Daily Fashion Juice
Monday, October 31, 2011

UnitedStyles Lets You Play Fashion Designer

Based in Shanghai, UnitedStyles is a Facebook Connect-enabled service that lets any user create customized women’s apparel, allowing them sketch out, adjust and share a design via an online interface and customized 3D preview (Note: Chinese users will have to use a VPN to login through Facebook).

Co-founder Marc van der Chijs tells me that his objective is to recreate the entire fashion design experience for Internet users, “It’s very strange that you cannot [already] design your own clothes online.”

The dominant business strategy in fashion is to guess months in advance what a customer will want and UnitedStyles wants to reverse this; “We change the fashion industry from a ‘push’ into a customer ‘pull’ model,” van der Chijs, who also founded the “Chinese YouTube” Tudou, explains, “Because of mass production, clothes have become cheaper but also less personalized. Tailors hardly exist anymore, or are considered too expensive.”

With UnitedStyles a user can replicate their own “tailored” experience, choosing from a variety of styles, prints, colors and shapes (There are several charts to check sizing). The company launches today with five styles, mainly tops and dresses but will be adding more variety asap.

UnitedStyles outsources all garment production to Chinese digital textile printers, and because it doesn’t create any of its own inventory it avoids the traditional fashion industry ill of surplus product. Users can buy customized creations for $49.95 for a top and between $79.95 and $99.95 for a dress and van der Chris hopes to reduce its current one month shipping times down to a week — In addition, the first 100 orders today will get free shipping.

When asked who their closest market competitor was, van der Chijs held that UnitedStyles was “totally new”; “There isn’t a lot of innovation in business models in fashion.” He emphasizes that what sets them apart from services like Disrupt applicant MadeToFitMe is that UnitedStyles completely focuses on creating the entire fashion design experience, “Size is part of the process, but not our key selling point.”

UnitedStyles plans on expanding into men’s clothing and further improving its user experience, eventually making it easier for people to mass design clothing, “We ultimately want people to have fun with design in fashion,” van der Chijs said.

Judges Q&A
Q: Who are your intended users? This seems very niche.
A: Fashion is niche, even Zara and HM have 2% of the market, so niche isn’t something we’re worried about.
Q: What about the digital textile production technique? Do you do all the printing?
A:The digital printing machine needs to be managed by people who are experts, so we outsource the digital printing.
Q: Is virality your main marketing strategy?
A: Yes.
Q: Where is your target market, China, America?
A: The fashion blogosphere.
Q: What is your production time?
A: One month.
Q: Do you think this is too long?
A: People are buying for the experience, not for the speed in receiving the product.

Daily Fashion Juice
Friday, October 28, 2011

A Rainy Night of Stars, and a Laurel

By CATHY HORYN

Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesDaphne Guinness at the Fashion Group International’s 28th annual Night of Stars at Cipriani Wall Street.

Thursday night was the Fashion Group’s annual party, at Cipriani Wall Street, a journey of 1,000 miles (it seemed). Everyone was packed into the former bank, unaware that in an hour or so we were going to be served this large, brown, rectangular hunk of ground lamb with a side of scalloped potatoes. I had just come from celebrating the season with a pumpkin pie bake-off at the office, so the lamb thing was a definite freakout, a no-go. Raf Simons, one of the evening’s honorees, made a tidy joke at the podium about the gravy stain on his tie. Awards were also given to Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Giambattista Valli, Andrew Rosen, Daphne Guinness, Lauren Bush and Wanda Ferragamo. Steve Sadove, the chairman of Saks Fifth Avenue, and Ronald Frasch, the store’s president, were the designated “superstars,” with Mr. Frasch making a funny speech about golf, competition and why he loves his job.

Evan Agostini/Agoev, via Associated PressGiambattista Valli, an honoree, posed with the actress Jessica Biel.

But I have to say that Simon Doonan, the party’s regular host, gets laurels for an opening speech about the individuals the industry lost to AIDS in the first years of the crisis. He mentioned, among many names, Willi Smith, Perry Ellis, Herb Ritts and the makeup artist Way Bandy. Mr. Doonan acknowledged that the subject was a bit left-field. But his purpose was to say that in 25 years, many of these people and their achievements are on the verge of being forgotten in the haze of distractions. They are certainly not known as well as they might be to a young generation, and Mr. Doonan’s appeal to the audience was simply to keep talking about them.

At the conclusion of the award-giving, Mr. Doonan returned to the stage and said the after-party would be held at Zuccotti Park. For a half-second, I thought some guests really believed him.

Daily Fashion Juice
Thursday, October 27, 2011

Heidi Klum's Halloween body suit and more costume ideas

"Project Runway's" Heidi Klum is known for her interesting Halloween costumes (among other things). This year she is planning one that's really different: A hand-painted body suit by designer Martin Izquierdo that looks like the inside of a body, with all the bones, organs and veins revealed. She plans to wear it to host a party this weekend in Las Vegas; she'll wear a different costume to a party in New York on Monday. [People] 
If you're still figuring out your own costume, Fashionista has some ideas for how to look like a fashion industry insider, with tips on turning yourself into the likes of Anna Della Russo, Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour (shown with Lagerfeld at left) Rachel Zoe (and her family), Scott Shumann or Garance Dore. Clever idea. I'm pretty sure, though, that most people wouldn't actually be able to guess who you're aping (unless Lagerfeld is your choice -- Chanel's creative director is unmistakable). [Fashionista]

The always busy Lagerfeld has signed a deal with Fossil Inc. to create a line of men's and women's watches to be sold under the Karl Lagerfeld label. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Retailer H&M has released some video from its commercial shoot promoting the new Versace capsule collection that's slated to go on sale in mid-November. In one scene, model Lindsey Wixson runs backward in a large spinning hamster wheel; in another, models are trained to march in line in a cage-like structure. [Telegraph]

Tamara Eccleston, 27-year-old daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Eccleston, really, really, really likes shoes. She showed Closer magazine around her closet, with its 100 pairs of Christian Louboutin heels, 15 pairs of Ugg boots and  20 pairs of sneakers -- among other things. Oh, and her "closet" is actually a spare room in her London apartment. [People] 

Maybe it would be cool to dress as her closet for Halloween ... go with paper cutouts of shoes taped all over your clothes. That's as close as I'll ever get to that number of Louboutins in this lifetime.
-- Susan Denley

Daily Fashion Juice
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Six Halloween Apps for Fun and Safety

With the increasing popularity of Halloween, there has come a surge in consumer spending on decorations, costumes and now apps.

From Apple to Android, smartphone owners can download Halloween apps that will do everything from helping them plan festivities for the holiday to keeping track of their kids while they trick or treat.

Here's a list of some of the most popular and useful Halloween apps for your Android or Apple device:

Apple

Halloween Costume Fashion Fun for Kids and Adults - This app provides a gallery of costumes to scroll through for your viewing pleasure. If you happen to like one, you can even purchase the costume through the app.

