2012 fashion and style around the globe

London calling

The queen's Diamond Jubilee was a chance to look back at 60 years of colorful suits and hats. And everyone seemed more than eager to hop aboard the royal train, including Pantone, which color-coded her highness' most iconic outfits, and Taschen, which published a coffee table book chronicling the royal family.

Ralph Lauren fumbled with Team USA's Summer Olympics opening and closing ceremony uniforms when it was revealed they were made in China, not America. The stiff, boarding school-style jackets emblazoned with an oversized Ralph Lauren Polo logo, "complimented" by military style berets weren't exactly subtle either. Lauren later promised that the 2014 uniforms will be made in the U.S. (July)

Olympic style

They don't give medals for style at the Olympics, but if they did there were several trends that might have made the podium: Nike debuted new FlyKnit Trainers and Volt sneakers. The lightweight and eco-friendly shoes, in a bold shade of highlighter yellow, turned heads at track and field events and on the medal stand (and were summarily bought up by arm chair athletes at home). The late reggae superstar Bob Marley inspired the Jamaican Olympic team uniforms (a collaborative effort between his fashion designer daughter Cedella Marley and Puma). Stella McCartney designed the host team kit for Great Britain, and her choices had some Brits seeing red thanks to a dearth of that hue in the uniforms. Additionally, athletes from around the world sported patriotic nail art. (July, August)

Grill and bare it

When American swimmer and fashion lover Ryan Lochte won his first gold medal, he stepped up to the podium and gave a big grin — revealing a custom made jewel-encrusted American flag dental grill. The United States looked on, embarrassed. Lochte bared more than that when he was photographed on Vogue's June cover running arm in arm on a beach with fellow Olympians Serena Williams and Hope Solo, all clad in tasteful bathing suits. (June, July)

Mars Rover guy

The frenzy surrounding the historic landing of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity was nearly eclipsed by the instant Internet celebrity of Bobak Ferdowsi, the mohawk-haired flight director at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. (August)

Not well-suited

When Mitt Romney formally introduced Paul Ryan as his running mate, many fashion pundits were distracted by Ryan's wardrobe for the occasion: an ill-fitting coat, pants that hung baggy at the ankles and no tie. We compared the ensemble to David Byrne's absurdly oversized suit from "Stop Making Sense." The RNC must have hired Ryan a stylist after the event, because later in the campaign Ryan began to look more like a potential candidate for the second- highest office in the land and less like a 14-year-old wearing his dad's clothes. (August)

Red Sole Diaries

A New York Court of Appeals ruled that Christian Louboutin's signature red soles are entitled to limited trademark protection, after the designer sought a preliminary injunction to prevent Yves Saint Laurent from selling similarly styled shoes. The decision covers only shoes with a contrasting red sole and a different color top. The much-publicized case reignited the debate over trademarking fashion designs. (September)

The fashion front

During the heat of the presidential campaign, former Fox News pundit Glenn Beck announced that he was starting his own line of jeans to protest a Levis commercial that he claimed showed support for the Occupy movement. Beck's 1791 Supply & Co. jeans sell for the hardly populist price of $130. Also on the political style front, Macy's received calls from online petitioners to dump Donald Trump — the Donald Trump Signature Collection of business clothes, that is. The gripe was over the billionaire's involvement in the "birther" conspiracy movement and his election night Twitter rant calling for revolution after President Obama was reelected. Macy's representatives later released a statement saying that they'd keep stocking the Trump products as long as customers kept buying them. (October and November)

First fashionistas-in-training

First Lady Michelle Obama has been praised for her chic sense of style, and now her daughters are receiving similar acclaim. First Daughters Sasha (wearing Chris Benz) and Malia Obama (in Gregory Parkinson) garnered particular attention for choosing colorful, full short skirts to celebrate their father's reelection. Meanwhile, HMX, the parent company of President Obama's go-to suit label Hart Schaffner Marx, filed for bankruptcy just a month before the election. By the end of the year, Authentic Brands Group — the company that owns the licensing rights to Marilyn Monroe's likeness — had snapped it up for a reported $72.3 million. (October, November, December)

Philippine fashion dazzled in 2012

In fashion shows, 2012 produced eagerly anticipated galas, from “veteran first-timers” like JC Buendia and Francis Libiran to tried-and-tested draws like Cary Santiago.

The year 2012 also marked the homecoming show of London-based Filipino designer Lesley Mobo, now the creative director of venerable British ready-to-wear brand Ghost. (Mobo last staged a show in Manila more than four years ago.)

Although Buendia has been designing clothes for more than two decades now, it was only in August that he held his first gala show.

Dubbed “JC Buendia: 25th,” the designer—known for his clean, tailored and feminine lines—channeled looks of such fashion icons as Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Wallis Simpson and Diana Vreeland.

He was also inspired by such films and TV shows as “Downton Abbey,” “Rear Window,” “Sabrina,” even the Madonna-directed “W.E.”

Influences from his fashion idols such as Christian Dior and Cristobal Balenciaga were also evident in tailored pieces that were either sculptural or fresh takes of wasp-waisted dresses reminiscent of Dior’s “New Look.”

LESLEY Mobo reinvents himself by putting less emphasis on tailored pieces in favor of a boho-inspired collectionmade of various types of lace. Instead of silk chiffon, he used tulle, taffeta, silk gazar, French lace and silk abaca.

Libiran’s turn
It was Libiran’s turn to shine last September with “100, the Francis Libiran Fashion Gala.”
His 70-piece collection was inspired by elements at Manila Hotel, including the hotel’s iconic chandeliers and wrought iron works.

He wove these elements into seven segments that showed his expertise in layering, combining linear patterns and sheer fabrics, cutouts and embroidery.

Each segment’s color scheme was dictated by his inspiration. For the fourth segment, which Libiran dubbed the mother-of-pearl collection, he used graduating shades from pink to old rose, magenta to grape, following colors and patterns found in the Maynila ballroom.

The designer combined materials such as piña, both plain and embroidered, tulle and silk organdy. Some gowns had mother-of-pearl embellishments.

Santiago’s collection
After featuring such celebrated Middle East-based Filipino talents as Furne One and Michael Cinco, the annual Red Charity Gala produced by Kaye Tinga and Inquirer Lifestyle’s Tessa Prieto-Valdes lived up to expectations by featuring Cebu’s Cary Santiago.

JC Buendia updates Christian Dior’s “New Look.”
Like One and Cinco, Santiago gained experience in the Middle East. But unlike the two, Santiago opted to come home years ago to cater to a growing Cebu clientele.

Comparisons were thus in order, and Santiago more than held his own with a 35-piece origami-inspired collection.

He had signature techniques such as the wrought-iron-like rococo metalwork, and generated surprises to thrill guests, many of whom were his loyal clients.

Mobo gala
Mobo ended October with a bang. As the first featured designer in the Colours Gala, another fashion show for a cause produced by Tinga, Mobo collaborated with leading stage talents, including fashion director Ariel Lozada, to turn the huge Arena in Pasay City into a venue for a formal dinner-slash-fashion show.
Everything about the show, from the venue to Mobo’s unorthodox collection, could be summed up in one word: reinvention.

Downplaying his tailoring skills and preference for masculine fabric—Mobo pulled off the evening’s biggest surprise.

As if all that layering and juxtaposition of textures weren’t enough, he made his pieces more interesting by incorporating strategic and figure-flattering ruffles, ruches, drapes, tiers and pleats. His sense of proportion showed even through the layering.

Peralta’s Filipiniana
Although Frederick Peralta’s June show wasn’t as big and as celebrated as those of his colleagues, it was equally noteworthy for its attempt to combine fashion with art.

In “Artes,” Peralta and painter Dominic Rubio drew inspiration from each other’s works in a rare art exhibit-fashion show. In their different mediums, the two artists share one thing: a love of elaborate, Filipiniana-inspired fashion that harks back to the colonial era.

While Rubio expresses this fascination on canvas with his signature elongated human figures in intricate native finery, Peralta has live models in heavily beaded, embroidered, tiered and layered creations.
Peralta had ternos, stylized Maria Clara dresses and barongs made of piña, lace, cotton, tulle and Issey Miyake-inspired crinkled silk.

Two big shows
Inquirer Lifestyle and Look Magazine staged two shows: “Face-Off Filipino Bridal Collection 2012” and Look of Style “Most Promising Designer” Awards.

ROLAND Alzate fashions a figure-flattering two-piece ensemble with plastic overlay.

Bridal gowns that were equally elegant and stylish on the aisles as they were on the red carpet were foremost on the minds of 40 designers in this year’s biggest fashion show of its kind.

Leading “Face-Off” were veterans Auggie Cordero, Lulu Tan-Gan, Nolie Hans, Philip Rodriguez, Mike dela Rosa, Efren Ocampo, Loretto Popioco and Gregg Centeno.

Joining them were Randy Ortiz, Rajo Laurel, Cary Santiago, Ivar Aseron, Joey Samson, Noel Crisostomo, Ronaldo Arnaldo, James Reyes, Hindy Webber-Tantoco, Rhett Eala, Jun Escario, JC Buendia, Yvonne Quisumbing, Vic Barba, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Arcy Gayatin, Oj Hofer, Tonichi Nocom and Dennis Lustico.

The new generation of designers held their own: Pablo Cabahug, Veejay Floresca, Jerome Lorico, Joel Escober, Jerome Salaya Ang, Kristel Yulo, Chris Diaz, Martin Bautista, Sassa Jimenez, Vania Romoff and Eric de los Santos.

Best of the newbies
Before the year ended, young designer Roland Alzate, 27, bested nine other newbies to win the Look of Style Awards in November. As part of his prize, Alzate will receive an all-expense-paid trip to London sponsored by the British Council to attend a one-week fashion design course at the prestigious Central Saint Martins.
Alzate presented short, fitted dresses with three distinct looks. His strongest piece was a cream and pink number made of piña and rayon following Aklan’s ringge weaving technique.

Details were confined to the dress’ lower half, which echoed the look of woven solihiya. Unlike the bottom part, which was made of piña and rayon, the top part was made from recycled jusi from an old wedding gown.”

This year’s finalists from Manila were Vania Romoff, Renan Pacson and Roxanne Hoey. Hanz Coquilla, Rey Villegas and Mike Yapching represented Cebu, while Jun Artajo, Ivan Raborar and Joao Tarepe represented Davao.

New Year's Eve Fashion Under $100

New Year's Eve is less than one week away but it's not too late to pull together your dream outfit, says Lori Bergamotto, contributing style editor of Lucky magazine.

The even better news is that you can ring in 2013 looking like a million bucks without breaking the bank. Bergamotto visited " Good Morning America" today to show us the best New Year's Eve looks, all for $100 or less.

Lakme Fashion Week to showcase Gaurang collections

The upcoming Lakme Fashion Week is to showcase the collections of fashion designer Gaurang.

Gaurang is to present a collection of very old traditional designs of kanjevarams with kalamkaris at the Indian Textile Day which is to be held in Mumbai on August 5.

