Swing into autumn with 60s style fashion from Norwich’s vintage boutiques
While this season’s 1960s fashion revival isn’t a revolution of style as it was back when the mini skirt caused such a stir and girls and boys began to embrace being a teenager rather than copying the fashions of their parents, it is presenting a conundrum.
After a few season’s of mid-length hems on skirts and dresses, autumn’s 1960s revival is taking hemlines to new heights.
Shift dresses and pencil skirts are a few inches above the knee, yet the age of the midi skirt isn’t dead as many other looks this season include a mid-length skirt or two.
For those that love 1960s style in all its colour-popping glory, the puzzle over hem lengths is not puzzling at all. These people hate the mumsy midi length and are embracing getting their legs out with or without tights, depending on how you feel about their legs. It’s a look that should be balanced with a high neck top and simple accessories such as a pair of oversized sunglasses, a box bag and a pair of Mary Jane shoes.
The high street is mimicking 1960s style with mod-style shift dresses which can be worn with tights and boots to make them easier to wear, and pencil skirts which are at a more flattering knee-length and worn with a knitted jumper or a buttoned up blouse. But why not get a more original 1960s look by scouring the many vintage and retro shops and market stalls in Norwich. You could even mix and match your look between genuine 1960s pieces and the high street’s take on 1960s style to create a look that is unique to you.
Now that truly is embracing the swinging 1960s style.
See more pictures from our 1960s-inspired shoot and go behind the scenes in our photo galleries at the top right of this page and see today’s (Thursday September 27) Evening News for more pictures.
Don’t miss tomorrow’s Evening News for a fashion special as Emma Harrowing reports on what are the key trends from London Fashion Week.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Fashion goes to the dark side this season
Fashion goes to the dark side this season
After obsessions with metallics, jewel tones, nude and navy - in the words of the late great Amy Winehouse – this season we go back to black. Each fashion 'cosmopolis' grouped its designers’ collective interpretation at the Fall 2012 collections last spring.
New York put forward a hard-edged, modern-retro femme fatale at Jenny Packham, Donna Karan and Parabal Gurung; London looked to the future through the eyes of Christopher Kane, Topshop Unique and Stella McCartney’s Evening Collection; Milan’s Fendi, Versace and Dolce & Gabanna fostered an opulent warrior; Paris was awash with structured leather rogues at YSL, DW by Kanye West, Givenchy and Gareth Pugh.
The reinvention of black borrows from the recent colour-blocking trend – but this season it’s all about texture-blocking. Layering is the key to this trend: fur, silks, brocade, leather, snake and croc, chunky knits, jersey, PV, denim, tailored wool, velvet, sequins and lace for a one-tone look that ain’t one note.
The essence of the look is a strong woman protecting herself from the elements - be it fierce weather or economic conditions. The return of hard wearing animal skins in leather and fur shows a shift toward investment pieces that will weather many a storm.
Designers are smart to present valuable collections. The ‘fashion’ consumer has become prudent and is more likely to go up a price-tag scale for garments that will last more than a year or two. Fast fashion has followed suit and upped its game, increasingly using natural over synthetic fibres.
Italian high fashion goes all-out artisan this winter, employing master techniques in embroidery and tannery to make their designs difficult to reproduce at a budget price-point - thus adding prestige, and creating demand in the salivating luxury markets in Russia and China.
Celebrities are already on board with Lady Gaga leading the charge with fur, feather and leather looks in recent months on the global fashion parade that is her ‘Born This Way Ball Tour’. Fellow popstars Rihanna and Cheryl Cole have shown favour to mixed leather and jersey ensembles.
Valentino’s exquisite medieval cardinal cut-out leather and crochet gowns won’t be easily copied but are the big hit of the early Fall red carpets in New York, LA and Venice. And who could forget Angelina Jolie’s leg-baring black velvet Versace at the Oscars.
On a budget, the high street has everything a gal need to capture the black texture-blocked look – leather peplum top, sequined baseball t-shirt and metallic bow belt from H&M. Topshop’s skinny jeans and lace sweetheart jumper; ‘20s style lace and feather cocktail dress, Givenchy-esque spat boots, and Valentino inspired studded bags at Zara; Reiss cropped leather cape and the essential leather skirt; a Chanel-inspired boucle knit cardigan at Mango; a Savida black-on-black leopard pencil skirt at Dunnes Stores.
This is good news for those of us with a trunk full of black in the attic. A few smart accessory buys such as a snakeskin belt, velvet opera gloves and an oversized patent leather clutch will bring you up to speed.
For the black-addicts out there - whether you’re a femme fatale, a modern gothic warrior, the flying nun, or a hot guitarist from the ‘Addicted To Love’ video – you can be safe in the knowledge that this season, you’re in.
After obsessions with metallics, jewel tones, nude and navy - in the words of the late great Amy Winehouse – this season we go back to black. Each fashion 'cosmopolis' grouped its designers’ collective interpretation at the Fall 2012 collections last spring.
New York put forward a hard-edged, modern-retro femme fatale at Jenny Packham, Donna Karan and Parabal Gurung; London looked to the future through the eyes of Christopher Kane, Topshop Unique and Stella McCartney’s Evening Collection; Milan’s Fendi, Versace and Dolce & Gabanna fostered an opulent warrior; Paris was awash with structured leather rogues at YSL, DW by Kanye West, Givenchy and Gareth Pugh.
The reinvention of black borrows from the recent colour-blocking trend – but this season it’s all about texture-blocking. Layering is the key to this trend: fur, silks, brocade, leather, snake and croc, chunky knits, jersey, PV, denim, tailored wool, velvet, sequins and lace for a one-tone look that ain’t one note.
The essence of the look is a strong woman protecting herself from the elements - be it fierce weather or economic conditions. The return of hard wearing animal skins in leather and fur shows a shift toward investment pieces that will weather many a storm.
Designers are smart to present valuable collections. The ‘fashion’ consumer has become prudent and is more likely to go up a price-tag scale for garments that will last more than a year or two. Fast fashion has followed suit and upped its game, increasingly using natural over synthetic fibres.
Italian high fashion goes all-out artisan this winter, employing master techniques in embroidery and tannery to make their designs difficult to reproduce at a budget price-point - thus adding prestige, and creating demand in the salivating luxury markets in Russia and China.
Celebrities are already on board with Lady Gaga leading the charge with fur, feather and leather looks in recent months on the global fashion parade that is her ‘Born This Way Ball Tour’. Fellow popstars Rihanna and Cheryl Cole have shown favour to mixed leather and jersey ensembles.
Valentino’s exquisite medieval cardinal cut-out leather and crochet gowns won’t be easily copied but are the big hit of the early Fall red carpets in New York, LA and Venice. And who could forget Angelina Jolie’s leg-baring black velvet Versace at the Oscars.
On a budget, the high street has everything a gal need to capture the black texture-blocked look – leather peplum top, sequined baseball t-shirt and metallic bow belt from H&M. Topshop’s skinny jeans and lace sweetheart jumper; ‘20s style lace and feather cocktail dress, Givenchy-esque spat boots, and Valentino inspired studded bags at Zara; Reiss cropped leather cape and the essential leather skirt; a Chanel-inspired boucle knit cardigan at Mango; a Savida black-on-black leopard pencil skirt at Dunnes Stores.
This is good news for those of us with a trunk full of black in the attic. A few smart accessory buys such as a snakeskin belt, velvet opera gloves and an oversized patent leather clutch will bring you up to speed.
For the black-addicts out there - whether you’re a femme fatale, a modern gothic warrior, the flying nun, or a hot guitarist from the ‘Addicted To Love’ video – you can be safe in the knowledge that this season, you’re in.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
London Fashion Week: the trends from spring/summer 2013
London Fashion Week: the trends from spring/summer 2013
If the fashion catwalk cameo at the closing ceremony of the Olympics underwhelmed, it was because it represented everything that British fashion no longer is. It isn't - give or take a few international fashion editors - pompous. It isn't, apart from a few, best-ignored, designers, bombastic. It doesn't take itself too seriously and the models, on the whole, are troopers trying to make a living, not spoilt divas who haven't yet twigged that out-of-control egos are very last-decade. If we have a USP, it is, as Mulberry's creative director Emma Hill said, following the Mulberry blockbuster yesterday at Claridge's "a sense of humour. You don't need to tamper with things too much. Our natural style is very cool."
Related articles
New York Fashion Week: the trends from spring/summer 2013
London Fashion Week: Erdem spring/summer 2013 in pictures
READ: London Fashion Week spring/summer 2013 latest
But without wit and playfulness, cool becomes painfully tedious. Whether it's the crazy-but-inspired clashing prints of designers such as Clements Ribeiro, Preen and Mary Katrantzou, or the boffinish invention of Erdem, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, with their gung-ho approach to synthetics, holograms, neon lace and patent, and mixing them all together, as this week proved, British fashion is now an Olympic-level sport. I'm not only referring to Jessica Ennis, who was front row at Mulberry, or Victoria Pendleton and Andy Murray who were at Burberry. Exports are up, admittedly from a modest baseline, despite a hellish retail climate in much of the world, and waiting times are down. Shows run disconcertingly on time. Or they do in fashion-speak. They're still about 15 minutes late, but that's an incidental. In Paris, it's 40 minutes minimum. This matters. Like the Olympics, London Fashion Week is a global platform that allows us to show what we can do, not just creatively, but technically and organisationally.
IN PICTURES: London Fashion Week spring/summer 2013: Celebrities on the front row
We can do quite a lot, it seems. You used to be able to rely on three or four names delivering the design goods. Now there are probably 15 or so, plus a bunch who don't deliver anything much - but that's a given in any fashion capital. Venues are plush, when they're not car parks. Front rows are no longer adorned solely with Big Brother contestants and, somehow, sponsorship continues to prop up the more hand-to-mouth designers… but why am I doing a sales pitch?
It isn't like this in New York. At NYFW, American journalists roll their eyes at the banality of many of the designers on their schedule. In Milan, Italian newspaper journalists watch the shows with a mixture of boredom and befuddlement (they don't do specialists in Italy; next week they'll be covering a motor show or be on royal-nipple alert). As for Paris, it's so secure in its position at the epicentre of catwalk fashion and luxury that if the tumbrils are rolling up those cobbled streets, no one can be bothered to listen.
London can't quite shake off the sense that it's an underdog. Not even when its bigger shows are packed with the international buyers and editors who, only a few seasons ago, bypassed the city altogether. Everyone becomes patriotic to the point of partisanship.
In the interests of objective appraisal, what we don't have much of at London Fashion Week is conventional sexiness. Apart from Antonio Berardi (or Roland Mouret who shows in Paris), British designers like to scoot around sex, preferring to flirt with androgyny, eccentricity or playing the kook card. Nothing wrong with that. It would be mind-sappingly depressing if all our designers churned out bandage dresses and trophy-wife baubles. They don't and that's why our designers will never sell as much as Roberto Cavalli or even Azzedine Alaïa. And it's why a behemoth such as Harrods, one of the most successful department stores in the world, has a relatively small stock of British labels. Sex, as William and Kate learnt this week, beats out everything else in the commercial stakes. British designers know that. The fact that they continue to view fashion as something more than - as Katharine Hamnett famously put it - clothes to get laid in, makes them all the more valuable.
