Vintage rock T-shirts not only make a fashion statement but are a good investment

Investing was probably the last thing on the minds of Iron Maiden fans as they flicked their Bics to the heavy-metal band in concerts back in 1982.

And yet, if they bought a T-shirt at the show, they made a decision that would make Warren Buffett proud.

Twenty-eight years later, that $10 purchase would net them as much as $1,000 -- an enviable hundred-fold increase in value, almost 10 times better than the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Neither can compare to the vintage rock T-shirt as an investment class. But most people who rock vintage T-shirts do so largely out of a passion for rock 'n' roll -- the music, the attitude and the style.

"I started buying shirts because I loved music and thought they looked cool," says Cleveland tee aficionado Gregory Boyd. "I never imagined they'd get this pricey."

Boyd, a 27-year Cleveland musician who drums in the band Clovers, owns about 50 shirts, representing everything from the Grateful Dead to Poison to Joy Division.

He didn't get started by going to concerts, though. He was inspired after dancing in seventh-grade gym class.

"My gym teacher was a little weird and would make us dance to Kraftwerk," says Boyd, referring to the 1970s German electronic-music pioneers. "And I was like, 'These guys are cool -- I gotta get me a Kraftwerk T-shirt.' "

He pulled out a can of spray paint and some stencil. Presto!, k, k
"I couldn't find a Kraftwerk shirt where I grew up, in Canal Fulton," says Boyd. "But I really loved the band and I started making my own."
It's that passion for music that spawned the rise of the rock T-shirt, says Johan Kugelberg, author of "Vintage Rock T-Shirts."

"They're a sidebar to rock 'n' roll becoming a plausible business," says Kugelburg, via phone from New York. "They grew out of the rise of the touring circuit and were initially a counterculture phenomenon."
Yes, rock tees have been around since the 1960s. But it wasn't until the 1970s that ambitious designs and silk-screening advances made them the apparel of choice for rock fans.

"They went from a promotional tool to an art form," says Kugelberg. "Wearing a rock T-shirt said what kind of band you liked, what kind of a person you were."

For instance, Stones shirts for "rockers." Zeppelin shirts for "burnouts."

By the mid-'70s, the shirts became a sort of secret code, not to mention the fashion of choice, for punks. The punk fascination with tees is thought to have started when New York punk rocker Richard Hell famously tore up a white T-shirt and adorned it with safety pins.
"[Designer] Vivienne Westwood and [Sex Pistols manager] Malcolm McLaren turned the T-shirt into a punk fashion statement," says Kugelberg. "Wearing a Ramones shirt suddenly announced that you were different from most people."

It's one of the reasons Ramones vintage shirts have become one of the most sought-after -- fetching up to $1,000, says Erica Easley, author of the rock shirt history, "Rock Tease."

"The Ramones always sold more T-shirts than records," says Easley, a Portland, Ore.-based writer. "It isn't just about liking a band, it's about the 'cool factor.'"

Or, in some cases, the "ironic factor."

"Indie-rockers started buying Styx and REO Speedwagon shirts -- not because they were cool bands, but because they were so unfashionable that so few people were wearing them," says Easley. "Some of the designs were so outlandish that people started buying them."

That's what led Boyd to track down a Rush 1990 "Presto" tee.
"I don't even like Rush, but the design is so funny," says Boyd. "It has nine squares on the front. Five of them have hands and other four have a rabbit in a hat."

 

Madonna designs sunglasses for Dolce & Gabbana

Madonna has teamed up with Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana to design a collection of sunglasses.

The first six styles of the pop diva's MDG line will be launched in May, the fashion house said Tuesday.

The singer designed the collection in collaboration with Italy's most famous designer duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana and will also be the face of the MDG advertising campaign.

Madonna, 51, already appears in a campaign for the designers.

Bearing the MDG logo, the collection marks Madonna's first foray into the world of eyewear. She has previously collaborated with high street brand Hennes & Mauritz for a clothing line.

Not the kind of shopping rush we all hope for

H&M/Lanvin fever descended in London last week with a ferocity not seen since grown women flattened one another at the opening of the Primark store in Oxford Street three years ago.

Queuing round the block and 10-minute-only supermarket sweep-style buying restrictions led to tactical group manoeuvres that saw certain flushed and triumphant souls emerging with bags and bags of the stuff in tow, presumably destined to be sold on eBay for many times the price that was originally paid. No one could want that much Lanvin for H&M, even in their dreams, and a T-shirt illustrated by designer Alber Elbaz that sold out in a matter of hours is, at the time of writing, on sale to "buy it now" for the princely sum of £999, which seems to prove the point. It remains to be seen if anyone will be desperate enough to fork out that amount for it.

