Fashion retailer Awear picks Jesta I.S. vision suite
Jesta I.S., Inc. a leading provider of enterprise business solutions for retailers, manufacturers and distributors primarily in the apparel, footwear and soft goods industries worldwide, announced that A|wear, a leading ladies fashion brand and retailer based in Ireland has selected Jesta I.S.’ Vision Suite for managing its enterprise and store operations.
A|wear has always had a strong brand presence within Ireland, but like many other retail brands, has struggled during the recent Ireland and EU economic crisis. With the recent investment made by a UK based private equity firm, the company’s focus has shifted rom survival to business growth. As the business plans for stabilization and growth were progressing, the need to invest in an integrated solution for managing core inventory control, merchandising, store and warehouse functions became critical.
A|wear selected Jesta I.S.’ Vision Suite to bring about discipline and visibility across the entire enterprise while implementing best practices for improved operational efficiencies.
A|wear is a relatively small sized business with thirty-one stores across Ireland, but plans to grow significantly with the wholesale, franchise and e-commerce lines of business. In order to enable its managers and associates to focus on business, it was important for A|wear to select a complete enterprise solution that did not require large upfront and ongoing IT investment.
Jesta I.S.’ Vision Suite, with its managed cloud-based delivery and access capabilities, became an ideal candidate to enable A|wear to meet both its short and long term objectives.
“We decided to go with Jesta I.S. for its proven track record in delivering and implementing enterprise solutions for our industry. Vision Suite is an ideal solution for an enterprise of our size and its simple yet robust user interface design will allow for quick adoption by the user community. With some of the largest brands in our industry running their business on Vision Suite, we are certain of its capabilities to help us avigate our journey towards business growth”, said Sam Bain, General Manager of A|wear.
“A|wear is a great win for us, as this confirms the attractiveness of our cloud-based managed service offering for the Vision Suite. Getting A|wear also opens the doors for us in the EU and UK markets where a need for delivering an ultimate ROI is the primary driver for an IT solution selection. Vision Suite, with its bundled flexible licensing and rapid implementation model is well positioned to capitalize in such an economic and business environment”, said Moris Chemtov, President, Jesta I.S.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Beverley Fashion Week concludes with catwalk show at racecourse
Beverley Fashion Week concludes with catwalk show at racecourse
BEVERLEY Fashion week came to a spectacular close at the racecourse, with models showing off boutique brands from across the town.
The week celebrated designers of all kinds – from long-established clothing institutions to those with work on the catwalk for the first time.
It was dreamt up by Michelle Blackford, of Beverley-based Pink Elephant modelling agency. She said the week had surpassed her expectations.
"It's been a good week," she said. "Since the launch on Monday night, everything has just been great.
"We did a mobile catwalk through Beverley town centre on Wednesday and that created a buzz and got everybody talking. And the finale was lovely."
East Riding fashion highlight the Journal Ladies' Day is just weeks away and Michelle said visitors took advantage of the finale's clothing stalls to prepare their outfits.
"I noticed people looking at the fascinators and admiring the dresses and the jewellery as well," she said.
"Everybody is getting kitted out for Ladies' Day."
Throughout Saturday's finale, models came onto the catwalk to show off clothes from Beverley designers.
Several hundred people turned out to watch and browse through dozens of stalls in search of a fresh look.
"The beachwear has been the biggest talking point," Michelle said.
"And maybe the tweed as well, because tweed is really back in fashion and it does suit this area."
Models showed off Oilyrag Beachwear's bikinis.
The company's creative director Kate Briggs said her stall had been busy all day.
"We did well," she said. "People have really loved it.
"It was colourful and bright and people really liked our stand.
"We had lots of interest and we're definitely thinking of doing some more shows."
Kate started her career as a stylist in London before deciding to take high fashion to the East Riding.
"We want to bring something unique to East Yorkshire," she said.
Emma Wilson is much earlier on in her career.
She watched nervously from the side of the catwalk as her vintage- style brand VirginRebel
"This was my first fashion show," she said. "I launched my label at the finale and I'm really happy – I had lots of interest."
The designer is offering clothes made to order.
"I make bespoke stuff, so if someone has something specific in mind I will make it for them," she said.
"I can do bespoke jewellery, iPhone cases, mixed-up shoes – I'll bling up shoes to make them very current."
She said the week had been a success from start to finish.
"Michelle's been fantastic and very professional," she said.
"This is the first time she's done it and it's been great."
Although most visitors were from Beverley, fashion fans headed to the finale from across the East Riding.
Sue Webster came from Goole for the day, and spent five hours browsing traders' stands.
"We really enjoyed it and we thought it was very professional," she said. "The dancers were superb."
"I bought scarves, a bracelet, a necklace and Oilyrag beachwear, and we took a lot of cards for future use."
Sue won a competition for free entry into the show by commenting on the Beverley Fashion Week Facebook group.
"It was been really good," she said. "The only problem is there isn't a cashpoint in the racecourse and we would have liked to spend more."
High fashion was not the only thing for sale.
Nicola Fash was manning a stall for her mum Karen, who owns Beverley business Minster Cakes in Highgate.
"We didn't sell much but there were a lot of people who didn't know about the shop and said our cakes were beautiful," she said.
"We had lots of really positive comments – lots of people took cards and saw the cakes."
She said the week had given small businesses a boost.
"It was good for local businesses, because people didn't know a lot of these stores came from Beverley," Nicola said.
"It just shows what there is. I think Michelle has done a lot for the little shops that people don't know about.
"It makes you a lot more aware of the shops that don't necessarily have big stores but sell some really good things."
BEVERLEY Fashion week came to a spectacular close at the racecourse, with models showing off boutique brands from across the town.
The week celebrated designers of all kinds – from long-established clothing institutions to those with work on the catwalk for the first time.
It was dreamt up by Michelle Blackford, of Beverley-based Pink Elephant modelling agency. She said the week had surpassed her expectations.
"It's been a good week," she said. "Since the launch on Monday night, everything has just been great.
"We did a mobile catwalk through Beverley town centre on Wednesday and that created a buzz and got everybody talking. And the finale was lovely."
East Riding fashion highlight the Journal Ladies' Day is just weeks away and Michelle said visitors took advantage of the finale's clothing stalls to prepare their outfits.
"I noticed people looking at the fascinators and admiring the dresses and the jewellery as well," she said.
"Everybody is getting kitted out for Ladies' Day."
Throughout Saturday's finale, models came onto the catwalk to show off clothes from Beverley designers.
Several hundred people turned out to watch and browse through dozens of stalls in search of a fresh look.
"The beachwear has been the biggest talking point," Michelle said.
"And maybe the tweed as well, because tweed is really back in fashion and it does suit this area."
Models showed off Oilyrag Beachwear's bikinis.
The company's creative director Kate Briggs said her stall had been busy all day.
"We did well," she said. "People have really loved it.
"It was colourful and bright and people really liked our stand.
"We had lots of interest and we're definitely thinking of doing some more shows."
Kate started her career as a stylist in London before deciding to take high fashion to the East Riding.
"We want to bring something unique to East Yorkshire," she said.
Emma Wilson is much earlier on in her career.
She watched nervously from the side of the catwalk as her vintage- style brand VirginRebel
"This was my first fashion show," she said. "I launched my label at the finale and I'm really happy – I had lots of interest."
The designer is offering clothes made to order.
"I make bespoke stuff, so if someone has something specific in mind I will make it for them," she said.
"I can do bespoke jewellery, iPhone cases, mixed-up shoes – I'll bling up shoes to make them very current."
She said the week had been a success from start to finish.
"Michelle's been fantastic and very professional," she said.
"This is the first time she's done it and it's been great."
Although most visitors were from Beverley, fashion fans headed to the finale from across the East Riding.
Sue Webster came from Goole for the day, and spent five hours browsing traders' stands.
"We really enjoyed it and we thought it was very professional," she said. "The dancers were superb."
