Julia Alcântara
Lauren Peacher
Faustine Lara
Nhi Py
Hannnah P
European Designer Séka Kaytes, Inventor of MySuperBra, has developed the world"s first Self-Adjustable, Floating-Cup Brassiere whose cups stretch and compress to accommodate up to 2 different cup sizes. In-between sizes and different size breasts are perfectly accommodated.
The bra is different because of the floating-cups unattached to the body of the bra. This gives the wearer the ability to center, lift and reposition their breasts to enhance natural cleavage, without air, gel or water-filled inserts, while enjoying the comfort and superior quality of MySuperBra. It's not like the standard bra that has no ability to conform, it"s flexible.
The Patent-Pending, Personalized Fit Technology, empower each woman with the freedom to customize the bra to their Right Size for their unique fit experience. The "floating cups" enable each breast, even those that have been changed in size and volume by cancer surgery, to be independently repositioned to Even-Out different breast sizes and give the right amount of boost they need to create their unique, personalized fit.
Ever since the very first brassiere was created, one thing has stayed the same: the bra cups are identical and are always attached to the bra body. "Breasts are not even sizes; therefore the cups should not be either," Séka proclaims.
Smaller cup size women such as A, B and C can experience dramatic cleavage enhancement, naturally, without inserts or mega-stuffed pads. MySuperBra is designed for women to use their own breast volume to achieve real and natural cleavage enhancement.
Personalized Fit Technology simplifies the bra sizing, replacing 12 traditional bra sizes (from 28A to 38C) with only 3sizes: Small, Medium and Large and making bra shopping easy for the on-line customers, with innovative Visual Size Chart that eliminates tape measuring.
MySuperBra Naturally Marries Safety, Quality, and Value into a Sexy Bra
Building on the internationally respected reputation that European designers have become renown for, Séka is obsessed with quality, durability, and safe-wear testing. "By Séka brand cares about the safety of our customers. No harmful skin-irritants, allergens, or carcinogenic chemicals or dyes are used in production of our bras," says Séka.
Approximately three times the amount of hands-on labor time and specialized machinery is necessary to produce MySuperBra than an average, designer brassiere, providing the proud owners with three times the average-wear life expectancy.
The proprietary bra cups of MySuperBra are available on no other bra in the world. They are exclusively developed and manufactured just for "by Seka" brand and are made from the premium quality materials.
By Séka brand was founded to provide women with high-quality, comfortable brassieres that are uniquely designed to "FIT" women and naturally enhance their bust.
When Fergie's manager William Derella pitched Wilhelmina Models four years ago on representing his client, agency president Sean Patterson didn't need much convincing.
"We left the first meeting and I said to one of the other agents, 'This girl's completely marketable, every which way,' " Patterson recalls. "She's the hat trick--beautiful, fashionable and cool at the same time. In the beauty/fashion industry, that's gold."
And it has been a golden relationship between Fergie and the 43-year-old agency, which has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Munich.
Through Wilhelmina, Fergie is one of three musicians to have her own line of footwear with the Brown Shoe Co. (the others are Reba McEntire and Carlos Santana), while her deal with Avon Products started with a fragrance and is now expanding to the company's line of hair care products.
Wilhelmina has also hooked Fergie up with such designers as Dsquared, Calvin Klein and Marchesa, which Patterson says reflects her wide-ranging appeal in the fashion world.
"The cool thing about Fergie as an artist, like any iconic figure in entertainment, is she's constantly evolving," Patterson says. "Fergie is constantly evolving her sense of style. Every six months she looks different. The great artists do that."
Patterson acknowledges that there was some skepticism when Fergie came onboard at Wilhelmina, concurrent with the release of her solo album, 2006's triple-platinum "The Dutchess."
"People in the fashion industry were asking, 'Is she the old Fergie from Wild Orchid? Fergie from Black Eyed Peas, the first couple of albums? Or is she going to be a different permutation in her solo career?' " Patterson recalls. "It was us pointing out to the fashion world she was going to keep evolving, that we already see this in her and if they watch they'll see the same development."
Patterson also praises Fergie as "very collaborative. We'd throw an idea at her and she'd run with it." A case in point is the video for "Clumsy" from "The Dutchess."
"She wanted to do something really fashion-oriented and felt like this would be the moment," Patterson remembers. "I was in Greece, of all places, and Dean and Dan from Dsquared were there at the resort. So I asked them and they flew in for the video along with all these other really cool people from the industry. The second she heard the idea she was like, 'That's it! We're doing that. Let's make it happen.' It was very refreshing to see that she was so collaborative, constantly wanting to evolve herself."