More importantly, at least some discerning consumers out there must be wondering: is it even remotely chic – or even strictly seemly – to behave in this way? And, yes, that is a rhetorical question. It almost goes without saying that times have changed since Virginia Woolf deemed shopping one of the only ways for the modern woman to establish order – and indeed control – in her life, but there is still at least a certain sense of sisterhood in a day's leisurely retail therapy, or even just window-shopping with friends. Spend, spend, spending might not be on the agenda, but that doesn't stop us wondering.

Whatever, there's not much orderly or, even less so, sisterly about the rampant consumerism on display where this, the latest of any number of designer/high street collaborations that continue to proliferate, was concerned. And with this in mind, although the fashion follower might feel happy with her purchase – and that is just how it should be – she might also be aware that it is the brains behind such marketing phenomena that are controlling the situation here. And isn't fashion – and shopping, too – meant to be fun? Elbows this sharp certainly don't do it for me.

How to match the latest fashion dress

The bell shape skirt in the 1950s. The most appropriate item to match the bell skirt or small formal attire skirt is small stiletto or 1.5 inches LV small heel shoes with bowknot decoration. From the aspects of stylist, Giambattista Valli and Tabitha Simmons that have the enviable speaking right of evening dresses, have their unique design and the new appearance design version Marks and Spencer, and the design of Giles Deacon and LV, all are indicating that actually they are like the charm heels and not just a pair of high heels. The stiletto, short boots and little heel---2010 fall and winter, each type of trousers and skirts can find a pair of shoes to match it. This year fashion more attempts to changes of dress collocation and selections. Obviously, two-piece item type which is easy to highlight fashionable effect while matching is more popular than one-piece dress design. For instance, the long trousers and coat, shirts and jackets, knitted fashion skirt and overskirts. To those relatively rational women, the idea of regressing Minimalism or using a simple item to realize wanted dressing effect will soon get consensus.

Of course, everyone hopes to use a kind of easy wholesale fashion dressing up to reflect personal nobility and dignified temperament, and proficient collocation skills.

Collocations of this season’s skirts and fashion pants seem can’t be described as “easy work”. When you enthusiastically rushed into the various big brands stores, still worry about shopping desire that is unable to control, but you never think of coming back with empty-hand finally. Its reason is just like those shoes didn’t come up with Asian fashion clothing leading the tide of fashion.

Rock chicks’ long boots matching miniskirt, and popular leggings attire in recent years, both have fully behind. No doubt, such collocation completely disagrees with this season’s pants or skirts which will is popular soon.

So what is the most appropriate dressing up, it needs to expend much consideration. Changing the fashionable concept that admire Six inches stilettos very much was really needs a process. But one thing can be certain that a kind of new outline shoes which looks not too delicate and slightly squat will ultimately be widely accepted.

How the crossover between fashion and art inspires creations on canvas and the catwalk

Even the most rarefied of fashion designers is unlikely ever to describe him or herself as an artist. That would be rushing in where angels fear to tread. Art is art – a highbrow and only ever a coincidentally commercial pursuit – fashion is fashion, catering to the pretty, privileged and vain. Or so any purists out there might argue. It's a far from modern view, though. Witness the Louis Vuitton flagship store that opened on London's New Bond Street earlier this year with its Michael Landy kinetic sculpture, Damien Hirst monogrammed medicine chest and hugely successful bags designed in collaboration with Takashi Murakami to see how these two apparently very different disciplines benefit one another. Or how about the Prada Foundation in Milan, home to some of the most innovative artworks of the age. The brains behind it – Miuccia Prada and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli – are presumably more than a little aware that if designer fashion is aspirational, fine art is even more so and any association only serves to heighten the outside world's perception of a brand's status and power.

On a more individual level too, practitioners from the world of art and fashion appear to be exploring one another's territory more than ever before. With this in mind, perhaps, next week, Aware: Art Fashion Identity opens at the Royal Academy featuring the work of both artists with more than a passing interest in fashion's expressive powers and fashion designers who demonstrate a cross-disciplinary approach that reaches beyond the creation of pretty clothes for pretty clothes' sake. Work by Marina Abramovic, Grayson Perry, Gillian Wearing, Maison Martin Margiela, Cindy Sherman, Helen Storey, Sharif Waked, Alexander McQueen, Yohji Yamamoto, Andreas Gursky, Yoko Ono, Yinka Shonibare and Hussein Chalayan and more is included. All approach the subject very differently – from Sherman's famous studies of her own identity through clothing to Wearing's exploration of uniform, and here specifically police uniform, as the ultimate coding of cloth. At least part of the strength of the show also lies in the fact that, for at least some of those involved, the very concept of any art/fashion crossover, as well as the notion of both fashion and art as central to a more consumer-driven society, is questioned.

