Hayden Panettiere: I Still Have My Insecurities

Hayden Panettiere won fans as a cheerleader helping to save the world in NBC's popular 'Heroes.' Now, she's a cheerleader on the big screen in "I Love You, Beth Cooper," which is getting additional buzz for her nude scene. As Parade.com's Jeanne Wolf discovered, the 19-year-old actress was very mellow about taking it all off.

What it takes to get naked: "I don't think it takes much thought, and I don't think it takes much preparation as an actor. My dad has always said I was an exhibitionist when I was growing up. As a young girl, I'd be running around with no clothes and I was like, 'La, la, la, la.' So, I didn't find it very hard being naked. It's like I drop my towel and that's it. But that's just me though. Maybe other people find it harder."

She had more fun doing stunts: "I did some of the driving and I'd like to say I'm a much better driver than Beth. I do as much as they'll let me do. The insurance company people are not always my favorites because they're like, 'No you can't do this and you can't do that.' But I'm always up for stunts and I always have a great time. It's like my sport."

Connecting with a high school girl: "Beth is kind of a metaphor for me. She's very popular -- I might not be going through the same exact thing and I might not have the same exact insecurities as her -- but I still have my own insecurities and I still am unsure about things and unsure about the future. I can relate to people who behave a certain way because of anger or sadness or just genuine insecurity about who they are and the fear of who'll they'll become."

The high school moment missed: "I was mostly home schooled because I was on so many film sets. But I did get to go to homecoming and prom, and even ended up running from the cops once. We went to a place that we weren't supposed to be where we had a little party. Some of the older kids thought it would be funny to light fireworks just as some cops drove by and they started chasing us. I was just like 'Oh, this is funny' because I had gone from the adult world of making films to running from the cops. I got a kick out of it until three of my friends got grabbed and suddenly you're going, 'Oops, big doo doo, you're in trouble.'"

Dealing with stardom: "I am an image, what people want to make me. They don't really know me. They don't know who I am. They don't know what I'm like. And sometimes I get some bad things said about me and I think, 'You've never hung out with me, you never had a conversation with me, so how do you know?'"

Putting those rumors to rest: "Is there something that's not a misconception about me? I'm single and mingling. I am not dating anyone specifically. I'm not pregnant, if you see any rumors like that. I'm not getting married. I'm not looking for a house with anyone. Let's see, what else could there be? They're all rumors. Don't believe any of it. None of it's true."

Sneak peek of next season's 'Heroes': "Claire's in college and she has a new roommate who we don't really know much about in the beginning and we'll find out more about her. There's also this new group in town called The Carnival and they're the opposite of The Company, which wanted to keep their powers secret. The Carnival wants everyone to know what they're up to and that should make things interesting."What you don't see on the tube: "We tease each other unmercifully. Zach Quinto showed up on set with no eyebrows because he was still filming 'Star Trek.' I was like, 'Hey, dude. What happened?' We would be like, 'OK, Spock, whatever you say, Spock.' But we're all like brothers and sisters that just sit there and poke each other's buttons and take each other's egos and shove them on the ground and stomp on them a little. They do it to me all the time. I'm the butt of everyone's jokes. I'm the little sister who gets it more often than not. I'm always going, 'Leave me alone.'"

Standing up for dolphins and whales in The Cove: "I just grew up a big fan of animals. If I could work with animals for the rest of my life I'd be the happiest person. So that's why I got involved with the whales and dolphins. We filmed in this bay in Japan where they herd dolphins and whales and kill them. It was horrible to see the water run blood red and I'll never forget what I saw. But it made me feel like I was doing something instead of sitting in a studio doing a PSA to tell people, 'save the whales and dolphins.' It's going to be a long battle but I'm in until the bitter end."

Source: omg.yahoo.com

Sachin and Babi for Ankasa: Sequins and Shine

Husband and wife designers Sachin and Babi have just finished their first full year rotation of fashion collections with their ready-to-wear line, yet their experience in the fashion industry is much further extended. The duo has taken their skills and expertise in embroidery and home decor and sophisticatedly segued into the women's wear scene.

"Our dream when we started off was to have our own collection," said Sachin Ahluwalia who met his wife and "most severe critic" at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where they studied. After graduating, the couple began developing their brand and specialty, where embroidery was the focal point of all their designs. Working with designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Derek Lam, Sachin explained, was a sub-schooling for him and Babi.

"Obviously, whatever we learned in FIT was education but I think in terms of stylization and in terms of aesthetic sense much has been adopted from these great men and woman that we've worked with," said Sachin in an interview in his New York studio on Monday, June 29.

Sachin explained that by manufacturing everything in-house, he and Babi can ensure quality and finish are in tune with their vision. With more than 200 people on staff, the embroidering, sewing, and fabric dying is all done in Mumbai, India, where Sachin originates. No outside contracting translates into approachable prices for wearers, without sacrificing luxury, according to Sachin.

For their Sachin and Babi for Ankasa Resort 2010 collection that debuted earlier this month in New York, the couple successfully fused their experiences both in and out of the classroom, with their textile talent honed from their home store, as well as a brush of Indian influence, evident in draping and color selections that hint at the indigenous sari. Fabric manipulation and embroidery crossed with sequins and shine strike the perfect cord for the season, making every outfit transferable from day to night.

Sachin and Babi for Ankasa, as Sachin said, take pride in their customers feeling good in their pieces and appreciating them for their value. "It's not having to save sequined shorts or a silver lame tunic for an occasion, but being able to wear it that day," said Sachin. "It's a designer look, and a designer name at a contemporary price."


Source: www.fashionwiredaily.com