Fright Factory – If you're looking for a way to scare your friends and family, the Fright Factory app will do the trick for $1.99, USA Today reported. The apps official website says, "It's like having 4 FRIGHT APPS IN 1! Choose between the horrific Fright FX soundboard, optical illusion that will be sure to scare, a sound activated scare (iPhone only) or a strobe light with background."

Pumpkin Pops – If you find yourself bored this Halloween, download Pumpkin Pops to play. The PC Advisor website describes the free app as a Halloween-themed Tetris.

Carve It! – Kids of all ages can use their finger to carve and light up a pumpkin with this fun app. The 99 cent app is for kids ages 3 and up and their creation can also be sent to friends and family to help get them in a spooktakular mood.

Android

Trick or Tracker – Worried about your kids trick or treating alone? Android's Trick or Tracke r app allows parents to know where their children are collecting candy by sending them a text of their location. The Los Angeles Times explained that to use the app, parents must download it to both phones and set a password (each download is $4.99). Parents can also set up a "geofence" with the app to be alerted if their child ventures out of a specific area.

Halloween Planner – Throwing a big Halloween bash, but don't know where to begin? PC World listed this Halloween app for Android as a top download. It organizes everything that needs to be done for the party and reminds you of items you might forget – all for 99 cents.

Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season

Daily Fashion Juice
Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Fashion 2.0 | Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season

Lanvin Spoof Video | Source:

NEW YORK, United States — At BoF, we’ve been ranking the top fashion films of the season since 2009, when the genre was still just coming into existence. But even back then, set against the staggering rise of online video consumption and the growing importance of engaging young digital consumers, the medium’s tremendous potential was clear.

Fast-forward to the Autumn of 2011 and YouTube-friendly short videos are practically de rigueur for fashion brands, large and small. But interestingly, it’s not digital “Geniuses” like Burberry who have been creating the most compelling fashion films. Despite being labeled “Challenged” by a Digital IQ report recently released by LuxuryLab, we think the Prada Group is making some of the best digital films in the industry, working with top fashion image-maker Steven Meisel.

But this season, it was Lanvin’s viral sensation (also shot by Meisel), featuring Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmermann dancing awkwardly to “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” by Pitbull, that proved to be the game-changer that propelled fashion film decisively into the mainstream. The film struck a chord with a broad internet audience, earning over 100,000 YouTube views in the first three days online, providing the spark for a real-life dance competition at a buzzed about and well-attended Fashion’s Night Out event at the brand’s Madison Avenue boutique, and even spawning spoofs, the surest sign of of viral success.

Notably, it was stills from the Lanvin video that appeared in print advertising, flipping a well-established paradigm and highlighting fashion film’s trajectory towards the very centre of seasonal marketing initiatives.

And while we continued to see some absolutely stunning examples of films that look and feel like print campaigns or magazine editorial beautifully brought to life, it’s ‘digital first’ fashion videos, conceived from first principles with the online medium in mind, that broke the mold with humour, quirky charm or unconventional visual techniques which seemed to resonate most with online audiences.

What follows is BoF’s selection of the most powerful and interesting fashion films of the 2012 Spring-Summer season. As you sit back and enjoy the videos, let us know which ones you like best.

1. Lanvin Fall/Winter 2011 Ad Campaign
Dubbed “Park Avenue YouTube,” Lanvin’s tongue-in-cheek, fall campaign video — featuring top models Raquel Zimmermann and Karen Elson dancing uncomfortably in a chic apartment to Pitbull’s 2009 smash hit “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and a hilarious cameo by creative director Alber Elbaz — had just the right elements to drive explosive word of mouth amongst fashion fans across the internet, while perfectly communicating the distinctive personality of the Lanvin brand. Shattering the seriousness that has often prevented fashion film from resonating with a broader audience, the Steven Meisel-shot video has already earned almost a million cumulative views on YouTube, been shared hundreds of thousands of times on Facebook, and inspired a spoof remix “starring the attendees of Fashion Week in New York” as well as a popular fan made imitation video.

2. Prada Fall/Winter 2011 Ad Campaign
Following on their first place ranking last season, Prada’s fall womenswear video, shot by Steven Meisel and featuring Antonia Wesseloh, Ondria Hardin, Kelly Mittendorf, Julia Zimmer and Frida Gustavsson, perfectly captures and communicates the delicate co-mingling of sensuality and innocence at the heart of Mrs. Prada’s collection. Set to a hypnotic soundtrack with a breathy voiceover, the slow motion film is also a seductive and transfixing digital merchandising dream, full of sequins, fur and snakeskin. We only wish it was directly shopable.

3. Mourir Aupres De Toi by Spike Jonze & Olympia Le-Tan
Set after-hours on the shelves of famous Left Bank bookstore Shakespeare & Company, Spike Jonze’s quirky stop-motion animation “Mourir Aupres De Toi” brings to life the embroidered ‘covers’ of Olympia Le-Tan’s book-clutch bags to tell the touching story of a clumsy skeleton and his lover. Using over three thousand pieces of hand-cut felt, the film beautifully communicates the handmade aesthetic and human charm of Le-Tan’s work. “I love getting performances from, telling stories about and humanizing things that aren’t human,” Jonze told Nowness, where the film first appeared.

4. “Dynamic Blooms” by Nick Knight & Alister Mackie
Recently released by experimental filmmakers Tell No One in collaboration with SHOWstudio, this succinct, visually stunning film brings to life Nick Knight and Alister Mackie’s breathtaking editorial for last season’s AnOther Magazine. Featuring Benjamin Warbis and Jac Jagaciak, the video collides dance and fashion, transforming pieces by Lanvin, Versace, Chloe, Valentino, Christian Dior Haute Couture, Jil Sander and Haider Ackermann into dynamic contemporary blossoms that explode across the screen.

5. Prabal Gurung Resort 2012 – “New Thing” feat. Rye Rye
For the launch of his first ever foray into resort, inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and the portraits of George Condo, rising designer Prabal Gurung teamed up with booty-shaking Baltimore artist Rye Rye to create a viral music video as bold and energetic as the graphic black and white theme, 60s-inspired florals, polka-dots, and pops of pinks, yellows and greens that run through the collection. Directed by Kenneth Cappello, the video deploys a dynamic high-low mix to explosive effect and underscores the power of integrating fashion, film and music to earn the attention of what Gurung has called “the YouTube generation.”

6. AnOther Magazine Issue 21 featuring Rachel Weisz
Shot by Craig McDean with creative direction by David James and styling by Olivier Rizzo, this off-kilter film features Rachel Weisz, cover star of this season’s AnOther Magazine, in a series of non-narrative micro-performances, inspired by German modern dance legend Pina Bausch. While magazines have long used online videos as supplementary material to support their print content, this film is a compelling example of ‘digital first’ editorial: the images that appear in print are stills taken from this surreal film.

