Products

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Tory Burch

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Tory Burch

   

  Tory Burch: Fashion Designer

   

  In just three short years TRB by Tory Burch—known simply as Tory Burch as of 2006—has gone from a tiny operation out of an Upper East Side apartment to a wildly successful contemporary line, which boasts six freestanding boutiques and a booming wholesale business. With the help of now-ex-husband Chris Burch, a shrewd New York venture capitalist who remains co-chairman of the company, not to mention Oprah, who gave her good-as-gold on-air endorsement in April 2005, Burch has turned what easily could have been dismissed as a socialite vanity project into a viable fashion label. The collection, based on Burch’s own easy-chic style—bold prints, caftans, sequined cardigans, and a few more fashion-y evening items—now includes children’s swimwear, jewelry, handbags, and shoes.

   

  These images in 2009 Fashion Collection of Tory Burch

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Reem Acra

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Reem Acra

  
  

  Reem Acra: Fashion Designer

  
  

  Gorgeous gowns detailed with intricate beadwork. Her eveningwear collection is in the romantic tradition. Reem Acra's bridal collection was born after she moved to New York in 1995, and it was an instant success with retailers. She launched her eveningwear collection in 2000.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Reem Acra

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Rachel Roy

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Rachel Roy

  
  

  Rachel Roy: Fashion Designer

  
  

  When we first met Rachel Roy in the summer of 2005 - during which we spent a long afternoon together for a designer shopping profile - we came away thinking that the California native was one of the kindest, most gracious people we’d ever met. Two years on, Roy’s eponymous womenswear collection – while still feminine, elegant and vintage-inspired – has grown by leaps and bounds, she has several well-received Fashion Week presentations under her belt, and she was recently inducted, along with 29 other up-and-coming designers, into the Council of Fashion Designers of America. And she remains one of the kindest, most gracious people we’ve ever met. Roy's background in a nutshell: she loved fashion from an early age and worked at stores like Contempo Casuals before getting a degree in communications at Columbia Union College in Washington, D.C. After moving to New York post-graduation, she worked as a magazine and video stylist prior to becoming design director of Rocawear juniors, the clothing company her husband, Rocafella Records CEO Damon Dash, co-founded with Jay-Z (a title she holds to this day). The Fashion Informer caught up with the 33-year-old Roy between her two design gigs and her other full-time job - as wife to Dash and “mama” to the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Ava – earlier this month.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Rachel Roy

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Proenza Schouler

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Proenza Schouler

  
  

  Proenza Schouler: Fashion Designer

  
  

  This modern luxury label offers an edgy, youthful take on upscale dressing. The design team of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough—self-proclaimed “dorks”—has only been in business since 2002, but they’ve already enjoyed numerous hit collections, and a rep as one of fashion’s most talked about labels. The duo met in design school, worked with Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs respectively, then partnered on their graduation project; the rest is history. It helps that their talent matches their hype, and that their collections showcase their skillful detailing. Some of the line’s most current pieces, sleek and minimal silhouettes with a soulful cheekiness, are redolent of the mod-ness of Courrèges, (a black-and-white cashmere mini-dress), or Paco Rabanne (a chain mail tank.)

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Proenza Schouler

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 2)

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 2)

  
  

  Phillip Lim: Fashion Designer

  
  

  In less than three years, Phillip Lim has crafted a covetable line with strong roots in clean American sportswear. He launched the collection in 2004 as a counterpoint to the loud, often too arty clothes coming off the runways. Here, girls who eschew fussiness in favor of streamlined looks with personality and an attention to detail, always find just the right thing. His dresses float prettily about while cool coats in natty fabrics ground the collection.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 2)

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 1)

  
  12 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 1)

   

   

  Phillip Lim: Fashion Designer

   

   

  In less than three years, Phillip Lim has crafted a covetable line with strong roots in clean American sportswear. He launched the collection in 2004 as a counterpoint to the loud, often too arty clothes coming off the runways. Here, girls who eschew fussiness in favor of streamlined looks with personality and an attention to detail, always find just the right thing. His dresses float prettily about while cool coats in natty fabrics ground the collection.