Take Perry whose 2004 Artist's Robe is in pride of place as a prime example. His alter-ego, Claire, we all know, is a permanent fixture on the fashion scene. Any interest in fashion – or indeed anyone moving in art circles who deems themselves fashionable – is tempered by much of his output, however. The title of one pot in particular – Boring Cool People – is a case in point. The Walthamstow Tapestry, meanwhile, that went on display in London in 2009, features as its centrepiece the "Madonna of the Chanel Handbag", a weeping fashion victim with Virgin head-dress (Hermes scarf?) clutching a quilted 2.55 bag. "Maybe she's just realised how bleak the orgasm of purchase actually is," Perry has said.

 

Art Meets Fashion

Just when you don’t think you can’t visit one more pop-up store, along comes one that is not only inspired, but relevant, too. House of Voltaire, in the heart of Mayfair, is a temporary store that was opened by the South London contemporary arts space Studio Voltaire to finance its artist program and education work.

The store was designed by 6a Architects, a London practice founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. Simple materials are used to good effect, and traditional colors are offset by 6a’s own lighting, which is produced by the London ironmongers izé. The collaboration with Studio Voltaire cements Emerson and Macdonald’s position as London art scene favorites; their other recent commissions include Alex Sainsbury’s Raven Row art center and the extension of the South London Gallery. (I recommend visiting the gallery this week, before Tatiana Trouvé’s solo exhibition closes.)

House of Voltaire sells a diverse selection of artists’ works, limited editions and original pieces to suit most budgets. In addition to prints by a range of contemporary artists (I am coveting Anne Collier’s “My Goals for the Next Six Months”), products for the home range from Bette Davis- and Joan Crawford-inspired dog bowls by Donald Urquhart to fabulously over-the-top tissue box covers by Julie Verhoeven and pop bird houses by Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan. Fashion finds include a dip-dyed bag by Matthew Derbyshire and Grace Spooner, and a T-shirt by Linder and the fashion designer Richard Nicoll (his first venture into menswear). Cary Kwok’s cheeky, festive greeting cards bring a whole new meaning to the song “White Christmas” – perhaps not one to be sent to Mom.

House of Voltaire is situated above Rupert Sanderson’s boutique on Bruton Street. A roll call of London’s art scenesters have signed on to work there and bring buzz to the store, from the curator-about-town Sarah McCrory to the fashion editor Charlie Porter. Pop in on Saturday to see “The History Boys” actor and art fan Russell Tovey wearing the staff overalls. If you can’t make it in person, a selection of special works and editions are available to buy online and can be delivered internationally.

The art, design and fashion worlds have also come together for the start of the Acne White/Art T-shirt project. The fashion and furniture brand Acne is commissioning four artists to re-interpret the classic white T-shirt, starting with the London artist Steffan Brüggeman. The T-shirts will be stocked at Acne stores, including the Dover Street flagship, as well as at the New Museum and the Yvon Lambert Gallery in New York.

Party time for Kurt Geiger

Kurt Geiger, the upmarket shoe retailer, expects a "strong Christmas" after a surge in women buying designer shoes for parties recently delivered a rise in sales of 30 per cent.

For the week starting 15 November, Kurt Geiger said that sales of its highest heeled shoes – 120mm – "quadrupled" compared to the same period last year, as customers follow the latest catwalk trends more closely. Over the week, Kurt Geiger's underlying sales rocketed by 30 per cent, "as fashionistas seek out designer party accessories for their feet".

Neil Clifford, the chief executive of Kurt Geiger, said: "With the fantastic surge in sales last week, a 30 per cent increase in like-for-likes compared to 2009, we anticipate Christmas trading to be strong across our entire business as we provide the international fashionistas with the most 'on-trend' footwear in the lead up to the party season. 2010 has been an excellent year to date for Kurt Geiger."

The retailer said that total sales for the 9 months to 30 October are up by 25 per cent, boosted by new stores, while they are higher by 10 per cent on a like-for-like basis. Kurt Geiger, which has 63 shops globally and 112 concessions within UK and European department stores, plans to open a further 32 branches worldwide over the next five years, including in Russia and Turkey. Its internet sales have doubled over the past year to account for 20 per cent of own-brand revenues.

