Cassy Bhairo
Kristin G
Martine Falk Andersen
Kellen Hofer
Mallory W
For fifteen minutes today, in a grand Paris drawing room with soaring white ceilings gloriously flounced with gilt, Alexander McQueen came back to life.
When the first model walked into the room, there was an audible intake of breath. Four weeks after the designer's death, the collection he had been working on was finally unveiled. And his spirit was right there — in the skullcap of bandages dissected by a mohican of lacquered feathers, in the fierce black boots with gold angels sculpted into the heels, in the muscular power of the tight crimson bodice and the way the pleated and ruffled skirt appeared to have come not from the past or the future but from some other dimension where the two meet. Every piece was cut on the stand by McQueen, the audience was told beforehand; once the clothes appeared, there could have been no doubt.
Of the outfits, 16 were 80% finished — they were completed by his team and seen for the first time today. The collection was truly spectacular; the mood, in the face of the evidence of what fashion has lost, was bleak.
There is no precedent or protocol for staging a catwalk show which serves also as memorial service. Seven tiny presentations are being held. Altogether, around 70 people will see the clothes. The audience at today's first presentation — a handful of fashion editors and Robert Polet, the boss of Gucci Group — were ushered into a grand parqueted salon.
October 2009's McQueen catwalk show, the last one at which he took a bow, was about the future. It took evolution and the prospect of ecological meltdown as starting points for digitalised reptile-skin prints and freakish "armadillo" shoes subsequently made famous by Lady Gaga. Models were pursued along the catwalk by vast tracked cameras which live-streamed the show on to the internet.
By bittersweet contrast his unfinished last collection, looked to Byzantine art, to eternity and to angels. In folds of double duchesse satin, in a short dress tightly waisted and extravagantly swagged at the hip, could be glimpsed the infant Jesus from Jean Fouquet's 1450 painting of the Virgin and Child, digitally captured and engineered to fit the piece. A pale silk chiffon gown, curves as sculpted as a Greek marble goddess yet so gossamer light it swept the floor in silence, bore the faces of angels and the wings of doves; on the back was the outline of angel wings. In the work of master carver Grinling Gibbons, McQueen found details which he translated into crocodile shoes with gilded wooden heels hand-carved into elaborate columns of twisted ivy festooned with acorns. A red cape, cut away to reveal the flowing, Madonna-esque robe beneath, seemed to echo how, in Botticelli's Cestello Annunciation, Mary is pushing open her virgin-blue cape with her arm to reveal a red dress beneath.
There were chill moments, such as when the Paris sunlight caught the sculpted heel of an ankle boot revealing a carving of a broken skull. The skull had come to be something of a McQueen trademark, but here it appeared crushed. Elsewhere, McQueen's interest in 15th century art seemed to dwell on the Netherlandish solemnity of Hugo van der Goes and the early surrealism of Heironymus Bosch. But there were also Botticelli and Foquet's sweet-faced Madonnas and peachy cherubs. A coat tailored from lacquered gold feathers was probably another nod to Gibbons, whose lifelike carvings of feathered birds have long been much marvelled at. But in the context it could not fail but to call to mind the story of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun.
This was the last ever collection by Lee Alexander McQueen, but it will not be the last collection to bear the Alexander McQueen name. A week after the designer's death, Polet announced that the label would continue. "We believe in the future of the brand," he told reporters. There has been no announcement as to who will replace McQueen. Reports at the weekend that Gucci Group were in discussions with the experimental young British designer Gareth Pugh were flatly denied by both Pugh and Gucci. The in-house design team are working on finishing menswear and diffusion line collections which were under way before McQueen's death.
If there is to be an Alexander McQueen show in October, then a new designer would need to be appointed soon, but a one-season hiatus may well be called for. The fashion industry's gaze rests on Sarah Burton, head of design at the label, who worked closely with McQueen for 16 years since joining at the age of 20. She is now the most senior member of the remaining five-strong design team. Sources at Gucci are adamant that no decision has as yet been made. Until now, all efforts have been directed at finishing this collection. As one of his team said at today's show, "we just wanted to do Lee proud."
