Hedvig
Julia Alcântara
Anna Le
Martine Falk Andersen
Kellen Hofer
Cotton sowing activities have picked up in the state of Gujarat, which is considered the cotton bowl of India, helped by pre-monsoon rains in various parts of the state. Gujarat has the distinction of being the biggest cotton exporter state of India.
Cotton experts are of the opinion that, cotton acreage may increase in the 2010-11 cotton season, due to the high cotton prices that have prevailed, ever since the 2009-10 cotton season began and which have shot up buy 25-30 percent since January 2010.
Mr Arun Dalal, a reputed cotton trader of Gujarat, who spoke to fibre2fashion, said, “Due to the increase in the prices of cotton, area under cotton is expected to increase from 2.5 million hectares in the previous cotton season to 2.8 million hectares in the new season”.
"He added by saying, “Farmers are getting jittery over the fact that it has not started raining yet, but actually the rainy season begins in June end or beginning of July. But if rains do not fall within a week then there are chances that seeds will be spoilt due to hot weather”.
"In Maharashtra and Gujarat, sowing of Bt cotton is increasing day by day. There are atleast 250 varieties of Bt cotton seeds but the duplicate seeds are also mixed and so we don't get the required results, because of which the yield will be lower”, he concluded by saying.
A French court on Thursday halted indefinitely the trial of a photographer accused of defrauding France's richest woman after the case got tangled up in a political scandal.
Celebrity photographer Francois-Marie Banier, 63, went on trial accused by the daughter of L'Oreal cosmetics heiress Liliane Bettencourt, 87, of cheating her aging mother out of one billion euros (1.2 billion dollars).
The court adjourned the case so that judges could examine sensitive new evidence: secret recordings of Bettencourt talking to aides, which sparked a scandal that has embarrassed the French government.
Defence lawyer Herve Temime said Banier could not get a fair trial in what he called a "nauseating and impossible" case, tainted by the political scandal and the clandestine recordings.
"Is it any less nauseating that a man exploits a woman and profits from her?" responded Olivier Metzner, lawyer for daughter Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers who brought the case against Banier.
French media last month published details of telephone conversations secretly recorded by Bettencourt's butler, which allegedly revealed she was plotting to evade taxes on her huge fortune.
Temime complained to the court at Nanterre, west of Paris, that the tapes had been leaked to media before they were shown to trial lawyers. "We no longer have the conditions for a fair trial," he said.
Presiding judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez adjourned the trial indefinitely so she could carry out a "complementary investigation" into the tapes.
"This extra information should shed light on matters," Temime told reporters afterwards.
If convicted, Banier faces up to three years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros (460,000 dollars).
The furore over the tapes has sparked calls for the resignation of Labour Minister Eric Woerth, accused of a conflict of interest because his wife worked for Bettencourt's estate while he was budget minister in charge of tax fraud.
The taped conversations between Bettencourt and her financial adviser allegedly reveal that she hid 80 million euros in Swiss bank accounts while making big donations to friends in the ruling UMP party.
With pressure on Woerth growing, Le Monde newspaper reported on Thursday that he had dined with Bettencourt in January 2008. Woerth's office confirmed the dinner but dismissed it as "nothing incredible."
Banier sat in the courtroom, drawing in a sketchbook and joking with his lawyers as he waited for the trial to start and then sat solemnly listening as the arguments were heard. Neither Bettencourt nor her daughter were present.
Liliane Bettencourt is the sole heir of L'Oreal, the global shampoo and beauty products company that her father founded. Her current fortune has been estimated at 17 billion euros (20 billion dollars).
Banier is accused of "fraudulently" exploiting Bettencourt, who gave him masterpiece paintings including works by Matisse and Mondrian, cash and insurance policies worth a billion euros.
Bettencourt-Meyers accuses him of swooping in after the death of her mother's husband, working to estrange her from her family.
Banier and Liliane Bettencourt have rejected the daughter's claims and accused her of trying to cash in on her inheritance.
Breaking silence, a frail-looking elder Bettencourt expressed regret at her daughter's legal action, in an interview with France's main commercial TF1 television network.
"How can you not suffer?" she said, seated in a sofa chair at her residence in Brittany, according to a minute-long excerpt seen on TF1's website (lci.tf1.fr) on Thursday. "It's even more than that. It's depressing."
Asked if she yearned to patch up relations with her only child, Bettencourt replied: "Of course... but she, she, do you believe that she's tried? I don't feel it."
Dubbed "photographer to the stars" after shooting the likes of US actor Johnny Depp and Princess Caroline of Monaco, Banier became close friends with Bettencourt after meeting her at a dinner party in 1969.