Victoria’s Secret Holiday Hotties

Gearing up for the holiday shopping season, Adriana Lima, Erin Heatherton, Chanel Iman and Lily Aldridge were spotted at Victoria’s Secret in New York City today (November 22).

With the foursome all looking fabulous, the lingerie ladies helped to introduce their favorite holiday gift picks at the PINK SoHo location.

For the event, Miss Iman donned a yellow zip-up hoodie overtop a black shirt with skinny black trousers and suede high-heeled boots, while Lily opted for a lavender hoodie for her ensemble.

And both Chanel and Lily will be featured in the upcoming 2010 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show next month on CBS!

Burberry touted a strong performance in Asia

Burberry touted a strong performance in Asia and barnstorming sales of its leather aviator jackets for driving record half-year profits yesterday.

The luxury group also hailed the contribution of a 26 per cent surge in non-apparel sales, with the star performer being its leather handbags, to pre-tax profits surging by 49 per cent to £118m.

Angela Ahrendts, the chief executive of Burberry, said: "The continued focus on the brand, ongoing investment in our digital, IT and retail infrastructure, especially in China, and a disciplined approach to driving growth underpin our confidence in delivering long-term sustainable returns."

Total revenues at Burberry, which has retail, wholesale and licensing divisions, rocketed by 21 per cent to £641m over the six months to 30 September.

Ms Ahrendts, who has been feted for her turnaround at Burberry, cited an impressive performance in China where it acquired in September 43 of the 50 stores that were previously operated by its franchise partners. Sales at the new company-owned stores jumped by 25 per cent in the half-year. Burberry expects to transfer over the seven remaining franchise stores over the coming months.

Sales across its emerging markets division accounted for 13 per cent of total sales in the first half, up from 11 per cent last year, with Turkey also making a strong contribution.

Fashion helps me express myself

Miranda Cosgrove has revealed that she views her fashion choices as an extension of her own personality.

Speaking to Seventeen magazine, the iCarly star explained that she likes to mix fashion and comfort in her daily wardrobe.

"I think in my every day life I try to be fashionable, but comfortable at the same time… I'm a jeans girl. I have tons of jeans," she said.

She continued: “Fashion is important to me because it's all about expressing yourself. It can make people very interesting when they have their own special thing going on."

Cosgrove recently declared that she'd like to emulate Anne Hathaway's career trajectory

Blake Lively Lands Cover of 'Vogue' Best Dressed Issue

Anna Wintour really loves Blake Lively. Months after hitting Paris' top fashion shows with the famed editor-in-chief, Lively has landed the cover of Vogue's "Best Dressed" special-edition issue. The Gossip Girl star shares the honor with many other lovely ladies, including Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie and rumored future covergirl Lady Gaga.

Lively's cover came as a surprise to some fashion fans: She's previously landed on her fair share of "worst dressed" lists, most recently for a kooky look that had her button-down shirt peeking out beneath the hem of a metallic high-waisted skirt. But for all her occasional missteps, Blake has had some fantastic red carpet home runs—all without the aid of a professional stylist.

Do you think Blake Lively is one of the entertainment industry's best dressed?

This Is Tron-Inspired Fashion, Believe It Or Not

How does a video game movie inspire high end fashion? The new Tron Legacy collection from Opening Ceremony shows us, in the form of lightcycle-inspired cargo pants, handbags modelled after identity discs and laser cut dresses.

Opening Ceremony’s Tron-inspired line, a collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, features neoprene sock boots, bodice tanks and wool pants for the ladies, motorcycle jackets and button downs for the guys. The collection is much brighter, more vibrant than the dark world of Tron Legacy, with intense blues, oranges and yellows dominating.

And nothing here is cheap. Prices range from $US230 for a women’s bodice tank top to $US575 for a men’s moto jacket or women’s circle bag.

Google is making its first foray into the world of fashion this Wednesday

The behemoth online search engine is unveiling Boutiques.com, a site that will enable Web users to compile fashion merchandise they like into personalized virtual boutiques, which other people can then click through to purchase directly from an online retailer.

Google has purportedly hired Sarah Jessica Parker to launch a virtual boutique, and is now courting Tom Cruise's fashionable wife Katie Holmes to do the same.  It has also reached out to high-end labels like Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Cynthia Rowley, Marchesa, Isaac Mizrahi, Tracy Reese, and Erin Fetherston to partake in its new e-commerce scheme.