7. Love F/W 2011 What Lies Beneath by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Accompanying “What Lies Beneath,” an epic 46-page, Jeff Bark-inspired fashion story shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for Katie Grand’s Love magazine, this disturbing but compelling film collides romantic elements with a hard-edged and dangerous undercurrent. Complete with white swans, bondage gear and submerged cars, this sexually-charged and transfixing film unfolds like a classical myth reimagined for a disjointed, nightworld where Lara Stone, Mariacarla Boscono, Saskia De Brauw, Kristen McMenamy, Paul Boche, Anais Pouliot, Jed Texas, Guinevere Van Seenus, Xiao Wen Ju and Angus Whitehead play dark contemporary demigods and water nymphs.

8. Gareth Pugh S/S 2012 by Ruth Hogben
This season, East London’s enfant terrible Gareth Pugh teamed up with Ruth Hogben to create a dark and punchy film that was screened at the designer’s Paris catwalk show, as well as on Nick Knight’s fashion website SHOWstudio. Integrated into the runway event, the film both set the tone at the beginning of the show and provided a digital backdrop to the models on the catwalk, turning the presentation of Pugh’s collection into a multimedia viewing experience for the assembled press, buyers and industry insiders.

9. Twin Parallel by Justin Anderson
Directed by Justin Anderson for London-based designer Jayne Pierson and inspired by the twin paradox in physics, this beautiful film won this season’s ‘Best Styling’ prize at Diane Pernet’s A Shaded View on Fashion Film festival, which took place during Paris Fashion Week at the Centre Pompidou. The film’s immaculately styled, still life tableaux, featuring fruit, candles, a cuckoo clock and a goose that presumably lays gold, sharpen the eye and draw attention to the royal details of Pierson’s collection.

10. Kenzonique by Kenzo
This snappy and upbeat trailer for the relaunch of Kenzo, directed by Jo Ratcliffe with music by Rob Coudert, perfectly teased the energy of the brand’s first presentation under new creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of Opening Ceremony. Dubbed “hyperdelic” on YouTube, the video’s vibrant colour palette and fun feel were totally in tune with the new collection and clearly communicated the brand’s repositioning as a playful creative force at the top end of the contemporary market.

What were your favorite fashion films this season?

Shalit shirt becomes fashion

Daily Fashion Juice
Monday, October 24, 2011 

Shalit shirt becomes fashion trend in Gaza

Gaza stores, markets offer latest trend – plaid shirt Gilad Shalit wore during handover to Israel - for NIS 60

Elior Levy

Merchants in the Strip are now offering "The Shalit shirt" in a wide range of colors, for NIS 60 ($16.5). The demand, it seems, is very high.


The first image of Gilad Shalit out of Gaza has captured the attention of many in Israel and around the world. Shalit was led by Hamas men wearing civilian clothing including a plaid shirt. But while most focused on his gaunt frame, it appears many Palestinians were more interested in his outfit, which became an immediate trend in Gaza.



Right: Shalit interviewed by Egyptian TV. Left: Shirts on sale in Gaza

Evidence of the new fashion trend can be found on Facebook where at least 10 pages have been created in the last few days devoted to "Gilad Shalit's shirt." Thousands of web surfers have become fans.


Facebook group member uploads photo comparing himself to Shalit

One page stated, "The Shalit shirt has become the shirt of the month in Gaza – it is being sold for NIS 50." A surfer wrote, "If there was a company producing this shirt in large quantities they will run out."

Daily Fashion Juice
Friday, October 21, 2011

Nicole Richie's designs on a star brand

Nicole Richie sets her sights on building a fashion empire.

Nicole Richie is shown in her home office surrounded by personal and vintage pieces, including a tribal headdress given to her by husband Joel Madden. (Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times / September 23, 2011)

She hosted the kickoff festivities for L.A.'s Fashion's Night Out in September and sat front row at the Louis Vuitton runway show in Paris this month. Come February, she'll be in our living rooms every week, as a mentor on NBC's new "Fashion Star" designer competition series. Is tabloid sensation-turned-designer Nicole Richie poised to become the next big celebrity fashion brand?

Following in the footsteps of Jessica Simpson and Rachel Zoe, Richie, 30 — whose adoptive father is Lionel Richie — launched her House of Harlow 1960 jewelry line in late 2007, adding shoes in 2009 and bags in June 2011. Last spring, she debuted ready-to-wear under the label Winter Kate.

Her designs are an extension of her paparazzi-ready personal style — witchy woman, rock goddess, '60s and '70s vintage princess. The Winter Kate collection ($78 to $700) features fringed velvet kimonos (inspired by vintage pieces Richie has collected for years), firefly-print maxi dresses, silk camisoles and short-shorts (but not a lot of pants).

House of Harlow 1960 accessories ($195 to $695) include beaded moccasins, velvet booties and pony skin bags, and jewelry with antler, evil eye, arrow and stud motifs.


Her labels have received modest attention in fashion bible Women's Wear Daily and in glossy women's magazines. In 2010, she won Entrepreneur of the Year for her House of Harlow 1960 brand at the British Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

"We won the jackpot when we partnered with her," says Rick Cytrynbaum, who co-owns Montreal-based Majestic Mills along with his brother, Brian. The Canadian manufacturing company produces House of Harlow 1960, Winter Kate and several other labels, including Modern Vintage footwear, Heidi Klum footwear and Earnest Sewn denim. "She's on the ball. She works with her design team every day."

Rick Cytrynbaum declined to give sales figures, saying instead that Richie's clothing and accessories are available in more than 700 stores in 23 countries. But in this country, at least, they have low visibility in stores, compared with the Zoe and Simpson brands.

That may be why Richie herself has been more visible over the last few months, wearing her hippie headbands and flowy tops to events and "selling" her earthy Hollywood mom lifestyle.

Her Los Angeles house — which she shares with husband Joel Madden of the band Good Charlotte, and their two kids, Harlow, 3, and Sparrow, 2 — is canyon cool with natural wood floors, a sunken living room, big brick fireplace, kilim rugs, fur throw pillows, a terrarium and two taxidermy chickens dressed in aristocratic finery.

On this day there is incense burning, Hendrix on the sound system and a family cat, an Abyssinian named Gypsy, snuggling with his mistress. Befitting a rock 'n' roll household, the bar cart is well stocked, but there's also a miniature stove for the kids, near the adult-sized one in the kitchen.
Stevie Nicks would feel at home in Richie's office, which looks out over the treetops. Her antique desk is covered with line sheets and sketches, and there is a red-feathered tribal headdress (a gift from Madden) sitting on a side table. (Richie also has a downtown studio, where her five-person design team works.)

Nicole Richie landed on the public stage in 2003 at age 21, when she starred with Paris Hilton in the reality show "The Simple Life," which chronicled the celebutantes' adventures "roughing it" on an Arkansas farm and other places. Earlier that year, Richie had been arrested for heroin possession and driving with a suspended license.

The show, on TV for five seasons, turned her into a tabloid fixture, known for her boho style, her on-again, off-again friendships with Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Zoe, and her battles with eating disorders and substance abuse, for which she went to rehab.

