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Misty Copeland has garnered quite the list of accomplishments lately: first African American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre; Broadway leading lady; Under Armour spokeswoman. As of this month, add to that list her first appearance on Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List.

“It’s just a complete honor and I never saw myself in that way,” Copeland tells marieaustralia.com. “It’s just cool to be recognized for something that you’re like, ‘Ok, I just like to play around.’”

She may have been just “playing around,” but the sartorial powers that be realized her fashion sense was no joke—a white, sequined Herve Leger dress at the Tony Awards; an A-line dress on The View; a blush halter evening gown to the A.B.T.'s 75th anniversary gala—all “elegant, with a flash of funk,” she says. “My fiancée [Olu Evans] calls me fancy!”

She’s also developed an adept casual wardrobe, which often consists of chic blazers, classy crop tops, and American Apparel leotards (she is a ballerina, after all). It’s almost like everything she puts on is designed for her, and only her, the fantastic and beautiful Misty Copeland. And that, we discovered, may be her key style secret.

“I think I get almost every piece of clothing that I buy altered and taken in just to fit me exactly the way it should,” Copeland says. Sometimes, she even finds herself asking her tailor (who Copeland calls “incredible") to completely transform an outfit. “She’s made like whole items before—like cut them in half and re-created them,” she says. “It’s important to find a tailor that really works for you!”

What’s the drive behind this tailoring obsession? Unsurprisingly, ballet. “I have the opportunity, which most people don’t experience nearly as much, of being in front of a mirror up to 10 hours a day. Staring at your body, you really get to know every little detail of how to make yourself look your best,” she said. “I think that definitely plays into my understanding of clothing.”

In fact, ballet has influenced—directly or indirectly—much of Copeland’s personal style. Walking to American Ballet’s rehearsal space in the Flatiron District has helped Copeland add the pizzazz she desires to her style. “You see a lot of creative people on the street—and you don’t look at them and think, Oh, they have money, or, that’s why they have nice clothing on. It’s simply that they have a true understanding of themselves and it’s coming through in the fashion they’re wearing.”

And of course, there are those times when ballet plays into her understanding of what she can’t wear. A self-professed high-heel aficionado—“I love feeling tall!”—she occasionally has to put aside the shoes for her own practicality. “This past spring season, my workload was so intense that I went the entire two months without wearing heels.” (Copeland assures us that, for her, this is a very long time). “I wanted to take care of my body and my feet.”

There’s one day, however, where ballet won’t dictate any of her fashion choices. Copeland tells marieaustralia.com she hasn't picked out her wedding dress, but when she does, it’s going to be light on the poof and frills. “I’d like to show my figure, somewhat—romantic and elegant. I don’t think I want to go super poofy or anything like that. It’s very different for a performer, a ballerina, someone who is onstage a lot and wears big costumes. So it's not like this is my chance to be that way, because that's something I do every day, almost. I want to feel like myself—but more beautiful than I do every day.”

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The Only Way Is Essex's Jessica Wright has revealed that she can achieve her perfectly preened and super glossy look in just two minutes.

The 29-year-old reality star told FEMAIL it 'used to take ages' for her to groom herself but she can now style her hair and put on make-up in a matter of minutes. Mark Wright's older sister also revealed that she has overhauled her appearance since rising to fame on the ITV2 programme in 2010.

Rather than sporting tight, figure-hugging frocks and a mahogany glow, Jessica now favours a slicker, more stripped back look. She also recruits the help of a glam squad to get her looking camera-ready for big red carpet events.

'On a normal day I can get ready in 15 minutes. I used to take ages but I think I'm so used to doing it and do it so often I take hardly any time at all,' she said.

'When getting ready for a night out I do take slightly longer. If I had to do it in a rush it would probably take half an hour. It's all about the outfit for me, that's what takes me the longest to decide on. My hair and make-up I can do in two minutes.'

While her wardrobe is bang on-trend, brunette Jessica revealed that she regrets 'millions' of looks she's experimented with in the past.