If the fashion catwalk cameo at the closing ceremony of the Olympics underwhelmed, it was because it represented everything that British fashion no longer is. It isn't - give or take a few international fashion editors - pompous. It isn't, apart from a few, best-ignored, designers, bombastic. It doesn't take itself too seriously and the models, on the whole, are troopers trying to make a living, not spoilt divas who haven't yet twigged that out-of-control egos are very last-decade. If we have a USP, it is, as Mulberry's creative director Emma Hill said, following the Mulberry blockbuster yesterday at Claridge's "a sense of humour. You don't need to tamper with things too much. Our natural style is very cool."
Related articles
New York Fashion Week: the trends from spring/summer 2013
London Fashion Week: Erdem spring/summer 2013 in pictures
READ: London Fashion Week spring/summer 2013 latest
But without wit and playfulness, cool becomes painfully tedious. Whether it's the crazy-but-inspired clashing prints of designers such as Clements Ribeiro, Preen and Mary Katrantzou, or the boffinish invention of Erdem, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, with their gung-ho approach to synthetics, holograms, neon lace and patent, and mixing them all together, as this week proved, British fashion is now an Olympic-level sport. I'm not only referring to Jessica Ennis, who was front row at Mulberry, or Victoria Pendleton and Andy Murray who were at Burberry. Exports are up, admittedly from a modest baseline, despite a hellish retail climate in much of the world, and waiting times are down. Shows run disconcertingly on time. Or they do in fashion-speak. They're still about 15 minutes late, but that's an incidental. In Paris, it's 40 minutes minimum. This matters. Like the Olympics, London Fashion Week is a global platform that allows us to show what we can do, not just creatively, but technically and organisationally.
IN PICTURES: London Fashion Week spring/summer 2013: Celebrities on the front row
We can do quite a lot, it seems. You used to be able to rely on three or four names delivering the design goods. Now there are probably 15 or so, plus a bunch who don't deliver anything much - but that's a given in any fashion capital. Venues are plush, when they're not car parks. Front rows are no longer adorned solely with Big Brother contestants and, somehow, sponsorship continues to prop up the more hand-to-mouth designers… but why am I doing a sales pitch?
It isn't like this in New York. At NYFW, American journalists roll their eyes at the banality of many of the designers on their schedule. In Milan, Italian newspaper journalists watch the shows with a mixture of boredom and befuddlement (they don't do specialists in Italy; next week they'll be covering a motor show or be on royal-nipple alert). As for Paris, it's so secure in its position at the epicentre of catwalk fashion and luxury that if the tumbrils are rolling up those cobbled streets, no one can be bothered to listen.
London can't quite shake off the sense that it's an underdog. Not even when its bigger shows are packed with the international buyers and editors who, only a few seasons ago, bypassed the city altogether. Everyone becomes patriotic to the point of partisanship.
In the interests of objective appraisal, what we don't have much of at London Fashion Week is conventional sexiness. Apart from Antonio Berardi (or Roland Mouret who shows in Paris), British designers like to scoot around sex, preferring to flirt with androgyny, eccentricity or playing the kook card. Nothing wrong with that. It would be mind-sappingly depressing if all our designers churned out bandage dresses and trophy-wife baubles. They don't and that's why our designers will never sell as much as Roberto Cavalli or even Azzedine Alaïa. And it's why a behemoth such as Harrods, one of the most successful department stores in the world, has a relatively small stock of British labels. Sex, as William and Kate learnt this week, beats out everything else in the commercial stakes. British designers know that. The fact that they continue to view fashion as something more than - as Katharine Hamnett famously put it - clothes to get laid in, makes them all the more valuable.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Fashion Star Winner Kara Laricks on Surviving Fashion Week
Fashion Star Winner Kara Laricks on Surviving Fashion Week
As New York shovels up the Fashion Week embers around town after the onslaught, The Observer still has a few loose ends. One thing we wanted to know in all the ruckus was how the new comers had fared.
Kara Laricks, the winner of NBC reality show Fashion Star, is certainly a new face in the crowded sea of designers. Under the tutelage design mentors Jessica Simpson, John Varvatos and Nicole Richie, Ms. Laricks convinced the buyers’ judging panel from H&M, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue that her creations were worthy of the $6m capsule collection award. The show was a hit: Nielsen TV Ratings Data reported 4.81 million viewers for the finale, and NBC has already renewed Fashion Star for a second season and begun casting. We caught up with Ms. Laricks after her first presentation at Runway@Pier 57 last week to get all the buzz about her début. Were her masculine-feminine-meets-1920s-Japanese matchbox looks a triumph or did she she fall flat?
What did it feel like to finally present your first bona fide fashion week presentation?
I felt vulnerable! In the past, if my collection was not well received, I was under the protective wing of The Academy of Art University, NBC, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, H&M … this time, the pressure was all on me. However, there was never any question as to whether or not I would continue designing post Fashion Star and I knew “sticking my neck out there” would be worth the risk no matter what the response. Now that my first collection has been shown at New York fashion week and the reviews are rolling in, I feel exhilarated, proud and accomplished. Can’t wait for the next!
Any dramas or disasters leading up to the big day?
Of course – wouldn’t be fashion without a little bit of drama … one of my models was stuck at a Calvin Klein fitting until minutes before my presentation – thank goodness for my talented (and speedy) hair and makeup team.
What did you do to keep calm?
I am always amazed when people remark that I appear calm, as I am usually a ball of nerves on the inside. However, I instantly calm down when I pause and take a look around at all of the incredible people who support me.
So now that Fashion Star is over, what has been your biggest struggles?
Putting together my first collection hasn’t been a steep learning curve, but a right angle. For the first time, I have had to figure out how to produce an entire line, secure PR, a venue, models and the list goes on. The biggest challenge is keeping my fans and consumers informed of the process. Fans of Fashion Star were used to seeing a garment one evening and buying it the following day. In the “real” world, it takes six months to develop a collection, show the collection to buyers and take orders—then add on another six months for production and delivery to stores. It’s tough not to get the people what they want when they want it!
Are you still tight with the cast?
Absolutely! Nzimiro, Nikki, Sarah and Edmond were at my presentation, cheering me on. I also received well wishes from the rest of the cast that wasn’t able to be there. I had no idea a reality competition would turn into real friends, real support and real dreams come true.
What’s one thing you absolutely hate about fashion week?
The fact that when I am presenting my own collection, I do not have time too see other designers’ work—I am still catching up— so grateful for Style.com!
As New York shovels up the Fashion Week embers around town after the onslaught, The Observer still has a few loose ends. One thing we wanted to know in all the ruckus was how the new comers had fared.
Kara Laricks, the winner of NBC reality show Fashion Star, is certainly a new face in the crowded sea of designers. Under the tutelage design mentors Jessica Simpson, John Varvatos and Nicole Richie, Ms. Laricks convinced the buyers’ judging panel from H&M, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue that her creations were worthy of the $6m capsule collection award. The show was a hit: Nielsen TV Ratings Data reported 4.81 million viewers for the finale, and NBC has already renewed Fashion Star for a second season and begun casting. We caught up with Ms. Laricks after her first presentation at Runway@Pier 57 last week to get all the buzz about her début. Were her masculine-feminine-meets-1920s-Japanese matchbox looks a triumph or did she she fall flat?
What did it feel like to finally present your first bona fide fashion week presentation?
I felt vulnerable! In the past, if my collection was not well received, I was under the protective wing of The Academy of Art University, NBC, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, H&M … this time, the pressure was all on me. However, there was never any question as to whether or not I would continue designing post Fashion Star and I knew “sticking my neck out there” would be worth the risk no matter what the response. Now that my first collection has been shown at New York fashion week and the reviews are rolling in, I feel exhilarated, proud and accomplished. Can’t wait for the next!
Any dramas or disasters leading up to the big day?
Of course – wouldn’t be fashion without a little bit of drama … one of my models was stuck at a Calvin Klein fitting until minutes before my presentation – thank goodness for my talented (and speedy) hair and makeup team.
What did you do to keep calm?
I am always amazed when people remark that I appear calm, as I am usually a ball of nerves on the inside. However, I instantly calm down when I pause and take a look around at all of the incredible people who support me.
So now that Fashion Star is over, what has been your biggest struggles?
Putting together my first collection hasn’t been a steep learning curve, but a right angle. For the first time, I have had to figure out how to produce an entire line, secure PR, a venue, models and the list goes on. The biggest challenge is keeping my fans and consumers informed of the process. Fans of Fashion Star were used to seeing a garment one evening and buying it the following day. In the “real” world, it takes six months to develop a collection, show the collection to buyers and take orders—then add on another six months for production and delivery to stores. It’s tough not to get the people what they want when they want it!
Are you still tight with the cast?
Absolutely! Nzimiro, Nikki, Sarah and Edmond were at my presentation, cheering me on. I also received well wishes from the rest of the cast that wasn’t able to be there. I had no idea a reality competition would turn into real friends, real support and real dreams come true.
What’s one thing you absolutely hate about fashion week?
The fact that when I am presenting my own collection, I do not have time too see other designers’ work—I am still catching up— so grateful for Style.com!
Monday, September 17, 2012
LIZ JONES FASHION THERAPY
LIZ JONES FASHION THERAPY
There has been a chill wind buffeting the fash pack at London Fashion Week these past few days. Everyone is talking about the sales blip at Burberry, when only a season or so ago, in a giant Perspex marquee, it had seemed the brand could do no wrong.
Christopher Bailey will be showing his collection for next spring this afternoon, and for the first time in years he must be feeling a little nervous.
I also wonder how long this expensive circus can continue. It’s cripplingly expensive for the designers to stage, and for the increasingly beleaguered glossy magazine press to travel to in such numbers. No wonder important shows like Emilia Wickstead and Maria Grachvogel had so many empty seats, and barely an A-list editor between them. Most shows are streamed live over the internet anyway.
But it would be a shame if this four-ring circus of New York, London, Milan and Paris were to disappear completely, if only for the fact I would miss gawping at the clothes worn not just in the front row but by all the bloggers standing at the back.
When I arrived at Fashion Week HQ, Somerset House, I found myself alongside a woman in a cape made from a carpet, and a man wearing a yellow crown. My most worrying moment, though, was when I was almost barred from the DAKS show (lovely, with lots of cream, and the traditional DAKS check) first thing on Saturday morning.
‘No dogs allowed,’ said the security man. At first I thought he meant me, but then realised he meant my border collie. Phew.
M y favourite collections so far have been the super-luxe dresses with tiny waists and full skirts (made from a heavy silk seersucker) at Emilia Wickstead, a woman who really should be conscripted to dress the Duchess of Cambridge full time.
Strong, too, was the very young, very colourful collection by Moschino’s diffusion line, Cheap & Chic: all embellished orange trouser suits and shorts — the sort of clothes Topshop should be doing, rather than becoming too tasteful and grown up (the direction it seems to be heading in now it has British
Vogue’s former fashion editor, Kate Phelan, at the helm).
Topshop’s Sunday show was just too sober. Too much Vogue, not enough naughty mischief! Do teenage girls really want an oversize mannish trouser suit? The black-and-white floral dress would look great on a granny!
Never mind allowing shoppers to mix and match catwalk items on the internet, I imagine shoppers will be customising these clothes, adding scribbles and that all-important colour. Or just tuning in and turning off altogether . . .