So far, the designer has only showcased spring summer collections where he used mostly khadis and kotas in whites. Well-known actress Kiron Kher has agreed to be the show-stopper for the designer at the fashion event.

Gaurang says the collections for the winter season will bring back the classic 1950 and 1960 look. His designs will highlight heavy kanjeevarams instilled with classic kalamkaris.

The five-day fashion extravaganza starts in Mumbai on August 3. Gaurang is to showcase 19 of his classic hand-woven collections.

Gaurang is the only Indian designer this season, who was invited to showcase his designs at the Lavera Showfloor at Kosmos on July 5, 2012 during the Berlin Fashion Week.

TOP 25: CELEBRITY FASHION HEROES OF 2012

We tried to do a Top 10 Celebrity Fashion Heroes of 2012. Then a top 12, then a 15, followed by a 20...

We've just loved so many wardrobes this year!

But here it is, the official list of our favourite fashion players over the last 12 months, whittled down to an almost concise top 25.

Deciding was tough! With Kate Middleton, Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger, Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, Nicole Scheringer and loads more having quite the stylish run, there have been debates, squabbles and stand-offs galore while trying to put all these fashion-clad ladies into some sort of order.

Darwin the Ikea Monkey Among 2012 Highlights of Fashion

Darwin, the rhesus macaque monkey who made global headlines when he was photographed wearing a shearling coat outside of an Ikea in Canada earlier this month, has been recognized as one of the year's highlights of fashion.

In a review of the top 10 fashion highlights of 2012 published on Tuesday by The Guardian Newspaper, fashion writer Lauren Cochrane named the rise in popularity of the midriff, the growing demand for high fashion in China and older models on the high-fashion catwalk as standouts of the year.

And then, there were the animals. She acknowledged that the year had featured notable celebrity pets, including designer Karl Lagerfeld's pampered cat, Choupette, and reality TV star Kim Kardashian's late cat, Mercy.

"And yet they were all trumped by Darwin, the monkey who wandered into a Canadian branch of Ikea in a very smart sheepskin coat, instantly stealing the crown for most fashionable pet. Animals really do the funniest things," Cochrane wrote.

MORE: Coat-Wearing Monkey Captured in Ikea Parking Lot
Darwin captured the world's attention when he escaped from his owner's car while she shopped at Ikea in Toronto on Dec. 9. Amazed shoppers spotted the diaper-and-coat-clad animal and took pictures.

The store's staffers cornered the animal until officials from the city's Animal Services Department arrived on the scene and took the tiny, 7-month-old primate to a sanctuary, where he'll remain indefinitely.

His owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, staged a protest on Wednesday in a bid to get Darwin - her "child," she said - returned to her.

Fashion merry-go-round brings Paris new faces for 2013

Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga: three top Paris fashion houses kick off 2013 with a new designer at their helm. What better way to whet the appetite of fashionistas and keep sales ticking over?

"There comes a point when a brand needs to renew itself," said Serge Carreira, a luxury industry expert and professor at Sciences Po university.

Change can come about involuntarily--as in the case of John Galliano, sacked by Dior over a racist outburst in February 2011 and succeeded last spring by the Belgian minimalist Raf Simons.

Or it can be deliberate, as at Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, where Hedi Slimane and Alexander Wang were named to replace the outgoing designers Stefano Pilato and Nicolas Ghesquiere respectively.

"Taking on a new designer has become the new way for brands to whip up consumer appetite," said luxury industry consultant Jean-Jacques Picart.

For the fashion world, this much change in one year spells the end of a cycle and the start of a new one, as seen in the early 2000s with the arrival of Slimane at Dior Homme, and Tom Ford at Saint Laurent, Picart said.

Ghesquiere spent 15 years at Balenciaga, as did Galliano at Dior, while Pilati was at YSL for 12 years in total, starting under Ford, said Pamela Golbin, curator at the Paris museum of decorative arts.

Long enough for the industry to change, and the job of designer too.

"The number of collections has gone from four to eight, 12 or more if you include capsule collections," she said.

Brands increasingly look to designers to act as their public face, opening stores and attending galas.

Couturiers have to sell clothes

Golbin captures the outlook in today's fashion industry with a quote from the late French designer Madeleine Vionnet:

"'Artists are here to make us dream--couturiers have to sell clothes, or they go out of business.'"

"Today it's no longer enough to be able to design a dress," Carreira said. "Having a strong identity and a distinctive product are the keys to success."

At a time when luxury houses are looking to shore up their prospects for future growth, they need to strike a balancing act between creativity and business imperatives.

"And history tells us that it pays to be bold," Carreira said. "If you ask talented creatives to produce standardised products, there is no reason it should work."

Consumers have changed, too, in the past 15 years.

The industry is now addressing switched-on customers who are far from the fashion novices of the 1990s. Today's clients go back and forth between big and niche brands and more or less expensive offerings.

This spring will bring what is widely awaited as Slimane's first "real" shows for Yves Saint Laurent, after last October's spring-summer collection by the cult designer seen as a homage to the house's late founder.

Dior's new designer Simons has already made a mark in Paris with two collections, one couture and one ready-to-wear, that reworked the house's iconic nipped-waist silhouette with a clean-lined, contemporary twist.

And Wang, the darling of the New York fashion scene, will be taking his first steps at Balenciaga at the autumn-winter ready-to-wear shows this spring.

At 28, Wang is already a seasoned businessman, at the helm of an own-name fashion house that has been pushing into Asia, where the Taiwanese-American designer has his family roots.
His arrival at Balenciaga may or may not herald a more aggressive market strategy, but whatever direction the house takes, for Picart, Wang's appointment "seals the arrival of a new generation" of designers at the high table of fashion -- in the style capital of the world.

Fashion brings top Paris brands new faces

PARIS: Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga: three top Paris fashion houses kick off 2013 with a new designer at their helm. What better way to whet the appetite of fashionistas and keep sales ticking over?

“There comes a point when a brand needs to renew itself,” said Serge Carreira, a luxury industry expert and professor at Sciences Po university.

Change can come about involuntarily – as in the case of John Galliano, sacked by Dior over a racist outburst in 2011 and succeeded last spring by Belgian minimalist Raf Simons.

Or it can be deliberate, as at Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, where Hedi Slimane and Alexander Wang were named to replace the outgoing designers Stefano Pilato and Nicolas Ghesquiere respectively.

“Taking on a new designer has become the new way for brands to whip up consumer appetite,” said luxury industry consultant Jean-Jacques Picart.

For the fashion world, this much change in one year spells the end of a cycle and the start of a new one, as seen in the early 2000s with the arrival of Slimane at Dior Homme, and Tom Ford at Saint Laurent, Picart said.

Ghesquiere spent 15 years at Balenciaga, as did Galliano at Dior, while Pilati was at YSL for 12 years in total, starting under Ford, said Pamela Golbin, curator at the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts.

Long enough for the industry to change, and the job of designer too.

Brands increasingly look to designers to act as their public face, opening stores and attending galas.

Golbin captures the outlook in today’s fashion industry with a quote from the late French designer Madeleine Vionnet:

“‘Artists are here to make us dream – couturiers have to sell clothes, or they go out of business.’”

“Today it’s no longer enough to be able to design a dress,” Carreira said. “Having a strong identity and a distinctive product are the keys to success.”

At a time when luxury houses are looking to shore up their prospects for future growth, they need to strike a balancing act between creativity and business imperatives.

“And history tells us that it pays to be bold,” Carreira said. “If you ask talented creatives to produce standardized products, there is no reason it should work.”

Consumers have changed, too, in the past 15 years. The industry is now addressing switched-on customers who are far from the fashion novices of the 1990s. Today’s clients go back and forth between big and niche brands and more or less expensive offerings.

This spring will bring what is widely awaited as Slimane’s first “real” shows for Yves Saint Laurent, after last October’s spring-summer collection by the cult designer seen as a homage to the house’s late founder.

Dior’s new designer Simons has already made a mark in Paris with two collections, one couture and one ready-to-wear, that reworked the house’s iconic nipped-waist silhouette with a clean-lined, contemporary twist.

And Wang, the darling of the New York fashion scene, will be taking his first steps at Balenciaga at the autumn-winter ready-to-wear shows this spring.

At 28, Wang is already a seasoned businessman, at the helm of an own-name fashion house that has been pushing into Asia, where the Taiwanese-American designer has his family roots.

His arrival at Balenciaga may or may not herald a more aggressive strategy, but whatever direction the house takes, for Picart, Wang’s appointment “seals the arrival of a new generation” of designers at the high table of fashion – in the style capital of the world.

Fashion merry-go-round brings new faces for 2013

Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga: three top Paris fashion houses kick off 2013 with a new designer at their helm. What better way to whet the appetite of fashionistas and keep sales ticking over?

"There comes a point when a brand needs to renew itself," said Serge Carreira, a luxury industry expert and professor at Sciences Po university.

Change can come about involuntarily -- as in the case of John Galliano, sacked by Dior over a racist outburst in February 2011 and succeeded last spring by the Belgian minimalist Raf Simons.
Or it can be deliberate, as at Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, where Hedi Slimane and Alexander Wang were named to replace the outgoing designers Stefano Pilato and Nicolas Ghesquiere respectively.

"Taking on a new designer has become the new way for brands to whip up consumer appetite," said luxury industry consultant Jean-Jacques Picart.

For the fashion world, this much change in one year spells the end of a cycle and the start of a new one, as seen in the early 2000s with the arrival of Slimane at Dior Homme, and Tom Ford at Saint Laurent, Picart said.

Ghesquiere spent 15 years at Balenciaga, as did Galliano at Dior, while Pilati was at YSL for 12 years in total, starting under Ford, said Pamela Golbin, curator at the Paris museum of decorative arts.
Long enough for the industry to change, and the job of designer too.

"The number of collections has gone from four to eight, 12 or more if you include capsule collections," she said.

Brands increasingly look to designers to act as their public face, opening stores and attending galas.
Golbin captures the outlook in today's fashion industry with a quote from the late French designer Madeleine Vionnet:

"'Artists are here to make us dream -- couturiers have to sell clothes, or they go out of business.'"
"Today it's no longer enough to be able to design a dress," Carreira said. "Having a strong identity and a distinctive product are the keys to success."

At a time when luxury houses are looking to shore up their prospects for future growth, they need to strike a balancing act between creativity and business imperatives.

"And history tells us that it pays to be bold," Carreira said. "If you ask talented creatives to produce standardised products, there is no reason it should work."

Consumers have changed, too, in the past 15 years.
The industry is now addressing switched-on customers who are far from the fashion novices of the 1990s. Today's clients go back and forth between big and niche brands and more or less expensive offerings.

This spring will bring what is widely awaited as Slimane's first "real" shows for Yves Saint Laurent, after last October's spring-summer collection by the cult designer seen as a homage to the house's late founder.

Dior's new designer Simons has already made a mark in Paris with two collections, one couture and one ready-to-wear, that reworked the house's iconic nipped-waist silhouette with a clean-lined, contemporary twist.

And Wang, the darling of the New York fashion scene, will be taking his first steps at Balenciaga at the autumn-winter ready-to-wear shows this spring.

