Latest news with #Vin
Tatler Asia
5 days ago
- Business
- Tatler Asia
The business of better sleep: How siblings Ken and Vin Yap took Kapas Living from an online store into a thriving home essentials brand in the heart of Kuala Lumpur
But bedding down in brick-and-mortar doesn't mean they're fluffing the original formula. 'We've stayed true to our initial vision of providing luxury and quality bedding without the unnecessary markups,' the founders say. What's evolved? The devil in the delightful details—from extra garters on sheets and additional ties in duvet covers, Kapas Living's packaging is designed to feel like a gift. Their rule of thumb: if it's not 'shyiok' to sleep in, it doesn't make the cut. 'We did have a conversation recently about potentially bringing in a lower-tier product, but we quickly realised that if we don't think it's awesome and something we'd proudly use ourselves, then what's the point? We've always aimed to make products we're truly proud of,' adds Vin. In case you missed it: Blood, sweat and—corn? The Singaporean menstrual health startup rewriting the rules with plant-based pads Above Kapas Living co-founder Zer Ken Yap Above Kapas Living co-founder Vin Li Yap Throughout it all, the sibling dynamic has been both their secret weapon and their spice. Ken dreams up big ideas ('He sees possibilities where others see limitations,' his sister quips) while she keeps the operation grounded in reality and detail. 'I love the challenge of multitasking—whether it's coming up with new product ideas or managing the day-to-day operations, I enjoy tackling multiple things at once to keep the momentum going. It is all in the nitty-gritty!' Vin says. Their advice to budding entrepreneurs? Prioritise storytelling. 'A strong 'why' will carry you through hard decisions,' they say—like the one they faced when tempted to introduce a budget line. See more: International Brother's Day: Jason and Alvin Chen of CzipLee 'The toughest decision we've made was actually not about one particular product or business move, but about staying true to our values,' says Vin. 'When things started picking up, there were definitely moments where we thought about cutting corners or changing the way we worked to make things easier or cheaper. But we stuck to our guns and kept our focus on quality, honesty, and comfort—no matter what. That was definitely one of the hardest yet most rewarding decisions we made.' With Kapas Living now a household name in Malaysia ahead of making its mark on Singapore, its founders' journey proves that consistency, conviction, and a sibling-sized dose of teamwork can make even the softest sheets stand out in a crowded market. Credits
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Fans in disbelief over Hollywood actor Vin Diesel's real name
Fans have been stunned to learn that Fast & Furious legend Vin Diesel isn't actually called Vin Diesel, with the story of his stage name dating back to his pre-fame years as a New York bouncer Known for his tough guy persona, the very name Vin Diesel conjures up images of an action hero ready for any scenario, whether that be racing cars at top speeds or fighting in intergalactic battles. Many have therefore been stunned to learn that Vin Diesel isn't actually called Vin Diesel at all, having deliberately picked a stage name that would better reflect his super buff public image. Away from the bright lights of the movie studio, however, the 57-year-old Fast & Furious legend goes by a very different moniker. In a 2005 appearance of The Ellen Show, a clip of which has since gone viral, host Ellen DeGeneres pressed Vin on the moniker 'Vin Diesel', which she asserted couldn't "possibly" be the name on his birth certificate. To the amazement of viewers, California-born Vin confessed: "You know what, it's not." He then went on to reveal: "My real name is Mark Vincent." Going on to detail the origins of his famous stage name, Vin explained that it dates back to his time working as a New York City nightclub bouncer. He shared: "I was a bouncer for nine years, and the name stuck. We all had fictitious names just in case we got in trouble or anything." While Vin is of course a shortened version of Vincent, 'Diesel' is a reference to the star's love of working out. Vin continued: "Vin from Vincent. [...]When you're probably built up a little, you say, 'that guy is diesel'." Fans have naturally been baffled by this revelation, with one aghast person tweeting: "Vin Diesel has a real name?" In a humorous nod to Vin's most famous character, another commented: "I think we all know that his REAL