murray, ELLE UK's Site Fashion Editor.
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'Available at ASOS, YAS is a new discovery and I was impressed by the quality and fit of this mini shirt dress and the longer line button-down version. Having been a uni student during the Indie Sleaze era, l own a plethora of leopard print pieces and treat the pattern like a neutral.
'The long sleeves and knee-length version of this dress make it work-appropriate, while the breezy A-line skirt highlights the waist. I'll wear it belted with knee-high boots like the model come autumn.' Esther Coombes, ELLE UK's Senior Commerce Editor, Luxury.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
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Elle
12 hours ago
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Emma Stone Says Working With Ex-Boyfriend Andrew Garfield Was a 'Special Time'
THE RUNDOWN On Thursday, Emma Stone offered some rare comments on her former relationship with actor Andrew Garfield, who she met on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man. The pair dated for about four years beginning in 2011 and seemingly remain good friends. Stone shared insight into their connection during her Vogue's Life in Looks interview, looking at former ensembles and reflecting on where she was in life during that time. In the Spider-Man films, Stone played Gwen Stacy, the love interest of Garfield's character, Peter Parker, otherwise known as Spider-Man. One photo presented to Stone was from the 2014 London premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in which she is wearing a bright yellow Versace dress. After seeing the outfit, Stone said, 'I mean, I really loved doing Spider-Man. I loved everyone I worked with. I met Andrew there. I met Sally Field and Marc Webb was wonderful. It was really a special time in my life.' She continued, 'The recurring theme is the people, more than kind of like the film itself, is what sticks with me for so long. And so I have only like the fondest memories of this whole experience.' She did add that the press tours were not her favorite part of doing the movies. 'I don't really know how people do it,' she said. 'I remember it being like nine countries in maybe two weeks, and you're functioning in a state of jet lag never previously known to you. I felt truly psychotic the entire time.' Garfield has also talked warmly about Stone and his time as Spider-Man, telling Variety in 2021, 'It was only beautiful. I got to meet Emma [Stone] and work with her and Sally Field.' In Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2022, Garfield also talked about how Stone guessed he would make a surprise appearance in the Tom Holland-led film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. 'Emma kept on texting me. She was like, 'Are you in this new 'Spider-Man' film?' And I was like, 'I don't know what you're talking about!' Garfield claimed. 'She was like, 'Shut up, just tell me,' And like, I honestly… I kept it going, even with her, it's hilarious. And then she saw it and was like, 'You're a jerk!'' Garfield is currently dating Monica Barbaro and Stone went on to marry husband Dave McCary.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
How A Pokemon Parody Musical Is Cleverly Skewering Our Childhood
Brandon Zelman and Harrison Bryan are grabbing life by the balls! Maybe I should back up for a second. Like most millennials, the creative partners grew up on a steady diet of Pokémon. From the video games, to the collectable trading cards, to the anime TV series, the wonderful world of Pocket Monsters was — and continues to be — a cornerstone of their respective identities. "I'm a lifelong fan,' Zelman, who hosts a Pokémon-centric podcast, declares over Zoom. 'And now we're coming up on the 30th year. It's so crazy to have been a fan of something for that long and for it to have been engaging the whole time.' Meanwhile, Bryan (creator of A Hanukkah Carol) recently attempted to beat the original Pokémon Blue with nothing but a roster of Meowths. Pretty hardcore. Given the duo's undying affection for the franchise, it only made sense for them to write — what else? — an immersive Pokémon parody musical! And given that Pokémon trainers catch and store their pugilistic creatures in nifty orbs that fit snugly on one's belt, the project could only be named — what else? — BALLS: The Monster-Catchin' Musical Comedy, which has enjoyed an extremely limited pop-up run throughout New York City these last few months. 'We were sort of averse to the typical parody, things that are just a little too one-to-one for us,' Zelman explains. 'So we set off with the intention of playing in this sandbox of a slightly existing world and then subverting it; restructuring it into our own sand castles to create an original story that was as much about our relationship to the video game and anime in the '90s as it was about the material itself.' 'As we developed the piece, as we wrote it, as we created these songs and these scenes, we never lost sight of how excited our 10-year-old [selves] would be that we get to re-examine our childhood through this parody,' echoes Bryan, who also stars in the show as the antagonistic Warlordturtle. That's just one of 151 original 'Collectabuddies" — all of whom have their own 'satiric game cards' and are safe from incurring the wrath of the notoriously litigious Nintendo, which owns stake in the Pokémon franchise — created for BALLS. 'It's really both a celebration and an evolution of the material,' Zelman affirms. 