'They are probably from the early days when I didn’t know about strip lashes or contouring and hadn’t learnt the best make-up looks for me or how to apply things in the best way,' she said.

'In terms of outfits, where do I even begin! There have definitely been a few where I've thought, "What was I thinking?" I personally think my look has changed a lot. I’ve ditched the bandage dresses and the orange face, well hopefully people think I have anyway!'

The bottom-skimming, frocks have been ditched for androgynous blazers, sleek tailoring, statement necklaces and pretty dresses as Jessica said she now tries to channel a 'sophisticated and chic look'.

While it's clear she's honed her day-to-day style, Jessica recruits a team of fashion experts to ensure she has no faux pas at showbiz events: 'I’d always enlist the help of a professional hair and make-up artist and depending on what dress I’m wearing that is how I would decide on my look.

'For example if its backless I would normally wear it in an up do and try and mix it up every time so I have a different look with a new lip colour or eye-make-up.'

Michelle Keegan's curvaceous sister-in-law also told FEMAIL how she has learned to flaunt her best assets and achieve body confidence.

'Don’t wear anything that isn’t going to flatter you or not going to flatter your body shape,' she warned. 'It’s important to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing.'

When The Only Way Is Essex burst onto our television screens five years ago, Brentwood's finest became known as much for their eternally dolled-up look as their turbulent love lives. Jessica said that she and her cast mates are always swapping beauty and fashion tips to ensure they look immaculate.

'Me and the girls are always telling each other about new products we’ve discovered and new ways of doing things, commenting on each other’s make-up,' she said. 'I feel like everyone has got their own beauty style pinned down now, even though it’s taken us a while!'

Jessica, who recently revealed on Twitter that she has broken her wrist, said she admires 25-year-old Billie Faier's look saying, 'Not only is she a mum but she is also hot, too!' However it's not the girls who spend the most time hogging the bathroom: 'Arg is always checking himself out!'

Jessica is very busy at the moment having recently launched her debut footwear line and penned her first work of fiction called Sparkling Stilettos.

When she's running around with various projects and filming the constructed reality show, she has a number of go-to products that keep her fresh-faced.

'I like using the Philips Visa Pure Facial Cleansing Brush once or twice a week. You use it all over your face and it exfoliates all your dead skin. I think exfoliating is really important to do, otherwise you are just layering and layering your make-up onto your face and your skin can get really dry,' she said.

'Before I go to bed I will apply the Manuka Doctor Replenishing Facial Oil to hydrate my skin overnight and I find it leaves my skin looking really fresh in the morning. I also use a really good daily moisturiser, for me moisturiser is key.'

In Jessica's bathroom cabinet she always has Simple Facewash, Manuka Doctor ApiNourish Restoring Night Cream and Smashbox make-up.

In order to avoid the dreaded tangerine look, Jessica has become a professional at applying fake tan.

'Always exfoliate before and try to get it as even as possible. Don’t be scared to apply the tan generously but make sure you don’t go over the top,' she said. 'If it comes out a bit patchy then just cover up that area by wearing a long sleeved top for example.'

But it's not just looking good on the surface that's important, Jessica keeps herself in shape by working out with a personal trainer 'as much as possible' and eating healthily.

'When we’re filming TOWIE they have a snack box on set and luckily they put fruit in there as well as other options such as crisps and chocolate,' she said.

'Lately I’ve been snacking on dried mango and coconut quite a lot. Apart from that I just do everything in moderation, I love my food and definitely have a lot of cheating days!'

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All I really want from life is a job that allows me to wear yoga pants when I feel like it, and dresses when I feel like it.

OK, that's a gross oversimplification of my dreams. But when I work from home, you can be sure I'm having a yoga pant kind of day. And after overhearing that declaration a time or two, Birmingham magazine Managing Editor Alex McDaniel sent me an email about Betabrand.

