Latest news with #MicheleMorrone
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Wish List: Super suitcases, cool kitchen gadgets, perfect picnic blankets
A scents of place Fragrance zoning is about curating areas of your home with scents that reflect the mood of the room. Think welcoming, fresh scents in the hallway, zesty tangs for the kitchen and calming notes in the bedroom. Ortigia's Fico d'India perfume diffuser blends fig, cactus juice, and wild flowers from Sicily and comes in a beautiful keepsake box. One whiff and I'm cruising down the Sicilian Riviera in a Maserati, clad head-to-toe in Dolce & Gabbana, a silk headscarf blowing in the Mediterranean breeze (Michele Morrone in the passenger seat is optional). Shop this diffuser, €55, at Pure Boutique, Douglas Court Shopping Centre in Cork. Keeping it cool We Irish have many unwritten laws pertaining to the weather. In winter, we hibernate; in summer, we stay out in our gardens past 10pm, without exception. We also have an intrinsic connection to our land — and inexplicably, to trolleys (don't tell me you don't have at least one brilliant story involving your younger self and a trolley). Keep your summer salads fresh for longer and your drinks cold with the Cooler Be Cool, €330, from Interiosity in Cork. Nobody likes flat 7UP with a side of limp lettuce, am I right? Available to order at Chic coasters Did you ever wonder why your elders were so particular about coasters? "They protect the wood," they said, when said wood was hidden under a tablecloth. Add a few years to my birth cert and suddenly, I'm beginning to understand the allure. Forget the "wine o'clock" novelty coasters and choose the gorgeous inlay chequered designs at Tooka, one of my favourite homeware and accessories brands. Having tea on these beauties? Raise your pinkie in pride. Shop at or Suited and booted Show me the person who has travelled abroad who hasn't had a suitcase disaster or two. From the rogue wheels that insist on knocking knees with the crankiest of humans to the case of the mistaken suitcase on the carousel, I've learned my lessons the hard way, and my days of poor-quality, fabric suitcases are over. Away suitcases consistently garner five-star reviews. Scan the QR code to set up the lock and take advantage of the built-in compression pad — some users say it allows for double the amount of clothes. The hard shell carry-on suitcase, about €258 from Away, does not compromise on form or function. It's available from or selected stockists. Birds of a feather Tell me you haven't beamed at the robin in the garden, convinced it's a sign from above. Or lost an hour looking at newly divorced birds (Google it)? Birdwatching is such a simple joy; it's impossible to feel glum looking at these bouncy, shiny, happy cheeky chappies. Saille Baskets' willow bird feeder, €48, almost resembles a nest. Made from wicker, its teardrop shape is ideal for feeding smaller birds. Fill it with nuts, seeds and fat balls and watch the little cuties peck, perch and peep to their hearts' content. These beautifully woven bird feeders are all unique and one-of-a-kind and are available at the Irish Design Shop. A chop off the old block My nail tech once told me "nails are jewels, not tools". If you spend a significant amount on your gel refills every month, you don't want to ruin them by something as simple as chopping a carrot. The KitchenAid Classic Mini Chopper, €111.99, does the work for you. Chopping is only half the fun — this mini-appliance also purees vegetables so you can hide them from your fussy toddler because the old adage of seeing in the dark ain't working anymore. How did our parents get away with that one? Shop at Nisbets in Blarney or on Biophilic design Some of us were blessed with gardens, and some of us (he who shall not be named) opted for a patch of concrete. Low-maintenance? Sure. Low mood? You bet. You don't need me to list off all the studies that prove the benefits of having indoor flowers, you only have to look to see them breathe life into your living space. Hang a few of these ATYM globe flowerpots, from €49, to create a gallery-style wall without taking up too much space. Check out or available stockists. Technicolour dream blanket Not all picnic blankets are created equal, and I'm inclined to agree with my mother that those "skimpy auld yokes" do you no good. The Pavilion plaid block-multicolour blanket from Hubsch, €118, is thick enough to also use as a bedspread. It's made from Oeko-Tex® Standard 100® cotton, meaning it's cosy enough to plant your behind down and read for the day without budging. Big enough to share space with the family and bright enough to pick you out in a crowd, we love this blanket for so many reasons. Pack some Wexford strawberries, cocktail sausages and brie for the grown-ups and be nice to the seagulls — sure, they can't help being a bit boisterous. It's available at