Patterson says the relationships the singer/actress has built with those personalities have helped Wilhelmina create "a Fergie brand" rather than simply spin her toward scattershot projects.
"It's allowed us to build a leverage," he says. "People see her working with Calvin Klein and Dsquared and see how all these unbelievable people in fashion want Fergie sitting at their table and coming to their show and they say, 'We need to buy into this and create a Fergie brand for us, too.' "
Also helping Wilhelmina build the "brand": Fergie is nice, Patterson says.
"She's really, truly one of the kindest, most decent people you're ever going to meet," he says. "For all the titles bestowed on her and all the success she's had, she's completely sweet and kind and . . . so caring about everybody. That's very rare. She almost deserves more praise for how kind a person she is as for being the unbelievable superstar musician she is."
All of that, of course, means Fergie's future with Wilhelmina is bright. Patterson is confident the November 30threlease of the Black Eyed Peas' new album, "The Beginning," will only help.
"Everything the Black Eyed Peas do that helps feed into the success of Fergie as an artist is great for her marketability, of course," he says. "Every deal we're in the midst of negotiating right now, they are light years beyond what those deals would have been three or four years ago."
But don't expect specific details on what those deals are yet.
"Within 12-18 months, you will be very aware of the fact there are more Fergie-branded products coming into the fashion/beauty world," Patterson says. "They'll speak to her fan base and speak to who she is as an artist. She will always be accessible to her fans yet still carry a very cool cachet."
British Retail Consortium announces retail sales report of November 2010.
UK retail sales values were up 0.7% on a like-for-like basis from November 2009. On a total basis, sales were up 2.8% against a 4.1% increase in November 2009.
Clothing and footwear also had a better month, helped by colder weather.
Stephen Robertson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said: "It's been another tough month. Total sales growth has been weak now for eight months in a row and, given that VAT has pushed up annual inflation boosting sales values, underlying volume growth is virtually zero.
"Customers are cutting back because they're worried about prospects for their own jobs and personal finances. Non-food sales are being hit hardest. But, if there is good news, it's that the cuts outlined in the Government's Spending Review have not made things worse.
"With the final run-up underway, Christmas performance is delicately poised. Overall, the extreme weather has dramatically undermined sales over the last ten days. Retailers will be hoping disruption eases so that sales lost early in the month are made up over the next couple of weeks and not lost entirely. Booming internet sales alone are unlikely to make up sales shortfalls."
Helen Dickinson, Head of Retail, KPMG, said: "A slow and uneventful start to Christmas trading, with the gap between food and non-food continuing to widen and non-food in negative like-for-like territory again. The star performer for non-food was footwear as the cold snap kicked in. Retailers will be hoping things pick up significantly in the final weeks, although regaining ground lost in the early run-up to Christmas is difficult. Christmas trading is expected to peak later, with online becoming a much larger part of the equation and post-Christmas sales being critical to December's results – readiness and performance in all will be important to retailer's fortunes. As always, there will be winners and losers – the balance between them is delicately poised and now in the hands of consumers.
Since 2003, Couture Fashion Week has presented a series of couture and luxury fashion shows multiple times each year in New York City, Palm Beach, and other selected cities. The next Couture Fashion Week event will be held Friday February 19 through Sunday February 20, 2011 at the Waldorf-Astoria.
The secret is out. Couture Fashion Week New York is a gem of an event presenting the latest collections of exceptional couture and luxury designers from around the globe, stunning accessories, as well as performances by world-class entertainers and displays of fine art, luxury products and services. The latest edition of the prestigious event was held over three days in September 2010 in the iconic Grand Ballroom and elegant adjoining salons at New York’s world-famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel.
New to Couture Fashion Week this season were designers Ezra Santos (Dubai/Philippines), Jack Guisso (Lebanon), Marco Marcu (Germany), Mireille Dagher (Lebanon), Sisa Designs by Simone Rodrigues (Brazil/USA), Siraj Sanad (Saudi Arabia), Elizabeth Arnau (Spain), and Luis Machicao (Peru/USA). Returning designers were Amal Sarieddine (Lebanon), Romanitza (Romania), Sushma Patel (India/USA), Katya Leonovich (Italy/USA), Paulina Lopez (Mexico), Cristina Nitopi (Australia), Zizi Cardow (Nigeria), Han Couture design competition winners (China), Catalin Botezatu (Romania), Nedret Taciroglu (Turkey), Lilycomes by Jeone Mi Young and Hee Deuk Yang (South Korea), Edwing D'Angelo (USA), and Andres Aquino (USA) who is also the event producer. See photos from the September 2010 fashion shows.