It wasn't the first time I heard about the company, which gained prominence by introducing "dress pant yoga pants." Anytime there's big news in the yoga world, you can find it posted all over my Facebook timeline. Lululemon pants are see through? My friends are checking in to be sure I'm not showing my assets to anyone who dares lift his or her head during downward facing dog. (Check your alignment, folks, not my behind! Besides, I don't own any of the offending pants.) A studio brings shelter animals into classes to promote adoption? I've heard about it a time or two.

So it was with dress pant yoga pants, except even Facebook itself got in on the game, promoting the gimmick through ads in the sidebar.

I rolled my eyes the first several times these pants came up in conversation. Just buy comfortable clothes, people! I thought. Style and comfort don't have to be contradictory.

But Alex's email pushed me from cynicism to curiosity. She had purchased dresses from Betabrand, which relies on crowdfunding to develop new products, and she loved them. I examined the company's return policy, and after I determined there was essentially no risk, I took the plunge. I ordered a pair of gray, straight-leg herringbone dress pant yoga pants. And then I waited.

(OK, I also ordered a dress. Because online shopping is hazardous to my bank account.)

The pants arrived this weekend, and I wore them for the first time yesterday. I'm here to tell you, these things are legit.

My ensemble was slightly less comfortable than my average couch-surfing attire, but that's largely because I paired my pants and emerald green shirt with heels. I'm not above walking around the office barefoot, but I try to pretend to be a grown up during business hours. (I don't always succeed.)

More importantly, though: I felt good, and no one realized I was wearing yoga pants. At least, not until I told them. I'm not one to keep that to myself. My colleagues complimented my totally work-appropriate attire, and I wouldn't be surprised to see others show up in dress pant yoga pants.

Then I went to yoga.

As I moved through sun salutations and warrior poses, I realized most people probably buy these pants for office comfort, not physical activity. (Isn't that why yoga apparel is such big business, anyway? And it's not like I saved many seconds by wearing the same pants.) Even so, the pants stood up to a vigorous vinyasa practice. No, they don't move quite as fluidly as my usual skin-tight leggings. I could stand to have the waist taken in a half an inch to reduce slippage. But overall, these pants were a win.

Bonus: I stopped by a friend's house on my way home, still in my yoga attire but again in my heels. She asked where I was headed for the evening, and was surprised when I said I was fresh from yoga. Apparently work-to-yoga-to-bar is do-able.

Now Betabrand has added cropped dress pant yoga pants, and I've just discovered their dress pant sweatpants. My bank account is going to feel the stretch.

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She has earned her fashion stripes on many an occasions but Margot Robbie showed her sartorial savvy for the swinging Sixties on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Australian ambled around the streets of Toronto looking relaxed and carefree in a pale yellow T-shirt bearing an image of Jimi Hendrix.

Looking a tad bereft after boyfriend Tom Ackerley left her to jet back to England last week, the former Neighbours star took a break from filming Suicide Squad to catch up with a female pal.

Clutching a pile of papers that could have been part of a script, she appeared to be makeup free as she chatted with her pal from behind dark sunglasses.

Margot was last week seen forlornly saying goodbye to her film producer beau Tom who had visited her while she films the highly-anticipated superhero flick in Canada.

Margot and Tom have been dating for over a year with her mother Sarie Kessler telling Daily Mail Australia the pair are besotted.

Speaking from her home near Dalby, in Queensland, physiotherapist Sarie said: 'She loves Tom, he's the one, he's the man in her life, he's a gorgeous and delightful person.'

'They were friends and met while she was living in London, five friends together rented a house in Clapham, they loved it,' she said.

Margot's romance with Tom, who attended Godalming College, surfaced in April 2014 after the pair met while working together on Suite Francaise, which also stars actress Michelle Williams.

In November, they were seen indulging in a PDA in New York, canoodling in the stands at Madison Square Garden as the New York Rangers took on the Philadelphia Flyers.

