Rebekah Wing
Theo Ortengren
Mallory W
Weronika Kumanek
Austin Levine
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim is shining bright as a packed schedule of designers showing their newest and creative swimsuit styles gets underway in South Beach Miami at The Raleigh Hotel. From July 15-19, 2010, twenty shows light up the runways from leading swimwear brands including Mara Hoffman Swim, Poko Pano, Cia.Maritima, Nicolita and this season's Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer, Trina Turk.
Fashion insiders making their way through the Grand Cabana runway entrance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim can get a glimpse of one topless model taking in the Miami sunshine. The 2011 E-Cabriolet, the newest four-seat convertible developed for year-round top down driving is the star of this season's shows. The E-Cabriolet's four season use is possible through several innovations including a newly designed insulated, sound-dampening soft top that provides a clearly noticeable reduction in the interior noise level compared to conventional fabric soft tops. Another innovation that has many drivers excited is the new AIRCAP system, a virtual wind blocker that rises at the touch of one button to reduce air turbulence in the vehicle's interior.
Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer Trina Turk shows off her latest collection drawing inspiration from the city of Acapulco in the 1960's & 1970's, an era known for glamorous getaways by Hollywood's rich and famous and the international jetset.
The collection is a mix of her unique prints in a range of colors including sophisticated uses of black and white to multi-colored patterns of free flowing shapes. A significant amount of emphasis and detail is on the hardware throughout the collection inspired by Trina Turk's signature patterns and her love of vintage jewelry and architecture.
The Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge in the Esther Williams Suite, a haven for designers, celebrities, VIPs, media and guests, takes on a new look from local design firm Barton G. The suite makeover incorporates a beach summer theme including white and sand palette with aqua accents bringing the sea and light into the interior. Pillows designed by Trina Turk are beach inspired, and are coordinated with the drapery and floral arrangements displayed in glass tank with marble and bamboo bringing an element of purity to the overall decor. Architectural lighting and seating invoke Mercedes-Benz luxury and a perspective mirror allows guests to see themselves within the glamorous Star Lounge setting.
Hollywood actor George Clooney (C) is surrounded by a crowd as he leaves the court in Milan July 16, 2010. Clooney testified on Friday at a trial of three people accused of exploiting his name to promote a fashion brand in Milan.
George Clooney testified Friday at a trial of three people accused of exploiting his name to promote a fashion brand in Milan.
The 49-year-old actor glided through camera flashes to a packed courtroom to testify as a civil plaintiff in a case dating back to 2008.
"I came here because I believe in the judicial system and because there were people using my name to take advantage of people," Clooney told the court.
The defendants -- Vincenzo Cannalire, Francesco Galdelli and Vanja Goffi -- have been charged with fraud, forgery and possession of stolen goods. Cannalire was the only one present.
The trial involves a show held in a Milan hotel two years ago. The defendants are accused of using Clooney's name in an attempt to promote a fashion line during the event.
At the hearing, Clooney put on glasses to look at several pictures showing him alongside the defendants, and said they were fake. He provided original pictures of himself to prove his statement.
Clooney turned toward Cannalire after looking at the photos, smiled and said: "Good work. You should be proud of yourself."
Clooney, who wore a blue suit, testified for about two hours. Judge Pietro Caccialanza thanked Clooney afterwards and said: "This hearing lasted as long as a film."
Before he left the courtroom pursued by reporters and camera flashes, Clooney told Reuters: "It was not too tough. It's easy when you can prove that you are absolutely right."
Clooney said his signature had been illegally copied on several documents including a license for a fashion line labeled "George Clooney."
Clooney has become a familiar face in Italy since buying a house at Lake Como, about 40 km (25 miles) north of Milan.
Models wearing creations by Martinique designer Paul Herve applaud during Dakar Fashion Week, July 16, 2010.
FAST RETAILING CO., LTD achieved significant gains in both revenue and profit through the third quarter, the nine months to May 2010. Net sales rose 22.7% year on year to ¥ 659.0bln, operating income rose 27.1% year on year to ¥ 123.4bln and net income increased by 35.2% year on year to ¥ 67.1bln.