The fashion and beauty trade publication Women's Wear Daily reports Google is not planning to become a vendor itself. Instead, Boutiques.com will direct customers towards a brand's existing online store or a retailer who carries the item like Net-a-Porter, Yoox, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Barneys New York.

Though Google Shopping already exists as a separate platform from Google Search, Boutiques.com will usher in a more visually-appealing platform for online shoppers. Currently, Web users can filter their searches on Google Shopping by category, brand and price, but not by age, gender, style, or fabric  requirements that are crucial when it comes to buying clothes.

The e-commerce industry is now booming and Google, compared to other online sites, has entered the market rather late in the game. Virtual fashion community Polyvore and search engine ShopStyle, which allow Web users to style outfits and then click through to online retailers to buy them, are now two of the biggest non-retail fashion websites. Each boasts about 1.6 million unique visitors per month, according to Google Analytics.

And earlier this month, e-tailer Revolve unveiled an application that allows Web users to build their own online clothing boutiques stocked with items from the site. Nicole Richie, the celebrity designer behind House of Harlow and Winter Kate, was among the first to set up her own virtual shop.

Black Swan is coming

It began in Venice, Black Swan being declared one of the best of the year and expected to contend at the Oscars. Then they went underground with the hype for a while, smartly I think, to make sure it didn’t buzz out before the release date on December 3rd. So we’re close now, a month away from the Golden Globe nominations and then it’s balls out from there.

Last night was the closing of AFI Fest featuring Black Swan and most of its cast, certainly the key players, including both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, along with Vincent Cassel, director Darren Aronofsky, fresh off the announcement of his split from Rachel Weisz, and, sigh, Winona Ryder.

This is what I wrote about Winona Ryder at TIFF – click here –and I still feel the same way. With Winona it’s not age but what she’s been through, goes through, endures. Like many of you, I still see her the way she was. It’s jarring to be reminded that that isn’t now anymore.

Also, if I had a time machine, I’d just go back to that year when she and Gwyneth were best friends. The final photo in this series is one of my favourites. They’re around 25. They’re at the top. They’re in New York. They’re SO tight. Every night it’s parties and fashion and champagne and handholding from one open door to another. And as quickly as it came, it was over. I love gossip nostalgia.

Haute Fashions Not Just New, But Used and Borrowed Too

What began as an economical way to provide a couture look for budget-conscious women looking for unique style, emerging fashion stylist, Emika Porter has quickly turned her passion into a growing chic underground fashion movement.  Last year, Porter created, Haute Thrif’Ture TM, a styling borrow/exchange boutique with an inventory made up entirely of second-hand gently-worn designer clothing, mainly obtained from customers. With sales at thrift stores on the rise (an 18% increase over 2009), more women were embracing the concept of wearing pre-owned clothing. Porter is not only dressing clients in the “best for less” high-fashions, but expanded her boutique’s service to include fashion rental. Porter says, “Borrowing fashion clothing and accessories is not a new retail model, but what sets Haute Thrif’Ture TM apart is that our inventory is affordable, customers get the same look for less, whether the fashions are rented or exchanged.” Designers include Burberry, Chanel, Michael Kors, and many others. Customers also receive Porter’s styling expertise, because she says, “…often customers don’t know how to put it all together; I show them how – which is extremely valuable for anyone who wants a hot look maybe for just one event.”

Dozens of Las Vegas’ fashion elite are expected to turn out for the grand opening celebration and fashion soiree on Friday, Nov. 19 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.  Haute Thrif’Ture TM officially opens their couture closet boutique in the Emergency Arts Building, 520 East Fremont Street, Suite 145, downtown Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 20.  In addition, Porter is fast becoming the go-to fashion stylist for editorial and commercial fashion shoots – working with fashion photographers such as Victor Salvador; Porter recently styled the November magazine cover for ‘The G.O.O.D.S. Magazine’, an online interactive upscale fashion & lifestyle publication, and the book covers for author Ni’Cola’s ‘Over and Over Again’ and ‘Twisted’. She was also the lead fashion stylist and commentator for Saver’s 2010 ‘Walk-The-Walk’ charity fashion show. Ms. Porter, who was born and raised in Berkeley, CA is not new to ‘thifting’ – a phrased she coined, says her mother introduced her to consignment shopping as a teenager long before it was “cool”, yet alone fashionable. “Thrifting is truly an art form that requires knowing top designers, recognizing quality and anticipating trends – Thrifting ain’t easy,” states Porter.

 

worldwide sales for Soft Sheen-Carson

Fashion Fair Cosmetics is getting its own makeover under new leadership, with overseas expansion, a skin-care line and a more modern look among the initiatives.