Then in January, the Gold Coast beauty took her boyfriend home for the summer holidays, showing him the local sights of Byron Bay, Bondi Beach and the Whitsundays.

Last month they sent the rumour mill into overdrive as both were spotted wearing wedding bands while Tom visited her in on the set of her movie Suicide Squad.

Recently the former Neighbours actress revealed to Sunday Style she finds it hard maintaining a relationship when she is required to travel so much, saying: 'I don't know how anyone makes a relationship work [like this] to be honest.'

But even though the couple are forced to spend a lot of time apart due to their conflicting work schedules, they appear to be making the relationship work and seem to be more in love than ever.

Whenever they meet it is clear they only have eyes for each other often putting on affectionate PDAs after forced to spend weeks apart.

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A gentle cross breeze coming from wide windows lifts and flutters the line of simple dresses hanging from a pole suspended from the ceiling. The colors are mostly neutral, but a few sparkles glint in the afternoon sun. Trisha Ginter lowers soft music playing from the radio and sits at a table laden with sewing machines, sergers and spools of thread. She recently moved into the space off Beach street in Vineyard Haven with her clothing business, Frock.

Shoppers at Frock will see right away that this is more than a dress shop. Ms. Ginter makes her clothes on site in the open space with high white walls, plenty of windows and porch where she set up her ironing board. A rack in the shop is already full of dresses. “I try to design pieces that are simple in shape that people can then bring into their wardrobe and make it their own,” she said. “So I expect people to take our clothing and then make an outfit out of it once it’s in their own closet. I feel like that’s where the individuality is. Everybody who comes in and tries the clothing on looks different and wears it differently, and it’s really wonderful to see personalities come out even with the same garment on.”

There are no sizes on the items; Ms. Ginter said she does quick fixes right on the spot. If a larger alteration is needed and she has the fabric, she’ll even make a new one. “I think because I am here sitting and sewing and making things, I just started to understand that, and of course I already knew this because I am a woman, but every single woman has a different body shape,” she said. “So I worked really hard to develop patterns that even in the size they are on the rack, fit a multiple range of body types and sizes.” Frock had its roots in Chester, Conn., nearly 20 years ago with the help of a partner, seamstress and designer Laura Williams. When Ms. Ginter and her husband recently moved to the Vineyard, Frock came with them. Frock will continue to carry some of Ms. Williams’s designs.

“I love doing this. I’m very grateful and lucky that I get to do this here,” Ms. Ginter said. She has been around fabric all her life. When she was a child, her grandmother was constantly making things and her mother always made her special dresses for holidays. At age 12, she taught herself how to sew on a machine that sits on her work table today. Later she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she studied wedding design. Eventually, wedding dresses became too much and she turned to something simpler.

At Frock, customers climb a set of stairs to reach the shop and are greeted by dress forms displaying Ms. Ginter’s designs. She began sewing on the Island on July 7. She said she sews two to three garments a day, never buys more than 10 yards of a fabric at a time, and will often make pieces from leftover scraps, creating one-of-a-kind items. She does have a few staples, though, including her stretch lace dresses which she has been making for more than a decade. “You can dress them up, you can dress them down,” she said. “You could go to a barbecue in one with flip-flops, a jean jacket and a scarf. I make different colored slips to go underneath them. They’re easy and they’re comfortable, they feel like jammies.” She also has been using a lot of raw-edged linen. “I love the non-boundary on the raw edge,” she explained. “I like the texture. It creates a nice dimension against the finished linen.” When customers come into Frock, Ms. Ginter wants them to have fun and play. “Try the clothing on, just even for kicks, just to see,” she invited. At the end of the day, she said she just wants to make clothes. She has no plans to expand because the more time working the business side, the less time for sewing. She said she is doing what she always wanted to do, which is, “just to go to work and play and make clothing.” To catch Ms. Ginter in her shop, stop by Frock at 13 Beach Street, Vineyard Haven from Wednesday to Saturday between noon and 5 p.m. At any other time, it’s up to chance.