   

   

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 1)

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  2009 New Fashion Collection of Phillip Lim (Part 2)

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phi

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Phi

  
  

  Phi: Fashion Designer

  
  

  Susan Dell dressed the Bush daughters for their father's first inauguration. The obvious next step was to bring her brand to New York and open a store in Soho, Phi. Well, that's actually a giant leap, but Susan is the 42-year-old wife of Michael Dell, the computer tycoon. "I think there are probably a lot of people out there who think, Here's this woman who is married to this really successful man, and so she basically bought herself a job," Dell once said. But she had dreamed of designing since she was a little girl. Actually, it's Norwegian Andreas Melbostad who designs the severely elegant clothes that comprise the line.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Phi

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Nicole Miller

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Nicole Miller

  
  

  Nicole Miller: Fashion Designer

  
  

  For the last 25 years Nicole Miller has built a reputation in modern, sexy American ready-to-wear, with an increasing presence in sportswear. Her longevity is a testament to her talent. Miller's unique pieces appeal to a range of women from many walks of life. During the past several years, Miller has expanded her repertoire to include several offshoots: Nicole Miller Signature (luxury pieces and red carpet gowns), Nicole Miller Collection (ready to wear and sportswear from the runway), Nicole Miller Studio (resort pieces and exclusive scarf print dresses), a bridal collection and popular bridesmaids line. In addition, she has Nicole Miller Silver Label sportswear, lingerie, shoe, belt, jewelry, bag lines, furniture and a collection of products for the home.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Nicole Miller

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Naeem Khan

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Naeem Khan

  
  

  Naeem Khan: Fashion Designer

  
  

  Naeem Khan born in India, Naeem Khan made his Fashion Week debut in 2005. His grandfather and father were famous in his homeland for their designs, which were worn by the royal family there. At age 18, Khan scored an apprenticeship with Halston, where he came face-to-face with some of the most glamorous figures on earth: “You had Elizabeth Taylor walking in,” he’s said of those days. “You had Liza Minnelli having lunch with you. Andy Warhol was around. And they all made things happen.” Khan launched the line that bears his name in 2003 — and celebrities took notice. Beyonce wore Khan’s gowns in “Dreamgirls.” His east-meets-west approach has been embraced by Mariah Carey and Eva Longoria. These days, he chills in a loft in Soho with his wife and two sons.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Naeem Khan

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Monique Lhuillier

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Monique Lhuillier

  
  

  Monique Lhuillier: Fashion Designer

  
  

  Monique Lhuillier and her husband, Tom Bugbee, founded Monique Lhuillier & Company in 1996 to rave reviews, quickly establishing the label as a leading bridal couturier. In 1999, the company launched its designer eveningwear collection, which was also met with accolades. Both the bridal and eveningwear collections are handmade of imported fabrics, hand-beaded laces, exquisite embroideries and the finest silk, satins and chiffons. The result is feminine, sexy and timeless.

  
  

  These images in 2009 New Fashion Collection of Monique Lhuillier

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Missoni

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Missoni (Part 1)

  
  

  Missoni: Fashion Designer

  
  

  Missoni’s Technicolor knit stripes are world famous, and romantically, their story began at the 1948 Olympics in London, where house founders Rosita and Ottavio first met. She was studying there and decided to take in some track and field events; he was a hurdles runner who also happened to design the track team’s uniforms. Five years later, the couple married and settled in Milan to open a garment business specializing in knits and patterns. Within a few years, their label had already solidified its look: bold, colorful patterns on any fabric and any silhouette for men and women. Today, it is still a family-run affair with Rosita and Ottavio’s daughter Angela designing and sons Luca and Vittorio overseeing the business, which now encompasses home and beauty.

  
  

  These images in 2009 Fashion Collection of Missoni (Part 1)

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  2009 New Fashion Collection of Missoni (Part 2)

• 2009 New Fashion Collection of Michael Kors

  
  11 February 2009
  

  2009 New Fashion Collection of Michael Kors

  
  

  Michael Kors: Fashion Designer

  
  

  For all his name recognition and accessibility, Michael Kors has had a tough time making money in the 21st-century fashion business. This is in part because he started his empire at a time (1980) when big department stores, which had been so crucial to other designer businesses, were becoming less dominant in the retail universe, and in part because Kors’s love of classics is at odds with a trend-driven industry. In 2003, Kors was acquired by fashion financiers Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou, who intended to spread the name across multiple categories and make it a billion dollar brand. Fragrances and accessories did well, but other categories—menswear, lower-priced lines—didn’t. In summer 2006, the company began opening the first of a planned 100 Michael Kors stores that would mix all his various products in one space. “Everyone says it’s all about the mix, and that she wears couture with denim, or sable with flip flops,” he told WWD that August. “This is how a lot of people want to shop.”

  
  

  These images in 2009 Fashion Collection of Michael Kors

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 2009 new fashion - Celia Birtwell's new collection for Boots

  
  11 February 2009
  

  When her clothing collection hit Topshop it was an instant sell-out, now designer Celia Birtwell is about to do it all again with a beauty and accessory range for Boots.

  

  On a roll: Celia Birtwell's new range for Boots includes (clockwise from left) cosmetic purses, foundation brushes, sunglasses and compact mirrors

  60s fashion icon, Celia Birtwell, famous for her prints, has designed her first range for Boots.