A note given to each of the audience read, "each piece is unique, as was he." As the 16th outfit disappeared from the catwalk, the audience sat in silence, not yet ready for the spell to be broken. The sound of clapping began backstage, and spread. There is no doubt McQueen's final collection was a triumph. But there seems little to rejoice in when there is no one to congratulate.
LAST month, Johnny Weir, the United States figure skater, switched one of his costumes for the Vancouver Olympics after he said he received threats from anti-fur activists for accessorizing his already colorful wardrobe with just a touch of white fox. At almost the same moment, fashion designers in New York were showing fall collections with so much fur that they seemed to collectively stick a thumb in the eye of political correctness.
Did the designers forget that wearing fur is fraught with controversy? Or did they simply stop caring?
There were fancy fox cuffs (Oscar de la Renta), wild-looking coyote capes (Michael Kors), bizarrely colorful mink jackets (Chris Benz, Peter Som), knitted furs (Proenza Schouler, Diane Von Furstenberg) and capes trimmed with raccoon tails (for men, courtesy of Thom Browne). The following week, the runways of Milan were perhaps even hairier, from the fur-collared coats at Prada to the fox mukluks at D & G.
For the first time in more than two decades, more designers are using fur than not. Almost two thirds of those in New York are, based on a review of more than 130 collections that were shown on Style.com last month, which is a surprising development during a recession. And it didn' t just happen because of some idea that was floating around in the collective designer ether.
Rather, fur became a trend because of a marketing campaign.
Over the last 10 years, furriers have aggressively courted designers, especially young ones, to embrace fur by giving them free samples and approaching them through trade groups — sometimes when they are still in college. Last summer, for example, the designers Alexander Wang and Haider Ackermann, plus Alexa Adams and Flora Gill of Ohne Titel were flown to Copenhagen for weeklong visits to the design studios of Saga Furs, a marketing company that represents 3,000 fur breeders in Finland and Norway. Saga Furs regularly sponsors such design junkets. The designers were given carte blanche to use fur with state-of-the-art techniques.
Mr. Wang and the Ohne Titel designers ended up including fur in their fall collections. Mr. Ackermann, in Paris, included fur scarves and a narrow wool jacket with ribbons of fur protruding from its collar.
"We were seeing all of these new possibilities in which you can use fur in a very light way," Ms. Adams said. "Fur gives a richness in texture. It's like discovering something new that also has an interesting history."
Several young designers echoed that sentiment, saying they were less interested in fur as a luxury statement or an act of defiance than as a novel design. Mr. Wang said he had not intended to use fur in his collection but decided to after seeing so many plush fabrics that resembled fur. "The point was to create that rich, luscious feel while blending the lines between what was real and what was fake," he said.
In Denmark, Ms. Adams said, she learned of a technique of sewing extremely thin, evenly spaced strips of fox onto a layer of silk, creating the look of a fox coat with a third of the weight and expense. For their show, she and Ms. Gill showed a version in army green. Carine Roitfeld, the editor of French Vogue, admired it, so the designers sent the sample, which would cost $10,400 in a store, to her hotel for her to wear throughout Fashion Week. Ms. Roitfeld was photographed so often in the coat that they decided she could keep it. After all, their cost to make it was nothing.
Much like lobbying groups in Washington, various cooperatives representing breeders, farmers and auction houses around the world solicit designers to use their furs. Saga, one of the biggest cooperatives, provided the furs used this season by the New York labels Cushnie et Ochs, Thakoon, Brian Reyes, Wayne, Derek Lam, Proenza Schouler and Richard Chai, in addition to Ohne Titel and Alexander Wang.
Another cooperative, the North American Fur Auctions (NAFA) in Seattle, gave furs to the newcomers Bibhu Mohapatra and Prabal Gurung and worked with marquee designers who make separate fur collections, including Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors.
"We'll give them furs to make three, four, five, even six different garments," said Steve Gold, a marketing director for the North American group, which represents farmers in Canada and the United States. "The quid pro quo is simply that they mention our name to the press."
Neither marketing group would disclose its budget, but Mr. Gold said it was typical to spend "hundreds of thousands of dollars" each year.