UNIQLO Japan did experience a contraction in profit in the third quarter (March-May 2010) as unseasonably cold weather hindered customer traffic and same-store sales fell. While we have revised downward our second half estimates for UNIQLO Japan, we are still predicting the operation will generate increased sales and profit for the full business year through August 2010. We now estimate full-year net sales at UNIQLO Japan will rise 13.0% year on year to ¥ 608.0bln and operating income will rise 17.4% year on year to ¥ 130.0bln. Sales of SILKY DRY and SARAFINE innerwear made from functional materials proved strong during the spring/summer season. Our plan to open 31 large-format stores this business year is on track, and we expect to achieve our aggregate 808-store, including 20 franchise stores and 102 large-format stores, by the end of the business year,
UNIQLO International is enjoying a favorable expansion particularly in the Asian region. UNIQLO brand awareness is also increasing in the US and Europe generating improvements in sales and profit per store. We opened our first store in Russia in April of this year, while the May 15 opening of our fourth global flagship store, the Shanghai West Nanjing Road Store, met with phenomenal success. We estimate UNIQLO International net sales for the full business year through August 2010 will rise 93.2% to ¥ 73.0bln and that operating income will rise 301.2% to ¥ 6.5bln.
Within the Japan Apparel segment, our low-priced fashion operation g.u. continues its strong performance. Our Global Brands segment is producing considerable gains in both revenue and income following the incorporation of the Theory operation onto consolidated accounts from the third quarter 2009.
For the full business year through August 2010, we now estimate consolidated net sales will rise 19.0% year on year to ¥ 815.0bln and consolidated operating income will increase 22.4% year on year to ¥ 133.0bln. This represents a downward revision to our previous estimate announced April 8 of ¥ 19.0bln in net sales and ¥ 7.5bln in operating income. These estimates translate into profit per share of 663.16 yen. We predict an annual dividend per share of 230 yen: a 115 yen as interim dividend and a 115 yen as year-end dividend. This would represent a 70-yen rise in the dividend per share over last year.
China Cup International Fashion Design Contest, known as the "cradle of fashion designers", will be held in Keqiao, Shaoxing for the first time. The first match of this contest, the final of China Cup International Design Contest for women's wear will take place on 18th, July in China Textile City.
The first China Cup International Design Contest was held in 1995. It is organized by Shanghai Municipal Government, Shanghai International Apparel Cultural Festival organizing committee. This year's contest was organized by Shaoxing Textile and Apparel Designers Association and China Cup Fashion Design Contest organizing committee.
It is known that famous fashion designers Wu Haiyan, Wu Xuekai, Zhang Jicheng and Ji Wenbo and so on all stood out from this contest. As a result, it is known as the cradle of fashion designers in China. It has now become the most influential and popular fashion design contest.
The theme of this year's contest is “discover colors of World Expo". Winning creations of this contest will be displayed in Ireland Pavilion at World Expo.
CCI China held a fashion wedding party for the winning couple of a COTTON USA online video competition, culminating a series of COTTON USA "Naturally in Love" themed promotional events over the past eight months.
CCI's "Naturally in Love" PR campaign promoted fashionable, natural U.S. cotton to Chinese consumers. The wedding, presented by fashion icon and COTTON USA ambassador Miss Xu Xiyuan (Da S), featured an exquisite all-cotton wedding dress designed by CCI, Da S and Alex Wang. The event also served to display the latest COTTON USA licensee ranges, including special COTTON USA honeymoon pieces designed with a modern art perspective. In addition, eight COTTON USA licensees organized a fashion show to honor the newlyweds. Models wore outfits by COTTON USA licensees Lotto, Ivy House, JNBY, Dazzle, Casablanca-Home, Croquis, Vigoss USA Jeans, Nautica and Dinosaur. The entire show illustrated the comfort, multi-functionality and fashion of cotton.
Approximately 136 media representatives and 70 guests, including representatives from China's cotton industry and Beijing's ATO, attended this event. The COTTON USA "Naturally in Love" campaign began in 2009 as a follow-up to the 2008 COTTON USA promotion "For Nature, Therefore the Future."