At 28, Wang is already a seasoned businessman, at the helm of an own-name fashion house that has been pushing into Asia, where the Taiwanese-American designer has his family roots.

His arrival at Balenciaga may or may not herald a more aggressive market strategy, but whatever direction the house takes, for Picart, Wang's appointment "seals the arrival of a new generation" of designers at the high table of fashion -- in the style capital of the world.

Designer Raf Simons for Christian Dior acknowledges the public at the end of his Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection show on September 28, 2012 in Paris. John Galliano was sacked by Dior over a racist outburst in February 2011 and succeeded last spring by the Belgian minimalist.

Alexander Wang attends the Maison Martin Margiela with H&M global launch event on October 23, 2012 in New York City. Wang replaced Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga. Three top Paris fashion houses kick off 2013 with a new designer at their helm.

French-born designer Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent acknowledges the public during the Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection show on October 1, 2012 in Paris. This spring will bring what is widely awaited as Slimane's first "real" shows for Yves Saint Laurent, after October's ollection by the cult designer that was seen as a homage to the house's late founder.

Singapore Welcomes French Couture

When Yiqing Yin showed her gentle, beautifully crafted collection under the banner of Haute Couture Fashion Week here this month, she was, to a certain extent, going “home.”

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco at his couture ball in Singapore for charity.

The Chinese-born, Paris-based designer was one of a handful of experimental designers, high on handwork, who were picked to show their creations in Singapore at the beginning of December. The country’s vibrant high-rise city is the only place in the East that has held formal showings of French haute couture collections.

For Ms. Yin, this was a challenging moment — not least because she never expects to return to her birth country and has made her home in Europe. But she feels a visceral sense of the importance of showing her work in the Far East.

Three other designers in the group — Christophe Josse, Alexis Mabille and Gustavo Lins — were in Singapore for the second time, defying suggestions that this initiative is focused on promoting couture, rather than selling it to clients.

“It was a very good trip,” said Didier Grumbach, who leads the French fashion couture and ready-to-wear syndicate. “Some designers have found selling partners, others are making clothes for private clients and I believe that there is real possibility of development.”

Mr. Grumbach, who has tried to encourage designers who are successful outside the big-brand league, said he believed that the interest in having personalized and hand-fitted clothes has helped the “smaller,” but not necessarily younger, designers grow successful businesses.

Behind the Singapore initiative is Frank Cintamani, who has put in place the building blocks for an international fashion hub at the Marina Bay Sands resort, which has been built on land reclaimed from the sea.

“Asia must start believing that they can do more than to just manufacture and consume fashion,” Mr. Cintamani said. “I am certain that Asia can be inspired to create and contribute in a much more meaningful way towards the fashion industry as well.”

Could this initiative be the beginning of a push by a variety of countries to offer their fashion to the world? Hardly a week goes by without a “Fashion Week” in some far-flung part of the world, partly in imitation of the “big four” — London, Milan, New York and Paris — but also to create a strong local hub for sales. Berlin, Bombay and Moscow all hold fashion weeks, sometimes with parallel events split between different entrepreneurs.

In the YouTube era, the dream now is that a show posted by an unknown designer may go as viral as the “Gangnam Style” video by the South Korean musician Psy, who came to Singapore to perform at the Marina Bay Sands during fashion week.

Caught between the desire to grab attention and the hope of dressing a wide-world audience, the Singapore couture week offered both options: the drama of Chinese designer Guo Pei contrasted with the relative calm, and a certain bravado, of designs by Julien Fournié, Maurizio Galante and On Aura Tout Vu.

The opportunities on offer were evident at a “French” night, when local high society united to support the charities of Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Charlene. While the prince and princess were dressed in white tux and slender red dress respectively, the grand and glamorous dresses — not to mention the overwhelming displays of jewelry — suggested there was plenty of opportunity for little known couturiers to find a market.

Or as the Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, a guest at the banquet, put it: “I have never seen women this dressed up in all my years in Paris!”

Fashion Statement / Arnold looks to Africa in new collection

Africa has been in the headlines for a while now, and not just for the same old reasons of poverty and illness. The continent has moved into the fashion world over the last few years, among other reasons thanks to the high quality of traditional crafts, their creativity and colorfulness, and the recent economic gains. Its rising fashion influence strays from the usual images of beauty and elegance that frequently appear in the leading fashion magazines such as Vogue; handmade items appeal to top fashion industry executives and traditional African fabrics draw in and inspire designers, and on the runways the spotlight is on African style.

For that reason, Odelia Arnold's summer collection, which uses original African fabrics, is likely to be seen as another attempt to piggyback on the latest trend. However, the 32-year-old designer's interest in Africa preceded this and even if her collection is benefiting from good timing, its roots trace back to Arnold's travels around the world when she was in her early 20s.

The impressive collection of fabric swatches collected from the places she visited, which are now housed in the studio of her north Tel Aviv apartment, is a souvenir of that era. Then it served as the raw material for designing stage costumes for circus artists and acrobats, and since her return to Israel in 2006, it's been used for designing special outfits for fashion shows, television ads, musical ensemble and dance troupe performances. Lately it is also functioning as the starting point for her fashion designs.

About five years ago, Arnold completed a course in image building run by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment, but she learned the basic sewing skills before then, in her parents' home. Her mother is a textile designer and her father is an architect from a family of tailors (his sister was the costume designer for the Cardiff Opera House, his grandmother worked in the Queen's service ), and he taught her how to sew. "I was always interested in fabrics and as funny as it sounds, from a very young age, I'd dress up my dolls," she says. The colorful patched blanket that her father sewed from square pieces of fabric in a slew of patterns, which covers a large sofa in the living room, shows that her emotional connection to fabrics has deep roots.

Until about a year ago, she worked as Dorin Frankfurt's assistant in Tel Aviv. Arnold says she has very fond memories from the two-and-a-half years she spent working with the veteran designer, noting that the most important lesson she learned was "that you can design fashions for a specific goal or agenda, and do so intuitively, without expending excess energy." Even though she says leaving was hard for both of them, Arnold felt the time had come for her to go out on her own.

Her first independent effort in the fashion world came last winter, when she designed a mini collection that was sold at Tel Aviv's Mahteret Boutique, which has since closed. "It was truly a collage of all sorts of fabrics I picked up over the years," she says. "This fabric collection has started dwindling over time, but I'm not worried. I've noticed that gradually I'm starting to work in a more organized manner, and so it's based less on the swatches I have and what can be done with them."

The starting point of the current collection is Africa and its fabrics and traditional dress. "It's something I wanted to do for a long time. When I lived in South Africa, I was very enamored of the African fabrics, the wealth of colors and styles of the prints and the abundance of material in the festive outfits the women wore to go to church on Sunday. It seemed very pretty, but I wanted to take this in a more tailored, Western direction that I could also wear." She shows a knee-length, jaunty skirt and jacket set and strapped camisole, both in blue fabric with a print of black and white spots, and burning hot yellow suns, as well as another suit with a short, smooth skirt and a top styled like a bra, made of dirty white fabric with green foliage print. Given what she said, it is not surprising to see influences ranging from the ample-sized feminine look to the disciplined uniforms of schoolgirls. Most of the jackets have a high waist skirt and a top that sits just above that, in order to expose a bit of the upper part of the stomach. A lovely dress with a wave print in shades of blue, green and brown-gold, includes a white swath of light gray fabric that clings to the hips and above that an adorned opening that reveals the stomach.

"I allow myself to say that my cuts are a little conservative," she says, adding that she does what comes naturally to her and does not always understand it fully. Nevertheless, she points out that the inclusion of the colorful fabrics guided her to maintain a certain simplicity and clean lines in building the cuts, in order not to overburden the eye. Her original aim was to create suits and dresses for daytime wear, and to her delight, customers are receiving it favorably. A tailored white cotton dress with gray dots and a neckline cut from African-patterned blue and yellow fabric offers what she calls "touches of Africa." Another dress, with a similar cut, is from red fabric with the precise quality of a Japanese animated film. It has intricate patterns in black and yellow on top, as if it were another layer, floating over pink, purple and maroon flowers. A version of the dress, like the one that exposes the upper belly, cut from fabric with abstract splotches in shades of green, shows the crucial importance in this case of the choice of a specific fabric and combining it with other fabrics to design the final product.

The fabrics are an underlying force in the collection, and therefore the designer's efforts to moderate the African influence of the fabrics in the more casual items were minimal and weakened the collection as a whole. A wide cut t-shirt dress with short, narrow sleeves was cut from sturdy black fabric that fell heavily flopped and created interesting proportions. In contrast, another version in a black-and-gray striped jersey print, a striped knit t-shirt in light blue and white, or a white t-shirt in a loose cut with a pinkish pocket on the side looked very similar to items from other local designers who focus on creating a casual, urban wardrobe. Arnold describes this as a desire to balance the impact of African influences in the collection and offer clothes that will easily coordinate with the other styles, but the casual jerseys she designed with rounded doll necklines made of African prints are a better effort at that. The ability to design strong styles is not necessarily a sign of ability to design a cohesive and carefully thought out collection, but it is a skill that can be developed over time. It is possible that it is a matter of concentration. It seems that Arnold's design style is still not fully formed in her mind. "I try to do something that is natural for me in terms of style," she says. "I'm not trying to produce something that's not me." Despite the charming naivete in her comments, she will benefit if she reins in her emotions, the playful approach and the daring she is demonstrating when it comes to color and patterns and manages to attain a more determined and thoughtful position.

Coco's Tea Party, 5 Inch And Up, Peony Lim And More!

This week our favourite fashion bloggers have been inspiring us with street style posts, shopping fixes and a glimpse at some of their favourite things.

Jazmine from Jazabelle's Diary showcased an English Heritage look in her Chelsea Girl post, complete with riding jacket and Chelsea boots set against the backdrop of crunchy fallen leaves. In contrast, Sandra from 5 Inch and Up teamed her Stuart Weitzman boots with an All-American vintage baseball sweater.

Ella from Coco's Tea Party presented three fab floral dresses at very different price points so all we've got to do now is decided whether we're Cash, Credit or Debit. And if you're looking for Christmas presents Laura La Rue has plenty of ideas on her Ridiculous Gift List, from leopard head shoes to a Karlie Kloss skateboard.

We wouldn't let a week go by without a rummage through the wardrobe of Stella from Stella's Wardrobe via her personal style posts. In Pink Accents she road tests a Cos skirt and H&M jacket in girly blush hues. Fellow style queen Peony Lim meanwhile keeps it simple in MiH cord jeans and a snuggly GAP jumper.
Finally Kristabel from I Want You To Know reveals her collection of fashion books, clogs and Cambridge Satchel Company bags, as well as some super cute spotty nails.

Fashion moments of 2012

Every year fashion offers up the good, the bad and the ugly. But what the industry is really built on - and consumers respond to - is buzz.