'We managed to dance our way through where we never actually quite touch any trademarked material. It was an elegant dance around any of that kind of stuff. We're really, really proud of the material and the world that we created out of it.' The resultant book and lyrics shine a hilarious spotlight on the dubious premise Pokémon presents: encouraging the player to capture wild animals and force them into combat. 'There's this suspension of disbelief when you're playing it,' notes Zelman. 'Obviously, we're in this magical world, this is how it works. The monsters listen, you tell them what to do, you capture them, you fight them, and all of this is totally kosher. It's the basis of this whole society.' 'What does it mean to capture a wild monster and force it to be my friend and fight other monsters?' muses Bryan. 'These are the ethical and kind of hilarious questions we now get to explore in our 30s when, at 10-years-old, we were just begging for more and never asking." Another question they both had: 'What if the non-playable character becomes the hero?' To that end, BALLS imagines a reality where the kindly Professor NPC who offers you a choice of three starter monsters is actually the one who created both the technology and normalized culture of trapping living things in spherical prisons. This plan to make the world safe by rebranding wild animals into 'Collectabuddies' eventually blows up in The Professor's face like a self-destructing Electrode and sparks an adventure that also ropes in the man's 'piece of sh** — aka The Rival (Teresa Attridge dialing the insufferable Gary Oak archetype up to eleven). 'The major relationship in the show is between an older generation and a younger generation fighting over what's right about this world,' explains Bryan, who doesn't 'see a ton of parody musicals' with messages about defying limitations (both personal and societal) and the critical need for environmental conservation. 'We've been in contact and partnership with the New York Marine Rescue Center, and some of our our proceeds have gone to helping these turtles get rehabilitated and returned to the wild. We've even adopted a turtle.' He later continues: 'We have embraced the interactivity of the raw material and [the fact] that this show is not just a theater experience. This show is also a game. It is also a cartoon … It's very rare to experience both a non-scripted narrative and a very precise, timed-out musical to a track. We are so ambitious in how we tell this story that I think traditional theatergoers will be like, 'Wow, look at these theatrical conceptions!' And non-theater goers are going into this and saying, 'Wow, what a party!'" To raise money for the multimedia production that involves everything from puppets to video segments, the creators turned to Kickstarter, ultimately netting just over $36,000 out of a $30,000 goal and becoming one of the crowdfunding site's 'Projects We Love.' For the music, Zelman and Bryan called on composers like Lena Gabrielle (Emojiland), Pippa Cleary (The Great British Bake Off Musical), Joriah Kwamé (Little Miss Perfect), Aaron Kenny (The Little Mermaid), and Grace Yurchuk (Caesar: The Musical), Allan Nalven ("LSDJ"), and Matthew Ryan Hunter (NBC) for something in the vein of the "SpongeBob musical where you have a lot of different musical artists lending their voices to give that sort of eclectic feel," Zelman says. Allan Nalven even went so far as to compose music inside an actual GameBoy console 'to create the most authentic music and sound effects that you could achieve,' Zelman adds. And while the show is very much a satire, it never forgets to pay homage to the fandom that led to its existence in the first place. 'We were dedicated to making sure the lyrics were dense with Easter eggs. So you could go back, revisit it, and be like, 'Oh, that's a reference to that very, very niche memory I have of this very, very peculiar aspect of this thing that was buried in the back recesses of my brain!'' 'It's important to us that we're celebrating it while we're lampooning it,' agrees Bryan. "I think it's fair to say that in many respects, it shaped so much of our social interactions and friendships. That's really important to celebrate while lampooning." The creators also sought input from individuals who aren't die-hard Pokémon fans as a way to combat any rose-colored missteps. 'If they didn't love the story and characters, they wouldn't be as on board as they are now with this adventure,' Bryan explains. 'So I think working outside of our own fandom actually proved tremendous in the creative process.' About a month before BALLS was set to debut its first performance, however, the actor playing the Professor dropped out, leaving the entire production in the lurch. With nothing to lose, Zelman and Bryan made a Hail Mary offer to Stuart Zagnit, OG voice of Professor Oak in the English dub of the Pokémon anime series, never thinking he'd actually accept. 'It is a very strange merging of the things that are probably the most important to me,' Zagnit, a veteran of the musical theater scene, says of the meta casting. 'Having been involved with Pokémon for the first 10 years of its existence is something I'm very proud of, but I kind of put it in a different side of my life and career. It wasn't until the anime convention world really emerged that I re-embraced it. So now, to have a vehicle that actually blends both sides of my professional performing career, is kind of like a dream that I never imagined would be realized.' One thing's for certain: this ain't the kindly Professor of you remember, with BALLS taking Zagnit to 'places I have never gone before,' he says. 