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The Nigerian Fashion is growing and new fashion trends keep coming out every now and then. We see a lot of young professionals diverting from regular jobs to venture into the Nigerian fashion industry.

Bolanle Adeola a young and innovative lady, who is a Law graduate from the University of Lagos, specializes in both male and female traditional outfits; she has a few things to say:

Please tell us about yourself

My name is Bolanle Adeola, a graduate from University of Lagos, Akoka. I had my LLB from Faculty of Law in 2011 and finished Law School in 2012.

Why did you deviate from Law to Fashion?

I deviated from law completely, though you will be right to say fashion takes more of my time than my legal profession. Fashion is simply me! I love looking good at all times and staying classy. My interest in fashion, especially the native attire I specialize in is simply to promote our cultural values, as it makes one stand out.

Who is your target market?

My market audience is everybody, even though I target the politicians and the business men, as they tend to wear native attires every day as they run their own business and not restricted to Shirt and Tie office wear. In as much as they are my main target, other persons are not exempted as they also patronize me, because they usually wear natives on weekends, to weddings and events. I guess it’s safe to say that I can sell to everybody- males, females and also kids.

What kind of fabrics do you specialize in?

I specialize in Atiku, guinea brocade, wool, polished lace, Linen for Men and guipure, raw silk, chiffon and sequin.

Can you give us a list of celebrities that have patronized you?

Jide Obanikoro, Falz the bad guy and many more.

Where do you see Nigerian fashion in five years?

The fashion industry is growing large and wide and in about five years, I think everybody will be more receptive towards it and be more into our cultural attire and accept the native world, where they can choose their own styles and stand out uniquely. I think in five years we will have more people accepting our creative, leaving English attires and showcasing our cultural values.

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For five years now, Greenwich Fashion on the Avenue has been a regular fall fixture in the central business district. Models, both professional and amateur, show off items at some of Greenwich Avenue’s top stores.

Traditionally, local businesses, from retail stores and restaurants to salons and spas have taken part in what First Selectman Peter Tesei has called a chance to highlight what Greenwich is all about.

This past week, the Board of Selectmen unanimously gave its permission to hold the show again, along with permission to close part of Greenwich Avenue to accommodate the local fashionistas.

“We’re very pleased to support your efforts in bringing attention to the various retailers and merchandisers who call Greenwich home,” Tesei said. “This is a small way for the town through its governing entities to support local businesses and attract people to the town and really emphasize the Greenwich brand.”

Tesei jokingly volunteered Selectman Drew Marzullo as a model for the show.

Greenwich Avenue will be partially closed from 4 to 9 p.m. Sept. 10 from Elm Street to Havemeyer Place. Speeches and fashion show commentary will take place from a spot in front of the Senior Center.

The closure is a bit lower on Greenwich Avenue than it has been in years past, when the action had been located closer to Lewis Street. This year, the change will allow the event to make use of the green space in front of the Senior Center and the Greenwich Arts Council, which shares the building and will be a partner in Fashion on the Avenue.

Set up for the show will begin at 4 p.m. and the street will be opened to guests and the media at 5:30 p.m. The show itself is scheduled to begin at 6 and end at 7 p.m., allowing for traffic to be able to drive through starting at 9 p.m.

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We are walking along Park Avenue in Rutherford talking with a 17th Century ghost.

In the physical world of the 21st Century he goes simply by the name of “Francois,” but his thoughts are not of this time, and his visions for the future are ominous.

He dresses as a 17th Century gentleman. He is an artist; he’s also a medium who can talk to the dead.

He doesn’t use a cellphone or computer, and he only travels by means of public transportation, which most times turns the heads of commuters when he walks onto the bus.

He works at the Fun Ghoul Costume Shop, a place he feels is a safe haven for the time he spends on this earth.

As we’re walking down the avenue people yell out of their cars “ARRRG!” and other pirate-related jargon.

