Julia Alcântara
Tini Tani
Faustine Lara
Lola Mansil
Robbie W
U.S. actress Jennifer Aniston waves during the launch of her fragrance "Jennifer Aniston" at Harrods in London July 21, 2010.
U.S. actress Jennifer Aniston poses with her fragrance "Jennifer Aniston" during its launch at Harrods in London July 21, 2010.
Confident 19-year-old Tang Wen is nation's hope for the Miss Universe title and if her unusual selection for the pageant is any clue, this "oriental beauty" may just make it.
Even though China's best ranking in the Miss Universe pageant so far has been 18th, Tang Wen is not worried. "I think I can make it into the top five," says the confident 19-year-old.
A model with the Beijing-based New Silk Road Modeling Agency (NSR), Tang is putting in 12-hour days in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Miss Universe Competition, which will be held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Aug 23.
Her daily grind includes learning English until midnight, striking poses for fashion magazines, and learning about foreign cultures. "I never imagined I would undergo training on how to sneeze," she says, laughing.
"I always feel that there are 1.3 billion Chinese people supporting me, and there is a 5,000-year history behind me."
Born in Yichun, Heilongjiang province, Tang had a less than idyllic childhood. Her parents divorced when she was 3 and she moved in with her mother in Beijing when she was 15.
While in college, she earned money on the side by training prospective air hostesses on how to stand tall and wear the right make up. Her outstanding looks made modeling the obvious choice after graduation. "I knew I would end up in the fashion industry when I was very young," she says.
She has taken to the catwalk for most of the important women's fashion brands in China, and is a regular at China International Fashion Weeks. In 2008, she also starred in the movie "Not All Women Are Bad" by Hong Kong director Tsui Hark, who called her "beautiful without make up".
Tang's selection for the pageant was unusual. She was designated Miss China and sent to the competition directly by NSR, which has a cooperative agreement with the Miss Universe committee.
Faced with a barrage of questions and criticism, the young girl says she "was totally and utterly stressed", but not surprised.
"I felt lucky that NSR sent me directly to the final without holding a selection within the country I think it is because I have experience as an actress, in modeling and was involved in the Olympic Games. I am more qualified," she says.
For NSR's CEO Li Xiaobai, Tang represents a typical "oriental beauty".
"This is the first time we are cooperating with (the) Miss Universe (committee). I have taken the opinions of fashion editors and staff of various luxury brands. They all agreed that we should choose someone who has the 'oriental beauty', and Tang is this kind of beauty," says the man at the helm of the largest modeling business on the Chinese mainland.
Tang says she has spent several nights watching the 2009 Miss Universe video clip and has come away convinced that Asian women are thinner compared to their Western counterparts but also less confident.
"'Oriental beauty' means not only a beautiful face, but also beautiful qualities. People usually think Chinese women are always gentle. This time, I will stand on stage and give a new definition of the Chinese woman - someone who is not only gentle, but also independent and strong," Tang says.
In 2008, director Zhang Yimou picked her to carry the placard for the German team at the Olympics Opening Ceremony.
She had been training for half a year, but just the night before the ceremony, she was told someone else might replace her.
"That would have rendered all the training meaningless. Suddenly, I felt afraid. At that time, I realized I was so eager for this position. It belonged to me."
On the night of August 7 in 2008, all of Tang's teammates were sleeping soundly but she sat crouching in a corner, watching video clips of previous Olympic opening ceremonies broadcast on TV, on mute.
She kept watching the telephone, dreading its ring, fearing that it would be a call telling her she was being replaced.
When dawn broke and she had not received any call, she finally felt safe and fell asleep. In the evening, she appeared in the Bird's Nest with her warm smile.
Unlike other models who love shopping, her hobbies are not only watching basketball, but also reading Shakespeare, long-distance hiking, and car-racing.
"I also believe in 'karma'. What you give is what you get in return."
She admits that because of her straightforward nature, she does not have many friends.
She is looking forward to the Miss Universe competition to fulfill two of her longstanding dreams: One is to travel around the world, and the other, to become more involved in the fashion industry.
"I plan to travel around the world when I retire, but becoming a Miss World can make it happen sooner, and I have always wanted to be an entertainer," she says.
Chinese brand will appear at world top football league. Xtep unveils next seasons' kits for Birmingham City Football Club in Beijing Intercontinental Hotel on 20th, July.
Xtep will supply 2010/2011 Season's home, away and goalkeeper's kits. What's more, these will be their knits for next five seasons.
Birmingham City Football Club was purchased by Hong Kong businessman Yang Jiacheng. Now it becomes the first team to wear Chinese brand knits.
