Fashion News: Michelle Obama at the London Olympics 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama spent the weekend at the Olympics, attending opening ceremonies, cheering on the nation's swimmers and sitting in the Williams family box to watch tennis champ Serena Williams advance, among other things. Obama looked sporty but polished as she rooted for men's basketball here.
Tavi Gevinson, the 16-year-old fashion blogger who has been famous since she was around 12, is on a whirlwind tour to promote her online magazine, Rookie.
Chilean designer Maria Cornejo talked to the Wall Street Journal's weekend Off Duty section about her style inspirations: "Cindy Sherman, Tilda Swinton and, when I was a kid, Audrey Hepburn. When I was a student, Vivienne Westwood, Rei Kawakubo—those women who are stylish in their own way and do their own thing.”
One of these inspirations, Tilda Swinton, stars in a short fashion-related film directed by photographer and artist Katarina Jebb that is to be shown on a loop each evening of the contemporary arts Festival d’Automne à Paris, which is scheduled to take place at the Palais de Tokyo from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. [WWD]
Rapper-singer Azealia Banks has been chosen as the star or Alexander Wang's T campaign for fall.
Today's lingerie styles are being influenced by period and fantasy television shows like "Game of Thrones."
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Child's passion for fashion wows judges
Child's passion for fashion wows judges
A 7-year-old Nelson schoolboy has amazed fashionistas with the avant garde dress he designed, scooping an award.
Torenzo Monopoli, who is autistic, won the avant garde award in the school section at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in Gore at the weekend, before a crowd of 700.
His pink and purple creation was among eight finalists from primary and secondary school pupils in the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards, which offer a platform for all amateur designers to display their designs before a panel of high-profile judges.
Torenzo's latest win could be just the start for the budding designer who dreams of becoming a world famous fashion designer.
Last night his father Jason said on Facebook: "Put Torenzo to bed and congratulated him once again on an awesome win . . . but I didn't win ALL the sections dad . . . guess we'll be back!"
Torenzo's fashion flair has caused heads to turn since he was 5 years old.
Initially, it bewildered his parents Jennifer and Jason, a former motorbike designer, but they have supported their son who churns out drawings of colourful burlesque-themed dresses.
He has also been spotted by designer Annah Stretton. Torenzo flew to Auckland in February to meet her and began crafting his latest creation after the surprise day was organised by Kids Pursuing Hope founder Leah Evans.
He also took out the Nelson Nouveau Design Awards' under-10 category last year.
His parents say their boy never drew animals or houses, "just people with clothes", especially women's dresses often featuring feathers and bright colours.
"We never envisaged Torenzo being interested in fashion design," Mr Monopoli said in June.
There were more than 300 entries in the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards this year.
A 7-year-old Nelson schoolboy has amazed fashionistas with the avant garde dress he designed, scooping an award.
Torenzo Monopoli, who is autistic, won the avant garde award in the school section at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in Gore at the weekend, before a crowd of 700.
His pink and purple creation was among eight finalists from primary and secondary school pupils in the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards, which offer a platform for all amateur designers to display their designs before a panel of high-profile judges.
Torenzo's latest win could be just the start for the budding designer who dreams of becoming a world famous fashion designer.
Last night his father Jason said on Facebook: "Put Torenzo to bed and congratulated him once again on an awesome win . . . but I didn't win ALL the sections dad . . . guess we'll be back!"
Torenzo's fashion flair has caused heads to turn since he was 5 years old.
Initially, it bewildered his parents Jennifer and Jason, a former motorbike designer, but they have supported their son who churns out drawings of colourful burlesque-themed dresses.
He has also been spotted by designer Annah Stretton. Torenzo flew to Auckland in February to meet her and began crafting his latest creation after the surprise day was organised by Kids Pursuing Hope founder Leah Evans.
He also took out the Nelson Nouveau Design Awards' under-10 category last year.
His parents say their boy never drew animals or houses, "just people with clothes", especially women's dresses often featuring feathers and bright colours.
"We never envisaged Torenzo being interested in fashion design," Mr Monopoli said in June.
There were more than 300 entries in the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards this year.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Fashion show aims to lift stigma on the disabled
Fashion show aims to lift stigma on the disabled
At a glitzy Kiev night club brimming with neon lights and energetic pop music, the models showed off sleek evening gowns and glamorous hats as Ukraine's celebrities cheered on. But this was no ordinary fashion show — some models rolled on wheelchairs, others were blind.
At the Wednesday night event dubbed Fashion Chance a dozen designers, mostly from Ukraine, presented outfits for physically handicapped women, in a bid to bring attention and dignity to some of Ukraine's most marginalized citizens. In a country where most buildings lack wheelchair ramps and only a few public schools accept disabled children, the show was a small but vivid step toward removing the stigma that cloaks Ukraine's disabled.
"People on wheelchairs, the blind, the handicapped should all feel accepted," said 26-year-old Ilona Slugovina, an avid wheelchair ballroom dancer, who modeled a lilac-colored glittery evening dress.
Some models moved confidently down the runway — on wheel chairs, or accompanied by handsome young men in elegant suits — flashing smiles and some attempting to mimic the traditional model gait. One blind model coquettishly held her hand on her hip and played with a lock of hair. Others appeared nervous.
Moved by the show, some in the audience cried.
"I felt beautiful, I felt confident," said Antonina Krivobok, who masterfully rolled and turned around in a wheelchair and posed in front of TV cameras as she presented a purple evening dress.
At a glitzy Kiev night club brimming with neon lights and energetic pop music, the models showed off sleek evening gowns and glamorous hats as Ukraine's celebrities cheered on. But this was no ordinary fashion show — some models rolled on wheelchairs, others were blind.
At the Wednesday night event dubbed Fashion Chance a dozen designers, mostly from Ukraine, presented outfits for physically handicapped women, in a bid to bring attention and dignity to some of Ukraine's most marginalized citizens. In a country where most buildings lack wheelchair ramps and only a few public schools accept disabled children, the show was a small but vivid step toward removing the stigma that cloaks Ukraine's disabled.
"People on wheelchairs, the blind, the handicapped should all feel accepted," said 26-year-old Ilona Slugovina, an avid wheelchair ballroom dancer, who modeled a lilac-colored glittery evening dress.
Some models moved confidently down the runway — on wheel chairs, or accompanied by handsome young men in elegant suits — flashing smiles and some attempting to mimic the traditional model gait. One blind model coquettishly held her hand on her hip and played with a lock of hair. Others appeared nervous.
Moved by the show, some in the audience cried.
"I felt beautiful, I felt confident," said Antonina Krivobok, who masterfully rolled and turned around in a wheelchair and posed in front of TV cameras as she presented a purple evening dress.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Fashion show shines spotlight on Ukraine disabled
Fashion show shines spotlight on Ukraine disabled
At a glitzy Kiev night club brimming with neon lights and energetic pop music, the models showed off sleek evening gowns and glamorous hats as Ukraine's celebrities cheered on. But this was no ordinary fashion show - some models rolled on wheelchairs, others were blind.
At the Wednesday night event dubbed Fashion Chance a dozen designers, mostly from Ukraine, presented outfits for physically handicapped women, in a bid to bring attention and dignity to some of Ukraine's most marginalized citizens. In a country where most buildings lack wheelchair ramps and only a few public schools accept disabled children, the show was a small but vivid step toward removing the stigma that cloaks Ukraine's disabled.
"People on wheelchairs, the blind, the handicapped should all feel accepted," said 26-year-old Ilona Slugovina, an avid wheelchair ballroom dancer, who modeled a lilac-colored glittery evening dress.
Some models moved confidently down the runway - on wheel chairs, or accompanied by handsome young men in elegant suits - flashing smiles and some attempting to mimic the traditional model gait. One blind model coquettishly held her hand on her hip and played with a lock of hair. Others appeared nervous.
Moved by the show, some in the audience cried.
"I felt beautiful, I felt confident," said Antonina Krivobok, who masterfully rolled and turned around in a wheelchair and posed in front of TV cameras as she presented a purple evening dress.