Each collection is as unique as its designer and styles range from avant-garde to classic. Many of the ensembles shown at CFW are typical of those seen at the Oscars, Emmys and other red carpet events in Hollywood, New York, Palm Beach, Monte Carlo and Cannes. Many are well within the reach of the well-heeled fashion maven, others are more suited for a princess. Several past participating designers have sold gowns for over $1 million to private clients.
Prominent sponsors this season included MD Minerals by Dr. Janine Hopkins, Official Makeup Sponsor, and Dr. Stephen Greenberg, Official Cosmetic Surgery Sponsor. Charity partners were the Greater NYC Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For the Cure® supporting breast cancer research and awareness, and Tuesday’s Children supporting victims of terrorism worldwide.
Couture Fashion Week, launched in 2005, is held twice a year in New York City. It continues to grow steadily each season attracting participants and visitors from around the world to the Big Apple. It is the only major event held in New York City that is exclusively dedicated to couture and luxury fashion offering a delightful spectacle of high fashion, theatrics and high-profile guests to over 5,000 attendees over three days and a post-event audience worldwide in the hundreds of millions.
Couture Fashion Week
Last week, a new online outlet was started for Emporio Armani in one of its initial ventures in China by a leading fashion brand. Giorgio Armani – the Italian fashion designer is planning to take advantage of the Chinese market with this new online outlet.
Armani, in a statement, revealed that the decision for starting an Emporio Armani online outlet in China was taken in consideration of the growing fervor for online shopping and the rising significance of the Chinese market.
While referring to the Chinese market, Armani stated that a major section of fashion patrons have been recognized who are undeniably going to realize the importance as well as advantages of this latest mode of shopping.
US fashion tycoon Gap had opened an online outlet in China in the beginning of November. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer of the world, also expressed its future plans to launch online shopping in China shortly. Apple had also launched an online outlet in October.
Armani also pointed out that it is the first fashion brand to provide a flagship store online in the country. The website is supported by Yoox, which is an Italian online fashion retailer that has expanded at a fast pace during the worldwide recession.
The fashion group has made its presence felt in 46 countries through its 609 outlets across the globe.
Competitors for the Miss France 2011 competition stand during the ceremony in Caen, western France December 4, 2010. Some 33 participants competed for the title on Saturday.
Famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos, the iconic "Queen of Pinups" one of Playboy Magazine's first "Playmates of the Month" Bettie Page continues to captivate millions of men and women around the world with her youthful-sexy image, voluptuous figure, and signature jet black hair with short-cut bangs and blue eyes. Upon Page's passing, MTV acknowledged that without her generation-hopping influence, a slew of contemporary stars would have different looks from Katy Perry to Madonna, Rihanna, The Pussycat Dolls and Dita Von Teese.
Page persona inspired the creation of Bettie Page Clothing. Launched by commercial financer Jan Glaser and brilliant Russian-born fashion designer Tatyana Khomyakova, Bettie Page Clothing boutiques have given those who live in or near Las Vegas, Hollywood, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and San Diego's Gaslamp district the advantage to re-create Page's look.
Opening their first store in 2007 at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood on the Strip in Vegas, Glaser and Khomyakova tapped into this widespread divine madness and created fashion phenomenon that seems boundless. Beyond the current locations, there are future plans to expand their lines on Newbury Street in Boston, Manhattan, the Twin Cities' Mall of America and Miami's South Beach.
Beyond the U.S. retail locations, the Bettie Page Clothing brand has gone global, with boutiques in 57 countries around the world selling its products. According to Glaser, the line is exceptionally popular in Australia, Europe and Canada.
Celebrities have flocked to wear Khomyakova's designs including Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Pink, Holly Madison, Tempest Storm, Denise Richards, Amy Jones, Jenny Tiffen ("Fashions on the Field" - Canberra Races), "So You Think You Can Dance" Top 4 finalist Lauren Froderman and Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, along with rising Rockabilly princess Karling and punk rocker Kimberly Freeman of One-Eyed Doll.
