TV3 to screen fashion week
New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) begins next week, and this year TV3 has partnered with NZFW to give every New Zealander a ‘virtual front row’ experience at the fashion industry’s premiere trade event.
This year, more than 45 designers will showcase their Autumn/Winter 2013 collections to invited media, delegates and buyers. The same day, every designer show will be available exclusively online and on-demand at TV3.co.nz/NZFW, bringing Kiwis around the country an experience which is truly ‘the next best thing to being there’.
The ‘Virtual Front Row’ is just one of the benefits of a new partnership which sees TV3 build on a history of top-notch coverage of NZFW, including in 2011 broadcasting the final of New Zealand’s Next Top Model LIVE from the WORLD Runway show.
All shows will be available to be viewed and discussed at TV3.co.nz/NZFW where audiences can also find exclusive editorial content, behind-the-scenes extras, photo galleries and trend reports.
3 News will provide unparalleled access and glimpses behind the curtain with all the news and stories from this year’s NZFW, with exclusive daily reports across Firstline, 3 News and Nightline; covering everything from Kiwi design stars like Trelise Cooper and Zambesi to emerging design talent. Additional content will screen on sibling channel FOUR.
Selected shows will be live streamed at www.3news.co.nz/NZFW, where visitors will also find Fashion Front Row, Kate Rodger’s web-only insider’s guide to NZFW. From Tuesday to Friday, Kate will be joined by a line-up of fashion experts to discuss the latest frocks, shocks, glamour and gossip.
Amanda Wilson, Director of Marketing, MediaWorks TV, says TV3 is proud to celebrate the creativity and innovation that characterises the New Zealand fashion industry.
"Fashion Week is an exciting time for Kiwis as we showcase the very best of our creative talent, and we are delighted to be able to bring the excitement of the runway to fashion fans throughout the country."
TV3 is the Official Broadcast Partner of New Zealand Fashion Week, and TV3 and MediaWorks Radio are both Elite Partners of the event. George FM will be the lead radio station, with support from The Edge and MoreFM. Additional television coverage will screen on FOUR.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Madonna Flaunts American Fashion and Freedoms
Madonna Flaunts American Fashion and Freedoms
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - As she kicked off the U.S. leg of her "MDNA Tour" in Philadelphia, Madonna said she was happy to party in the USA after touring Europe for three months.
The pop icon told the crowd Tuesday night they should "never forget how lucky you are to live where you live and to have the freedom that you have." She made the comments after talking about the arrest of three members of the punk-rock female band Pussy Riot. The women were sentenced to two years in prison after performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow’s Christ the Savior cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from its leader, Vladimir Putin.
"In my travels around the world the one thing I truly witnessed is we in America have freedom of speech, freedom of expression," the singer said.
Madonna, who toured most of Europe from June to August, has called for the Pussy Riot members to be freed. Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel also have spoken in the women’s favor.
"I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that I’m in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed," Madonna said at the Wells Fargo Center to nearly 20,000 fans. "We are in the land of democracy."
Russian activists recently sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during her show in St. Petersburg. A law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna’s concert on Aug. 9. (Minors also attended Madonna’s U.S. show.)
When speaking about Pussy Riot, Madonna said that about 80 gay men were jailed in St. Petersburg because of their sexual orientation. She told the crowd that the arrests were unfair, and they booed in her support.
Then the 53-year-old told the U.S. audience: "Don’t get fat and lazy and take that freedom for granted."
Madonna kicked off her concert late on Tuesday, apologizing to the crowd, who began to boo before she hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. EST.
"We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it," she said.
She performed for nearly two hours, starting in a skin-tight black ensemble with a gun in hand as she sang the song "Girls Gone Wild" from her latest album "MDNA." She transitioned to "Revolver," as she and her background dancers held guns and bullets appeared on the backdrop. (Madonna posted on her website that she does not condone violence or the use of guns and she’s using fake guns in concert as a metaphor for strength.) During the next song - "Gang Bang" - she shot a man and spat what appeared to be liquor in his face, while blood spats and bloody hands appeared on the screen.
The dark mood escaped as Madonna changed into a red and white marching band get-up, singing "Express Yourself" and "Give Me All Your Luvin’" as a marching band played to the crowd. She sang some of Lady Gaga’s "Born This Way," pulling up her skirt to reveal her red shorts.
Madonna’s performances of "Celebration" and "I’m Addicted" were also colorful, as laser lights beamed and the venue became nightclub-like. Madonna’s best vocal performance, though, was during "Like a Prayer," which featured more than 30 back-up singers in robes. She got the best response from the crowd when she performed "Vogue," as the dancers and Madonna - now in a corset, long gloves and her hair pulled back - strutted in black and white onstage.
She got racy during "Like a Virgin" and "Human Nature," taking off her shirt to reveal her bra, and pulling down her pants to reveal her thong (she wore fishnet stockings).
"Sometimes it’s easier to show your (butt) than show your feelings. Maybe tonight we can all live dangerously," said Madonna, who had the words "No Fear" on her back.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - As she kicked off the U.S. leg of her "MDNA Tour" in Philadelphia, Madonna said she was happy to party in the USA after touring Europe for three months.
The pop icon told the crowd Tuesday night they should "never forget how lucky you are to live where you live and to have the freedom that you have." She made the comments after talking about the arrest of three members of the punk-rock female band Pussy Riot. The women were sentenced to two years in prison after performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow’s Christ the Savior cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from its leader, Vladimir Putin.
"In my travels around the world the one thing I truly witnessed is we in America have freedom of speech, freedom of expression," the singer said.
Madonna, who toured most of Europe from June to August, has called for the Pussy Riot members to be freed. Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel also have spoken in the women’s favor.
"I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that I’m in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed," Madonna said at the Wells Fargo Center to nearly 20,000 fans. "We are in the land of democracy."
Russian activists recently sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during her show in St. Petersburg. A law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna’s concert on Aug. 9. (Minors also attended Madonna’s U.S. show.)
When speaking about Pussy Riot, Madonna said that about 80 gay men were jailed in St. Petersburg because of their sexual orientation. She told the crowd that the arrests were unfair, and they booed in her support.
Then the 53-year-old told the U.S. audience: "Don’t get fat and lazy and take that freedom for granted."
Madonna kicked off her concert late on Tuesday, apologizing to the crowd, who began to boo before she hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. EST.
"We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it," she said.
She performed for nearly two hours, starting in a skin-tight black ensemble with a gun in hand as she sang the song "Girls Gone Wild" from her latest album "MDNA." She transitioned to "Revolver," as she and her background dancers held guns and bullets appeared on the backdrop. (Madonna posted on her website that she does not condone violence or the use of guns and she’s using fake guns in concert as a metaphor for strength.) During the next song - "Gang Bang" - she shot a man and spat what appeared to be liquor in his face, while blood spats and bloody hands appeared on the screen.
The dark mood escaped as Madonna changed into a red and white marching band get-up, singing "Express Yourself" and "Give Me All Your Luvin’" as a marching band played to the crowd. She sang some of Lady Gaga’s "Born This Way," pulling up her skirt to reveal her red shorts.
Madonna’s performances of "Celebration" and "I’m Addicted" were also colorful, as laser lights beamed and the venue became nightclub-like. Madonna’s best vocal performance, though, was during "Like a Prayer," which featured more than 30 back-up singers in robes. She got the best response from the crowd when she performed "Vogue," as the dancers and Madonna - now in a corset, long gloves and her hair pulled back - strutted in black and white onstage.
She got racy during "Like a Virgin" and "Human Nature," taking off her shirt to reveal her bra, and pulling down her pants to reveal her thong (she wore fishnet stockings).
"Sometimes it’s easier to show your (butt) than show your feelings. Maybe tonight we can all live dangerously," said Madonna, who had the words "No Fear" on her back.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Fashion faux pas
Fashion faux pas
OF course the necessary press rhetoric aside, if there’s anything that’s come out of the two mega fashion weeks that we sat through this last month alone, it is the fact that Indian fashion still keeps the Mumbai versus Delhi argument alive.
Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion week quickly concluded on a high note—with an announcement that they are (finally) doing some business to speak of. A new “trajectory growth” that spelt 220 registered buyers and anecdotes from young and forgotten designers on how sales were rather good. If the announcement is true, and genuine business is truly conducted, then that’s arguably good news for everyone.
New Delhi , on the other hand, has carped and guffawed at Mumbai’s preoccupation with celebrity showstoppers (Bollywood only, there are no other kind), it’s failed to hold a mirror up to itself recently. Right from Madhuri Dixit to Sridevi to Katrina Kaif and Karan Johar, Delhi’s PCJ Delhi Couture Week had every top-lining movie celebrity on its runway.
What both weeks seem to tell us is that they’re only interesting in catching up with each other. The fashion show has become a show of one-upmanship. The result of this is a country that shouldn’t be as confused over a decade of fashion weeks later. Instead of focusing on one week of mega fashion, where only the best of and the finest in India is showcased, celebrated and made to inspire, we have a culture of unnecessary competition.
OF course the necessary press rhetoric aside, if there’s anything that’s come out of the two mega fashion weeks that we sat through this last month alone, it is the fact that Indian fashion still keeps the Mumbai versus Delhi argument alive.
Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion week quickly concluded on a high note—with an announcement that they are (finally) doing some business to speak of. A new “trajectory growth” that spelt 220 registered buyers and anecdotes from young and forgotten designers on how sales were rather good. If the announcement is true, and genuine business is truly conducted, then that’s arguably good news for everyone.
New Delhi , on the other hand, has carped and guffawed at Mumbai’s preoccupation with celebrity showstoppers (Bollywood only, there are no other kind), it’s failed to hold a mirror up to itself recently. Right from Madhuri Dixit to Sridevi to Katrina Kaif and Karan Johar, Delhi’s PCJ Delhi Couture Week had every top-lining movie celebrity on its runway.
What both weeks seem to tell us is that they’re only interesting in catching up with each other. The fashion show has become a show of one-upmanship. The result of this is a country that shouldn’t be as confused over a decade of fashion weeks later. Instead of focusing on one week of mega fashion, where only the best of and the finest in India is showcased, celebrated and made to inspire, we have a culture of unnecessary competition.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Changing Skyline: Christie grants a reprieve to historic public art "Green Acres" slated to be destroyed
Changing Skyline: Christie grants a reprieve to historic public art "Green Acres" slated to be destroyed
Christie is not known as a connoisseur of fine art, but days before leaving for the GOP convention, his office quietly intervened to stop the state environmental agency from carrying out the controversial demolition of a groundbreaking work of public art.
The action ensures that Athena Tacha's 1985 spiraling, place-specific sculpture, Green Acres, will remain a focal point of the plaza at the Department of Environmental Protection headquarters on East State Street in Trenton.
The planned 2013 demolition of Green Acres became an art world cause célèbre this summer after the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group, chastened the DEP for overlooking the work's pedigree and launched an online petition calling for its preservation. The DEP decision was criticized in numerous publications, including The Inquirer and the Huffington Post.
Tacha, reached by telephone Monday, said she learned "the wonderful news" last week when she received an e-mail, and then a telephone call, from Amy Cradic, a Christie policy adviser. "We talked and she said the governor had decided to save the work," Tacha recounted.
A DEP spokesman confirmed that Tacha's large outdoor sculpture, which includes seating areas and greenery, and is used as a lunchtime getaway by DEP employees, would not be removed from the agency's courtyard. He gave no reason for the change of heart.
The spokesman, Larry Ragonese, did, however, seek to play down Christie's role in reversing the demolition order. "It was a decision made by all parties after much discussion," Ragonese said. "We decided not to demolish and will be assessing the future of the plaza, especially the safety issues. I can't say any more."
A Christie spokesman, Sean Conner, did not return phone calls.
Cradic, who was reached on her cellphone, also declined to discuss her role in the matter. In a conciliatory Aug. 23 e-mail to Tacha, she wrote: "I would like to speak with you at your convenience about your sculpture, which will not be removed."
Demolishing Green Acres would have almost certainly cast New Jersey in an unflattering light in the art world. Tacha, who now lives in Washington, is considered a pivotal figure in the land-art movement, which fuses sculpture and landscape forms into parklike settings, and Green Acres is probably her best-known work. Green Acres was also among the first pieces to be commissioned under New Jersey's Arts Inclusion Act, which was adopted in 1978, and its form is based on the DEP logo.
"My understanding is that [the governor's office] didn't really know what was going on" with Green Acres, said Charles Birnbaum, who runs the Cultural Landscape Foundation. He said he was extremely pleased by the reprieve for the sculpture.
Although Green Acres had been featured in several histories of public art, DEP administrators apparently knew little about its history when they announced in April that it was being removed from the plaza. Another DEP spokesman, Larry Hajna, acknowledged in an interview that the agency never undertook a review of its artistic merit.
