Rich toddlers draw fashion designers' attention

Rich toddlers draw fashion designers' attention

Juliet Sandler dresses in the latest $650 dresses and $400 shoes from Paris fashion house Lanvin. Juliet is 3.

Her mother, Dara Sandler, says she dresses her daughter in the latest fashions because Juliet is a reflection of her — even though her daughter can't spell the names of the designers, let alone pay for their clothes.

"I dress my daughter exactly the way I dress myself," says the 33-year-old Manhattan mother, who spent $10,000 for her daughter's summer wardrobe. She plans to spend a few thousand dollars more for fall.

Top fashion designers are pushing more expensive duds for the increasingly lucrative affluent toddler demographic.

This fall, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana and Marni launched collections for the pint-sized. Luxury stores Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman are expanding their children's areas.

Late last year, Gucci, which launched a children's collection two years ago, opened its first children's store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

Oscar de la Renta and Marni say they're careful to keep the clothes appropriate for kids. But there are plenty of miniature versions of the adult looks that raise eyebrows because of their eye-catching prices and sophisticated styles.

American households are expected to spend an average of $688 outfitting their children for school, says the National Retail Federation, and that includes supplies like pencils and notebooks.

That's most families. Some will spend $795 on Gucci backpacks or $1,090 on leopard print puffy coats from Lanvin.

Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director at Us Weekly, admits that some of the clothes are outrageously priced. But, she says, things like $200 Gucci sneakers make her kids happy.

"They're a walking billboard of you. They're a reflection of who you are, so if you are someone highly stylized, then you want to make sure your kids are the best-dressed kids out there," she says.


Only five years ago, the high-end children's wear business was dominated by just a few major designers like Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Christian Dior. But the recent influx of others is the latest sign that affluent shoppers have gone back to splurging since the recession. And as the wealthy feel more comfortable about spending again, they increasingly want their kids to reflect themselves.

It's a "mini-me" phenomenon, says Robert Burke, a New York-based fashion consultant. "It feels good. It's like one for me and one for you," he says.

The trend isn't limited to Manhattan or Beverly Hills, but is occurring in other big cities like Boston and Chicago, he says. Sales of designer children's wear are also strong in resort areas where retirees who dote on their grandkids live, he says.

Luxury children's sales account for just a fraction, or just over 3 percent, of the $34 billion market, but it's growing faster than the rest of the children's wear and clothing market, according to NPD Group Inc.

For the 12 months that ended in May, children's wear sales rose 4 percent, with the upscale component up 7 percent, according to NPD's most recent data. That compares with a 3 percent rise for the overall clothing market.

Designers are now looking at children's wear as another way to deepen their relationship with their customers as well as reach out to new ones.

The designers are targeting household incomes of at least $350,000, says Marshal Cohen, NPD's chief industry analyst. That's about seven times the U.S. median household income of $49,445.

Many of the new designer entries are more expensive than some of the established brands like Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren's cotton shirts for boys are priced about $59. In comparison, Dolce & Gabbana's plaid shirts for boys run $190. Girls' dresses are about $500.

Nordstrom, whose designer kids clothes were limited to a few names like Burberry and Ralph Lauren, is adding a number of collections for kids from the likes of Marni, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney.

Neiman Marcus Group's Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan recently expanded its children's wear department by a third to devote more space to Gucci and the new lines like Oscar de la Renta. For fall, the prices range from $4 for hair bows to $5,200 for an exclusive Christian Dior silk party dress handmade in France.

Colleen Sherin, fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, says both parents and grandparents are willing to spend on "unique, special" fashion items. "They're just not looking for basics."

The bigger trend, however, is designers creating free-standing shops devoted to kids, says Faith Hope Consolo, who leads retail leasing and marketing at Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Following in the footsteps of Gucci, Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani will be opening this fall its first U.S. store devoted to children in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Armani launched its children's business in the U.S. in 2009. The Armani store, which targets newborns to teenagers, will feature items priced from $50 to $500, says Armani spokesman Christian Langbein.

Kelly Osbourne shares her fashion advice

Kelly Osbourne shares her fashion advice


Kelly Osbourne was a reality star, actress and musician before anyone took notice that she had a knack for style.