"I bought scarves, a bracelet, a necklace and Oilyrag beachwear, and we took a lot of cards for future use."
Sue won a competition for free entry into the show by commenting on the Beverley Fashion Week Facebook group.
"It was been really good," she said. "The only problem is there isn't a cashpoint in the racecourse and we would have liked to spend more."
High fashion was not the only thing for sale.
Nicola Fash was manning a stall for her mum Karen, who owns Beverley business Minster Cakes in Highgate.
"We didn't sell much but there were a lot of people who didn't know about the shop and said our cakes were beautiful," she said.
"We had lots of really positive comments – lots of people took cards and saw the cakes."
She said the week had given small businesses a boost.
"It was good for local businesses, because people didn't know a lot of these stores came from Beverley," Nicola said.
"It just shows what there is. I think Michelle has done a lot for the little shops that people don't know about.
"It makes you a lot more aware of the shops that don't necessarily have big stores but sell some really good things."
Friday, July 27, 2012
Girls take part in fashion design camp
Girls take part in fashion design camp
The girls begin the weeklong junior fashion and design camp on Monday dressed in their usual summertime garb. By the end of the week, however, they display more style and flair, donning skirts instead of shorts or pants, 20 bracelets rather than a few, as well as different color combinations or hairstyles.
The transformation makes Andrea Olney-Wall proud. For about 15 years, she's been teaching fashion design at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, one of the many summer classes for children that the venue offers. She teaches 9- to 13-year-old girls that fashion suits every size and shape, hoping to get them to appreciate their body types before they're influenced by images of the pipe-cleaner-thin models that dominate mainstream media.
I really try to knock that Twiggy image out; all girls and all women are beautiful," said Olney-Wall, referring to the famously slender 1960s model.
Olney-Wall said that allowing the girls to explore their own sense of fashion "gives them a creative outlet that they might not have thought about. The more different we are, the better."
Her efforts seem to be paying off.
"Almost all models are bone-thin, and it doesn't seem right," said Emma Jackson, a rising seventh-grader from Annapolis. "I don't think it's fair, because if you see the clothes on the model, it might look good on them, but when you try it on it would look horrible on you because you have a totally different body type."
Emma's fashion drawings included turning a scarf into an earring. She said that she's been so inspired to create fashion that when school reopens, "I'm probably going to dress nicer because I know what looks nice."
Nearly a dozen students attended this week's camp, which focuses on drawing skills to create contemporary fashion clothing and fashion designs.
Students learn to coordinate colors and how to draw pleats and drapings. They design their view of next year's summer or spring fashions as well. They then make their designs from tissue paper on doll-sized wooden mannequins and end their camp with a mannequin fashion show — complete with a company name and logo — for family and friends.
Olney-Wall stresses focusing on full-length figures and tells campers that often what goes on in a designer fashion show — from the clothes to the models — are extremes.
"I always tell them, 'When you see a model that is 6 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds, this is an extreme. When you see them going down the runway, [the clothing] might be a little overboard. It is not really meant to be worn; it's more of an art form than actual fashion, so you can bring that down a little bit to something you can really wear."
She inspires the students to enhance their personal sense of fashion by making designs from their three favorite colors as well as their least favorite colors. Then campers vote on which designs are best.
"A lot of times they spend more time working on their least favorite colors so it looks the best," said Olney-Wall.
Ellery Halsey, a rising seventh-grader from Annapolis, said she decided to take the camp to bolster her sense of self-expression and delights that Olney-Wall "gives us a template and tells us to do our best."
Michele Hare, a rising fourth-grader from Bowie, said she wanted to learn to draw fashion "because I'm not so good at drawing fashion on my own."
The girls price their own clothing for the fashion show.
"They're very pricey — we've had [items for] $25,000," said Olney-Wall.
She added that she hopes the campers hold on to what they learn in the class when they reach the age at which clothing type and style become more important.
"They're thinking ahead a little bit," said Olney-Wall. "They're a little young to be wearing fashion, but it's the ideas that they're coming up with."
The girls begin the weeklong junior fashion and design camp on Monday dressed in their usual summertime garb. By the end of the week, however, they display more style and flair, donning skirts instead of shorts or pants, 20 bracelets rather than a few, as well as different color combinations or hairstyles.
The transformation makes Andrea Olney-Wall proud. For about 15 years, she's been teaching fashion design at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, one of the many summer classes for children that the venue offers. She teaches 9- to 13-year-old girls that fashion suits every size and shape, hoping to get them to appreciate their body types before they're influenced by images of the pipe-cleaner-thin models that dominate mainstream media.
I really try to knock that Twiggy image out; all girls and all women are beautiful," said Olney-Wall, referring to the famously slender 1960s model.
Olney-Wall said that allowing the girls to explore their own sense of fashion "gives them a creative outlet that they might not have thought about. The more different we are, the better."
Her efforts seem to be paying off.
"Almost all models are bone-thin, and it doesn't seem right," said Emma Jackson, a rising seventh-grader from Annapolis. "I don't think it's fair, because if you see the clothes on the model, it might look good on them, but when you try it on it would look horrible on you because you have a totally different body type."
Emma's fashion drawings included turning a scarf into an earring. She said that she's been so inspired to create fashion that when school reopens, "I'm probably going to dress nicer because I know what looks nice."
Nearly a dozen students attended this week's camp, which focuses on drawing skills to create contemporary fashion clothing and fashion designs.
Students learn to coordinate colors and how to draw pleats and drapings. They design their view of next year's summer or spring fashions as well. They then make their designs from tissue paper on doll-sized wooden mannequins and end their camp with a mannequin fashion show — complete with a company name and logo — for family and friends.
Olney-Wall stresses focusing on full-length figures and tells campers that often what goes on in a designer fashion show — from the clothes to the models — are extremes.
"I always tell them, 'When you see a model that is 6 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds, this is an extreme. When you see them going down the runway, [the clothing] might be a little overboard. It is not really meant to be worn; it's more of an art form than actual fashion, so you can bring that down a little bit to something you can really wear."
She inspires the students to enhance their personal sense of fashion by making designs from their three favorite colors as well as their least favorite colors. Then campers vote on which designs are best.
"A lot of times they spend more time working on their least favorite colors so it looks the best," said Olney-Wall.
Ellery Halsey, a rising seventh-grader from Annapolis, said she decided to take the camp to bolster her sense of self-expression and delights that Olney-Wall "gives us a template and tells us to do our best."
Michele Hare, a rising fourth-grader from Bowie, said she wanted to learn to draw fashion "because I'm not so good at drawing fashion on my own."
The girls price their own clothing for the fashion show.
"They're very pricey — we've had [items for] $25,000," said Olney-Wall.
She added that she hopes the campers hold on to what they learn in the class when they reach the age at which clothing type and style become more important.
"They're thinking ahead a little bit," said Olney-Wall. "They're a little young to be wearing fashion, but it's the ideas that they're coming up with."
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Passion for fashion inspires Hokonui judges
Passion for fashion inspires Hokonui judges
Fashion experts from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington arrived in Gore last night to start the judging process for the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards.
The Hokonui Strictly Design Evening will be held tomorrow night, while the Hokonui Gala Awards Evening on Saturday is sold out.
Doris de Pont, James Dobson, Lela Jacobs and Barbara Lee will join Jim Geddes from Gore to start judging the designs this morning, which will continue right through tomorrow night's show.
Doris de Pont, who will lead the judging panel, said there was a huge job ahead for them.
A designer for more than 25 years, Ms de Pont retired her label in 2008 and now works as a freelance fashion curator.
It will be her second time judging at the awards.
The first thing judges look for in a garment was if the designer had responded to the design brief in its category, she said.
"Personally, I look for innovation and the ability of a designer to execute a good idea through the construction of a garment".
She hoped many of the designs would surprise and inspire her.
In her experience judges chose the winner after much discussion.
"The other judges are wonderful designers with their own perspective of design. Eventually, we choose a winner we can all agree on."