'People get to hear me say really off color-things that I would never have said [in the anime]. It's kind of fun to let go and be in that persona, but also be breaking out of the persona at the same time.' Zelman adds that a lot of the "crude, rude, and lewd stuff' contained within the show isn't just for shock value. "It's all there because when you're a little kid and you have the power to name your character, you might just go ahead and call them 'Butthead,'' he notes. 'That might be an act of rebellion, [but] you walk around and you get a laugh every single time. We're trying to really lock into that youthful feeling of picking up a game and entering this world that's familiar, but different every time.' Because of the pop-up rollout, there have only been about a week's worth of BALLS performances across a period of fourth months, according to Zagnit's estimate (those wishing to check it out can follow the official Instagram for regular announcements). But if the team has its way, this smattering of shows is the start of something much bigger, 'the beginning of a movement," Bryan says. 'I think what we're creating here is really special, and there's a huge community for it in New York and around the world. There is a renaissance of independent theater-making Off-Broadway that is proving to be a more sustainable model than the large, corporate worlds of the Broadway theaters. If we can help pave a way for more theater makers who are game to think outside the box and include audiences of larger accessibilities, then that would be a very noble endeavor for BALLS.' 'We've got all kinds of dreams,' Zelman finishes. 'As we continue to grow and reach our audience, we're really trying to find ways to touch people who maybe aren't so familiar with theater, but are familiar with our inspiration. So we want to go to conventions. We want to take it out on the road and meet people where they are … I want to be at trading card shows. I want to have 'BALLS Fest.' I'm hungry for it. I want people to meet our monsters, see our show, and celebrate with us." Zagnit closes out the discussion by appealing to potential investors, who have a unique opportunity 'to get in on the ground floor" of a project with plenty of room to — dare I say it? — evolve. 'There's a big audience out there that just wants to go and have a good time," he concludes. "And we certainly give them a good time.' The musical will enjoy a panel at this year's edition of New York Comic Con with the Q&A discussion moderated by none other than Veronica Taylor, the original voice of Ash Ketchum. More details can be found here!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Hailey Bieber Preps Rhode for Sephora Debut
Hailey Bieber's billion-dollar beauty brand, Rhode, already had a headline-making year. Following its blockbuster $1 billion acquisition by E.l.f Beauty, Rhode is gearing up for its next significant milestone. Bieber's beauty brand is prepping its debut with Sephora, among the most anticipated retail partnerships of the year just months following the acquisition. More from WWD EXCLUSIVE: Net-a-porter Alums Raise $1 Million for U.K.-based Egg and Sperm Health Supplement Company Ova Report: Shoppers Spending $47 More Per Month Under Trump's Tariff Regime Les Tien Debuts First Los Angeles Store Needless to say, it's been a busy year for Bieber, and only three years after cofounding and launching the brand in 2022. But she is laser-focused on bringing what she's dubbed 'the world of Rhode' to consumers beyond its successful activations, social media and own website. 'This whole time since we launched Rhode, I've stayed true to my gut. That's what's brought the vision to life,' she said of the skin care powerhouse that has expanded into makeup hybrids and even phone cases. 'Even if we felt like it was going left when everyone else in the industry was going right, that's what makes something different and creative. I want it to feel new, different and still within the world of Rhode, and I also want to be able to have a presence that melts well into the world of Sephora as well,' said Bieber. To that end, merchandised on a gondola in all doors in the U.S. and Canada, the brand will be shoppable with the retailer starting Sept. 4. 'You're going to see things that feel reminiscent of all the pop-ups we've done. Our really beautiful, chic, Rhode glossy gray — [Sephora] encouraged me to bring our brand identity into their stores, and I wanted to do something that as soon as you see it, you know it could only be Rhode because our brand identity is so strong,' Bieber continued. 'Partnering with Rhode as their exclusive retailer partner marks an exciting milestone for Sephora,' said Priya Venkatesh, global chief merchandising officer of Sephora. 'Rhode has disrupted the beauty industry with a curated line of skincare essentials, which have driven unprecedented demand and inspired category and culture shifts at-large. This will be our largest North American launch yet, and we see tremendous growth potential as we work together to bring the brand to more consumers around the world.' The appetite for Rhode is high, at Sephora and elsewhere. On the retailer's site alone, Rhode had north of 2 million searches, and the brand said it's slated to be Sephora's largest launch in the U.S. and Canada in the company's history. Tasked with executing that vision for Rhode's next chapter, Lauren Ratner, who serves as president and cofounded Rhode with Bieber, said, 'we've been laser-focused on continuing to expand our product portfolio of our high performance, efficacious products that our customers keep coming back for, and building out the world of Rhode.' Ratner pointed to its recent Beach Club activation in Majorca, Spain, around summer launches Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint, Pocket Blush in shades Sun Soak and Tan Line, a summer kit and a lemontini-colored Lip Case. The launches and concurrent activation generated the brand's single biggest revenue day in its history, garnering more than 80 million impressions, and happening in tandem with Rhode's entry to seven countries. 