"We want to make sure fur is on the pages of magazines around the world," he said. "The way to do that is to facilitate the use of fur by designers."
Their success has infuriated anti-fur activists like Dan Mathews, the senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who described the fur marketing as "a smoke and mirrors campaign, where they give designers money and free fur to accessorize the runway, even though that stuff never ends up in shops."
Several of those designers are too young to remember the vicious battles over fur in the 1980s and 90s, when a PETA member tossed a dead raccoon onto the plate of Anna Wintour while she was dining at the Four Seasons; another tossed a tofu cream pie in Mr. de la Renta’s face. But some remain sheepish on the subject. Thakoon Panichgul, for example, showed a coat in his fall collection with strips of fox bursting from the sleeves, but he declined to be interviewed for this article because of the controversy.
Others said they felt confident using fur after examining the chain of production and finding it humane.
"You see so much leather and shearling being used this season, and no one is complaining about that," Ms. Adams said. "I don't see the difference between using shearling and using fur."
Saga sponsors courses and competitions at design schools, including at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons the New School for Design (as does PETA).
"We bring them knowledge about fur early in the design process," said Charles Ross, the director of international activities for Saga.
That is how Irina Shabayeva, the winner of the sixth season of "Project Runway," was introduced to fur. In 2003, while a student at Parsons, Ms. Shabayeva won a fur design contest sponsored by Saga. The prize was a trip to Scandinavia. After Ms. Shabayeva started her own collection, Saga introduced her to Funtastic Furs, a company that makes furs for designers like Peter Som and Catherine Malandrino.
"They were kind enough to sew up a few pieces for me," Ms. Shabayeva said. Actually, her fall collection looked as if it had been conceived in a taxidermist's studio. The opening look was a dress made of the long plumes of a pheasant.
The sales of fur in the United States, and its appearance on the runways, fell in the 1980s as a result of the aggressive protests. But attitudes began to change, and fur began to make a slow comeback, from sales under $1 billion in this country in the early 90's to $1.8 billion in 2006, according to figures released by the Fur Information Council of America. Naomi Campbell, who once posed for PETA, now has a fur coat named after her at Dennis Basso.
But many of those gains were erased in the last three years, following an unusually warm winter in 2007, and then the recession. There was little fur on the runways in 2009, as designers sought to rein in prices.
Now, as fur is becoming trendy, skin prices at auction have shot up in response to increased demand; the price of a male mink pelt approaches $100 in Finland, up 40 percent over last year. A silver fox pelt is now $200, up 20 percent.
That raises questions about how good this trend will be for the designers, should stores buy their furs. Most have little experience in the fur market, and they will have to pay for the specialized production of their designs, which is far more expensive than ready-to-wear made from fabric. And if their fur pieces don’t sell next fall, they will be stuck with a lot of expensive coats.
"That's a big question mark," said Brian Reyes, whose show included several pieces made for him by Funtastic Furs. "The fur industry has different ways of buying or selling. Who buys it? Where does fur sell well? It's all a new experience."
In his showroom sits a big cobalt blue fox coat — so big, Mr. Reyes said, it could stand up on its own. The price was $6,750. Though he showed several fur coats, he does not expect to sell many this year, as he is just beginning to test the market and wants to be cautious.
But other designers are already taking orders. Ohne Titel sold more than 15 shearling and fox vests, priced under $2,000, in the days after its show. Derek Lam, who has worked with Saga for several years, has found fur designs to be lucrative. From his pre-fall collection in 2008, Mr. Lam sold 148 short riding jackets trimmed with mink, which cost $1,990. Now Mr. Lam offers furs priced from $4,500 to $30,000.
"If you sell two," said Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, the chief executive of Derek Lam, "you are doing really well."
Of the fox coat worn by Ms. Roitfeld, even without the sample, Ohne Titel already has orders from stores for 10.
Many fashion designers, you may have noticed, are squeamish about breasts. They prefer boyish waif bodies or a tolerable B-cup — largely on the grounds that the clothes hang better. With obvious exceptions like the body-conscious designs of Azzedine Alaïa, their clothes almost seek to neutralize the female form.