Lela Jacobs is making her first trip to Southland as a judge and intends to do some sightseeing in the region after the shows.
The ex-Wellingtonian now lives in Auckland and has opened "The Keep", her own store in K' Road.
She believed the awards were an integral part of the New Zealand fashion industry and an important source of inspiration for up and coming designers.
She hired last year's "Award of Excellence" winner Kerry Wong.
"During judging I will look at the fabric and the finish of a garment and if the style and cutting pattern complement the fabric."
Natural fibres and locally sourced materials would get bonus points, she said.
About 300 garments were submitted into the competition by 215 individual designers, but only 200 will make the catwalk shows.
Executive producer Heather Paterson said the judges' task of selecting the final garments would be difficult.
She believed original pieces with a "wow" factor would grab the attention of the judges, who would also look at colour and texture.
"It's always good to see the reaction of the judges and how highly impressed they are by the entries," she said.
She hoped the judges would go away feeling good about Southland.
Fashion experts from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington arrived in Gore last night to start the judging process for the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards.
The Hokonui Strictly Design Evening will be held tomorrow night, while the Hokonui Gala Awards Evening on Saturday is sold out.
Doris de Pont, James Dobson, Lela Jacobs and Barbara Lee will join Jim Geddes from Gore to start judging the designs this morning, which will continue right through tomorrow night's show.
Doris de Pont, who will lead the judging panel, said there was a huge job ahead for them.
A designer for more than 25 years, Ms de Pont retired her label in 2008 and now works as a freelance fashion curator.
It will be her second time judging at the awards.
The first thing judges look for in a garment was if the designer had responded to the design brief in its category, she said.
"Personally, I look for innovation and the ability of a designer to execute a good idea through the construction of a garment".
She hoped many of the designs would surprise and inspire her.
In her experience judges chose the winner after much discussion.
"The other judges are wonderful designers with their own perspective of design. Eventually, we choose a winner we can all agree on."
Lela Jacobs is making her first trip to Southland as a judge and intends to do some sightseeing in the region after the shows.
The ex-Wellingtonian now lives in Auckland and has opened "The Keep", her own store in K' Road.
She believed the awards were an integral part of the New Zealand fashion industry and an important source of inspiration for up and coming designers.
She hired last year's "Award of Excellence" winner Kerry Wong.
"During judging I will look at the fabric and the finish of a garment and if the style and cutting pattern complement the fabric."
Natural fibres and locally sourced materials would get bonus points, she said.
About 300 garments were submitted into the competition by 215 individual designers, but only 200 will make the catwalk shows.
Executive producer Heather Paterson said the judges' task of selecting the final garments would be difficult.
She believed original pieces with a "wow" factor would grab the attention of the judges, who would also look at colour and texture.
"It's always good to see the reaction of the judges and how highly impressed they are by the entries," she said.
She hoped the judges would go away feeling good about Southland.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Kendall Jenner Gets Her Kicks in Latest Fashion Campaign
Kendall Jenner Gets Her Kicks in Latest Fashion Campaign
Mark your calendar: Fashion’s Night Out is Sept. 6. And if you needed an even bigger reminder, there’s this: a couture-clad Kendall Jenner busting out of a Beverly Center shoebox in an ad for the evening.
Teen model Jenner is the face of the Beverly Center’s Fashion’s Night Out bash in L.A., which will include celebrity appearances, in-store events and two big fashion shows (more than 30,000 guests are expected to attend). The shopping center is calling on young Hollywood — led by the reality star — to publicize the big night.
“Each year we raise the bar to support Fashion’s Night Out,” says Beverly Center’s director of marketing and sponsorship, Susan Vance. “This unique and artistic campaign reflects our diverse offering of luxury brands which mirrors the vibrant, youthful direction of the Beverly Center customer.”
Fashion’s Night Out is a nationwide event celebrating, obviously, the fashion industry (and marking the start of New York City Fashion Week). Stores throw open their doors for celebrity-studded events and offer fun products, treats and deals. Last year’s bash featured events in 18 countries — more than 4,500 events in the U.S. alone — and the 2012 celebration is sure to be even bigger.
Mark your calendar: Fashion’s Night Out is Sept. 6. And if you needed an even bigger reminder, there’s this: a couture-clad Kendall Jenner busting out of a Beverly Center shoebox in an ad for the evening.
Teen model Jenner is the face of the Beverly Center’s Fashion’s Night Out bash in L.A., which will include celebrity appearances, in-store events and two big fashion shows (more than 30,000 guests are expected to attend). The shopping center is calling on young Hollywood — led by the reality star — to publicize the big night.
“Each year we raise the bar to support Fashion’s Night Out,” says Beverly Center’s director of marketing and sponsorship, Susan Vance. “This unique and artistic campaign reflects our diverse offering of luxury brands which mirrors the vibrant, youthful direction of the Beverly Center customer.”
Fashion’s Night Out is a nationwide event celebrating, obviously, the fashion industry (and marking the start of New York City Fashion Week). Stores throw open their doors for celebrity-studded events and offer fun products, treats and deals. Last year’s bash featured events in 18 countries — more than 4,500 events in the U.S. alone — and the 2012 celebration is sure to be even bigger.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Fashion Designer Mark Goldenberg Wins the First Avery Dennison Brand Innovation Award at ITS 2012
Fashion Designer Mark Goldenberg Wins the First Avery Dennison Brand Innovation Award at ITS 2012
Avery Dennison announced today that fashion designer Mark Goldenberg of Israel was awarded the first Avery Dennison Brand Innovation Award for his innovative apparel branding collection at International Talent Support (ITS) in Trieste, Italy.
Goldenberg was one of 11 ITS finalists chosen to create an inspiring branding solution for their fashion collection at ITS 2012 by Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS), a global leader in apparel and footwear solutions and an ITS fashion partner. Goldenberg’s submission was selected as the winner because of its strong, consistent branding connection with his fashion collection.
“Mark was able to express himself as effectively on his branding solutions as he did in his collection, while telling a consistent story,” says Tim Voegele-Downing, global creative director at Avery Dennison RBIS. “Branding is essential for young fashion designers in establishing how consumers will interact and perceive their new creative collections. It is important that they infuse their brands with the same kind of style and creative flair as their collections. Watching these talented young designers, like Mark, use our apparel branding solutions to represent their personal brands and elevate their ITS collection was truly inspiring and we’re excited to be able to work with them to make their designs a reality.”
Avery Dennison RBIS created the award to help motivate young designers to unleash their creativity for branding. As the winner of the first-ever Brand Innovation Award, Goldenberg received a €3,000 cash prize and the opportunity to design and develop integrated branding solutions for the company’s Branding Solutions Portfolio that will be shown to all Avery Dennison RBIS global clients. Avery Dennison has also invited Goldenberg to visit its Customer Design and Innovation Centre in Germany, where he will work directly with the Avery Dennison Global Creative Services team.
Avery Dennison RBIS develops the latest creative trends and the innovative branding solutions that enable established brands and up-and-coming designers – like Mark Goldenberg – to bring their designs to life with high-impact brand graphics, labels and finishing touches. By providing guidance, support and the company’s full complement of branding solutions and tools to the 11 ITS finalists, Avery Dennison was able to demonstrate the impact branding can have on a collection from the very beginning. ITS 2012 was held in Trieste, Italy on Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14thand featured young designers and students from around the globe.
About Avery Dennison Corporation
Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in apparel and footwear industry solutions, is a $1.5 billion division of Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY). Avery Dennison RBIS provides intelligent, creative and sustainable solutions to elevate brands and accelerate performance from design to retail store floor. The company’s industry leading, end-to-end solutions include innovative heat transfer technology, RFID and price management supply chain solutions and sustainable packaging services. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, Avery Dennison RBIS, employs 20,000 in 50 countries. For more information, visit www.rbis.averydennison.com.