Beginning and already established designers presented elegant dresses and suits for women on wheelchairs or with other handicaps. Some of the outfits differed little from what ambulatory women would wear, others were cut in a more voluminous fashion to accommodate the needs of those in wheelchairs.
"God made the woman beautiful and the designer's goal is to stress that beauty," said Natalia Anri, a top Ukrainian designer.
But it wasn't just about clothes.
Yulia Kozluk, 28, who runs a fund that trains and then finds computer jobs for those on wheelchairs like herself, said she hoped such projects would help Ukrainian society grow up and accept those who are different.
"When I roll in my wheelchair, people stare at me like I am an alien and it wounds," said Kozluk, who became paralyzed at age 23 after a car accident. "But I am not an alien, I am a regular person."
Ukraine's physically handicapped people are barely visible to the country at large, confined to their homes in the absence of ramps, elevators and specially equipped buses and mostly shunned by society in a grim legacy of the Soviet era.
Children with disabilities are usually hidden away in specialized schools or orphanages, where they are deprived of a chance to interact with other children and society as a whole does not learn to co-exist, accept and help those with disabilities. Only a handful of public schools accept disabled children, because building entrances, canteens and toilets are not equipped with ramps, teachers lack the necessary training and other students and often their parents object to having such classmates.
In Kiev, home to tens of thousands of disabled children of school age, only about 10 schools provide inclusive education, according to Larisa Baida, an education activist with Ukraine's National Assembly for Disabled.
"It's sad," said Baida. "It's a constant struggle, every day they fight for their life."
Universities also offer very few chances for the handicapped, lacking audio books for hearing-impaired and computers for the blind. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union over 20 years ago, not a single book in the tactile writing system called Braille has been published for the visually impaired, according to the Assembly.
Finding a job is also a major problem, with about only 25 percent of the country's disabled employed, mostly at low-skilled and low-paid jobs, according to the United Nations Development program.
"When we look at a disabled person, we are not ready to see a person in them" who wants to study, work and eat at restaurants, said Natalia Skripka, Assembly's director. "While we should first be seeing a person and only then notice their peculiarities - are they tall or short, do they have blond or dark hair, do they have disabilities or not."
At a glitzy Kiev night club brimming with neon lights and energetic pop music, the models showed off sleek evening gowns and glamorous hats as Ukraine's celebrities cheered on. But this was no ordinary fashion show - some models rolled on wheelchairs, others were blind.
At the Wednesday night event dubbed Fashion Chance a dozen designers, mostly from Ukraine, presented outfits for physically handicapped women, in a bid to bring attention and dignity to some of Ukraine's most marginalized citizens. In a country where most buildings lack wheelchair ramps and only a few public schools accept disabled children, the show was a small but vivid step toward removing the stigma that cloaks Ukraine's disabled.
"People on wheelchairs, the blind, the handicapped should all feel accepted," said 26-year-old Ilona Slugovina, an avid wheelchair ballroom dancer, who modeled a lilac-colored glittery evening dress.
Some models moved confidently down the runway - on wheel chairs, or accompanied by handsome young men in elegant suits - flashing smiles and some attempting to mimic the traditional model gait. One blind model coquettishly held her hand on her hip and played with a lock of hair. Others appeared nervous.
Moved by the show, some in the audience cried.
"I felt beautiful, I felt confident," said Antonina Krivobok, who masterfully rolled and turned around in a wheelchair and posed in front of TV cameras as she presented a purple evening dress.
Beginning and already established designers presented elegant dresses and suits for women on wheelchairs or with other handicaps. Some of the outfits differed little from what ambulatory women would wear, others were cut in a more voluminous fashion to accommodate the needs of those in wheelchairs.
"God made the woman beautiful and the designer's goal is to stress that beauty," said Natalia Anri, a top Ukrainian designer.
But it wasn't just about clothes.
Yulia Kozluk, 28, who runs a fund that trains and then finds computer jobs for those on wheelchairs like herself, said she hoped such projects would help Ukrainian society grow up and accept those who are different.
"When I roll in my wheelchair, people stare at me like I am an alien and it wounds," said Kozluk, who became paralyzed at age 23 after a car accident. "But I am not an alien, I am a regular person."
Ukraine's physically handicapped people are barely visible to the country at large, confined to their homes in the absence of ramps, elevators and specially equipped buses and mostly shunned by society in a grim legacy of the Soviet era.
Children with disabilities are usually hidden away in specialized schools or orphanages, where they are deprived of a chance to interact with other children and society as a whole does not learn to co-exist, accept and help those with disabilities. Only a handful of public schools accept disabled children, because building entrances, canteens and toilets are not equipped with ramps, teachers lack the necessary training and other students and often their parents object to having such classmates.
In Kiev, home to tens of thousands of disabled children of school age, only about 10 schools provide inclusive education, according to Larisa Baida, an education activist with Ukraine's National Assembly for Disabled.
"It's sad," said Baida. "It's a constant struggle, every day they fight for their life."
Universities also offer very few chances for the handicapped, lacking audio books for hearing-impaired and computers for the blind. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union over 20 years ago, not a single book in the tactile writing system called Braille has been published for the visually impaired, according to the Assembly.
Finding a job is also a major problem, with about only 25 percent of the country's disabled employed, mostly at low-skilled and low-paid jobs, according to the United Nations Development program.
"When we look at a disabled person, we are not ready to see a person in them" who wants to study, work and eat at restaurants, said Natalia Skripka, Assembly's director. "While we should first be seeing a person and only then notice their peculiarities - are they tall or short, do they have blond or dark hair, do they have disabilities or not."
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Teen Choice Awards Fashion: Demi Lovato vs. Bumblebee Transformer
Teen Choice Awards Fashion: Demi Lovato vs. Bumblebee Transformer
When stars step out on the red carpet, they're hoping to turn heads, but some of the looks that young Hollywood premiered at Sunday's 2012 Teen Choice Awards had us scratching our heads. And five styles looked just a tad familiar, so we wracked our brains to figure out where we had seen the looks before.
Scroll below to see Hollywood.com's battle of WHO WORE IT BETTER:
Carly Rae Jepson vs. Miley Cyrus
Newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen sported a white suit to the Teen Choice Awards, much like the one Cyrus donned at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. Cyrus' failure to wear a shirt — or bra — under her suit jacket got a fair amount of finger wags and head shakes, but Jepsen remembered her cami like a good girl. Jepsen may have played it safe for the kid-friendly show, but we're digging Cyrus' look more.
Demi Lovato vs. Bumblebee, The Transformer
The color palette, geometric print, and angular construction (those shoulder pads!) of Lovato's dress had us instantly thinking Transformer. Is Lovato campaigning for a role in Michael Bay's next big flick, or was she just trying to generate some buzz? (Har.) No one wears yellow and black quite like Bumblebee, so he/it wins this round.
Selena Gomez vs. a Pink Lipstick Tube
Pucker up! Gomez's body-hugging magenta frock was a dead-ringer for our favorite shade of lipstick. Did it have her looking totally kissable? As much as we love lipstick, Gomez is the scene-stealer here (and we in no way shape or form are giving her the pity vote since it was her 20th birthday).
Justin Bieber Vs. GI Joe
We have a bit of advice for Bieber: When you already look like a plastic doll, it's not a good call to raid a real one's wardrobe. Also, this is an Award show, wear something nice. Joe gets our vote here.
Taylor Swift vs. Taylor Circa 2011 vs. Marilyn Monroe
Swift's look was a bit... derivative. While the gauzy white party dress sure was pretty (and may be our favorite of the three), she wore almost the exact same thing at the very. same. event. last year, right down to the peep toe heels. Oh yeah, and Ms. Monroe wore it, too.
When stars step out on the red carpet, they're hoping to turn heads, but some of the looks that young Hollywood premiered at Sunday's 2012 Teen Choice Awards had us scratching our heads. And five styles looked just a tad familiar, so we wracked our brains to figure out where we had seen the looks before.