CNN
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Blake Lively packs her outrageously big hat for the destination wedding film of the year
CNN — Six years after their original outing, actors Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are back for 'Another Simple Favor.' This time, a destination wedding on a sun-drenched Italian island is the backdrop to intrigue, murderous intent, and floppy hats the size of small parachutes. The sequel to 2018's dark comedy 'A Simple Favor' sees the cunning Emily (Lively) reunite with frenemy Stephanie (Kendrick) after the former's early release from prison for double murder. The simple favor in question this time? 'Will you be my maid of honor?' Emily asks — a surprising turn as Stephanie played a key role in the arrest and conviction of Emily years prior. Nonetheless, the two jet off to Capri, Italy, for the lavish wedding of Emily and the very suave and wealthy Dante (played Michele Morrone) where betrayal, snappy dialogue and vintage mob boss-inspired suits await them. Fans of Emily and Stephanie's wardrobe in 2018 can look forward to more bold, opulent statement pieces and elevated looks, according to the film's costume designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus. 'I'd say the whole of the picture was to attain more of a grand and over the top style,' Kalfus told CNN over email. 'The costumes altogether were designed to be imposing and memorable.' When we first see Emily, her outfit leaves us in no doubt where she's been these last few years. Her jumpsuit is a couture twist on the cartoonish striped getup of a jailbird. Her hooped earrings resemble separated handcuffs, and her belt reminiscent of one you might see on a member of a chain gang. Then there's the highly-anticipated wedding itself. For the extravagant nuptials, director Paul Feig (who clearly knows a thing or two about on-screen weddings, having directed 2011 comedy 'Bridesmaids') took particular inspiration from one real life union. 'Paul came to me and his team to tell us to look at this video of fashion editor, Giovanna Bataglia, marrying Oscar Englebert,' Kalfus says of the lavish gathering, also held on Capri. 'He wanted his movie to have the look of grandeur, and he wanted us to create an ostentatious and gorgeous wedding.' One of the film's most memorable garments is Emily's one-of-a-kind wedding dress — complete with 40-foot veil — designed by Kalfus herself. The gown features a bustier and leggings made of latex courtesy of designer Renee Masoomian, with a satin skirt by Tirelli Costume House. 'It is an unexpected mix of beauty and harshness,' Kalfus says — the garment an embodiment of how Emily herself could be described. The extravagant veil was bordered with hundreds of crystals dipped in blood-red as a 'harbinger of things to come,' according to Kalfus. The dress — latex aside — is a surprisingly traditionally feminine look for Emily. Fans may remember her appearing in several tailored (and largely monochromatic) suits throughout 'A Simple Favor' — a look which was inspired by the way Feig dresses in real life. 'We were trying to figure out what Blake's look was,' explained Feig in an on-set interview during the production of the first film. 'Over the course of trying to figure it out, she became enamoured with the way I dress,' he added. Kalfus, who designed the looks for both films, adds that, 'Both Blake and I, we looked at each other and go 'somebody should dress like Paul, don't you think?' Every day he wears a three-piece suit.' Emily's outfits ended up making their way off screen, with Lively promoting the first film in tailored pantsuits by Ralph Lauren, Roland Mouret and Vivienne Westwood among others. In the sequel, 'Emily's style is pushed, much more heightened,' according to Kalfus. Her dresses, accessories, and that hat — the striped number worn while descending a hotel's grand staircase (that could block out the sun for a small village) — have all increased in size. Emily's black and white lines, neckties and waistcoats are juxtaposed with Stephanie's colorful floral sweaters and flowing skirts. You also see Emily's dramatic couture going toe to toe with an often dressed down Stephanie — appearing in sweatshirts and sweatpants, 'showing her reluctance to be part of the wedding,' Kalfus says. When Stephanie is in more formal attire, it errs towards a more youthful femininity, while Emily's appears more mature and domineering, lending a 'psychological edge' over Stephanie, Kalfus says. That 'edge' may be the key as to why Emily's looks are so striking. However, as Dante's mother Portia (Italian actress Elena Sofia Ricci) says, 'No amount of fashion can save this wedding from being a disaster.' She may just have a point.