Matthew Williamson’s 15th anniversary show, at which he launched his first shoe collection (12 styles that are flat, mid, high and strappy, and, of course, embellished), was inspired by India. It was all jewel colours, intricate beading, and pieces dip-dyed or covered in an explosion of powdered paint.
Williamson once only dressed the beautiful people in Ibiza, but now his clothes are much more: red carpet gowns like delirious hankies, sharp jackets and sexy cocktail dresses, though where you’d wear the jewelled olive biker jacket over a spangled swimsuit is anyone’s guess.
The invitation to Temperley London said: ‘Return to Elegance’ — and that is exactly what we got. Fresh from launching her triumphant diffusion line at John Lewis, Alice Temperley showed a collection that wasn’t suitable for work, or sexy enough for a date, but did feature some very Fifties, Hepburn-style dresses, with panels of sheer organza, that only need the wearer to add a yacht.
The message is clear: girls, we all need to rediscover our waists.
Vivienne Westwood showed her sanest collection in years: it was also very Fifties housewife, with demure wigs, and even grey streaking models’ hair. The dresses were deliciously draped, topped with the weirdest make-up all week: entirely green or pink faces.
Taking her bow in a spangled beanie hat, Westwood erected a banner calling for the end of global warming. How a fashion designer can preach to the rest of us is beyond me.
John Rocha, who presents fabulously wearable collections year in, year out, even departed from his usual monochrome and showed colourful millefeuille dresses lightened with sheer organza, in the most exquisite palette I’ve seen all week: pale lavender, ice blue and sugar pink.
There has been a chill wind buffeting the fash pack at London Fashion Week these past few days. Everyone is talking about the sales blip at Burberry, when only a season or so ago, in a giant Perspex marquee, it had seemed the brand could do no wrong.
Christopher Bailey will be showing his collection for next spring this afternoon, and for the first time in years he must be feeling a little nervous.
I also wonder how long this expensive circus can continue. It’s cripplingly expensive for the designers to stage, and for the increasingly beleaguered glossy magazine press to travel to in such numbers. No wonder important shows like Emilia Wickstead and Maria Grachvogel had so many empty seats, and barely an A-list editor between them. Most shows are streamed live over the internet anyway.
But it would be a shame if this four-ring circus of New York, London, Milan and Paris were to disappear completely, if only for the fact I would miss gawping at the clothes worn not just in the front row but by all the bloggers standing at the back.
When I arrived at Fashion Week HQ, Somerset House, I found myself alongside a woman in a cape made from a carpet, and a man wearing a yellow crown. My most worrying moment, though, was when I was almost barred from the DAKS show (lovely, with lots of cream, and the traditional DAKS check) first thing on Saturday morning.
‘No dogs allowed,’ said the security man. At first I thought he meant me, but then realised he meant my border collie. Phew.
M y favourite collections so far have been the super-luxe dresses with tiny waists and full skirts (made from a heavy silk seersucker) at Emilia Wickstead, a woman who really should be conscripted to dress the Duchess of Cambridge full time.
Strong, too, was the very young, very colourful collection by Moschino’s diffusion line, Cheap & Chic: all embellished orange trouser suits and shorts — the sort of clothes Topshop should be doing, rather than becoming too tasteful and grown up (the direction it seems to be heading in now it has British
Vogue’s former fashion editor, Kate Phelan, at the helm).
Topshop’s Sunday show was just too sober. Too much Vogue, not enough naughty mischief! Do teenage girls really want an oversize mannish trouser suit? The black-and-white floral dress would look great on a granny!
Never mind allowing shoppers to mix and match catwalk items on the internet, I imagine shoppers will be customising these clothes, adding scribbles and that all-important colour. Or just tuning in and turning off altogether . . .
Matthew Williamson’s 15th anniversary show, at which he launched his first shoe collection (12 styles that are flat, mid, high and strappy, and, of course, embellished), was inspired by India. It was all jewel colours, intricate beading, and pieces dip-dyed or covered in an explosion of powdered paint.
Williamson once only dressed the beautiful people in Ibiza, but now his clothes are much more: red carpet gowns like delirious hankies, sharp jackets and sexy cocktail dresses, though where you’d wear the jewelled olive biker jacket over a spangled swimsuit is anyone’s guess.
The invitation to Temperley London said: ‘Return to Elegance’ — and that is exactly what we got. Fresh from launching her triumphant diffusion line at John Lewis, Alice Temperley showed a collection that wasn’t suitable for work, or sexy enough for a date, but did feature some very Fifties, Hepburn-style dresses, with panels of sheer organza, that only need the wearer to add a yacht.
The message is clear: girls, we all need to rediscover our waists.
Vivienne Westwood showed her sanest collection in years: it was also very Fifties housewife, with demure wigs, and even grey streaking models’ hair. The dresses were deliciously draped, topped with the weirdest make-up all week: entirely green or pink faces.
Taking her bow in a spangled beanie hat, Westwood erected a banner calling for the end of global warming. How a fashion designer can preach to the rest of us is beyond me.
John Rocha, who presents fabulously wearable collections year in, year out, even departed from his usual monochrome and showed colourful millefeuille dresses lightened with sheer organza, in the most exquisite palette I’ve seen all week: pale lavender, ice blue and sugar pink.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Green Is Great For Fashion Week Designers
Green Is Great For Fashion Week Designers
Livia, the wife of Colin Firth, has been extolling the benefits of eco-fashion for the last few years.
She and her journalist friend Lucy Siegle are the brains behind the Green Carpet Challenge.
This saw Livia wearing sustainable designs to star-studded events while her husband was in the running for an Oscar for both A Single Man and The King's Speech.
She also managed to persuade a host of A-listers including Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Cameron Diaz to do the same.
Her latest initiative is The Green Cut which celebrates the best of fashion, film and sustainability, bringing together the British Fashion Council and the British Film Institute for the first time.
She worked with American Express and eight fashion designers, each of whom used a classic film as the inspiration for their design.
Livia told Sky News the success of her eco-project had exceeded all her expectations.
She said: "Obviously my three passions in life are cinema, fashion and sustainability.
"What's happened in the space of three years and what happened for this in the space of two months has been incredible - I would never have dreamed it."
Alice Temperley is one of the eight designers who took part, and she was inspired by the film Velvet Goldmine.
"I got involved in the project because Livia asked," Alice explained.
"She discussed it about two years ago and I thought it was a great project to bring awareness that people should consider their footprint on the industry.
"Then she asked me to do this dress, and it was a really fun project to find out where things come from and how to source in that way.
"It's actually more complicated than you think.
"Tiny, tiny fragments in a material can bar it from being an eco-fabric, so I think it's a really good learning curve to be able to make dresses like this out of eco-fabrics."
Livia, the wife of Colin Firth, has been extolling the benefits of eco-fashion for the last few years.
She and her journalist friend Lucy Siegle are the brains behind the Green Carpet Challenge.
This saw Livia wearing sustainable designs to star-studded events while her husband was in the running for an Oscar for both A Single Man and The King's Speech.
She also managed to persuade a host of A-listers including Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Cameron Diaz to do the same.
Her latest initiative is The Green Cut which celebrates the best of fashion, film and sustainability, bringing together the British Fashion Council and the British Film Institute for the first time.
She worked with American Express and eight fashion designers, each of whom used a classic film as the inspiration for their design.
Livia told Sky News the success of her eco-project had exceeded all her expectations.
She said: "Obviously my three passions in life are cinema, fashion and sustainability.
"What's happened in the space of three years and what happened for this in the space of two months has been incredible - I would never have dreamed it."
Alice Temperley is one of the eight designers who took part, and she was inspired by the film Velvet Goldmine.
"I got involved in the project because Livia asked," Alice explained.
"She discussed it about two years ago and I thought it was a great project to bring awareness that people should consider their footprint on the industry.
"Then she asked me to do this dress, and it was a really fun project to find out where things come from and how to source in that way.
"It's actually more complicated than you think.
"Tiny, tiny fragments in a material can bar it from being an eco-fabric, so I think it's a really good learning curve to be able to make dresses like this out of eco-fabrics."
Friday, September 14, 2012
Venus unveils fashion line, joining others
Venus unveils fashion line, joining others
Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley said it's no surprise athletes from Tony Hawk to David Beckham to Maria Sharapova are jumping into the fashion world.
"This is a way for them to express themselves because they normally are just seen in the uniforms they wear," said Rowley, who has written books on fashion and has appeared as a fashion judge on TV. "A lot of them have great ideas and great style. I think fashion should be about having fun, and these athletes do."
On Wednesday, tennis star Venus Williams debuted the latest collection of her clothing line EleVen at New York Fashion Week.
Williams, who has an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, stuck to her sporting roots by having several athletes model her clothing line.
"I really don't know why all of us athletes are doing [this]. I just know that I went to school and I love design," Williams said. "I try to make a difference in things. This is a big show but I wasn't nervous."
New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire, who had a line of clothing last year and is working on his next one, said dressing well provides confidence and energy for the day.
"Fashion reflects who you are, so you need to have a passion if you want to do this," Stoudemire said. "My mom is a former model and designer, so I grew up watching her. And that rubbed off on me. Seems like all of us athletes are now into it."
Playbook asked ESPN the Magazine fashion expert Samantha Rubin to give us her thoughts on her favorite lines by athletes:
RUBIN'S TAKE
David Beckham: Body Wear, aka underwear for H&M.
Comment: Considering Beckham is known as being the premier stylish athlete, I was a bit surprised that it was really only a line of underwear and basics. The items do reflect his sense of style, minimal and classic. Hopefully, next time, he’ll venture into sportswear.
Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley said it's no surprise athletes from Tony Hawk to David Beckham to Maria Sharapova are jumping into the fashion world.
"This is a way for them to express themselves because they normally are just seen in the uniforms they wear," said Rowley, who has written books on fashion and has appeared as a fashion judge on TV. "A lot of them have great ideas and great style. I think fashion should be about having fun, and these athletes do."
On Wednesday, tennis star Venus Williams debuted the latest collection of her clothing line EleVen at New York Fashion Week.
Williams, who has an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, stuck to her sporting roots by having several athletes model her clothing line.
"I really don't know why all of us athletes are doing [this]. I just know that I went to school and I love design," Williams said. "I try to make a difference in things. This is a big show but I wasn't nervous."
New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire, who had a line of clothing last year and is working on his next one, said dressing well provides confidence and energy for the day.
"Fashion reflects who you are, so you need to have a passion if you want to do this," Stoudemire said. "My mom is a former model and designer, so I grew up watching her. And that rubbed off on me. Seems like all of us athletes are now into it."
Playbook asked ESPN the Magazine fashion expert Samantha Rubin to give us her thoughts on her favorite lines by athletes:
RUBIN'S TAKE
David Beckham: Body Wear, aka underwear for H&M.
Comment: Considering Beckham is known as being the premier stylish athlete, I was a bit surprised that it was really only a line of underwear and basics. The items do reflect his sense of style, minimal and classic. Hopefully, next time, he’ll venture into sportswear.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Fashion mash-up: Maria Pinto finds inspiration in Field Museum artifacts
Fashion mash-up: Maria Pinto finds inspiration in Field Museum artifacts
Museums have always been part of my respite,” fashion designer Maria Pinto says while walking to the Field Museum’s conservation laboratory, where items are examined, documented, photographed and prepared for exhibition.