The decision to remove the sculpture - originally acquired for $400,000 - was made after the agency received a $1 million federal grant to repave the plaza with porous tiles, part of an effort to demonstrate the latest techniques for handling runoff from rainstorms. Several state arts groups, including the state chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, sent letters to the DEP questioning its action.
Despite receiving a $30,000 cleanup in 2004, the sculpture had been poorly maintained in recent years. Many of its creamy bricks, which recall the lapping waves of the Jersey Shore, are cracked and some of the custom-made plaza tiles have been replaced with asphalt.
At some point, the state also stopped refreshing the greenery in the planters. This year a group of employees took up a collection to buy flowers and planted them during their lunch hour. Even so, the seating area looks forlorn.
In contrast, Tasha's site-specific sculpture in Philadelphia, Matthias Baldwin Park at 19th and Callowhill Streets, has matured into a lush green space thanks to the care of a neighborhood friends group led by James Fennell.
While Christie's office has signaled its commitment to keeping Green Acres from a landfill, it has not said whether it will pay for a badly needed renovation. Birnbaum, who said the sculpture is eligible for listing on the National Register, suggested that the state should reach out to local landscape architects for advice and help.
Christie is not known as a connoisseur of fine art, but days before leaving for the GOP convention, his office quietly intervened to stop the state environmental agency from carrying out the controversial demolition of a groundbreaking work of public art.
The action ensures that Athena Tacha's 1985 spiraling, place-specific sculpture, Green Acres, will remain a focal point of the plaza at the Department of Environmental Protection headquarters on East State Street in Trenton.
The planned 2013 demolition of Green Acres became an art world cause célèbre this summer after the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group, chastened the DEP for overlooking the work's pedigree and launched an online petition calling for its preservation. The DEP decision was criticized in numerous publications, including The Inquirer and the Huffington Post.
Tacha, reached by telephone Monday, said she learned "the wonderful news" last week when she received an e-mail, and then a telephone call, from Amy Cradic, a Christie policy adviser. "We talked and she said the governor had decided to save the work," Tacha recounted.
A DEP spokesman confirmed that Tacha's large outdoor sculpture, which includes seating areas and greenery, and is used as a lunchtime getaway by DEP employees, would not be removed from the agency's courtyard. He gave no reason for the change of heart.
The spokesman, Larry Ragonese, did, however, seek to play down Christie's role in reversing the demolition order. "It was a decision made by all parties after much discussion," Ragonese said. "We decided not to demolish and will be assessing the future of the plaza, especially the safety issues. I can't say any more."
A Christie spokesman, Sean Conner, did not return phone calls.
Cradic, who was reached on her cellphone, also declined to discuss her role in the matter. In a conciliatory Aug. 23 e-mail to Tacha, she wrote: "I would like to speak with you at your convenience about your sculpture, which will not be removed."
Demolishing Green Acres would have almost certainly cast New Jersey in an unflattering light in the art world. Tacha, who now lives in Washington, is considered a pivotal figure in the land-art movement, which fuses sculpture and landscape forms into parklike settings, and Green Acres is probably her best-known work. Green Acres was also among the first pieces to be commissioned under New Jersey's Arts Inclusion Act, which was adopted in 1978, and its form is based on the DEP logo.
"My understanding is that [the governor's office] didn't really know what was going on" with Green Acres, said Charles Birnbaum, who runs the Cultural Landscape Foundation. He said he was extremely pleased by the reprieve for the sculpture.
Although Green Acres had been featured in several histories of public art, DEP administrators apparently knew little about its history when they announced in April that it was being removed from the plaza. Another DEP spokesman, Larry Hajna, acknowledged in an interview that the agency never undertook a review of its artistic merit.
The decision to remove the sculpture - originally acquired for $400,000 - was made after the agency received a $1 million federal grant to repave the plaza with porous tiles, part of an effort to demonstrate the latest techniques for handling runoff from rainstorms. Several state arts groups, including the state chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, sent letters to the DEP questioning its action.
Despite receiving a $30,000 cleanup in 2004, the sculpture had been poorly maintained in recent years. Many of its creamy bricks, which recall the lapping waves of the Jersey Shore, are cracked and some of the custom-made plaza tiles have been replaced with asphalt.
At some point, the state also stopped refreshing the greenery in the planters. This year a group of employees took up a collection to buy flowers and planted them during their lunch hour. Even so, the seating area looks forlorn.
In contrast, Tasha's site-specific sculpture in Philadelphia, Matthias Baldwin Park at 19th and Callowhill Streets, has matured into a lush green space thanks to the care of a neighborhood friends group led by James Fennell.
While Christie's office has signaled its commitment to keeping Green Acres from a landfill, it has not said whether it will pay for a badly needed renovation. Birnbaum, who said the sculpture is eligible for listing on the National Register, suggested that the state should reach out to local landscape architects for advice and help.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Critics put damper on fashion icon Pierre Cardin’s glass skyscraper vision for Venice
Critics put damper on fashion icon Pierre Cardin’s glass skyscraper vision for Venice
FASHION designer Pierre Cardin will today unveil his design for an 800-ft modernist glass skyscraper housing a fashion university, luxury hotel suites and shops, a gift meant as an economic catalyst to the ailing city of Venice and its surroundings.
But rather than unbridled enthusiasm, the proposed €2.4-billion (£1.9bn) project has been met with everything from healthy scepticism to open ridicule.
The “Palace of Light” has been described alternatively as a spaceship that crashed into the city’s lagoon, a shiny fishing lure or an illuminated mushroom.
“It is seen with interest, but at the same time with open perplexity,” said Claudio Borghello, a Venice city councillor. “There is not a skyscraper of this dimension in all of [the] Veneto [region], forget right on the lagoon.”
At the same time, he added, “this could become a symbol that you can relaunch this part of the world.”
Cardin, who turned 90 in July, designed his “Palais Lumiere” as a gift to his native Veneto, the region that includes Venice. While Cardin epitomises French style, he is actually Italian-born: Pietro Cardin, trundled off from San Biagio di Callalta, north of Venice, by his parents to France at the age of two.
Three interconnecting towers would be built at the industrial port of Marghera, an area in economic decline some six miles from Venice’s landmark St Mark’s Square.
Under the proposal, Cardin would clean up pollutants from the land, invest €1.4bn himself and endow the fashion university, said Cardin’s nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati, who has been pushing the project through Italy’s notorious bureaucracy.
Plans envision 2,500 to 3,000 jobs on site created during construction, and another 2,000 to 2,500 after completion.
While welcoming the prospects of an environmental cleanup and new jobs, critics are concerned about overall impact on the fragile lagoon environment and a city already overwhelmed by mass tourism – as well as visual pollution from the tower itself, which some complain has no relationship with the city’s Byzantine architecture.
Architect Vittorio Gregotti urged Cardin: “If you want to do something for Venice, do something else.”
Italia Nostra, a preservation group, said the skyscraper, at three times the height of St Mark’s “would squash the city’s proportions,” and referred to the structure itself as a “giant illuminated mushroom.”
To help persuade Venetians that the criticism is overstated, Cardin is opening an exhibit on the project in Marghera today on the sidelines of the Venice Biennale of architecture, which opens this Wednesday.
Mr Basilicati said his uncle knew the project would be “a provocation.” But the stylist wasn’t quite ready for the intensity of the criticism.
“Let’s say the reaction to the aesthetics he understands, even if it doesn’t make him happy,” Mr Basilicati said.
“On the other hand, the objections about the skyline and the environmental impact have disappointed him, using lies.”
The towers, he insists, won’t be visible at all from Venice’s historic centre, and only barely seen from the Lido island. Italy’s air traffic authority is expected to say within days if the tower’s height interferes with local air traffic.
FASHION designer Pierre Cardin will today unveil his design for an 800-ft modernist glass skyscraper housing a fashion university, luxury hotel suites and shops, a gift meant as an economic catalyst to the ailing city of Venice and its surroundings.
But rather than unbridled enthusiasm, the proposed €2.4-billion (£1.9bn) project has been met with everything from healthy scepticism to open ridicule.
The “Palace of Light” has been described alternatively as a spaceship that crashed into the city’s lagoon, a shiny fishing lure or an illuminated mushroom.
“It is seen with interest, but at the same time with open perplexity,” said Claudio Borghello, a Venice city councillor. “There is not a skyscraper of this dimension in all of [the] Veneto [region], forget right on the lagoon.”
At the same time, he added, “this could become a symbol that you can relaunch this part of the world.”
Cardin, who turned 90 in July, designed his “Palais Lumiere” as a gift to his native Veneto, the region that includes Venice. While Cardin epitomises French style, he is actually Italian-born: Pietro Cardin, trundled off from San Biagio di Callalta, north of Venice, by his parents to France at the age of two.
Three interconnecting towers would be built at the industrial port of Marghera, an area in economic decline some six miles from Venice’s landmark St Mark’s Square.
Under the proposal, Cardin would clean up pollutants from the land, invest €1.4bn himself and endow the fashion university, said Cardin’s nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati, who has been pushing the project through Italy’s notorious bureaucracy.
Plans envision 2,500 to 3,000 jobs on site created during construction, and another 2,000 to 2,500 after completion.
While welcoming the prospects of an environmental cleanup and new jobs, critics are concerned about overall impact on the fragile lagoon environment and a city already overwhelmed by mass tourism – as well as visual pollution from the tower itself, which some complain has no relationship with the city’s Byzantine architecture.
Architect Vittorio Gregotti urged Cardin: “If you want to do something for Venice, do something else.”
Italia Nostra, a preservation group, said the skyscraper, at three times the height of St Mark’s “would squash the city’s proportions,” and referred to the structure itself as a “giant illuminated mushroom.”
To help persuade Venetians that the criticism is overstated, Cardin is opening an exhibit on the project in Marghera today on the sidelines of the Venice Biennale of architecture, which opens this Wednesday.
Mr Basilicati said his uncle knew the project would be “a provocation.” But the stylist wasn’t quite ready for the intensity of the criticism.
“Let’s say the reaction to the aesthetics he understands, even if it doesn’t make him happy,” Mr Basilicati said.
“On the other hand, the objections about the skyline and the environmental impact have disappointed him, using lies.”
The towers, he insists, won’t be visible at all from Venice’s historic centre, and only barely seen from the Lido island. Italy’s air traffic authority is expected to say within days if the tower’s height interferes with local air traffic.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Fashion overdose spoils the flavour
Fashion overdose spoils the flavour
Fashion never fades, it gets recycled. Season after season we see new trends and colour combinations, but what happens when fashion fatigue sets in? At the recently conducted Delhi Couture Week, a lot of designers were complaining about the fashion overdose in the fraternity with back-to-back fashion weeks.
The glamathon across the country started with the Bangalore Fashion Week (July 26-29), next came Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week (August 3-7) and finally Delhi’s Couture Week. So, are too many fashion weeks spoiling the flavour of fashion in India or is it good news for the mushrooming designers who feel it’s a positive sign for their business?
Designer Manish Arora, who showcased in India after three years, feels that fashion in India needs to grow as a serious business and not as an extension of the entertainment industry. He says, “As long as the fashion weeks are giving business and clients to designers, there is no such thing as overdose. It’s really good for new designers and the Indian fashion industry. The designers pick their fashion weeks depending on their clientele. For example, I have my clientele in Europe so I always give priority to the Paris Fashion Week. An increasing number of events is not detrimental to designers if the business is conducted seriously and not as an entertainment.”
For designer Gaurav Gupta, regional fashion weeks are not on the priority list and he feels that designers should stick to one big national fashion event. He says, “Couture and pret fashion weeks happen everywhere internationally. However I don’t believe in any regional fashion weeks as I feel they are marketing efforts by various brands. We already have Wills Lifestyle India Fashion week by the official body FDCI, and we should stop doing the other fashion weeks. I feel that the designers should do the necessary shows that make sense for their business.”
However, Designer Madhu Jain points out that due to the increased number of fashion weeks a lot of interesting designers miss out on media coverage. She says, “I feel that that wherever one participates, he\she should get due credit and acknowledgement. Designers always make it a point to showcase their latest collections, and the rise in the number of fashion followers across the cities is a good sign. However, all good designers don’t really get enough coverage these days.”
On the other hand, Delhi-based designer Payal Kapoor, who was in Mumbai for Lakme Fashion Week, mentions that more fashion weeks give the buyers more options. She says, “As soon as one season or fashion week gets over we start working on the next collection. Sometimes media and designers can both lose focus because of too much going on simultaneously. I try to work with my focus on one theme so it’s easy for media and clients to follow up without any distraction.”
Fashion never fades, it gets recycled. Season after season we see new trends and colour combinations, but what happens when fashion fatigue sets in? At the recently conducted Delhi Couture Week, a lot of designers were complaining about the fashion overdose in the fraternity with back-to-back fashion weeks.
The glamathon across the country started with the Bangalore Fashion Week (July 26-29), next came Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week (August 3-7) and finally Delhi’s Couture Week. So, are too many fashion weeks spoiling the flavour of fashion in India or is it good news for the mushrooming designers who feel it’s a positive sign for their business?