In December 2006, she was charged with a DUI after being arrested by the California Highway Patrol for driving the wrong way on the 134 Freeway. Pleading guilty, she was sentenced to four days in jail, but released after just 82 minutes due to overcrowding.

"I was first approached to do a self-help book at 21, and I passed," says Richie, sitting barefoot on her office floor, dressed in a cream blouse from her line and a pair of black Balenciaga pants. "I said I was too young, and who knows what the next few years will be like? And really, who knew? It's a good thing I passed!"

Since then, she has kept a lower profile, having two children with Madden, marrying him in 2010, and publishing two novels, "The Truth About Diamonds" and "Priceless." (One review of "Priceless" concluded: "A clichéd fairy tale, about as original as the TV movie it will inevitably become.")

Going from reality star to chick lit novelist isn't too much of a stretch when you see that there is a fun-loving, Elle Woods quality to Richie, whether she's jetting off to Mexico for a girls-only birthday weekend, or heading downtown on Saturday mornings with friends to buy flowers at the Los Angeles Flower Market. It comes across in her Twitter feed too. Some of her more hilarious musings include:
"Gonna wear beige today so people think I'm responsible."

"Today wasn't the best day of my life, but I did eat a corn dog."

"Aladdin is, like, really hot."

Daily Fashion Juice
Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fashion guru had many alterations

By Melissa Leong

Jay Manuel recently came across his earliest work in a New York airport. He was in a music store in the classical section when he spotted a CD cover featuring Luciano Pavarotti adorned in a wig and period costume. It had been his first celebrity styling gig.

"It freaked me out. I snapped a picture of it on my iPhone," the 39-year-old Toronto native says in phone interview from Los Angeles, where he is shooting the latest cycle of America's Next Top Model.

The reminder of his roots is fitting since Manuel is preparing to come home with his latest work. The creative director of ANTP and host/executive producer of Canada's Next Top Model is debuting his second collection for Sears' private brand Attitude at LG Fashion Week in Toronto.

"This is something I've wanted to do. The reason this brand has launched in Canada first is that I just felt like I wanted to come back home with this," he says.

At home, before Tyra, Armani and red carpets, Manuel was headed toward a career of triage, arteries and red blood cells. Born to a kidney specialist father and a teacher mother, he was accepted to the University of Toronto in hopes of studying medicine. Meanwhile, he had been flying to New York every month to train in opera singing and coach with the assistant conductor of the Metropolitan Opera.

"It was a very difficult time because I had my headset on going into the medical field and I was very passionate about sciences. But here I was strongly being pulled toward the arts. I just couldn't sleep at night. It was nagging at me. I thought, 'I don't think I can go to school in six weeks. I need to be in New York,' " he says.

"Anyone who knows me today, I'm very much someone who strategizes. I plan things. I remember just feeling so out of sorts. But I had to go with my gut. My parents totally agreed with me. It wasn't this huge confrontation that I thought it would be."

So first medicine, then opera, then fashion?

After moving to New York, he explains, one of his opera teachers was cast in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence. Manuel went with her to a photo shoot to do her hair and makeup. The photographer, Christian Steiner, complimented his work.

"I remember saying, 'Oh no. It's not what I do. I'm a tenor,'" he recalls. "Two months later, I thought, this could be a great side gig. I called him out of the blue. He called me the next week. He booked me to shoot a CD cover of Luciano Pavarotti."

It's almost 20 years later and Manuel has made a career doing makeup, directing photo shoots and styling the stars, including Jennifer Lopez, David Bowie and Iman. He has served as a fashion correspondent for E! Networks covering the Oscars and the Grammy Awards.

Daily Fashion Juice
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Claws out in clash of Fashion Weeks

PARIS: War has broken out between Milan and New York - with London the first casualty - as the top fashion capitals clash over the dates of their rival style marathons, held back-to-back once every six months.

Twice a year the global pack of fashion buyers, style gurus and journalists trek across the world to scout styles for spring-summer and autumn-winter, stopping for eight days in New York, five in London, seven in Milan and nine for the finale in Paris.

But the 29-day Fashion Week calendar for September 2012 has been jumbled up in an unseemly game of musical chairs - with Milan overlapping New York by a day, and running over the entire duration of London's own fashion week.

The mix-up originated during the summer, when New York announced it was shifting its shows back by a week to avoid the Labour Day holiday weekend, which it says was harming business.

London duly slid its dates back to accommodate New York - but the dance ground to a halt in Milan, where the National Chamber of Italian Fashion flatly refused to budge.

Shifting them by even a few days, it argued, would put too great a squeeze on the production schedule for Italian fashion houses, making it impossible to get their clothes into stores in time for the spring-summer season.

Only Paris, which wraps up the fashion marathon, is so far unaffected with its dates following on from Milan.

As things stand, the fashion pack will have to choose between the capitals, a headache for journalists and buyers - and an even bigger one for models.

But for fashion houses, who invest heavily to showcase their collections before the global fashion pack, the prospect of sending out models to a half-empty room spells disaster.

In stark business terms, Milan weighs considerably more than London.

So if next September's shows go ahead according to the current calendar, observers believe the British capital stands to be the main loser, with buyers deserting its shows to head straight to Milan.

Accusations have been flying back and forth, with New York and London blaming Milan for the headache.

On Friday, the Italian chamber's chairman Mario Boselli reiterated his stance - laying responsibility squarely at the feet of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council.

Slamming the New York and London Fashion Week organisers as "arrogant and aggressive", he flatly denied in a written statement that Milan had put a spanner in the works.

"Such an accusation, besides showing an arrogant and aggressive attitude towards Milan, was supported by unfair arguments aimed at - unilaterally - imposing decisions that had not been agreed upon," he wrote.

Milan, he argued, had clearly informed the industry back in March 2010 of its dates for 2012: September 19-25, "in line with the previous three years, since no different agreement had been made and no objection had been raised by anyone."

He said Milan was open to discussion for 2013 onwards. Until then buyers and journalists will just have to choose sides.

New York's stance rests on a 2008 agreement between the four fashion capitals, under which its Fashion Week kicks off on the second Thursday of September - which this year falls later than usual in the month.

But both Milan and Paris consider that New York is twisting the facts, since they argue that the three-year 2008 accord was not implicitly renewable.

New York organisers the CFDA said they still hope to find a solution that works for the fashion industry as a whole.

"We are in continued communication with all cities and are working to figure something out that addresses the short-term conflict and creates long-term agreement," Steven Kolb, the CFDA's chief executive, told AFP by email on Friday.

How does the CFDA respond to Boselli's charge of arrogance?

"We have no hurt feelings," Kolb said, insisting that the CFDA was working to find a "solution that meets all cities' interests."

"If Milan, New York and London show at the same time, we are all at risk."