  Her collection features sunglasses and a full range of accessories, including washbags, cosmetic purses, mirrors, brush and cosmetic sets.

  All the prints have a vintage-look with retro patterns of a cherry-spot as well as a “Mademoiselle” character. Prices generally range from £3.50 to £20, with some of the higher-end pieces costing up to £70. The collection will be introduced into stores over the next few weeks.

  Birtwell fans who have already helped to make her dress and blouse collections for Topshop a sell-out, should begin forming an orderly queue.

   

  (telegraph)

• 2009 new fashion - Stella McCartney Comic Relief T-shirts, M&S's Portfolio range and more...

  
  11 February 2009
  

  Sarah Mower offers advice on hard-to-find Stella McCartney charity T-shirts, fabulous fake jewellery and how M&S mistreats the over-50s.

  

  Hot for a bargain: Keira Knightley, left, in Stella McCartney's Comic Relief T-shirt. Centre: gold tone and pearl necklace, £325, Mawi at net-a-porter.com. Far right: Marie Helvin in M&S's Portfolio range

  Stella's on the (red) nose

  The times aren't yet so grim that you don't need to get up early to bag a hot item – in one case at least. I speak of Stella McCartney's Red Nose Day T-shirt featuring an Eighties Herb Ritts photoprint of Madonna in Minnie Mouse ears. I snatched the last one in an impulse raid on TK Maxx on High Street Kensington on Saturday, instantly knowing I'd scored a goodie from the expression of the girl behind the desk.

  "Aaw!" she groaned. "Don't tell me they've all gone. I wanted that one!"

  Better yet, when I got home, my 15-year-old daughter burst out with, "Ooh, that's cool," accidentally ruining her two-year campaign of disdain for everything I buy or wear.

  So that was £15.99 very nicely spent, especially when I realised it looks great under a tailored black jacket and that it is made using Fairtrade cotton from Senegal into the bargain (£8 goes to the appeal).

  Still, coming by this hit purchase was a bit of a surprise. I have never been a big fan of charity T-shirts and can't stand Madonna; Comic Relief wheezes irritate me; and my phobia about TK Maxx, with its flammable prom dresses and discount leisurewear, is so severe I normally have to whistle and look in the opposite direction just to get past the window. But the racks of Red Nose T-shirts are positioned near the door. The Madonna one was cute, retro and well-shaped enough to entice me across the threshold, in spite of my prejudices.

  What I concluded, though, with a certain patriotic pride, is how impressively quick off the mark British women are at homing in on the right fashion choice. TK Maxx, the sole high-street stockist, has been more or less stripped of the Madonna tees (though not of the harder-to-wear vest), while dozens of the Beatles and Morecambe & Wise versions are still available.

  On the Comic Relief website, only the Madonna option says "coming soon", probably a euphemism for sold out. But there may still be a chance: there are 210 branches in the country. There may be one left, somewhere.

  Fake it and make it

  Counter-intuitively, this is the time to wear as much jewellery as you can. Only in a certain way, obviously: diamond-flashing is hardly socially acceptable any more, not at a time when even the super-rich of Palm Beach (victims of Madoff) are trying to sell off their mothers' and grandmothers' jewellery, and when conventional, red-carpet sparklers (all borrowed, obviously) have long ceased to impress (there was barely a stone in sight at last week's Bafta ceremonies).

  But there's plenty to be said for lashings of the exuberantly fake. The way to do it is to gaze upon the brilliant example set by two British jewellers, Tom Binns and Mawi of Mawi Keivom. Both created pieces that are gloriously bold amalgams of mixed materials – strings of pearls, tangles of diamanté, gilt chains, coloured-glass gemstones and bits of brooches, all collaged onto sensational necklaces.

  Desirable and a bit wacky, they are not only for formal occasions. Costing upwards of £300, the pieces might not seem all that accessible price-wise, but they're hardly extortionate. Either way, looking is free – and so is the possibility of making your own at no cost. Time, then, to salvage all the junky, broken bits and pieces you've never had the heart to throw away, even if you wondered if they would ever come back into fashion.

  The trick? Simply fasten three or four old mismatched strings of beads together, wind them round your neck, and see what happens. For me, all the Twenties, Thirties and Fifties trinkets I've been picking up in markets since I was a teenager have come back to life in whole new configurations.

  The way they look best, I've discovered, is worn casually yet unexpectedly on a white T-shirt or old sweater.

  M&S mutton alert

  If there's one thing worse than mutton dressed as lamb, it's mutton dressed as mutton. I wanted to approve of M&S's Marie Helvin-promoted Portfolio range, but wild horses wouldn't drag me into that stuff. I just can't see how it's supposed to offer anything different from the rest of the M&S stock, and the attempt at "elegance" for the over-50s is worse than patronising.