These days, museums are also part of her resume. Opening Sept. 14, the exhibit “Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto” features 25 Field Museum artifacts alongside eight of Pinto’s own designs.
The exhibition grew out of a lecture in 2010. The museum’s John Nuveen Curator in Anthropology, Alaka Wali, approached Pinto about speaking to the women’s board. The discussion featured Pinto’s own designs alongside body-related museum artifacts — chosen by Pinto not because of any scientific reasoning, but simply because each inspired her.
The discussion was a success. It made Wali want something more permanent.
Two years later, Pinto heads inside the conservation laboratory to inspect artifacts before they get installed in her exhibit. She gestures to details on a Sudanese ceremonial sword, its baby crocodile case sheathing the weapon as if swallowing it from blade tip to handle.
Pinto plans to display the sword alongside a crocodile-skin armor vest from Cameroon, an ancient Japanese gauntlet and a hippo-skin shield from Ethiopia.
“We’re spoiled as designers these days,” Pinto notes about readily available materials, “but these cultures used what they had, and created such beauty.”
Pinto took great pains in choosing each piece in the show. She dug through the museum’s collections — all securely stored in a giant vault — and photographed items she enjoyed. As part of her editing process, she storyboarded them like a fashion collection.
“If it was up to me, we’d have 300 pieces,” says Pinto, her chestnut eyes lighting up. “Editing was so hard. I can’t always explain what I chose — it was subconscious.”
The armor display will also contain one of Pinto’s creations — a deep emerald green alpaca jacket with horn buttons from her fall 2009 collection. The coat to a women’s suit, it emulates a cavalry frock with buttons stacked in a long, precise vertical row.
“I’ve always considered what we wear as a kind of armor,” Pinto says. “Because of that I’m attracted to things that are literally armor.”
“The craftsmanship in Maria’s work is amazing, even under a microscope,” notes conservationist Shelley Paine, who inspects each object and keeps it safe while on display for 10 long months. “We all have that piece [of Pinto’s] we want to run away with,” she adds with a grin.
While Pinto’s work is a natural fit for the history museum, the exhibition style is wholly unique.
“I wanted music that takes [the artifacts] out of the context of history,” Pinto says, “contemporary but not clubby.”
Add dramatic dim lighting (also a necessity due to the light-sensitive artifacts) and a veritable fashion show emerges: Seven groupings of wearable items, including two cases of accessories, top gray custom mounts (“white is too clinical,” Pinto says ).
Compelling objects include a seal-intestine raincoat (“you want to wear it,” Pinto notes); a Brazilian ensemble made from bark; and Pinto’s shearling pants displayed next to shearling Inuit hot pants. There’s an artifact from every content except Europe, and many are on display for the first time.
As for what she hopes viewers get out of it: “I want them to say ‘This is very different from what I’ve seen at the Field.’ ” And, markedly, from the fashion world. “Fashion is over after you do it. At the end of the day it’s done. You move on. You can’t move on fast enough.” Pinto notes with relief, “This is different.”
Museums have always been part of my respite,” fashion designer Maria Pinto says while walking to the Field Museum’s conservation laboratory, where items are examined, documented, photographed and prepared for exhibition.
These days, museums are also part of her resume. Opening Sept. 14, the exhibit “Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto” features 25 Field Museum artifacts alongside eight of Pinto’s own designs.
The exhibition grew out of a lecture in 2010. The museum’s John Nuveen Curator in Anthropology, Alaka Wali, approached Pinto about speaking to the women’s board. The discussion featured Pinto’s own designs alongside body-related museum artifacts — chosen by Pinto not because of any scientific reasoning, but simply because each inspired her.
The discussion was a success. It made Wali want something more permanent.
Two years later, Pinto heads inside the conservation laboratory to inspect artifacts before they get installed in her exhibit. She gestures to details on a Sudanese ceremonial sword, its baby crocodile case sheathing the weapon as if swallowing it from blade tip to handle.
Pinto plans to display the sword alongside a crocodile-skin armor vest from Cameroon, an ancient Japanese gauntlet and a hippo-skin shield from Ethiopia.
“We’re spoiled as designers these days,” Pinto notes about readily available materials, “but these cultures used what they had, and created such beauty.”
Pinto took great pains in choosing each piece in the show. She dug through the museum’s collections — all securely stored in a giant vault — and photographed items she enjoyed. As part of her editing process, she storyboarded them like a fashion collection.
“If it was up to me, we’d have 300 pieces,” says Pinto, her chestnut eyes lighting up. “Editing was so hard. I can’t always explain what I chose — it was subconscious.”
The armor display will also contain one of Pinto’s creations — a deep emerald green alpaca jacket with horn buttons from her fall 2009 collection. The coat to a women’s suit, it emulates a cavalry frock with buttons stacked in a long, precise vertical row.
“I’ve always considered what we wear as a kind of armor,” Pinto says. “Because of that I’m attracted to things that are literally armor.”
“The craftsmanship in Maria’s work is amazing, even under a microscope,” notes conservationist Shelley Paine, who inspects each object and keeps it safe while on display for 10 long months. “We all have that piece [of Pinto’s] we want to run away with,” she adds with a grin.
While Pinto’s work is a natural fit for the history museum, the exhibition style is wholly unique.
“I wanted music that takes [the artifacts] out of the context of history,” Pinto says, “contemporary but not clubby.”
Add dramatic dim lighting (also a necessity due to the light-sensitive artifacts) and a veritable fashion show emerges: Seven groupings of wearable items, including two cases of accessories, top gray custom mounts (“white is too clinical,” Pinto says ).
Compelling objects include a seal-intestine raincoat (“you want to wear it,” Pinto notes); a Brazilian ensemble made from bark; and Pinto’s shearling pants displayed next to shearling Inuit hot pants. There’s an artifact from every content except Europe, and many are on display for the first time.
As for what she hopes viewers get out of it: “I want them to say ‘This is very different from what I’ve seen at the Field.’ ” And, markedly, from the fashion world. “Fashion is over after you do it. At the end of the day it’s done. You move on. You can’t move on fast enough.” Pinto notes with relief, “This is different.”
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Fashion Week NYC: Jonas Bros Party at Marc Jacobs, Paula Abdul Talks Runway Remixes
Fashion Week NYC: Jonas Bros Party at Marc Jacobs, Paula Abdul Talks Runway Remixes
New York Fashion week continues to heat up with sexy spring collections and even sexier front row celebrities. See which stars -- from Paula Abdul to the Jonas Brothers -- made their rounds on Monday (Sept. 10), stopping by shows like Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia, and more.
Chris Benz
Chris Benz mixed a bold color palette with an ultra-feminine edge at his spring 2013 presentation. Bright floral slip dresses and vintage-inspired blazers spoke to a free flowing and effortless spring to come.
Kelly Osbourne made her rounds at the show in a gorgeous Chris Benz original retro dress with bright orange detailing on the shoulders. Paula Abdul also stunned in a black and fuchsia dress by the designer as she casually strutted around the audience.
We caught up with the former "X Factor" and "Idol" judge to talk NYFW at the show. "Fashion week is great because it's a departure for me from what I do," Abdul told Billboard. "It is great to take a break from what I do and to see such masterful talent and inspiring fashion. There are so many great designers here!"
As DJ Mike Nouveau was spinning Tiny Tim in the background, Abdul commented on the music at the show. "I've always wanted to hear Tiny Tim in the background of a fashion show -- I feel like it goes together. It's a little bazaar though. My music taste is all over the map. My playlist is everything from Jay-Z to old-school R&B. It always puts me in a good mood to listen to Stevie Wonder."
If her music was played at NYFW, Abdul would want it to "definitely" be remixed versions. "Like with a Tiny Tim-ish beat," she added.
Alice + Olivia
Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet created a celebratory, retro-tinged collection for spring 2013. The fun, frisky collection ranged from classic dresses with '50s silhouettes to elaborate creations featuring feathers and embroidery.
Natasha Bedingfield popped by to check out Alice + Olivia's party gal style, wearing a bright green sheer top with a black bra underneath, wide leg black pant, oversized patent leather belt and a subtle gold necklace. Natalia Kills also attended the presentation, wearing a fuchsia blazer and shirt with oversized black sunglasses.
Marc Jacobs
From the opening riffs of the Fall's "Copped It," it was clear that Marc Jacobs' spring collection would have an air of punk to it. Gray, maroon and taupe hues saturated the spring collection, which was comprised of knee-length skirts, suits, and tops with ruffled collars. More conservative that other collections, Jacobs' spring 2013 line was almost as classic as the reoccurring vertical stripe motif. But don't be fooled by the conservative line -- there was something deeper and much more sexual happening at Jacobs' show. Low riding skirts and pants delicately revealed models' midriffs, redefining modern day sex appeal.
New York Fashion week continues to heat up with sexy spring collections and even sexier front row celebrities. See which stars -- from Paula Abdul to the Jonas Brothers -- made their rounds on Monday (Sept. 10), stopping by shows like Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia, and more.
Chris Benz
Chris Benz mixed a bold color palette with an ultra-feminine edge at his spring 2013 presentation. Bright floral slip dresses and vintage-inspired blazers spoke to a free flowing and effortless spring to come.
Kelly Osbourne made her rounds at the show in a gorgeous Chris Benz original retro dress with bright orange detailing on the shoulders. Paula Abdul also stunned in a black and fuchsia dress by the designer as she casually strutted around the audience.
We caught up with the former "X Factor" and "Idol" judge to talk NYFW at the show. "Fashion week is great because it's a departure for me from what I do," Abdul told Billboard. "It is great to take a break from what I do and to see such masterful talent and inspiring fashion. There are so many great designers here!"
As DJ Mike Nouveau was spinning Tiny Tim in the background, Abdul commented on the music at the show. "I've always wanted to hear Tiny Tim in the background of a fashion show -- I feel like it goes together. It's a little bazaar though. My music taste is all over the map. My playlist is everything from Jay-Z to old-school R&B. It always puts me in a good mood to listen to Stevie Wonder."
If her music was played at NYFW, Abdul would want it to "definitely" be remixed versions. "Like with a Tiny Tim-ish beat," she added.
Alice + Olivia
Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet created a celebratory, retro-tinged collection for spring 2013. The fun, frisky collection ranged from classic dresses with '50s silhouettes to elaborate creations featuring feathers and embroidery.
Natasha Bedingfield popped by to check out Alice + Olivia's party gal style, wearing a bright green sheer top with a black bra underneath, wide leg black pant, oversized patent leather belt and a subtle gold necklace. Natalia Kills also attended the presentation, wearing a fuchsia blazer and shirt with oversized black sunglasses.
Marc Jacobs
From the opening riffs of the Fall's "Copped It," it was clear that Marc Jacobs' spring collection would have an air of punk to it. Gray, maroon and taupe hues saturated the spring collection, which was comprised of knee-length skirts, suits, and tops with ruffled collars. More conservative that other collections, Jacobs' spring 2013 line was almost as classic as the reoccurring vertical stripe motif. But don't be fooled by the conservative line -- there was something deeper and much more sexual happening at Jacobs' show. Low riding skirts and pants delicately revealed models' midriffs, redefining modern day sex appeal.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Fashion fit for a first lady
Fashion fit for a first lady
Rubbishing the old adage about girls who wear glasses, Reese accessorised her ethereal and colourful spring-summer 2013 collection with the kind of old-school, oversized spectacles typically sported by bad-boy photographer Terry Richardson.
