Armani taps Chinese market with online store

MILAN (AFP) – Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani plans to tap the Chinese market with a new online store that opened Friday for Emporio Armani in one of the first such initiatives in China by a major fashion brand.

"In view of the increasing enthusiasm for online shopping and the growing importance of the Chinese market, I have decided to open an Emporio Armani online store in China," Armani was quoted as saying in a statement.

"We have identified a significant group of fashion consumers who will certainly appreciate this new approach to shopping, one that becomes more popular every day," Armani said, referring to the Chinese market.

Online retail sales in China, which has the world's largest web population of at least 420 million, soared 117 percent last year to 39 billion dollars (29 billion euros), according to iResearch, a Beijing-based research firm.

US fashion giant Gap launched an online store in China earlier this month and Wal-Mart -- the world's biggest retailer -- has said it too plans an Internet presence in China soon. Apple opened an online store in October.

Armani said it was "the first fashion brand to offer a 'flagship store' online experience in China." The website is backed by Yoox, an Italian online fashion retailer that has grown rapidly during the global economic crisis.

The Armani Group has more than 5,000 employees and 13 factories, producing clothes, as well as accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery and perfume.

The group has 609 stores in 46 countries around the world.

Source: Yahoo!

Christina Aguilera gets Hollywood Star

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Grammy-winning US pop singer ChristinaAguilera was honored with a star on Hollywood's celebrity Walk of Fame, barely a week before her feature film debut.

The star, the 2,423rd on the famous sidewalk roll call of celebrities past and present, was unveiled on Monday, nine days before her acting skills go on display when "Burlesque" hits the silver screen, co-starring Cher.

"As a young girl in Pittsburgh, I often imagined what it would be like to come to Hollywood and make it as a performer," the 29-year-old told screaming fans on Hollywood Boulevard.

"We would go from audition to audition and I would sing anthem after anthem ... hoping one day it would all pay off. Standing here at this moment I know that it has paid off in spades," she added.

Aguilera won the first of her four Grammys in 1999 as best new artist, followed by best pop collaboration in 2001, and best female pop vocal performance in 2003 and 2006.

In "Burlesque," she plays a small-town girl who makes her way to a Los Angeles burlesque club to pursue her dreams. Aguilera also wrote and recorded four new songs for the musical's soundtrack.

At a weekend presentation of the film Aguilera told AFP: "I've always been a hard worker.

"I like to learn from others and having new challenges, and I think that's what happening to me now in my life. Many changes, a movie, a new album, and a star in Hollywood -- many changes.

Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman separated, five years after their 2005 wedding, although there were no divorce plans, People magazine reported.

Source: Yahoo!

No Bombs, Only Bombshells, Plus a $2 Million Bra, at the Victoria's Secret Show

New York – It's the highly coveted invitation that few people receive, but everyone wants: the taping of the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show. Held in the Lexington Armory in New York on Wednesday night, Nov. 10, it was bombs and bombshells in the building, and a whole lot of voyeurs in between.

Well, maybe not literally bombs - there were dogs sniffing purses for explosives to prevent that - but military memorabilia in glass cases lined the hallway as guests entered the custom built space that rivaled a Paris couture show in scale.

Plush, red padded stadium-style seating looked down on a very glittery gold runway, with seats towering some 30 feet up. Though the main attraction was 30 of the most beautiful women in the world clad in Victoria's Secret underwear and the show's signature angel wings, if you forgot your opera glasses that night or weren't sitting in the VIP sections, you were more likely to get an up-close-and-personal look at the back of the heads of business men in suits, who, not surprisingly, made up a good majority of the audience.

But if the custom bra and panty sets were hard to see, there were other more visible accoutrement on display, such as the aforementioned wings, as well as sporty-themed costumes and cowgirl-inspired get-ups. It was Halloween and "sexy" costumes-in-a-bag all over again on the runway. And glitter, lots and lots of it. A hundred pounds, to be exact, along with 30 bottles of Victoria's Secret "Shimmer Mist" and 40 cans of hairspray. No one said being beautiful was easy, or natural.

Despite the pounds of glitter, makeup artist Tom Pechaux said the look was inspired by the California girl, one of the most natural female archetypes around.

"This season we are playing with bronzer," he said as he applied makeup to Alessandra Ambrosio some eight hours before showtime. "It's more healthy, it's more dewy, more glow-y."