But lately the 27-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, currently with violet hair after stints of pink, lilac and gray, has earned the title of certified fashionista, dishing the designer dirt with Joan Rivers and co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos after major Hollywood red carpets on E! “Fashion Police.”
She also sat front row with Rivers at the Badgley Mischka show during the New York Fashion Week this past February.
“I’m in the process of branding, doing my own line. I will not just attach my name to something,” Osbourne said. “I want to be a part of every aspect of it. I want to do everything on it and even down to like making sure I know where the clothes or items are being manufactured.”
Now she’s being tapped to kick off fashion-fueled events too, like this month’s Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.
While there Osbourne shared three things she learned walking the red carpet that she considers top everyday tips for real women:
• Spray tans: “It just gives you that golden glow, a bit of bronze, like you’ve been kissed by the sun,” Osbourne said. “It makes you look slimmer and it makes you feel healthier. I always do that. I hate that I don’t have one now.”
• Flatter that figure: “Even if you’re a skinny girl, Spanx are a must,” Osbourne said, name-checking the shaping undergarments have become a red-carpet staple for women. “Nobody wants to see your belly button through your dress.”
• Pamper your feet: “Always pack a pair of ballet flats in your handbag because by the end of the night your feet are killing you. You want to keep going but you can’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go home early because my feet hurt and I haven’t had a pair of shoes to change into. Don’t let your footwear ruin your good time,” she said.
And for those who must know what Osbourne was wearing in Chicago to meet with reporters last week: A long, flowing short-sleeved black dress with a rainbow leaf print by Issa (a British label that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has helped popularize) and a ring with a large purple stone and a jeweled leaf by Chanel.

Fashion stocks thriving in economic drought

Fashion stocks thriving in economic drought

Stocks of some of the leading apparel and accessories makers reached records this week as investors continued to take heart that the global economic drought was not drying up demand for fashion goods.

Luxury watchmaker Movado Group Inc. (US:MOV)  and PVH Corp. (US:PVH) , which markets the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger labels, were the latest to join the growing group. Shares of both companies rallied Tuesday after they reported strong-than-expected quarterly earnings and raised their outlooks.

Movado, which also sells watches under brand names such as Concord and Coach, saw its shares shoot up 17% to $35.41 on Tuesday, on track to close at a record. The stock has soared 43% over the past 30 days and is up 95% since the beginning of the year.

PVH, which markets the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger labels, has also been on a roll, climbing 5% Tuesday, also heading for a record closing level. PVH shares have risen 15% over the past 30 days, and 32% since the start of 2012.


Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (US:KORS)  has also been basking in the sun. Shares of the fashion house hit their 52-week peak of $54.92 on Monday, helped by a strong earnings report released on Aug. 12. Kors shares have rocketed almost 100% since early January.

Fifth & Pacific Companies Inc. (US:FNP), formerly Liz Claiborne, has also enjoyed a brisk run, with shares leaping 50% year-to-date. The company released an improved earnings report in July, helped by strong sales growth for its trendier brands: Lucky Brand, kate spade, and Juicy Couture.

Ralph Lauren Corp., (US:RL)  meanwhile, has still seen gains, despite warning in early August that demand in Europe could soon weaken. The stock is still up 16% since January, with shares climbing 8% over the past 30 days.

Swatch watchmaker Fossil Inc. (US:FOSL)  has seen its shares advance 14% over the past 30 days and 10% since the start of the year. The stock hit a 52-week high of $139.20 on April 5, but plunged nearly 40% in early May over fears that European sales were slipping. The company’s latest earnings report helped alleviate those concerns, sending shares soaring over 30% shortly after its release on Aug. 7.

Fashion and You acquires online fashion and beauty retailer Urban Touch

Fashion and You acquires online fashion and beauty retailer Urban Touch


 In a sign that consolidation in the ecommerce industry is gathering speed, online fashion flash sales venture Fashion and You has acquired online fashion and beauty retailer Urban Touch.

Fashion and You has paid $30 million in cash and stock for the acquisition, said a person with direct knowledge of the transaction.

Harish Bahl, founder of Smile Group, which backs Fashion and You along with a clutch of other online retail ventures, declined to confirm the deal details.

"It is a strategic move for us as we believe this acquisition will strengthen our leadership position in the fashion retail space," he said.

The acquisition also provides an exit for private equity investors, Tiger Global and Accel Partners who had invested over Rs 20 crores in Urban Touch in two tranches, one in January 2011 when the company was founded and another earlier this year, according to a person involved with the transaction.

Urban Touch's founder and chief executive officer Abhishek Goyal, who was earlier an Associate at Accel, declined to confirm the funds' involvement with the venture.

Goyal will now take over as the chief executive of Fashion and You, a post vacated recently by Pearl Uppal who is also a cofounder of the fashion retail site.

"Abshishek will take over the board seat held by Pearl, but Pearl will continue to be a share holder," said Bahl, whose Smile Group backs such online ventures like private label site FreeCultr and footwear portal BeStylish.