As for the clothes, there was lots of layering, featuring light-coloured biker jackets with minimal detailing donned over loose-fitting shirts worn over fluid miniskirts or trousers.
It was a collection from the 48-year-old African-American designer sure to please not only the US first lady, who appeared in a Tracy Reese dress to speak at the Democratic National Convention last week, but also her daughters.
"I was really inspired by juxtapositions," Reese said backstage. "The fabric is where we started, and there were so many wonderful fabrics offered for spring, so I was playing with organic fabrics as well as technical fabrics."
It was chock-a-block with shows by some of the biggest names in US fashion design, including Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Thakoon Panichgul.
GALLERY: New York Fashion Week
Victoria Beckham sent out a sumptuous collection: "We focused on texture this year more than on colour," she said after her show at the New York Public Library, noting her use of chiffon and graphic lace that she paired at times with Manolo Blahnik flat sandals.
"The collection is versatile, modern, and there is an ease about it. "There isn't a thing out there that I wouldn't wear myself," Beckham said.
Rubbishing the old adage about girls who wear glasses, Reese accessorised her ethereal and colourful spring-summer 2013 collection with the kind of old-school, oversized spectacles typically sported by bad-boy photographer Terry Richardson.
As for the clothes, there was lots of layering, featuring light-coloured biker jackets with minimal detailing donned over loose-fitting shirts worn over fluid miniskirts or trousers.
It was a collection from the 48-year-old African-American designer sure to please not only the US first lady, who appeared in a Tracy Reese dress to speak at the Democratic National Convention last week, but also her daughters.
"I was really inspired by juxtapositions," Reese said backstage. "The fabric is where we started, and there were so many wonderful fabrics offered for spring, so I was playing with organic fabrics as well as technical fabrics."
It was chock-a-block with shows by some of the biggest names in US fashion design, including Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Thakoon Panichgul.
GALLERY: New York Fashion Week
Victoria Beckham sent out a sumptuous collection: "We focused on texture this year more than on colour," she said after her show at the New York Public Library, noting her use of chiffon and graphic lace that she paired at times with Manolo Blahnik flat sandals.
"The collection is versatile, modern, and there is an ease about it. "There isn't a thing out there that I wouldn't wear myself," Beckham said.
Monday, September 10, 2012
BEAUTY & FASHION
BEAUTY & FASHION
Tracy Reese capitalised on her high-profile sartorial relationship with First Lady Michelle Obama with a sparkling New York fashion week show Sunday that paid homage to every woman's inner nerd.
Rubbishing the old adage about girls who wear glasses, Reese accessorised her ethereal and colorful spring-summer 2013 with the kind of old-school, oversized spectacles typically sported by bad-boy photographer Terry Richardson.
As for the clothes, there was lots of layering, with light-colored biker jackets with minimal detailing donned over loose-fitting shirts worn in turn over fluid miniskirts or trousers.
It was a collection from the 48-year-old African-American designer sure to please not only the US first lady, who appeared in a Tracy Reese dress to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, but also her daughters.
"I was really inspired by juxtapositions," Reese told AFP backstage, explaining her latest creations.
"The fabric is where we started, and there were so many wonderful fabrics offered for spring from all of our favorite (textile) mills, so I was playing with organic fabrics as well as technical fabrics," she added.
"And I wanted to mash up prints, embroideries and beaded designs to create a look that was fresh and unique. But most importantly, the clothes had to be comfortable, versatile and have a lot of ease so that they're super-easy for our customers to wear and enjoy."
Asked about that Obama dress, Reese said: "She looks amazing in our things -- and in everybody else's things, for that matter... and it was an amazing speech... It was, all in all, just one of the best experiences of my life."
Sunday was chock-a-block with shows by some of the biggest names in American fashion design, including Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Thakoon Panichgul.
Thakoon described the shapes in his latest collection as "very 60s inspired."
"I loved the simplicity of a good heavy cotton dress from the 60s," the Thai-American designer said in a backstage interview. "Something that is so simple but yet so architectural and beautiful -- that's what I love."
Like so many designers this season, Thakoon made generous use of leather -- not a material one normally associates with summertime -- mixing it with embroideries and cottons.
"For me, leather is an armour -- it protects, but at the same time, it has a lot of softness," said French expat designer Catherine Malandrino, whose own Paris-meets-New York collection included several white leather looks.
Totally avoiding leather Sunday evening was perennial crowdpleaser Zang Toi whose sophisticated and shamelessly romantic gowns, minidresses, trouser suits and gowns floated down the runway in pastel blues and pinks.
He built his show around a tale of French Riviera love affair, according to the notes he gave -- together with lollipops -- to his celebrity guests. Some looks brought Grace Kelly to mind, others the Gay Nineties.
One "ice pink" gown seemed like it stepped off the top of a wedding cake.
Earlier Sunday, Victoria Beckham sent out a sumptuous collection that proved again that her career in fashion design is no flash in the Spice Girl pan.
"We focused on texture this year more than on color," she said after her show at the New York Public Library that features shoes -- including flat sandals -- by Manolo Blahnik.
"The collection is versatile, modern, and there is an ease about it," she said, as her soccer star husband David Beckham held their year-old daughter Harper in his arms. "There isn't a thing out there that I wouldn't wear myself."
Tracy Reese capitalised on her high-profile sartorial relationship with First Lady Michelle Obama with a sparkling New York fashion week show Sunday that paid homage to every woman's inner nerd.
Rubbishing the old adage about girls who wear glasses, Reese accessorised her ethereal and colorful spring-summer 2013 with the kind of old-school, oversized spectacles typically sported by bad-boy photographer Terry Richardson.
As for the clothes, there was lots of layering, with light-colored biker jackets with minimal detailing donned over loose-fitting shirts worn in turn over fluid miniskirts or trousers.
It was a collection from the 48-year-old African-American designer sure to please not only the US first lady, who appeared in a Tracy Reese dress to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, but also her daughters.
"I was really inspired by juxtapositions," Reese told AFP backstage, explaining her latest creations.
"The fabric is where we started, and there were so many wonderful fabrics offered for spring from all of our favorite (textile) mills, so I was playing with organic fabrics as well as technical fabrics," she added.
"And I wanted to mash up prints, embroideries and beaded designs to create a look that was fresh and unique. But most importantly, the clothes had to be comfortable, versatile and have a lot of ease so that they're super-easy for our customers to wear and enjoy."
Asked about that Obama dress, Reese said: "She looks amazing in our things -- and in everybody else's things, for that matter... and it was an amazing speech... It was, all in all, just one of the best experiences of my life."
Sunday was chock-a-block with shows by some of the biggest names in American fashion design, including Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Thakoon Panichgul.
Thakoon described the shapes in his latest collection as "very 60s inspired."
"I loved the simplicity of a good heavy cotton dress from the 60s," the Thai-American designer said in a backstage interview. "Something that is so simple but yet so architectural and beautiful -- that's what I love."
Like so many designers this season, Thakoon made generous use of leather -- not a material one normally associates with summertime -- mixing it with embroideries and cottons.
"For me, leather is an armour -- it protects, but at the same time, it has a lot of softness," said French expat designer Catherine Malandrino, whose own Paris-meets-New York collection included several white leather looks.
Totally avoiding leather Sunday evening was perennial crowdpleaser Zang Toi whose sophisticated and shamelessly romantic gowns, minidresses, trouser suits and gowns floated down the runway in pastel blues and pinks.
He built his show around a tale of French Riviera love affair, according to the notes he gave -- together with lollipops -- to his celebrity guests. Some looks brought Grace Kelly to mind, others the Gay Nineties.
One "ice pink" gown seemed like it stepped off the top of a wedding cake.
Earlier Sunday, Victoria Beckham sent out a sumptuous collection that proved again that her career in fashion design is no flash in the Spice Girl pan.
"We focused on texture this year more than on color," she said after her show at the New York Public Library that features shoes -- including flat sandals -- by Manolo Blahnik.
"The collection is versatile, modern, and there is an ease about it," she said, as her soccer star husband David Beckham held their year-old daughter Harper in his arms. "There isn't a thing out there that I wouldn't wear myself."
Saturday, September 8, 2012
S.F. Fashion’s Night Out: Not just for ladies
S.F. Fashion’s Night Out: Not just for ladies
Another Fashion’s Night Out has come and gone in San Francisco, but it wasn’t just a ladies’ night. This year there were more menswear happenings in and around Union Square than ever before, which is just as it should be in a city filled with men looking to advance themselves sartorially. Here’s a wrap-up of some of my favorite men’s and men’s inclusive events of the night.
1) Neiman Marcus- 150 Stockton Street
The Neiman Marcus men’s basement had the usual luxury goods (and the usual FNO deejay spinning tunes from the musical “Chicago,” but it was menswear designer Antonio Luna’s collection in person on the second floor that really caught the eye. Showing pieces for the fall inspired by “the structure and softness of police and military uniforms in Belize” Luna’s mix of wools, cotton canvas and baby soft Italian leather were a highlight of the evening. Juxtaposing the sharp lines of his lapels with rounded shoulders and long, tunic styles with short, matador jackets the Belize influence was infinitely wearable with unexpected details (bold zipper hardware, double sleeves) delighting upon discovery. Luna, a 2012 graduate of the Academy of Art University and recipient of their 2009 Presidential Scholarship, hails from Guadalajara originally and continues to live and work in San Francisco.
2) Marc Jacobs- 125 Maiden Lane
If there is one thing Marc Jacobs can be counted on, for it’s a stunning store setting. Champagne flowed, shoppers mingled and had the opportunity to be photographed in store against a garden-themed, glitter-bombed backdrop. There were some great everyday men’s pieces from the fall collection on display (fun equestrian caps, kicky metallic toed sneakers and accessories ruled the night) but the cheekiest, only-at-Marc Jacobs find was the “Muscle Marc” plushy-doll in the style of WWF merchandise circa 1992. If you’ve ever wanted to take home Marc Jacobs, here’s your chance!
3) John Varvatos-152 Geary Street
“Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” You know, I know, but the question was still the theme at the designer’s Geary Street boutique. After a couple Patron “Varvatosaritas” or “Simply Varvatos” cocktails it’s possible some of the guests forgot. With purchases of $200 or more (easily done, Varvatos’ dark hued, rock ‘n’ roll collections are always a great way to transition out of summer) you got to take home your very own “Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” T-shirt specially made for San Francisco’s Fashion’s Night Out.
4) Kurt Geiger- 250 Stockton St.
Another great bar (courtesy of Distillery 209) and tunes by Live 105′s Aaron Axelsen awaited at Kurt Geiger. The men’s side of the shoe store was just as packed as the women’s, and just as filled with eye-popping goodies from the company’s new “Pretty in Punk” collection. A 20% sale, raffles and the Lash Bar by Faux Lash had the store at capacity: This was easily the most crowded party in the Square. Hovering over the event was an enormous “shoe chandelier” that was likely one of the more Instagrammed displays of the night.