COTTON USA is the export promotions program of Cotton Council International (CCI), the overseas market promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America. COTTON USA promotes U.S. cotton fiber and manufactured cotton products in markets around the world.
For their upcoming spring/summer collection, designer duo Pluess and Ximénez-Carrillo were inspired by royalty – the British Crown, to be precise. The Queen’s passion for hunting and good old-fashioned English charm come face to face with the dramatic and stylish world of Italian denim. It’s an extraordinary combination. The fusion of different cultures results in a unique, urban look – in a word, mongrelism.
The collection sparkles with the label’s distinctive traits: materials of the highest quality, like pure silk and microfibre from Switzerland, are teamed with sporty, elegant cuts that are wonderfully light for summer and radiate a bright and colourful intensity. Cropped jackets flatter the female waistline and accentuate the wearer’s femininity. Draped, flowing clothing unfurls to reveal attractive determination. Elegant folds and patch pockets are set off by floral patterns and denim.
The collection is topped off with loose-fitting shorts, a radical new take on riding pants and of course must-have pleated breeches. And for that glorious summer feeling, there are pant suits with waistcoats and shorts.
Collection highlights include dresses made of high-quality floral silk materials that fit perfectly and pay tribute to the female form. Meticulously placed folds create a uniquely feminine silhouette and exude a kind of über-elegance so typical of mongrels in common.
This year’s base colours are dominated by taupe, denim blue and a warm dark blue. Colourful accents are provided by curry yellow, orange and nude tones. Accessories will continue to play an important role in the collection next year. Belts and bags that perfectly compliment the collection’s design concept consummate the unique mongrels in common look.
Mongrels in common are based in Berlin-Mitte, Germany. 'Mongrelism' is the essence of every mongrel collectionand unites the tow personalities of the designers Livia and Ximénez-Carrillo and Christine Pluess.
Piperlime, the online shop known for the freshest styles in shoes, apparel, handbags and jewelry, is the newest retail sponsor of Lifetime's Project Runway for season 8. The series is hosted by Heidi Klum and features 17 aspiring fashion designers competing to debut their collections during New York's fashion week and win the chance to launch their own line.
"Project Runway captures the heart of fashion lovers everywhere. We cheer on the contestants, watch the celebrity judges and are inspired by the styles," said Jennifer Gosselin, General Manager of Piperlime. "Piperlime is excited to be part of this celebration of creativity."
As part of the collaboration, Piperlime has redesigned the series' "Accessories Wall" by painting it their signature green and loading it with fashionable accessories for the designers to choose from to complete each challenge. They will also feature a shopable version of the "Piperlime Accessories Wall" on piperlime.com, giving customers a chance to buy the items featured on the show.
"We love shoes. We adore accessories. So it is especially meaningful that this partnership showcases that part of our brand's heritage," Gosselin continued.
Each week, Piperlime will also have exclusive video content from Project Runway, offering behind-the-scenes insight from each week's challenge winner. The season's winning designer will have a chance to design and sell an exclusive collection on Piperlime.
"Piperlime always manages to find the best styles from the best brands. We've been in love with the site since it launched so the partnership with Project Runway was a natural fit," said Lance Still, EVP of Promotions and Integrated Marketing for The Weinstein Company. "We are thrilled that Piperlime accepted the invitation to join us for season 8."
The new season of Project Runway debuts on Thursday, July 29th at 9pm ET/PT on Lifetime.
Launched in October 2006, Piperlime is an online boutique that inspires customers with a fresh and unique mix of products, brands and price points. Exclusive contributions from guest editors including celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe keep customers in fashion and in the know.
SIMM, the Madrid International Fashion Fair, an event organised by IFEMA, will maintain its promotional measures for young up-and-coming designers at its sixty-fourth edition. At its next edition, which is due to take place between 2nd and 4th September at Feria de Madrid, the largest fashion trade fair in Southern Europe will once again bring together a number of attractive and daring ideas proposed by a series of up-and-coming designers in the section of the fair known as Espacio EGO. On this occasion, some thirteen talented young creators will take part.