Realizing the popular appeal of her Bettie Page dresses, Khomyakova is now expanding her portfolio to include a distinctive "Elvgren" line -- based on the images of the classic pin-up artist of the 1950s, a special "Tatyana" collection and collaboration collection "Beach Bash" with Art Khomyakov for a new line of beachwear this spring.
Greenpeace investigations have found widespread pollution, including high concentrations of heavy metals, in Xintang and Gurao, two textile factory towns in Guangdong province that make blue jeans and bras, respectively. Greenpeace calls upon the local government to launch an investigation into the sources of pollution and punish all responsible industrial culprits. It also calls upon the textile industry – the dominant industry of both towns – to review and clean up its manufacturing processes, starting with reducing and eliminating the use and release of priority hazardous chemicals during production.
Xintang is better known as the "Blue Jeans Capital of the World" – over 40% of its jeans are exported to the US, the EU, Russia and many other countries. It produces 260 million pairs of jeans annually, or more than 60% of China's total jeans production and equivalent to 40% of all the jeans sold in the US each year. Meanwhile, 80% of Gurao's economy is related to the underwear and lingerie industry. Each year, the "Capital of Sexy" produces 200 million bras, enough for one for every third woman in China.
"Xintang and Gurao are symbols of success in China's export-model economy, yet we were horrified by the environmental degradation we saw during our fieldwork visits from April to September," said Greenpeace Toxics campaigner Mariah Zhao. "Though we cannot pinpoint the pollution sources definitively at this stage, it's worth noting that textile is the dominant industry in both towns by a long run."
Testing by an independent laboratory revealed heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, and lead in 17 out of 21 samples of water and sediment from Xintang and Gurao. One sediment sample from Xintang contained cadmium at concentrations 128 times in excess of national environmental standards. "Dyeing, washing, bleaching, and printing are some of the dirtiest processes in the textile industry, requiring high volumes of water as well as heavy metals and other chemicals," explained Zhao. "And Xintang is home to the complete blue jean manufacturing process, including dyeing, bleaching, and washing."
Workers in the industry also testified to Greenpeace. "The water is discharged from the dyeing factories upstream. Sometimes it smells really awful. And every time the color of the water is different," said Ren Shan (pseudonym), a migrant worker who moved to Gurao for a job in a textile factory.
"With China nicknamed 'the Factory of the World,' it's important to remember that Xintang and Gurao are emblematic of the larger problem of dirty textile manufacturing – they are just two of 133 textile industrial clusters in the country," Zhao pointed out. "The responsibility of wastewater regulation and phasing out hazardous chemicals in textile manufacturing must be faced by not only Xintang and Gurao's industries and government, but also throughout China."
"Jeans and bras are synonymous with a modern, sexy lifestyle, yet we need to think about what these fashion icons mean for our environment. With many people demanding new jeans and clothing every year, it is imperative that the textile industry implements clean production methods, starting by phasing out the use and release of hazardous chemicals. At the same time, the government must adopt and enforce strict hazardous chemical management policies," said Zhao. "We also hope that consumers will join us in pushing for change from the government and their favorite clothing companies. It would be tragic if fashion and economics comes at the cost of China's clean water resources."
Greenpeace is a non-profit organisation, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants.
Levi's, the original, definitive jean brand, and Pictory announce "Secrets of Inspiring Women" a Levi's-sponsored photographic showcase celebrating inspirational women on Pictorymag.com. Inspired by Shape What's to Come, Levi's global initiative and web community which is designed to inspire and empower millennial women, photographers were invited to submit self-portraits and tell the story of getting to where they are as a woman, their mentors along the way, how they're impacting others and share advice for the next generation.
"Pictory is thrilled to partner with the Levi's brand to enable young women to tell the stories behind the pursuit of their passions and potential through photography," said Pictory founder Laura Brunow Miner.
"I love how the Levi's brand has taken up the charge to connect women by interests and industries to empower one another. The Levi's brand is a leader in encouraging creative expression: they've worked with an impressive array of indie photographers and filmmakers, produced community spaces for creative output through their Workshops series, all while staying true to the roots of their 150-year-old company. It's exciting to see them focus their influence as a pioneering brand on impacting the lives and careers of countless young women."
Photographer Maren Celest joined Pictory founder Laura Brunow Miner to guest curate the showcase. Renowned for film-based images, Maren recently shot Levi's Shape What's to Come Ambassador portraits. In addition to photography, Maren is a member of the Cashmere Clubhouse art collective. She also sings and plays the ukulele, keyboard and banjo in her band, The Photographers.