Meanwhile, the demand for padded bras and breast implants, and the popularity of shows like “Mad Men,” suggest that women like a kind of reconstructed femininity. They want hips and breasts, phony or not.
Two designers, Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, really captured that appetite this season, and with a style that was deliberately unnatural looking. Natural would be a minimalist beige tunic or maybe a jacket with a gently nipped waist that you could wear with a skirt or a pair of khakis. With those styles, the objective is to look purposeful and energetic. And how many women would quarrel with that?
But Mr. Jacobs rarely takes the easy route. Set around a splashing fountain in a courtyard of the Louvre, his Vuitton show was called, unambiguously, “And God Created Woman,” after the 1956 Roger Vadim film starring Brigitte Bardot. From the first outfit, on the curvy model and actress Laetitia Casta, to the last, on the swimsuit legend Elle Macpherson, there was an impressive sense of the physical — corseted breasts, bare arms and legs, womanly hips under full skirts. In a way, the body was the main event.
Realistically, most of those skirts are too old-fashioned and clunky to wear; you’d be exhausted before you went a block. The wool corsets would look just as pretty with a pair of pants. But to me, this collection wasn’t as much about returning to the glories of Bardot as it was about presenting an artificial and super-enlarged beauty — and where else could Mr. Jacobs go but to an era when women were still built like women, right down to their girdles?
A month of ready-to-wear shows ended Wednesday with a last-minute blitz of strong collections. Jean Paul Gaultier usually finds a comfortably shallow theme for his Hermès collections, so it was no surprise that he selected the music from “The Avengers” and the bowler hats and furled umbrellas appeared on cue. Yet the tailored pantsuits and superb examples of leather coats (mostly in black) and leather-trimmed pieces expressed in depth the taste for clothes with savoir-faire.
For her Miu Miu show on Wednesday night, Miuccia Prada replaced the hard, slatted wooden chairs she typically uses with blue foam cubes. The buoyant seats, along with the ’80s dance music, were consistent with the lighter — and less conceptual — mood of the clothes.
Minidresses in black wool, or a wool jersey, had wide straps or prim collars closed with a big cord bow; hems had a stiff flounce, and some of the skirts appeared to be made of two curved, overlapping panels. Everything, then, had a rounded quality, like the bell shape of a tunic over skinny pants with belled cuffs, or the silver metal flowers that decorated waists and straps, or the black spats that flopped over the mirrored shoes.
Late Wednesday, Mr. Alaïa had something of an impromptu presentation of his fall collection in his studio in the Marais, with drinks and dinner. His classic knits were lush and short, some with a sparkle. He showed one or two gorgeous dresses in black velvet, dresses for which you didn't need a flawless body and certainly not a corset, but perhaps the most compelling looks were a handful of trim wool jackets with a play of seams of the back. Shown with velvety knit miniskirts, their modern energy was hard to beat.
The designers of Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, referred somewhat obliquely in their press notes to a "digital romanticism." Maybe they meant a pretty feminine style or pattern that could be endlessly manipulated without really producing a new or different result. That was the sense, anyway, from the many ruffled pieces in their latest collection — ruffles spilling down the fronts of day jackets or around chiffon evening dresses. The clothes, especially dresses done in lace or with fur, had a lot going for them, but over all the collection felt a bit one-dimensional.
No collection dominated the Paris season quite like Alexander McQueen's, and not because it represented the final work of the late designer. The 16 dresses and caped coats — each one different and all referencing 15th-century paintings or carvings — were exceptional because no one else thought to make such a personal and subtle connection to the function of art on human consciousness.
Mr. McQueen' s fashion often embraced historical styles, but rarely with more feeling and modern sense of purpose. He had details of medieval paintings, in particular Hieronymus Bosch' s " Garden of Earthly Delights," captured digitally and then woven into jacquard or embroidered. He cut each of the patterns himself.
Given the subject matter of the paintings, the imagery is necessarily gothic, glorious but also dark. Lions are embroidered in gold around the hem of a beautiful black silk caped dress. On the front of a long white dress are the slightly shadowed, downcast heads of two saintly figures. Above each is a dove in flight. The silk dress, with the details rendered in different shadings of gray, extends the figures’ robes to the hem, duplicating their swirls and folds in jacquard chiffon.