5) Ted Baker- 80 Grant Ave.
Ted Baker has gone fly fishing for the fall — the new “Tight Lines” collection is inspired by the traditional salutation fly fisherman greet one another with on angling adventures. All variety of tweeds, Baker’s signature seasonal linings featuring stags and rising trout and country weekend cuts (just in time for a new season of “Downton Abbey” theme parties) embellished by fly fishing lure lapel pins were on display at the Ted Baker party as well as the chance to win your very own fly fishing trip for two.
6) Barneys New York- 77 O’Farrell St.
We ended the night on the men’s floors at Barneys. During the champagne reception from 6-9, 10% of all purchases benefited the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for the equality of the LGBT community. Knowing that part of a purchase went to a worthy cause helped assauge a little of the guilt ogling the men’s shoe department brought on, especially the now trademark protected Louboutin spiked loafers.
Fashion’s Night Out just keeps getting better every year, Thanks, San Francisco, for not neglecting the men. We’re already looking forward to doing it again in 2013.
Another Fashion’s Night Out has come and gone in San Francisco, but it wasn’t just a ladies’ night. This year there were more menswear happenings in and around Union Square than ever before, which is just as it should be in a city filled with men looking to advance themselves sartorially. Here’s a wrap-up of some of my favorite men’s and men’s inclusive events of the night.
1) Neiman Marcus- 150 Stockton Street
The Neiman Marcus men’s basement had the usual luxury goods (and the usual FNO deejay spinning tunes from the musical “Chicago,” but it was menswear designer Antonio Luna’s collection in person on the second floor that really caught the eye. Showing pieces for the fall inspired by “the structure and softness of police and military uniforms in Belize” Luna’s mix of wools, cotton canvas and baby soft Italian leather were a highlight of the evening. Juxtaposing the sharp lines of his lapels with rounded shoulders and long, tunic styles with short, matador jackets the Belize influence was infinitely wearable with unexpected details (bold zipper hardware, double sleeves) delighting upon discovery. Luna, a 2012 graduate of the Academy of Art University and recipient of their 2009 Presidential Scholarship, hails from Guadalajara originally and continues to live and work in San Francisco.
2) Marc Jacobs- 125 Maiden Lane
If there is one thing Marc Jacobs can be counted on, for it’s a stunning store setting. Champagne flowed, shoppers mingled and had the opportunity to be photographed in store against a garden-themed, glitter-bombed backdrop. There were some great everyday men’s pieces from the fall collection on display (fun equestrian caps, kicky metallic toed sneakers and accessories ruled the night) but the cheekiest, only-at-Marc Jacobs find was the “Muscle Marc” plushy-doll in the style of WWF merchandise circa 1992. If you’ve ever wanted to take home Marc Jacobs, here’s your chance!
3) John Varvatos-152 Geary Street
“Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” You know, I know, but the question was still the theme at the designer’s Geary Street boutique. After a couple Patron “Varvatosaritas” or “Simply Varvatos” cocktails it’s possible some of the guests forgot. With purchases of $200 or more (easily done, Varvatos’ dark hued, rock ‘n’ roll collections are always a great way to transition out of summer) you got to take home your very own “Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” T-shirt specially made for San Francisco’s Fashion’s Night Out.
4) Kurt Geiger- 250 Stockton St.
Another great bar (courtesy of Distillery 209) and tunes by Live 105′s Aaron Axelsen awaited at Kurt Geiger. The men’s side of the shoe store was just as packed as the women’s, and just as filled with eye-popping goodies from the company’s new “Pretty in Punk” collection. A 20% sale, raffles and the Lash Bar by Faux Lash had the store at capacity: This was easily the most crowded party in the Square. Hovering over the event was an enormous “shoe chandelier” that was likely one of the more Instagrammed displays of the night.
5) Ted Baker- 80 Grant Ave.
Ted Baker has gone fly fishing for the fall — the new “Tight Lines” collection is inspired by the traditional salutation fly fisherman greet one another with on angling adventures. All variety of tweeds, Baker’s signature seasonal linings featuring stags and rising trout and country weekend cuts (just in time for a new season of “Downton Abbey” theme parties) embellished by fly fishing lure lapel pins were on display at the Ted Baker party as well as the chance to win your very own fly fishing trip for two.
6) Barneys New York- 77 O’Farrell St.
We ended the night on the men’s floors at Barneys. During the champagne reception from 6-9, 10% of all purchases benefited the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for the equality of the LGBT community. Knowing that part of a purchase went to a worthy cause helped assauge a little of the guilt ogling the men’s shoe department brought on, especially the now trademark protected Louboutin spiked loafers.
Fashion’s Night Out just keeps getting better every year, Thanks, San Francisco, for not neglecting the men. We’re already looking forward to doing it again in 2013.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Fashion's Night Out Boston freebies
Fashion's Night Out Boston freebies
Tonight is Boston's second official go-around for Fashion's Night Out and while you may have caught today's roundup of events in The Boston Globe, we're breaking it down a bit further for our digital friends. The evening's main draw is shopping and supporting local commerce with good cheer, great heels, and an open wallet, but while most participating shops are extending their hours and offering some incentive to shop, via discount or freebie with purchase, we know what you really want to know: What can you get/do for free?
Southie-based Rue La La's social team will be patrolling Newbury with Rue Recharge kits, featuring freshening towels from Bliss, bobby pins, band-aids and safety pins, tucked away in a branded plastic tumbler. Team Rue will also be setting up camp at Nanette Lepore (119 Newbury from 6-10 p.m.) where the cocktails, small bites, and door prizes will be flowing freely.
Newbury-newbie scott james (173 Newbury) will be handing out Bully Boy-fueled booze and Fashion Survival kits, which we're being told will have "an array of tools to spruce up for the night" along with a ticket to the Revere Hotel's FNO after-party at The Emerald Lounge (200 Stuart from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.)
The gals at Georgetown Cupcakes (83 Newbury) are handing out free "runway red" velvet FNO-themed cuppies to anyone who asks while Sweet (the 225 Newbury location) is doling out their sugar-rush-inducing frosting shots while screening fashion-inspired flicks. (They'll also be selling limited-edition "ready-to-eat" cupcakes designed by local talents: Daniela Corte, Michael De Paulo, and mike&ton for $4 a pop! Sweet!)
Hairo Wash and Blowdry (135 Newbury) will open their doors from 6-10 p.m. for complimentary quick styling (and "smoothing," we're told) and cotton candy. G20 Spa and Salon (278 Newbury) will also offer similar services to the first 30 through the door.
Madewell (329 Newbury) is luring folks in with the promise of a cupcakes and a braid bar, where skilled braiding pros (that's a real thing, trust us) will twist and turn an on-trend 'do gratis before (or after) you hit the shops.
In addition to screening the film version of Capote classic, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" at sundown, the Prudential Center is teaming up with Sephora to provide 10-minute mini makeovers for movie-goers.
As Go To It and the Globe mentioned, the two biggies of the night are inside Copley Place, featuring fashion from Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Vince, Elie Tahari, and Wolford, and at the Center Stage outside Joe's American Bar and Grill (181 Newbury), featuring fall looks from some of their Newbury neighbors.
Cafeteria is presenting what they're calling the "Moet Ice White Party," which will feature music by Hotflash and the English Tom Trio, accompanied by a fashion show by Dedham-based sportswear label, 47 Brand.
Life is Good's flagship (285 Newbury) is getting in the groove by hosting an outdoor fashion show, complete with games to be played and a live concert by Jamie Kent & the Options at 8:30 p.m., followed by Air Traffic Controller at 9:30 p.m.
Safar (235 Newbury) is hosting another "live photoshoot" with Scoozi, featuring the work of five aspiring designers outside their salon.
Kimpton Hotels is launching an extra-luxe pop-up street-level lounge at Exeter and Newbury where treats, eats, and sips will be on the house courtesy of Forum.
Finally, Boston Architectural College (320 Newbury) will host the Fashionable Fit Show with "FiveFinger" sports shoe brand, Vibram, and officially wins the most random partnership/event of the night.
Tonight is Boston's second official go-around for Fashion's Night Out and while you may have caught today's roundup of events in The Boston Globe, we're breaking it down a bit further for our digital friends. The evening's main draw is shopping and supporting local commerce with good cheer, great heels, and an open wallet, but while most participating shops are extending their hours and offering some incentive to shop, via discount or freebie with purchase, we know what you really want to know: What can you get/do for free?
Southie-based Rue La La's social team will be patrolling Newbury with Rue Recharge kits, featuring freshening towels from Bliss, bobby pins, band-aids and safety pins, tucked away in a branded plastic tumbler. Team Rue will also be setting up camp at Nanette Lepore (119 Newbury from 6-10 p.m.) where the cocktails, small bites, and door prizes will be flowing freely.
Newbury-newbie scott james (173 Newbury) will be handing out Bully Boy-fueled booze and Fashion Survival kits, which we're being told will have "an array of tools to spruce up for the night" along with a ticket to the Revere Hotel's FNO after-party at The Emerald Lounge (200 Stuart from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.)
The gals at Georgetown Cupcakes (83 Newbury) are handing out free "runway red" velvet FNO-themed cuppies to anyone who asks while Sweet (the 225 Newbury location) is doling out their sugar-rush-inducing frosting shots while screening fashion-inspired flicks. (They'll also be selling limited-edition "ready-to-eat" cupcakes designed by local talents: Daniela Corte, Michael De Paulo, and mike&ton for $4 a pop! Sweet!)
Hairo Wash and Blowdry (135 Newbury) will open their doors from 6-10 p.m. for complimentary quick styling (and "smoothing," we're told) and cotton candy. G20 Spa and Salon (278 Newbury) will also offer similar services to the first 30 through the door.
Madewell (329 Newbury) is luring folks in with the promise of a cupcakes and a braid bar, where skilled braiding pros (that's a real thing, trust us) will twist and turn an on-trend 'do gratis before (or after) you hit the shops.
In addition to screening the film version of Capote classic, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" at sundown, the Prudential Center is teaming up with Sephora to provide 10-minute mini makeovers for movie-goers.
As Go To It and the Globe mentioned, the two biggies of the night are inside Copley Place, featuring fashion from Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Vince, Elie Tahari, and Wolford, and at the Center Stage outside Joe's American Bar and Grill (181 Newbury), featuring fall looks from some of their Newbury neighbors.
Cafeteria is presenting what they're calling the "Moet Ice White Party," which will feature music by Hotflash and the English Tom Trio, accompanied by a fashion show by Dedham-based sportswear label, 47 Brand.
Life is Good's flagship (285 Newbury) is getting in the groove by hosting an outdoor fashion show, complete with games to be played and a live concert by Jamie Kent & the Options at 8:30 p.m., followed by Air Traffic Controller at 9:30 p.m.
Safar (235 Newbury) is hosting another "live photoshoot" with Scoozi, featuring the work of five aspiring designers outside their salon.
Kimpton Hotels is launching an extra-luxe pop-up street-level lounge at Exeter and Newbury where treats, eats, and sips will be on the house courtesy of Forum.