Designer Manish Arora, who showcased in India after three years, feels that fashion in India needs to grow as a serious business and not as an extension of the entertainment industry. He says, “As long as the fashion weeks are giving business and clients to designers, there is no such thing as overdose. It’s really good for new designers and the Indian fashion industry. The designers pick their fashion weeks depending on their clientele. For example, I have my clientele in Europe so I always give priority to the Paris Fashion Week. An increasing number of events is not detrimental to designers if the business is conducted seriously and not as an entertainment.”
For designer Gaurav Gupta, regional fashion weeks are not on the priority list and he feels that designers should stick to one big national fashion event. He says, “Couture and pret fashion weeks happen everywhere internationally. However I don’t believe in any regional fashion weeks as I feel they are marketing efforts by various brands. We already have Wills Lifestyle India Fashion week by the official body FDCI, and we should stop doing the other fashion weeks. I feel that the designers should do the necessary shows that make sense for their business.”
However, Designer Madhu Jain points out that due to the increased number of fashion weeks a lot of interesting designers miss out on media coverage. She says, “I feel that that wherever one participates, he\she should get due credit and acknowledgement. Designers always make it a point to showcase their latest collections, and the rise in the number of fashion followers across the cities is a good sign. However, all good designers don’t really get enough coverage these days.”
On the other hand, Delhi-based designer Payal Kapoor, who was in Mumbai for Lakme Fashion Week, mentions that more fashion weeks give the buyers more options. She says, “As soon as one season or fashion week gets over we start working on the next collection. Sometimes media and designers can both lose focus because of too much going on simultaneously. I try to work with my focus on one theme so it’s easy for media and clients to follow up without any distraction.”
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Oversew fashion show coming to Wairarapa
Oversew fashion show coming to Wairarapa
''Up-cycled'' street wear will hit the catwalk this weekend with the launch of the region's newest fashion show.
The first annual Oversew Fashion Awards will be held at the Carterton Events Centre on Saturday August 25.
The event has been a year in the making and will feature 32 finalist designers from Wellington, Wairarapa and around the country.''The idea is about sustainable fashion,'' said Oversew chairwoman Corrine Edwards.
''It's about taking second hand clothes and up-cycling them - basically finding creative ways to make them new.''
Award categories include one for each of the four seasons, plus a young designer section for those aged 14-18 years.
The event was the first of its kind, Ms Edwards said.
''There's other groups out there doing this sort of thing, but as far as we know this is the first awards.''
Organiser Chris Tracey said the event was aimed at emerging designers.
''Often they're not the kind of designers who might enter into Fashion Week, but they're very talented and creative.
''Some are very young and there's also older people who just know design and are very talented sewers.
''We want to pull those designers out and encourage that potential talent.''
Ms Tracey, partner of Carterton Mayor Ron Mark, said there would also be expert tips for finding and dressing in second-hand clothes from Wellington's Wardrobe Flair.
''They took two women to SaveMart and found them clothes on a budget, and they'll be showing those on the night.''
Judges include Wairarapa designer Lorraine Hall, Massey design lecturer Jennifer Whitty, and Duane McWaine, the partner of United States Ambassador David Huebner.
While most entries have come from from Wellington and Wairarapa, others have come from Greymouth, Blenheim and Christchurch.
The idea behind the show came from The Crafty Lattes, a craft group which meets weekly at a Carterton cafe.
There are only a few tickets left for the 250-capacity event, available from Dash Tickets.
''Up-cycled'' street wear will hit the catwalk this weekend with the launch of the region's newest fashion show.
The first annual Oversew Fashion Awards will be held at the Carterton Events Centre on Saturday August 25.
The event has been a year in the making and will feature 32 finalist designers from Wellington, Wairarapa and around the country.''The idea is about sustainable fashion,'' said Oversew chairwoman Corrine Edwards.
''It's about taking second hand clothes and up-cycling them - basically finding creative ways to make them new.''
Award categories include one for each of the four seasons, plus a young designer section for those aged 14-18 years.
The event was the first of its kind, Ms Edwards said.
''There's other groups out there doing this sort of thing, but as far as we know this is the first awards.''
Organiser Chris Tracey said the event was aimed at emerging designers.
''Often they're not the kind of designers who might enter into Fashion Week, but they're very talented and creative.
''Some are very young and there's also older people who just know design and are very talented sewers.
''We want to pull those designers out and encourage that potential talent.''
Ms Tracey, partner of Carterton Mayor Ron Mark, said there would also be expert tips for finding and dressing in second-hand clothes from Wellington's Wardrobe Flair.
''They took two women to SaveMart and found them clothes on a budget, and they'll be showing those on the night.''
Judges include Wairarapa designer Lorraine Hall, Massey design lecturer Jennifer Whitty, and Duane McWaine, the partner of United States Ambassador David Huebner.
While most entries have come from from Wellington and Wairarapa, others have come from Greymouth, Blenheim and Christchurch.
The idea behind the show came from The Crafty Lattes, a craft group which meets weekly at a Carterton cafe.
There are only a few tickets left for the 250-capacity event, available from Dash Tickets.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Fashion that makes the grade
Fashion that makes the grade
Celebs and reality shows are setting the trends for tweens and teesn
Students will have a tough time blending into the background when they head back to class in a few weeks as the wave of brights which saturated spring and summer styles continues to ripple into fall fashions.
“Now more than ever they’ve got lots of lots of coloured bottoms to choose from,” said Gap Inc. spokeswoman Victoria Kirk. “It’s a trend that has been carried over from last year, but now they’ve got a huge assortment of colours to choose from, from pink to rose to turquoise to yellow to seafoam green. They’ve got everything under the rainbow.”
Kirk said animal prints are also seeing a re-emergence, with cheetah, leopard, zebra and snake prints punctuating apparel as well as accessories from shoes to socks and backpacks.
While kids may have more of a licence to be whimsical when it comes to combining prints and patterns, Kirk said some may want to be cautious when heeding the call of the wild in updating their fall style.
“I would say have fun, but at the same time ... having animal print from head to toe might be a little bit overly ambitious,” she said. As an alternative, she suggests teaming a graphic top that complements the colours featured in the bottom versus wearing a top and pant pairing all in the same print.
A recent study from market research company The NPD Group finds that denim ranks tops in the apparel category during the back-to-school shopping season among teens 13 to 17.
Winners fashion spokeswoman Sarah Smithers said the perennial fall style favourite cuts across all age categories. But for teen girls in particular, new denim offerings will deliver stylish updates to standard basic blues.
Smithers said much of the coloured denim available during spring and summer will re-emerge for fall with highlighter brights among the offerings geared toward teen girls. Their male counterparts will likely favour darker, more autumnal hues such as green, burnt orange or perhaps rusty red, she noted. Distressed washes are also big for boys, said Kirk.
Smithers calls printed skinny jeans “the new kid on the denim block” for September. What’s more, young, emerging stars of stage and screen are leaving a stylish blueprint which is being reflected in fashions likely to be coveted by tweens and teens — and printed denim is no exception. Country music sensation Taylor Swift has been spotted out in a polka-dot pair while actress Dakota Fanning has been seen sporting star-printed denim.
Kirk said the slouchy, skinny jeans favoured by homegrown superstar Justin Bieber and British boy band One Direction are also being embraced by boys. And while a more slender silhouette remains on trend, she said it all boils down to comfort, with the roomier boot-cut fit also on offer.
Smithers said the “denim addiction” extends beyond jeans with kids looking to incorporate and layer pieces such as vests, button-down shirts or jackets with other items.
The collegiate style embraced by homegrown hip-hop star Drake — known for his love of the letterman jacket — remains a familiar presence on the fashion front lines for teen boys.
“While sweatshirts and hoodies are always going to be popular with this age group, this fall, there’s also room for great cardigans and sweaters,” said Smithers. Sleek sweaters for boys also feature cable knit details, while layering the look with a brightly-hued polo offers a bold pop of colour, she noted.
Smithers said apparel items for girls also encompass preppy, pretty pieces infused with personality. Blazers are a “big story” for teens and younger kids, doubling as a statement jacket and a stylish, light outerwear option for the first warm weeks back to class. They’re also being diversified with colourful contrast panels and trims, she noted.
“It gives it that sort of a ladylike look that a lot of teen girls are going to be going for this September,” said Smithers, pointing to blouses punctuated with playful prints like horses, unicorns, dogs, hearts and stars. Teamed with skinny jeans or a pleated skirt, it will give youngsters the Gossip Girl prep-school look popularized on the hit teen drama, she noted.
Kirk said classic wardrobe staples such as hoodies and tees are not only great for layering but can also add a lot of mileage to school wardrobes in their ability to be threaded throughout a variety of looks. Leggings are another investment piece that can add longevity for girls wanting to extend the wear of a dress beyond September, she noted.
While sneakers remain popular footwear options for boys, Smithers said those with an eye toward polishing off their collegiate look may want to seek out a preppier alternative such as a suede desert boot.
Smithers said a heeled bootie remains a fail-safe style option for girls, but there are plenty of other options for those favouring flats, including the moccasin. Other tried-and-true favourites are getting an update, with Kirk pointing to sparkle detailing and colour-infused animal-print on ballet flats and colour-blocking on high-tops.
Celebs and reality shows are setting the trends for tweens and teesn
Students will have a tough time blending into the background when they head back to class in a few weeks as the wave of brights which saturated spring and summer styles continues to ripple into fall fashions.
“Now more than ever they’ve got lots of lots of coloured bottoms to choose from,” said Gap Inc. spokeswoman Victoria Kirk. “It’s a trend that has been carried over from last year, but now they’ve got a huge assortment of colours to choose from, from pink to rose to turquoise to yellow to seafoam green. They’ve got everything under the rainbow.”
Kirk said animal prints are also seeing a re-emergence, with cheetah, leopard, zebra and snake prints punctuating apparel as well as accessories from shoes to socks and backpacks.
While kids may have more of a licence to be whimsical when it comes to combining prints and patterns, Kirk said some may want to be cautious when heeding the call of the wild in updating their fall style.
“I would say have fun, but at the same time ... having animal print from head to toe might be a little bit overly ambitious,” she said. As an alternative, she suggests teaming a graphic top that complements the colours featured in the bottom versus wearing a top and pant pairing all in the same print.
A recent study from market research company The NPD Group finds that denim ranks tops in the apparel category during the back-to-school shopping season among teens 13 to 17.
Winners fashion spokeswoman Sarah Smithers said the perennial fall style favourite cuts across all age categories. But for teen girls in particular, new denim offerings will deliver stylish updates to standard basic blues.
Smithers said much of the coloured denim available during spring and summer will re-emerge for fall with highlighter brights among the offerings geared toward teen girls. Their male counterparts will likely favour darker, more autumnal hues such as green, burnt orange or perhaps rusty red, she noted. Distressed washes are also big for boys, said Kirk.
Smithers calls printed skinny jeans “the new kid on the denim block” for September. What’s more, young, emerging stars of stage and screen are leaving a stylish blueprint which is being reflected in fashions likely to be coveted by tweens and teens — and printed denim is no exception. Country music sensation Taylor Swift has been spotted out in a polka-dot pair while actress Dakota Fanning has been seen sporting star-printed denim.
Kirk said the slouchy, skinny jeans favoured by homegrown superstar Justin Bieber and British boy band One Direction are also being embraced by boys. And while a more slender silhouette remains on trend, she said it all boils down to comfort, with the roomier boot-cut fit also on offer.
Smithers said the “denim addiction” extends beyond jeans with kids looking to incorporate and layer pieces such as vests, button-down shirts or jackets with other items.
The collegiate style embraced by homegrown hip-hop star Drake — known for his love of the letterman jacket — remains a familiar presence on the fashion front lines for teen boys.
“While sweatshirts and hoodies are always going to be popular with this age group, this fall, there’s also room for great cardigans and sweaters,” said Smithers. Sleek sweaters for boys also feature cable knit details, while layering the look with a brightly-hued polo offers a bold pop of colour, she noted.
Smithers said apparel items for girls also encompass preppy, pretty pieces infused with personality. Blazers are a “big story” for teens and younger kids, doubling as a statement jacket and a stylish, light outerwear option for the first warm weeks back to class. They’re also being diversified with colourful contrast panels and trims, she noted.
“It gives it that sort of a ladylike look that a lot of teen girls are going to be going for this September,” said Smithers, pointing to blouses punctuated with playful prints like horses, unicorns, dogs, hearts and stars. Teamed with skinny jeans or a pleated skirt, it will give youngsters the Gossip Girl prep-school look popularized on the hit teen drama, she noted.
Kirk said classic wardrobe staples such as hoodies and tees are not only great for layering but can also add a lot of mileage to school wardrobes in their ability to be threaded throughout a variety of looks. Leggings are another investment piece that can add longevity for girls wanting to extend the wear of a dress beyond September, she noted.