name is Dominic Torreto." Of course, Vin is far from the only Hollywood star who has opted to go for a completely different name. Whoopi Goldberg of Sister Act fame was, in fact, born Caryn Elaine Johnson, but wanted something that would stand out a little bit more in the world of showbiz. As Whoopi explained in her 2024 memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me, the name she is best known for was partially inspired by her tendency for flatulence. She admitted: "Some people at the Rep called me Whoopi because I would sometimes let loose with a fart." Meanwhile, acclaimed Golden Globe winner Jamie Foxx is actually called Eric Marlon Bishop. During a 2024 appearance on Angie Martinez's radio show, the Django Unchained actor divulged how his pick dates back to his early days as a stand-up starting out in LA. He recalled: "I went on as Eric Bishop [and] killed. Standing ovation. I come back the next weekend. You sign your name. I don't get on. Next week, I don't get on again. Come to find out, the comics are running the list. So I could never get on." After trying out another venue, Jamie found he had more success using "unisex names" due to male comics vastly outweighing the number of female comics. The name Jamie Foxx git him booked, and he's stuck with it ever since. Legally Blonde icon Reese Witherspoon is another A-lister who has opted for a different name. Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, Reese ultimately decided on a name that felt more 'Hollywood', as previously reported by Women's Health.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Foxes suffering from 'horrendous recruitment' and 'inept management'
We wanted you to share your thoughts on the two starting XIs which have seen Leicester City relegated to the Championship in two of the past three seasons, and plenty of you have been sending your views the Foxes get their recruitment right over the past three seasons? Have the new additions improved the squad?Here are some of your thoughts:Vin: How did we go down in 2022-23 with that line-up?! It's a case of the same issue though - players throwing in the Nothing has improved. We haven't been able to make genuine, long-lasting signings. We aren't strong enough for the Premier League. With barely any signings made, we weren't going to survive with the squad we have got. We need new, young talent to build the team, but we also need a manager willing to stay with us no matter what. The past two years in the Premier League have just been nothing but an embarrassment!Ian: We just haven't been good enough this season. The players we brought in even struggled to get into the team. We need a good clearout and to start again. Give some of the youngsters a run out for the remaining games. Also, I'm afraid it is time for our great Jamie Vardy to step aside The squad is very poor as a result of the inept management of the football club. The past few years of player and manager recruitment have fallen well short of the standard required to maintain Premier League status, yet nobody seems to be accountable for this. The recruitment last year was horrendous, with only one player making a positive difference to the quality of the squad - El Khannouss. Skipp, Edouard, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew and Okoli are all Championship standard unfortunately.D: Our biggest problem is Soumare. He doesn't see a defence-splitting pass and a lot of the time you wouldn't think he was even out there playing. We need a new midfielder who can read the game.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
9 Texas restaurants make Yelp's 'Top 100 Places to Eat in 2025' list. See which
Nine Texas restaurants have been named among the best 100 places to eat this year. Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in 2025 uses reviews from across the U.S. to rank restaurants and identify emerging trends in the industry. Some of the most prominent trends include: Affordable, casual dining: Diners are favoring places with reasonable menu prices. Four in five of the listed restaurants are priced at under $30 per person, and none fell into Yelp's most expensive category. A taste for the Middle East: Several of the top restaurants on Yelp specialized in Middle Eastern cuisines. Diverse cuisines: The top 10 restaurants on Yelp's list feature foods spanning across cultures, including Mexican, Mediterranean, Peruvian, Cambodian, Thai, Filipino and French cuisines. Sustainable dining: More diners are choosing eco-friendly dining options, such as those striving to minimize waste and recycle scraps. Which