Finally, Boston Architectural College (320 Newbury) will host the Fashionable Fit Show with "FiveFinger" sports shoe brand, Vibram, and officially wins the most random partnership/event of the night.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Fashion's Night Out to rock Rye
Fashion's Night Out to rock Rye
Fashionistas, get ready! Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week returns to New York City on Thursday, and Fashion's Night Out, a one-night style extravaganza, will kick off the week-long event.
Looking to reinvigorate the spirit of shopping during an economic downturn, the concept for Fashion’s Night Out was conceived in 2009 by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. With more than 4,500 events featured last year in the United States alone, plus a presence in 18 other countries, you don’t have to be in Manhattan to take part in the action. This year, Westchester County will be in on the fun, too.
Angela Guitard, the owner of the upscale boutique, Angela’s, is spearheading her own festivities, bringing “fashion, excitement and fun to the town of Rye” (24 Purchase St., Rye; 914-481-5894; www.angelasinrye.com). In addition to Angela’s, 20 other Rye stores and eateries will be participating.
Guitard, who says she lives by the slogan emblazoned on her boutique’s front window, "love what you wear," will run the event, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Guests will be treated to an abundance of goodies and experiences that no fashion-forward local will want to miss: mini makeovers will be provided by celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert; cupcakes from 350º Classic Bakeshop and Champagne will be on hand; tickets to four of this season’s hottest Fashion Week shows — Rachel Zoe, Project Runway, Joy Cioci and Mara Hoffman — will be raffled off; and former NBA legend, Isaiah Thomas, will mix drinks as the guest bartender at Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Grill. In addition, there will be an opportunity to win coupons for up to 40 percent off items bought that night. A T-shirt and/or Fashion’s Night Out tote are included with every purchase.
According to the Fashion’s Night Out website (fashionsnightout.com), events will also take place in Scarsdale, Bronxville, White Plains, Mount Kisco, Yonkers and West Nyack. Check the site for participating stores and details.
Fashionistas, get ready! Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week returns to New York City on Thursday, and Fashion's Night Out, a one-night style extravaganza, will kick off the week-long event.
Looking to reinvigorate the spirit of shopping during an economic downturn, the concept for Fashion’s Night Out was conceived in 2009 by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. With more than 4,500 events featured last year in the United States alone, plus a presence in 18 other countries, you don’t have to be in Manhattan to take part in the action. This year, Westchester County will be in on the fun, too.
Angela Guitard, the owner of the upscale boutique, Angela’s, is spearheading her own festivities, bringing “fashion, excitement and fun to the town of Rye” (24 Purchase St., Rye; 914-481-5894; www.angelasinrye.com). In addition to Angela’s, 20 other Rye stores and eateries will be participating.
Guitard, who says she lives by the slogan emblazoned on her boutique’s front window, "love what you wear," will run the event, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Guests will be treated to an abundance of goodies and experiences that no fashion-forward local will want to miss: mini makeovers will be provided by celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert; cupcakes from 350º Classic Bakeshop and Champagne will be on hand; tickets to four of this season’s hottest Fashion Week shows — Rachel Zoe, Project Runway, Joy Cioci and Mara Hoffman — will be raffled off; and former NBA legend, Isaiah Thomas, will mix drinks as the guest bartender at Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Grill. In addition, there will be an opportunity to win coupons for up to 40 percent off items bought that night. A T-shirt and/or Fashion’s Night Out tote are included with every purchase.
According to the Fashion’s Night Out website (fashionsnightout.com), events will also take place in Scarsdale, Bronxville, White Plains, Mount Kisco, Yonkers and West Nyack. Check the site for participating stores and details.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Fashion chain, food maker hit the skids
Fashion chain, food maker hit the skids
WOMEN'S fashion chain Ojay and a convenience store food maker have been put in the hands of administrators, threatening hundreds of jobs and delivering a double blow to the shaky retail sector.
Only a day after Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed overall retail sales fell 0.8 per cent in July, the worst monthly result in nearly two years, Ojay and Australian Convenience Foods have added their names to the list of recently failed retail businesses.
Just as news broke of the collapse of Ojay, which has 22 stores, it was revealed that the directors of ACF had called in administrators, with the nation's biggest supplier of fresh ready-to-eat foods looking for a white knight to save it and its 400 full-time and casual staff.
ACF is privately owned and was backed by private equity firm CHAMP Ventures, which is believed to own about 75 per cent of the business along with directors and other partners. CHAMP Ventures would not comment.
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ACF supplied thousands of petrol stations, convenience stores and supermarkets.
Joint administrator Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte said the company had been losing money for at least 12 months and was in the midst of a corporate restructure when it decided to place the business in voluntary administration last Tuesday.
There was no bank debt, with the largest creditors consisting of staff and an invoice discounting finance group. Deloitte is seeking a buyer for the business.
''We are looking at the financial position of the business, we are continuing to trade the business and we are running a quick-sale process,'' Mr Strawbridge said.
ACF had annual sales of about $75 million.
Meanwhile, Ojay became the latest in a long list of casualties in the retail sector. Ojay was founded in 1976 and has stores in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. It also sells its clothes in David Jones.
Joint administrator David Coyne, of Lowe Lippmann, said the company would meet its payroll commitments today, while two stores slated for closure before the administration were still set to shut.
The depth of Ojay's financial troubles is unclear, but it is not alone in the fashion world to be buckling under the weight of a stagnant economy and less consumer spending.
The retail sector has been hit with a wave of collapses, especially in fashion, including Brown Sugar, Bettina Liano, Ed Harry and Fletcher Jones. Fashion retailers have not been the only ones to struggle, with bookshops Borders and Angus & Robertson and confectionery company Darrell Lea also in trouble.
WOMEN'S fashion chain Ojay and a convenience store food maker have been put in the hands of administrators, threatening hundreds of jobs and delivering a double blow to the shaky retail sector.
Only a day after Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed overall retail sales fell 0.8 per cent in July, the worst monthly result in nearly two years, Ojay and Australian Convenience Foods have added their names to the list of recently failed retail businesses.
Just as news broke of the collapse of Ojay, which has 22 stores, it was revealed that the directors of ACF had called in administrators, with the nation's biggest supplier of fresh ready-to-eat foods looking for a white knight to save it and its 400 full-time and casual staff.
ACF is privately owned and was backed by private equity firm CHAMP Ventures, which is believed to own about 75 per cent of the business along with directors and other partners. CHAMP Ventures would not comment.
Advertisement
ACF supplied thousands of petrol stations, convenience stores and supermarkets.
Joint administrator Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte said the company had been losing money for at least 12 months and was in the midst of a corporate restructure when it decided to place the business in voluntary administration last Tuesday.
There was no bank debt, with the largest creditors consisting of staff and an invoice discounting finance group. Deloitte is seeking a buyer for the business.
''We are looking at the financial position of the business, we are continuing to trade the business and we are running a quick-sale process,'' Mr Strawbridge said.
ACF had annual sales of about $75 million.
Meanwhile, Ojay became the latest in a long list of casualties in the retail sector. Ojay was founded in 1976 and has stores in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. It also sells its clothes in David Jones.
Joint administrator David Coyne, of Lowe Lippmann, said the company would meet its payroll commitments today, while two stores slated for closure before the administration were still set to shut.
The depth of Ojay's financial troubles is unclear, but it is not alone in the fashion world to be buckling under the weight of a stagnant economy and less consumer spending.
The retail sector has been hit with a wave of collapses, especially in fashion, including Brown Sugar, Bettina Liano, Ed Harry and Fletcher Jones. Fashion retailers have not been the only ones to struggle, with bookshops Borders and Angus & Robertson and confectionery company Darrell Lea also in trouble.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Young Iraqis face religious fashion crackdown
Young Iraqis face religious fashion crackdown
For much of Iraq's youth, sporting blingy makeup, slicked-up hair and skintight jeans is just part of living the teenage dream. But for their elders, it's a nightmare.
A new culture rift is emerging in Iraq, as young women replace shapeless cover-ups with ankle-baring skirts and tight blouses, while men strut around in revealing slacks and spiky haircuts. The relatively skimpy styles have prompted Islamic clerics in at least two Iraqi cities to mobilize the "fashion police" in the name of protecting religious values.
"I see the way they (police) look at me - they don't like it," said Mayada Hamid, 32, wearing a pink leopard-print headscarf with jeans, a blue blouse and lots of sparkly eyeliner on Sunday in northern Baghdad.
She rolled her eyes. "It's just suppression." So far, though, there are no reports of the police actually taking action.
This is a conflict playing out across the Arab world, where conservative Islamic societies grapple with the effects of Western influence.
The violations of old Iraqi norms have grown especially egregious, religious officials say, since the Aug 20 end of Ramadan, Islam's holy month. In the last two weeks, posters and banners have been hanging along the streets of Kazimiyah, sternly reminding women to wear an abaya - a long, loose black cloak that covers the body from shoulders to feet.
Religious officials speculate young Iraqis got carried away in celebrating the end of Ramadan and now need to be reined in.
"We support personal freedoms, but there are places that have a special status," said Sheik Mazin Saadi, a Shiite cleric from Kazimiyah, home to the double gold-domed shrine that is one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites.
He said the area's residents lobbied Baghdad's local government to ban unveiled women from walking around the neighborhood, including its sprawling open-air market that attracts people from across Iraq.
"The women started to follow this order," Saadi said.
Government leaders in Baghdad say they've issued no such ban. "We think that wearing a veil for women in Iraq is a personal decision," said Sabar al-Saadi, chairman of the Baghdad provincial council's legal committee.
Muslim women generally wear headscarves or veils in public out of modesty, and female worshippers are required to wear an abaya or other loose robes in shrines and mosques.
But over the last several years, following the 2003 US-led invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Western styles have crept into Iraq's fashion palate. Form-fitting clothing, stylish shoes and men's edgy hairstyles are commonly seen on the street. Some younger women have even begun to forgo the hijab, or headscarf.
Their parents - and their grandparents - fear Western influence will drown out Iraq's centuries of culture and respect for religion.
"We as Iraqis do not respect our traditions," said Fadhil Jawad, 65, a gold seller near the Kazimiyah shrine. He estimated his profits have dropped by 10 percent in the last two weeks since authorities posted warnings about improper dress codes at the entrance to the market.
"Legs can be seen, there are low-cut shirts," Jawad said. "They should be given freedoms, but they should know their limits."
For much of Iraq's youth, sporting blingy makeup, slicked-up hair and skintight jeans is just part of living the teenage dream. But for their elders, it's a nightmare.
A new culture rift is emerging in Iraq, as young women replace shapeless cover-ups with ankle-baring skirts and tight blouses, while men strut around in revealing slacks and spiky haircuts. The relatively skimpy styles have prompted Islamic clerics in at least two Iraqi cities to mobilize the "fashion police" in the name of protecting religious values.
"I see the way they (police) look at me - they don't like it," said Mayada Hamid, 32, wearing a pink leopard-print headscarf with jeans, a blue blouse and lots of sparkly eyeliner on Sunday in northern Baghdad.
She rolled her eyes. "It's just suppression." So far, though, there are no reports of the police actually taking action.
This is a conflict playing out across the Arab world, where conservative Islamic societies grapple with the effects of Western influence.
The violations of old Iraqi norms have grown especially egregious, religious officials say, since the Aug 20 end of Ramadan, Islam's holy month. In the last two weeks, posters and banners have been hanging along the streets of Kazimiyah, sternly reminding women to wear an abaya - a long, loose black cloak that covers the body from shoulders to feet.