While sneakers remain popular footwear options for boys, Smithers said those with an eye toward polishing off their collegiate look may want to seek out a preppier alternative such as a suede desert boot.
Smithers said a heeled bootie remains a fail-safe style option for girls, but there are plenty of other options for those favouring flats, including the moccasin. Other tried-and-true favourites are getting an update, with Kirk pointing to sparkle detailing and colour-infused animal-print on ballet flats and colour-blocking on high-tops.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Fashion designer feared drowned at Tungarli dam
Fashion designer feared drowned at Tungarli dam
A 24-year-old Thane-based fashion designer Rixson D’souza was feared drowned in Tungarli dam during a picnic on Sunday afternoon, about 65 km away from Pune.
Lonavala city police informed that the incident took place around 1.30 pm.
Police said D’souza had gone along with nine friends, including his sister, in a car. They reached Lonavla in the morning and went to the dam for a picnic.
Police said all of them including D’souza stepped into the dam waters on Sunday afternoon. After swimming for sometime, D’souza entered the deep waters and was having trouble returning to the bank.
Senior police inspector Vishnu Pawar of Lonavla city police said, “After D’souza found it difficult to get back to the bank, his friends and other tourists at the spot tried to help him. However, they could not bring him back to the bank.
“So, they immediately informed Lonavla police about the incident, and a local group – Shiv Durga and the police team went to the spot to search for D’souza. However, we were not able to find him till 8 pm on Sunday.”
Pune girl meets watery grave
A girl residing in Pune, Sakshi Ravindra Pawar (11), was feared drowned at Thosegarh falls in Satara on Sunday. Search and rescue operations were on till late night on Sunday.
Sakshi, a resident of Sadashiv Peth in Pune, had accompanied her parents to the Thosegarh falls on Sunday. At 11 am, while she was posing for photographs, she slipped and fell into the falls.
Experienced trekkers from Sahyadri Trekkers and other groups from Mahabaleshwar started the search operations to recover her body.
According to the police, the falls have witnessed a heavy rush of tourists over the last few days.
Sakshi was a student of standard V at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya.
A 24-year-old Thane-based fashion designer Rixson D’souza was feared drowned in Tungarli dam during a picnic on Sunday afternoon, about 65 km away from Pune.
Lonavala city police informed that the incident took place around 1.30 pm.
Police said D’souza had gone along with nine friends, including his sister, in a car. They reached Lonavla in the morning and went to the dam for a picnic.
Police said all of them including D’souza stepped into the dam waters on Sunday afternoon. After swimming for sometime, D’souza entered the deep waters and was having trouble returning to the bank.
Senior police inspector Vishnu Pawar of Lonavla city police said, “After D’souza found it difficult to get back to the bank, his friends and other tourists at the spot tried to help him. However, they could not bring him back to the bank.
“So, they immediately informed Lonavla police about the incident, and a local group – Shiv Durga and the police team went to the spot to search for D’souza. However, we were not able to find him till 8 pm on Sunday.”
Pune girl meets watery grave
A girl residing in Pune, Sakshi Ravindra Pawar (11), was feared drowned at Thosegarh falls in Satara on Sunday. Search and rescue operations were on till late night on Sunday.
Sakshi, a resident of Sadashiv Peth in Pune, had accompanied her parents to the Thosegarh falls on Sunday. At 11 am, while she was posing for photographs, she slipped and fell into the falls.
Experienced trekkers from Sahyadri Trekkers and other groups from Mahabaleshwar started the search operations to recover her body.
According to the police, the falls have witnessed a heavy rush of tourists over the last few days.
Sakshi was a student of standard V at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya.
Friday, August 17, 2012
New Fashion Videogame Is Shockingly Gender-Normative
New Fashion Videogame Is Shockingly Gender-Normative
All you lady-gamers gird your dexterous button-depressing fingers because there's a new game about to hit the streets and it's going to pander to your feminine sensibilities even harder than Mitt Romney panders to Spanish-speakers. "Fashion Hazard," a game that asks players to jostle fellow models and avoid cobras as they strut down runways in New York, Milan, Paris and London (literally not a single country in which cobras are an indigenous species), is the latest attempt to create a videogame that caters to the burgeoning class of young, female gamers who have only a shallow pool of "masculine viewpoint" games to choose from.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Fashion Hazard," which was developed by the Interactive Product Group unit of Condé Nast, is modeled on of a popular, Indiana Jones-esque game called "Temple Run." Juliana Stock, the unit's senior director of product and business development, explained that the "Temple Run" chase-format — which forces players to, in a very colonialist turn, steal some artifact from a temple and sprint back to the safety of a tenured faculty position at some greedy Ivy League university — reminded her of a fashion runway because, you know, temple-running and runway-stomping both require decisive movement. Players who pick up the 99-cent app for their various mobile devices can expect to unlock a whole narrative surrounding their model avatar, all the while avoiding being tripped, snake-bitten or burned by hurled lattes during their runway promenades.
Stock said that the impetus behind a game such as "Fashion Hazard" was to create a game that catered to what popular culture would most likely think of as girl's interests, which apparently precludes adventuring in exotic ruins. "A lot of [popular] games have a male aesthetic. You're a juvenile delinquent, you're Indiana Jones," adding that a lot of games directed at girls require players to bake cakes and do other boring shit in a virtual kitchen. "I felt that's a weird message for girls." According to the Entertainment Software Association, girls and women make up the fastest-growing gaming demographic, partly because they're newer to the gaming scene than men. Women, however, constitute a mere 11 percent of game developers, meaning that most of the highest-profile games are being created through an exclusively male perspective.
Female gamers expect a little narrative structure in their games, which is why something like "Fashion Hazard" is so intent on developing an avatar model's backstory. Sheri Graner Ray, studio design director for Schell Games in Austin, Texas, and author of the 2003 book, Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding The Market, explains that women appreciate pretty much the same gameplay experience as men (which often includes graphic violence) so long as a game meets two preconditions: it doesn't overdo the sexualized imagery and there's a narrative reason for killing pixelated foes. Other than that, women don't need to be pandered to, and though "Fashion Hazard" seems to be sort of well-meaning, it only deepens the gender ravine separating the blue bluff where boys can play with their toy soldiers from the pink bluff where girls can arrange a domestic tableau in their dollhouses.
All you lady-gamers gird your dexterous button-depressing fingers because there's a new game about to hit the streets and it's going to pander to your feminine sensibilities even harder than Mitt Romney panders to Spanish-speakers. "Fashion Hazard," a game that asks players to jostle fellow models and avoid cobras as they strut down runways in New York, Milan, Paris and London (literally not a single country in which cobras are an indigenous species), is the latest attempt to create a videogame that caters to the burgeoning class of young, female gamers who have only a shallow pool of "masculine viewpoint" games to choose from.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Fashion Hazard," which was developed by the Interactive Product Group unit of Condé Nast, is modeled on of a popular, Indiana Jones-esque game called "Temple Run." Juliana Stock, the unit's senior director of product and business development, explained that the "Temple Run" chase-format — which forces players to, in a very colonialist turn, steal some artifact from a temple and sprint back to the safety of a tenured faculty position at some greedy Ivy League university — reminded her of a fashion runway because, you know, temple-running and runway-stomping both require decisive movement. Players who pick up the 99-cent app for their various mobile devices can expect to unlock a whole narrative surrounding their model avatar, all the while avoiding being tripped, snake-bitten or burned by hurled lattes during their runway promenades.
Stock said that the impetus behind a game such as "Fashion Hazard" was to create a game that catered to what popular culture would most likely think of as girl's interests, which apparently precludes adventuring in exotic ruins. "A lot of [popular] games have a male aesthetic. You're a juvenile delinquent, you're Indiana Jones," adding that a lot of games directed at girls require players to bake cakes and do other boring shit in a virtual kitchen. "I felt that's a weird message for girls." According to the Entertainment Software Association, girls and women make up the fastest-growing gaming demographic, partly because they're newer to the gaming scene than men. Women, however, constitute a mere 11 percent of game developers, meaning that most of the highest-profile games are being created through an exclusively male perspective.
Female gamers expect a little narrative structure in their games, which is why something like "Fashion Hazard" is so intent on developing an avatar model's backstory. Sheri Graner Ray, studio design director for Schell Games in Austin, Texas, and author of the 2003 book, Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding The Market, explains that women appreciate pretty much the same gameplay experience as men (which often includes graphic violence) so long as a game meets two preconditions: it doesn't overdo the sexualized imagery and there's a narrative reason for killing pixelated foes. Other than that, women don't need to be pandered to, and though "Fashion Hazard" seems to be sort of well-meaning, it only deepens the gender ravine separating the blue bluff where boys can play with their toy soldiers from the pink bluff where girls can arrange a domestic tableau in their dollhouses.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Fox fashion owner: Small Israeli fashion chains doomed
Fox fashion owner: Small Israeli fashion chains doomed
"In four years there will be four large Israeli fashion chains that will have a 20% to 30% share of the market, and the rest will be controlled by foreign chains," said Harel Wizel, controlling owner of the Fox fashion group, speaking to investors on Wednesday in Tel Aviv.
"What we have seen happen all over the world will happen here too. In Poland, Thailand and Singapore, 90% of the fashion stores are international chains and the rest are strong local [brands]. Anyone who thinks it will be different here is simply wrong," Wizel added.
In what seemed proof of his argument, though not directly connected to Wednesday's conference, one of Israel's oldest textile and clothing companies, Srigamish, closed down its business last week and fired its workers. Srigamish was founded in 1957 and is known for its Mishmish brand of children's clothes, and has over 45 stores in Israel that are owned by franchisees. The stores will continue to operate, though it is not clear what goods they will sell and who they will buy them from. Haim Halivni, owner of Srigamish, confirmed the report. "We have not yet decided what we will do," he said. The company fired 15 employees and closed the factory, he said.
Last week, another fashion chain, Grip, asked the court for protection from creditors - whom it owes NIS 31 million. Another chain, Bonita, is also in serious financial trouble and has cash flow problems after its bankers refused to give it any additional credit. Other chains are also complaining because of the economic slowdown.
Wizel put his money where his mouth is last year when he brought the American Eagle brand to Israel, and last month Fox said it is negotiating to represent the New York fashion brand.
Fox released its second quarter financial results on Tuesday, poting a large rise in sales and net profit, but a drop in operating profit.
"In four years there will be four large Israeli fashion chains that will have a 20% to 30% share of the market, and the rest will be controlled by foreign chains," said Harel Wizel, controlling owner of the Fox fashion group, speaking to investors on Wednesday in Tel Aviv.
"What we have seen happen all over the world will happen here too. In Poland, Thailand and Singapore, 90% of the fashion stores are international chains and the rest are strong local [brands]. Anyone who thinks it will be different here is simply wrong," Wizel added.
In what seemed proof of his argument, though not directly connected to Wednesday's conference, one of Israel's oldest textile and clothing companies, Srigamish, closed down its business last week and fired its workers. Srigamish was founded in 1957 and is known for its Mishmish brand of children's clothes, and has over 45 stores in Israel that are owned by franchisees. The stores will continue to operate, though it is not clear what goods they will sell and who they will buy them from. Haim Halivni, owner of Srigamish, confirmed the report. "We have not yet decided what we will do," he said. The company fired 15 employees and closed the factory, he said.
Last week, another fashion chain, Grip, asked the court for protection from creditors - whom it owes NIS 31 million. Another chain, Bonita, is also in serious financial trouble and has cash flow problems after its bankers refused to give it any additional credit. Other chains are also complaining because of the economic slowdown.
Wizel put his money where his mouth is last year when he brought the American Eagle brand to Israel, and last month Fox said it is negotiating to represent the New York fashion brand.
Fox released its second quarter financial results on Tuesday, poting a large rise in sales and net profit, but a drop in operating profit.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Shopko to host fashion show with actress Jenna Ushkowitz
Shopko to host fashion show with actress Jenna Ushkowitz
Fans of the hit show Glee (FOX) will have the opportunity to meet one of the show's stars at the Shopko store in Ashwaubenon at Bay Park Mall. Shopko will be holding its first Wallflower Jeans Fashion Show event Sunday, August 26 at 12:30 p.m. featuring special guest, actress Jenna Ushkowitz, or "Tina" from the wildly popular Fox television show Glee. Ushkowitz is the spokesperson for Wallflower Jeans, a line of junior denim and sportswear clothing carried at Shopko stores across the country.
Local Fox 11/The CW14 station is co-sponsoring the event, and TV personality Maria Parmigiani of The CW will emcee the event and fashion show, with teens from local high schools modeling the fall clothing line.
"We're thrilled to be hosting The Wallflower Jeans fashion show and are so excited for our customers to have the opportunity to meet Jenna Ushkowitz as she helps to debut the newest fashions from Wallflower's back-to-school clothing line," said Jill Soltau, Shopko's Executive Vice President/Chief Merchandising Officer.