He told Le Monde last year that Bettencourt was "completely sane" and gave him the gifts as a friend.
"We have nothing to fear," his lawyer Temime told reporters. "Mr Banier wants to be judged, to be cleared of all suspicion."
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) presents Japan Fashion Now, the first exhibition to explore contemporary Japanese fashion in all its radical creativity, from designer fashion to street style, including menswear. Japan Fashion Now On View at The Museum at FIT in New York City September 17, 2010 - January 8, 2011
Japan continues to be on the cutting-edge – maybe even the bleeding edge – of fashion,” says museum director and exhibition curator, Dr. Valerie Steele. “However, Japanese fashion today embraces not only the cerebral, avant-garde looks associated with the first wave of Japanese design in the 1980s but also a range of youth-oriented looks, such as Gothic Punk Lolita and Forest Girl styles. Some of the most interesting designers – including menswear designers – combine avant-garde and sub-cultural styles. Equally significant is the Japanese obsession (not too strong a word) with perfecting classic utilitarian garments, such as jeans and work wear.”
The introductory gallery of Japan Fashion Now, devoted to the Japanese “fashion revolution” of the 1980s, will set the scene for today's looks by featuring approximately two dozen iconic examples of asymmetrical, “deconstructed” garments by Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, as well as avant-garde styles by Issey Miyake, who combined innovative textile technologies with aspects of traditional Japanese dress. Both men’s and women’s styles by Matsuda will also be featured, as will “Orientalist” fashions by Kenzo and Hanae Mori, and pop-culture jumpsuits by Kansai Yamamoto.
The main gallery will reveal approximately 90 ensembles set within a dramatic mise-en-scène evoking the iconic cityscape of 21st-century Tokyo and organized on four platforms. The first platform will illustrate how the work of pioneering avant-garde fashion designers has changed over the past 25 years. Ensembles by Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe, and Tao Kurihara, for example, will exemplify the evolution of deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as the influence of sub-cultural styles such as punk and the Japanese cult of cuteness. Next will come a range of looks by Jun Takahashi of Undercover, described by journalist Suzy Menkes as “the essence of Japanese cool.” New designers featured include Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi of Matohu (who are inspired by Japanese aesthetics), the flamboyant Toshikazu Iwaya of Iwaya33, and Chitose Abe of sacai.
Because menswear is one of the most exciting categories within contemporary fashion, an entire platform will be devoted to some of Tokyo’s up-and-coming menswear designers. Former boxer Arashi Yanagawa of John Lawrence Sullivan, Daisuke Obana of N.Hoolywood, Koji Udo of Factotum, Yasuhiro Mihara of Miharayasuhiro , Takeshi Osumi of Phenomenon (who just presented his first spectacular runway collection in Tokyo), and Yosuke Aizawa of White Mountaineering will be among those featured, as will be the pioneering label, Number (N)ine.
Street and sub-cultural styles – from the elegant and bizarre costumes called Kamikaze suits worn by members of Japan’s notorious Speed Tribes to this year’s Forest Girl look – will occupy the third platform. The significance of kawaii (cute) culture in Japan, which will be debated at the museum’s annual Fashion Symposium held on November 4-5, 2010, will be demonstrated by the hyper-cute Princess Decoration style and famous Lolita brands such as Angelic Pretty and Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (the latter featured in the cult movie Kamikaze Girls), as well as Gothic Lolita fashions by brands such as Alice Auaa and Black Peace Now. Hirooka Naoto, the designer behind h.NAOTO, Japan’s most successful Gothic-Punk-Lolita fashion empire (who has said, “I aim to be the most extreme and scandalous brand in the world”) will be prominently featured. A highlight of the exhibition will be the clothes he designed for idol singers Hangry and Angry.
Extreme, even fanatical, attention to detail is characteristic of much of the best Japanese fashion. While some designers are drawn to novelty, others focus on the perfection of vernacular garments, including work wear and denim. “Utility products,” including denim and footwear by Hiroki Nakamura of visvim, along with jeans and vintage-style military and leather jackets by brands such as Buzz Rickson (creator of the William Gibson collection), Freewheelers, and Mastermind, will be featured in the street style section.
Finally, the clothing category known as Cosplay (short for “Costume Play”) will be featured on the fourth platform. Not really fashion, Cosplay is more a type of performance art, associated with anime and manga. Examples will include outfits for the characters Madame Red and Oscar (the latter from the famous manga Rose of Versailles), as well as one of today’s popular catmaid uniforms.