“Everybody’s reaction is different,” Francois tells us. “I hear that all the time, and they all seem so proud of themselves for yelling it out. The other night I was getting back to Paterson, where I live. There were these two Mexican guys who were obviously drunk walking behind me and they were yelling ‘Satanico, Satanico!’ I had a long day and I go to open my door. We have red motion detectors (that) come on. They must have thought it was very hellish because they took off! Some people yell out ‘666,’ but mostly it’s ‘Arg!’ Some people say ‘Where’s your parrot?’ Or ‘Where’s your treasure chest?’ Small children ask the most intelligent questions when they see me because they don’t do it to be funny.”

Our questions were the basic ones, starting with, “Why do you dress the way you do?”

“Why I started to dress this way was is because I started to hear voices speaking in French. I don’t speak French but I started to write things down (phonetically) and I was getting some real names. These people were trying to tell me how they died in the French Revolution, and these people were aristocrats, loyal to the family. Some voices where that of children. They were giving me their names and told me I had to go to the church and have masses said for them. I brought the names and the church recognized them and knowingly, said ‘OK.’ After the Mass it felt like a big weight was lifted from me. I was doing 18th Century theater at the time and the whole thing just funneled and I was really feeling some kind of connection. More to them than to people out here. Then I started to understand the whole ‘life and death’ thing, and I figured if you could get killed just by the way you’re dressed, then I shouldn’t be afraid to walk around like this. This is why I dress this way. If people want to kill me because of it, then let them do it. They might be doing me a favor for all I know!”

Francois is also a medium, an intermediary between the physical world and the spiritual world. His predictions for our future are far from optimistic.

“I feel more in tune with the ones that people would call ‘the dead.’ I have a lot of friends, but most of them are ghosts. There are strange things that happen to me. After 9/11 I didn’t go into the city for months because I was nervous something was going to happen. Once I got through the Port Authority I thought ‘Well, this isn’t so bad,’ then I saw this energy funnel coming up the street, like a swarm of bees, and it hit me right in the chest. I was like ‘No, no, no, please stop.’ I was leaning up against the wall. The energy was trying to warn us. The energy was trying to warn me that things were not as they were being said. ... I don’t know how they are still alive, but these spirits have been warning me that something bad is going to happen soon. I don’t want to be a black cloud over everyone’s parade or anything. I don’t have specific dates or anything like that, but it’s going to happen.

“These signs are all there, they are not hidden, they are all connected like a melody. Everything is so wrong, yet it scares me how complacent people have become. I don’t want to get Biblical, but even something like the ‘mark of the beast.’ You won’t be able to buy or sell anything without this ‘thing.’ Look at this thing called the Internet and what it’s become. This technology has never existed before, but now we have to have it. Anything that has real character, individuality or personal expression is becoming this big faceless digital blob. People don’t realize what’s being done to them. It’s the opposite of being born and being a human being. If we’re not here to be individuals, then there’s no purpose for us to be here. Who is setting this world up to where we are not needed? If I’m gonna go down, I’m gonna go down as an aristocrat!”

But being a French aristocrat in the 21st Century does have its drawbacks, even to others who dress the part, yet don’t live it.

“I used to go to the Renaissance fair and dress as an aristocrat. Then I got banned. They told me I wasn’t allowed to go there anymore unless I became an employee — and I had to dress and talk like the English. I mean the French had a Renaissance as well as the Italians and the Germans. This guy who was dressed as Medieval knight comes up to me and says ‘Wrong time period, you know!’ And I said, ‘It’s always the wrong time period.’ They told me I couldn’t come back and they wouldn’t even accept my admission fee. I was upstaging their employees. I was going there dressed in white with rhinestones and pearls and gold, so I guess they didn’t like that.”

We stop at the Dairy Queen for some French vanilla ice cream then over to the corner gas station to speak with some fellows mulling around the fuel tanks. The temperature is extremely muggy.

“You gotta be hot as hell in that thing,” said one of the gas station guys.