  What woman (of any age) could possibly want a pair of pull-on jersey bell-bottoms with gold "sailor" buttons? For a start, the shape is not fashionable in any sense. Second, the thought of what they would do to anyone's backside and thighs is enough to make one cry. And third… hang on, aren't these just souped-up versions of the synthetic slacks M&S has sold since time immemorial? I had a Saturday job in Bath's M&S as a schoolgirl, and I know of which I speak. At that age, I hoped someone would shoot me before I got old enough to need flared crimplene bottoms.

  Thankfully, now I'm there, there are other places to shop than M&S.

   

  (telegraph)

• 2009 new Fashion - New York Fashion Week: new designers on the block

  
  11 February 2009
  

  Watch out; a new wave of US designers including Keith Lissner, Alexander Wang and John Whitledge are creating a stir in New York...

  

  The city that never sleeps has some exciting new talents emerging, including this dress by Keith Lissner

  New York Fashion Week, which starts on Friday, might not be the most important on the calendar, but it's certainly the most commercial. The patronage available from American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the Council of Fashion Designers of America can make or break designers, both through the CFDA/Vogue awards, to which Marc Jacobs owes much of his success, and the prospect of a feature in Wintour's magazine.

  Yet huge changes are afoot. Last week, it was announced that as of 2010, the twice-a-year extravaganza will no longer be held under the tents at Bryant Park, its home for the past 15 years. Add to this the persistent rumours that Wintour, the most powerful figure in fashion, might step down, and the fashion world is on the verge of a collective panic attack.

  But despite – or perhaps because of – these seismic shifts, the city that never sleeps has some exciting new talents emerging. "We are seeing designers who have always been fashion editors' darlings finally get their day in the sun," says Amina Akhtar, fashion editor for New York magazine's popular website, nymag.com. "There is a major recession on, and people want clothes that are investment pieces. A beautiful dress or a fitted, well-cut suit can last many years."

  One of those editors' darlings is 31-year-old Keith Lissner, who has been labelled the next Marc Jacobs. Lissner trained at the London College of Fashion and moved back to the US after graduating in 1998, designing for Perry Ellis and later Ralph Lauren. In 2006, he launched his own line, to critical acclaim, and is in talks with several luxury department stores, including Harrods, to distribute his clothes in the UK.

  One reason for his success is that Lissner grew up surrounded by couture, with his family owning a boutique in Chicago filled with gowns by Christian Dior, Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene. His fans on the New York celebrity circuit – including Janet Jackson and Natasha Bedingfield – love his timeless "demi-couture" evening wear (see main picture), which incorporates invisible inner corsetry to create the most flattering shape, and are sewn with French seams rather than machine-finished edges.

  "Keith is one of my favourite designers," says Tamsin Lonsdale, a mover and shaker who splits her time between London, New York and Los Angeles, and hosts a private members-only Supper Club. "I recently wore a beautiful white beaded tutu dress and felt like the belle of the ball."

  Alexander Wang, aged just 24 (and no relation to Vera), is another hot name on the New York fashion scene, with a level of success that has astonished his peers. His first collection was launched in 2007; since then, he has been nominated for the career-changing Swarovski Womenswear Award by Vogue and the CFDA. His A-list clients include Kate Hudson, Michelle Williams and Lindsay Lohan, and his empire now includes a collection of shoes and a diffusion line of T-shirts, simply called "T". He's also stocked at six UK shops.

  Two more rising stars are over the bridge in Brooklyn, in the form of designers Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai. They launched the Vena Cava label in 2003, taking inspiration from their own collections of vintage clothing and aiming to create classic pieces that had the feel of family heirlooms: one Vena Cava dress last season had a train that fell like butterfly's wings, in purple silk adorned with gold sequins.

  Then there is avid surfer and California native John Whitledge, who created Trovata, a small vintage-inspired menswear collection, nearly seven years ago. It was immediately snapped up by New York department store Barneys, and after a feature in American Vogue, Whitledge expanded his brand to include womenswear. One season later, he won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Rather than hosting a traditional runway show to display his autumn 2007 collection, he dreamt up two fictitious European socialites, who, clad entirely in Trovata throughout the week, were photographed at every glamorous party. Rumours about the couple spread throughout the press, with some theorising that the pair were the creation of Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen.

  Despite the world's economic woes, Whitledge is optimistic. He takes inspiration from style icons such as Jackie O, her son John F Kennedy Jr, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, but also draws, especially this season, from "the little joys in life… the little quirks and surprises that keep you looking up rather than looking down".