Here are the top moments of 2012 that made our heads turn:

Angelina Jolie at the Oscars. The leg that peeked out of the high thigh-high slit of her Versace gown was the most exciting appearance on the red carpet. The gown fit perfectly into the sleek, simple, sexy mould that Jolie favours, but it was Jolie's picture-perfect pose to expose just enough thigh that launched a thousand memes. Her companion Brad Pitt gets an honourable mention for his scruffy appearance in a Chanel fragrance ad that left many scratching their heads.

Michelle Obama and Ann Romney's matching hues. The wives of the presidential candidates turned out to the second debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in practically the same shade of hot pink. But they weren't by the same designer: Romney's was by Oscar de la Renta, and Obama's by Michael Kors. A potential matching prom dress-style embarrassment was chalked up to timing: October's breast cancer awareness month.

Marc Jacobs' Louis Vuitton show. Many of the designer runways seemed more of the same - stark stages, thumping music and audiences distracted by their electronic gadgets - but the Louis Vuitton fall catwalk in Paris commanded attention. Models dressed in their very best travelling clothes stepped off a reconstructed retro steam train. Valets carried the vintage-inspired hat boxes and vanity cases. The trip seemed refreshingly refined and modern.

Two-tone Stella McCartney dresses. McCartney, no stranger to the red carpet, has created a style that celebrities can't get enough of. Her ultra-flattering "silhouette" dress has become almost ubiquitous. It features one colour on the bodice and back, and a graphic opposite on the sides and sleeves. Kate Winslet has worn several versions, and Brooklyn Decker, Kate Moss, Edie Falco and Liv Tyler have, too. The best turn might have been Jane Fonda at the Cannes Film Festival.

Beyonce's back-from-baby body. Some new mothers claim they feel sexier than ever. Beyonce was living proof at the Met Gala, the important industry event co-hosted by Vogue's Anna Wintour. Beyonce's skin-tight, largely sheer - save the bodice beading and feathered fish-tail train - gown by Givenchy announced that Ivy Blue Carter's mom wasn't going to hold back. An honourable mention goes to Jessica Simpson, who dieted her way to a Weight Watchers ad then wound up pregnant again.

007's slim suits. Daniel Craig's wardrobe in "Skyfall" is impeccably tailored - and quite tight. Unlike the James Bonds that came before him who all liked the traditional looser, longer cut of a Savile Row-style suit, Craig, whose wardrobe is created mostly by Tom Ford, takes his suits Euro style with tapered legs and shorter rises. There's no question Craig's super spy Bond will go down in history as one of the best, but it's fair to ask if he could pull off those impressive chases in clothes that tight.

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Supermodel reunion at the London Olympics. Gold was the new black at the closing ceremony with a parade of supermodels wearing gilded gowns in a tribute to British fashion. Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell both had on Alexander McQueen, Georgia May Jagger's was by Victoria Beckham, Karen Elson was in Burberry, and Stella Tennant donned a Christopher Kane Swarovski-crystal catsuit. The soundtrack - of course - was David Bowie's "Fashion."

Another supermodel reunion at New York Fashion Week. Alexander Wang's show has become must-see viewing, partly for influential hipster clothes, but also for the model line-up, a who's who of top catwalkers. It was a coup even for him, however, to get the likes of Gisele Bundchen, Carmen Kass, Frankie Rayder and Shalom Harlow, who all very rarely do shows, to walk in February. Start the wish list now of who he'll nab for his debut at Balenciaga next year.

Miley Cyrus' cropped cut. When Cyrus cut off the long hair her fans had become used to, she took some heat. She has said (and Tweeted) repeatedly, though, that she was pleased with the new punk-pixie look and was sticking with it. Short hair turned out to be a big trend, with Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway all ending the year with much shorter locks than they started with.

Julianne Moore at the Emmys. Moore's neon-yellow Dior Haute Couture outfit (really a sweater and ball skirt) spawned a love-it-or-hate-it debate among armchair style critics. What was largely left out of that conversation, however, was that it was Raf Simons' big celebrity debut for Dior, which he took creative control of after the John Galliano scandal. At least Simons can claim the better reviews when it came to his showdown of next-gen designers at historic French houses against Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent Paris.

The Biggest Fashion Stories Of 2012: Raf Simons, Alexander Wang And Louboutin

PR maven Lynn Tesoro by French magazine editor Jennifer Eymere over seating arrangements and her subsequent “Now you know you don’t f–k with French people.” And in a move that many viewed as “Don’t f—k with Americans,” Tesoro slapped a US$1 million lawsuit against Eymere and her mother and sister who were present during the incident.

Days after the slap at the Zac Posen show, Oscar de la Renta took a full-page ad in WWD and addressed an open letter to fashion critic Cathy Horyn following a review of de la Renta’s collection in The New York Times. The two took to meat metaphors — one called the other a hotdog and the other a stale three-day old hamburger. As of this writing, the two have been reported to have reconciled.

In 2012, Raf Simons unveiled his first collection for Dior to critical acclaimed. Hedi Slimane showed his first collection at the house of Saint Laurent albeit to less stellar reviews than Simons’ prompting a Simons vs Slimane debate. Before his spring 2012 show, Slimane made many controversial changes to the brand including the name and logo, switching it from Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) to Saint Laurent Paris and moving its design headquarters from Paris to Los Angeles where he lives.

Designer movements were felt everywhere, from New York to Paris to Milan. Jil Sander returned to the label that bears her name. Nicolas Ghesquiere left Balenciaga after 15 years. Alexander Wang filled his position. Christopher Kane left Versus and was, at one point, poised to succeed Ghesquiere. Stefano Pilati, formerly of YSL, moved to Ermenegildo Zegna. Derek Lam left Tod’s after 6 years. Peter Som ended his consulting gig at Tommy Hilfiger. Simon Spurr puzzled many when he left his eponymous label. Despite her clothes being worn by first lady Michelle Obama and a collaboration with Macy’s, Doo Ri Chung parted with her namesake label. Betsey Johnson filed for bankruptcy in April and liquidated her stores. Then she bounced back and staged a fashion show last September, which also marked her 70th birthday.

The Prada and Schiaparelli Impossible Conversations exhibit opened at the Costume Insitute of the Met.

British supermodels led by Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss sashayed down the stadium at the closing ceremonies of the London Summer Olympics. Another highlight of the Olympics was the mini-reunion of the Spice Girls, which included pop star turned bonafide fashion designer Victoria Beckham.

2012 was also the year of fashion copyright lawsuits. The red-soled debacle between Christian Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent finally came to a close after more than a year. Louboutin maintains its trademark protection on the red sole. Gucci was awarded US$4.66 million following its lawsuit against Guess over the use of the interlocking G logo. The court also banned Guess from selling goods that resembled Gucci’s designs. Tory Burch and her ex-husband Chris Burch remain entangled in messy lawsuits over the similarities of their respective labels, Tory Burch and C. Wonder.

Designer collaborations continued this year. H&M launched re-editions of Maison Martin Margiela’s most iconic designs. GQ magazine teamed up with Gap and American menswear designers. Online retailer eBay created a holiday collection with the likes of Chris Benz, Jonathan Adler, Tibi and Steven Alan. J. Crew landed in Hong Kong via Lane Crawford. And the biggest collaboration of 2012 was that of Target and Neiman Marcus, which featured 50 products from 24 designers from the CFDA.

After Hurricane Sandy, the CFDA, Vogue and Tory Burch Foundation banded together to stage a shopping event to benefit victims of the natural disaster.

Post-Fashion Show, More Buzz for Victoria's Secret Among Women Than Men

While sometimes it’s unclear whose attention Victoria’s Secret is really trying to grab, the clothing retailer has gotten women to take notice following the broadcast of its annual fashion show on CBS last week. Victoria’s Secret’s Buzz score, as measured by BrandIndex, has climbed to a year-to-date high among women, reaching 33 points on December 8th and besting the male demographic by 12 points. This upward trend among women is especially notable because Victoria’s Secret typically has a higher Buzz score among men than women. In fact, men have had a higher Buzz score than women for a combined nine months out of the past eleven, often times by a large margin.

The current upward trend among women began at the beginning of November, coinciding with the original taping of the fashion show on November 8th. Even though it was not broadcast until recently, the taping of the event–which featured pop-stars Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars (and also a $2.5 million, jewel-encrusted bra)–attracted much attention. The upward trend in Buzz among women at the time was accompanied by a parallel increase among men.  For men, however the upward trend trailed off shortly after the taping of the fashion show. For women, the Buzz scores continued to rise through the end of November and eventually surpassing those of men.

The more significant increase among women may have been driven in part by November promotions around one of the retail industry’s biggest weeks of the year: Thanksgiving. These included in-store offers on Black Friday and online deals during cyber-Monday. From the middle to the end of November, the retailer’s Buzz score increased another 10 points among women.

While November saw gains in Buzz for the brand, December and the broadcast of the fashion show  have seen it increase even further, placing them in a good position as the holiday season continues. While it might seem odd that the fashion show–a night, after all, of scantily-clad ladies–did not cause an increase in Buzz among men, this is apparently exactly how Victoria’s Secret wanted it. According to Wall Street Journal, the event “attracts twice as many women as men in the 18-34 age group” and, as Jack Sussman, a CBS exec in charge of planning the show, says, “It has to appeal to women. If it’s insulting to women, they won’t watch it on TV. And VS doesn’t want to alienate its customers.”

The Buzz scores show they certainly haven’t.

PPR Buys Majority Stake In Forbes China Fashion 50 List Member Qeelin

PPR, the French global fashion giant whose brands include Gucci, has acquired a majority stake in Hong Kong-based luxury jewelry chain Qeelin, in a move that underscores the growing importance of Chinese brands and purchasing power in the industry. 

Qeelin’s chairman Dennis Chan was a member of the “Influential Chinese in Global Fashion” list published last year by Forbes China, the licensed Chinese-language edition of Forbes. (See link here.)

Founded in 2004, Qeelin is among the first Chinese luxury jewellers to operate an international network of stores worldwide. Qeelin  currently has 14 boutiques worldwide, including seven in the mainland, four in Hong Kong and three in Europe. It competes in Greater China with larger businesses such Tiffany from the U.S. and Chow Tai Fook, the Hong Kong-based company controlled by billionaire Cheng Yu-tung.

The transaction should be finalized in January 2013, according to a PPR statement on Sunday.  It didn’t say how much PPR paid.

Fashion's 2012 headline makers: from Hedi Slimane to Isabel Marant

A high-fashion faceoff
One of the stories of the year was the showdown this fall during the Spring/Summer 2013 prêt-à-porter shows between the new design heads of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. Make no mistake about it: this was not a fight initiated by either one of the designers.

Both were presenting their first new ready-to-wear lines for their respective labels (Dior fans had already had a glimpse into Raf Simons' universe with his Couture show in June). The two creative directors were faced with a difficult task: reinterpreting the classic YSL and Dior pieces, but avoiding accusations of ‘playing it safe'.

Raf Simons at Christian Dior
The debut ready-to-wear Dior collection of Belgian designer Raf Simons, who had been at Jil Sander since 2005 (upon his departure, Jil Sander herself returned to her namesake label) was one that was hotly anticipated. The live-streamed Dior show started late but went off without a hitch. Simons updated the classic Dior shapes with his own minimalist tendencies and an astute use of color and fabric. Soundtracked with warm Detroit house by DJ legend Carl Craig, the collection offered a smart selection of evening separates.  