While Fashion and You focuses on fashion flash sales that run for a few days, Urban Touch offers a catalogue of over 300 brands in apparel, beauty and accessories categories. "We wanted to enter the flash sales space as well, but when we met Fashion and You we decided to integrate operations," said Goyal. Urban Touch and Fashion and You will continue to operate as two distinct websites but will have cross linkages. Urban Touch's over 200 employees will join the 750-member Fashion and You team and the leadership team of Urban Touch will hold stock in the combined entity.

There have been a number of acquisitions in the e-commerce category in recent months as some of the early leaders in various categories look to expand to new segments and consolidate their lead over competition. Earlier this year Flipkart, which just last week raised $150 million from a clutch of investors, bought out online electronics retailer Letsbuy. In April, Snap Deal bought sports goods e-retailer Esportsbuy. Subsequently Snap Deal launched a sports category and shut down Esportsbuy. In May lifestyle and fashion e-retailer Yebhi acquired fashion jewellery portal Stylishyou and earlier this month online babycare retailer Hushbabies bought kids products e-retailer MangoStreet.

Industry analysts are of the view that the ecommerce sector is still too young for a mature consolidation as no company as emerged as the absolute leader. "But some of the consolidation is being triggered by lack of ability to raise fresh rounds of capital," said Raja Lahiri, partner at financial advisory firm Grant Thornton India.

Companies are willing to be bought out at cheaper valuations due to lack of funds and the acquiring companies get talent, users and a foot hold, in some instances, in new categories that would take longer to enter on their own.

Fashion and You, which was founded in 2010, has raised multiple rounds of risk capital, totalling above $50 million. It last raised funds of $40 million in November 2011 in a round led by Norwest Venture Partners and Intel Capital. Its other investors include Sequoia Capital India and Nokia Growth Partners.

Short-changing the arts?

Short-changing the arts?


The recent release of a discussion paper by Arts Victoria on funding for organisations should be a major step in the development of the arts in Victoria.
Yet, if we are looking to take a leap forward with better funding policies, we will be disappointed.

The very idea of Arts Victoria undertaking a review of the arts-funding policies for which it has been the architect and administrator for many years is clearly inappropriate. It cannot be its principal investigator, prosecutor and defender all in one.

Not only is it in a position of irretrievable conflict of interest, its own performance should be under scrutiny in any review.


This in-principle concern was reinforced by the release of a discussion paper in May that is likely to prelude the introduction of new funding arrangements in September.

In place of an informative critique of the outcomes of the existing funding program, the discussion paper has a pervasive promotional tone with no obvious purpose other than to justify Arts Victoria's stewardship.

Sweeping assertions about Victoria having "a reputation as Australia's art and cultural capital" and that "it is widely acknowledged that Victoria has an advantage as a cultural leader" have no place in an investigative report. Neither are they supported by critical analysis. How is it, for instance, that Sydney is the crucible of so many of our truly national arts companies and Victoria so few, if Victoria is so favoured?

Funding for organisations chews up the overwhelming majority of government spending on the arts and a review of that funding goes to the very core of arts strategy in Victoria.

In 2012, Arts Victoria provided $31.5 million for arts organisations: $7 million for the seven major performing arts companies (such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Ballet) which are funded under agreements with the Australia Council; and $24.5 million to the 73 small and medium companies funded annually or over several years.

(The National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre are government agencies that collectively account for $180 million a year but are not covered by this review.)

The key question of public accountability — are Victorians getting value for our money? — is not even raised in the paper.

How is value for money measured in the arts? Comparative analysis is a key tool, comparing how our companies perform on cost, box office and artistic criteria against their peers in Australia and overseas. But we are left none the wiser about the effectiveness of our arts funding from this paper.

This lack of analysis raises serious questions about Arts Victoria's own performance in making funding decisions — questions that need to be addressed as part of the review.

The funding of opera offers one pertinent example.

About half of the real increase in funding to organisations in the past five years has gone to the Victorian Opera, which seems to have a limited prospect of carving out a national niche and is many times more expensive per audience member than the output of Opera Australia. Paradoxically, while Arts Victoria has been increasing funding to Victorian Opera, overall attendances at opera have stagnated. It appears the local company has increased its mainstage audience at the expense of the national company, which has seen its Melbourne audiences decline.

So roughly the same number of Victorians go to mainstage opera now as in 2006, but it costs us $5 million each year rather than $1.3 million as it did then.

Alternative, less expensive and more sustainable arrangements for opera in Melbourne could achieve a similar artistic outcome involving local performers and enhanced repertoire than the option pursued by Arts Victoria.