Japan Fashion Now is being designed by Charles B. Froom, with graphic design by Jen Pressley of MIRRORNYC. Additional assistance will be provided by Assistant Professor of Communication Design C.J. Yeh and the FIT Media Design Club.
Japan Fashion Now has been generously sponsored by Yagi Tsusho Limited, a global marketing and merchandising company specializing in fashion that has been introducing excellent brands from Europe and the U.S. to the Japanese market for more than 60 years, MONCLER and MACKINTOSH among the most recent.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a wide range of public programs, including gallery tours and a Lolita tea party, all of which will be part of the museum’s Fashion Culture series. The Museum at FIT will hold its annual Fashion Symposium on November 4-5, 2010, on the subject of Japanese fashion. Internationally recognized scholars will speak on such topics as the significance of cuteness in Japanese culture, the schoolgirl uniform, and the spread of Gothic and Lolita fashions throughout East Asia.
Knitwear and accessories designer Elisabeth Hamlyn has been named Young Accessory Designer of the Year in the award organised by Clothes Show London in partnership with the FTM.
Elisabeth's winning design was a brightly coloured, pleated and knitted scarf which took inspiration from the museum's bold and colourful building. Elisabeth will have her design stocked in Shop@FTM as well as receiving free training and a six month business support package to help her set up and develop her business.
The winner was announced on Sunday 27th June at Clothes Show London. "This new award aims to support and nurture aspiring designers in this highly competitive industry" comments Gavin Brown, Managing Director of Haymarket Exhibitions. "With the support of the Fashion and Textile Museum the winner is presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their new product." Elisabeth said "I am absolutely thrilled to have won and know that the business support will be really useful for my label. I am really looking forward to seeing my scarf in the FTM shop as this will be a wonderful opportunity for my brand." The judges felt the standard of entries was very high, with a special mention going to runners up Sian Bostwick and Imogen Belfield.
A group of four Brazilian tourists take a walk around Sanlitun wearing
flatties of different styles.
The words of the Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw highlight the important place shoes have in the lives of women: "Love may be gone, but shoes will stay." Creative combinations of leather and wood, straw plaiting, wedge soles, crystal decorations on the heels, rivets and colors both flamboyant and gouache, have become the most eye-catching features of this summer's trends, according to Chen Si, a fashion editor of Cosmopolitan. In addition, sandals that incorporate rock and sports elements or suggest a Lolita look continue to be popular. Chen recommends five summer shoes.
1. Creative geta
The traditional Japanese geta has been an inspiration for many designers. Carved into either thin or thick heels, wood, with its unique grain, can also be major player in the fashion arena.
Best match: Hunting wear in neutral colors.
2. Flamboyant high-heeled shoes
Don't be scared off by the 10-cm-tall heels. They can still be very reliable in spite of the dangerous looks. The four- to five-cm thick platform will give you a loftier attitude on life.
Best match: Dresses of strong feminine character.
3. Holiday-style straw plaiting wedgies
Straw plaiting elements convey a casual and handmade quality.
Besides, wedgies are less likely to catch chiffon skirts that reach to the ankles than heels.
Best match: Hawaiian flowery long skirts, harem pants and sporty short pants.
4. Romantic natural color flatties with flowers
As the Roman gladiator style fades into the fashion of the past, flatties of simple geometrical appearance are popular this summer.
Comfortable flatties with a touch of fashion can be so versatile that you can wear them in the daytime with hot pants and T-shirts, and also at night when you go out to party. Nude color gives your legs a more slender look.
Best match: Jeans, girly dresses.
5. Sexy porous ankle boots
Still thinking boots only belong to the winter? Then you are out! It is the ambiguity between sandal and boot that appeals to the high tide people.
Black stripes or lively spider webs that reach upward to the ankles, rivets decoration and toes revealed through a "fish mouth" are the key features.
Best match: Black outfit, white T-shirt and jeans, harem pants.
Models present creations by Paris based fashion designer Xuly Bet from Mali during the Africa Fashion week in Johannesburg, June 30, 2010.
Models present Muslim costumes made from local traditional songket fabric by Indonesian designer Zainal during the Islamic Fashion Festival in Jakarta June 30, 2010.
For Sebnem Eler Acar and Zehra Balkan Buyukuncu, a passion for shoes as well as entrepreneurship provided the foundation to launch O’Couture, an Orange County, Calif.-based footwear company founded on the basic premise that women ought to have endless choices when it comes to shoes — without having to spend a small fortune.
"We all love shoes,” says Sebnem Eler Acar, who co-founded O’Couture with friend Zehra Balkan Buyukuncu in January 2010. “We never seemed to find high-quality, all-leather shoes that we seek at a more affordable price point.”