Hedi Slimane at YSL
Slimane had already come under attack for his decision to move Yves Saint Laurent's design team to his adopted home of Los Angeles, and for his rebranding of the ready-to-wear lines. The Yves was lopped off, and Saint Laurent (with a seen-but-not-heard ‘Paris') was re-born.

Fashion's biggest names were in attendance at the Grand Palais as Slimane's Saint Laurent show went west, moving from 1970s Paris to hippie California with luxurious ease. Flowing kaftans in black and gold, and rock 'n' roll inspired looks were paraded by models hidden under wide-brimmed hats.

Despite his success Slimane's discontent with his supposed detractors in the press was still bubbling nearly two months after the show, with Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve writing an open letter to WWD accusing the publication of sensationalism - "I regret that the best-known and oldest trade journal in the fashion industry should reduce the collective talent of all designers showing in Paris to a so-called duel between two fashion houses and two men."

With apologies to Monsieur Deneve, the Slimane versus Simons battle was the fashion story of the year - excitement, intrigue and two great designers taking on two great legacies.

Isabel Marant
There were plenty of fantastic collections in 2012 in which designers made their mark on the fashion world. Up and coming stars like Anthony Vaccarello and Pedro Lourenço were standout young designers from Paris, and Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière proved he still had something new to say with a directional last collection for the brand.

Isabel Marant's namesake label has been around since 1994, but in 2012 the label continued to bloom despite the global downturn. An enormous success in Japanese multi-brand stores, Marant opened her first standalone boutique in Japan in August this year, which also features a showroom and studio. The brand now has stores in France, Spain, the USA, Lebanon, Hong Kong and China and continues to extent its reach.
While her famous wedge sneakers were first released in 2010, 2012 was they year that they (and plenty of high-street copies) were on the feet of all and sundry.

Carven
Carven has left its haute couture legacy behind, hiring young French designer Guillaume Henry in 2009 in order to focus on "inspired and affordable ready-to-wear clothes". As style.com's Nicole Phelps puts it - "In the three years Guillaume Henry has headed up Carven, he's established new codes for the old couture house with surprising swiftness and confidence."

2012 was the year that Henry added another string to his bow, with the brand's updated menswear collection on sale at the beginning of the year. Prior to the label's rebirth, Carven Homme had provided dependable office wear for bourgeois chaps, but Guillaume Henry has completely rethought the menswear offer to commercial and critical acclaim.

Sparkle and shimmer like The Great Gatsby's Daisy Buchanan this party season - no under-wiring required.

STYLIST TIPS
• This look is about geometric-patterned dresses in show-stopping fabrics. Think Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. The patterns reflect the era's obsession with tribal art and design.

• Look for dresses with dropped waists that skim the hips. The silhouette is androgynous and slender.

• Consider long ropes of pearls, sequin earrings in art deco shapes, beaded clutches and dainty metallic-sheen shoes. Faux-fur and feathers are having their moment, too.

Fashion footage

Snug toes. Check. Sole comfort. Check. Sizzling style. Check. Winter fashionistas in the capital are in step with global footwear trends.

Ankle-length lady boots in faux suede and leather, with clunky heels or stilettos or without, are scorching the fashion high street.

Giving them company are sporty canvas pairs, stylish sneakers, girly ballerinas, flirty leatherettes, elegant closed toe pumps and wedges.

No, this is not the season to flaunt your perfect pedicure.

Socks? Only if you're cheerleading Team Mahi at the Ranchi ODI on January 19.

To get your feet their fashion fix, head to Fashion Planet, Shoe Bazar and Woodland outlets.

Fork out anything from a cool Rs 600 to a haute Rs 7,000 for your purrfect winter pair.

Outlet owners vouch for the fact that winter boots in pink, black, brown, cream are giving foot fashion a whole new march.

Says Sanjeev Singh, proprietor of Woodland, GEL Church Complex: "We have brought fresh stocks of winter boots for college students and young professionals. They love pink and black."

Boots are perfect for the festive Xmas-New Year party mood, Singh adds.

"We have three stores in the city where these boots have a high demand. Women don't mind shelling out Rs 5,000-Rs 7,000 for them," he says.

Budget shoppers high on style can go to Shoe Bazar near Firayalal Chowk to snag that snazzy foot look for anything between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000.

Rashi Singh, a second-year PYT of St Xavier's College, agrees. "Boots are so in. They go so well with winter trenches and hoodies. Boots add charm to our overall personality." she smiles.

Rashi and her friends have planned their New Year partywear already. "Black faux fur coat. Black ankle boots with a side zip," she says.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: 10 best moments

Tuesday night's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was chock full of buxom beauties, bedazzled bras and Beliebers.

The sexiest night on television opened with a bang and kept its momentum alive throughout the show thanks to the musical stylings of Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber.
Photos: 2012 Victoria's Secret fashion show
Here are the top 10 moments of the night:

1. Circus Act
Ringmaster Adriana Lima opened the show in style. After the shock wore off that it was humanly possible to be that fit two months after giving birth, I became more aware of the show's aesthetics.
A bizarre song mix and circus motif, marked by the Angels' mime and clown costumes and professional aerial contortionists, made the first runway walk truly memorable. As The Doors' "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" blended into Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On," I had a clear vision of what the rest of the night would hold: rock & roll and sex.

2. Diamonds and Lace
Even with a bevy of semi-naked ladies strutting beside her, Rihanna managed to steal the show with her first performance of the night. Wearing a black, strapless, corseted dress, the songstress was dressed more demurely than usual but sill looked smokin' hot thanks to her gown's high slit and garters.
EW.com: Rihanna, Bieber and more perform at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

3. The Show Must Go On
In the most dramatic moment of the night, an Angel lost her ... hat. The behind-the-scenes cameras followed model Erin Heatherton backstage as a team of stylists struggled to pin her top hat to her head. Dressed as "baby New Year" to open the calendar girls segment of the show, a reluctant Heatherton was forced to take the plunge with an incomplete look. How could the audience possibly have known that she represented January without that pink hat?

4. Retro Fit
Bruno Mars may have been singing "Locked Out of Heaven," but he was surrounded by Angels on stage. Accompanied by a live band, Mars fit the part of an old-school musician in the 1950s-themed calendar girls segment. He probably landed on Santa's naughty list by flirting with the scantily clad Mrs. Claus, but we love him just the way he is.

5. Bieber Fever
Before the barely-legal Biebs hit the stage, he salivated over the girls coming off the runway backstage while the VS Angels sang his praises to the camera. If that wasn't disturbing enough, the models also swooned in the background during his performances.
EW.com: Victoria's Secret pink carpet pics

6. Making a Belieber Out of You
The pop sensation's acoustic rendition of "As Long As You Love Me" was the only performance of the night not accompanied by a runway show. I was surprised by the age appropriateness of the act until the Pink Ball commenced and the teen broke into "Beauty and a Beat." Nicki Minaj wasn't there to show off her assets so Bieber resorted to exchanging smoldering glances with the models instead.

7. Pop Culture Pizzazz
Aside from Bieber's futuristic "3012″ space look, a few other odd outfits caught my eye during the Pink Ball. There was Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz," who was business in the front, party in the back; a sexy Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story"; and an angel in a bicycle handlebar-ed vest, prompting the question, "can you ride your bike with no handlebars?"

8. Silver Screen Sirens
Mars returned to the stage for a performance of "Young Wild Girls" in my favorite segment of the night. The wings -- along with feather plumes, headdresses and sequins -- finally came out as the girls strutted their stuff in the show's most extravagant costumes. Whether evoking old Hollywood glamour or Renaissance decadence, the girls dazzled in diamonds and slow-motion sequences. Yes, the Angels are young and wild, but Rihanna's "Diamonds" would have been a more appropriate song choice.
EW.com: 11 years of fantasy bras from 'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show'

9. Model Behavior
The show featured a short segment spotlighting South African model and Italian Vogue cover girl Candice Swanepoel. Aside from allowing her to be both seen and heard (it's safe to say that she didn't attend the Milford School), the video was further proof that Victoria's Secret should change its name to Model United Nations.

10. Angels in Bloom
After changing into a sheer, lingerie-style getup, Rihanna closed the show with her new single "Fresh Off the Runway." She faded more into the background this time around due to the trapeze acts and life-size flowers barging down the runway. Of course, Alessandra Ambrosio looked flawless in her $2.5 million floral fantasy bra (now that's a push-up!). I initially thought the bra was too over-the-top, even by VS standards, but it fit the floral theme and looked relatively ordinary compared to her stunning, over-sized orchid wings.

Although a lesser known flower (and model), Lily Aldridge won the prize for the most adorable costume of the segment with a tiger lily skit with lily pad wings. Claude Monet must have been stirring in his grave.

Fashion brands attend first NZ online fashion workshop

With online retailing the hottest topic throughout the business world, DHL Express and Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ) have brought together some of New Zealand’s most powerful and fashionable fashion brands together for a one day workshop: Online Fashion Success.

"With significant retail growth in online fashion retailing, all brands need to be looking at how to maximize their sales online, but this doesn’t come without significant challenges in logisitics, ecommerce and shipping," said Paul Blomfield, Chairman of FINZ.

"Clearly it has become essential that all fashion brands need to be selling online in some shape or form, and The Online Success Workshop is designed to give our fashion businesses expert guidance from some of the industry’s most experienced professionals," he said.

The line-up of speakers is impressive, ranging from the DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship Winner I Love Ugly, top fashion designer brand Trelise Cooper, lingerie powerhouse Bendon and childrenswear retailer Pumpkin Patch, a company that has become one of the regions most powerful online brands.
Other speakers include New Zealand Customs, Amblique and Temando.

DHL Express Country Manager Tim Baxter said that they’ve identified several key issues that make for online retail success;

"For example, companies delivering apparel in 1-3 days have a higher conversion rate and 30% lower returns rate than slower shipping options. Online shoppers also valued live tracking data available via their shop account login instead of chasing emails."

"These are the kind of things apparel brands need to take into account if they’re to succeed online," he said.

The seminar has attracted a powerful group of 40 fashion brands and retailers including:
Barkers, Bendon, Cotton On, Deadly Ponies, Deadstock, Emma Highfield, Esteem Jewellery, Glassons, Hallensteins, Huffer, I Love Ugly, Icebreaker, Ingrid Starnes, James Dunlop, Juliette Hogan, Kathryn Wilson, Katmandu, Maaike Clothing, Mardle, Meadowlark, Northbeach, Paula Ryan, Saben, Sophie Boxer, Trelise Cooper, Turet Knuefermann, Verge, Wallace Cotton, Wildpair and Zambesi.

To accommodate the overwhelming response, the venue was changed from the original smaller Mt Eden venue, to the larger Mantells on the Water, Westhaven Drive, Auckland.

Since its creation a mere 10 days ago, the Facebook page Online Fashion Success has amassed over 1,000 likes - proving that New Zealand brands and consumers are eager to for the online shopping scene to improve in the country.