Scroll below to see Hollywood.com's battle of WHO WORE IT BETTER:
Carly Rae Jepson vs. Miley Cyrus
Newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen sported a white suit to the Teen Choice Awards, much like the one Cyrus donned at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. Cyrus' failure to wear a shirt — or bra — under her suit jacket got a fair amount of finger wags and head shakes, but Jepsen remembered her cami like a good girl. Jepsen may have played it safe for the kid-friendly show, but we're digging Cyrus' look more.
Demi Lovato vs. Bumblebee, The Transformer
The color palette, geometric print, and angular construction (those shoulder pads!) of Lovato's dress had us instantly thinking Transformer. Is Lovato campaigning for a role in Michael Bay's next big flick, or was she just trying to generate some buzz? (Har.) No one wears yellow and black quite like Bumblebee, so he/it wins this round.
Selena Gomez vs. a Pink Lipstick Tube
Pucker up! Gomez's body-hugging magenta frock was a dead-ringer for our favorite shade of lipstick. Did it have her looking totally kissable? As much as we love lipstick, Gomez is the scene-stealer here (and we in no way shape or form are giving her the pity vote since it was her 20th birthday).
Justin Bieber Vs. GI Joe
We have a bit of advice for Bieber: When you already look like a plastic doll, it's not a good call to raid a real one's wardrobe. Also, this is an Award show, wear something nice. Joe gets our vote here.
Taylor Swift vs. Taylor Circa 2011 vs. Marilyn Monroe
Swift's look was a bit... derivative. While the gauzy white party dress sure was pretty (and may be our favorite of the three), she wore almost the exact same thing at the very. same. event. last year, right down to the peep toe heels. Oh yeah, and Ms. Monroe wore it, too.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wet Seal, a Fashion Retailer That Caters to Teenagers, Fires Its ChiefThe
Wet Seal, a Fashion Retailer That Caters to Teenagers, Fires Its ChiefThe
teenage-fashion retailer Wet Seal fired its chief executive, Susan P. McGalla, with a phone call and has no replacement lined up yet.
The company, which has been struggling with declining sales, on Monday said it had dismissed Ms. McGalla. She was appointed chief executive in January 2011, and her contract ran through August 2014.
Though the company did not give a specific reason for Ms. McGalla’s dismissal, in a news release announcing her departure it said that so far in July sales at stores open at least a year had fallen about 13 percent from a year earlier.
In an e-mail to senior managers sent on Monday, Ms. McGalla wrote that the board telephoned her Friday night to tell her they were going “in a different direction.” Ms. McGalla said that while she wanted to tell the staff in person, “according to the board-directed terms of my separation, that was not possible.”
In Wet Seal’s first quarter, which ended in April, net sales fell by 5 percent to $147.9 million, while same-store sales fell 7.7 percent. At that time, Ms. McGalla said that Wet Seal, which also owns Arden B., was having trouble with its tops business, but that other categories, like shorts and dresses, were performing solidly.
Paul Lejuez, an analyst with Nomura, wrote in a note to clients that “operating in the ultracompetitive teen landscape with a weaker-than-average brand makes it difficult for the company to increase sales.”
Still, the timing of the dismissal was surprising to some, given that the back-to-school season, a critical period for retailers who cater to teenagers, is about to start.
Wet Seal is also facing a racial bias lawsuit. This month, three former Wet Seal managers filed a lawsuit against the company saying that it had a policy of firing or denying promotions to African-American employees. Wet Seal denied the allegations and said it planned to “vigorously defend” itself.
Mr. Lejuez pointed to the sales weakness, and not the lawsuit or a possible sale of the company, as the reason for Ms. McGalla’s dismissal.
Ms. McGalla said in her statement, “The company has been dealing with longer-term challenges,” adding, “I am confident that we have made significant progress and believe that the fundamentals are in place for the company to fulfill the turnaround plan that we anticipated.”
Ms. McGalla had been chief merchandising officer at American Eagle Outfitters, a rival teenage-clothing retailer, before joining Wet Seal.
Steven H. Benrubi, a spokesman for the company and its chief financial officer, did not return calls for comment Monday. As the board looks for a new chief executive, a new office of the chairman will oversee the company. That office includes Wet Seal’s chairman, its chief operating officer and Mr. Benrubi.
teenage-fashion retailer Wet Seal fired its chief executive, Susan P. McGalla, with a phone call and has no replacement lined up yet.
The company, which has been struggling with declining sales, on Monday said it had dismissed Ms. McGalla. She was appointed chief executive in January 2011, and her contract ran through August 2014.
Though the company did not give a specific reason for Ms. McGalla’s dismissal, in a news release announcing her departure it said that so far in July sales at stores open at least a year had fallen about 13 percent from a year earlier.
In an e-mail to senior managers sent on Monday, Ms. McGalla wrote that the board telephoned her Friday night to tell her they were going “in a different direction.” Ms. McGalla said that while she wanted to tell the staff in person, “according to the board-directed terms of my separation, that was not possible.”
In Wet Seal’s first quarter, which ended in April, net sales fell by 5 percent to $147.9 million, while same-store sales fell 7.7 percent. At that time, Ms. McGalla said that Wet Seal, which also owns Arden B., was having trouble with its tops business, but that other categories, like shorts and dresses, were performing solidly.
Paul Lejuez, an analyst with Nomura, wrote in a note to clients that “operating in the ultracompetitive teen landscape with a weaker-than-average brand makes it difficult for the company to increase sales.”
Still, the timing of the dismissal was surprising to some, given that the back-to-school season, a critical period for retailers who cater to teenagers, is about to start.
Wet Seal is also facing a racial bias lawsuit. This month, three former Wet Seal managers filed a lawsuit against the company saying that it had a policy of firing or denying promotions to African-American employees. Wet Seal denied the allegations and said it planned to “vigorously defend” itself.
Mr. Lejuez pointed to the sales weakness, and not the lawsuit or a possible sale of the company, as the reason for Ms. McGalla’s dismissal.
Ms. McGalla said in her statement, “The company has been dealing with longer-term challenges,” adding, “I am confident that we have made significant progress and believe that the fundamentals are in place for the company to fulfill the turnaround plan that we anticipated.”
Ms. McGalla had been chief merchandising officer at American Eagle Outfitters, a rival teenage-clothing retailer, before joining Wet Seal.
Steven H. Benrubi, a spokesman for the company and its chief financial officer, did not return calls for comment Monday. As the board looks for a new chief executive, a new office of the chairman will oversee the company. That office includes Wet Seal’s chairman, its chief operating officer and Mr. Benrubi.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Fabulous Festival Fashion... Tent-atively Delivered in One Hour
Fabulous Festival Fashion... Tent-atively Delivered in One Hour
Very.co.uk launches world's first festival delivery service
As the official fashion partner for Virgin Media's V Festival, Very.co.uk has launched the world's first festival delivery service, to coincide with this year's music event on 18th and 19th August 2012.
Very.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online department stores, is bringing its free Collect+ delivery service to savvy festival goers in the fields of Virgin Media's V Festival's Chelmsford site. Revellers can buy any of the brand's 50,000 fashion or home lines online directly from their phones on the Friday of the festival, with free next day delivery to V Festival on the Saturday*.
Especially for festival goers, Very.co.uk has also designed a capsule collection that can be delivered to the official Very.co.uk tent within just one hour. Available to order via a bespoke Very.co.uk mobile site during the weekend of the festival, the 50-piece 'Festival Favourites' collection includes staples from tents to willies, maxi dresses to sunglasses.
In keeping with the festival spirit, teams of glamorous Very.co.uk girls and boys will be scattered around V Festival's Hylands Park site taking orders from festival attendees, who will have the option of deciding on a quick change of look for the headline act or for any impromptu hot dates they might set up. Within just one hour girls will be able to go from Folk in light floral summer dresses to Rockin Rebels in cropped leather jackets.
Face of Very.co.uk, Fearne Cotton said: "The attire for festivals in this country has really changed since I first started going. It's no longer about rolling around in the mud and not washing for days, the fashion is now almost as important as the music itself! Everyone will be dressing to impress, so it's important to look the part.