Moreover, Arts Victoria's dominant focus on funding for Victorian Opera appeared to be a causal factor in the faltering opening of Melbourne Recital Centre, the major new project supervised by Arts Victoria in the past decade. Increased funding was channelled to opera even though the new venue was not built for it while the need for a complementary funding strategy to enable other groups to use the venue was ignored.

Arts Victoria is effectively the state's major arts entrepreneur, picking which companies will be "winners". But despite performing that role with public money, on the evidence of the discussion paper and important instances where its funding has resulted in less than optimal outcomes, its capabilities and performance require examination by an independent party.

It is instructive to note that while the government has chosen to conduct a "review-lite" here, a contemporaneous review of the Australia Council's performance has been undertaken by independent consultants.

And at the heart of the successful reorganisation of the AFL was an expert management consultants' report on restructuring and delivering a better product so as to reap the rewards.

It's time for the government to introduce some serious, in-depth analysis prepared by a qualified, independent party, as a basis for new funding policy.

Making Fashion Click

Making Fashion Click


Unassuming downtown Hattiesburg is not where you might expect to find a New York-style fashion bash.

However, Jason Le Viere of Click Boutique and Gallery says that's exactly what can be found on Sept. 6 when the business celebrates Fashion's Night Out.
The event is a a global event that is celebrated in big cities and small towns alike.
Hattiesburg's fashion celebration will be hosted by Click, but will be held across the street at the Oddfellows Gallery.
Le Viere said he and Click co-owner Adam Myrick hope the setting will lend the party an upscale, artsy feel.
"I think art is a huge part of downtown, and it's exciting to have (the event) in this historic Oddfellows building," said Le Viere. "That is just a world class gallery, and this will be a very New York-style fashion party."
The event will have a live photo booth, a champagne cocktail bar and a cash bar, a dessert bar, and a preview of upcoming fashions available at Click.
All of the models are local - a decision that Le Viere said had to be approved by Vogue, which sponsors the global Fashion's Night Out initiative.
There are also strict standards about who can host an official Fashion's Night Out event, using the Fashion's Night Out logo and appearing in the official Fashion's Night Out event listings.
In fact, Le Viere said Click wanted to host an event for Fashion's Night Out last year, but was turned down because of parking issues. Once they were approved as an official venue, Le Viere said the process has been much easier, with Vogue approving all the plans they've presented thus far.
Click is the only boutique in Mississippi to host an official Fashion's Night Out event this year. Le Viere said the party, which is free to attend, will have a welcoming feel that will help promote the Fashion's Night Out goals of celebrating fashion and boosting the industry's economy. The dress code: Whatever makes you feel is fashion-forward.
"That dress you bought that you had no idea when you were ever going to wear, but you just had to have it," said Le Viere. "It's an opportunity to wear something that maybe you don't get to wear in your everyday activities."

Salman Khan makes the gamcha a must-have fashion item

Salman Khan makes the gamcha a must-have fashion item

What started off as a mere utilitarian object, used for obvious purposes, the gamcha has now become one of the most iconic accessories in Bollywood. While Govinda frolicked on the screen with a gamcha casually thrown around his neck in several of his films, Amitabh Bachchan exuded some serious rustic charm through his own set in Bunty Aur Babli. And now Salman Khan has sparked off a major trend among amchi Mumbaikars, who have been spotted wearing similar versions of the houndstooth patterned gamcha he sports in Ek Tha Tiger.

The ubiquitous gamcha has even travelled abroad. Well you could say, Anurag Kashyap has single-handedly championed the cause of this bolt of fabric. Among the coutured glitterati at this year's Cannes Film Festival, there was no missing the filmmaker and his 'gang' of actors sporting the gamcha before the screening of Gangs of Wasseypur. As the shutterbugs went into an overdrive trying to comprehend this 'new-found' fashion accessory, the gamcha seemed to be basking in the glow, resting smugly atop Anurag's Dior tuxedo.

luxury label Hermes lays its claim to making some of the finest scarves in the world, the Indian gamcha isn't far behind. While the Hermes scarf lives across generations taking a family heirloom status, the gamcha too exchanges hands as many times! Daddy dearest uses it in the bath, mummy tucks it into the waistband of her saree in the kitchen, Sonu-Monu play tug of war with it, and Kanta ben dusts your expensive sofa all with similar versions of the standard red gamcha!