Adding to the spectacle, and cementing the "California Girls" theme, were live performances by Katy Perry and Akon. They played to a far more subdued audience than the usual screaming arena crowds they're likely used to, which might explain the canned applause that followed their respective performances. However, Vin Diesel put in a good show of support as he cheered them on, fist-pumping and clapping wildly from his front row seat.

The big ticket star of the night, however, was the $2 million "Bombshell Fantasy Bra" worn by Adriana Lima, covered with 60 carats of diamonds and 82 carats of sapphires and topaz stones with a pattern meant to evoke a swirling constellation, said Sylvia Damiani, vice president of Damiani, the jeweler who created the bra. And who might be lining up to buy this VIP bra?

"You know, it's a very special piece, and the kind of person that would eventually buy it is not that easy to find," said Damiani before the show. "I was thinking that the right person for it would be like a singer, a stage person. I see it more as a kind of piece that is something that you wear when you are a performer. Like Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry!"

For the Victoria's Secret models walking in the show, it was as much about performance as it was about modeling designer clothes - or lack thereof - on the runway. For some, that meant even more added pressure.

Chanel Iman, who closed the show in an elaborate, 30 pound bubble-wing ensemble, said that this show was definitely a different experience from her usual jobs during fashion week.

"It's a little bit stressful, just because you want to be amazing, and you want to just feel good in lingerie," she said. "It takes a lot to walk in front of a lot of people."

And even these top models had to follow strict diet and exercise routines in the days leading up to the show, like Behati Prinsloo.

"I saw my trainer every day for the last week just to do different things. I did Pilates, I did some boxing, and just drank loads of water, kept healthy, and slept."

But once the show was done, she had some big plans: "I'm going to have a huge steak, and a chocolate mousse cake. Devour everything that I want, and not work out for about two weeks!"

The televised version of the show airs on Tuesday, Nov. 30, on CBS.

Source: Yahoo

Fashion Designing 'my drug': Pierre Cardin

French designer clothes fashion legend Pierre Cardin described his job as a "drug" that brings him the joys of life Tuesday, saying he would keep working in a career that has already spanned six decades.

"It's a job I love. It's my passion, it's my drug," Cardin, 88, told a press conference in Tokyo ahead of events to mark the 60th anniversary of his firm, which says it owns licences for around 1,000 products sold under his name.

Pierre Cardin at Tokyo Conference

Despite what many might think, "I still pursue it," said the last active survivor of the great postwar Paris fashion houses.

From his cluttered office Cardin runs one of the world's most successful fashion empires, which has remained under his sole ownership for 60 years, even as other couture houses have fallen to corporate buyers.

Cardin said being a designer had become harder as fashion now changes so fast.

"There are so many designers around the world. In every country it is impossible to change fashion every year because it's stupid," he said. "Designer Clothes are very expensive, you know.

"There are lot of designs that are beautiful, crazy, fantastic to the eyes. But they they are not fashion for tomorrow," he said, arguing they would not endure.

Source : Yahoo.com

Harry Potter Takes New York wearing Designer Clothing

For anyone that thinks that Harry Potter is getting to be old news, the excitement at the New York premiere on Thursday night, July 9, proves that he's one wizard that is still beloved by fans, even after all these years. It was the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth film in the series based on J. K. Rowling's phenomenally successful novels, and the screaming devotees and star-studded red carpet showed the world that Harry's appeal has not waned one bit.

Of course, the three main "Harry Potter" stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, were on hand to celebrate. The trio began the series as children in 2001 with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and like their characters in the films they have grown up over the past nine years. Now poised adults aged 19, 20, and 19, the three have spent most of their lives working on the epic story of Harry and his magical destiny.

When asked earlier in the day at a press conference about the end of the franchise, with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" coming in 2010, Emma Watson spoke for the group.

"I think we all feel as if Harry Potter is never really going to die. I think it's so big and so loved. We have a theme park coming out in 2010 and I think that kids are going to keep reading the books and new generations of the kids are going to keep watching the films and I don't really ever feel like it's going to really go away. I think it's got longevity," she said.

Other stars on hand for the film's premiere included Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Warwick Davis and Freddie Stroma, as well as director David Yates.

If the celebrity fan turnout is any indication, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will join its predecessors in raking in huge amounts of cash at the box office. Denis Leary, Diane Sawyer, Marcia Gay Harden, Ashanti, Lance Bass, Michelle Trachtenberg, Eric Mabius, Gina Gershon, and Vanessa Williams all came out to be among the first to see the latest thrilling installment in the battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

And as for the final chapter in the series, Daniel Radcliffe spoke for the group when he admitted, "I'm so excited about the seventh film. Seeing the sixth film again, we are doing something very, very different in the last one. We're not at Hogwarts. The difference that makes is extraordinary."