"The event is a fun opportunity for area teens to get ideas for their back to school wardrobe, win some great prizes from Wallflower Jeans and meet a celebrity from a current hit show, all at the same time."
Shopko is conducting a contest through August 19 for 10 lucky winners to receive a VIP meet-and-greet with Ushkowitz at the event. The winners, who can each bring three guests with them, will receive a Wallflowers Jeans gift bag and an exclusive meet-and-greet, complete with a personal photo with Ushkowitz as well as an autographed picture.
Contest registration is currently available at www.shopko.com. The school with the most contest registrants will receive a $1,000 prize. Winners will be selected and announced on August 20.
In addition, three lucky event attendees will have the chance to pick out a free outfit from Wallflower Jeans and chat with Jenna about their choices.
Fans of the hit show Glee (FOX) will have the opportunity to meet one of the show's stars at the Shopko store in Ashwaubenon at Bay Park Mall. Shopko will be holding its first Wallflower Jeans Fashion Show event Sunday, August 26 at 12:30 p.m. featuring special guest, actress Jenna Ushkowitz, or "Tina" from the wildly popular Fox television show Glee. Ushkowitz is the spokesperson for Wallflower Jeans, a line of junior denim and sportswear clothing carried at Shopko stores across the country.
Local Fox 11/The CW14 station is co-sponsoring the event, and TV personality Maria Parmigiani of The CW will emcee the event and fashion show, with teens from local high schools modeling the fall clothing line.
"We're thrilled to be hosting The Wallflower Jeans fashion show and are so excited for our customers to have the opportunity to meet Jenna Ushkowitz as she helps to debut the newest fashions from Wallflower's back-to-school clothing line," said Jill Soltau, Shopko's Executive Vice President/Chief Merchandising Officer.
"The event is a fun opportunity for area teens to get ideas for their back to school wardrobe, win some great prizes from Wallflower Jeans and meet a celebrity from a current hit show, all at the same time."
Shopko is conducting a contest through August 19 for 10 lucky winners to receive a VIP meet-and-greet with Ushkowitz at the event. The winners, who can each bring three guests with them, will receive a Wallflowers Jeans gift bag and an exclusive meet-and-greet, complete with a personal photo with Ushkowitz as well as an autographed picture.
Contest registration is currently available at www.shopko.com. The school with the most contest registrants will receive a $1,000 prize. Winners will be selected and announced on August 20.
In addition, three lucky event attendees will have the chance to pick out a free outfit from Wallflower Jeans and chat with Jenna about their choices.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Gil LeBreton: London did Olympics in its inimitable smashing fashion
Gil LeBreton: London did Olympics in its inimitable smashing fashion
Any big city with ambition and public dollars can put on an Olympics.
Somewhere around the end of the last century, however, something - maybe it was all those velvet Elvises being hawked on the streets of Atlanta - made the hoary keepers of the Olympic flame realize that they needed to think grander than that.
So they looked beyond the stadiums and the promised shuttle buses, and they peered into the souls of the bidding cities.
They wanted greatness. They wanted a world-class city that would treat the Games with dignity.
They wanted a host big enough and comfortable enough in its skin to be willing to open its arms to the world.
Clearly, they found it in London.
Twice in modern Games history, London stepped forward to aid an International Olympic Committee in a time of need. In 1908, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius prompted Rome to relinquish its plans to host the Games, and London jumped in.
In 1948, after World War II had forced cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, London stepped forward as host to kick-start the Games.
"In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight," IOC President Jacques Rogge said at the Opening Ceremony two weeks ago.
London, its multicultural melting pot always stewing, knows all about being a good home.
Thus for 17 days we heard the cheers of common Londoners rain down not only on their beloved Brits but also upon athletes from every nation. We saw sportsmanship displayed in the very country that invented it.
They shouted. They sang. They said "sorry," even when they didn't have to.
To most of the world, the enduring images of the London Olympics will be the gold medal exploits of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Gabby Douglas and the rest of the U.S. women, who won and won and won some more.
Phelps came back from his self-imposed swimming hiatus to settle the argument, once and for all, about who's the greatest Olympian ever. He won six more medals here - four gold, two silver - raising his Olympic total to 22, 18 of them gold.
Just think if he had practiced all four years.
Bolt's Olympic saga, meanwhile, might even have been better than Phelps'. He ran, he broke records, he clowned with the crowd.
By the end of the 4x100-meter relay Saturday, he could lay rightful claim to the title he had applied for - living legend.
Douglas became the third American gymnast in a row to win the Olympics all-around title.
Overall, it was a good Olympics to be a woman.
The American women won 58 of the United States' 104 medals. They won 29 of the team's 46 gold medals.
Thanks to 17-year-old Clarissa Shields, the United States was spared the embarrassment of finishing without a medal in boxing for the first time in the modern history of the Games.
In somewhat of a surprise, the U.S. team won the overall medals race going away. China was a distant second with 87 medals (38 gold), Russia won 82 (24 gold) and host Britain had its greatest Olympics ever, earning 29 gold medals among its total 65.
The Games weren't without scandal. China, South Korea and Indonesia were charged with tanking matches in badminton - badminton! - so that they could have an easier draw in the next round.
China's Ye Shiwen, 16, raised skeptical eyebrows by coming out of relative nowhere to set one world record and earn two gold medals.
Quarter-miler Oscar Pistorius, meanwhile - who came to be called "The Blade Runner" - proved he could run with the world's best even though he wears prosthetic limbs on both legs.
His courageous runs brought the huge crowds at the Olympic Stadium to their feet.
And then there is Manteo Mitchell, who was running a leg of the 4x400-meter relay when he suddenly heard something pop. He kept running anyway, and the U.S. relay team safely advanced to the next round.
Women, meanwhile, competed for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei for the first time.
In this Olympics, it was good to be the Queen, real or self-appointed.
Amid a celebration of British music, from the Beatles to the recycled Spice Girls, the Games ended Sunday night with a dazzling flourish.
Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the London organizing committee, paid homage to the helpful, ever-smiling faces of the Games' volunteer corps.
The volunteers, Coe said, "have a right to say tonight, 'I made London 2012.'."
And it wasn't just the volunteers, Rogge noted.
"You, the spectators and public, provided the soundtrack of these Games and brought a festive spirit to them."
Any city can open its gates to Olympic visitors. But as London proved over this fortnight, it takes a special city - one of the world's great cities - to be a memorable Olympic host.
The Games, I would suggest, have never been welcomed any better.
Any big city with ambition and public dollars can put on an Olympics.
Somewhere around the end of the last century, however, something - maybe it was all those velvet Elvises being hawked on the streets of Atlanta - made the hoary keepers of the Olympic flame realize that they needed to think grander than that.
So they looked beyond the stadiums and the promised shuttle buses, and they peered into the souls of the bidding cities.
They wanted greatness. They wanted a world-class city that would treat the Games with dignity.
They wanted a host big enough and comfortable enough in its skin to be willing to open its arms to the world.
Clearly, they found it in London.
Twice in modern Games history, London stepped forward to aid an International Olympic Committee in a time of need. In 1908, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius prompted Rome to relinquish its plans to host the Games, and London jumped in.
In 1948, after World War II had forced cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, London stepped forward as host to kick-start the Games.
"In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight," IOC President Jacques Rogge said at the Opening Ceremony two weeks ago.
London, its multicultural melting pot always stewing, knows all about being a good home.
Thus for 17 days we heard the cheers of common Londoners rain down not only on their beloved Brits but also upon athletes from every nation. We saw sportsmanship displayed in the very country that invented it.
They shouted. They sang. They said "sorry," even when they didn't have to.
To most of the world, the enduring images of the London Olympics will be the gold medal exploits of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Gabby Douglas and the rest of the U.S. women, who won and won and won some more.
Phelps came back from his self-imposed swimming hiatus to settle the argument, once and for all, about who's the greatest Olympian ever. He won six more medals here - four gold, two silver - raising his Olympic total to 22, 18 of them gold.
Just think if he had practiced all four years.
Bolt's Olympic saga, meanwhile, might even have been better than Phelps'. He ran, he broke records, he clowned with the crowd.
By the end of the 4x100-meter relay Saturday, he could lay rightful claim to the title he had applied for - living legend.
Douglas became the third American gymnast in a row to win the Olympics all-around title.
Overall, it was a good Olympics to be a woman.
The American women won 58 of the United States' 104 medals. They won 29 of the team's 46 gold medals.
Thanks to 17-year-old Clarissa Shields, the United States was spared the embarrassment of finishing without a medal in boxing for the first time in the modern history of the Games.
In somewhat of a surprise, the U.S. team won the overall medals race going away. China was a distant second with 87 medals (38 gold), Russia won 82 (24 gold) and host Britain had its greatest Olympics ever, earning 29 gold medals among its total 65.
The Games weren't without scandal. China, South Korea and Indonesia were charged with tanking matches in badminton - badminton! - so that they could have an easier draw in the next round.
China's Ye Shiwen, 16, raised skeptical eyebrows by coming out of relative nowhere to set one world record and earn two gold medals.
Quarter-miler Oscar Pistorius, meanwhile - who came to be called "The Blade Runner" - proved he could run with the world's best even though he wears prosthetic limbs on both legs.
His courageous runs brought the huge crowds at the Olympic Stadium to their feet.
And then there is Manteo Mitchell, who was running a leg of the 4x400-meter relay when he suddenly heard something pop. He kept running anyway, and the U.S. relay team safely advanced to the next round.
Women, meanwhile, competed for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei for the first time.
In this Olympics, it was good to be the Queen, real or self-appointed.
Amid a celebration of British music, from the Beatles to the recycled Spice Girls, the Games ended Sunday night with a dazzling flourish.
Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the London organizing committee, paid homage to the helpful, ever-smiling faces of the Games' volunteer corps.
The volunteers, Coe said, "have a right to say tonight, 'I made London 2012.'."
And it wasn't just the volunteers, Rogge noted.
"You, the spectators and public, provided the soundtrack of these Games and brought a festive spirit to them."
Any city can open its gates to Olympic visitors. But as London proved over this fortnight, it takes a special city - one of the world's great cities - to be a memorable Olympic host.
The Games, I would suggest, have never been welcomed any better.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Kate's fashion in full effect
Kate's fashion in full effect
Fashion's royal affair with Kate just keeps burning brighter.
Ever since Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was crowned a member of the British royal family last year, she has captivated style watchers around the world who covet her understated and always wholly appropriate look.
Last week she topped Vanity Fair's international best dressed list and is set to grace the cover of the magazine's September issue.
Then there are the London Olympics, which have given the fashion media reason to rejoice as they track the duchess's outfits day by day.
Whether stepping out in a new blue Stella McCartney shift or recycling a dove grey Roksanda Ilincic dress at a recent glitzy London gala, Kate's latest looks always cause a minor frenzy for those who follow her choices label by label, accessory by accessory, scrutinizing the details down to whether it's the first time she's worn the outfit, or the fifth.
Those in the fashion industry call it the "Kate Effect." So influential are her fashion choices that what she wears can dictate trends and what sells out on the floor of retailers.
"She's now become the iconic woman of style," says Barbara Atkin, Holt Renfrew's vice-president of fashion direction.
"She's very consistent about who she is, which is probably the most infectious thing about Kate. The fact that yes, she might be royalty, but she's very inclusive of the people around her and I think that's the most wonderful aspect of who she is and why she so represents a strong woman of the 21st century."
Kate's sense of inclusiveness is one of the major reasons her style is admired. Not only does she wear brands the average person can afford - Zara, Topshop, the U.K's Reiss and Whistles - she's also known to recycle her outfits.
Her reassuringly thrifty choices (a recent Olympic sighting of her in a $55 Hobbs dress made headlines) sends the message that none of us need a million bucks to look great.
Atkin is completely candid about how the duchess influences buying at Holt Renfrew.
After seeing the famous blue Issa dress Kate wore for her engagement announcement, Holt Renfrew buyers immediately got on the phone to order that dress.
The store had carried Issa for years, but sales were "hit and miss." Then came the Kate effect and Issa became an overnight sensation. The blue dress sold out in Vancouver and other Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.
"We actually had people fighting over the last one," Atkin recalls.
Months later, when Prince William and his new bride made their first overseas tour to Canada, Holt Renfrew got on the phone to Canadian designers.
"We actually spoke to all the Canadian [designers] to see if they'd sent anything to Kate. Kate really wanted that Smythe jacket and she got it and we ordered it and it sold out to a T.
"It's a frenzy, I think it was two days and it was gone," says Atkin.
Kate recently rewore that same navy Smythe blazer at two Olympic events to the excitement of the label's Toronto designers, Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner.
"[We're] delighted that she chose to wear her blazer again a year later. We feel like Sally Field: She likes it, she really likes it," the designers wrote in an email to The Province.
The blazer, which will be available this fall at TNT stores, has been appropriately renamed "The Duchess."
Fashion's royal affair with Kate just keeps burning brighter.