Avery Dennison helps make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. The company is a global leader in pressure-sensitive technology and materials and retail branding and information solutions. A Fortune 500 company with sales of $6 billion from continuing operations in 2011, Avery Dennison is based in Pasadena, California with employees in more than 60 countries.
Avery Dennison announced today that fashion designer Mark Goldenberg of Israel was awarded the first Avery Dennison Brand Innovation Award for his innovative apparel branding collection at International Talent Support (ITS) in Trieste, Italy.
Goldenberg was one of 11 ITS finalists chosen to create an inspiring branding solution for their fashion collection at ITS 2012 by Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS), a global leader in apparel and footwear solutions and an ITS fashion partner. Goldenberg’s submission was selected as the winner because of its strong, consistent branding connection with his fashion collection.
“Mark was able to express himself as effectively on his branding solutions as he did in his collection, while telling a consistent story,” says Tim Voegele-Downing, global creative director at Avery Dennison RBIS. “Branding is essential for young fashion designers in establishing how consumers will interact and perceive their new creative collections. It is important that they infuse their brands with the same kind of style and creative flair as their collections. Watching these talented young designers, like Mark, use our apparel branding solutions to represent their personal brands and elevate their ITS collection was truly inspiring and we’re excited to be able to work with them to make their designs a reality.”
Avery Dennison RBIS created the award to help motivate young designers to unleash their creativity for branding. As the winner of the first-ever Brand Innovation Award, Goldenberg received a €3,000 cash prize and the opportunity to design and develop integrated branding solutions for the company’s Branding Solutions Portfolio that will be shown to all Avery Dennison RBIS global clients. Avery Dennison has also invited Goldenberg to visit its Customer Design and Innovation Centre in Germany, where he will work directly with the Avery Dennison Global Creative Services team.
Avery Dennison RBIS develops the latest creative trends and the innovative branding solutions that enable established brands and up-and-coming designers – like Mark Goldenberg – to bring their designs to life with high-impact brand graphics, labels and finishing touches. By providing guidance, support and the company’s full complement of branding solutions and tools to the 11 ITS finalists, Avery Dennison was able to demonstrate the impact branding can have on a collection from the very beginning. ITS 2012 was held in Trieste, Italy on Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14thand featured young designers and students from around the globe.
About Avery Dennison Corporation
Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in apparel and footwear industry solutions, is a $1.5 billion division of Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY). Avery Dennison RBIS provides intelligent, creative and sustainable solutions to elevate brands and accelerate performance from design to retail store floor. The company’s industry leading, end-to-end solutions include innovative heat transfer technology, RFID and price management supply chain solutions and sustainable packaging services. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, Avery Dennison RBIS, employs 20,000 in 50 countries. For more information, visit www.rbis.averydennison.com.
Avery Dennison helps make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. The company is a global leader in pressure-sensitive technology and materials and retail branding and information solutions. A Fortune 500 company with sales of $6 billion from continuing operations in 2011, Avery Dennison is based in Pasadena, California with employees in more than 60 countries.
Monday, July 23, 2012
'The Bachelorette' Finale Showcases Emily Maynard's Best & Worst Fashion
'The Bachelorette' Finale Showcases Emily Maynard's Best & Worst Fashion
When Emily Maynard was chosen to be the Bachelorette, we were pumped about the visual feast that would await. No, not her perma-tan and shiny blonde hair, although those are each sights to behold. It was Emily's clothes we were psyched to see, given how stylish the Southern belle had been on her past season with Brad Womack.
With the finale finally wrapped up (and with Emily riding off into the sunset with Jef), we can finally say with certainty: this season did not disappoint when it came to fashion. Despite a few missteps in the hair department and some overdone eye makeup, Emily regularly nailed it when it came to her wardrobe. The 26-year-old mom favored sky-high heels, one-sleeve dresses, high slits and a dose of sparkle... but she balanced it out with country-fied boots, sleek blazers and the occasional leather jacket to toughen things up.
Plus there was a headband or two, some off-the-shoulder tees and just a few bikinis (this is part of the "Bachelor" franchise, after all). And with only a few notable exceptions, we were big fans of it all.
Check out the sartorial highlights of Emily's season of "The Bachelorette" below, including the finale. Bonus: we've added a few of winner Jef Holm's best fashion moments too, because damn can that guy dress.
When Emily Maynard was chosen to be the Bachelorette, we were pumped about the visual feast that would await. No, not her perma-tan and shiny blonde hair, although those are each sights to behold. It was Emily's clothes we were psyched to see, given how stylish the Southern belle had been on her past season with Brad Womack.
With the finale finally wrapped up (and with Emily riding off into the sunset with Jef), we can finally say with certainty: this season did not disappoint when it came to fashion. Despite a few missteps in the hair department and some overdone eye makeup, Emily regularly nailed it when it came to her wardrobe. The 26-year-old mom favored sky-high heels, one-sleeve dresses, high slits and a dose of sparkle... but she balanced it out with country-fied boots, sleek blazers and the occasional leather jacket to toughen things up.
Plus there was a headband or two, some off-the-shoulder tees and just a few bikinis (this is part of the "Bachelor" franchise, after all). And with only a few notable exceptions, we were big fans of it all.
Check out the sartorial highlights of Emily's season of "The Bachelorette" below, including the finale. Bonus: we've added a few of winner Jef Holm's best fashion moments too, because damn can that guy dress.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Fabulous Festival Fashion... Tent-atively Delivered in One Hour
Fabulous Festival Fashion... Tent-atively Delivered in One Hour
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Jul 20, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- As the official fashion partner for Virgin Media's V Festival, Very.co.uk has launched the world's first festival delivery service, to coincide with this year's music event on 18th and 19th August 2012.
Very.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online department stores, is bringing its free Collect+ delivery service to savvy festival goers in the fields of Virgin Media's V Festival's Chelmsford site. Revellers can buy any of the brand's 50,000 fashion or home lines online directly from their phones on the Friday of the festival, with free next day delivery to V Festival on the Saturday.
Especially for festival goers, Very.co.uk has also designed a capsule collection that can be delivered to the official Very.co.uk tent within just one hour. Available to order via a bespoke Very.co.uk mobile site during the weekend of the festival, the 50-piece 'Festival Favourites' collection includes staples from tents to willies, maxi dresses to sunglasses.
In keeping with the festival spirit, teams of glamorous Very.co.uk girls and boys will be scattered around V Festival's Hylands Park site taking orders from festival attendees, who will have the option of deciding on a quick change of look for the headline act or for any impromptu hot dates they might set up. Within just one hour girls will be able to go from Folk in light floral summer dresses to Rockin Rebels in cropped leather jackets.
Face of Very.co.uk Fearne Cotton said: "The attire for festivals in this country has really changed since I first started going. It's no longer about rolling around in the mud and not washing for days, the fashion is now almost as important as the music itself! Everyone will be dressing to impress, so it's important to look the part.
"Packing for a festival in the UK can of course be really tricky though. You obviously don't want to be trying to cram your entire wardrobe into a tent, but you also need to make sure you have packed enough different outfits to counter the changeable British weather.
"Absolute necessities for me are a good pair of old biker boots, loads of layers I can peel off and put back on and also a trusty parka for when the heavens open. I'm also partial to a brightly coloured rain mac! Your friends will never lose you and you'll keep your hair dry if it rains!"
Gareth Jones, Retail Director at Very.co.uk, added: "Very.co.uk is well known for easy, stress-free online and mobile shopping delivered where and when it's convenient for our customers. As the official fashion partner for V Festival, we saw no reason not to extend that offering to festival goers.
"With 90,000 people expected to set up camp in Chelmsford on 17th August, we're looking forward to a busy weekend of fashion, fun, fantastic music and lots of shopping!"
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Jul 20, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- As the official fashion partner for Virgin Media's V Festival, Very.co.uk has launched the world's first festival delivery service, to coincide with this year's music event on 18th and 19th August 2012.