“We have a tremendous opportunity internationally as we shore up the fundamentals of making sure the product is in stock, that we have the right products and an updated product mix, and strong counter presence and sales staff,” said Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing Co., whose portfolio includes Ebony and JET magazines as well as cosmetics and fashion events.

The most attractive markets for overseas sales are Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and South America, Rogers said.

Johnson Publishing has hired two retail veterans to lead Fashion Fair’s redo: Ethan G. Foster, named this week as vice president of sales, and Bob Scott as vice president of operations.

Foster will replace J. Lance Clark, who is retiring after more than 30 years in Fashion Fair leadership. Foster has run his own consulting firm for 30 years, driving sales for brands such as Carol’s Daughter and Namaste Salon Systems. He spent eight years as senior vice president of worldwide sales for Soft Sheen-Carson, a division of L’Oreal USA that got its start in Chicago 45 years ago as Carson Products, Inc., on the South Side.

Scott, who will be in charge of the company’s inventory management, contract manufacturing and process improvements, worked for one of Fashion Fair’s suppliers and has held senior positions at contract-manufacturing organizations such as Outsourcing Services Group and Knowlton Development Corp.

“You will see us doing partnerships early in the new year that will reinforce the Fashion Fair brand and ensure that it has a modern feel,” Rogers said.

This premier on November 9, 2010 will unveil 12 professional designers for a runway battle that features ALLISON the Model

ALLISON the Model will walk the runway in Bravo TV’s The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection, to premier on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 10pm/9 Central. The show is hosted by fashion icon Iman and Isaac Mizrahi, internationally acclaimed designer. Contestant creations will also be judged by Laura Brown of Harper’s Bazaar.

The first of its kind, The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection will push contestants to create a fashion forward line and compete for a $125,000 prize, provided by TRESemme® Professional Hair Care. This fashion house duel will split 12 talented men and women into two fashion houses and each “house” must work together, not only to create a cohesive collection each week, but also to produce a live fashion show showcased by top models, like ALLISON.

“Working on The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection was inspirational and uplifting. Everyone was passionate about their artistic vision and had to be fearless about presenting it to the world. I admired each designer for their bravery and ambition,” states ALLISON.

ALLISON and other fashion models are the inspiration behind the designers’ creations. Living in New York and originally from Philadelphia, Allison’s African American and Colombian ancestry embodies diversity and unity, qualities coveted in the fashion world. “It is so exciting being a talented designer’s muse. Each time I head down the runway, I feel so honored to be showing such wonderful, wearable art. Every day I am learning and meeting new people who inspire me to be a better fashion model,” points out ALLISON. “Talent is so sexy!”

ALLISON is known in the industry as a consummate professional, exhibiting a strong work ethic and intelligence that goes beyond ideal measurements, natural beauty, a healthy physique, and modeling talent.

Marc Jacobs Shows Animal Print, Cheongsam, Body Paint for Louis Vuitton

"I wanted total camp glamour, clothes for the extrovert; chinoiserie, the 1920s, everything that Paris stands for," Marc Jacobs said backstage after his spring 2011 Louis Vuitton show in Paris this morning. Jacobs cited Kenzo Takada and the early work of other Japanese designers who showed their lines first in Paris as inspirations. "I love the exoticism, the way Paris embraced Orientalism," he added. This Susan Sontag quote, another inspiration, was printed on the show notes: "The relation between boredom and camp taste cannot be overestimated. Camp taste is by its nature possible only in affluent societies, in societies or circles capable of experiencing the psychopathology of affluence."

So that translated to bold animal prints, cheongsam dresses, mandarin collars, fans as accessories, and a panda shirt. Suzy Menkes, who calls the show "a piece of gaudy fun," writes:

By the time the first models had sashayed out in slim dresses slit to reveal the leg, you didn’t need a master’s in Mandarin to get the message that China is hot retail property for Louis Vuitton. Historical Shanghai made a fun way to transmit the message to the audience, even if the Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, in a scoop-front Vuitton dress from last season, seemed mystified by the Chinese element while Asian journalists asked for a definition of “camp.”

One wonders if these are the clothes Chinese shoppers want? If they like it, the Telegraph's Hilary Alexander notes that animal activists will not, as the set included three stuffed tigers and two tiger skins. Maybe the message is just that some skin is in? After all Kristen McMenamy closed the show wearing zebra body paint applied by Pat McGrath instead of a top. You know, who needs another shirt, really?