"Packing for a festival in the UK can of course be really tricky though. You obviously don't want to be trying to cram your entire wardrobe into a tent, but you also need to make sure you have packed enough different outfits to counter the changeable British weather.
"Absolute necessities for me are a good pair of old biker boots, loads of layers I can peel off and put back on and also a trusty parka for when the heavens open. I'm also partial to a brightly coloured rain mac! Your friends will never lose you and you'll keep your hair dry if it rains!"
Gareth Jones, Retail Director at Very.co.uk, added: "Very.co.uk is well known for easy, stress-free online and mobile shopping delivered where and when it's convenient for our customers. As the official fashion partner for V Festival, we saw no reason not to extend that offering to festival goers.
"With 90,000 people expected to set up camp in Chelmsford on 17th August, we're looking forward to a busy weekend of fashion, fun, fantastic music and lots of shopping!"
Those using the free festival delivery services will be able to collect their items from the official Very.co.uk tent at Hylands Park. Whilst collecting their orders, revellers will also have the opportunity to prepare for the rest of the festival in Very.co.uk's 'Glam Pods'. From hair straighteners to mirrors and tepee changing rooms, the Very.co.uk tent offers the ultimate on-site destination to 'glam up' for the evening entertainment.
*Free next day delivery applies when all items ordered are in stock and Collect+ eligible.
About Very.co.uk:
Very.co.uk is part of Shop Direct Group - the UK's leading online and home shopping retailer - which operates across 49 countries, including the US and Canada.
Very.co.uk boasts celebrity collections from Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby, Jameela Jamil and many more.
Shop Direct Group delivers more than 25m parcels a year to more than 5m active customers.
The Shop Direct Group brands receive over 600,000 website visits every day.
We sell more than 800 brands - including leading fashion labels and our own brands.
Very.co.uk launches world's first festival delivery service
As the official fashion partner for Virgin Media's V Festival, Very.co.uk has launched the world's first festival delivery service, to coincide with this year's music event on 18th and 19th August 2012.
Very.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online department stores, is bringing its free Collect+ delivery service to savvy festival goers in the fields of Virgin Media's V Festival's Chelmsford site. Revellers can buy any of the brand's 50,000 fashion or home lines online directly from their phones on the Friday of the festival, with free next day delivery to V Festival on the Saturday*.
Especially for festival goers, Very.co.uk has also designed a capsule collection that can be delivered to the official Very.co.uk tent within just one hour. Available to order via a bespoke Very.co.uk mobile site during the weekend of the festival, the 50-piece 'Festival Favourites' collection includes staples from tents to willies, maxi dresses to sunglasses.
In keeping with the festival spirit, teams of glamorous Very.co.uk girls and boys will be scattered around V Festival's Hylands Park site taking orders from festival attendees, who will have the option of deciding on a quick change of look for the headline act or for any impromptu hot dates they might set up. Within just one hour girls will be able to go from Folk in light floral summer dresses to Rockin Rebels in cropped leather jackets.
Face of Very.co.uk, Fearne Cotton said: "The attire for festivals in this country has really changed since I first started going. It's no longer about rolling around in the mud and not washing for days, the fashion is now almost as important as the music itself! Everyone will be dressing to impress, so it's important to look the part.
"Packing for a festival in the UK can of course be really tricky though. You obviously don't want to be trying to cram your entire wardrobe into a tent, but you also need to make sure you have packed enough different outfits to counter the changeable British weather.
"Absolute necessities for me are a good pair of old biker boots, loads of layers I can peel off and put back on and also a trusty parka for when the heavens open. I'm also partial to a brightly coloured rain mac! Your friends will never lose you and you'll keep your hair dry if it rains!"
Gareth Jones, Retail Director at Very.co.uk, added: "Very.co.uk is well known for easy, stress-free online and mobile shopping delivered where and when it's convenient for our customers. As the official fashion partner for V Festival, we saw no reason not to extend that offering to festival goers.
"With 90,000 people expected to set up camp in Chelmsford on 17th August, we're looking forward to a busy weekend of fashion, fun, fantastic music and lots of shopping!"
Those using the free festival delivery services will be able to collect their items from the official Very.co.uk tent at Hylands Park. Whilst collecting their orders, revellers will also have the opportunity to prepare for the rest of the festival in Very.co.uk's 'Glam Pods'. From hair straighteners to mirrors and tepee changing rooms, the Very.co.uk tent offers the ultimate on-site destination to 'glam up' for the evening entertainment.
*Free next day delivery applies when all items ordered are in stock and Collect+ eligible.
About Very.co.uk:
Very.co.uk is part of Shop Direct Group - the UK's leading online and home shopping retailer - which operates across 49 countries, including the US and Canada.
Very.co.uk boasts celebrity collections from Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby, Jameela Jamil and many more.
Shop Direct Group delivers more than 25m parcels a year to more than 5m active customers.
The Shop Direct Group brands receive over 600,000 website visits every day.
We sell more than 800 brands - including leading fashion labels and our own brands.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Fashion goes really retro
Is it time to trade polished sheaths and all-business suits for lace gowns and tweed jodhpurs?
Mad Men, with its influential '60s style, was overlooked for an Emmy Award nomination on Thursday for costume design for the first time in its five-year run. And while fans expressed shock about the snub, the fashion world has already embraced another nominee: Downton Abbey.
Episodes of Boardwalk Empire, The Borgias, Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time also received nominations, but the likelihood of the masses finding their closets influenced by medieval Italians or mythical adventurers seems slim.
The British aristocracy of the early 1900s featured in Downton Abbey, however, is already making its mark.
Ralph Lauren paid homage to the show in the preview of his autumn collection earlier this year, with models walking down the runway to the soundtrack. Expect more glamorous and embellished looks inspired by the show to take over store racks over the next few weeks, says Brooke Jaffe, director of fashion accessories at Bloomingdale's. "There is a return to opulence," Jaffe says.
Stylist George Kotsiopolous, co-host for E!'s Fashion Police, noted that gentlemanly looks, for men and women, come from the Downton Abbey pre-World War I period. "Designers are influenced by the same things as stylists: movies, TV, music, art - whatever is the zeitgeist," he says.
For the past few years, it had been the chic, sophisticated Mad Men look that dominated the fashion conversation, and the show had a wildfire ability to turn back the clock on contemporary style to embrace the clean, refined lines of the early 1960s. Countless designers, including Michael Kors and Peter Som, cited its influence, and Banana Republic launched a Mad Men-branded collection.
"The shape had been the same for a while - the shaped waist, the va-va-voom look," Kostiopolous says. When it became common from Mad Men, he says, "it becomes less interesting to fashion people."
He doesn't think the look will go away altogether, though. "Women looked good in the '50s and '60s because the clothes were universally flattering, and any guy looks great in a suit."
Mad Men, with its influential '60s style, was overlooked for an Emmy Award nomination on Thursday for costume design for the first time in its five-year run. And while fans expressed shock about the snub, the fashion world has already embraced another nominee: Downton Abbey.
Episodes of Boardwalk Empire, The Borgias, Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time also received nominations, but the likelihood of the masses finding their closets influenced by medieval Italians or mythical adventurers seems slim.
The British aristocracy of the early 1900s featured in Downton Abbey, however, is already making its mark.
Ralph Lauren paid homage to the show in the preview of his autumn collection earlier this year, with models walking down the runway to the soundtrack. Expect more glamorous and embellished looks inspired by the show to take over store racks over the next few weeks, says Brooke Jaffe, director of fashion accessories at Bloomingdale's. "There is a return to opulence," Jaffe says.
Stylist George Kotsiopolous, co-host for E!'s Fashion Police, noted that gentlemanly looks, for men and women, come from the Downton Abbey pre-World War I period. "Designers are influenced by the same things as stylists: movies, TV, music, art - whatever is the zeitgeist," he says.