It’s handbags at dawn in fashion world

Daily Fashion Juice
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

---

REUTERS

A model presents a creation as part of Dolce&Gabbana's Spring/Summer 2011 women's collection during Milan Fashion Week.

War has broken out between Milan and New York - with London the first casualty - as the top fashion capitals clash over the dates of their rival style marathons, held back-to-back once every six months.

Twice a year the global pack of fashion buyers, style gurus and journalists trek across the world to scout styles for spring-summer and autumn-winter, stopping for eight days in New York, five in London, seven in Milan and nine for the finale in Paris. 

But the 29-day Fashion Week calendar for September 2012 has been jumbled up in an unseemly game of musical chairs - with Milan overlapping New York by a day, and running over the entire duration of London's own fashion week. 

The mix-up originated during the summer, when New York announced it was shifting its shows back by a week to avoid the Labor Day holiday weekend, which it says was harming business.

London duly slid its dates back to accommodate New York - but the dance ground to a halt in Milan, where the National Chamber of Italian Fashion flatly refused to budge. 

Shifting them by even a few days, it argued, would put too great a squeeze on the production schedule for Italian fashion houses, making it impossible to get their clothes into stores in time for the spring-summer season. 

Only Paris, which wraps up the fashion marathon, is so far unaffected with its dates following on from Milan. 

As things stand, the fashion pack will have to choose between the capitals, a headache for journalists and buyers - and an even bigger one for models. 

But for fashion houses, who invest heavily to showcase their collections before the global fashion pack, the prospect of sending out models to a half-empty room spells disaster. 

In stark business terms, Milan weighs considerably more than London. 

So if next September's shows go ahead according to the current calendar, observers believe the British capital stands to be the main loser, with buyers deserting its shows to head straight to Milan.

Accusations have been flying back and forth, with New York and London blaming Milan for the headache. 

On Friday the Italian chamber's chairman Mario Boselli reiterated his stance - laying responsibility squarely at the feet of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council. 

Slamming the New York and London Fashion Week organisers as “arrogant and aggressive”, he flatly denied in a written statement that Milan had put a spanner in the works. 

“Such an accusation, besides showing an arrogant and aggressive attitude towards Milan, was supported by unfair arguments aimed at - unilaterally - imposing decisions that had not been agreed upon,” he wrote. 

Milan, he argued, had clearly informed the industry back in March 2010 of its dates for 2012: September 19-25, “in line with the previous three years, since no different agreement had been made and no objection had been raised by anyone.” 

He said Milan was open to discussion for 2013 onwards. Until then buyers and journalists will just have to choose sides. 

New York's stance rests on a 2008 agreement between the four fashion capitals, under which its Fashion Week kicks off on the second Thursday of September - which this year falls later than usual in the month. 

But both Milan and Paris consider that New York is twisting the facts, since they argue that the three-year 2008 accord was not implicitly renewable. 

New York organisers the CFDA said they still hope to find a solution that works for the fashion industry as a whole. 

“We are in continued communication with all cities and are working to figure something out that addresses the short term conflict and creates long term agreement,” Steven Kolb, the CFDA's chief executive, told AFP by email Friday. 

How does the CFDA respond to Boselli's charge of arrogance? 

“We have no hurt feelings,” Kolb said, insisting that the CFDA was working to find a “solution that meets all cities' interests.” 

“If Milan, New York and London show at the same time, we are all at risk.” - AFP

Daily Fashion Juice
Monday, October 17, 2011

Romantic runway caps Fashion Week finale

Fashion, music and dance joined forces for the finale of the Fashion Week of Rochester as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra shared the stage with runway models, and FuturPointe Dance ended the four-day event.

The Sound of Fashion Sunday afternoon at USAirports' hangar at the Greater Rochester International Airport featured the Runway at the Runway fashion show attended by more than 600 people.
Applause opened the show as the hangar's door opened and Arild Remmereit — the RPO's new music director dressed in a purple-striped suit from Red Barn in Pittsford — exited a plane, followed by a dozen models.


Sunday's show had a very different vibe than the previous two runway shows. The pace was slower and more relaxed, allowing the audience more time to take in the fashion and the music.
On the runway: Outfits from area boutiques and designers that were very much in line with national trends like faux fur, headpieces and tall boots.

Combining the music with the fashion appealed to many of the guests.
"It's so amazing how they interacted," said Shirley Joseph, owner of SJ's Village Boutique in Pittsford. "Rochester is not known for being out of the box, but this is very out of the box. Whoever thought it up is brilliant."


While the Memorial Art Gallery Saturday was a traditional venue for a high-end Rochester gala, this year's Fashion Week might end up being known for drawing Rochester's suburban crowd to unusual locations. Friday's show was in the parking lot adjacent to One Restaurant and Lounge, with the space remade like an industrial loft.


With Sunday's crowd, the four-day event drew more than 1,700 people, and co-organizer Meghan Mundy said she believes Fashion Week will meet its goal of donating $60,000 — twice what was given last year — to the Center for Youth. The fact that USAirports' Anthony Costello donated the use of the hangar and service personnel, and Remmereit and RPO concertmaster Juliana Athayde waived their fees helped the fundraising goal, she said.


The models, styled by Scott Miller Salon, had big, voluptuous long curls and makeup reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood glamour. Black and other luxurious colors were definitely the trend for the fashions.

Final elimination before Fashion Week

Daily Fashion Juice
Friday, October 14, 2011

'Project Runway' recap: Final elimination before Fashion Week

 

Sticking with a "Project Runway" tradition of giving the designers a chance to shine in the final elimination, the five remaining contestants were trucked out to Governors Island for some inspiration, and then given two days to complete three looks. The island, off the coast of Manhattan, has ample greenery, historical buildings and the Storm King Arts Center, currently showing the grand metal sculptures of Mark di Suvero. The contestants tooled around in golf carts, took photos and listened to their muses.

The challenge seemed to give a real insight into the designers' process. Anya and Laura definitely responded to what they saw, processing it in different ways. Viktor said he used the Manhattan skyline as an inspiration, but his designs seemed like they may have been in the back of his head already. Kimberly works intuitively, creating and then throwing out before reaching her final garments, so she ended up far from the original inspiration. And Josh's designs might have been inspired by almost anything with a hard-soft duality; he said he was drawn to "this idea of fragility meets power," a church and "the artillerary" side by side.

The designers had plenty of money at Mood for their fabrics -- everyone except for Laura, who brought several hundred dollars' worth more of cut fabric up to the register, sticking Mood with the remnants she couldn't afford.

But she doesn't get the Mean Girl award of the episode. That goes to Josh.