Very.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online department stores, is bringing its free Collect+ delivery service to savvy festival goers in the fields of Virgin Media's V Festival's Chelmsford site. Revellers can buy any of the brand's 50,000 fashion or home lines online directly from their phones on the Friday of the festival, with free next day delivery to V Festival on the Saturday.
Especially for festival goers, Very.co.uk has also designed a capsule collection that can be delivered to the official Very.co.uk tent within just one hour. Available to order via a bespoke Very.co.uk mobile site during the weekend of the festival, the 50-piece 'Festival Favourites' collection includes staples from tents to willies, maxi dresses to sunglasses.
In keeping with the festival spirit, teams of glamorous Very.co.uk girls and boys will be scattered around V Festival's Hylands Park site taking orders from festival attendees, who will have the option of deciding on a quick change of look for the headline act or for any impromptu hot dates they might set up. Within just one hour girls will be able to go from Folk in light floral summer dresses to Rockin Rebels in cropped leather jackets.
Face of Very.co.uk Fearne Cotton said: "The attire for festivals in this country has really changed since I first started going. It's no longer about rolling around in the mud and not washing for days, the fashion is now almost as important as the music itself! Everyone will be dressing to impress, so it's important to look the part.
"Packing for a festival in the UK can of course be really tricky though. You obviously don't want to be trying to cram your entire wardrobe into a tent, but you also need to make sure you have packed enough different outfits to counter the changeable British weather.
"Absolute necessities for me are a good pair of old biker boots, loads of layers I can peel off and put back on and also a trusty parka for when the heavens open. I'm also partial to a brightly coloured rain mac! Your friends will never lose you and you'll keep your hair dry if it rains!"
Gareth Jones, Retail Director at Very.co.uk, added: "Very.co.uk is well known for easy, stress-free online and mobile shopping delivered where and when it's convenient for our customers. As the official fashion partner for V Festival, we saw no reason not to extend that offering to festival goers.
"With 90,000 people expected to set up camp in Chelmsford on 17th August, we're looking forward to a busy weekend of fashion, fun, fantastic music and lots of shopping!"
Thursday, July 19, 2012
'Project Runway,' the biggest and best of the fashion reality shows, returns Thursday
In fashion, one day you're in, and the next day, you're out.
Fans of the long-running "Project Runway" series have heard host Heidi Klum utter this phrase hundreds of times to hopeful contestants, but it could also be said about the ever-expanding fashion reality show genre. The biggest and most popular, "Project Runway," starts its 10th season tonight, and another "All-Stars" version is currently in production.
Since its 2004 debut, "Project Runway" has spawned other like-minded shows, but its ancestors are a reality show staple: the makeover show.
Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," in which five gay men offered style, grooming and lifestyle tips to straight men, ran from 2003 to 2007. "Queer Eye" helped showcase that looking good and dressing well are just as important for men as they are for women. TLC's "What Not to Wear," in which stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly help ill-dressed women (and men) revitalize their wardrobes, also launched in 2003. "Project Runway" mentor Tim Gunn briefly got his own makeover show, "Guide to Style," from 2007 to 2008.
Putting face to fashion
The appeal of makeover shows isn't the fashion itself – after all, these are everyday people revamping their closets, so designer labels are less likely to be hanging in them. Rather, it's the transformation: The woman finally finds flattering clothes, gets her first new hairstyle in years, then debuts her new look to cheering family and friends.
The first glimpse of high fashion in reality TV came with "Project Runway." Its format was innovative, ceding the stage to the designers who made the clothes, not the people wearing them. Klum, whose résumé also includes supermodel, designer and actress, gave the show star-power while judges Michael Kors (renowned designer) and Nina Garcia (fashion editor) lent credibility, and longtime design educator Gunn offered competitors advice in the sewing process. The challenges were sometimes practical (create a red-carpet look for a celebrity) and sometimes outlandish (make a dress completely out of flowers), while showcasing the designers' talents.
Fans of the long-running "Project Runway" series have heard host Heidi Klum utter this phrase hundreds of times to hopeful contestants, but it could also be said about the ever-expanding fashion reality show genre. The biggest and most popular, "Project Runway," starts its 10th season tonight, and another "All-Stars" version is currently in production.
Since its 2004 debut, "Project Runway" has spawned other like-minded shows, but its ancestors are a reality show staple: the makeover show.
Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," in which five gay men offered style, grooming and lifestyle tips to straight men, ran from 2003 to 2007. "Queer Eye" helped showcase that looking good and dressing well are just as important for men as they are for women. TLC's "What Not to Wear," in which stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly help ill-dressed women (and men) revitalize their wardrobes, also launched in 2003. "Project Runway" mentor Tim Gunn briefly got his own makeover show, "Guide to Style," from 2007 to 2008.
Putting face to fashion
The appeal of makeover shows isn't the fashion itself – after all, these are everyday people revamping their closets, so designer labels are less likely to be hanging in them. Rather, it's the transformation: The woman finally finds flattering clothes, gets her first new hairstyle in years, then debuts her new look to cheering family and friends.
The first glimpse of high fashion in reality TV came with "Project Runway." Its format was innovative, ceding the stage to the designers who made the clothes, not the people wearing them. Klum, whose résumé also includes supermodel, designer and actress, gave the show star-power while judges Michael Kors (renowned designer) and Nina Garcia (fashion editor) lent credibility, and longtime design educator Gunn offered competitors advice in the sewing process. The challenges were sometimes practical (create a red-carpet look for a celebrity) and sometimes outlandish (make a dress completely out of flowers), while showcasing the designers' talents.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Kenya: Trendz Kenya Fashion Festival Rocks
Kenya: Trendz Kenya Fashion Festival Rocks
Nairobi has the potential of becoming the next Milan, New York or London runway for fashion brands both local and international.
This is what I witnessed at my first fashion show coverage of the Trendz Kenya Fashion Festival on Saturday. It was organised by Just Like That at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi. Alisha Popat was articulate and entertaining as the host of the night as she smoothly took the audience from one fashion brand to the next and mixed it up with her songs and fun time with games which included a Yummy Mummy competition. The winner walked away with a Samsung TV.
The models were a mix of sexy men and stunning women with a surprise walk from former Miss India Kenya winner Pooja Karia who stepped on to the runway with Mumbai fashion star Anita Dongre's designs. Anita's work was crisp, clean and elegant. Fashion designer John Kaveke was at his best while Niku Channa's accessories were gorgeous. South Africa's Paledi Segapo was a show-stopper when his male models came on to the ramp with nothing but their blue and red briefs. Crown Paints showcased their colors on white fabric draped like Greek goddesses on the ladies. Kenya's Sonu Sharma and Jamil Walji and Tanzania's Ally Rehmtullah also took part in the fashion show. Sonu Sharma and Sanjeev Sharma made all this happen.
Indian poet Surjit Patar impresses in Nairobi
Very few poets in India have had the honour of being recognised by their countrymen and bestowed the highest achievement such as the Padma Shri Award in the field of literature and education. One of them is Surjit Patar. The young team of iSikh set up an evening of poetry, music and a one-on-one with Surjit Patar on Sunday at the Oshwal Centre Auditorium in Nairobi. This event was to drive a fund raiser for the iSikh youth camp due next month.
It was hosted by East FM presenter Parveen Adam and in the music section was the talent of Eddie Gray on guitar/percussion, famous Kirit Pattni on flute, Pritam Virdee on table/percussion and Upkar Singh leading the team. Surjit Patar shared anecdotes of his childhood, relationship with his brother Upkar, memorable and breakthrough moments as a poet, appreciation to his wife Bhupinder and love to his children and fans that had gathered to enjoy the evening. There were several surprise and impromptu performances. Upkar Singh launched his Labour of Love album and he was honoured by the presence of the famous Ustad Bashir Bhatt.