“Well, I’m hot, but it always feels like hell,” said Francois.

“These are my street clothes. I have a walk-in closet of clothes. I don’t like the summers too much because it’s very limiting in what I can wear. Summer is for silks, lace, transparent stuff. I never said I was here to be comfortable. I feel ghostly most of the time. The makeup makes it look like rotting skin,” he said.

More cars ride by and honk their horns. We cross over the street to get a tour of The Fun Ghoul Costume Shop, which carries everything from simple Halloween masks to full theatrical costumes and props.

“I spend a lot of time here. It feels like a safe zone. Sometimes the walk to work is a gauntlet. Some people throw things at me, bottles, stuff like that. People will ask me if I dress this way for work. I say I dress this way every day, but not for work. I don’t know what people expect. Who are you supposed to be to make everyone else happy? No matter where I go people say, ‘Why are you here?’ But in the way that it counts, I feel connected to history.

“Some people remember previous lives. I don’t know why everybody doesn’t, but for me, I’m obviously remembering things from my past, because it’s too vivid. When I see clothing or music from a certain time period I feel at peace. This world to me, well, I have to live in it but it’s jarring. I feel like I’m supposed to be a sign or reminder of the way things once were.”

We asked Francois if it bothers him that he feels out of sync with everything and everyone around him.

“It’s not anybody’s fault, but my own for being in this situation. It’s sad, but life is sad. I don’t envy anyone. Maybe sadness is the price you have to pay for knowing certain things. Maybe it was necessary.”

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And so it was proclaimed, on a gloriously seasoned Thursday night, in the company of eager patronage, giddy company and stagehands and state’s royalty – state Sen. Marc Panepinto, in the Queen’s absentia – on the grassy knoll known colloquially as “the hill,” that the state honor Shakespeare in Delaware Park, the venerable cultural landmark that it is, on its 40th season with reverence and distinction.

Lady Lisa Ludwig, managing director, and Sir Saul Elkin, founder and artistic director, gracious shepherds of this honor, accepted the senator’s proclamation to community applause, and wasted no time in debuting their second and final production of an already commendable season. Their “Romeo and Juliet,” by most accounts – though, regrettably, not my own, schedules what they are – was an honorable treatment of one of our most classic stories. Tradition is the bloodline of this momentous season.

The opening night production of “Twelfth Night,” under the academic direction of Steve Vaughan, adds another feather in the company’s cap: the first all-male cast in Shakespeare in Delaware Park’s history. This may surprise, when you remember that all of the Bard’s plays were performed this way in their day, a condition of an unthinkable assumption that women did not belong on stage. But time has a way of moving on. Thank goodness we’ve evolved from those archaic norms.

Lest we confuse Vaughan’s artistic decision with a greater political statement on the many gender equations being calculated in today’s town square, he and the company make it clear in the director’s note and in other reported conversations that this staging does not attempt to make such commentary. It is merely a throwback to authenticity, to craft, to the life and times of their celebrated playwright.

I did not see the company’s last production of this gender-bending comedy, a fan favorite, when it was last on the hill in 2006. Much has changed since then regarding our awareness of gender fluidity, even our comfort in talking about it so openly, viewing it so regularly, on television and in film.

This is a stellar production of a cheerful, celebratory, even frivolous play. It involves many romantic entanglements, many confused identities, many head-scratchers and chest-clutchers. Few of these characters are ever who they appear to be, including dignitaries and heads of state, which is a delightful twist of the knife for fans of George Bernard Shaw and other later commentators. Look at these fools run amok! The lovers always take the prize.

Here, our heroes are the twins Viola and Sebastian, whose blond locks and pure complexions combine for a most convincing pair. They are almost never on stage together, as we meet them after Sebastian’s presumed death at sea. The identity contortions that ensue are rather pointless to outline here, though trust me on this one: much hilarity ensues, and all is settled in the end. (A 400-year-old spoiler alert: they reunite, and hilariously, after two and a half hours of delicious breadcrumbs.)