 

Wristwatch sales are actually on the rise this year

With clocks being built into almost every digital gadget and machine, wristwatch sales have seen a decline in the past few years. But market analysts say the centuries-old time-telling tool is trying to make a comeback.

Wristwatch sales are actually on the rise this year, according to June Rhee, the fashion watch buyer for the Macy's department store chain.

"The overall watch business and the watch industry have been experiencing an unusual growth this year ... it's explosive, and people who've been in the industry for 20, 30 years have never seen numbers like this," Rhee says.

Rhee says the watch has become the "it" accessory of the year.

More detailed information from: http://www.replicasomega.com/

Shoes is a science

You either love them or you hate them, but whatever your opinion, the mid-height heel, often referred to as the kitten heel, is back with a vengeance this season.

It has been seen everywhere on the catwalks. Some of you may breath a sigh or relief as you willingly clamber down from your stilettos whilst others may recoil in despair. Fear not ladies, as there is a way we can all work the ladylike kitten heel in style.

If you need some reassurance look no further than Marc Jacobs who was sending out bow-tipped low pumps in Louis Vuitton's fall catwalk show and chunky mid-heel Mary Janes for his own collection. And lets face it, where Marc goes, we all willingly follow!

So how on earth do you wear the kitten heel without looking like you’re rocking the granny look minus the chic? First of all, you need to wear them with the right pieces. Wide leg trousers are a huge look for this season and look fabulous teamed with lower heels. The mid-height heel compliments the tailored finish of the trousers and injects an element of poise into the look. If you prefer skinny cigarette or cropped style trousers, lower heels also add a demure touch. This look is especially good for tall ladies.

If 50’s style is a tad too proper for you look out for more edgy versions with stud and zip detailing for a more contemporary finish.

Kitten heels are ideal for those who desire a little extra height without sacrificing comfort. They’re cute, feminine and great for accentuating your ankles and calves, without the pain of stilettos. They will easily take you from day to night and make a fabulously, flirty shoe staple this season.

she was smart before it was vogue for women to be smart

“When I’m bored I feel very old, and since I’m extremely bored with you, I’m going to be a thousand years old in five minutes. . . .”

It would be difficult not to fall in love with anyone this honest and this blunt, but these are the “pearls” of wisdom that fell out of the mouth of Gabrielle Chanel. For those who intimately know the business of fashion, it is a fact that along with its cast of players come a large doses of lying or “embroidering the truth,” sarcasm, and bitchiness galore. Mlle. Chanel was by no means immune to any of these attributes.

Chanel had a different version of every event, especially of her humble beginnings, and could weave a fairy tale faster than she could sew a button. What remains from all these versions is simply this: No one knows exactly where she came from, how she was raised, who raised her, nor even if she had birthed a child. It seems that Mlle. Chanel had no intention of ever leaving behind the “true” history of her life. What she did leave is a richly embroidered truth from which we can pick and choose regarding her life.

She was most definitely a woman who loved men and in most cases, a woman who felt it was worth it to support these men long after she bedded them. She was attracted to artists, aristocrats, phonies, the rich, the poor, the needy, but she always came away with something from each of them. There were two extremely questionable liaisons with two extremely questionable Germans, pairings that aroused the curiosity of many for many years—but even their stories were “enhanced.”

No matter the topic, no matter the situation, there are several things that one can say about the great Gabrielle Chanel and they are that: she was smart before it was vogue for women to be smart; she was talented before it was chic for a woman to exhibit her talents; she was opinionated, forthright, and painfully honest. Most of all there is the legacy that she left us.

“I’m not sure that I do entirely understand; for so much of Chanel remains enigmatic—the more you run after her, the more elusive her ghost becomes.”

THE OLSENS ARE DESIGNING BAGS

It's fair to say that celebrity fashion lines are not always a great success, but the Olsen twins have bucked the trend and managed to produce not one but two much coveted lines, The Row and Elizabeth and James.

Having just presented the spring 2011 of The Row in Paris (factory issues meant that they couldn't show in New York), Mary Kate and Ashley sat down with WWD to talk about their plans for the future of the label. The big news? They're adding bags and shoes to the line up.

Apparently the bags will make their debut next autumn, while shoes will follow later. And after that they plan to grow their businesses even more. 'It would be a proper American luxury brand, made in America, with retail businesses and maybe collaborations with other brands,' says Ashley.