'There's always been a global appetite for the brand,' said Ratner. 'Selling directly to our customers is how we built our community. We were deliberate in doing that first: It helped us understand our consumers' wants, needs and built a direct relationship. But we always wanted to bring the world of Rhode and our products globally.' Though the Lemontini-themed pop-up in Spain was a success by every metric, Ratner also noted past pop-ups in key markets like New York as gold mines of insights. 'We've only been in business a few years and we didn't have the scale to provide all of our customers, or potential customers, with the ability to try the brand in real life ourselves,' Ratner said. 'We saw our customers react so strongly and so positively to walking into this immersive world and Rhode-branded moments. We'll be bringing that brand expression into Sephora as well, and we're bringing back some favorites. Our Jelly Bean, Strawberry Glaze and Salty Tan limited-edition lips are going to become a core part of the Sephora lineup,' Ratner said. At the time of Rhode's sale to E.l.f. Beauty, it had topped $212 million in net sales for the 12 months ending March 31, no doubt driven by megawatt marketing and limited-edition drops, as well as internet virality. CreatorIQ data indicates that it was the top skin care brand by earned media value in 2024, clocking growth of 367 percent. 'We've been disrupting for 21 years, and so is Hailey and her team,' said Tarang Amin, chief executive officer of E.l.f. Beauty. E.l.f. reported its 26th consecutive quarter of sales growth on Aug. 6 (a day following the Rhode deal closing), and also announced that with its namesake brand, it was entering Sephora in the Middle East. Partnerships with Sephora are only becoming more vital. 'That follows our successful launch with Sephora Mexico last year,' Amin said. 'Rhode takes it to a whole different level by them introducing Rhode to all U.S. and Canadian doors in September, followed by the U.K. later this fall.' Though Bieber's vision of the brand will remain her own, she's taken cues on how to win at retail from E.l.f. 'One of the things the Rhode team appreciated is our deep retail expertise,' Amin said, counting current partners Ulta Beauty, Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. for its flagship brand. 'You look at every channel we've gone to, the one unifying theme of any retail we are in around the world is that E.l.f. is their most productive brand on a dollar-per-foot basis. We outsell everyone. That's the entire proposition: our innovation, our marketing, and also our expertise of how to make a brand work in-store.' Among those capabilities, Amin said he was helping Rhode build out its field sales team 'to have even greater coverage. Field coverage is important for brands, and many brands wait too long and slowly build. We're building up from the very beginning, and the Rhode team was really open.' It didn't take a lot to get Sephora on board, either. 'Sephora was very open to Rhode, which has a very different and sophisticated aesthetic. They didn't have a cookie-cutter model of 'this is the way it should look,'' Amin said. 'Therefore, there's this gondola presentation they were very open to cocreating with us.' Cocreation is key, but Amin said not to expect hallmarks of Rhode — from its measured launch cadence, eye to fledgling categories or the ensuing marketing blitzes — to change. 'They're very curated products that tie back to Hailey and her vision. That is 100 percent what Sephora wants. She has an incredible instinct and aesthetic, and they want that,' Amin said. As for the benefit Rhode has to its parent, Amin noted that E.l.f. Cosmetics has the highest mind share with Gen Z per Piper Sandler data, and is the most purchased brand among Gen Alpha and Millennials. 'Rhode and the Sephora partnership build upon that strength we have,' Amin said. 'It's seeing strong results amongst Gen Z and Millennials, but there are different consumers who frankly don't have access to Rhode. This just opens up the aperture in a much bigger way.' With exponentially more distribution on one hand and the support of her new parent company on the other, Bieber is all-in. 'My focal point right now is Sephora,' she said. 'I was going to say I just want to get my feet wet, but I want to dive right into the retail experience. It's my first time having a brand go into retail.' In addition to the impressive sales spike Rhode's sustained, it was also the youngest beauty company to sell at a billion-dollar valuation, as reported at the time. Bieber was also then named an adviser to E.l.f. Beauty as a whole. Don't expect her to rest on her laurels. 'Even with the sale to E.l.f., it's given me a whole, entirely new excitement, passion and motivation. I expanded my role at the company now and I still have so many ideas,' she said. 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