Josh muttered and moaned about Anya, saying she can't sew, accusing her of making nothing more than jumpers. In the workroom, he complained about her win last episode, whining that "I just got $20,000 swept away from me by a beauty queen."
The piling-on concerning Anya's sewing skills continued with Viktor. "Can she even make a sleeve?" he asked pointedly.
"I can't make a jacket," Anya said later, in the new "After the Runway" post-game show. "We don't wear jackets in the Caribbean."
The five most recently eliminated contestants came back to be assistants, and Becky -- who was accused of being a seamstress -- was the first drafted, selected by Kimberly. Viktor picked Olivier, Laura picked Anthony Ryan, Anya picked Bert and Josh got Bryce. Bryce helped Josh, talking him out of a plastic stained-glass panel he was going to create (too much?), Bert helped Anya by building subtle structures she envisioned, Anthony Ryan helped Laura by being sweet and supportive, and Olivier complained that being an assistant is like slavery.

Guest Judge Zoe Saldana should be brought back again. She has a good eye and clearly expresses her opinions; Laura's third look, a beige dress with black edging (above), was "like a pillowcase." She also wasn't afraid to disagree with the judges. When they again heaped praise on Anya, she added, "My least favorite was the gown," a form-fitting white dress. "It looked a little bit like a condom to me." See it and the other designers' work on Lifetime's.

Michael Kors called Viktor's designs "commercial," saying that some in fashion consider that a dirty word (but smiling like he was ready to invest in Viktor Co. Ltd.). Josh has found a groove with the judges, who are responding to his toned-down brand of crazy well. Kimberly and Laura were both clearly in trouble. Laura showed a pillowcase, an ill-fitting jacket with a last-minute mini, and a well-conceived gown that was too tight on her model. Kimberly showed a big orange jacket too obscured by an over-sized scarf, and a cute silver dress and miniskirt that both had architectural shaping on the bottom that Laura snarked was like a goiter.

When the judges asked which three should go to Fashion Week, everyone said Anya, Josh and Viktor -- except for Kimberly, who stuck to an old ladies pact and said it should be herself, Laura and Anya. Good-girl points to Kimberly.

In the end, it was Laura who was out. Kimberly, Anya, Josh and Viktor will all design shows for Fashion Week. We'll have to wait and see if it's three or four of them who will be in competition when they return.

Daily Fashion Juice
Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fashion Week goes rogue

By Tony Wong

A look from Calla Haynes' Spring Summer 2010 collection

Is Paola Fullerton Toronto Fashion Week’s worst nightmare or a glimpse into a brighter future?
Maybe she’s both. The runway show producer has mounted a serious challenge to the fashion establishment, while presenting the public with an event filled with possibility.

On this weekday, the 42-year-old is standing in the opulent, chandeliered ballroom of Toronto’s five-star Ritz Carlton, showing a guest her vision of the Canadian fashion scene. It somehow looks a lot more enticing than the tented confines of the city’s LG Fashion Week, which starts next week.
“That’s where the runway will be. It will be small, intimate, invitation-only so that the guests can really see and feel what the designers are doing,” says Fullerton, in a black turtleneck and signature Hermès calfskin belt. “I think it will be really special.”

As long as Fashion Week has existed, there have been designers who are less than enamoured with the “one size fits all” philosophy of the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC), which puts on the event. Instead, they have opted to show outside their signature tents.

But Fullerton seems to have created credible contender status in her two-day event, called The Shows, which started Thursday. Hosted by model and actress Coco Rocha, it has shaped up to be the hottest annual ticket for some fashionistas.

Fullerton’s formula is simple. It consists of homegrown designers, such as Calla Haynes, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Todd Lynn and Thomas Tait, who have achieved critical acclaim abroad, showcasing their collections at a five-star venue. There will be high-profile media, stylists and socialites in a salon-like setting. And, more often than not, it will eclipse the activity of the official week that will eventually take place across from the Ritz in tents at David Pecaut Square.

While Fullerton’s reach may seem profound, her down-to-earth persona belies that ambition.
“I don’t think we’re being disruptive, there is lots of room for another show. It’s just a birthday party on another day,” she says diplomatically.

But it is one hell of a party — and the fashion industry, as well as corporate Canada, has taken notice.
At Fashion Week, designers typically pay for their shows, which means big mainstream brands with deep pockets are amply represented. Fullerton’s project is by invite only — so you can’t pay for runway time.

After all, even though Fashion Week does promote many up-and-coming designers, jaded fans looking for the next big thing are not always impressed by brands such as Joe Fresh and Jay Manuel by Sears.
This has given Fullerton a unique niche. Last year she debuted her show in the unfinished Trump hotel in the city’s financial district.

Featuring Mikhael Kale, Mark Fast and Arthur Mendonça, it was an inspired choice of locale and designers. It also gave Canadians a chance to see the works of acclaimed Canadians like knitwear designer Fast, who has made it big internationally but may not be well known here.

This year Fullerton has upped the ante, showcasing talents such as Toronto-born print designer Calla Haynes, who has been living in Paris for eight years, working with Olivier Theyskens at Nina Ricci, and menswear designer Todd Lynn, who styles Bono and Mick Jagger.

“There are some incredibly talented Canadians out there who can match anyone globally, but most Canadians might not know about them,” says Fullerton.

In only her second year, Fullerton has also signed a big sponsor, with P&G Beauty & Grooming coming on as a partner.

“We were really excited to come into something at the ground level and this was a really great idea, the idea that we are bringing Canadian designers back home,” says Carrie Truman, spokesperson for P&G Beauty & Grooming. P&G executives had attended the Trump shows last year before making a deal this year to supply hair and makeup for models, as well as a financial commitment.

The consumer products conglomerate is the headline sponsor for Montreal’s Fashion Week, and getting more exposure in the Toronto market is part of its long-term strategy, putting it head to head with L’Oreal, which is the sponsor for Toronto’s Fashion Week. (The actual, long-winded title is LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oreal Paris.)

Sponsorships will help with the bottom line. Last year Fullerton, working by the seat of her pants, dipped into her own pocket to pay for her event at the Trump, where she received permits to use the space from the city only days before. This year she is hoping to at least break even.

“Obviously it’s important to be self-sustaining. But if you’re only thinking of making money, I think you lose your voice. The machine takes over, not the art,” says Fullerton.

A spokesperson for the FDCC was not available for comment when asked for its position on designers showing off-site. In the past, some designers, such as Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine, have decided not to show at Fashion Week, saying they prefer to retain more control over their brand and image.

But despite showing in an alternate venue, Fullerton is no outsider. Last year she produced her Trump shows as well as the Holt Renfrew show at Fashion Week.

She got her start producing the first Pink Tartan fashion show for designer and friend Kimberly Newport-Mimran. There were the inevitable glitches. A model didn’t show up. She quickly got someone else to substitute. She was hooked. In demand, she became the producer of the final showdown fashion shows for the Project Runway Canada reality series.

“I didn’t know growing up you could have a job like this, it was amazing,” she says. Later, she started Paola Fullerton Inc., which produces events and shows. She uses the money from that to help subsidize her off-Fashion-Week extravaganza.

The proud soccer mom (she was about to go to her son’s first soccer game after this interview) says she has bigger plans for The Shows next season, expanding the lineup to include other projects.
“It’s really about going to the highest level that we can as an industry, creating those Canadian superstars. That’s really exciting. And I think the timing is right because, as Canadians, we are also starting to believe in ourselves and the power of our own designs,” says Fullerton.