Birmingham City Football team will have two preseason matches in Beijing and Shenyang on 21st and 24th.
Last Thursday night, the Volcom crew and about 1200 of our closest friends were rocking and rolling in Downtown LA! The Volcom Spring 2011 Swim fashion show took place at the downtown Cooper Building and it was anything but a typical fashion show.
The Spring 2011 Swim collection was showcased on a dramatic "X" shaped catwalk... bikini-clad models were coming from all directions as the crowd pushed up against the barriers to maximize the view.
Amongst the swimwear being shown, the showcase also included 10 one-of-a-kind designer styles as well as denim and leather pieces from the Spring "Jennifer Herrema X Volcom" collaboration collection
The party started in full force when the doors opened at 7pm and lasted well into the night as the last party-goers were kicked out at midnight. Models in sexy swimwear, music, dancing, drinks and friends new and old in a Volcom downtown LA party.
True Religion Apparel, Inc. and Titan Industries Inc. and are pleased to announce the launch of True Religion Brand Jeans Footwear for women. The True Religion Brand Jeans footwear collection is scheduled to launch in spring 2011 with approximately 30 styles. The collection will be distributed in major department stores and the best specialty stores nationwide and internationally.
Designed for a fashion conscious customer, the True Religion Brand Jeans footwear collection embodies timeless style and the hippie bohemian chic flair that have made True Religion a global leader in premium denim and casual sportswear.
Jeffrey Lubell, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Merchant of True Religion Apparel, Inc. commented, "We are excited to launch our women's footwear collection and look forward to working with Titan on such an important category."
The collection is anchored by luxurious materials and details. Neutral leathers play a major role. Brown vachettas, nude baby calf and tan nubuck are featured prominently.
Metallic leathers, patent leathers and bright exotic skins are utilized as accents to the neutrals and make the collection stand out. This combination gives the shoes in the collection a seductive and playful mood, whether in an embellished flat, a braided wedge or a sexy stiletto.
Joe Ouaknine, CEO of Titan, stated, "True Religion Brand Jeans is a designer brand with a specific vision, differentiated design aesthetic, and a very loyal customer. In re-launching the women's collection, we see a multi-faceted opportunity to create fashionable ready-to-wear footwear for the True Religion Brand Jeans customer as well as a broader audience of consumers. We look forward to helping True Religion Brand Jeans expand into a global lifestyle brand and footwear powerhouse."
With a sure plan to launch his clothing label, footballer, Lionel Messi is all set plunge in to the world of fashion.
To help this Barcelona and Argentinean hero succeed in this new venture, a couple of famous people are going to help him out.
Messi is intednign to rope in a sport, movie or music star as brand ambassadors in each of the major cities, worldwide, wherein, he intends to launch his brand.
He was quoted by the Sun saying that, he was had been working on the label for quit some time. With him as an ambassador in Barcelona, he has also approached Wayne for Manchester, Frank for London and Colin for Dublin.
More over, American rappers, Jay-Z has been approached for being the brand ambassador for New York and Messi’s dream is to rope in David Beckham for Los Angeles. Currently, he has already signed footballer, Alessandro Nesta and rapper, Lupe Fiasco for Milan and Chicago, respectively.
With plans to launch the first shops by next summer, Messi explains that his apparel range will comprise of high-end garments and accessories for men. And if he manages to rope in all the aforesaid stars, then according to Messie, his clothing line will be both famous and the best men’s fashion brand around the globe.
Alex and Ani's mission is to design products that adorn the body, enlighten the mind, and empower the spirit. Alex and Ani's collections reflect a design aesthetic that celebrates each wearer's unique essence.
Owner and designer Carolyn Rafaelian believes it is her life's work to inspire her customers to relish what is unique and authentic about themselves. Alex and Ani's artistry lies in drawing out the beauty that resides within.
Alex and Ani is a company dedicated to creating products of unparalleled quality and beauty that promote consciousness and unity. Manufacturing in the United States and re-using and recycling materials is an integral part of Alex and Ani’s mission as a conscious and eco-friendly company.
The signature expandable concept is the cornerstone of Alex and Ani. This concept replaces traditional clasps with a sliding mechanism, making each piece adjustable. This design allows everyone to have a piece of jewelry customized for a perfect fit. The expandable collection is timeless, classic, and collectible.
The Alex and Ani aesthetic underscores the idea that what is pure and natural is most beautiful and creating jewelry from recycled materials enriches the beauty of each piece. Founder and creative designer, Carolyn Rafaelian embraces a philosophy that is based upon using eco-friendly, recycled materials made entirely in the United States.