Espacio EGO, an initiative presented for the first time at SIMM February 2010, is the best forum for presenting the country's creative potential. It also provides a launch-pad that enables a number of young designers to present and promote their creations based on a series of preferential conditions, addressing both the 12,000 trade professionals who visit the fair and businessmen from the industry who are interested in new talent and ideas. In short, Espacio EGO constitutes an important initiative implemented by the fair that has been designed specifically to promote young fashion creators in Spain.
In this respect, as a further example of the fair's commitment to developing young talent within the field of fashion, we might mention the invitations that SIMM has extended to the winners of various fashion competitions such as the Young Designers Competition of Castile-La Mancha, Eugenio Loarce; Fashion Week in Galicia, Fernanda Andrea Stoll; the Designers Competition of Castile-Leon, Paula Caballero; and the Designers Competition of Tenerife, Oswaldo Machin. These winners have all been invited to exhibit their collections at Espacio EGO, thus providing a form of recognition and an incentive regarding their innovative work.
Furthermore, an additional nine designers from different parts of Spain, some of whom already took part at the last edition, have been chosen to present their collections to trade visitors at SIMM. These designers include the following: Sara Coleman, Merry F. (María Elisa Moñivas), Luna Moreno (Elsa Moreno and Koralí Cevallos Luna), Jimena Rilova, Olga Alberola and .G (Patricia Gutiérrez and Jaime Sanz).
The Brazilian designer, Ianire Soraluze, will also be present. The collections presented by these young talents will include both daywear and party-wear, as well as fashion jewellery accessories and head-wear. All of these ideas will combine a refined style and a sense of daring typical of a series of young designers who are trying to establish a niche for themselves within the world of clothing design.
At its next edition, SIMM will bring together some 400 companies and around 700 brands in Halls 12 and 14 at Feria de Madrid. Throughout the course of the fair, SIMM will be open from 9.30 a.m. through to 7.30 p.m.
Topshop have just launched their autumn/winter collections, High Performance, Out of the Wild, Dark Nouveau and Outsiders.
Continuing on from the summer's sportswear inspired craze, High Performance features panelling, clashing textures and high-tech fabrics. Giving sportswear a tougher feel for winter, styles are layered, worn under and over one another, while panels of aertex, mesh, lace, jersey and leather sit together to create a new look. Finishes use sportswear technology; seams are fused, while edges are bonded and laser cut for precision. Prints are also central to this look and are at once tribal and technical - a car tyre print adorns a loose-fitting chiffon trouser while graphic prints adorn dresses which feature mesh panels.
Tapping into the colours of autumn, the Out of the Wild collection is founded upon the elements. Faux fur, bondage-style strapping, dishevelled fabrics and patchwork feature heavily, making textured knitwear and mixed materials central to this trend. With pieces that are knotted, laddered, and adorned with feathers and wild trims mixed with checks and tweed, the collection has an outdoors throw on feel. Softer elements combine with tougher pieces and feature photo real-prints inspired by nature; a leaf skeleton print decorates a pleated chiffon maxi skirt that also features animal markings and looks great teamed with cable knit knee high socks and oversized, chunky knits.
As nights get longer and the days get darker earlier, Topshop has created the Dark Nouveau collection which has an after-hours feel. Taking inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement - including Bardsley's illustrations for Oscar Wilde and the more recent Banshees created by Neville Page for Avatar - the collection has a whimsical, fairytale feel. With tough, medieval-esque details used throughout, this collection provides a great opportunity to experiment with different make up. Dark lipsticks and heavy eye shadows will complement the clothing range which includes studded corsets and cage-like skirts with harness detailing.
Also tapping into the great outdoors, the Outsiders collection takes the best of Britain's heritage pieces and deconstructs them to create a modern feel. Elements of hunting, shooting, and fishing pervade the trend; the Jodhpur and the equestrian style jacket are key and prints take their inspiration from bird watching.