O’Couture features a signature line of high-quality leather flats with interchangeable ornaments. Customers simply pick a shoe style and color, select their ornaments — and swap them out anytime to match a new outfit or occasion. The shoes can take a woman from the office to a dinner party with a simple ornament change, thereby supporting a “less is more” philosophy that means many styles fit in just one shoe box. It also means women can buy fewer shoes and reduce their carbon footprint without compromising style.
While company co-founders Sebnem Eler Acar and Zehra Balkan Buyukuncu have no prior footwear industry experience, the minority women entrepreneurs have quickly learned the ins and outs of running a successful, socially responsible enterprise.
As a company by women and for women, the partners make sure their manufacturers follow European standards for fair employment, with no child labor or sweat shops used to manufacture the shoes — and they also provide opportunities to women, who handcraft the ornaments from the comfort of their homes.
"Consumers are getting more and more engaged with the brands and their identities these days and are willing to spend their money for a good cause when they shop,” says Acar. “That is why we are very proud of our company philosophy at O’Couture.”
One pair, endless style: That’s O’Couture. Based in Irvine, Calif., O’Couture whose name pays homage to its Orange County roots came about not only from the founders’ own entrepreneurial spirit, but also from their desire to make their mark in the fashion world with a stylish shoe line that wouldn’t break the bank for increasingly budget-conscious consumers. Each pair of O-Couture shoes is made with top-quality Italian leather and features interchangeable ornaments that cut down on consumption of natural resources and the release of environmental pollutants by allowing women to do more with less in other words, buying fewer pairs of shoes without sacrificing style. Versatile, stylish and affordable, O’Couture footwear is currently available for purchase online through O’Couture’s website, and the company is seeking wholesale partners throughout the United States.
Avitar, Inc. announced that it has entered a Joint Venture Agreement with Johnnie's Famous Shoes, Inc of New York for the purpose of financing, producing and distributing its summer run of high end, luxury, Men's footwear.
Johnnie's has brought back some of the famous top end designs from the 1980s that are coming back into style, and has established sales channels through some of the top retailers in the United States.
Avitar, Inc. has agreed to finance the summer run of production as well as to be involved in the management of this project. Avitar is to get first moneys out of the project as well as a share of the profits. If this project is successful, Avitar can fund future production runs as Johnnie's may require.
Avitar, Inc. is a publicly traded holding company now focusing on investing in and building a network of joint venture interests, or, as the situation may require, operating subsidiaries. These joint ventures or subsidiaries are or will be engaged in various innovative businesses. Currently the company's joint venture interest with Johnnie's Famous Shoes, Inc. provides Avitar with its entry into its new business model.
Perry Olsen, a leading online retailer of gold and diamond jewelry, has partnered with Benchmark to offer a new line of wedding bands for men and women. Manufacturing jewelry for over 40 years, Benchmark has long established a reputation for quality craftsmanship and innovative design. Striving for perfection as the basis of Benchmark engineering philosophy has lead to inventiveness in the process and design of wedding band rings.
Benchmark is responsible for the creation of the comfort fit ring, a staple amongst band ring designs today, where the interior of a band is curved and smoothed to maximize wearing comfort. As a result of mastering the use of precision setting technology, the surface area of diamond stones set in Benchmark wedding bands are displayed more prominently and tend to be more securely fit. Generally, hand set diamonds are uneven and less secure.
"Benchmark set the highest standard of quality for wedding bands worldwide by focusing exclusively and igniting an evolution in design," said Moss Diep of PerryOlsen.com. "The Benchmark brand is synonymous with modern excellence in jewelry design and we are excited to add them to our Brand Avenue."
Brand Avenue consists of established jewelry designers and brand named manufactures as offered on PerryOlsen.com. An array of Benchmark wedding band design categories as featured on PerryOlsen.com include classic bands, Benchmark Diamond Band Rings, braided rings and carved ring styles. Wedding bands rings are also available in various materials such as 14K, 18K, platinum and palladium.
PerryOlsen.com offers a lifetime warranty for all Benchmark bands ensuring the quality of each piece to the satisfaction of their valued customers. To find out more about Benchmark bands go to PerryOlsen.com or call 1-877-883-3464.
PerryOlsen.com specializes in gold and diamond jewelry focusing on men's wedding bands made in gold, platinum, tungsten, titanium and steel. Perry Olsen also carries a wide array of diamond jewelry for women including pendants, earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces as well as a line of designer offerings from reputable designers and manufacturer's.