Retelling the great Lord Ram and Sita love story
The story of Lord Ram and his wife Sita's abduction has been told for many years as an example of not only eternal love between a husband and wife but also a fight of good versus evil. When Lord Ram went into exile he persuaded his wife Sita not to join him, but she did not give in and accompanied him on the 14 years of hardship. It was at this time that the evil King Ravana abducted Sita and there was a legendary duel that happened between Ravana and Ram. The school of Indian Classical Dance Nrityalaya run by Gita Umesh presented a lovely evening show dubbed 'Saints, Legends and Heroines' on Saturday at the Oshwal High School in Nairobi. As I walked into the auditorium, I was greeted by an attentive audience listening to the narration of the story that was about to unfold in the form of dance and there was the incense sweet smell to remind you of the prayer homage paid before such a performance. It was nothing short of expression, classical dance moves and a beautiful story to tell.
UoN's Usha group meets at Oshwal Centre
Away from books and lectures, University of Nairobi students of Asian descent converged on Saturday at the Oshwal Centre's Auditorium. The students have a group known as USHA (University of Nairobi Asian) which holds various events especially to raise funds for charity. From their last year's events, the contributions went to the Paediatric Cancer Ward at the Kenyatta National Hospital and initial support for Bethsaida Old Age Home, Kitengela. This time it was for providing a long lasting solution for the home. The plans include installing an eco-friendly and cost effective water heating for the home. Their commitment to Kenyatta National Hospital remains in trying to make the wards have a better sanitation system. The mood was cheerful and included a mix of students, parents and the professors.
Nairobi has the potential of becoming the next Milan, New York or London runway for fashion brands both local and international.
This is what I witnessed at my first fashion show coverage of the Trendz Kenya Fashion Festival on Saturday. It was organised by Just Like That at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi. Alisha Popat was articulate and entertaining as the host of the night as she smoothly took the audience from one fashion brand to the next and mixed it up with her songs and fun time with games which included a Yummy Mummy competition. The winner walked away with a Samsung TV.
The models were a mix of sexy men and stunning women with a surprise walk from former Miss India Kenya winner Pooja Karia who stepped on to the runway with Mumbai fashion star Anita Dongre's designs. Anita's work was crisp, clean and elegant. Fashion designer John Kaveke was at his best while Niku Channa's accessories were gorgeous. South Africa's Paledi Segapo was a show-stopper when his male models came on to the ramp with nothing but their blue and red briefs. Crown Paints showcased their colors on white fabric draped like Greek goddesses on the ladies. Kenya's Sonu Sharma and Jamil Walji and Tanzania's Ally Rehmtullah also took part in the fashion show. Sonu Sharma and Sanjeev Sharma made all this happen.
Indian poet Surjit Patar impresses in Nairobi
Very few poets in India have had the honour of being recognised by their countrymen and bestowed the highest achievement such as the Padma Shri Award in the field of literature and education. One of them is Surjit Patar. The young team of iSikh set up an evening of poetry, music and a one-on-one with Surjit Patar on Sunday at the Oshwal Centre Auditorium in Nairobi. This event was to drive a fund raiser for the iSikh youth camp due next month.
It was hosted by East FM presenter Parveen Adam and in the music section was the talent of Eddie Gray on guitar/percussion, famous Kirit Pattni on flute, Pritam Virdee on table/percussion and Upkar Singh leading the team. Surjit Patar shared anecdotes of his childhood, relationship with his brother Upkar, memorable and breakthrough moments as a poet, appreciation to his wife Bhupinder and love to his children and fans that had gathered to enjoy the evening. There were several surprise and impromptu performances. Upkar Singh launched his Labour of Love album and he was honoured by the presence of the famous Ustad Bashir Bhatt.
Retelling the great Lord Ram and Sita love story
The story of Lord Ram and his wife Sita's abduction has been told for many years as an example of not only eternal love between a husband and wife but also a fight of good versus evil. When Lord Ram went into exile he persuaded his wife Sita not to join him, but she did not give in and accompanied him on the 14 years of hardship. It was at this time that the evil King Ravana abducted Sita and there was a legendary duel that happened between Ravana and Ram. The school of Indian Classical Dance Nrityalaya run by Gita Umesh presented a lovely evening show dubbed 'Saints, Legends and Heroines' on Saturday at the Oshwal High School in Nairobi. As I walked into the auditorium, I was greeted by an attentive audience listening to the narration of the story that was about to unfold in the form of dance and there was the incense sweet smell to remind you of the prayer homage paid before such a performance. It was nothing short of expression, classical dance moves and a beautiful story to tell.
UoN's Usha group meets at Oshwal Centre
Away from books and lectures, University of Nairobi students of Asian descent converged on Saturday at the Oshwal Centre's Auditorium. The students have a group known as USHA (University of Nairobi Asian) which holds various events especially to raise funds for charity. From their last year's events, the contributions went to the Paediatric Cancer Ward at the Kenyatta National Hospital and initial support for Bethsaida Old Age Home, Kitengela. This time it was for providing a long lasting solution for the home. The plans include installing an eco-friendly and cost effective water heating for the home. Their commitment to Kenyatta National Hospital remains in trying to make the wards have a better sanitation system. The mood was cheerful and included a mix of students, parents and the professors.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Rihanna To Design River Island Capsule Collection
Rihanna's British invasion continues.
The "We Found Love" singer is really digging her heels into England's fashion industry with her upcoming U.K. fashion design reality show "Styled To Rock," and now a clothing with retailer River Island.
The contemporary fashion line is loved for its on-trend threads -- making it a match made in sartorial heaven with Rihanna's signature head-turning style.
“I've been wanting to design my own collection for some time,” Rihanna said in a statement on the store's website. "River Island is the perfect partner for me to collaborate with and working with a British, family run business also really appealed to me. I find London really inspiring and River Island loves to have fun with clothes. I'm looking forward to working with them and creating something really special."
By "very special" we hope she means "wearable." The 23-year-old star has already tried her hand at design with an edition of Armani Jeans and an Emporio Armani underwear collection -- both of which were cute, but limited. We're looking forward to a full blown ready-to-wear collection from the star.
"Rihanna will be designing the collection and we will be sharing our fashion experience with her to develop a range her fans will love," said River Island CEO Ben Lewis.
The collection is set to debut in spring 2013. We'll keep our eyes peeled for images from the line to share with you.
The "We Found Love" singer is really digging her heels into England's fashion industry with her upcoming U.K. fashion design reality show "Styled To Rock," and now a clothing with retailer River Island.
The contemporary fashion line is loved for its on-trend threads -- making it a match made in sartorial heaven with Rihanna's signature head-turning style.
“I've been wanting to design my own collection for some time,” Rihanna said in a statement on the store's website. "River Island is the perfect partner for me to collaborate with and working with a British, family run business also really appealed to me. I find London really inspiring and River Island loves to have fun with clothes. I'm looking forward to working with them and creating something really special."
By "very special" we hope she means "wearable." The 23-year-old star has already tried her hand at design with an edition of Armani Jeans and an Emporio Armani underwear collection -- both of which were cute, but limited. We're looking forward to a full blown ready-to-wear collection from the star.
"Rihanna will be designing the collection and we will be sharing our fashion experience with her to develop a range her fans will love," said River Island CEO Ben Lewis.
The collection is set to debut in spring 2013. We'll keep our eyes peeled for images from the line to share with you.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Turkish Fashion Magazine Targets Female Islamic Professionals
Turkish Fashion Magazine Targets Female Islamic Professionals
The fashion industry is booming in Turkey as a result of a youthful population and strong economy. And with that trend has come the emergence of a new fashion magazine called Ala, whose target audience is the young Islamic professional woman.
In a swanky five-star hotel in old Istanbul a fashion shoot is taking place. But it is not for your typical fashion publication. It's for Ala, a magazine catering to pious head-scarf-wearing, working woman.
Within a year it has shaken the Turkish fashion world, attracting a number of subscribers rivaling its secular counterparts.