Carolyn believes that by creating designs that support the environment and encourage social consciousness, consumers can use their purchases to make a difference in protecting our planet and our future. Every design is created to reflect the inner beauty of all who wear an Alex and Ani piece.
Taylor Dresses, a division of Danny and Nicole, an international apparel firm with a diverse portfolio of branded and private label women's collections, announced its first-ever entry into the evening wear category. The Taylor Dresses Evening Collection will feature social, occasion and party-cocktail dresses and will be available in stores for the Spring 2011 season.
"Due to the tremendous success of Taylor Dresses with our current major retailers, we were approached about developing an evening dress category," said Phillip Gaynor, CEO of The Danny and Nicole Group. "Our evening collection will build on Taylor's existing reputation in the marketplace for amazing detail, compelling design and a wide range of fabrics for today's modern, confident women around the world."
Taylor Dresses are available worldwide and distributed through multi-tiered retail channels such as Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and Macy's with styles ranging from moderate classic through contemporary.
The company is actively working with licensee partners, expanding globally into Europe, Mexico and Canada and has further plans to expand into additional apparel categories.
Taylor Dresses is a division of Siouni and Zarr Corporation (DBA as Danny and Nicole), a privately-held international apparel firm with a portfolio of diverse, branded and private label women's apparel collections. Product is distributed through multi-tiered retail channels ranging from moderate classic through contemporary.
This fall, Levi’s becomes the first major apparel brand to carry care tags on its products around the world encouraging people to donate unwanted clothing.
The global launch of the new care instructions signifies the engagement by the Levi’s brand and its parent company Levi Strauss & Co. with its consumers to care for the planet by caring for their clothes.
"As a company built on values, we have long worked hard to promote sustainability in how we make our products and run our operations,” said John Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “This initiative uses our global voice to empower hundreds of millions of consumers around the world to join us by providing simple and actionable ways to help care for our planet.”
The care tag initiative aims to increase the life cycle of Levi’s jeans and other clothings. It came at the heels of a life cycle assessment on a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, which uncovered the following surprising yet critical fact. One of the greatest environmental impact take place after the jeans leave the store, and that is consumer washing and drying of the jeans.
This revelation led Levi Strauss & Co. to broaden the discussion on environmental sustainability to its consumers. From July 2010, Levi’s products around the world will have care label instructions to “wash cold”, “line dry” and “donate when no longer needed”.
In addition to the care tag, Levi’s stores in Asia ran successful jeans swap programs last year. The campaign saw Levi’s consumers donating close to 400,000 pairs of used jeans. These were either given a new life through partnership with a local non-profit organization, or donated to communities in needed. Following its successful debut, the jeans exchange program returns to Asia this year as Levi’s Forever Blue.
"Through the Levi’s Forever Blue campaign, our consumers in Asia are showing that they will do what they can to minimize their environmental footprint,” said Tod Gimbel, senior director for Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific Division, Levi Strauss & Co. “The care tag is another way of involving our consumers in the simple act of donating unwanted jeans and making a significant positive impact on the society and the environment.”
For more than two decades, Levi Strauss & Co. has been a leader on environmental issues. The company was the first to establish requirements for suppliers, guidelines on water quality, and restrictions on the substances that can be used to make its clothes. To determine where even greater environmental improvements could be made, the company studied every stage in the life cycle of a typical pair of 501 jeans.
The findings indicated that one of the greatest opportunities for reducing climate change and water impact happens after consumers take their jeans home. That’s why, in addition to asking consumers to donate used clothing to keep it out of landfills, Levi’s is encouraging consumers to wash less, wash in cold water and line dry when possible— all of which together reduces your climate impact from washing and drying your Levi's jeans by more than 50 percent.
According to the latest report from OSEO, it invested 9.05 million Euros in innovation and research of 119 projects so as to support the innovation of textile industry.
The report points that many French textile enterprises closed in the first half year of 2009. This bankrupt flow only stopped at the end of last year. In general, the French apparel and textile industry are on its decline. The apparel printing and after treatment industries are relatively optimistic.
The latest statistics show that there were 5100 textile related enterprises of all various sizes last year. Among them, 2850 were textile enterprises with about 133,000 employers. 2250 were apparel enterprises with 51,000 employers. The total turn over of these two industries last year were 21 billion Euros.
Analysis of OSEO shows that innovation of textile industry covers almost all aspects of the industry from fiber design to textile production. North France receives most investments from OSEO. Following four areas are the primary areas of innovation. First, the material of textile--flax. New kind of flax is to be cultivated so as to increase the production of flax. Secondly, textile optical fiber technology is to be developed. Thirdly, frontier technologies of all textile related industries are to be developed. Lastly, the sustainable developments of supply of textile products namely reuse of material and recycle technology.