"As a pioneering brand, Levi's has long inspired people from all walks of life to go forth and pursue their passions, " said Maren Celest. "I'm delighted to be working with the Levi's brand, and in partnership with Pictorymag.com, to encourage dynamic young women to create new definitions of success and shape what's to come -- for themselves and the world at large."
"The Levi's brand has been shaping women's fashion since it introduced the first pair of women's jeans 75 years ago," said Mary Alderete, Vice President of Levi's Global Women's Marketing. "We are building on this legacy to help young women shape their futures. ShapeWhat'sToCome.com, and related projects, are designed to celebrate and inspire the young women who are shaping our world. The Pictory "Secrets of Inspiring Women' photographic showcase is a perfect vehicle for women to share the stories of their inspiration, growth and desire to shape what's to come."
ShapeWhatsToCome.com recently launched in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan. Twenty inspiring millennial "ambassadors", engaged by the Levi's brand and living in the U.S., UK and Japan, ranging from up-and-coming artists and performers to twenty-something entrepreneurs and advocates for social change, will enrich thecommunity with the fruits of their efforts.
"The Shape What's To Come initiative builds on the Levi's brand global commitment to empower young women to shape their futures by pursuing their passions and potential," added Alderete. "It's not just about being the biggest jeans brand for women—it's also about being the most relevant and beloved brand. We want to provide millennial women around the world with products and opportunities that fit her – both literally and figuratively."
In an effort to further industry sustainability efforts, NIKE Inc released its Environmental Apparel Design Tool. Based on Nike's Considered Design Index, the release of the tool aims to accelerate collaboration between companies, fast-track sustainable innovation and decrease the use of natural resources like oil and water.
Designed and built by Nike over seven years with a six million dollar investment, the software-based Environmental Apparel Design Tool helps designers to make real time choices that decrease the environmental impacts of their work.
Recognizing the decline of natural resources and the need to move to a low-carbon economy, the tool is a practical way to rate how apparel designs score in reducing waste and increasing the use of environmentally preferred materials while allowing the designers to make real time adjustments.
Nike is committed to open innovation and welcomes others building and improving on this tool.
"This tool is about making it simple for designers to make the most sustainable choices right at the start of the product creation process. Over the past four years it has proved to be invaluable at Nike and has helped us create products with a higher sustainability standard," said Hannah Jones, Vice President of Nike Sustainable Business and Innovation.
"By releasing the tool we want others to improve on it and we hope to inspire further collaboration to create global industry standards for a level playing field, encourage widespread industry adoption of sustainable design practices and have more sustainable products available for the consumer."
The Nike football jerseys produced for South Africa 2010 are an example of how the tool helped designers produce the most environmentally-friendlyand technologically-advanced kits in football's history. Made from 100% recycled polyester, the material choice diverted 13 million plastic bottles from landfill.
In the last year alone, Nike doubled its use of recycled polyester, saving 82 million plastic bottles from landfill. If all apparel companies committed to converting one third of their polyester garments to recycled polyester, the demand for recycled polyester would be greater than the annual production of plastic bottles, diverting PET bottles from landfill.
"Nike's decision to open-source this design tool is a win-win because it leverages important intellectual capital to benefit an entire industry," said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a leading coalition of investors and environmental groups that works with companies like Nike to address sustainability challenges. "Whether for sneakers or cars, it is hugely important to integrate water, chemical, energy and waste considerations into all product design. If all apparel companies use this tool, the impacts could be breathtaking, from less-clogged landfills to expanding our sustainable material industries."
Mike Barry, Head of Sustainability for Marks & Spencer, who has worked closely with Nike for several years on sustainability issues, said: "As a company committed to developing a sustainable business, we welcome this type of industry collaboration. The Nike tool will help apparel companies and retailers design more sustainable product. We firmly believe that sharing knowledge like this helps us all move towards a more sustainable future faster."
In addition to the Environmental Apparel Design Tool, Nike will also be releasing its Footwear Design Tool, Material Assessment Tool and Water Assessment Tool in 2011.
These efforts come after Nike's announcement earlier this year about the GreenXchange (GX), a Web-based marketplace where companies can collaborate and share intellectual property which can lead to new sustainability business models and innovation. Nike committed to placing more than 400 patents on GX for research, demonstrating its belief that the best way to stimulate sustainable innovation is through open innovation.