"Stylemaker" Kanye West's Strained Relationship With the Fashion World

There once was a time when it seemed like Kanye West could do no wrong. And indeed, he seems well aware of that fact as well. On Monday night at the Accessories Council's annual ACE Awards, the pop star, who received the honor of "Stylemaker of the Year" used his acceptance speech as an opportunity to sound off on the world's love/hate towards him, his thoughts on leading a creative existence, and his supreme disappointment after his collaborative shoe design with Louis Vuitton was canned.

"I thank Marc Jacobs so much for giving me the opportunity to design a shoe for Louis Vuitton, but the thing that broke my heart most was when they said, 'You're finished. The shoe's finished,'" he said. "When it was ready it was like the dream of putting together the fabric and having the energy that I knew of being a street kid, of being a boy out of Chicago, and enjoying every day and the way I can connect with this. It's like, you can't play the video game anymore."

Although West acknowledged a shift in public opinion towards him—and the behavior that's invited it—he shared his pride for his inner 5-year old's honesty ("I feel like I have to represent that 5-year-old, even, even at the risk of my public ..."). Still, despite receiving such a prestigious honor that night, West's relationship to the fashion world remains a particularly strained one. Perhaps scarred by the LV shoe incident, his speech felt like a plea to be welcomed unconditionally back into that realm—without condition, without questioning or suppression of his creativity, and without being feared as a loose cannon.

Today the NY Post reports that upon arriving at the awards, West, decked out from head to toe in Lanvin, made a "beeline" for designer Alber Elbaz, who was being honored that night as well. The two subsequently had a serious discussion about fashion. While his unhinged ego and self-entitlement may not be very becoming, we certainly can't fault his impeccable taste.

by the industrious Swiss watchmakers

When the Swatch watch first came out a couple of decades ago, it was touted as the Swiss industry’s answer to the Japanese challenge and inroads into a market that had been traditionally “owned” by the industrious Swiss watchmakers.

Thus, one found solid but funky designs that sold for as low as $20 a piece, prompting many young buyers to get three or four models that they would switch or match with their clothes.

However, over the passage of time, the Swatch watch – still avant-garde in design – has edged away from its former niche, making it more expensive than probably intended in those early years of the brand. It is still a good brand to have and I happily sport a Swatch watch that my son brought home from one of his many product launches – I am the happy owner of many hand-me-downs from my son and am not ashamed to admit this – together with a couple of other inexpensive brands that would not worry me if they got misplaced or lost.

Having demoted my wrist-watch to mundane duties, it is clear that one need not spend too much on watches unless one is really fond of them or wants to show the world the real value of his or her net worth. Watches are, after all, just another tool in the game of one-upsmanship.

Enter now watchmaker Altanus, one better known for coming out with fine timepieces made of steel or precious metals like gold. It seems that this Geneva-based watchmaker has come up with a new raw material for its new line of PATCH watches: Paper! Altanus claims that its watches are both biodegradable and environmentally friendly, but also last long because of a special coating that is both hypoallergenic and which prevents wear and tear or seeing the watch dissolve from a combination of water and acid-sweat.

Feathers fly as Edelsten's Brynne shows off her homemade headwear

Geoffrey Edelsten's wife, Brynne, has caused a sensation at the Emirates marquee in Melbourne, dressed in a Las Vegas Peacock, a headpiece she created herself after sitting up until the early hours of today glueing on each feather.

The couple arrived at the marquee early this morning. Brynne, a former fitness instructor, matched her headwear with a multicoloured gown from her favourite boutique, Nurielle in Las Vegas.

The Edelstens show their style at Flemington. Photo: Emirates
Brynne has caused much commentary with her outfits since she wore an eye-popping dress to the Brownlow ceremony last year - a sheer black number with a sparkling bra top.

Mr Edelsten, a businessman, once again was the perfect accessory, arriving in his custom-made canary yellow suit, which he explained "matches my Ferrari".

Despite his outfit, Mr Edlesten said he was not a gambling man, but did have a soft spot for Bart Cummings's horse So You Think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The marquees in the Birdcage are filling up fast, with the celebrity line-up this year including the late Richard Pratt's daugther Heloise Waislitz, Latino crooner Enrique Iglesias, cricketer Glenn McGrath and fiancee Sara Leonardi, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins, actor Liam Hemsworth and Molly Meldrum.

Other guests include British fashion designer Zhanda Rhodes and Melbourne socialite and former hairdresser to the stars Lillian Frank, who has been to 50 Melbourne Cups in her 74 years and blow-dried model Jean Shrimpton's hair in 1965 when the British "It Girl" caused a stir at Flemington.

Meanwhile, Cummings has lived up to his promise and left his sick bed to be trackside to watch this afternoon’s Melbourne Cup race.