eateries in the Lone Star State made Yelp's 12th annual list, and where did they land among the national rankings? Here's a breakdown. People are also reading: USA TODAY named its Restaurants of the Year. This Austin favorite made the list "If you want knowledgeable servers, it's hard to do better than Kyra and Vin," one Yelp reviewer said. "Fear not, they'll take care of you.. Ignoring for the moment competence (which is possessed in spades) they're some of the most kind and caring people that you could possibly ask for." Read Jacob C.'s review of Tatsumi Sushi on Yelp "My fiancé and I both went for the regular Ebesu course which is a 4-course dinner consisting of an appetizer, a robata assortment, a main entrée, and a dessert," one Yelp reviewer said. "Everything we had was so delicious and so flavorful — in particular, all of the raw fish (from the hamachi crudo to the nigiri assortment and bara-chirashi don) was very fresh, and the robata assortment was also cooked perfectly." Read Cindy C.'s review of EBESU Robata & Sushi on Yelp "Mike's Chicken is a solid spot for quality fried chicken with some on point flavors and a homemade touch," one Yelp reviewer said. "I ordered the 3-piece dark chicken (leg & thigh) with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, biscuit, and mac & cheese, and it did not disappoint. The chicken was incredibly crispy and juicy, with just the right amount of crunch. It seemed to be flash-fried, creating a perfectly crisp exterior without feeling overly greasy. The meat inside was tender, moist, and flavorful which leads me to believed the chickened was sitting in brine well before frying." Read Lunden D.'s review of Mike's Chicken on Yelp "Let me tell you about the Crispy Smoked Pork Belly. You have been told," one Yelp reviewer said. "Melt in your mouth fat and meat, with delightfully crispy skin over pureed butternut squash. If this was bottomless, I'd never leave." Read Jason D.'s review of Southern Yankee Crafthouse on Yelp "This has quickly become one of my new favorite restaurants! Came here on two different occasions and enjoyed both times thoroughly," one Yelp reviewer said. "They have happy hour every day from 5:00-6:30 p.m. and reverse happy hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00-11:30 p.m. with specials on food and 50% off snow cloud drinks, soju, and beer, so that's a plus!" Read Tina C.'s review of Yorienn Korean Fried Chicken & Yori Shop of Carrollton 요리엔 한식 on Yelp "The Texans do not play when it comes to their BBQ. It's damn good!" one Yelp reviewer said. "The brisket just melts in your mouth. The fattier the better in my book. My brother suggested trying the Texas Twinkie (large Jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese wrapped in bacon) and the Jalapeño Cheddar sausage... didn't take much convincing." Read Sheila K.'s review of The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque on Yelp "Super impressed with this place's service and tasty food," one Yelp reviewer said. "Prices were fair for the amount of food. And everything is shareable which is great and fun! But the most impressive thing of all was the speed in which we got our food. Seriously we were not even done ordering when the plates magically appeared on the table." Read Carolina A.'s review of The Mayor's House By Selda on Yelp "The Art of Donut is by far my favorite donut shop in the city," one Yelp reviewer said. "Their donuts are super unique and like nothing you will find anywhere else. Please note their donuts are huge and I think one is more than enough for a person. With that being said, the price of each donut is also higher than your average donut shop, but I think is worth it since you don't really need more than one to satisfy your cravings." Read Fernanda F.'s review of The Art of Donut on Yelp "We stopped here for a nice Valentine's Day lunch," one Yelp reviewer said. "The sushi rolls were pretty tasty. Our service was attentive and helpful. The inside looks nice. All things considered, it was a nice sushi lunch date! I think the prices are slightly higher than necessary for the non-sushi items but you have to take that in stride." Read Stephen S.'s review of Takara Sushi & Asian Bistro on Yelp This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Yelp's 'Top 100 Places to Eat in 2025' features 9 Texas restaurants
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Loose Women's Jane Moore steps out in electric blue dress at London Fashion Week