For the past few years, it had been the chic, sophisticated Mad Men look that dominated the fashion conversation, and the show had a wildfire ability to turn back the clock on contemporary style to embrace the clean, refined lines of the early 1960s. Countless designers, including Michael Kors and Peter Som, cited its influence, and Banana Republic launched a Mad Men-branded collection.
"The shape had been the same for a while - the shaped waist, the va-va-voom look," Kostiopolous says. When it became common from Mad Men, he says, "it becomes less interesting to fashion people."
He doesn't think the look will go away altogether, though. "Women looked good in the '50s and '60s because the clothes were universally flattering, and any guy looks great in a suit."
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Fashion-forward Fowler might have edge at Open
Rickie Fowler routinely travels with a dozen pairs of golf shoes in tow. This week might be the rare tournament where the third-year pro and noted clotheshorse actually wears every pair at least once - just trying to keep his feet dry.
Rain showers lashed Royal Lytham several times a day through the practice rounds this week and could again be a factor once the British Open begins in earnest off the northwest coast on Thursday. Fowler lives in Florida and he learned to play the game growing up in sunny California, but he's taken to the tough conditions on this side of the pond like a duck.
''I definitely think there are guys that either get off to a tough start or aren't looking at the weather the right way and may kind of beat themselves before they tee off,'' he said Wednesday.
Fowler realized he could have been one of those guys after shooting 79 at wet and windy St. Andrews in his first-ever round at the Open in 2010. He started out coping with the weather well, then made triple-bogey late and added another double staggering in. But drawing on his experience in the Walker Cup in Northern Ireland a year earlier, Fowler navigated his way around the Old Course with a 67 the next day to make the cut and wound up finishing in a tie for 14th.
Both those memories provided some comfort last year at Royal St. George's, when he sat in the locker room Saturday and prepared to go out for the third round in some of the worst golfing weather he'd ever seen. So did a glimpse of how five-time Open champion Tom Watson, playing a few groups ahead, embraced the same challenge. Watson, who was 61 at the time, remains one of the best bad-weather golfers ever.
''He just looked like he was hitting his shot and walking forward and moving on,'' Fowler recalled.
The longer he and caddie Joe Skovron watched, the more they marveled at Watson's unflinching demeanor.
''Joe just said to me, 'It's going to be tough. Some guys aren't going to like it. But if we can go out and make some fun of it and keep moving forward, we could make up a lot of ground' - which we did.
''I knew it was important to go out and play the first few holes solid,'' Fowler added. ''That was where a lot of it was into the wind. ... We got off to a good start and definitely made the most out of the Saturday there.''
Fowler shot 68, then 72 in the final round and finished tied for fifth. Small wonder that despite the narrow driving lanes on a course featuring more than 200 bunkers and some of the most fearsome rough at an Open in years, he said, ''I'm really looking forward to it.''
''There may be fewer options here this week,'' he added a moment later. ''And there's definitely going to be some shot-making that's going to need to happen out there. But I love to play links golf, like I said. You can be as creative as you want.''
Previously, when Fowler's name and the word ''creative'' turned up in the same sentence, a discussion of his sometimes-outrageous clothes or his membership in the ''Golf Boys'' band was likely to follow. The 23-year-old teamed with fellow golfers Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane last year to make a boy-band video spoof titled ''Oh Oh Oh'' that mocked the game's buttoned-down image and raised money for charity.
But Fowler also sandwiched a solid rookie debut at the 2010 Ryder Cup between those impressive Open performances, then won on the PGA Tour for the first time in May at Quail Hollow. His shot-making ability might be more recognized now, but Fowler, who is largely self-taught, always believed it was a cornerstone of his game - especially over here.
''Basically I learned the game as you would if it would have been 1950 versus 1995. So it was a great way for me to be brought up, a very different way in today's day and age.'' he said.
''But I think it's a huge credit to who I am now and I guess the creativity I have and the way I like to play and one of the reasons why I love links golf.''
Rain showers lashed Royal Lytham several times a day through the practice rounds this week and could again be a factor once the British Open begins in earnest off the northwest coast on Thursday. Fowler lives in Florida and he learned to play the game growing up in sunny California, but he's taken to the tough conditions on this side of the pond like a duck.
''I definitely think there are guys that either get off to a tough start or aren't looking at the weather the right way and may kind of beat themselves before they tee off,'' he said Wednesday.
Fowler realized he could have been one of those guys after shooting 79 at wet and windy St. Andrews in his first-ever round at the Open in 2010. He started out coping with the weather well, then made triple-bogey late and added another double staggering in. But drawing on his experience in the Walker Cup in Northern Ireland a year earlier, Fowler navigated his way around the Old Course with a 67 the next day to make the cut and wound up finishing in a tie for 14th.
Both those memories provided some comfort last year at Royal St. George's, when he sat in the locker room Saturday and prepared to go out for the third round in some of the worst golfing weather he'd ever seen. So did a glimpse of how five-time Open champion Tom Watson, playing a few groups ahead, embraced the same challenge. Watson, who was 61 at the time, remains one of the best bad-weather golfers ever.
''He just looked like he was hitting his shot and walking forward and moving on,'' Fowler recalled.
The longer he and caddie Joe Skovron watched, the more they marveled at Watson's unflinching demeanor.
''Joe just said to me, 'It's going to be tough. Some guys aren't going to like it. But if we can go out and make some fun of it and keep moving forward, we could make up a lot of ground' - which we did.
''I knew it was important to go out and play the first few holes solid,'' Fowler added. ''That was where a lot of it was into the wind. ... We got off to a good start and definitely made the most out of the Saturday there.''
Fowler shot 68, then 72 in the final round and finished tied for fifth. Small wonder that despite the narrow driving lanes on a course featuring more than 200 bunkers and some of the most fearsome rough at an Open in years, he said, ''I'm really looking forward to it.''
''There may be fewer options here this week,'' he added a moment later. ''And there's definitely going to be some shot-making that's going to need to happen out there. But I love to play links golf, like I said. You can be as creative as you want.''
Previously, when Fowler's name and the word ''creative'' turned up in the same sentence, a discussion of his sometimes-outrageous clothes or his membership in the ''Golf Boys'' band was likely to follow. The 23-year-old teamed with fellow golfers Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane last year to make a boy-band video spoof titled ''Oh Oh Oh'' that mocked the game's buttoned-down image and raised money for charity.
But Fowler also sandwiched a solid rookie debut at the 2010 Ryder Cup between those impressive Open performances, then won on the PGA Tour for the first time in May at Quail Hollow. His shot-making ability might be more recognized now, but Fowler, who is largely self-taught, always believed it was a cornerstone of his game - especially over here.
''Basically I learned the game as you would if it would have been 1950 versus 1995. So it was a great way for me to be brought up, a very different way in today's day and age.'' he said.
''But I think it's a huge credit to who I am now and I guess the creativity I have and the way I like to play and one of the reasons why I love links golf.''
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Fashion Checklist: What to Pack for Vacation
This week I'm packing for a much-needed vacation. But I’m stressing about
what to pack. Yes, even fashionistas like me have this dilemma.
So what does a girl do when she wants to pack everything for that just-in-case
moment? I decided to follow my own advice and motto: "pack light and it will
be all right."
There are a few essential pieces you need no matter where you vacation. The
rest are fashion pieces depending on your destination.
Here are some essentials you need for any vacation:
• A great t-shirt that fits nicely and can be layered
• A white, cotton shirt that can be worn with any bottom
• A pair of comfortable jeans
• A pair of fantastic sunglasses
• A cozy scarf for the air conditioned areas, including the plane ride
I recommend my book “7 Days To Style.”
Now the No. 1 rule of smart wardrobing is to create a color story or two. How
many color stories will all depend on how long your trip is. One color story per
week is a rule I like to follow whenever I am traveling.
This allows you to mix and match and create different looks. Try working with
3 or 4 colors to keep it simple. For instance, you can do black and white with
one pop color and another neutral or metallic.
Now let's talk destination because this will determine our fashion pieces.
My particular trip this month is to the Caribbean. It's all about sun, fun and
swimwear! Let's be honest, when going to a beach resort we live 75 percent of
the time in our swimsuit.