What may not be obvious is how the stiff silk flowed into a fluid one, or indeed how Mr. McQueen engineered these seemingly complicated pieces with a minimum of seams. Those techniques fascinated him, but it was his artistic sensibility that could make his fashion so uplifting.
The Indian technical textiles sector is all set to nearly double in size in the next 4-5 years as per a study released by the apex trade body ASSOCHAM. The main reason for this growth will be the increase in consumption by the Indian middle-class consumers.
The domestic technical textiles market is projected to grow at an average yearly rate of over 10-12 per cent in the next four to five years because of high demand, said the President of the trade body, Ms Swati Piramal.
The study reveals that the main driving forces are expected to be medical, automotive and geo-textiles and hygienic products. It has also recommended a multi-pronged approach to develop chemical protective fabrics, multi-layer sportswear fabrics and agro shade net fabrics.
We might hear energetic people saying, "I am fully charged". How about if our costume is also charged? This is one more wonder resulting from the advancements in technical textiles. Researchers from the University of Stanford have used the carbon nanotube ink which turns ordinary fabrics into wearable batteries. Innovations of wearable electronics have made fabrics that can act as batteries.
A successful method has come up wherein a special ink made of carbon nanotubes are used to change ordinary cotton or polyester fabric into batteries. These start functioning when they are folded and twisted. The ink is made from single walled carbon nanotubes. When the fabric is dipped in the ink, carbon nanotubes get aligned on the existing fibres in the fabric. When the fabric dries, it still retains its flexibility and stretchability while becomes conductive. Researches also proved that loading the fabric with psuedocapacitor materials increased the areal capacitance of the fabric 24 times more.
The special ink used in this process is made of carbon nanotubes, cylinders of carbon just billionths of a metre across. It can serve as a dye and just turn a simple' t-shirt' into an 'e-shirt'. The fabric is simply dipped into a batch of nanotube dye, pressed to thin and even out the coating. This treatment given a conductivity of 5 S/cm to the fabrics. A simple mechanical pressing gives the fabric a conductivity of 125 S/cm creating a highly conductive material. The conductivity can be further increased by increasing the number of dipping and drying cycles. Stretching also increases the conductance which is believed to be, due to the mechanical contacts between the fabric fibres.
The process is very simple and scalable as dyeing fibres and fabrics. The interwoven fibres of fabrics are similar to those of paper and are suited to absorb the nanotube ink thereby maintaining an electrical connection across the whole area of the apparel. The fabric does not lose their conductive properties even after washing and wringing. Water does not affect the carbon nanotubes residing in the fibres. It maintains its properties even when stretched or folded. This gives a positive implication that this technology can be applicable for everyday use.
Applications that were previously considered as 'impossible' with conservative electronics technologies are made possible through the process of wearable electronics. But the field of wearable electronics where devices are integrated into clothing is still at the nascent field and needs to be developed further.
U.S. singer Madonna waves to fans as she arrives at Bandeirantes Palace to meet Sao Paulo's governor Jose Serra in this February 10, 2010 file photo.
It appears the Material Girl will be getting a lot more material.
Pop star Madonna and Iconix Brand Group on Wednesday unveiled a joint venture to launch fashion brands globally, starting with a juniors collection to be sold at Macy's department stores this August.
The company, MG Icon, will be 50 percent owned by Iconix and 50 percent by Madonna and Guy Oseary, her manager, and it will hold a license to use the singer's name for apparel, footwear and other products.
A fast-fashion juniors collection, aptly called "Material Girl" after Madonna's nickname early in her career when she scored hit songs such as "Lucky Star," will be launched in about 200 Macy's stores and online in time for back-to-school shopping in the United States.
The new collection was designed by 51-year-old Madonna and her teenage daughter Lourdes Leon in collaboration with Iconix's in-house fashion department.
Macy's Chief Merchandising Officer Jeffrey Gennette said the line will include clothes, jewelry and other accessories with prices starting from about $12.