Jane Moore appeared in a skin-tight electric blue dress with back-combed hair and sparkling lips at the Vin + Omi London Fashion Week show in Kensington. When asked how the design duo were going to dress Moore before the show, Vin told the PA news agency: 'Jane will be quite sexy and quite punk I think. We want to punk her up.' Entitled KAOS, Vin and Omi's autumn/winter 2025 show centred on what the designers deemed to be 'chaotic sustainability'. 'Many years ago, (our collections) started off by focusing on one thing – like plastic,' said Vin, 'but this season, every single thing we could think of has been recycled and turned into fabric or added to the garments. 'That's what we mean by chaotic sustainability.' Sustainability is at the core of Vin + Omi's designs, and the catwalk featured a new fabric made entirely from recycled milk cartons from the King's Sandringham estate. 'We took the milk cartons from the Sandringham visitor centre and developed it into a spongey-like material that looks like leather,' said Vin. The nomadic design duo, although predominantly based in Norwich, have been collaborating with Charles to develop sustainable fabrics since 2019. Moore, 62, was joined on the runway by The Great British Bake Off's Dame Prue Leith, 85, who evoked a 1980s punk princess, wearing a coat dress made out of the recycled fabric. Having appeared on the runway for the designers' last collection wearing a tight latex dress, Dame Prue was happy to walk again, as Vin declared, 'Prue's addicted to recycling. 'She flew back from Australia getting in at 5am this morning to do (this show).' Dame Prue and Moore were not the only stand-out stars of the show. 'The youngest model to go on the catwalk is the embryo inside the pregnant woman, who is due in two weeks,' said Vin. While pregnant models have taken to the fashion week catwalks before (such as Jourdan Dunn at Jean Paul Gaultier's 2010 show) – this may be a London Fashion Week first that a pregnant model has walked due 'any day now'. The pregnant model appeared in low-rise midi skirt and crop top with the definitive KAOS collection print emblazoned across the ensemble. Inspired by Instagram's algorithm, the show drew on the themes that pepper our daily social media feeds; from fashion and aspirational style to political campaigning. Disfigured teddy bears and dolls accessorised some ensembles, perhaps hinting at how social media is sometimes seen as having the ability to corrupt some young minds. The soundtrack was suitably chaotic, beginning with The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow from the musical Annie, kickstarting a sense of hope and optimism. However, soon sounds of smashed porcelain, gunshots and excerpts of political speeches from Martin Luther King Jr to Donald Trump impeded the tranquil soundtrack, mimicking the fractured and erratic Instagram algorithm. Intricately ruffled gowns adorned with cigarette packets and sweet wrappers flooded the runway. The eco-design duo presented a couture collection that was seemingly dragged through a dumpster moments before stepping onto the catwalk. Rubbish was plastered to the faces of perfectly made-up models, mirroring the good and bad sides of social media. Eveningwear mixed overtly feminine Disney princesses with the modern day 'brat' girl. It was a beautifully messy show. X-ray scans of exotic animals were printed onto garments – perhaps a nod to London Fashion Week's recent sustainability initiative of banning all exotic skins and furs in collections. Red text reading 'NOT DEAD YET' accompanied each image. Sustainability went beyond the garments made out of recycled fabrics. The models' jewellery included medallions made out of broken ceramic plates which hung around their necks. The broken porcelain was sourced from the waste of the very hotel, The Other House, that the show was performing in. The milk carton fabric formed a leather-like textile, offering a perfect vegan and sustainable alternative to animal-based outerwear, with which the design duo hope to inspire the industry. Recycled neoprene fabric also appeared in the collection, with utilitarian dresses made from discarded wetsuits sourced from Team GB, The Royal Navy and UK surf schools. '(The collection) had to have elements of survival, positivity and fun as well,' said Vin. 'It's quite hard marrying all of that together. So it become chaos.' 'We wanted to show the fashion industry that you can turn more than you think into fabric,' said Vin. 'It's about changing people's perceptions of what you can wear, and that you should choose your fabrics carefully.' 'We've always said that our ideas are to be stolen,' said Omi. 'That's the whole point of why we do what we do.'