This means pack more than one swimsuit, plus a couple of beach cover-ups.
Here are the ideal fashion pieces for a beach getaway:
• Bikini
• One-piece swim suit
• Cover up
• Sundress
• Shorts or skirt
• Two Great tops (one should be metallic to wear in the evening)
• Maxi dress
• Flat sandals
• High heel sandals
• Fabulous hat
If your vacation is a city destination then the list is slightly different. We are still
packing the same essentials. Our fashion pieces change slightly depending on
city climate and activities, but for the most part these are the ideal fashion
pieces to add:
• Swimsuit
• Sundress
• Shorts
• Colored jeans
• Great top
• Maxi dress
• High heel sandals
• Flat sandals or walking shoes
• Fun top
• Cute hat
These pieces will be enough because you can mix and match and get the most
of all your items. You will enjoy a stress-free vacation and look fabulously
fashionable.
Oh I forgot to mention the one HUGE advantage about packing light. You now
have room in your suitcase for all the great fashion pieces you will buy when
on vacation!
The lighter you pack and the more you can bring back" -- that's my second motto.
Pack light and enjoy your vacation!
what to pack. Yes, even fashionistas like me have this dilemma.
So what does a girl do when she wants to pack everything for that just-in-case
moment? I decided to follow my own advice and motto: "pack light and it will
be all right."
There are a few essential pieces you need no matter where you vacation. The
rest are fashion pieces depending on your destination.
Here are some essentials you need for any vacation:
• A great t-shirt that fits nicely and can be layered
• A white, cotton shirt that can be worn with any bottom
• A pair of comfortable jeans
• A pair of fantastic sunglasses
• A cozy scarf for the air conditioned areas, including the plane ride
I recommend my book “7 Days To Style.”
Now the No. 1 rule of smart wardrobing is to create a color story or two. How
many color stories will all depend on how long your trip is. One color story per
week is a rule I like to follow whenever I am traveling.
This allows you to mix and match and create different looks. Try working with
3 or 4 colors to keep it simple. For instance, you can do black and white with
one pop color and another neutral or metallic.
Now let's talk destination because this will determine our fashion pieces.
My particular trip this month is to the Caribbean. It's all about sun, fun and
swimwear! Let's be honest, when going to a beach resort we live 75 percent of
the time in our swimsuit.
This means pack more than one swimsuit, plus a couple of beach cover-ups.
Here are the ideal fashion pieces for a beach getaway:
• Bikini
• One-piece swim suit
• Cover up
• Sundress
• Shorts or skirt
• Two Great tops (one should be metallic to wear in the evening)
• Maxi dress
• Flat sandals
• High heel sandals
• Fabulous hat
If your vacation is a city destination then the list is slightly different. We are still
packing the same essentials. Our fashion pieces change slightly depending on
city climate and activities, but for the most part these are the ideal fashion
pieces to add:
• Swimsuit
• Sundress
• Shorts
• Colored jeans
• Great top
• Maxi dress
• High heel sandals
• Flat sandals or walking shoes
• Fun top
• Cute hat
These pieces will be enough because you can mix and match and get the most
of all your items. You will enjoy a stress-free vacation and look fabulously
fashionable.
Oh I forgot to mention the one HUGE advantage about packing light. You now
have room in your suitcase for all the great fashion pieces you will buy when
on vacation!
The lighter you pack and the more you can bring back" -- that's my second motto.
Pack light and enjoy your vacation!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Fashion News: Thom Browne among designers honored by Michelle Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama invited winners of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards to the White House on Friday. Designers from many different fields were honored, including Thom Browne for fashion. The photo shows some of the work he displayed during the showing of his spring-summer 2013 menswear collection in Paris earlier this month.
Actress Blake Lively has been a celebrity brand ambassador for Chanel, but now she has a deal to front for Gucci's Premiere fragrance, making some wonder if the relationship with Chanel is on the rocks. But sources say all is well. [NY Post]
Banana Republic designed new uniforms for Virgin America crews. [Fashionista]
Shu Uemura is offering a 24-karat gold-plated eyelash curler, which sells for $24. Not super-expensive but still perhaps a bit much for something so utilitarian.
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier inked a licensing deal to go into home textiles.
Macy's won a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against Martha Stewart Omnimedia Inc. for selling at J.C. Penney, which Macy's says violates its contract with the group. The case is now expected to go to trial in November.
Thanks to "Mad Men" and Elizabeth Taylor, the cat-eye is back.
Actress Blake Lively has been a celebrity brand ambassador for Chanel, but now she has a deal to front for Gucci's Premiere fragrance, making some wonder if the relationship with Chanel is on the rocks. But sources say all is well. [NY Post]
Banana Republic designed new uniforms for Virgin America crews. [Fashionista]
Shu Uemura is offering a 24-karat gold-plated eyelash curler, which sells for $24. Not super-expensive but still perhaps a bit much for something so utilitarian.
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier inked a licensing deal to go into home textiles.
Macy's won a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against Martha Stewart Omnimedia Inc. for selling at J.C. Penney, which Macy's says violates its contract with the group. The case is now expected to go to trial in November.
Thanks to "Mad Men" and Elizabeth Taylor, the cat-eye is back.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Qatari royals buy Italian fashion icon Valentino
The luxury label loved by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn said on Thursday that Mayhoola for Investments S.P.C, an investment vehicle backed by a leading Qatari, had bought it from UK-based private equity fund Permira and minority investors the Marzotto textile entrepreneurs.
Valentino did not disclose financial details of the sale or name the investor.
But two sources close to the deal told Reuters the royals of the tiny Gulf state of Qatar, among the world's most active investors, had acquired Valentino for 700 million euros, or 31.5 times its 2011 EBITDA.
That's well above LVMH's purchase of jewelry maker Bulgari last year at 28.2 times its EBITDA and is a huge premium against current average valuations for European luxury brands which stand at 10-11 times 2012 forecast EBITDA.
Analysts said the Qatari royal family, which also owns London's Harrods department store, appeared to be building a home grown luxury brand with this latest purchase.
"It's the kind of thing that fits in well with Qatar: iconic, quality brands, with a long-term value and an appealing customer base," said Rachel Zeimba, a senior analyst at Roubini Global Economics.
Founded in 1960 by designer Valentino Garavani, the Italian brand acquired global fame thanks to its trademark bright-red chiffon dresses, loved by princesses and Hollywood stars alike.
It was hit hard by the recent financial crisis and had to restructure its debts in December 2009, struggling to keep up with competition from glamorous new brands like Dolce e Gabbana.
However, a recent surge of interest in the high-end luxury sector from super-rich clients who are not feeling the economic pinch has helped its fortunes. Valentino's EBITDA grew 300 percent in 2011 and is expected to grow significantly in 2012.
LUXURY SPREE
Valentino is the latest Italian luxury brand to be bought by a foreign investor, a sign of the resilience of the strongest names even as Italy sinks into a deep economic recession.
In December 2010, high-end Chinese menswear retailer Trinity Ltd bought Italian tailor Cerruti for $70 million.
In 2011, Dubai retailer Paris Group bought near-bankrupt fashion house Gianfranco Ferre.
Analysts expect the luxury sector to continue to attract investors with deep pockets even in the tough climate, particularly as there are few new listings to tempt them.
"We can expect to see many more individual investors looking at European luxury. The IPO market is tough and emerging market players from China and the Middle East are the main players now," said a Paris-based luxury goods analyst.
The Qataris also own assets ranging from stakes in German sports car maker Porsche to shares in British bank Barclays. Analysts say their latest luxury purchases were spearheaded by the chic wife of the Qatari Emir, Sheikha Mozah, who is known for loving Valentino dresses.
She owns the Qatar Luxury Group, which has a stake in French leather goods maker Le Tanneur & Cie.
Through the deal, the Qataris also acquire control of the casualwear licensed M Missoni line. Marlboro Classic, another sporty brand, will remain under Red & Black, the Permira-controlled vehicle which also owns a main stake in Germany's Hugo Boss.