Vaughan’s direction is smart and fluid. The easiest laughs, regarding men actors in dresses – even men in dresses, whose characters play men – are rarely played big. Yes, there’s plenty to chortle at, but only thanks to the company’s formidable chops.

Tim Newell, as Olivia, is a constant hoot, giving us just the right amount of sarcastic side-eye and dismissive jab. He also looks divine in his purple gown, a little Frida Kahlo poking through. Joran Louis Fischer, as our wide-eyed, lemony Viola (and Cesario), practically sings to the birds, he is so pure; but also impeccably comedic. Fischer brings just enough contemporary sass to Viola’s rhetorical insults. Don’t cross her; she’ll fire back faster than you can draw your sword.

Adam Yellen, as Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria, is a huge jewel in this cast’s crown. He plays the matronly attendant as everyone’s caustic Italian or Polish grandmother, never shy with discipline or love. Of all of these feminized men, Yellen wears his dress the best. Yellen, once again, shows us how versatile, dependable and spectacular he is on a stage.

Many other actors chew their scenes with skill – Norman Sham and David Lundy make a spectacular duo; Stephen Wisker brings a great modern British wit to the table. PJ Tighe, as Sebastian, and Chris Hatch, as Orsino, are the only effective straight men among all these comedians, yet are entertaining in their ridicule of these many unexpected reveals.

It’s a phenomenal ensemble, with only minor discounts – David Dwyer’s set is a little Olive Garden-y, though maybe that’s the restaurant’s fault – of a hilarious play written by our foremost playwright, presented for our pleasure, for 40 more years, we can hope, on this beautiful hill in the park. A lovely night, indeed.

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The world’s first solar powered catwalk – the J Summer Fashion Show 2015 – took place last Friday evening, July 17th, at the Gemasolar plant outside Sevilla in southern Spain.Jessica Minh Anh transformed the award-winning solar power plant, Gemasolar, into the world’s newest catwalk combing combining art, architecture, culture and fashion in her latest distinct catwalk show.

The show was powered by solar panels from the Gemasolar plant generating electricity to light the catwalk and surrounding infrastructure, meaning the show was entirely supported by renewable energy. With a rated electrical power of 19.9 MW in a 185 hectare solar field, the plant’s heat storage system allows the molten salt storage tank to create independent electrical generation for up to 15 hours without any solar feed. This innovative solar technology is a leading model for the entire industry.

Aside from the breathtaking backdrop of this year’s show, Jessica Minh Anh’s decision to stage her catwalk at one of Europe’s largest solar plants raises the issue of the fashion industry’s commitment to sustainable energy and development.

Every year, the fashion industry alone contributes to significant amounts in transport costs, manufacturing waste and landfill deposits. The fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to industrial water pollution from textile production. Considering the amount of energy wasted in the manufacturing and transport of materials for textile production, there is a clear need to address the lack of social responsibility within the upper echelons of the industry.

By staging such a prominent catwalk show at the site of a beacon for renewable energy, it goes some way to at least increasing awareness to the potential benefits of clean energy for the industry. Jessica Minh Ahn can be credited for showing that you can at least display high couture in harmony with Mother Earth.

The J Summer Fashion Show 2015, which marks Jessica Minh Anh’s 10th catwalk, presented 2 exquisite haute couture collections (Syeda Amera from Pakistan, Hoang Hai fromVietnam), 3 luxury jewellery collections (EKRIA from Turkey, Paloma Sanchez from China, Pandora from Denmark), and a flamenco collection (Pilar Vera from Spain).

Gemasolar, operated by Torresol, is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to apply central tower receiver and molten salt heat storage technology. The relevance of this plant lies in its technological innovation, since it opens up the way for new thermosolar electrical generation technology. Torresol develops solar power globally through investment in efficient and profitable solar concentration plants, pioneering new thermosolar technologies to reduce the cost of future plants.

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