More glamour than business at fashion week

Candolim (Goa), Dec 2 (IANS) From Indian names including Zeenat Aman, Bipasha Basu, Genelia D'Souza, Shazahn Padamsee to International fashion icons like Paris Hilton, Miss Paraguay Leryn Franco and Nicole Huber, the second edition of India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) was more about glamour than business.

With as many as 30 shows, the four-day festival that was divided into three areas - 'The Fashion Show', 'The Fashion Village' and 'The Music Festival', concluded here Saturday with a energetic performance by Paris, who visited the country for the second time.

The first edition witnessed 15 designers showcasing their talent, but the second edition had more names.

Some of the established names part of fashion fest were Narendra Kumar, Neeta Lulla, Arjun and Anjalee Kapoor, Pria Kataaria Puri, James Ferreira, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Rocky S and Babita Malkani.

When asked why there were lesser established names this year, Mumbai-based designer Narendra Kumar said that people in India were little exposed to trends in resort wear.

"I think I understand the value of the resort week, other people probably do not understand or cannot make clothes that are different from one collection to other. Its important that I participated and am sure there will be more designers who will enjoy the mix of fun, fashion and music together in the coming days," he told IANS.

"I think the resort trend is relevant to India. It is one kind of clothing that is perfect across India. It is probably the best thing one could do," Kumar added.

Unlike last season, this fashion week was organised in open air, giving more space for designers to showcase their creativity.

While space was provided, there were hardly any collection displayed for the buyers. Almost all the stalls were empty, and there was much leisure and chatting.

Shane and Flaguni Peacock, who were the finale designers for the fashion week, said that organising a resort week is surely going to help the Indian fashion world.

"Resort week is definitely a good thing to do for Indian market and it was our gut feeling that made us say yes to this event," said the designer duo, who rarely participate in Indian fashion weeks because of their international commitments.

Amit Patel from E-Sense entertainment, who brought some of the international names, including Paris, said that buyers from around the globe had flown in to see the collection.

"Indian fashion is much more appreciated outside India and with IRFW we strive to create a platform for all aspiring designers to showcase their talent globally. It's a perfect blend of music and fashion. Also there has been a lot of business as buyers from around the globe have flown in to watch the collection," said Patel.

Visitors at the IRFW seemed more drawn to the music than the fashion.
The four-day event, which began Wednesday, had a robust line-up of Indian and international disc jockeys (DJs).

From Indian DJs like Vijay Chawla, Anish Sood and Clement D'Souza to international names like Sidney Samson, Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike and of course Paris Hilton, the music definitely attracted one and all.

Victoria Beckham: Officially a Fashion Authority as Judge of International Woolmark Prize

Let's be honest. When most celebrities attempt to cross over into the fashion world, they aren't taken very seriously.

From cringe-worthy fashion flops to questionable everyday styling, many stars are immediately snubbed by the fashion elite who scoff that they're merely trying to prolong their 15 minutes of fame.

So when a hard-working celebrity actually proves her place in the competitive market, it's not to be taken lightly; and Victoria Beckham has officially done just that.

Victoria Beckham photoshops herself onto Dallas star Victoria Principal's body
According to Fashionista.com, the powerhouse style icon and designer will join the ranks of Donatella Versace, Diane von Furstenberg, Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani and others to judge the prestigious International Woolmark Prize in the U.K..

The esteemed judges will select among finalists Sophie Theallet, Christian Wijnants, Ban Xiao Xiu, Dion Lee, DRESSEDUNDRESSED, and Pankaj & Nidhi and name one standout talent as the world's best Merino wool designer during London fashion week in February.

Beckham's burgeoning fashion empire includes a ready-to-wear collection, as well as denim, eyewear and accessory lines, all of which have received high marks from her industry peers and celebrity fans alike.

Fashion tips with Haili Z: Fashion Houston stuns with international style

The closing night of Fashion Houston, the premiere fashion event in Texas, wowed guests Thursday, showcasing the exceptional designs of Gemma Kahng, Jerri Moore, Monique Lhuillier and Fashion Houston Icon, Diane Lokey Farb.

Thursday was the final night of the four-day consumer targeted fashion week which featured the designs of Zac Posen, Georges Chakra, Black Halo, Maison Rabih Kayrouz, BCBG Max Azria, Herve Leger, David Peck, Fotini, Bogosse, Chloe Dao, Kevan Hall and Rubin Singer.

Each designer's personal showcase wowed audiences with their stunning designs that graced the runway. Most designer's were new to Fashion Houston and celebrated their time in the South.

"There's a level of dressed up quality here that celebrates the decorative joys in life," said Zac Posen. "Southern women have big hearts and big personalities. The South is a wonderful part of our American heritage and culture, and I love it that you can still find that level of romanticism in America."

Kevan Hall echoed Posen's sentiment, "I am so honored to show my Spring 2013 collection at Houston Fashion Week. My collection was so well received, and I thank Houston for its warm reception," said Hall. "I look forward to dressing the women of Houston who possess such a wonderful sense of style and elegance."

Lubov Azria, who represented BCBG Max Azria and Herve Leger during the week, treated her time in Texas as a homecoming.

"I lived in San Antonio in my early years and still consider myself a Texan at heart," said Azria, chief creative officer of BCBG Max Azria. "Fashion Houston is important to us - for both BCBG Max Azria and Herve Leger - because it gives us an opportunity to show our transitional collections to key consumers, these amazing women who are powerful and dramatic, and the fashion community of the fourth largest city in the U.S., home to important global industries and one of our top retail markets. It makes sense for us to be here. It's very exciting. I'm sure all of these women are open to fashion because of Fashion Houston because the event educates the consumer in all the best ways. "

Designers were overwhelmed by the warm hospitality extended from the citizens of Houston. Georges Chakra who opened the week on Monday evening commented, "I was amazed how the people at Fashion Houston were able to pull this off considering all the castings were done by email. Venue was beautiful, and I was very pleased with both the outcome of the show and the turn out. I have enjoyed being in Houston, and meeting my clients."

In addition to Southern hospitality, Black Halo designer Laurel Berman recognized the consumer market in Houston. "Everyone at Fashion Houston was both hospitable and gracious," said Berman. "I was excited and honored to have had the opportunity to return to Houston to showcase my Spring 2013 collection, as it is an important market for us."

Houston Native and Project Runway season two winner, Chloe Dao returned to Fashion Houston and contrasted Houston to other fashion weeks, "I was really honored to be invited back to show at Fashion Houston," said Dao. "What I loved most about Fashion Houston is that it's here. Houstonians love fashion. FH invites all to come. It is not an industry exclusive show like NYC and Milan. Really where else can you see four designer from all different parts of the world come together? That is what I call a fashion moment."

Jerri Moore, who had her debut collection featured on the runway at Fashion Houston 2011 received a standing ovation for her Great Gatsby inspired collection which portrayed a sense of glamour, sophistication and allure.

"Last night was by far one of the most rewarding nights of my life. To receive a standing ovation was just so unexpected and so heartwarming," said Moore. "This Spring/Summer 2013 Collection is my favorite of all my collections and to be able to showcase it alongside Monique Lhuillier, Zac Posen, Max Azria, Kevan Hall and others was just the icing on the cake with a cherry on top!"

Monique Lhuillier took the stage on closing night to showcase her collection. "I was so thrilled to be able to recreate the runway show we did at Lincoln Center in New York for the lovely city of Houston," said Lhuillier. "Such a memorable night!" Monique has become known as the go-to designer for celebrity weddings, including Reese Witherspoon, Giuliana Rancic, Vanessa Millino and Alicia Silverstone.

Fashion Houston is the premiere fashion event in Texas that combines international style with Texas hospitality. Started in 2010 by philanthropist and visionary Jared Lang, Fashion Houston has been embraced by the fashion-loving community of Houston as well as the international fashion community. With partners such as Audi and the Houston Audi Dealers, Neiman Marcus and Hotel ZaZa Houston, the third annual event thrilled thousands with sparkling runway shows and out-of-this-world parties.

Q&A with fashion designer Vicky Tiel

Laketown Township —
Fashion designer Vicky Tiel will be the centerpiece of the Dec. 1 "It's All About the Dress" fundraiser at the Felt Mansion in Laketown Township. Here are a few of her thoughts on fashion, stars and "sex for shoes."

Q: What is it about dresses from the early 1900s that inspire you as a fashion designer?
A: When you go to be a fashion designer, they make you learn the history of costumes. We’re all influenced by the fast. It repeats itself on the average of seven years.

Q: What advice would you give a gal who doesn’t know what style of dress best suits her?
A: Get a good girlfriend. Get a girlfriend who knows. Many women will just give you bad advice because they’re jealous or they want your man. If you get a really, really clever girlfriend and say, ‘Please help me.’ Get a stylist and get help then once you see, you train your eye to learn how you should look.

Q: Who has been your favorite star to dress?
A: Elizabeth (Taylor) for sure. Not only did I dress her, but she was my mentor and she taught me about power. She had a complete knowledge of soft power. It’s a great expression. Soft power is not enforcing it, never circling the truth. ... You let other people get their way and you softly run the show. You let other people make decisions and you only stomp down on the big ones.

Q: An expression that has stuck with you over the years is from your dad when he said, “Don’t have sex for shoes.” Tell me more about that.
A: It was true. My dad was a very, very successful Washington, D.C., builder. He was a self-made millionaire and he never remarried after divorcing my mother. He dated many women who were all after his money. His disgust with that led me to be an early feminist and say, "I’m making my own money" and since the ‘60s I’ve always made my own money and never had a backer. I still today have not sold the name Vicky Tiel to somebody. I think that’s the same as no sex for shoes.

Q: What fashion trends or styles do you love and what do you hate?
A: I like the short skirts. ... I’m not a big maxi (dress) man nor am I a jeans fan. I’m a glamour girl. On the farm I wear fabulous outfits. If I wear pants, they’re tight, tight pants. I’m not a white blouse and jeans girl.

20 New Styles of Fashion Watches Available Now at Bella Fashion With Special Pricing

Bella Fashion adds 20 brand new styles of customer favorites, fashion watches, making the products available on special at both its wholesale and retail websites.

Hayward, CA (PRWEB) November 27, 2012
Looking for a timeless gift to show some holiday spirit and cheer? Bella Fashion now has 20 brand new styles of fashion watches available for purchase. Located in the “Bracelet Watches” section, the gorgeous new arrivals will make for stunning gifts and holiday season accessories. At special pricing of $17.50 wholesale and $27.50 retail (regular retail @ $49.99), these style opportunities will be customer favorites.

Since the introduction of fashion watches to the Bella Fashion family, the useful and stunning accessories have provided the perfect blend of practicality and ultimate style. The category of watches, popular for their timeless elegance and graceful, intricate designs, is constantly growing, and these 20 new styles appeal to shoppers with refined tastes.