  Optimism is also the key to Lutz & Patmos's spring 2009 collection. Since its debut in 2000, Tina Lutz and Marcia Patmos's label has become New York's go-to brand for luxurious and eco-friendly knitwear. They created a "little sister" line, Leroy and Perry, last year, and have enlisted Birkin as a guest designer this year (others have included Christy Turlington, Sofia Coppola, Liv Tyler, Julianne Moore and Kirsten Dunst). For the winter, the pair, who source environmentally friendly yarns and support fair trade in Uruguay, created a Peruvian hat, using fur from alpacas that had died from natural causes, that flew off the shelves.

  Lutz and Patmos say they are "tired of five-minute trends and longing for integrity". In the mission statement for their current collection, they wrote that they were thinking about "opening the shutters after the winter… and the first rays of spring sunshine". It's certainly been a long, cold winter – but perhaps it's time to at least think about stepping into the sun.

   

  (telegraph)

• Elle Style Awards - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  

  Despite the torrential downpour the Elle Style Awards were a mammoth success, with celebrities and designers such as Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller and Pixie Geldof leading the fashion pack...

  Another torrential downpour; another awards night. BAFTA stars and celebrities braved lashing rain, ankle-deep puddles and a bone-chilling wind for the Elle Style Awards at Big Sky Studios in North London last night.

  Minders with brollies and a canopy hastily erected outside the main door provided a brief respite as the girls in their gowns shook the raindrops from their hair.

  Freida Pinto, still elated after Slumdog Millionaire’s success the previous night, and recipient of Elle’s Best Actress award, wore a funky Chanel short dress with a transparent PVC yoke embellished with silk camellias. Alexa Chung, the host for the evening and winner of the Best TV Star, was also in Chanel, looking extremely sophisticated in a teal-blue, short, fitted backless dress, accessorised with a gigantic cocktail ring by Mawi, and a new upswept hairdo. "I don’t look too mumsy, do I," she worried. No way, Alexa.

  Courtney Love, who was named Woman of the Year, entertained the camera crews with impersonations of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Her ‘Cruella de Vil’ black fishtail gown, worn with a little shrug encrusted with jet and black sequins, was by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. Roisin Murphy also played the Givenchy card, teaming her mirror-beaded top with a pair of Armand Basi grey harem pants.

  VV Brown, the funky, retro-look singer, lived up to her reputation in a vintage top, with a Luella Bartley prom-skirt and Topshop ‘cage’ shoes. Her hair? "I just started to roll it back and it kinda grew and grew," she said. Titian-haired model Olivia Inge cinched her sapphire-blue Ashley Isham with a jewelled belt she bought on holiday in Thailand. Also in jewel brights was the actress Nathalie Press in fuschia silk by Mulberry.

  Pixie Geldof, who still can’t quite believe she’s made it to the cover of Italian Vogue, wore a backless, white Alexander Wang and BF, Alice Dellal, was in her infamous boots with a skintight, sausage-skin of a dress, completely transparent at the sides, which she bought on eBay. Novelist Kathy Lette also worked the see-through look in a black Moschino suit with a skirt featuring peekaboo lace sides.

  Spotted Alexandra Burke, the X Factor winner, in one of Dolce & Gabbana’s sequinned nautical looks from their D&G collection. Catherine Bailey wore a red-print maxi by Mother of Pearl, designed by Damien Hirst’s wife, and daughter Paloma was in Alaia.

  Newer labels surfaced, too. Model of the year winner, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, wore a vintage-look, pale, apple-green gown by Kaviar Gauche, the Berlin-based collection designed by Alexandra Fischer-Roehler and Johanna Kuhl, who won an On|Off Visionary award at London Fashion Week in 2006 and have just started selling at Question Air, which has several branches in London.

  Meanwhile, Pauric Sweeney is emerging as the designer of the bag-of-choice. Courtney Love, Jade Parfitt, Emilia Fox, Natalie Imbruglia, VV Brown and Ben Grimes all carried his clutches and just yesterday; Jessica Biel was spotted with a Pauric S. handbag while out with boyfriend, Justin Timberlake.

  Mickey Rourke arrived just in time to pick up his Best Actor award and gorgeous Sienna Miller, who received the Style Icon award, made a discreet entrance, which almost fooled the photographers. She’s looking forward to the catwalk debut of Twenty8Twelve, the label she jointly runs and designs with her sister, Savannah, a Central Saint Martins graduate, and which is one of the hottest tickets for the forthcoming London Fashion Week, starting on Friday February 19th.

  Also joining in the Best-Dressed fun were Rolf Snoeren and Viktor Horsting, recipients of the H&M Style Visionary trophy, who dazzled in black DJs with lapels encrusted with jewels, beads and crystals, Matthew Williamson and Christopher Kane who was named best British Designer.