Ever since Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was crowned a member of the British royal family last year, she has captivated style watchers around the world who covet her understated and always wholly appropriate look.
Last week she topped Vanity Fair's international best dressed list and is set to grace the cover of the magazine's September issue.
Then there are the London Olympics, which have given the fashion media reason to rejoice as they track the duchess's outfits day by day.
Whether stepping out in a new blue Stella McCartney shift or recycling a dove grey Roksanda Ilincic dress at a recent glitzy London gala, Kate's latest looks always cause a minor frenzy for those who follow her choices label by label, accessory by accessory, scrutinizing the details down to whether it's the first time she's worn the outfit, or the fifth.
Those in the fashion industry call it the "Kate Effect." So influential are her fashion choices that what she wears can dictate trends and what sells out on the floor of retailers.
"She's now become the iconic woman of style," says Barbara Atkin, Holt Renfrew's vice-president of fashion direction.
"She's very consistent about who she is, which is probably the most infectious thing about Kate. The fact that yes, she might be royalty, but she's very inclusive of the people around her and I think that's the most wonderful aspect of who she is and why she so represents a strong woman of the 21st century."
Kate's sense of inclusiveness is one of the major reasons her style is admired. Not only does she wear brands the average person can afford - Zara, Topshop, the U.K's Reiss and Whistles - she's also known to recycle her outfits.
Her reassuringly thrifty choices (a recent Olympic sighting of her in a $55 Hobbs dress made headlines) sends the message that none of us need a million bucks to look great.
Atkin is completely candid about how the duchess influences buying at Holt Renfrew.
After seeing the famous blue Issa dress Kate wore for her engagement announcement, Holt Renfrew buyers immediately got on the phone to order that dress.
The store had carried Issa for years, but sales were "hit and miss." Then came the Kate effect and Issa became an overnight sensation. The blue dress sold out in Vancouver and other Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.
"We actually had people fighting over the last one," Atkin recalls.
Months later, when Prince William and his new bride made their first overseas tour to Canada, Holt Renfrew got on the phone to Canadian designers.
"We actually spoke to all the Canadian [designers] to see if they'd sent anything to Kate. Kate really wanted that Smythe jacket and she got it and we ordered it and it sold out to a T.
"It's a frenzy, I think it was two days and it was gone," says Atkin.
Kate recently rewore that same navy Smythe blazer at two Olympic events to the excitement of the label's Toronto designers, Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner.
"[We're] delighted that she chose to wear her blazer again a year later. We feel like Sally Field: She likes it, she really likes it," the designers wrote in an email to The Province.
The blazer, which will be available this fall at TNT stores, has been appropriately renamed "The Duchess."
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Bollywood rules fashion, we don’t: Rohit Bal
Bollywood rules fashion, we don’t: Rohit Bal
Just when the fashion fraternity was coming to terms with celebrities being moved to the third row, controversy’s child Rohit Bal has shaken the scene up with another debate. In a recent interview to Mumbai-based publication DNA, the designer said, “Bollywood is the god of style and fashion in
the country ... at the end of the day it’s what Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal wear, that matters. That’s the be all and end all of fashion in India. Bollywood rules and we are fools!”
While many designers refrained from commenting on the truth of the matter, others strongly agree with Bal. “I get a lot of queries, especially from the NRIs, to make dresses that they have seen a certain actor sporting in a movie. Sometimes clients even bringing pictures of celebrities, asking for the same look. I refer them to the designers who I know do this kind of work,” says Delhi-based designer Rina Dhaka.
Jattinn Kochhar feels the same — no matter how good a designer’s collection, it does not become a trend unless a star wears it. “The easiest, quickest and the most effective way to catch people’s attention is to have a celebrity wear your dress,” he says.
Designer Rocky S, whose outfits are worn by Bollywood A-listers, says it’s only obvious. “People are huge fans of what Bollywood stars wear ... they become a quick, easy trend.”
Bollywood, on its part, is proud of being the trendsetter. “I wouldn’t disagree with Rohit as Bollywood has a huge hold over the masses!,” says actor Riya Sen. Actor Shahana Goswami adds, “If we had a brigade of other professionals dressing up super fashionably and being in the public eye, they would become style icons too. Since we don’t have that culture, Bollywood stars are the only ones to look up to for a common man.”
Veteran designer Ritu Beri, however, differs. “A big star does create an impression in people’s minds, but it’s the designers who set the trends. If Kareena gets applause for a good dress, it’s the designer who is giving her that look.”
"I agree with Rohit. Stars dominate what people wear. Also, because not everyone can afford designer wear," says Shaina NC, designer.
"I can’t doubt an established designer like Rohit. If he says this, he has all the experience to support it," says Reynu Taandon, designer.
Just when the fashion fraternity was coming to terms with celebrities being moved to the third row, controversy’s child Rohit Bal has shaken the scene up with another debate. In a recent interview to Mumbai-based publication DNA, the designer said, “Bollywood is the god of style and fashion in
the country ... at the end of the day it’s what Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal wear, that matters. That’s the be all and end all of fashion in India. Bollywood rules and we are fools!”
While many designers refrained from commenting on the truth of the matter, others strongly agree with Bal. “I get a lot of queries, especially from the NRIs, to make dresses that they have seen a certain actor sporting in a movie. Sometimes clients even bringing pictures of celebrities, asking for the same look. I refer them to the designers who I know do this kind of work,” says Delhi-based designer Rina Dhaka.
Jattinn Kochhar feels the same — no matter how good a designer’s collection, it does not become a trend unless a star wears it. “The easiest, quickest and the most effective way to catch people’s attention is to have a celebrity wear your dress,” he says.
Designer Rocky S, whose outfits are worn by Bollywood A-listers, says it’s only obvious. “People are huge fans of what Bollywood stars wear ... they become a quick, easy trend.”
Bollywood, on its part, is proud of being the trendsetter. “I wouldn’t disagree with Rohit as Bollywood has a huge hold over the masses!,” says actor Riya Sen. Actor Shahana Goswami adds, “If we had a brigade of other professionals dressing up super fashionably and being in the public eye, they would become style icons too. Since we don’t have that culture, Bollywood stars are the only ones to look up to for a common man.”
Veteran designer Ritu Beri, however, differs. “A big star does create an impression in people’s minds, but it’s the designers who set the trends. If Kareena gets applause for a good dress, it’s the designer who is giving her that look.”
"I agree with Rohit. Stars dominate what people wear. Also, because not everyone can afford designer wear," says Shaina NC, designer.
"I can’t doubt an established designer like Rohit. If he says this, he has all the experience to support it," says Reynu Taandon, designer.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Lakme Fashion Week finale
Lakme Fashion Week finale
The grand finale at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive was a surprising affair as young designers Kallol Datta and husband-wife duo Pankaj and Nidhi received a standing ovation and Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor walked the ramp for the young designers.
“I am very happy to be able to encourage new talent. It is an honour to be wearing their clothes. I should be thanking them for giving me the opportunity to wear these clothes,” the actress said.
Kapoor looked her best in a long black and white jacket dress over a black bustier and leggings for designer Kallol Datta. She sported an edgy look for Pankaj and Nidhi with a jet black signature basket woven topwith “long fringe detailing.” Last year, Kapoor was seen in an angelic avatar, walking the ramp for fashion designer Manish Malhotra for Lakme Fashion Week.
The finale set was elaborately decorated with huge revolving mirror walls and metallic cut outs hanging from the ceiling.
The futuristic collections were a part of the Lakme Absolute’s Monochrome collection. A common theme of black and white ran through both the collections.
Kallol’s collection included prints on knee length dresses, pants and skirts having monochromatic undertones.
Pankaj and Nidhi’s collection included dresses, jackets, with tassels, and pants.
The duo said they felt excited when Kapoor agreed to walk for them.
“She is a huge star who is currently at the top her game. She is a fantastic performer. She is so beautiful and versatile with the ability to carry something so modern,” said Pankaj.
While Kallol started his career few years ago, Pankaj and Nidhi made their debut in Mumbai on Tuesday.
“When we got a call we couldn’t believe it for a while. It’s a great opportunity for newcomers like us,” Pankaj added.
The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012, which started on August 3 ended on Tuesday night and saw as many as 86 participating designers and 10 sponsors.
Also for the first time, celebrated couturier Pallavi Jaikishan with over 40 years in the fashion industry was seen on the LFW runway, alongside other renowned designers like Neeta Lulla, Anita Dongre, Krishna Mehta and Ritu Beri.
Atithi Gupta
If she wowed movie buffs with her performance in Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW), actress Huma Qureshi impressed fashionistas when she walked the ramp on Tuesday in a black dress as showstopper for Atithi Gupta.
For Qureshi, Gupta created a black dress with uneven drape hemline and teamed it up with golden zardozi sleeveless shrug.
“I work on detailing. My garments look simple but there is lot of texturing and gathering. I wanted to keep it minimalistic, stylish and different,” Gupta said.
When asked why she chose Qureshi as her showstopper, the designer explained: “In her forthcoming movie Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Huma plays the love interest of a gangster. There is lot of drama to her character in the film, she tries to imitate Madhuri Dixit. I thought this would add drama to my garments and that she would do justice.”
The music of Wasseypur played in the background when the actress sashayed down the ramp. Director Anurag Kashyap, who showed up a little late, was there to cheer for Qureshi.
Gupta’s collection offered dresses, pleated skirts, draped outfits, jumpsuits and she also experimented with unique jackets and fluid pants.
She used a mix of fabrics like georgette, wrinkled crepe, chiffons and cotton silks to give a feminine and classy feel to her garments. A wide range of colours including blue, pastel purples, black and grey was used.
The final day also saw collections by new designers Nupur Kanol and Ruchika Sachdeva.
Rajat K. Tangri
His work in upcoming Bollywood gangster flick Shoootout At Wadala inspired designer Rajat K. Tangri to showcase a whole collection based on the concept of “mafias, spies and gangsters” on Tuesday.
“I was inspired by my work in the film Shootout at Wadala and so decided to go with this theme. I even had the music match the feel of my collection,” Tangri said.
The designer brought alive the dark and dramatic theme of the movie on the fashion ramp through fitted dresses and jumpsuits for women, and sharply tailored suits for men.
As for the colours, he said: “I have used very elegant nudes and beiges with metallic gold. I also used teal blue, metallic green and black.”
His show was followed by designer Sailex’s line, inspired by pin-up girls of 1950s.
The line showcased evening wear, especially blingy ensembles like satin blazer suits, full length gowns, skirts and saris.
“My line had a very vintage look and feel to it,” he said.
Archana Kochhar
Ace designer Archana Kochhar brought a zeal of freshness with retro-themed digital prints and actress Sameera Reddy added glamour to it by walking the ramp on Tuesday as a showstopper.
The collection titled Retro-Metric had range of digital print saris, cocktail dresses and sari-inspired gowns.
“I was inspired by retro looks and while I was doing my research I realised how this look had a lot of geometric designs. I saw that it was very big in the retro era of the 1960s and the 1970s and decided to bring this into my collection,” said Kochhar.
Reddy walked the ramp in a stunning blue-black sari with digital prints.
“I completely loved walking on the ramp. It was great fun to be a part of Lakme Fashion Week. I feel there is a big synergy between Bollywood and fashion. I loved Archana’s collection,” the actress said.
Kochhar displayed an interesting mix of contemporary elements and retro, which made the garments look timeless and unique.
One of the highlights of the collection was a long flowing black and white gown with a chessboard digital print.
Kochhar revealed she will launch her new line around Diwali.
“The common man hardly gets to wear the clothes designed by designers. It is very different to be wearing an Archana Kochhar. I want the whole of India to wear my designs,” the designer added.
The grand finale at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive was a surprising affair as young designers Kallol Datta and husband-wife duo Pankaj and Nidhi received a standing ovation and Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor walked the ramp for the young designers.
“I am very happy to be able to encourage new talent. It is an honour to be wearing their clothes. I should be thanking them for giving me the opportunity to wear these clothes,” the actress said.
Kapoor looked her best in a long black and white jacket dress over a black bustier and leggings for designer Kallol Datta. She sported an edgy look for Pankaj and Nidhi with a jet black signature basket woven topwith “long fringe detailing.” Last year, Kapoor was seen in an angelic avatar, walking the ramp for fashion designer Manish Malhotra for Lakme Fashion Week.
The finale set was elaborately decorated with huge revolving mirror walls and metallic cut outs hanging from the ceiling.
The futuristic collections were a part of the Lakme Absolute’s Monochrome collection. A common theme of black and white ran through both the collections.
Kallol’s collection included prints on knee length dresses, pants and skirts having monochromatic undertones.
Pankaj and Nidhi’s collection included dresses, jackets, with tassels, and pants.
The duo said they felt excited when Kapoor agreed to walk for them.
“She is a huge star who is currently at the top her game. She is a fantastic performer. She is so beautiful and versatile with the ability to carry something so modern,” said Pankaj.