For example, the amber, orange, and topaz toned new arrival evokes the spirit of late autumn, overlaid with luxurious crystals. Shoppers will also love the purple floral watch, a new arrival that features beautiful orchid colored crystals arranged in a vivid, blooming design. The gold trim perfectly accents the accessory and adds to the royal, garden-like effect. A lighter, lavender crystal embellished fashion watch also joins the new arrivals, with a silver rim along the bangle watch’s band for a wintry garden look that can inspire many outfits and styles.

For fans of graceful and timeless watches, the beautiful white and clear crystal covered watch is ideal. Reminding the wearers of a snowy winter morning, this winter-perfect piece can easily be worn with any color or shade. An arrival that appeals to lovers of vintage items is the antique-like watch, which features a watch face rimmed with amber colored crystals.

In addition, with the wide variety of new arrivals, customers can also opt for multi-colored, bolder designs. One new arrival comes covered in pink, blue, purple, and red crystals in a fascinating floral design. The gold-trimmed floral flowers make this watch a must-see, as well as its mostly purple counterpart.

All of these beautiful new watch arrivals are currently available at special pricing. In addition, holiday shoppers should keep their eyes open for holiday themed items such as dazzling headbands and eye-catching dangling earrings. Wholesale shoppers looking for ultimate savings can also head over to Hair Barrettes Wholesale, where select items are now available in six packs in addition to dozen packs.

Models work runway in annual fashion extravaganza

The student models of Fashion for a Cause hit the catwalk last weekend at Main Street Arena to present their annual fall charity fashion show — this year dubbed “Cirque du Soleil: Le Grand Tour.”

The show featured a creative cornucopia of styles, as the student models worked the runway in attire designed by students or provided by local stores.

Inspired by the famed shows of Cirque du Soleil, fashions were presented in a sequence of nine segments: Quidam, Dralion, Totem, Love, Iris, Michael Jackson, Zumanity, Saltimbanco and Ka. The fashions modeled in each segment corresponded to the themes, colors and moods provoked by various Cirque du Soleil shows.

“The theme that they chose for this year, ‘Cirque du Soleil,’ made for a really great show that was not just about fashion but also dance,” fourth-year College student Sarah Saleeb said. “I could really see the whole audience getting into it and they did an awesome job keeping it versatile.”

By combining a passion for fashion with a commitment to service, members of Fashion for a Cause work to raise money for various causes in the University and Charlottesville communities through their fall show and other functions. Last year the fall show raised $3,500 for the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center. This year, the group is raising money for college scholarships for high school students in the Charlottesville area.

Fashion for a Cause also strives to give minority groups at the University an outlet through which to convey their creativity and share their cultural traditions.

Earlier in the fall, Fashion for a Cause held auditions to cast the models for the Nov. 17 show. Each model had to interview with the group’s chairs and fill out a questionnaire, said second-year College student Carol Yacoub, who modeled for the event. After a series of cuts and callbacks, the directors whittled down the number of participants to 26.

The chosen 26 also participated in other promotional and charitable events as part of their responsibilities as student models. The organization held a “Meet the Models” date auction earlier this month to raise money to put toward this year’s goal.

Preparation for the final event was rigorous, involving two-hour practices twice a week. The week before the show, models were asked to walk the runway every day.

Each portion of the show featured different fashions and different ambiences. During the Michael Jackson segment, models strutted to tunes by the King of Pop, creating images that channeled his music videos and wearing clothes that reflected his personal taste — leather jackets, darker shirts and a little sparkle. During the Love segment, a tribute to The Beatles, more brightly colored, bubbly fashions predominated.

Fashion for a Cause collaborated with other student organizations for the show. Members of The Pride: Lion Dance at U.Va. provided a rousing entry on the Chinese drum to introduce the fashions of the Dralion segment, which aimed to mix Western and Eastern cultural modes. Alongside the drummer were two lion dancers in traditional Chinese costume, who helped set the mood for the second segment of the show. Other groups that performed included the Virginia Wushu Club, which added some martial arts flair to the Ka portion of the show.

The show was well-received by attendees and models alike. “I would do this again in a heart-beat,” Yacoub said. “The ties you make with the other models are very strong and I consider the [Fashion for a Cause] group my family.”

Barack Obama, Fashion Magnate

One of the funnier story lines of the 2012 presidential campaign was Barack Obama’s decision—or rather, campaign manager Jim Messina’s decision—to inaugurate a fashion line that the campaign sold on its website. This included everything from Thakoon Panichgul silk scarves ($95) to Tory Burch handbags ($75) to Monique Pean hemp-and-cotton scarves ($95) to yoga pants.

The unusual idea came from Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and was roundly mocked by everyone from Fox News (NWS) and the RNC to (more gently) Bloomberg Businessweek, whose crack art staff designed a June magazine cover done up to look like one of those cheapie free-shoppers hawking Obama tube socks, doggy onesies, and scented soy candles. Undeterred, the Obama campaign and Wintour held runway fashion shows in New York and Chicago, featuring such celebrities as Scarlett Johansson. Press was not invited.

For the Obama folks, this was, shall we say, an area of some sensitivity. In my profile of Messina that accompanied the Bloomberg Businessweek cover story, about the only thing he didn’t want to talk about on the record was Wintour and her idea for a designer fashion line. But he made clear that the point of the enterprise was to raise money for the campaign—and why stop at $15 T-shirts, which all campaigns sell, when you could bring in a lot more revenue selling high-priced designer swag? That was the logic.

As Messina revealed in my new Bloomberg Businessweek piece on the Obama tech team, it panned out just fine. “That ended up bringing in just north of $40 million,” Messina told me.

Republicans and other folks (cough, cough) got plenty of laughs at the campaign’s expense. And it was a little ridiculous. But clearly the Obama folks and Wintour have had the last laugh: For any campaign, $40 million is serious money. And the successful fashion gambit would seem to open up all kinds of possibilities for future campaigns: Perhaps Chris Christie-branded bibs or fleeces, or maybe a line of signature Hillary Clinton pantsuits by Vera Wang.

In any event, it wound up being one of the shrewder and more creative moves of the cycle. Compared to “experts” like Karl Rove, who wound up losing hugely, Anna Wintour looks like a budding political genius.

Hyundai Driving up-and-coming Australian Fashion Designers

Hyundai Motor Company Australia is supporting up-and-coming Australian fashion designers by providing them with a fleet of Hyundai Velosters during Australian Graduate Fashion Week. The cars will be used to chauffeur models and VIP’s to the inaugural event this week.

An all-new event set to make its mark on the Australian fashion industry, the Australian Graduate Fashion Week will celebrate all that’s good in young Australian designers, and give an insight into the future of fashion from emerging talent. Focusing on graduating students the parade will feature designs honed in schools and college programmes including TAFE, universities, private colleges and other fashion institutions.

The parade provides a welcome and much needed outlet for the young guns of fashion to display their creations in a professional environment and to showcase their talent to the fashion industry, media, and buying public100 students from around Australia and New Zealand will vie for the chance to receive $10,000 to kick start their career along with other major prizes.

The avant-garde style of Veloster, with its unique three-door design, fits perfectly with the Graduate Fashion week a platform for innovative, modern, and experimental design in fashion.

The monumental Carriageworks precinct location in the inner-city makes a stark backdrop to what is sure to be a spectacular and energetic parade; and the transport fleet of Velosters makes a bold and arresting statement.

“The Australian Graduate Fashion Week is the perfect environment for Veloster to be on parade,” said Hyundai Motor Company Australia’s Marketing Director, Oliver Mann. “Hyundai took risks with the unique design of Veloster, and the sales results prove it has been very well received. We wish these students the same success for their future design careers.”

Since its debut in Australia earlier this year, the Veloster has led the sales race in the highly competitive Sports Carsegment, taking first place for sales each month since launch.

Italy's fashion chamber appeals to China in copyright row

Italy's fashion chamber of commerce on Thursday called on Chinese authorities to clamp down on copyright infringement against three of its members: DSquared2, C'N'C Costume National and ICE ICEBERG.

"We are confident that they will offer maximum support in resolving this unfortunate situation," the chamber of commerce in Milan said in a statement, adding that legal action in China against the alleged infringer had failed.

"We are certain that Chinese institutions will easily recognise the inherent anomaly in the fact that a single company has registered three brands belonging to three members of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion," it said.

The fashion houses have been "victims for some time of an attempt to encroach on their brands" by a Chinese company, the statement added.

It said the companies had suffered "significant costs" as a result.

DSquared2 was launched in Milan in 1995 by twins Dean and Dan Caten from Canada, C'N'C Costume National was founded by brothers Ennio and Carlo Capasa in 1986 and ICE ICEBERG started out in 1974 as a sportswear line.

Fashion for Sandy Relief: Anna Wintour and Victoria Beckham put themselves up for auction

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has seen numerous prominent fashion figures pledge financial aid to help those affected by the superstorm. But the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and US Vogue have pulled together to create a fundraiser with a difference.

The trade association, which is headed by designer Diane von Furstenberg, has partnered with luxury auction site Charitybuzz.com to launch Fashion for Sandy Relief, an online auction as a collective industry fundraiser to benefit those affected by the storm.

Through an outpouring of support from the fashion community and friends including celebrities, designers, athletes and business icons, the CFDA and Vogue have secured nearly 150 once-in-a-lifetime experiences for the auction.

"Sandy has hit us hard here at home," said von Furstenberg. "It is devastating to see so many friends and neighbours affected. As we did for Haiti and Japan, our industry has come together to raise funds with Fashion for Sandy Relief.

Amongst the experiences on offer is the chance to attend a fashion show with Anna Wintour and her team of Vogue editors, tour the magazine's offices, have lunch in the Condé Nast cafeteria and take home a Vogue goody bag. Although bids currently stand at $11,500, the package is expected to go for as much as $50,000 when the auction ends on December 5. Other highlights include the opportunity to attend Victoria Beckham's next New York Fashion Week show and then meet the lady herself afterwards, a week at Tommy Hilfiger's private Mustique estate, lunch with Diane von Furstenberg, a modelling session with Coco Rocha and lunch with Christian Louboutin plus a signed pair of his red-soled shoes.

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and other relief organisations in the tri-state area. Bidding is open internationally to supporters around the globe over 18 years of age.

But it isn't just fashion experiences up for grabs - there's entertainment, culinary and sporting too, including the chance to meet Baz Luhrman at The Great Gatsby premiere and dinner with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali in New York.

Fashion honored at Night of Stars

Fashion may have been the focus of the Night of Stars gala in New York, but actress Sarah Jessica Parker was more interested in talking politics.
"I think there's an enormous amount at stake, it concerns me," said the "Sex and the City" star of the U.S. presidential election. She said she would be in "great despair" if President Barack Obama lost the vote to Republican Mitt Romney.

"I'm speaking up for the 47 percent," she said. "For women in this country who rely upon social programs -- not because they're lazy, not because they don't want to work hard, not because they feel entitled -- but because they need access to basic health care that we all, the privileged few or many of us, sort of take for granted."

Parker was at the downtown soirie to present the Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle Award to designer L'wren Scott, a celebrity favorite and staple of the red carpet.

Carolina Herrera won Fashion Group International's top honor, the Superstar Award, presented by her longtime friend and client Renee Zellweger.