Daily Fashion Juice
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Steve Jobs’s style: New turtleneck details revealed

By Maura Judkis

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds up the new MacBook Air, dressed in his signature black turtleneck. (Jeff Chiu - AP)

Of all the accolades Steve Jobs has garnered — visionary, genius, innovator — fashion icon is pretty far down on the list. Though a Diana Walker photograph of a young Jobs on display now at the Portrait Gallery shows him in a suit and tie, Jobs was mostly known for his simple wardrobe of a black turtleneck, jeans and New Balance sneakers.


It wasn’t just any turtleneck: Jobs preferred $175 St. Croix cotton and microfiber mock black turtlenecks. According to Bernhard Brenner, the founder of Knitcraft, St. Croix’s parent company, Jobs bought about two dozen black turtlenecks each year. The day he died, sales of the turtlenecks doubled overnight, reports the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. Knitcraft has been donating $20 to the American Cancer Society for each turtleneck sold.

But for anyone hoping to pull together an authentic Steve Jobs Halloween costume or the more than 1,000 people who have Facebook-RSVPed for Black Turtleneck Friday, a tribute to Jobs’s attire taking place on Oct. 14, St. Croix has bad news for you: They’re out of the black turtlenecks, for now. They’re still accepting orders, but they will not be shipped until Oct. 28. You’ll have to cobble together your Steve Jobs look with the help of one of the many other purveyors of fine turtlenecks, instead. Here are a few, for any budget:

• Bottega Veneta cashmere turtleneck, through Barneys, $950
• Ralph Lauren Black Label wool-cashmere rib turtleneck, $650.
• J. Crew cashmere turtleneck sweater, $198.
• John Ashford long sleeve interlock turtleneck, through Macy’s, $34.50
• L.L. Bean mock turtleneck, $19.95
• Lands’ End 100% cotton mock turtleneck, $17.50.
 
What, other than simplicity, attracted Jobs to his consistent look? Turns out, it was inspired by the uniforms of factory workers in postwar Japan, and influenced by a high fashion designer. According to biographer Walter Isaacson:

On a trip to Japan in the early 1980s, Jobs asked Sony’s chairman Akio Morita why everyone in the company’s factories wore uniforms. He told Jobs that after the war, no one had any clothes, and companies like Sony had to give their workers something to wear each day. Over the years, the uniforms developed their own signatures styles, especially at companies such as Sony, and it became a way of bonding workers to the company. “I decided that I wanted that type of bonding for Apple,” Jobs recalled.

So, he asked Issey Miyake to design a uniform — a nylon jacket with detachable sleeves. It was universally hated by the company, and he was booed off the stage. Though the vest didn’t become an Apple wardrobe staple, Jobs developed a friendship with Miyake, who gave him “like a hundred” of them — and a signature style was born.

Daily Fashion Juice
Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Kate Middleton as fashion icon? Mary Portas thinks not

BY Anita Singh

The Duchess of Cambridge in a dress by Jenny Packham Photo: GETTY

 

The retail guru has dismissed the idea that the Duchess of Cambridge is a fashion icon, claiming not to understand the praise heaped on the young royal's sense of style.

"Is that fashion? No," Portas said of the Duchess's outfits. "I think she's done an incredible job globally, but I do not know how you can say she is a fashion icon. I just don't get that."

 
Asked what made a fashion icon, she replied: "A unique sense of style. End of."
Portas is a rare voice of dissent when it comes to the outfits worn by the Duchess, 28, who favours High Street buys from Reiss and Whistles.

Fans of the Duchess's style include Julien Macdonald, the designer, who praised her "chic and sophisticated" look when he was interviewed recently at London Fashion Week.

Her choice of bridal gown won universal praise, with Karl Lagerfeld hailing it as the epitome of elegance.


Such is the Duchess's fashion clout that anything she wears becomes an instant sell-out in what retailers have dubbed 'the Kate Middleton effect'. The £159 white Reiss dress she wore in her official engagement photographs was reissued after shoppers clamoured to get their hands on it, and the £385 Issa dress she wore for her engagement announcement sold out within 24 hours.


Portas, though, is known for not mincing her words. She discussed the Duchess in an interview with Heat magazine, and also turned her fire on the Coalition cabinet.

Told that a 'Mary Portas for Prime Minister' Facebook group was gathering members, she was asked what her first task would be if she got the job.

"I know what I'd do - I'd bloody restyle all those women. I mean, the female cabinet - what an ugly bunch," said Portas, who was brought in by David Cameron to solve the problem of Britain's dying High Streets.

"Do you know, I couldn't look at them. I go in for meetings now and they do dress up for my meetings, but I just want to go, 'Please. No. Not that necklace. Not that skirt.'
"You look at French women and they're like, wow, aren't they? What do we have? I'd say let's just put a bit of sex and glamour in there."

While she did not name names, the cabinet includes Theresa May, the Home Secretary; Baroness Warsi, the party chairman; Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary; and Cheryl Gillan, the Welsh Secretary.

Portas was full of praise for Christina Hendricks, the curvaceous redhead who appears in the Mad Men drama.

"How good does she look? I mean, it's a no-brainer. That woman is just totally sex on legs, isn't she? That woman works it, and beautifully."

Daily Fashion Juice
Monday, October 10, 2011

Nancy Shevell wears Stella to marry Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell married over the weekend and the bride wore Stella McCartney — of course! Oh, and so did the groom. Shevell wore a knee-length, v-neck white dress with fitted, button-up bodice and long sleeves. McCartney wore a dark blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie. Former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr came in sneakers, T-shirt and blazer, but managed to look pretty dashing anyway.

PHOTOS: Paul McCartney weds Nancy Shevell

Laila Ali has signed a multiyear contract to be spokeswoman for activewear brand Marika. [WWD] (subscription required)

The September calendar of designers showing their spring summer ready to wear collections has gotten crowded — so crowded that elbows are starting to fly. Sponsors of fashion weeks in New York and London are mad that Milan's schedule is starting to overlap theirs. Milan won't budge. And Vogue editors are threatening to boyott Milan next year.

Tyra Banks' first novel, "Modelland," debuted Sunday at No. 2 on the New York Times' bestseller list in the children's chapter book category. 

Anderson Cooper added The Row's $39,000 backpack to CNN's "RidicuList," even though he says he likes designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The price may seem ridiculous, but the backpack did sell out.

Daily Fashion Juice
Friday, October 07, 2011

Mary-Kate & Ashley set to make billions off a backpack

Jenna Clarke

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's $39,000 backpack.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are selling their $39,000 backpacks quicker than they can make them.
The alligator skin backpack, is the latest and most expensive accessory from the former Full House stars' high-end fashion label The Row.

"It was the first thing that sold off the shelf," the 25-year-olds told Women's Wear Daily during Paris Fashion Week.