   

  (telegraph)

• Fashionistas: Swap 'til you drop at a "swishing do" - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  

  DUBLIN (Reuters Life!) – Like most parties, it tends to start with drinks, nibbles and casual conversation, until the guests suddenly start swapping clothes.

  Invented before the credit crunch but becoming more popular as a free substitute for shopping and entertainment, welcome to swishing.

  "Swishing dos" are parties where people swap second-hand clothes, following a few commonly agreed rules along the following lines:

  Pick a date and venue, invite friends, prepare some food, let people browse the clothes they have brought while enjoying a glass of wine; at a previously agreed time, count down to the "Swish," and start swapping.

  The website www.swishing.org says everyone must bring at least one item of clothing and that no-one can claim items before the "Swish" officially opens. And one final warning which also reveals the gender makeup of most swishing parties: "Remember ladies: no scratching, spitting or biting!"

  "People still love to go shopping and be glamorous," said Ashley Dow of London-based communications firm Futerra which runs the website and claims to have invented the term around two years ago.

  "I think a lot of people have seen that this is a nice outlet to save money and still look fabulous," Dow said.

  Futerra, which advises organizations ranging from the British Council to McDonald's mostly on corporate responsibility issues, posts upcoming parties on the website but allows others organize them.

  Recent ideas have included special "accessories swishes" and "wedding swishes," with detailed rules and variations left entirely up to the organizers, Dow said.

  PRICE TAG STILL ON

  The Sheeben Chic restaurant in Dublin for instance runs a "Swap Idol" event in its basement on Saturday afternoons. Every item of clothing brought in is exchanged for a laminated replica of an old Irish 20-punt (pound) note and these coupons can be used to "purchase" clothes.

  Food and drinks can be bought in the restaurant upstairs, where there is more swapping to do.

  "All these things you can see, people can come in and swap things, like chairs," said the restaurant's Katja Dittmann, who comes from Germany.

  The restaurant's decoration -- a disembowelled computer mounted on a board, pairs of toilet seats arranged in 'S' shapes on the wall, an empty painting frame -- came from friends' sheds and antique auctions and are all up for grabs if something of equal aesthetic value is traded in.

  "It's very busy," Dittmann said of the swap shop. "Obviously, it's going very well with the times, the recession, people having to tighten their belt," she told Reuters while dozens of women browsed clothes downstairs at a recent session.

  "Basically, I've lost my job, had no money to buy clothes so I just thought it would be a great idea to swap," said one patron, 23-year-old Seona Carney.

  The recession drives people to the swap shop, but it helps that only recently Ireland was still enjoying an unprecedented 'Celtic Tiger' boom.

  "Some clothes we've been given still have the price tag on them," Dittmann said. "People obviously have a lot of money, or did have a lot of money and spent them on clothes and they actually never fitted or never had a reason to wear them."

  The shop occasionally sell clothes for a few euros if someone has no clothes to offer in exchange, otherwise the swap shop is just there to generate publicity for the restaurant and provide a service to the community, Dittmann said.

  "The times are perfect for it," she said.

   

  (Yahoo news)

• Fashion world's birthday gift to Barbie: 50 frocks - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  
  

   

   

  NEW YORK – You've got to be at the top of your game to be a one-name model: There's Iman, Naomi, Gisele — Barbie.

  The 11.5-inch plastic doll is still on top as a high-fashion muse as she approaches her 50th birthday, and will make her New York Fashion Week catwalk debut on Saturday in 50 outfits by the country's top designers.

  Barbie's life-size stand-ins will strut in a red carpet-worthy gown by Marchesa, a hot-pink wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg and an outrageous green party dress by Betsey Johnson.

  The fact that Barbie is just shy of her 50th birthday — officially marked on March 9 — doesn't seem to matter in a fashion industry that worships youth. (Being made of plastic, she can even avoid the indignities of Botox.)

  "There's been an epic display of unity around Barbie as a muse," says Richard Dickson, general manager of the Barbie brand at Mattel. "Barbie is 50. What's the next chapter?"

  Hello Kitty is also getting her own Fashion Week party, but there's little doubt about who's top doll. Barbie even knocked down the Bratz girls last year, resulting in a legal decision that essentially will end sales of the edgier tween dolls.

  "A majority of designers have had some run-in with Barbie," says Carmen Marc Valvo. "She's an American icon, and there has to be an interesting association between play and Barbie, and creativity and fashion."

  Valvo insists he's never had his own Barbie, but he was surrounded by his sisters' as a kid, and his very first design was a Barbie dress — a Renaissance gown for a school project. It's proudly displayed in his office, even though the dress is lacking properly cut armholes, a skill he did not yet have.