Perella Weinberg Partners was the adviser for the Qataris, while Mediobanca and UniCredit advised Valentino.
London-based Permira took control of Valentino Fashion Group, which at the time included Valentino and Hugo Boss, at a market peak in 2007 for 5.3 billion euros in one of the largest deals in Europe that year.
Valentino did not disclose financial details of the sale or name the investor.
But two sources close to the deal told Reuters the royals of the tiny Gulf state of Qatar, among the world's most active investors, had acquired Valentino for 700 million euros, or 31.5 times its 2011 EBITDA.
That's well above LVMH's purchase of jewelry maker Bulgari last year at 28.2 times its EBITDA and is a huge premium against current average valuations for European luxury brands which stand at 10-11 times 2012 forecast EBITDA.
Analysts said the Qatari royal family, which also owns London's Harrods department store, appeared to be building a home grown luxury brand with this latest purchase.
"It's the kind of thing that fits in well with Qatar: iconic, quality brands, with a long-term value and an appealing customer base," said Rachel Zeimba, a senior analyst at Roubini Global Economics.
Founded in 1960 by designer Valentino Garavani, the Italian brand acquired global fame thanks to its trademark bright-red chiffon dresses, loved by princesses and Hollywood stars alike.
It was hit hard by the recent financial crisis and had to restructure its debts in December 2009, struggling to keep up with competition from glamorous new brands like Dolce e Gabbana.
However, a recent surge of interest in the high-end luxury sector from super-rich clients who are not feeling the economic pinch has helped its fortunes. Valentino's EBITDA grew 300 percent in 2011 and is expected to grow significantly in 2012.
LUXURY SPREE
Valentino is the latest Italian luxury brand to be bought by a foreign investor, a sign of the resilience of the strongest names even as Italy sinks into a deep economic recession.
In December 2010, high-end Chinese menswear retailer Trinity Ltd bought Italian tailor Cerruti for $70 million.
In 2011, Dubai retailer Paris Group bought near-bankrupt fashion house Gianfranco Ferre.
Analysts expect the luxury sector to continue to attract investors with deep pockets even in the tough climate, particularly as there are few new listings to tempt them.
"We can expect to see many more individual investors looking at European luxury. The IPO market is tough and emerging market players from China and the Middle East are the main players now," said a Paris-based luxury goods analyst.
The Qataris also own assets ranging from stakes in German sports car maker Porsche to shares in British bank Barclays. Analysts say their latest luxury purchases were spearheaded by the chic wife of the Qatari Emir, Sheikha Mozah, who is known for loving Valentino dresses.
She owns the Qatar Luxury Group, which has a stake in French leather goods maker Le Tanneur & Cie.
Through the deal, the Qataris also acquire control of the casualwear licensed M Missoni line. Marlboro Classic, another sporty brand, will remain under Red & Black, the Permira-controlled vehicle which also owns a main stake in Germany's Hugo Boss.
Perella Weinberg Partners was the adviser for the Qataris, while Mediobanca and UniCredit advised Valentino.
London-based Permira took control of Valentino Fashion Group, which at the time included Valentino and Hugo Boss, at a market peak in 2007 for 5.3 billion euros in one of the largest deals in Europe that year.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Hillary Clinton makes historic Laos visit
Decades after the US gave Laos a horrific distinction as the world's most heavily bombed nation, Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, has pledged to help get rid of millions of unexploded bombs that still pockmark the impoverished country.
The US dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on the North Vietnamese ally during its "secret war" between 1964 and 1973 – about a ton of ordnance for each Laotian man, woman and child. That exceeded the amount dropped on Germany and Japan together in World War II.
Four decades later, American weapons are still claiming lives. When the war ended, about a third of some 270 million cluster bombs dropped on Laos had failed to detonate. More than 20,000 people have been killed in Laos since then by ordnance, according to Laos' government, and agricultural development has been stymied.
Mrs Clinton, gauging whether the nation can evolve into a new foothold of American influence in Asia, met with the prime minister and foreign minister, part of a weeklong diplomatic tour of southeast Asia. The goal is to bolster America's standing in some of the fastest growing markets of the world, and counter China's expanding economic, diplomatic and military dominance of the region.
Mrs Clinton said she and Laotian leaders "traced the arc of our relationship from addressing the tragic legacies of the past to finding a way to being partners of the future."
Laos is the latest test case of the Obama administration's efforts to "pivot" US foreign policy away from the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The efforts follow a long period of estrangement between Washington and a former Cold War-era foe, and come as US relations also warm with countries such as Burma and Vietnam.
In her meetings, Mrs Clinton discussed environmental concerns over a proposed dam on the Mekong River as well as investment opportunities and the joint efforts to clean up the unexploded bombs dropped across Laos over what was once called the Ho Chi Minh trail. Greater American support for programs in these fields will be included in a multimillion-dollar initiative for Southeast Asia to be announced later this week.
Mrs Clinton visited a Buddhist temple and a US-funded prosthetic centre for victims of American munitions. There, she met a man named Phongsavath Souliyalat, who told her how he had lost both his hands and his eyesight from a cluster bomb on his 16th birthday, four years ago.
"We have to do more," Mrs Clinton told him. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come here today, so that we can tell more people about the work that we should be doing together." Although the US bombed Laos to loosen its alliance with the North Vietnamese, the current Vietnamese government focuses its efforts in Laos on recovering its own dead, more than cleaning up unexploded bombs.
Cleanup has been excruciatingly slow. The Washington-based Legacies of War says only 1 per cent of contaminated lands have been cleared and has called on Washington to provide far greater assistance. The State Department has provided $47 million since 1997, though a larger effort could make Laos "bomb-free in our lifetimes," California Rep. Mike Honda argued Wednesday.
"Let us mend the wounds of the past together so that Laos can begin a new legacy of peace," he said.
The US is spending $9 million this year on cleanup operations for unexploded ordnance in Laos and is likely to offer more in the coming days.
It is part of a larger Obama administration effort to reorient the direction of US diplomacy and commercial policy as the world's most populous continent becomes the centre of the global economy over the next century. It is also a reaction to China's expanding influence.
The last US secretary of state to visit Laos was John Foster Dulles in 1955. His plane landed after a water buffalo was cleared from the tarmac.
At that time, the mountainous, sparsely populated nation was near the centre of US foreign policy. On leaving office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned his successor, John F. Kennedy, that if Laos fell to the communists, all Southeast Asia could be lost as well.
While Vietnam ended up the focal point of America's "domino theory" foreign policy, Laos was drawn deeply into the conflict as the U.S. helped support its anti-communist forces and bombed North Vietnamese supply lines and bases.
Landlocked and impoverished Laos offers fewer resources than its far larger neighbours and has lagged in Asia's economic boom. It remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, even as it hopes to boost its development with accession soon to the World Trade
Organisation.
In recent years, China has stepped up as Laos' principal source of assistance, with loans and grants of up to $350 million over the past two decades. But like many others in its region, Laos' government is wary of Beijing's intentions. And it has kept an envious eye on neighbouring Vietnam's 40 per cent surge in commercial trade with the United States over the past two years, as well as the sudden rapprochement between the U.S. and nearby Burma.
Persistent human rights issues stand in the way of closer relations with Washington. The US remains concerned about the plight of the ethnic Hmong minority, most of whom fled the country after fighting for a US-backed guerrilla army during the Vietnam War. Nearly 250,000 resettled in the United States. The US has pressed Laos to respect the rights of returnees from neighbouring countries.
Washington also has been seeking greater co-operation from Laos on the search for US soldiers missing in action since the Vietnam War. More than 300 Americans remain unaccounted for in Laos.
And the US is pressing the Laotian government to hold off on a proposed $3.5 billion dam project across the Mekong River. The dam would be the first across the river's mainstream and has sparked a barrage of opposition from neighbouring countries and environmental groups, which warn that tens of millions of livelihoods could be at stake.
The project is currently on hold, and Washington hopes to stall it further with the promise of funds for new environmental studies.