South China Morning Post
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Michele Morrone, the hunky leading man of 365 Days and Another Simple Favor fame, on his friendship with Blake Lively, staying grounded in Hollywood, and the importance of being a good dad
Everything is romantic in the eyes of Michele Morrone, the hunky Italian leading man who's out to prove he can give Colin Farrell and Leonardo DiCaprio a run for their money. 'I'm obsessed with my life and obsessed with my passions,' the 34-year-old breakout star from erotic thriller 365 Days tells me over the phone one morning, dialling in from Milan to discuss his life as an actor, a father and everything in between. Self-assured and confident, as you would surely expect from one of Hollywood's most handsome faces, Morrone's name is also one of the most recognisable right now. Fresh off starring alongside Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor, the sequel to Paul Feig's 2018 smash hit A Simple Favor, the actor is set to take on another blockbuster role in Feig's upcoming film The Housemaid, which casts him alongside A-listers Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney Michele Morrone photographed for Style by Mike Ruiz. Dsquared²: suit, shirt, tie, shoes; Intimissimi Uomo: socks Advertisement 'From my point of view, it's a waste to use only one life to do only one thing that you love,' Morrone says of his somewhat unconventional career path so far, from navigating humble beginnings in Puglia to finding fame through films like Subservience with Megan Fox and appearances on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars. That's not to mention his side hustles dabbling in music and fashion. 'It's not that I'm going to wait until this life to finish my acting career and then in the next life be a singer, and then again in the next be a painter. I want to do it all together because I'm drunk on life – my passions are like a drug for me.' Riding that high, so to speak, not only transformed Morrone into an international heartthrob nearly overnight with 365 Days, but also took his career to new heights by bringing him face-to-face with pre-eminent filmmaking figures like Feig, whom the actor calls 'one of the most incredible gentlemen I've ever met'. If you ask Morrone whether he could even conceive of all this success back then, as a young hopeful from southern Italy, he would again speak with a sense of romanticism and whimsy – kismet, he calls it, borne out of uncompromising dedication and commitment to a path he feels was laid out for him all this time. 'For me it was more like a trip, like I'm going somewhere,' the actor muses. 'Like, I'm going to Hollywood. And there was something in my mind telling me that it was never a question mark for me. I don't know how much time I am going to take but I'm going there.' Emporio Armani: overcoat. The ring is Michele Morrone's own And go there he has in the span of just a few short years. Since 365 Days was released back in 2020, Morrone filmed two sequels before being tapped by Feig for Another Simple Favor, something the actor describes as a great honour and one which has become one of his most high-profile projects to date. Though legal drama surrounding Lively and her former It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni , has since engulfed his famous castmate and distracted from much of Another Simple Favor's promotion, Morrone refrains from commenting on the controversy and instead gushes about Lively, whom he now calls a best friend. 'We talk almost every day on the phone. We exchange advice. She's like a sister to me – one of the most beautiful women, people, I ever met in my life. I became such good friends with Ryan [Reynolds] as well.' 'You always have the hope that you're going to get along with the person you're working with, especially when you have to play her man,' Morrone continues, when asked about acting alongside Lively and playing her romantic lead. 'You're always hoping to find someone who understands, and me and Blake we had such a great bond straight away. We became good friends from day one so it was very easy for me.'