Source: FWD

Wear your Designer Clothing like Michael Jackson

Here are some tips to dress like Michael Jackson. Have fun reading this.

Iconic Outfits

In the 80s there were several looks that Michael Jackson created and introduced to his legions of fans. One of his most iconic looks was the red leather jacket with black diagonal lines that formed a V-shape in the front. The jacket was worn with matching red pants and black loafers. This designer clothes can be copied by choosing a loose red leather jacket and wearing it with red pants that match the jacket as closely as possible.

In the 90s, he became known for his long black jackets and matching black pants. Unlike the loose red jacket, the black jackets were worn in a form-fitting cut that fit tightly on the arms. The jackets often had some military styling such as large gold buttons down the front, epaulets or military-style scrolling embroidered at the cuffs. Other black jackets had black sequined details.

A black fedora was often worn with the outfits, particularly with the black and white outfits. For an outfit that instantly recognizable as Michael Jackson’s style, wear a black or red jacket with black pants and black shoes. Air the outfit with a black fedora with a white band around it.

White T-Shirts

Michael Jackson often wore a plain white t-shirt under his jackets or alone without a jacket. A common outfit of his was a pair of straight black pants, a white t-shirt and black loafers. When the t-shirt was worn under a jacket it was sometimes a crew neck t-shirt. But most of the time, he wore a plain v-neck t-shirt with or without a jacket.

Socks and Glove

One of the most recognizable aspects of Michael Jackson’s outfits are the white socks that he always wore. No matter the color of the pants, pair a Michael Jackson outfit with either plain white socks or white socks with a slight silver sparkle to them. Wearing a black suit with black loafers and bright white socks is a classic Michael Jackson look.

In the 80s, Michael Jackson earned himself the nickname “The Gloved One” because of his trend-setting single glove. To get the look of his glove, wear a glove on the right hand. The glove should be white with lots of rhinestones or silver sequins on it to give it some sparkle. His stage gloves had sparkles only on the back side of the glove to make it easier to hold a microphone while his appearance gloves had sparkles all the way around. Either type will evoke the style of Michael Jackson.

Armbands

Most of his designer clothing and outfits over the past 20 years have featured an armband tied around his right around halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. To get this look, wind a piece of fabric in a contrasting color around the right arm. If the shirt or jacket is black, wear a red or black armband. If the shirt is white, wear a red or black armband.

Source: fibers

Lanvin’s New Bad Boys Rule in Designer Clothing

If any collection best captured the current state of play in men’s fashion it was Lanvin, whose exhilarating show Sunday morning, June 28, in Paris was a real double whammy: The coolest collection of designer clothes in the most assuredly staged show.

Where previously Lanvin was all about the sensitive man, poetic figures whose clothes all looked designed for dinner parties where only Bordeaux vintages are served, for Spring 2010 Lanvin’s man's first destination will be a nightclub.

That much was clear from the pre-show ambience in the Salle Wagram - a Berlin techno track and bordello red lighting, where the start of the show was heralded by the volume brusquely turned way up.

Lanvin, the house that spawned the current obsession with wearing bowties - everyone from Lower East Side hipsters to Milanese dandies wear dickie bows these days – has suddenly walked away from the phenomena. They were absent from this show.

“It’s our anti-uniform collection and all about why not? Why not a nightclub? Why not iced coffee for breakfast," said Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz with a laugh, who took his bow, as is customary, with menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver.

Though not many men can afford Lanvin’s pricey menswear, its influence has been huge – just take a look this spring in the windows of Zara, the giant Spanish fashion retailer, crammed, as they are, with the muted hues, frayed hems and sensitive fabrics the Paris house made its signature.

They should get ready to re-do the shop front for Lanvin’s after midnight collection emphasis on faille rocker dandy redingotes and a great new trouser cut – in taupe, ivy and battered burgundy – cut forgivingly down the thigh and tapered at the ankle. But the best idea was a series of pants and suits in cool tartan or club tie stripe fabrics which will be de rigueur for all hipsters next Easter.

Added to the mix were some great footwear, either Hobbit-like chunky brogues or fabric strap sandals, worn at the strong ecru colored finale where calf leather bomber jackets, worn inside pants, Querelle style singlets and off-the-shoulder trenches starred.

The only thing missing was a backstage pass around their necks or an after-party invite in their hands for Europe’s two mega tours of the summer – Depeche Mode and U2.

Source: FWD