  Valvo's new life-size Barbie dress is a frothy black strapless cocktail dress with pleats that reminds him of Barbie's early wardrobe of gowns. This one will be worn with hot-pink Christian Louboutin shoes: "It looks like a Bon Bon."

  Nicole Miller's checkerboard trapeze dress and swing coat is the third outfit she has done for Barbie, filling a childhood void from a time when her French-born mother wouldn't let her have one of the dolls.

  "I always envision Barbie in that '60s mode — I made her mid- to late-'60s mod," said Miller. It's a version of a dress Miller put in her very first runway show, worn by Linda Evangelista. "It was the season she was a blond. I immediately thought of that outfit."

  Tommy Hilfiger, who will put Barbie in a hand-beaded white minidress, sees her Barbie as an American pop-culture icon that translates to other cultures and countries. There have been countless Barbies produced in the traditional dress of faraway lands, including a Korean bride in a hanbok and a Kenyan doll wearing wooden bead necklaces.

  The dark-skinned Barbie even boosted the self-esteem of a young Rachel Roy, a designer with mixed Dutch and Indian heritage. "It helped me understand that brown was beautiful," she says.

  Many of the Barbie styles are headed straight for Bloomingdale's flagship store — but they'll be on display, not for sale.

   

  (Yahoo news)

• Project Oscars: Designers create gowns, you vote - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  
  

   

  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Calling all fashionistas: Oscar wants you. The film academy is adding a "Project Runway" element to the Oscars this year by asking the public to vote on which dress the trophy presenter will wear.

  The academy tapped seven emerging designers to create gowns for the competition. They unveiled their entries Tuesday during the annual Oscar fashion show at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' headquarters.

  The winning dress "will be seen on Oscar night probably more than any other gown on the red carpet," said Oscar fashion coordinator Patty Fox. She and show producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon selected the competing designers.

  Moire Conroy, Alan Del Rosario, Sam Kori George, Marianne Kooimans, Maria Pinto, Nicolas Putvinski and Robert Rodriguez each had about three weeks to design their dress.

  Del Rosario, who already counts Michelle Pfeiffer and Debra Messing among his clients, said he was inspired by "old Hollywood glamor" when creating his strapless silk-and-lace mermaid gown.

  "The Oscars is all-time glamour," he said. "It's one of those events when a woman can go all out."

  Maria Pinto, famous for making Michelle Obama's Inauguration Day dress, called her Oscar entry "modern Marie Antoinette."

  The strapless silver column "is a study of control and release," she said, noting that pleats at the waist shape a makeshift bustle in back.

  Putvinski cited New York City skyscrapers as the inspiration for his flowing white gown with folds of silver across the front. Rodriguez also chose white, looking to Grace Kelly as a muse for his silk Grecian column accented with an asymmetrical black strap.

  Conroy was inspired by the '60s summer of love for her floaty gray chiffon design, while George was inspired by champagne — specifically the Taittinger girl — for his strapless silver crepe gown adorned with handmade orchids. Kooimans showed an intricately embroidered, one-shouldered dress dripping with antique diamond brooches.

  Oscar-worthy gems decorated each of the dresses. Neil Lane, a red-carpet regular who has worked with Marisa Tomei and Angelina Jolie, said he expects vintage looks and subdued glamour at the Oscars this year.

  "Everything is classical," he said. "Everything goes back to the golden days of Hollywood."

  Fox said that while she didn't offer the design contestants any guidelines, she hoped they'd embrace classic colors and styles.

  "All the fashion gods were with us," she said.

  Fans can vote online for their favorite gown until Feb. 17. The winner of "Oscars Designer Challenge" will be announced during the red-carpet show before the Feb. 22 Academy Awards.

  Meanwhile, other Oscar fashion preparations were under way at a penthouse on nearby Rodeo Drive. That's where Spanx, the body-shaping undergarments favored by Beyonce, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway and dozens of other Hollywood beauties, set up its annual awards-season suite. So many stylists request the tummy-flattening, hip-slimming underthings this time of year that the Atlanta-based company comes to Los Angeles to dole out boxloads of products in person, said spokeswoman Maggie Adams.

  A rep for Tomei and Jessica Biel was among the arrive Tuesday, collecting slimmers in the company's smallest size.

   

  (Yahoo news)

• Singer Annie Lennox says no to endorsing designers - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  
  

   

  NEW YORK (Reuters) – Singer Annie Lennox is known for her sense of style but she steers clear of joining ranks with designers because she does not want to be owned by a fashion house.

  "I never endorse anybody," said the singer who is visiting New York ahead of the city's semi-annual Fashion Week.