"We are building this brand to potentially be in every one of (Macy's doors)," Gennette said, adding that the junior female customer group was currently underserved at Macy's.
Iconix owns and licenses brands including Candie's, Joe Boxer and Badgley Mischka, and already licenses its products to major retailers like Target, Wal-Mart and Kohl's.
Move over, Na'vis: some of Japan's top models will strut down the catwalk in a 3D fashion event this weekend, highlighting the increasing dazzle of the third dimension beyond the movie industry.
Japanese fashion magazine Non-no is teaming up with satellite broadcaster BS-TBS and consumer electronics firm Panasonic Corp to stream its "Spring Collection" show live in 3D at three cinemas on Sunday in Japan.
It is Japan's first such show and comes after British luxury goods maker Burberry last month also streamed a live event in 3D from London Fashion Week, after James Cameron's sci-fi juggernaut "Avatar," and its blue-skinned Na'vi heroes, ignited massive interest in 3D in a slew of industries ranging from apparel to sports.
"With Avatar, people say this is the first year of 3D," said Yoshiharu Koshizaki, editor-in-chief of Non-no, which is targeted at women in their early 20s.
He said that until now only a few spectators were able to see fashion shows in person while two-dimensional images failed to capture the texture and drape of clothes.
"But with 3D, you can probably see how far the pleats of a skirt extend, or the size and weight of a corsage, for example. So we wanted to give it a try," he told Reuters by telephone.
Demand was strong to become one of the 2,200 audience members at the 3D showings, with around 20,000 Non-no readers entering a draw for complimentary invitations, Koshizaki said.
He said that the show would feature popular Non-no models such as Nozomi Sasaki wearing mostly Japanese fashion brands, but that Italian label Diesel would also be present on the runway.
On the technical side, BS-TBS will simulcast the show, to be held in Tokyo, to screens operated by movie company Toho Co in Tokyo, Nagoya and Hyogo, said a spokesman for the satellite broadcasting unit of TV network TBS.
Panasonic is supplying equipment and technical support, the BS-TBS spokesman said.
Among recent acquisitions, divestments and mergers, Delta Apparel has acquired the software firm Art Gun Technologies while Esprit will buy the remaining 51% stake in Esprit China which it does not already own. Li & Fung USA has agreed to buy Wear Me Apparel, and the Mittal family has agreed to buy Escada. Iconix, meanwhile has acquired 51% of Mark Ecko Enterprises, and has entered into a partnership to expand into Europe through a new subsidiary called Iconix Europe.
In other developments, Brandix Apparel India and Ocean India have started up production at Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC)-a textile and apparel industrial park set up by a Sri Lankan company. Gucci owner PPR will sell its retail chains as part of a long-term plan to focus on its clothing businesses, and Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF), the organiser of Prime Source Forum, has launched an online forum called Prime Source ThinkTank.
In announcing their financial results, most of the North America-based companies featured in this report posted declines in net sales, including Abercrombie & Fitch (down by 15%), Gildan Activewear (down by 17%), JC Penney (down by 3%), Levi Strauss (down by 6%) and Perry Ellis (down by 20%). However, Gap (up by 1%) and TJX Companies (up by 10%) achieved increases. Several European companies also recorded increases, including Asos (up by 47%), Benetton Group (up by 13%), Inditex (up by 6%) and Marks & Spencer (up by 3%). Meanwhile, Italy-based Yoox has started to trade on the Milan Stock Exchange.
Developments in trade include a 15% rise in Vietnam's clothing exports to Japan during January-October 2009, but the industry is failing to meet growing export orders due to labour shortages. Elsewhere, the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) has been extended by one year, the EU and South Korea have signed a free trade agreement (FTA), and talks have begun with a view to establishing an FTA between South Korea and the USA.
New stores have been opened by Abercrombie & Fitch in Japan, H&M in Egypt, Mango in Iraq, Marks & Spencer (M&S) in India, and Zara in the USA. Meanwhile, plans are underway to open Gap stores in China, Uniqlo stores in Russia, Benetton concessions in Colombia, and MNG by Mango concessions in JC Penney stores in the USA.