New York based Ashley is frequently seen and photographed with the expensive bag, which features solid gold toggles and clips.

It also sat front row with her as Kanye West unveiled his first fashion collection during fashion week in the city of lights.

Ashley was optimistic about the future of luxury labels, including her own.

"During our last economic crisis in the US, the only thing that went up was Hermes," she said.
Hermes is the fashion house behind the famous Birkin, a special order hand bag made from crocodile skin that costs upwards of $40,000.

In most countries there is a wait list of more than two years.

The Row backpack is stocked in New York department store Barneys, where two have already been pre-ordered.

"I think the bags are triple super chic," Barneys fashion director Amanda Brooks told fashionista.com.

"We don't carry Hermes bags in the store so we were trying to find something that appeals to that customer who is willing to spend a lot of money on a bag that’s going to last a long time and has a classic design."

Rather than heralding a revival of the backpack, not seen since Clueless in the '90s, the Olsen's luxury carry-all joins the ranks of other celebrity designer collections.

A large piece of hand luggage created by Victoria Beckham now retails overseas for around $29,000.

Daily Fashion Juice
Thursday, October 06, 2011

Kanye West Tells Fashion Critics to 'Shut the F--- Up'

by Contessa Gayles

Francois Guillot, AFP

Rapper and designer Kanye West put his style know-how to the test when he debuted his very own line of women's ready-to-wear at Paris Fashion Week over the weekend (Oct. 1). And once again proving that he cannot hold his temper or tongue, West has lashed out at haters with a cavalcade of F-bombs.

It all started after the 'Stronger' singer's fashion show for his Dw fashion line -- named for late mother Donda West -- received less than stellar reviews. While celeb guests like Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto and Ciara applauded 'Ye from the front row of the show, industry insiders weren't so kind, urging West to stick to what he knows best: music.

New York Times fashion writer Eric Wilson wrote, "Mr. West, the rapper, did not disappoint, if only in terms of creating a scene ... There was one good-looking pair of color-blocked pants in blue and coral, but it was obvious that most of the clothes suffered from a poor fit." "What Mr. West eventually showed was confusing as well," he added.

According to WWD, Kanye "grabbed a microphone" (sounds familiar) and "launched into a stream-of-consciousness" at his show's star-studded after party. "Thank you for anybody that didn't believe, because they motivated us to break our boundaries ... We don't know what the reviews will be, we don't know what they will say ... I gave you everything that I had."

Then it turned sour, "This is my first collection. Please be easy. Please give me a chance to grow. This is not some celebrity s---. I don't f--- with celebrities ... The amount of people that tried to get me a celebrity f---ing deal. They said, 'You need to do boot-cut jeans, or you won't sell.' Shut the f--- up!"

Kanye's defensive rant should be no surprise following his infamous MTV VMAs spotlight-stealing, mic-grabbing anti-Taylor Swift antics of 2009, or his live TV attack on then-president George Bush following Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It's business as usual for Yeezy.

Daily Fashion Juice
Wednesday, October 05, 2011

It’s game, set and fashion mismatch

By Andrew Pierce

While David Cameron struggles to win over women, Labour leader Ed Miliband seems to be surrounded by them.

Just days after photos emerged of an Eastern European lady diligently washing Red Ed’s Ford Focus, it now transpires that he has been receiving private tennis coaching from a comely brunette.

Clad in an ill-fitting white T-shirt, black shorts and naff sports socks — all the better to show off his pasty, untoned legs — Miliband provided proof (as if any more was needed, after those shots of Boris Johnson jogging on Tuesday) that politicians should steer clear of exercising in public.

Labour leader Ed Miliband getting some tennis coaching at Waterlow Park.

However, the lessons will be vital if he is ever to take on the Prime Minister — who beat legend Boris Becker in a charity match in April. 


Mr Cameron, whose love of the game is well-known, also flew a British tennis coach out to instruct him while on holiday in Tuscany this summer, and has taken on former British No 1 Andrew Castle.

Miliband is also known as a tennis buff, spectating at Wimbledon and playing against his brother David, the former Foreign Secretary and his one-time rival for the leadership of the Labour Party (though one wonders how Ed fares against his brother on the court, without the unions to knee-cap David before the match).

Earlier this year Miliband cited motor-mouthed former world No 1 Jimmy Connors as one of his heroes, describing him as ‘bloody-minded and hard to beat’.

And the location of Miliband’s latest training session? North London’s Waterlow Park — only a tennis ball’s whack away from Karl Marx’s grave in Highgate cemetery.

Daily Fashion Juice
Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Teen has designs on career in fashion

By VALERIE SWEETEN

Cy Falls High School freshman Jazzmin Reynolds has the skills needed to fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Her love of design began at age 6 when she took her first art class. Her sketches revealed an upscale fashion approach.

Her request for a sewing machine at the age of 9 and the offer to custom-make clothes exposed a designer in the making.

Reynolds' determination resulted in the launch of her own fashion line, BJazz Fashions, four years ago.

Her drive also led Reynolds to the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy, a six-month, teen small business start-up incubator program.

YEA is part of the Texas Business Alliance, a nonprofit small business development program.
She premiered her first prototype dress at the Aug. 19-20 One Woman National Business Conference in Sugar Land. At the same event, she graduated from YEA.

Adults have been inspired by Reynolds' quest for success.

Rachel Roberson, a longtime family friend in Cypress, watched Reynolds create upscale pieces with EZ patterns, a cutting board and fabric. The work she pursues lately is couture-driven, said Roberson.
"I'm totally wowed. Her sketch pad is filled with absolutely gorgeous dresses. She's serious. I'll do anything to help her efforts. She's so young, driven, focused and knowledgeable," she said.
Al Anderson, a Galleria resident and architect, appreciates the intricate research and development that goes into her work.

Anderson met Reynolds at Windsor Village United Methodist Church, where both are members. She participates in the Entrepreneurial Ministry group there.

"It was her creativity that I noticed," he said. "I think her work is something different that you don't see every day. She strives to be innovative. It's appealing and very stylish," he said.

Reynolds, a native Houstonian, is the daughter of Rochelle Reynolds, an adviser with Lone Star College-Tomball.

Influenced by Vera Wang, Chanel and Project Runway, Reynolds prefers working with satin, taffeta and silk.

Her designs cover the gamut from prom dresses, and cocktail wear to formals and suits. She gradually is expanding to include weddings.

She's taking pre-orders for custom pieces. She has a seamstress ready to go she said. Her website, www.BJAZZFashions.com, will feature the latest news.

Reynolds' goal is to make an impact on the fashion world.

"I'm very determined and very excited. I've waited for this. I knew it was going to take a while. I like how my work is very different, beautiful and elegant," she said.

Her plans are to get a bachelor's degree in education with a minor in business, a master's degree in business administration and a doctorate in education.

She wants to obtain fashion design degrees and certificates so that she can be a teacher and manage her fashion design business, too.