Religious officials speculate young Iraqis got carried away in celebrating the end of Ramadan and now need to be reined in.
"We support personal freedoms, but there are places that have a special status," said Sheik Mazin Saadi, a Shiite cleric from Kazimiyah, home to the double gold-domed shrine that is one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites.
He said the area's residents lobbied Baghdad's local government to ban unveiled women from walking around the neighborhood, including its sprawling open-air market that attracts people from across Iraq.
"The women started to follow this order," Saadi said.
Government leaders in Baghdad say they've issued no such ban. "We think that wearing a veil for women in Iraq is a personal decision," said Sabar al-Saadi, chairman of the Baghdad provincial council's legal committee.
Muslim women generally wear headscarves or veils in public out of modesty, and female worshippers are required to wear an abaya or other loose robes in shrines and mosques.
But over the last several years, following the 2003 US-led invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Western styles have crept into Iraq's fashion palate. Form-fitting clothing, stylish shoes and men's edgy hairstyles are commonly seen on the street. Some younger women have even begun to forgo the hijab, or headscarf.
Their parents - and their grandparents - fear Western influence will drown out Iraq's centuries of culture and respect for religion.
"We as Iraqis do not respect our traditions," said Fadhil Jawad, 65, a gold seller near the Kazimiyah shrine. He estimated his profits have dropped by 10 percent in the last two weeks since authorities posted warnings about improper dress codes at the entrance to the market.
"Legs can be seen, there are low-cut shirts," Jawad said. "They should be given freedoms, but they should know their limits."
Monday, September 3, 2012
Kelly Osbourne gives fashion tips for real women
Kelly Osbourne gives fashion tips for real women
But lately the 27-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, currently with violet hair after stints of pink, lilac and gray, has earned the title of certified fashionista, dishing the designer dirt with Joan Rivers and co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos after major Hollywood red carpets on E! ”Fashion Police.”
She also sat front row with Rivers at the Badgley Mischka show during the New York Fashion Week this past February.
”I’m in the process of branding, doing my own line. I will not just attach my name to something,” Osbourne said. ”I want to be a part of every aspect of it. I want to do everything on it and even down to like making sure I know where the clothes or items are being manufactured.”
Now she’s being tapped to kick off fashion-fueled events too, like this month’s The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.
While there Osbourne shared three things she learned walking the red carpet that she considers top everyday tips for real women:
Spray tans: ”It just gives you that golden glow, a bit of bronze, like you’ve been kissed by the sun,” Osbourne said. ”It makes you look slimmer and it makes you feel healthier. I always do that. I hate that I don’t have one now.”
Flatter that figure: ”Even if you’re a skinny girl, Spanx are a must,” Osbourne said, name-checking the shaping undergarments have become a red-carpet staple for women. ”Nobody wants to see your belly button through your dress.”
Pamper your feet: ”Always pack a pair of ballet flats in your handbag because by the end of the night your feet are killing you. You want to keep going but you can’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go home early because my feet hurt and I haven’t had a pair of shoes to change into. Don’t let your footwear ruin your good time,” she said.
And for those who must know what Osbourne was wearing in Chicago to meet with reporters last week: A long, flowing short-sleeved black dress with a rainbow leaf print by Issa (a British label that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has helped popularize) and a ring with a large purple stone and a jeweled leaf by Chanel.
But lately the 27-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, currently with violet hair after stints of pink, lilac and gray, has earned the title of certified fashionista, dishing the designer dirt with Joan Rivers and co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos after major Hollywood red carpets on E! ”Fashion Police.”
She also sat front row with Rivers at the Badgley Mischka show during the New York Fashion Week this past February.
”I’m in the process of branding, doing my own line. I will not just attach my name to something,” Osbourne said. ”I want to be a part of every aspect of it. I want to do everything on it and even down to like making sure I know where the clothes or items are being manufactured.”
Now she’s being tapped to kick off fashion-fueled events too, like this month’s The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.
While there Osbourne shared three things she learned walking the red carpet that she considers top everyday tips for real women:
Spray tans: ”It just gives you that golden glow, a bit of bronze, like you’ve been kissed by the sun,” Osbourne said. ”It makes you look slimmer and it makes you feel healthier. I always do that. I hate that I don’t have one now.”
Flatter that figure: ”Even if you’re a skinny girl, Spanx are a must,” Osbourne said, name-checking the shaping undergarments have become a red-carpet staple for women. ”Nobody wants to see your belly button through your dress.”
Pamper your feet: ”Always pack a pair of ballet flats in your handbag because by the end of the night your feet are killing you. You want to keep going but you can’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go home early because my feet hurt and I haven’t had a pair of shoes to change into. Don’t let your footwear ruin your good time,” she said.
And for those who must know what Osbourne was wearing in Chicago to meet with reporters last week: A long, flowing short-sleeved black dress with a rainbow leaf print by Issa (a British label that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has helped popularize) and a ring with a large purple stone and a jeweled leaf by Chanel.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Houston wraps up terrible month in fitting fashion with 9-3 loss to Cincinnati Reds
Houston wraps up terrible month in fitting fashion with 9-3 loss to Cincinnati Reds
Houston left-hander Fernando Abad was not about to chalk up Friday night’s rough outing to inexperience.
“I know how to control those situations,” a composed Abad said in Spanish after the Astros’ 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “Simply put, when you miss a pitch, if they miss, you’re good, but if they get to it, you pay the price.”On this night, he missed a few.
Abad’s latest outing lasted just 4 1-3 innings after the Reds roughed him up for six runs on nine hits, including two home runs.
“We tried to get him stretched out, but you know it’s about executing pitches,” Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said of Abad. “I think that’s our biggest problem, our command of the fastball, our breaking ball command. We’re making mistakes, and right now we’re not good enough to make mistakes.”
Zack Cozart gave Cincinnati an early lead with a two-run homer in the second, and Jay Bruce hit a three-run drive in the fifth for the Reds, who stretched their win streak to four.
The Astros got back-to-back home runs by Fernando Martinez and Matt Dominguez in the third inning to tie the game at 2, but the effort fell well short of helping the team avoid its sixth consecutive defeat.
Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI, and right-hander Mike Leake struck out six over six strong innings for Cincinnati, which leads the majors in wins with 81 and at 34-14 boast the best record since the All-Star break.
“I missed on some breaking balls,” said Abad, who picked up his second loss in as many outings.
Abad (0-2), who is making the transition after 81 major league appearances as a reliever, was making his first start since Aug. 25, when he went four innings in a 3-1 loss at the New York Mets.
Abad unraveled in the fourth. He allowed Cozart’s double off the left-field wall to start the inning.
Bruce cleared the bases with his 28th home run of the season to make it 6-2.
“That fifth inning, I think I made some good pitches, but they had some luck on their side, and with Bruce, I did make a mistake,” said Abad, who has started in the Dominican winter league. “That pitch sunk toward the middle of the plate, and he took advantage of it.”
Abad singled in the second inning for his first major league hit.
Martinez crushed a curveball from Leake to the right-field upper deck to begin the bottom of the third after falling behind the count 2-0.
Dominguez, who went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s loss to San Francisco, followed with his first major league home run, a towering shot to left field to tie the game.
“We were trying to give us a spark,” Dominguez said of the back-to-back homers.
Dominguez said he plans to give the home run ball to his parents.
“It was awesome,” Dominguez said. “To finally get one, it’s kind of a relief to get it out of the way.”
It was all the Astros would muster against Leake (7-8), who won his second straight in as many starts.
Miguel Cairo and Heisey drove in runs in the eighth for the Reds, both charged to Astros reliever Wesley Wright.
Brett Wallace doubled off Alfredo Simon and scored on a Jimmy Paredes sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to get the Astros within six.
NOTES: Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker didn’t rule out the possibility of Joey Votto rejoining the team this weekend. But Baker said he’d prefer Votto make his return from two surgical procedures on his left knee next week. Votto is currently on a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Dayton. ... Houston traded OF Ben Francisco to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later during the game. ... Astros SS Marwin Gonzalez will be out indefinitely after an MRI showed a torn ligament in his left ankle, which he injured in Thursday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. DeFrancesco said Gonzalez will not require surgery.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Houston left-hander Fernando Abad was not about to chalk up Friday night’s rough outing to inexperience.
“I know how to control those situations,” a composed Abad said in Spanish after the Astros’ 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “Simply put, when you miss a pitch, if they miss, you’re good, but if they get to it, you pay the price.”On this night, he missed a few.
Abad’s latest outing lasted just 4 1-3 innings after the Reds roughed him up for six runs on nine hits, including two home runs.
“We tried to get him stretched out, but you know it’s about executing pitches,” Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said of Abad. “I think that’s our biggest problem, our command of the fastball, our breaking ball command. We’re making mistakes, and right now we’re not good enough to make mistakes.”
Zack Cozart gave Cincinnati an early lead with a two-run homer in the second, and Jay Bruce hit a three-run drive in the fifth for the Reds, who stretched their win streak to four.
The Astros got back-to-back home runs by Fernando Martinez and Matt Dominguez in the third inning to tie the game at 2, but the effort fell well short of helping the team avoid its sixth consecutive defeat.
Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI, and right-hander Mike Leake struck out six over six strong innings for Cincinnati, which leads the majors in wins with 81 and at 34-14 boast the best record since the All-Star break.
“I missed on some breaking balls,” said Abad, who picked up his second loss in as many outings.
Abad (0-2), who is making the transition after 81 major league appearances as a reliever, was making his first start since Aug. 25, when he went four innings in a 3-1 loss at the New York Mets.
Abad unraveled in the fourth. He allowed Cozart’s double off the left-field wall to start the inning.
Bruce cleared the bases with his 28th home run of the season to make it 6-2.
“That fifth inning, I think I made some good pitches, but they had some luck on their side, and with Bruce, I did make a mistake,” said Abad, who has started in the Dominican winter league. “That pitch sunk toward the middle of the plate, and he took advantage of it.”
Abad singled in the second inning for his first major league hit.
Martinez crushed a curveball from Leake to the right-field upper deck to begin the bottom of the third after falling behind the count 2-0.
Dominguez, who went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s loss to San Francisco, followed with his first major league home run, a towering shot to left field to tie the game.
“We were trying to give us a spark,” Dominguez said of the back-to-back homers.
Dominguez said he plans to give the home run ball to his parents.
“It was awesome,” Dominguez said. “To finally get one, it’s kind of a relief to get it out of the way.”
It was all the Astros would muster against Leake (7-8), who won his second straight in as many starts.
Miguel Cairo and Heisey drove in runs in the eighth for the Reds, both charged to Astros reliever Wesley Wright.
Brett Wallace doubled off Alfredo Simon and scored on a Jimmy Paredes sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to get the Astros within six.
NOTES: Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker didn’t rule out the possibility of Joey Votto rejoining the team this weekend. But Baker said he’d prefer Votto make his return from two surgical procedures on his left knee next week. Votto is currently on a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Dayton. ... Houston traded OF Ben Francisco to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later during the game. ... Astros SS Marwin Gonzalez will be out indefinitely after an MRI showed a torn ligament in his left ankle, which he injured in Thursday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. DeFrancesco said Gonzalez will not require surgery.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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