In research and development, India's Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has opened a new knitwear technology centre in Tirupur, India, while Tukatech and the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) have opened a new "digital fashion" laboratory, also in India.
From global pop sensation to high fashion model, is there anything Madonna can’t do? Apparently not. Joining forces with Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (the company behind such labels as Candie’s and Badgley Mischka), the Queen of Pop is set to take the fashion world by storm with the launch of her own style empire, called MG Icon. “Joining forces with Iconix to bring my fashion ideas to consumers is very exciting for me,” says Madonna in a press release. First up will be a junior collection, appropriately labeled Material Girl. Launching exclusively at Macy’s stores and Macys.com in August 2010, Material Girl will include apparel, footwear, handbags and jewelry — all retailing from $12-$40. The collection was inspired and designed by both Madonna and her daughter Lourdes along with the in-house fashion team at Iconix Brand Group. And come 2011, Madonna plans to add beauty and fragrance options to her juniors line, so stay tuned for more details on Madonna’s growing fashion brand. For now, we’re counting down the days till we see what cutting-edge designs this quirky mother-daughter team come up with!
Suneet Varma’s stunning grand finale collection inspired by Lakmé’s night fever Summer 2010 was an extravagant end to Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2010
The Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel was draped with metres of fabrics cascading down from the ceiling in lush panels. Three giant silver globes rotated from the ceiling throwing twinkling stars on the walls. A windmill gently rotated to the left of the stage while a silver balcony on the right of the stage was reserved for Medival Punditz Shai’r and Func who provided the most exciting live music for the show. As the show started a white curtain slid back to reveal a tableau against a glittering Spanish mansion. It was time for the most spectacular show of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/resort 2010.
Inspired by LAKMÉ’S NIGHT FEVER Summer 2010 collection which, comprises Enrich Satin Lip Color, Lip Artist, Eye Magic Black, Impact Eyeliner, Lash Artist, Aquashine and Glide on Eye Color; Suneet Varma created a dream of a line aptly titled NIGHT FEVER that was a breathtaking vision to behold.
Presented in five segments the collection with the glitter of Swarovski Elements was a modern look at fashion.
“Color My World” was filled with a blitz of colours mixed with patchwork and mix and match options. A glamorous array of creations - chiffon coat, easy tunics, draped dresses, were worn with colourful tights. Zigzag print coats and side knotted minis, panelled beach wraps, Spanish black floral tunic, long ponchos and embroidered jackets along with belts in large crystals and metallic armbands and necklaces completed the look.
“Call of the Wild” was an animal print, motif and texture story with colours like black, beige, chocolate and a bit of turquoise. Slinky evening bias cut gowns dazzled with peridots and topaz. Net kaftans, layered frayed edged skirts, tiny blouses and capes and stoles had tie-dyed, shading and Shibori. The glam turbans and gold bronze armlets gave a luxurious look to the creations.
“Pucchi Prints” was all about graphics and geometrics for minis with fabric buttons, hip length fitted jackets, skinny pants with slits and zips, and stately gowns in peach, cobalt, blue and emerald green. Hooded long gowns, psychedelic minis and kaftans along with pant suits were a colourful presentation.
“Preppy Argyle” had checks in purple, lilac, beige and black, featuring collared tunics, dresses, wide pants with high waistbands and sexy gowns. Saris appeared with tights and minis with stockings and ruffled net capes over golden gowns.
“The Bold and the Beautiful” line was a Hollywood Red Carpet inspired look for long will-power dresses, cowl creations and evening pant suits recreating the 70s and 80s eras. The slinky gowns in shimmering brown, black, and green and with floral appliqués were sensational.
The show ended in a shower of gold confetti over the ballroom as the three faces of Lakmé, Lisa Haydon in a slinky redblack gown, Amrit Maghera in a black gown with a net cover and Indrani Dasgupta in a gold gown walked down the ramp with Suneet Varma to thunderous applause as Saturday Night Fever by the Bee Gees set the night rocking.
Suneet Varma’s Night Fever extravaganza inspired by LAKMÉ’S NIGHT FEVER Summer 2010 collection was one of the grandest events witnessed by the glitterati of Mumbai and a perfect end to Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2010.