The woman behind Ala, 24-year-old Hulya Aslan, said "This magazine is aimed at conservative women who need a magazine to offer alternatives in their lifestyles, she says. The other magazines did not represent them, they could not find things that corresponded to their needs and desires. They did not offer them a lifestyle they aspired to. They were in search of something and at that moment we offered them Ala magazine and filled a gap in Turkey."
The magazine has tapped into the growing Islamic middle class in Turkey that has prospered under the Islam-inspired Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The party eased a ban on the wearing of religious dress for women in universities, a ban that forced Aslan to forgo her education.
"Before, our covered friends, covered sisters were not even able to study at universities, they did not have the way of life they wanted, she says. They were constantly being subject to obstacles. They could not even work in state offices. So then, the situation was like that there was not even a possibility of such a magazine. But in the last 10 years, the situation has changed and with this change the needs and demands increased. By answering to these demands Ala magazine has gained incredible success," she said.
Such is the success of the Ala magazine, it has given its name to a new generation of Turkish women, who balances her religious beliefs with a desire for fashion. Ala Fashion Editor Tuba Tunc explains, saying, "Both feminine and covered, chic and with quality. I want to say this in all my sincerity, this is my goal, because this is how I am and I love being like this, she says. This is an Ala woman and this is what our magazine represents."
But Ala magazine has been criticized by some in the pro-Islamist media. One writer accused Ala of corrupting women and said the fashion publication undermines the principal of Islam which he claimed calls for women to dress modestly.
But Tunc dismisses such criticism. "Being covered does not mean you do not follow fashion. I think any woman whether covered or not can follow and dress up according to fashion if they want and if they do it correctly. Tunc says. There is no problem in that. I want modern, covered, attractive, elite women who know how to dress and who can carry well what they wear," said Tunc.
With Turkey in the midst of a consumer boom and Ala circulation over 200,000 and rising, in one of the fashionable high streets of Istanbul it is not difficult to find an Ala woman.
"The stores we can shop from are very limited. Ala magazine is helping us with that. They offer alternatives to us such as recommending outfits in stores, places to go that are appropriate for women like me," said one woman.
And with the magazine already well established in the Turkish fashion world, it is already planning a fashion TV program, and ultimately editions in the Arabic world and in European countries where large Muslim populations live.
The fashion industry is booming in Turkey as a result of a youthful population and strong economy. And with that trend has come the emergence of a new fashion magazine called Ala, whose target audience is the young Islamic professional woman.
In a swanky five-star hotel in old Istanbul a fashion shoot is taking place. But it is not for your typical fashion publication. It's for Ala, a magazine catering to pious head-scarf-wearing, working woman.
Within a year it has shaken the Turkish fashion world, attracting a number of subscribers rivaling its secular counterparts.
The woman behind Ala, 24-year-old Hulya Aslan, said "This magazine is aimed at conservative women who need a magazine to offer alternatives in their lifestyles, she says. The other magazines did not represent them, they could not find things that corresponded to their needs and desires. They did not offer them a lifestyle they aspired to. They were in search of something and at that moment we offered them Ala magazine and filled a gap in Turkey."
The magazine has tapped into the growing Islamic middle class in Turkey that has prospered under the Islam-inspired Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The party eased a ban on the wearing of religious dress for women in universities, a ban that forced Aslan to forgo her education.
"Before, our covered friends, covered sisters were not even able to study at universities, they did not have the way of life they wanted, she says. They were constantly being subject to obstacles. They could not even work in state offices. So then, the situation was like that there was not even a possibility of such a magazine. But in the last 10 years, the situation has changed and with this change the needs and demands increased. By answering to these demands Ala magazine has gained incredible success," she said.
Such is the success of the Ala magazine, it has given its name to a new generation of Turkish women, who balances her religious beliefs with a desire for fashion. Ala Fashion Editor Tuba Tunc explains, saying, "Both feminine and covered, chic and with quality. I want to say this in all my sincerity, this is my goal, because this is how I am and I love being like this, she says. This is an Ala woman and this is what our magazine represents."
But Ala magazine has been criticized by some in the pro-Islamist media. One writer accused Ala of corrupting women and said the fashion publication undermines the principal of Islam which he claimed calls for women to dress modestly.
But Tunc dismisses such criticism. "Being covered does not mean you do not follow fashion. I think any woman whether covered or not can follow and dress up according to fashion if they want and if they do it correctly. Tunc says. There is no problem in that. I want modern, covered, attractive, elite women who know how to dress and who can carry well what they wear," said Tunc.
With Turkey in the midst of a consumer boom and Ala circulation over 200,000 and rising, in one of the fashionable high streets of Istanbul it is not difficult to find an Ala woman.
"The stores we can shop from are very limited. Ala magazine is helping us with that. They offer alternatives to us such as recommending outfits in stores, places to go that are appropriate for women like me," said one woman.
And with the magazine already well established in the Turkish fashion world, it is already planning a fashion TV program, and ultimately editions in the Arabic world and in European countries where large Muslim populations live.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Suicide attack on Yemen police cadets kills 10
SANAA, Yemen - (AP) -- A suspected al-Qaida suicide bomber detonated his explosives among a crowd of Yemeni police cadets as they were leaving their academy Wednesday, killing at least 10 of them, according to security officials.
The Interior Ministry said al-Qaida was behind the bombing, which struck in the capital Sanaa. Security officials said 20 cadets were wounded, including three critically. They were leaving the Police Academy for a weekend with families when the bomber hit at the facility's southern gate.
The Interior Ministry identified the attacker as Mohamed Nasher al-Uthy from the province of Amran, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Sanaa. It said he lost the lower part of his body in the blast and died of his wounds minutes later. No other details were provided.
Twelve suspects were arrested in connection with the bombing, according to security officials. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but al-Qaida's branch in the impoverished nation on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula frequently targets security forces.
The capital was on high alert after the attack, with security forces setting up checkpoints around the city and searching cars. Security was also beefed up around embassies.
The attack came after the army last month recaptured several militant-held towns in the country's south, following a months-long campaign to retake territory the militants seized during last year's political turmoil that swept the country in the wake of an Arab Spring uprising.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, considered the global terror movement's most dangerous offshoot, has struck back against the military's offensive with deadly attacks in the south and a May 21 bombing at a parade ground in Sanaa that killed 96 Yemeni soldiers.
Security officials said 55 people have been arrested in connection with that attack, among them al-Qaida militants accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Embassy.
Last week, Yemeni state TV aired several purported confessions of the detainees, with one of the accused saying he had orders to carry out an attack against the U.S. Embassy and other foreign embassies. He did not elaborate.
Earlier Wednesday, the government announced that two al-Qaida militants who tunneled out of a prison last month were re-arrested in a southern province. The Interior Ministry said one of the two, Nasser Ismail Ahmed Muttahar, was detained for taking part in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa in 2008.
That attack on the embassy's gate, carried out by gunmen and vehicles packed with explosives, killed 19 people, including an 18-year-old American woman and six militants. None of those killed or wounded were U.S. diplomats or embassy employees. It was the deadliest assault on a U.S. embassy in a decade.
The two militants who had escaped prison were captured in al-Dhali province on Tuesday. The ministry said they were among five militants who escaped from a prison in the western province of Hodeida on June 26.
In another of Yemen's multiple ongoing conflicts, the army shot dead a protester Wednesday in the southern port city of Aden and wounded four others, including two women, a security official said.
He said the demonstrators were protesting the government's decision to deploy army units inside Aden. What started as a peaceful demonstration turned violent as marchers started throwing rocks at the army, which then opened fire to disperse them.
Aden, the capital of a separate country before it unified with the north in 1990, is experiencing a wave of protests calling for the secession of the south.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Interior Ministry said al-Qaida was behind the bombing, which struck in the capital Sanaa. Security officials said 20 cadets were wounded, including three critically. They were leaving the Police Academy for a weekend with families when the bomber hit at the facility's southern gate.
The Interior Ministry identified the attacker as Mohamed Nasher al-Uthy from the province of Amran, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Sanaa. It said he lost the lower part of his body in the blast and died of his wounds minutes later. No other details were provided.