While Kallol started his career few years ago, Pankaj and Nidhi made their debut in Mumbai on Tuesday.
“When we got a call we couldn’t believe it for a while. It’s a great opportunity for newcomers like us,” Pankaj added.
The Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012, which started on August 3 ended on Tuesday night and saw as many as 86 participating designers and 10 sponsors.
Also for the first time, celebrated couturier Pallavi Jaikishan with over 40 years in the fashion industry was seen on the LFW runway, alongside other renowned designers like Neeta Lulla, Anita Dongre, Krishna Mehta and Ritu Beri.
Atithi Gupta
If she wowed movie buffs with her performance in Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW), actress Huma Qureshi impressed fashionistas when she walked the ramp on Tuesday in a black dress as showstopper for Atithi Gupta.
For Qureshi, Gupta created a black dress with uneven drape hemline and teamed it up with golden zardozi sleeveless shrug.
“I work on detailing. My garments look simple but there is lot of texturing and gathering. I wanted to keep it minimalistic, stylish and different,” Gupta said.
When asked why she chose Qureshi as her showstopper, the designer explained: “In her forthcoming movie Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Huma plays the love interest of a gangster. There is lot of drama to her character in the film, she tries to imitate Madhuri Dixit. I thought this would add drama to my garments and that she would do justice.”
The music of Wasseypur played in the background when the actress sashayed down the ramp. Director Anurag Kashyap, who showed up a little late, was there to cheer for Qureshi.
Gupta’s collection offered dresses, pleated skirts, draped outfits, jumpsuits and she also experimented with unique jackets and fluid pants.
She used a mix of fabrics like georgette, wrinkled crepe, chiffons and cotton silks to give a feminine and classy feel to her garments. A wide range of colours including blue, pastel purples, black and grey was used.
The final day also saw collections by new designers Nupur Kanol and Ruchika Sachdeva.
Rajat K. Tangri
His work in upcoming Bollywood gangster flick Shoootout At Wadala inspired designer Rajat K. Tangri to showcase a whole collection based on the concept of “mafias, spies and gangsters” on Tuesday.
“I was inspired by my work in the film Shootout at Wadala and so decided to go with this theme. I even had the music match the feel of my collection,” Tangri said.
The designer brought alive the dark and dramatic theme of the movie on the fashion ramp through fitted dresses and jumpsuits for women, and sharply tailored suits for men.
As for the colours, he said: “I have used very elegant nudes and beiges with metallic gold. I also used teal blue, metallic green and black.”
His show was followed by designer Sailex’s line, inspired by pin-up girls of 1950s.
The line showcased evening wear, especially blingy ensembles like satin blazer suits, full length gowns, skirts and saris.
“My line had a very vintage look and feel to it,” he said.
Archana Kochhar
Ace designer Archana Kochhar brought a zeal of freshness with retro-themed digital prints and actress Sameera Reddy added glamour to it by walking the ramp on Tuesday as a showstopper.
The collection titled Retro-Metric had range of digital print saris, cocktail dresses and sari-inspired gowns.
“I was inspired by retro looks and while I was doing my research I realised how this look had a lot of geometric designs. I saw that it was very big in the retro era of the 1960s and the 1970s and decided to bring this into my collection,” said Kochhar.
Reddy walked the ramp in a stunning blue-black sari with digital prints.
“I completely loved walking on the ramp. It was great fun to be a part of Lakme Fashion Week. I feel there is a big synergy between Bollywood and fashion. I loved Archana’s collection,” the actress said.
Kochhar displayed an interesting mix of contemporary elements and retro, which made the garments look timeless and unique.
One of the highlights of the collection was a long flowing black and white gown with a chessboard digital print.
Kochhar revealed she will launch her new line around Diwali.
“The common man hardly gets to wear the clothes designed by designers. It is very different to be wearing an Archana Kochhar. I want the whole of India to wear my designs,” the designer added.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Textile twist to Lakme Fashion Week
Textile twist to Lakme Fashion Week
For the modern bride: Revivalist designer Gaurang Shah combined the glory of kanjeevarams with kalamkari and subtle zardozi to put together an array of bridal saris, lehengas, anarkalis and ghagra-cholis in his collection named 'Ardhangini'. The South Indian saris featured an intricate weaving technique called Korvai. The collection, which brought in focus India's rich heritage in textiles and prints, saw veteran actress Kirron Kher close the show for the designer in an elegant cream coloured sari.
Craft-y designs: A collection replete with many inspirations, Krishna Mehta's 'Encore' highlighted several Indian techniques like shibori and multi-coloured dyeing. The designer's clothes were high on feminine hues as well as embroidery techniques. Using various kinds of woven fabric, Mehta started the show with creations in white and the palette gradually deepened into shades of red and aubergine. Saris and gowns with obi belts, floral motifs and embroidered jackets dominated her presentation.
Pop-up talent: Inspired by Janvi, a Gujarati woman who comes back to India from the US, Deepika Govind used the Gujarati art of double ikat weaving (called Patan Patola) and pop art prints including motifs from everyday life like cars, flowers, bus, TV, etc. Highlights included peplum blouses and texture blocking. The foot-tapping music, coloured foreheads inspired by an Indian artist's works and knotted pallus grabbed our attention. A moved Deepika took the final bow on the ramp to the sound of a much-deserved thunderous applause!
Gangs of textilepur: Designer Debarun Mukherjee's show 'Omnipresent' started with Manipuri dancer Rinku Dutt (also his business partner) and ended with actress Richa Chadha sashaying in a rather non-glamourous outfit. The designer used Bhagalpur silk, tussar as well as katan, combining it with the iznik tile pattern from Turkey. Blue was the mainstay of the collection, more so because the inspiration of the show was Lord Krishna. Some of the separates and maxis from the show seemed very wearable.
Desi tadka: Perfectly synchronising her collection with the theme of the day, Vaishali Shadangule used chanderi and khand to create an innovative yet wearable collection 'Reverb'. Sticking to her signature techniques, she put together a collection which was heavy on asymmetric cuts, layering, crushed fabric as well as coloured tassels. Festive colours like gold, red, cream and blue dominated her palette, while the silhouettes included saris, lehengas, pants and dresses. The unique styling made this one of the most talked about shows of the day.
Using 2116 colours: TV couple Mayank Anand (Dr Rahul from Dill Mill Gayye and Shraddha Nigam from Choodiyan) debuted their label Kapurthala. It's been two years since the self-taught designers entered the business of fashion, but that isn't stopping them from dreaming big. For their show 'Technicolor', they sent model Alesia Raut down the ramp in a specially woven ensemble that had 2,116 colours! "Television is just a job; but the passion runs out in a couple of months, but fashion design is forever," the couple told us.
Thar style: Nagpur-based designer Shruti Sancheti presented a nomadic line inspired by the region of Thar, which went by the same name too. The designer made creative use of shibori patterns, and her clothes also included a unique stitch resistant technique from the Nebsarai village. The Sindhi tanka or Kutch stitch, a trademark of the region, dominated the saris, worn with Jodhpuri pants, as well as cowl trousers, ijjars (churidars), angarkhas, ghaghris, chogas, quilted jackets, kedia cholis and asymmetric maxis.
Keeping to the winter theme of the season, her styling was high on layering too. Social activist Shaina NC walked the ramp for her.
For the modern bride: Revivalist designer Gaurang Shah combined the glory of kanjeevarams with kalamkari and subtle zardozi to put together an array of bridal saris, lehengas, anarkalis and ghagra-cholis in his collection named 'Ardhangini'. The South Indian saris featured an intricate weaving technique called Korvai. The collection, which brought in focus India's rich heritage in textiles and prints, saw veteran actress Kirron Kher close the show for the designer in an elegant cream coloured sari.
Craft-y designs: A collection replete with many inspirations, Krishna Mehta's 'Encore' highlighted several Indian techniques like shibori and multi-coloured dyeing. The designer's clothes were high on feminine hues as well as embroidery techniques. Using various kinds of woven fabric, Mehta started the show with creations in white and the palette gradually deepened into shades of red and aubergine. Saris and gowns with obi belts, floral motifs and embroidered jackets dominated her presentation.
Pop-up talent: Inspired by Janvi, a Gujarati woman who comes back to India from the US, Deepika Govind used the Gujarati art of double ikat weaving (called Patan Patola) and pop art prints including motifs from everyday life like cars, flowers, bus, TV, etc. Highlights included peplum blouses and texture blocking. The foot-tapping music, coloured foreheads inspired by an Indian artist's works and knotted pallus grabbed our attention. A moved Deepika took the final bow on the ramp to the sound of a much-deserved thunderous applause!
Gangs of textilepur: Designer Debarun Mukherjee's show 'Omnipresent' started with Manipuri dancer Rinku Dutt (also his business partner) and ended with actress Richa Chadha sashaying in a rather non-glamourous outfit. The designer used Bhagalpur silk, tussar as well as katan, combining it with the iznik tile pattern from Turkey. Blue was the mainstay of the collection, more so because the inspiration of the show was Lord Krishna. Some of the separates and maxis from the show seemed very wearable.
Desi tadka: Perfectly synchronising her collection with the theme of the day, Vaishali Shadangule used chanderi and khand to create an innovative yet wearable collection 'Reverb'. Sticking to her signature techniques, she put together a collection which was heavy on asymmetric cuts, layering, crushed fabric as well as coloured tassels. Festive colours like gold, red, cream and blue dominated her palette, while the silhouettes included saris, lehengas, pants and dresses. The unique styling made this one of the most talked about shows of the day.
Using 2116 colours: TV couple Mayank Anand (Dr Rahul from Dill Mill Gayye and Shraddha Nigam from Choodiyan) debuted their label Kapurthala. It's been two years since the self-taught designers entered the business of fashion, but that isn't stopping them from dreaming big. For their show 'Technicolor', they sent model Alesia Raut down the ramp in a specially woven ensemble that had 2,116 colours! "Television is just a job; but the passion runs out in a couple of months, but fashion design is forever," the couple told us.
Thar style: Nagpur-based designer Shruti Sancheti presented a nomadic line inspired by the region of Thar, which went by the same name too. The designer made creative use of shibori patterns, and her clothes also included a unique stitch resistant technique from the Nebsarai village. The Sindhi tanka or Kutch stitch, a trademark of the region, dominated the saris, worn with Jodhpuri pants, as well as cowl trousers, ijjars (churidars), angarkhas, ghaghris, chogas, quilted jackets, kedia cholis and asymmetric maxis.
Keeping to the winter theme of the season, her styling was high on layering too. Social activist Shaina NC walked the ramp for her.
Monday, August 6, 2012
International fashion store now in Karachi
International fashion store now in Karachi
Debenhams,’ a United Kingdom-based departmental store has launched its first outlet in Pakistan recently, playing down the rumours of city’s being unsafe for foreign investment and the foreigners.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and British Deputy High Commissioner Francis Campbell jointly inaugurated the launch of the store in a cake cutting ceremony. Apart from notable politicians and diplomats, a number of celebrities and representatives of fashion industry also graced the media launch of the fashion store.
Crème de la crème of the local fashion industry was present at the event. Famous celebrity Maria Wasti said that the launch was matter of joy for her, as she like various others, used to go abroad for Eid shopping, but this year she wouldn’t spend her time and extra money on traveling for shopping.
Take II CEO Tehmina Khalid said that the launch was a positive sign for the local fashion industry as well as citizens. She further said that the opening of an international store in Pakistan also delivers a clear message of political and economic situation of the country’s not being as bad as portrayed by the local and international media. She said that Pakistan is a country with rising potential of investment and growth of local industries.
The event culminated with a unique fashion presentation in which model presented designs on elevator, instead of walking on ramp. Indeed Tehmina Khalid was the person, who introduced the idea in Pakistan. On the occasion, eight male, four male and two child models presented sophistic and contemporary cuts through a presentation. Hair, makeup and male model grooming of the models was don by Nabila’s team @Npro. The event was managed by Shakeel Jaffer and Hasan Naqvi at HnS connect. Choreography was done by Ehtasham Ansari, while media and PR was handled by Takell.
Debenhams,’ a United Kingdom-based departmental store has launched its first outlet in Pakistan recently, playing down the rumours of city’s being unsafe for foreign investment and the foreigners.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and British Deputy High Commissioner Francis Campbell jointly inaugurated the launch of the store in a cake cutting ceremony. Apart from notable politicians and diplomats, a number of celebrities and representatives of fashion industry also graced the media launch of the fashion store.
Crème de la crème of the local fashion industry was present at the event. Famous celebrity Maria Wasti said that the launch was matter of joy for her, as she like various others, used to go abroad for Eid shopping, but this year she wouldn’t spend her time and extra money on traveling for shopping.
Take II CEO Tehmina Khalid said that the launch was a positive sign for the local fashion industry as well as citizens. She further said that the opening of an international store in Pakistan also delivers a clear message of political and economic situation of the country’s not being as bad as portrayed by the local and international media. She said that Pakistan is a country with rising potential of investment and growth of local industries.