The US dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on the North Vietnamese ally during its "secret war" between 1964 and 1973 – about a ton of ordnance for each Laotian man, woman and child. That exceeded the amount dropped on Germany and Japan together in World War II.
Four decades later, American weapons are still claiming lives. When the war ended, about a third of some 270 million cluster bombs dropped on Laos had failed to detonate. More than 20,000 people have been killed in Laos since then by ordnance, according to Laos' government, and agricultural development has been stymied.
Mrs Clinton, gauging whether the nation can evolve into a new foothold of American influence in Asia, met with the prime minister and foreign minister, part of a weeklong diplomatic tour of southeast Asia. The goal is to bolster America's standing in some of the fastest growing markets of the world, and counter China's expanding economic, diplomatic and military dominance of the region.
Mrs Clinton said she and Laotian leaders "traced the arc of our relationship from addressing the tragic legacies of the past to finding a way to being partners of the future."
Laos is the latest test case of the Obama administration's efforts to "pivot" US foreign policy away from the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The efforts follow a long period of estrangement between Washington and a former Cold War-era foe, and come as US relations also warm with countries such as Burma and Vietnam.
In her meetings, Mrs Clinton discussed environmental concerns over a proposed dam on the Mekong River as well as investment opportunities and the joint efforts to clean up the unexploded bombs dropped across Laos over what was once called the Ho Chi Minh trail. Greater American support for programs in these fields will be included in a multimillion-dollar initiative for Southeast Asia to be announced later this week.
Mrs Clinton visited a Buddhist temple and a US-funded prosthetic centre for victims of American munitions. There, she met a man named Phongsavath Souliyalat, who told her how he had lost both his hands and his eyesight from a cluster bomb on his 16th birthday, four years ago.
"We have to do more," Mrs Clinton told him. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come here today, so that we can tell more people about the work that we should be doing together." Although the US bombed Laos to loosen its alliance with the North Vietnamese, the current Vietnamese government focuses its efforts in Laos on recovering its own dead, more than cleaning up unexploded bombs.
Cleanup has been excruciatingly slow. The Washington-based Legacies of War says only 1 per cent of contaminated lands have been cleared and has called on Washington to provide far greater assistance. The State Department has provided $47 million since 1997, though a larger effort could make Laos "bomb-free in our lifetimes," California Rep. Mike Honda argued Wednesday.
"Let us mend the wounds of the past together so that Laos can begin a new legacy of peace," he said.
The US is spending $9 million this year on cleanup operations for unexploded ordnance in Laos and is likely to offer more in the coming days.
It is part of a larger Obama administration effort to reorient the direction of US diplomacy and commercial policy as the world's most populous continent becomes the centre of the global economy over the next century. It is also a reaction to China's expanding influence.
The last US secretary of state to visit Laos was John Foster Dulles in 1955. His plane landed after a water buffalo was cleared from the tarmac.
At that time, the mountainous, sparsely populated nation was near the centre of US foreign policy. On leaving office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned his successor, John F. Kennedy, that if Laos fell to the communists, all Southeast Asia could be lost as well.
While Vietnam ended up the focal point of America's "domino theory" foreign policy, Laos was drawn deeply into the conflict as the U.S. helped support its anti-communist forces and bombed North Vietnamese supply lines and bases.
Landlocked and impoverished Laos offers fewer resources than its far larger neighbours and has lagged in Asia's economic boom. It remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, even as it hopes to boost its development with accession soon to the World Trade
Organisation.
In recent years, China has stepped up as Laos' principal source of assistance, with loans and grants of up to $350 million over the past two decades. But like many others in its region, Laos' government is wary of Beijing's intentions. And it has kept an envious eye on neighbouring Vietnam's 40 per cent surge in commercial trade with the United States over the past two years, as well as the sudden rapprochement between the U.S. and nearby Burma.
Persistent human rights issues stand in the way of closer relations with Washington. The US remains concerned about the plight of the ethnic Hmong minority, most of whom fled the country after fighting for a US-backed guerrilla army during the Vietnam War. Nearly 250,000 resettled in the United States. The US has pressed Laos to respect the rights of returnees from neighbouring countries.
Washington also has been seeking greater co-operation from Laos on the search for US soldiers missing in action since the Vietnam War. More than 300 Americans remain unaccounted for in Laos.
And the US is pressing the Laotian government to hold off on a proposed $3.5 billion dam project across the Mekong River. The dam would be the first across the river's mainstream and has sparked a barrage of opposition from neighbouring countries and environmental groups, which warn that tens of millions of livelihoods could be at stake.
The project is currently on hold, and Washington hopes to stall it further with the promise of funds for new environmental studies.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Few knocked off Web as malware safety net expires
If you’re reading this online, you’re fine. The day that was supposed to see thousands of people knocked off the Internet has arrived, but only a few people were affected.
Thousands of Internet users across the U.S. and beyond waited too long or simply didn’t believe warnings that they would lose access to the Internet because of malware that took over computers around the world more than a year ago.
At 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the FBI turned off Internet servers that were functioning as a temporary safety net to keep infected computers online for the past eight months.
FBI officials have been tracking the number of computers they believe still may be infected by the malware. As of Sunday night, there were about 41,800 in the U.S., down from 45,600 on July 4. Worldwide, the total is roughly 211,000 infected. An estimated 2.3 billion people around the world use the Internet, according to Internet World Stats.
The company added that it has notified affected customers “using a variety of methods, including email, phone calls, and postal mail correspondence.”
In South Korea, there were no reports from affected computers Monday. As many as 80 computers there are believed to be infected with the malware that may cause problems in Web surfing, down from 1,798 computers in February, according to the government.
“The impact will be limited,” said Lee Sang-hun, head of network security at the Korea Communications Commission, a government body.
The government and private broadband providers opened helplines and issued warnings. They also asked users to check if their computers were infected and to download antivirus software.
In a highly unusual move, the FBI set up the safety net. They brought in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over for the malicious servers so that people would not suddenly lose their Internet.
And they arranged for a private company to run a website, www.dcwg.org, to help computer users determine whether their computer was infected and find links to other computer security business sites where they could find fixes for the problem.
Chester Wisniewski, senior security adviser at computer security firm Sophos, said it would have been better to turn off the safety net earlier, so that people can clean up their computers.
“There is only so much responsibility the American government has to continue to run this stuff,” he said. “If you still have this virus, it’s likely that you have others.”
Thousands of Internet users across the U.S. and beyond waited too long or simply didn’t believe warnings that they would lose access to the Internet because of malware that took over computers around the world more than a year ago.
At 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the FBI turned off Internet servers that were functioning as a temporary safety net to keep infected computers online for the past eight months.
FBI officials have been tracking the number of computers they believe still may be infected by the malware. As of Sunday night, there were about 41,800 in the U.S., down from 45,600 on July 4. Worldwide, the total is roughly 211,000 infected. An estimated 2.3 billion people around the world use the Internet, according to Internet World Stats.
The company added that it has notified affected customers “using a variety of methods, including email, phone calls, and postal mail correspondence.”
In South Korea, there were no reports from affected computers Monday. As many as 80 computers there are believed to be infected with the malware that may cause problems in Web surfing, down from 1,798 computers in February, according to the government.
“The impact will be limited,” said Lee Sang-hun, head of network security at the Korea Communications Commission, a government body.
The government and private broadband providers opened helplines and issued warnings. They also asked users to check if their computers were infected and to download antivirus software.
In a highly unusual move, the FBI set up the safety net. They brought in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over for the malicious servers so that people would not suddenly lose their Internet.
And they arranged for a private company to run a website, www.dcwg.org, to help computer users determine whether their computer was infected and find links to other computer security business sites where they could find fixes for the problem.
Chester Wisniewski, senior security adviser at computer security firm Sophos, said it would have been better to turn off the safety net earlier, so that people can clean up their computers.
“There is only so much responsibility the American government has to continue to run this stuff,” he said. “If you still have this virus, it’s likely that you have others.”
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