Twelve suspects were arrested in connection with the bombing, according to security officials. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but al-Qaida's branch in the impoverished nation on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula frequently targets security forces.
The capital was on high alert after the attack, with security forces setting up checkpoints around the city and searching cars. Security was also beefed up around embassies.
The attack came after the army last month recaptured several militant-held towns in the country's south, following a months-long campaign to retake territory the militants seized during last year's political turmoil that swept the country in the wake of an Arab Spring uprising.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, considered the global terror movement's most dangerous offshoot, has struck back against the military's offensive with deadly attacks in the south and a May 21 bombing at a parade ground in Sanaa that killed 96 Yemeni soldiers.
Security officials said 55 people have been arrested in connection with that attack, among them al-Qaida militants accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Embassy.
Last week, Yemeni state TV aired several purported confessions of the detainees, with one of the accused saying he had orders to carry out an attack against the U.S. Embassy and other foreign embassies. He did not elaborate.
Earlier Wednesday, the government announced that two al-Qaida militants who tunneled out of a prison last month were re-arrested in a southern province. The Interior Ministry said one of the two, Nasser Ismail Ahmed Muttahar, was detained for taking part in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa in 2008.
That attack on the embassy's gate, carried out by gunmen and vehicles packed with explosives, killed 19 people, including an 18-year-old American woman and six militants. None of those killed or wounded were U.S. diplomats or embassy employees. It was the deadliest assault on a U.S. embassy in a decade.
The two militants who had escaped prison were captured in al-Dhali province on Tuesday. The ministry said they were among five militants who escaped from a prison in the western province of Hodeida on June 26.
In another of Yemen's multiple ongoing conflicts, the army shot dead a protester Wednesday in the southern port city of Aden and wounded four others, including two women, a security official said.
He said the demonstrators were protesting the government's decision to deploy army units inside Aden. What started as a peaceful demonstration turned violent as marchers started throwing rocks at the army, which then opened fire to disperse them.
Aden, the capital of a separate country before it unified with the north in 1990, is experiencing a wave of protests calling for the secession of the south.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Microsoft's New Ticket To Huge Touch Screens
Microsoft on Monday said it has struck a deal to acquire Perceptive Pixel Inc., a CIA-backed manufacturer of enormous, interactive touch screens of the sort envisioned in the sci-fi thriller Minority Report. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Perceptive Pixel develops screens that are up to 82 inches in size and can handle multi-gesture touch input as well as input from a stylus. The company's screens also should be compatible with Microsoft's Kinect hands-free control technology when paired with a Kinect-compatible Windows PC.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the deal as he wrapped up a keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto. With a Steve Jobs-like promise of "one more thing," Ballmer revealed the acquisition.
"When you couple the PPI large touch and stylus display, with great PCs from our OEM partners, it really opens up new possibilities for business, for education, for productivity, for learning and collaboration," said Ballmer.
The catch: Perceptive Pixel's screens likely won't go mainstream unless Microsoft can get the price down to well below their current cost of about $80,000 per unit. "We've got a lot of work to do to bring the prices down," said Ballmer. "They have to be more accessible and more affordable."
[ Considering a Windows 8 ARM tablet? Here's what you need to know now: Windows 8 ARM Tablets: 8 Must-Know Facts. ]
New York-based PPI was founded in 2006 by touch interface pioneer Jefferson Han, a former researcher at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Backers include Intel, 3M, and In-Q-Tel, a venture company that was started by the Central Intelligence Agency to fund startups developing technologies with applications for defense and intelligence.
Also backing the company is CNN, which used PPI's screens as the foundation for its Magic Wall, used extensively during the network's coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign.
"I founded Perceptive Pixel a little over six years ago specifically with the mission to see how advanced technologies like multitouch, like stylus, like gesture can specifically benefit the knowledge worker, how these rich experiences can actually help us get real work done," said Han, speaking at the WPC conference.
PPI's impressive customer list includes the U.S. Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin, Chevron, Shell Oil, Nike, and almost every major television network.
Microsoft's deal to acquire PPI marks its second foray into the hardware business, an area it traditionally has left to partners, in just the past several weeks. Last month, the company announced plans to introduce its own, self-branded line of Windows 8 tablets called Surface.
The PPI acquisition could complement Microsoft's tablet plans, as PPI holds a number of patents related to touch interfaces. And Han, who becomes a Microsoft employee as part of the deal, is recognized as a leader in the field.
At WPC, Han demonstrated how Windows 8 could easily scale for clear, high-definition display on one of PPI's 82-inch screens. PPI's technology also can presumably scale down, and not just in size. "Moore's Law is going to make the price go down quite dramatically so they can become available in conference rooms, hopefully in classrooms, even some offices, on a much more broad-scale basis," said Ballmer.
Ballmer said he's running Windows 8 on a big-screen PPI display in his office in Redmond, Wash. "It's seriously unbelievable," he said. Microsoft's deal to acquire PPI remains subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.
Room-based systems don't connect to desktops, new and old systems don't integrate, and almost nothing connects to Skype. Can't we do better? Also in the Videoconference Disconnect digital issue of
Perceptive Pixel develops screens that are up to 82 inches in size and can handle multi-gesture touch input as well as input from a stylus. The company's screens also should be compatible with Microsoft's Kinect hands-free control technology when paired with a Kinect-compatible Windows PC.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the deal as he wrapped up a keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto. With a Steve Jobs-like promise of "one more thing," Ballmer revealed the acquisition.
"When you couple the PPI large touch and stylus display, with great PCs from our OEM partners, it really opens up new possibilities for business, for education, for productivity, for learning and collaboration," said Ballmer.
The catch: Perceptive Pixel's screens likely won't go mainstream unless Microsoft can get the price down to well below their current cost of about $80,000 per unit. "We've got a lot of work to do to bring the prices down," said Ballmer. "They have to be more accessible and more affordable."
[ Considering a Windows 8 ARM tablet? Here's what you need to know now: Windows 8 ARM Tablets: 8 Must-Know Facts. ]
New York-based PPI was founded in 2006 by touch interface pioneer Jefferson Han, a former researcher at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Backers include Intel, 3M, and In-Q-Tel, a venture company that was started by the Central Intelligence Agency to fund startups developing technologies with applications for defense and intelligence.
Also backing the company is CNN, which used PPI's screens as the foundation for its Magic Wall, used extensively during the network's coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign.
"I founded Perceptive Pixel a little over six years ago specifically with the mission to see how advanced technologies like multitouch, like stylus, like gesture can specifically benefit the knowledge worker, how these rich experiences can actually help us get real work done," said Han, speaking at the WPC conference.
PPI's impressive customer list includes the U.S. Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin, Chevron, Shell Oil, Nike, and almost every major television network.
Microsoft's deal to acquire PPI marks its second foray into the hardware business, an area it traditionally has left to partners, in just the past several weeks. Last month, the company announced plans to introduce its own, self-branded line of Windows 8 tablets called Surface.
The PPI acquisition could complement Microsoft's tablet plans, as PPI holds a number of patents related to touch interfaces. And Han, who becomes a Microsoft employee as part of the deal, is recognized as a leader in the field.
At WPC, Han demonstrated how Windows 8 could easily scale for clear, high-definition display on one of PPI's 82-inch screens. PPI's technology also can presumably scale down, and not just in size. "Moore's Law is going to make the price go down quite dramatically so they can become available in conference rooms, hopefully in classrooms, even some offices, on a much more broad-scale basis," said Ballmer.
Ballmer said he's running Windows 8 on a big-screen PPI display in his office in Redmond, Wash. "It's seriously unbelievable," he said. Microsoft's deal to acquire PPI remains subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.
Room-based systems don't connect to desktops, new and old systems don't integrate, and almost nothing connects to Skype. Can't we do better? Also in the Videoconference Disconnect digital issue of
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