The event culminated with a unique fashion presentation in which model presented designs on elevator, instead of walking on ramp. Indeed Tehmina Khalid was the person, who introduced the idea in Pakistan. On the occasion, eight male, four male and two child models presented sophistic and contemporary cuts through a presentation. Hair, makeup and male model grooming of the models was don by Nabila’s team @Npro. The event was managed by Shakeel Jaffer and Hasan Naqvi at HnS connect. Choreography was done by Ehtasham Ansari, while media and PR was handled by Takell.
Friday, August 3, 2012
'Fifty Shades' inspires US fashion brand's ad campaign
'Fifty Shades' inspires US fashion brand's ad campaign
Penned by British writer E. L. James, the first book in the Fifty Shades series became an international phenomenon in 2011 and subsequent titles Fifty Shades Darker andFifty Shades Freed were just as popular.
Telling the story of a 21-year-old English literature student called Anastasia Steele and her kinky billionaire lover Christian Grey, Fifty Shades of Grey has now inspired Andrew Marc's creative director Chris Gbur.
Marc New York, a division of US luxury label Andrew Marc, is advertising for the first time this fall, choosing 2008 Miss Universe winner Dayana Mendoza and former Scottish rugby player Thom Evans to appear in the Fifty Shades style shoot.
Marc New York is known for its men's outerwear, knitwear, neckwear and accessories, while the women's collection includes outerwear, dresses, handbags and sunglasses. For the campaign Evans simply has a low hanging towel to protect his modesty, while Mendoza wears a slinky zipped down dress.
The news of the campaign comes shortly after UK tailors Norton & Townsend announced a menswear collection inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey's protagonist Christian, while earlier this year UK company Caroline Mickler Ltd announced that a line of beauty products, lingerie, jewelry, bedding and home furnishings inspired by the highly successful series is on the cards.
Penned by British writer E. L. James, the first book in the Fifty Shades series became an international phenomenon in 2011 and subsequent titles Fifty Shades Darker andFifty Shades Freed were just as popular.
Telling the story of a 21-year-old English literature student called Anastasia Steele and her kinky billionaire lover Christian Grey, Fifty Shades of Grey has now inspired Andrew Marc's creative director Chris Gbur.
Marc New York, a division of US luxury label Andrew Marc, is advertising for the first time this fall, choosing 2008 Miss Universe winner Dayana Mendoza and former Scottish rugby player Thom Evans to appear in the Fifty Shades style shoot.
Marc New York is known for its men's outerwear, knitwear, neckwear and accessories, while the women's collection includes outerwear, dresses, handbags and sunglasses. For the campaign Evans simply has a low hanging towel to protect his modesty, while Mendoza wears a slinky zipped down dress.
The news of the campaign comes shortly after UK tailors Norton & Townsend announced a menswear collection inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey's protagonist Christian, while earlier this year UK company Caroline Mickler Ltd announced that a line of beauty products, lingerie, jewelry, bedding and home furnishings inspired by the highly successful series is on the cards.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Africa Fashion Week London set to showcase designer talent
Africa Fashion Week London set to showcase designer talent
African fashion is booming. A new generation of designers are gaining recognition – both because of the sheer strength of their work and as a result of the continent’s rising fortunes.
Africa was once seen only as a source of inspiration for big brands – from Yves Saint Laurent’s landmark collection of raffia beaded dresses in 1967 to Burberry Prorsum’s wax prints for spring/summer 2012. But African designers are finding customers around the world and a thriving industry is growing around them.
Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) starts tomorrow. It’s in its second year and was the idea of Nigerian entrepreneur Ronke Ademiluyi. ‘My aim is to create more visibility for African designers and to create a one-stop shop for the public,’ she says. ‘We were expecting 500 people last year and almost 5,000 turned up. It was something people had clearly been waiting for.’
This year AFWL showcases 60 designers, including Adebayo Jones, known for his lavish evening and bridal wear, who will provide the gala finale. ‘As I was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent, I hope my participation will inspire young designers,’ he says. The best African designers balance global seasonal trends with an intelligent reimagining of indigenous fabrics and adornments. Ghana’s Aisha Obuobi launched Christie Brown in 2008 and has become Accra’s go-to girl for effortlessly feminine womenswear with detailing such as covered buttons, feathers and fringing. ‘My work is about the beauty of simplicity,’ she says.
Stiaan Louw creates menswear that reflects clashing cultures in his native South Africa. His affinity for cut and construction has matured since he started the brand in 2008 and his most recent Olympics-themed collection, Atletiek, features slim, sporty suiting. ‘I want to shift perceptions about male archetypes while creating a global African menswear aesthetic,’ he says. ‘Fashion has the power to inspire and transcend boundaries.’
With her label Maki Oh, Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe turns indigenous textiles into sensual pieces that evolve traditional dress practices. She launched in 2010 and her latest collection focuses on body-conscious silhouettes made from adire, an indigo-dyed patterned cloth. ‘I want to make Nigerians aware of their own fabrics, which are infused with meanings that have been passed down through generations,’ she says.
Jeffrey Kimathi, meanwhile, uses fibres of the baobab tree for his Jamhuri Wear luggage range.
Celebrities are also catching on. Kelis has worn Lagos label Jewel By Lisa, Solange Knowles is fan of Maki Oh and Michelle Obama is regularly seen wearing pieces by London-based Nigerian designer Duro Olowu.
Noisettes singer Shingai Shoniwa is an avid supporter of African fashion. ‘The rich colour palettes and vibrant attitude fit well with where the western world is at the moment. People are turning towards emerging markets. There’s a more confident generation taking risks,’ she says.
The African fashion industry still faces challenges. There’s a lack of formal fashion education, which means there are problems from pattern-cutting and styling to marketing and PR. There’s no continent-wide body to promote funding and poor infrastructure slows production and raises costs.
Olowu is optimistic. ‘The customer must have desire for the products on their own merit and only then will they ask: “Oh, where was this made?”’ he says. ‘There are a lot of talented African designers showing potential and that’s why the fashion world is looking very hard at Africa right now.’
African fashion is booming. A new generation of designers are gaining recognition – both because of the sheer strength of their work and as a result of the continent’s rising fortunes.
Africa was once seen only as a source of inspiration for big brands – from Yves Saint Laurent’s landmark collection of raffia beaded dresses in 1967 to Burberry Prorsum’s wax prints for spring/summer 2012. But African designers are finding customers around the world and a thriving industry is growing around them.
Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) starts tomorrow. It’s in its second year and was the idea of Nigerian entrepreneur Ronke Ademiluyi. ‘My aim is to create more visibility for African designers and to create a one-stop shop for the public,’ she says. ‘We were expecting 500 people last year and almost 5,000 turned up. It was something people had clearly been waiting for.’
This year AFWL showcases 60 designers, including Adebayo Jones, known for his lavish evening and bridal wear, who will provide the gala finale. ‘As I was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent, I hope my participation will inspire young designers,’ he says. The best African designers balance global seasonal trends with an intelligent reimagining of indigenous fabrics and adornments. Ghana’s Aisha Obuobi launched Christie Brown in 2008 and has become Accra’s go-to girl for effortlessly feminine womenswear with detailing such as covered buttons, feathers and fringing. ‘My work is about the beauty of simplicity,’ she says.
Stiaan Louw creates menswear that reflects clashing cultures in his native South Africa. His affinity for cut and construction has matured since he started the brand in 2008 and his most recent Olympics-themed collection, Atletiek, features slim, sporty suiting. ‘I want to shift perceptions about male archetypes while creating a global African menswear aesthetic,’ he says. ‘Fashion has the power to inspire and transcend boundaries.’
With her label Maki Oh, Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe turns indigenous textiles into sensual pieces that evolve traditional dress practices. She launched in 2010 and her latest collection focuses on body-conscious silhouettes made from adire, an indigo-dyed patterned cloth. ‘I want to make Nigerians aware of their own fabrics, which are infused with meanings that have been passed down through generations,’ she says.
Jeffrey Kimathi, meanwhile, uses fibres of the baobab tree for his Jamhuri Wear luggage range.
Celebrities are also catching on. Kelis has worn Lagos label Jewel By Lisa, Solange Knowles is fan of Maki Oh and Michelle Obama is regularly seen wearing pieces by London-based Nigerian designer Duro Olowu.
Noisettes singer Shingai Shoniwa is an avid supporter of African fashion. ‘The rich colour palettes and vibrant attitude fit well with where the western world is at the moment. People are turning towards emerging markets. There’s a more confident generation taking risks,’ she says.
The African fashion industry still faces challenges. There’s a lack of formal fashion education, which means there are problems from pattern-cutting and styling to marketing and PR. There’s no continent-wide body to promote funding and poor infrastructure slows production and raises costs.
Olowu is optimistic. ‘The customer must have desire for the products on their own merit and only then will they ask: “Oh, where was this made?”’ he says. ‘There are a lot of talented African designers showing potential and that’s why the fashion world is looking very hard at Africa right now.’
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Peter Nygard, Fashion Executive, Launches Peter Nygard For Life: Highlighting Nygard Charities and Fashion
Peter Nygard, Fashion Executive, Launches Peter Nygard For Life: Highlighting Nygard Charities and Fashion
Peter Nygård, a worldwide fashion mogul and owner of Nygård International and all of its different clothing divisions, hereby announces that he has launched a new all-encompassing Web site for visitors to view that will introduce them to all that Peter Nygård is about as a fashion executive and as a person.
Peter Nygård, a world-renowned fashion designer and business executive whose line of clothing has been available in retail outlets across the world for decades, hereby announces that he has launched a new Web site that will provide users with insight into several aspects of his life and his philanthropic and professional efforts. This Web site will include several different sections focusing on the latest Nygård clothing lines and Peter Nygård's passion for philanthropy.
Specifically, the new Peter Nygård Web site is located at the URL of http://www.peternygardforlife.com , and it includes biographical information that relates to the life of Peter Nygård, beginning with his birth in Finland, his move with his family to Canada when he was 9 years old, his educational background and of course his start in the fashion industry. The site features articles regarding the latest clothing lines from Nygård fashion and highlights various charitable activities that are dear to Peter Nygård.
These categories will include Peter Nygård News, where Web site visitors will be able to keep up with the latest stories that involve Mr. Nygård. There are also sections of news-related content that will provide users with updates specific to his fashion world efforts. These sections are called Latest Lines and The Runway.
Finally, given the amount of time and money that Peter Nygård has dedicated to different types of charities including sports teams in The Bahamas and breast cancer research, a channel on the Web site is included that covers the different specific charitable efforts that Mr. Nygård has made and continues to make in the future. These efforts will include those made by Mr. Nygård personally and those advanced by Nygård International.
About Peter Nygård
Peter Nygård is a fashion executive who started a company known as Nygård International. Since then, the company has grown into five different divisions and has a market reach across North America, Europe and other parts of the world. It has been said that Peter Nygård is larger than life, Mr. Nygård remains active within the world of philanthropy and is a supporter of breast cancer research and athletic teams in The Bahamas.
Peter Nygård, a worldwide fashion mogul and owner of Nygård International and all of its different clothing divisions, hereby announces that he has launched a new all-encompassing Web site for visitors to view that will introduce them to all that Peter Nygård is about as a fashion executive and as a person.
Peter Nygård, a world-renowned fashion designer and business executive whose line of clothing has been available in retail outlets across the world for decades, hereby announces that he has launched a new Web site that will provide users with insight into several aspects of his life and his philanthropic and professional efforts. This Web site will include several different sections focusing on the latest Nygård clothing lines and Peter Nygård's passion for philanthropy.
Specifically, the new Peter Nygård Web site is located at the URL of http://www.peternygardforlife.com , and it includes biographical information that relates to the life of Peter Nygård, beginning with his birth in Finland, his move with his family to Canada when he was 9 years old, his educational background and of course his start in the fashion industry. The site features articles regarding the latest clothing lines from Nygård fashion and highlights various charitable activities that are dear to Peter Nygård.
These categories will include Peter Nygård News, where Web site visitors will be able to keep up with the latest stories that involve Mr. Nygård. There are also sections of news-related content that will provide users with updates specific to his fashion world efforts. These sections are called Latest Lines and The Runway.
Finally, given the amount of time and money that Peter Nygård has dedicated to different types of charities including sports teams in The Bahamas and breast cancer research, a channel on the Web site is included that covers the different specific charitable efforts that Mr. Nygård has made and continues to make in the future. These efforts will include those made by Mr. Nygård personally and those advanced by Nygård International.
About Peter Nygård
Peter Nygård is a fashion executive who started a company known as Nygård International. Since then, the company has grown into five different divisions and has a market reach across North America, Europe and other parts of the world. It has been said that Peter Nygård is larger than life, Mr. Nygård remains active within the world of philanthropy and is a supporter of breast cancer research and athletic teams in The Bahamas.
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