  "I don't want to be a clothes horse for a designer. That's not who I am. I'm not a model. I'm an artist, and so I don't want to be owned by some label."

  The 54-year-old Scottish singer who is about to release her first greatest hits album, "The Annie Lennox Collection," gained fame for her striking style as part of the 1980s pop duo Eurythmics.

  At the 1984 Grammy awards, she performed "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" dressed in drag, complete with false sideburns, to make a mockery of questions she had fielded since the start of her career about her often androgynous appearance.

  While she thinks it is fine for others to endorse designers, Lennox said she wants to remain impartial to the whole fashion industry.

  "You wear this expensive designer dress on the runway and that's who you are. It's almost like a status symbol," she said.

  Although she professes a love of clothes, she said she is a

  real cheapskate.

  "Half my stuff is cheap and a bit secondhand, and I just put it together in my own way," she added.

   

  (Yahoo news)

• Old Hollywood dominates at Oscar fashion preview - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  
  

   

   

  BEVERLY HILLS (Reuters) – Charcoal gray, platinum and white gowns paired with diamonds dominated a preview of red carpet Oscar fashions on Tuesday, recalling the glamour and understated elegance of old Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly.

  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, focused its annual preview on seven up-and-coming designers who are vying to have their original gowns worn onstage at the Academy Awards on February 22.

  The contestants were not instructed to use particular colors, but Oscar fashion coordinator Patty Fox said a palette emerged from the group that she called "Hollywood Silver."

  "Maybe it's like silver screen. We've got a lot of platinums, we've got charcoal grays, light grays, ice colors, some black touches for definition," Fox said.

  Fox declined, however, to link the muted colors to the economic recession that has many Americans pinching pennies.

  "I hope the economy does not reflect on Oscar night because it is just one night to feel great," she said.

  Stars, however, may choose to tone things down when considering what jewels to wear.

  Diamonds -- smaller and less showy than in previous years -- are expected to take center stage on the red carpet.

  "You are going to see a little bit more conservatism," said Martin Katz, a Beverly Hills jeweler. "We won't see as many blingy diamonds."

  The dresses competing in Oscar night's "Designer Challenge" included a strapless black lace and pink silk mermaid gown by designer Alan del Rosario, a platinum jacquard strapless gown by Maria Pinto, a black embroidered lace drop shoulder gown by Marianne Kooimans, and a slate grey charmeuse and chiffon angel dress by Moire Conroy.

  Also among the group were a white gown with gray fluting by Nicolas Putvinski, a white silk draped Grecian gown by Robert Rodriguez and a platinum crepe lame strapless gown by Sam Kori George.

  Many of the designers, including del Rosario, Putvinski and Rodriguez said they were inspired by old Hollywood stars, with Rodriguez specifically calling out Grace Kelly.

  The winning design will be chosen by the public, who can vote for their favorite gown at http://www.oscar.com from the afternoon of February 10 through February 17.

   

  (Yahoo news)

• Timely Topics At "The International" Premiere - 2009 Fashion news

  
  11 February 2009
  
  

   

  New York – When Clive Owen and Naomi Watts signed on to make "The International," they never imagined that at the New York premiere on Monday night they would find themselves with the most up-to-the minute film of 2009. But the thriller all about international banking intrigue is just that, as Owen marveled earlier during the press junket for the movie.

  "I think it's amazing how timely it has become," Owen mused. "We finished a year ago. They were working on that script for a good two years prior to that. So they were using all that research then and since we've locked that picture off all this has happened with banks around the world. Yes, it's a big entertaining thriller, but it does ask questions and opens up doors to question whether banks use people's money appropriately and whether they're completely sound institutions. That's what everyone is doing right now with what's gone on in the last year."

  The premiere drew a wide range of high-profile types, including fashion designer Nicole Miller and actresses Katrina Bowden, and Jasika Nicole.

  Watts and her partner Liev Schreiber recently welcomed their second son to the world. With two boys under two years of age, Watts joked that she was barely awake as she walked the red carpet, and warned that anything she said should be taken with a big grain of salt.

  "I cannot remember anything," she laughed. "I cannot! I call it a 'lactose lobotomy.' I literally have lost half of my brain and I don't know when it's coming back. Actually, it was halved and then halved again. I go back to work on a film next week. I'm just doing ten days on a little film called 'Mother and Child' and I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to remember my dialogue."

  Fortunately, she's already made it through the shoot of "The International," which opens Feb.13. And she warns that once audiences have seen the thriller, many viewers may just want to put all their money under the baby's crib mattress.

  "It's very scary, with what's going on right now," she said. "I've made several calls to my business manager and have said, 'What do we need to do here? Shall I bring around a few briefcases?'"

   

  (Yahoo news)