"I'm really lucky. We've collaborated for so many years and she's helped make the experience of being an actress and going to public events just extraordinary. Every event is memorable because of what she brings to it and the gift of these gorgeous gowns to help celebrate the occasions," said Zellweger.

Past recipients of the Superstar award include Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld and Oscar de la Renta.

Actress Viola Davis presented Nicola Maramotti of Italian fashion house MaxMara with the night's Heritage Award. But the Academy Award nominee said she is by no means a fashionista.

"No, not at all," said Davis. "I can answer that immediately. I have a very good stylist."

Lineup for Fashion Week El Paseo 2012 announced today

A special event to announce the lineup of shows and special events planned for the Fashion Week El Paseo 2012 is planned for 5 p.m. today.

Among the changes for next year’s event is the addition of presenting sponsor Integrated Wealth Management, which has an office in Palm Desert, to the event title.

A full schedule of shows and events was posted online over the weekend with names of designers participating, except for March 17, which states “designer to be announced.” Susan Stein, fashion editor for Palm Springs Life, said that person won’t be named tonight.

Tickets for the March 15-23 event went on sale today, with the high-end Diva tickets already sold out.

2013 show highlights include:

• Gilbert A. Chagoury, an independent couturier who was born in Lebanon and raised in Paris, is the Designer of the Week and his will be the closing night show. Chagoury began his career working for the legendary Christian Dior in Paris. He is now regularly commissioned to design gowns for the fashion elite in Paris, the Middle East, New York and Hollywood. Celebrities and socialites he has designed for include Katy Perry, Hayden Panettiere and Eva Longoria.

• Designer Sue Wong is scheduled to present her fashions on March 21.

• Houghton’s head designer, Katharine Polk on March 22.

• Le Chien couture fashion show for dogs returns for the second year on March 16 with designer Linda Higgins.

• “Project Runway” fans will be happy to know local designer Michael Costello, twice a contender on reality TV show, is organizing “The Drama and Designs of Project Runway,” to be staged on March 20, with 11 designers participating, more than double last year.

Since it was started eight years ago by Palm Springs Life magazine, Fashion Week El Paseo has blossomed into an event that draws designers and fashionistas from around the world. This year’s event drew a record 11,140 to the big white tent on Larkspur Lane, and pumped about $3 million into the local economy.

Seven of the nine shows sold out, with the “Project Runway” show drawing the largest crowd at about 1,300. Fashion Week raised almost $125,000 for local charities. Two new additions, trunk and dog fashion shows, drew hundreds and raised thousands of dollars. Both of are returning next year.

Pedal perfect: Bikers shed spandex to inspire new riders

Laura Bellinger wishes she could bike around Atlanta more often. She'd even consider making the five-mile ride to work if she weren't "a little chicken" when it comes to braving the city's infamous rush-hour traffic without the protective shell of a car.

But she couldn't resist an opportunity to bike for her first "tweed ride," the dandy's answer to critical mass, in which cyclists don vintage-inspired attire for a leisurely ride. Often the subject of fashion magazine spreads out of New York and London, it was the first-ever such ride in Decatur. The Atlanta suburb was recognized this year as one of the newest cities to make the League of American Bicyclists' list of top bicycle-friendly communities for its network of bike paths and bicycle education programs in schools.

Bellinger dug up a pair of cropped riding pants, dark-patterned socks and a corduroy blazer, loaded her mother's old white Cannondale into the car and headed to downtown Decatur, where a sea of cyclists dressed in autumnal shades gathered in the square Sunday afternoon.

"Events like this get me comfortable with the idea of riding more often because I can learn from others," said Bellinger, a public relations specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I totally love fashion and vintage, so dressing up just made it more fun."

Style-themed bike rides are just one way in which advocacy groups are hoping to shed bicycling of its strict association with competitive racing and make it more appealing to casual riders and potential commuters in the United States, especially in communities such as Decatur making bike-friendly strides.
Bike stores are also showing up within those communities that look more like trendy boutiques than repair shops, with the goal of redefining urban bike culture. The target customers are new and aspiring cyclists, and commuters who might be turned off by the functional atmosphere of traditional bike shops. What they'll find are upright and cruiser bikes in pink and green, helmets like equestrian caps, woven baskets, canvas and leather panniers and, literally, bells and whistles.

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Even mass-market apparel brands such as Levi's and Lands' End Canvas are tapping into the niche with commuter-friendly lines of clothing and accessories that can be worn all day and athletic wear that emphasizes fashion as much as function.

It's part of a larger movement often referred to as "Cycle Chic," a phrase coined in the mid-2000s by Danish "bicycle ambassador" Mikael Colville-Andersen on his website, Copenhagenize.com, which highlights the Danish capital's bicycle culture. Since then, "Cycle Chic" has grown into a global network of websites espousing the motto "dress for your destination, not your journey," along with hundreds more online portals and periodicals focusing on fashion and lifestyle through the lens of the "slow bicycle movement."

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"I really see fashion and style as key for bicycle advocacy," Melissa Balmer, program director of bicycle advocacy group Women on Bikes SoCal, which aims to normalize cycling through style rides, bicycle fashion shows and food and wine bike tours.

With bicycles becoming a style darling in lifestyle magazines, from Vogue to Glamour, it's the perfect time to spread the word on the benefits of biking, said Balmer, who has been car-free in Long Beach, California, for five years.

"I see the bike as a tool for urban optimism because nothing else deals so easily with two of our biggest challenges facing us as a nation: the down economy and the sedentary-disease pandemic."
That's where clothing, bicycles and accessories come into play to reflect the rider's personality, just like a car, she said.

Bike boutique Houndstooth Road in Decatur, Georgia, is trying to encourage commuter-cycling with bikes and accessories that are fashionable and both functional.

"You look at the bikes in beautiful colors -- the baskets and panniers -- people having fun in the same way they did as a child, and it reminds you of the joy of bicycling."

Finding a comfortable upright bicycle helped Norma Palus return to a beloved childhood pastime. She ordered a teal Rivendell Bleriot from a supplier in California for both its "vintage throwback look and attitude toward riding," the Decatur resident said.

"It's just riding for pleasure instead of running the roads," Palus said as she prepared to join the ride. "It goes back to childhood, to riding for fun, to enjoy it. No spandex or cleats."

It's not just an idea that appeals to women. About half the participants in Decatur's Autumn Classic Ride were men who happily donned their finest Harris Tweed and argyle duds. Luckily, the mostly cloudy skies ensured it was never too warm for the army of riders in woolens and textured fabrics.

Chris Hunt chose an outfit of matching black vintage wool racing shorts and sweater emblazoned with the logo of Italian vermouth brand Cinzano in a nod to the days "when cyclists smoke and drank and still won," the 51-year-old photographer said.

The four-mile tour, which included two stops along the way and lasted most of the afternoon, was a welcome reprieve for Hunt, a distance mountain biker.

"Cycling has gotten so serious and uncomfortable," he said as he sipped an iced coffee during the first stop. "It's inspiring to observe cycling as a nonhazardous sport, something that's fun that anyone can do."

To be sure, safety concerns -- not clothing -- are still the biggest barriers to getting more people to ride, said Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Serna, who attended the ride dressed in a white sweater and knee-length houndstooth skirt. She also brought along her 7-year-old son.

"People don't realize that for kids and young adults, being in a car is the biggest cause of serious and deadly accidents," said Serna, referring to studies showing that motor-vehicle traffic-related deaths are the biggest cause of unintentional deaths among those 19 and under.

"There needs to be a better understanding of what the real risks are and all the ways in which you make cycling safe."

Still, seeing someone riding in a bike in a skirt and heels can make people think twice, she said, referring to the coalition's monthly Heels on Wheels ride.

"It shows you can integrate biking with things you can ordinarily do, like go out and spend time with friends on a Sunday afternoon," she said during a stop on the ride at a bar, which provided free Irish coffees for participants.

Though tweed rides are premised upon wearing special clothes, no spandex is required, which is what comes to mind when most people think of cycling, said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, a nonprofit advocacy and education organization. That's the perception cycling needs to overcome to appeal to Americans more interested in biking to run errands than to race 20 miles toward a finish line, he said.

Houndstooth Road is one of several bike shops across the country trying to encourage commuter-cycling with functional and fashionable bikes and accessories.

"When you get into a car, you don't have to remember to bring special tools or a change of clothes," he said. "As we focus on the segment of the population for whom this is not already a lifestyle, we're finding they want to be able to get onto a bike and not worry about a lot of special equipment or clothing."

Though recent studies point to a growing interest in public transportation or car-free living, especially among young Americans, we still have a long way to go before most would consider hopping on a bike as feasible, he said.

"More people are going to ride when it's the cheapest, quickest, most efficient way of getting around that doesn't require special behavior."

Many see getting more women on the road as key to fostering a bike-friendly culture. In response, bike stores are popping up across the country geared toward females, including South Carolina's Pedal Chic, which was recognized this year as the best bike shop for women at Interbike, North America's largest bicycle trade show.

The Greenville store's motto, "Roadways are the new runway," reflect owner Robin Bylenga's view that women look good when they feel good, she said.

The fit and functionality are key to choosing the right outfit for cycling, and many women would rather talk to another woman to find the right pair of bicycle shorts or the most comfortable bike seat. A full-time female mechanic is also on hand to help customers with repairs.

But the sweet spot is fashion, she said.
"We're about community and building camaraderie and demystifying cycling," Bylenga said. "My customer would rather buy two fashionable jerseys than one highly technical, over-the-top, performance-enhanced jersey."

Bylenga said she hopes eventually to add a coffee shop similar to Chicago's Heritage Bicycles General Store, where a counter sign proclaims, "People demand bikes and coffee." Visitors can order a pour-over coffee or browse helmets and rain capes in the back retail section while they wait for a bike tuneup. Custom vintage-style bikes are also made and sold onsite.

Owner Michael Salvatore said he prefers to stock unique and quality products such as fine leather saddles and handles and American-made cycling pants, for which customers pay a premium. Still, retail sales account for about 30% of the overall business, he said, with helmets the biggest sellers.

"We consider ourselves a lifestyle brand so we like to curate a collection of products that represents us and our customer," he said. "People want to look good when they're on a bike, and they cycle more when they feel like they don't have to dress especially for cycling."

Like Salvatore, Jae Schmidt opened Decatur's Houndstooth Road to create the kind of store where he would want to shop: a bicycle boutique with an emphasis on classic vintage esthetic and craftsmanship.

The health care administrator opened his store this summer after years of selling premium bicycle parts and accessories in his free time. He is still one of few vendors in the Southeast for offbeat items such as sequined reflective vests and handcrafted wicker baskets from a women's co-op in Ghana.

He also organizes events such as Decatur's Autumn Classic Ride. It's all about creating a lifestyle around style and cycling, two things he loves.

"It brings you back to the joy of cycling while making it a viable means of transportation," he said. "It's a direction that more of us would like to see this country head in."

By the end of the ride, Bellinger was ready to keep going. She rode all the way home -- and back, to pick up her car.