Salman's black and white houndstooth scarf/keffiah is perhaps just a distant cousin of the red gamcha, albeit a few shades more sophisticated in appearance. Akshay Kumar wore the gamcha as headgear in Tashan. The scarf/stole that has essentially been associated as a woman's accessory channelised Aamir Khan's macho appeal in Ghajini. With fashion trends fading away at the pace of colour draining from autumnal leaves, we can't guarantee if the houndstooth gamcha is here to stay. But for now, say aye and grab one with both your hands!

Fashion show set for Oct. 3

Fashion show set for Oct. 3


South Jersey Healthcare Foundation held its annual model search on Aug. 6 at Centerton Country Club in Pittsgrove. More than 80 people, ages 17 and older, participated in this year’s search. Judges selected the finalists who will appear in the foundation’s annual Fashion Show, presented by Century Savings Bank, on Oct. 3 at Centerton Country Club. Fashions for the show are provided by regional clothiers.

Among the models for this year’s show are: Douglas Albrecht, Vineland; Dr. Daniel Baruffi, Oaklyn; Victoria Battelini, Vineland; Shirley Bertacchi, Vineland; John Bickings, Bridgeton; Angel Brown, Cedarville; Patricia Chieffo, Vineland; Denise Collazo, Vineland; Delfin Cuevas Jr., Vineland; Angela Dare, Vineland; James “Curtis” Edwards, Bridgeton; Richie Elwell, Pitman; Diane Fischer-Cristiano, Vineland; Marcus Flagg, Millville; Chelsea Fortunato, Linwood; Noelle Gaetano, Vineland; Jose Gaspar, Bridgeton; Frank T. Sr. Harris, Bridgeton; Melissa Hetzell, Bridgeton; Juliana Jenkins, Vineland; Dr. Jordan Katz, Vineland; Mayor Albert Kelly, Bridgeton; Heather Koering, Vineland; Heidi Koering, Vineland; Karling Lafond, Vineland; Thomas Meany, Pittsgrove; Stephen Moore, Vineland; Doris Negron, Pittsgrove; Tinavalen Nguyen, Voorhees; Ofon Obot, Maple Shade; Emily Paul, Bridgeton; Veronica Perez, Vineland; Darlene Price, Vineland; Gina Randazzo-Thompson, Vineland; Taryn Riggs, Franklinville; Jamar Rivers, Vineland; Brittney Rodriguez, Millville; George Rodriguez, Millville; Mayor Romano, Robert Vineland; Maria Rosenquest, Vineland; Allison Schmidt, Millville; Tasheika Scott, Pleasantville; Gabriella Sorantino, Millville; Douglas Summiel, Salem; and Shannakay Thompson, Cedarville.
“One thing that makes our annual fashion show unique is the presence of local participants on the runway each year,” said Carolyn Heckman, foundation executive director. “Our models always strut their stuff and the crowd loves it. The show continues to create a strong sense of community and raises funds to help ensure high-quality health care services in our region for years to come.”
The foundation is the fundraising entity of South Jersey Healthcare, a premiere health care provider in southern New Jersey with hospitals in Vineland, Elmer and Bridgeton and a regional cancer center in Vineland. The foundation is dedicated to establishing renewable financial resources that provide funds for needed programs and services and to ensure the continued growth of an endowment fund for the support of South Jersey Healthcare.

Chinese women are muses for fashion guru

Chinese women are muses for fashion guru


 When Diane von Furstenberg was 22 years old and just starting out in the fashion business, she dreamed that one day she would sell a dress to every woman in China. As a child, she had read about the country in Tintin's "Blue Lotus" adventure book. She imagined it to be luxurious and enigmatic. In 1990, she became one of the first American fashion designers to visit, at a time when bicycles filled dirt roads.

Today, with five stores doing brisk business (and plans for four more this year) and more than 300,000 followers on China's Sina Weibo, she is becoming a household name here, a realisation of her 2010 resolution to be widely known in a country that has become more than a business destination.


"For me, it's not just 'Go there and sell,'" she says. "I have really good friends there, artists and writers and journalists. I've absorbed myself into the culture and have given it a lot of my time. I have real connections there."


Over the past four years, she has visited up to three times a year, she says. In 2011, she hosted the Red Ball, a glamorous black-tie party at a converted studio factory outside Shanghai owned by artist Zhang Huan. The fete was in celebration of the opening of Diane Von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress, an exhibition spotlighting her career as both icon and fashion designer. The show featured newly commissioned works by Chinese artists Li Songsong, Zhang Huan, Hai Bo and Yi Zhou.


Then, in late 2011, Citic Press of China released Von Furstenberg's autobiography A Signature Life, translated into Chinese by TV personality and author Huang Hung.


"I am inspired by the whole country," Von Furstenberg says. "I identify very much with Chinese people. And if you are into textiles and silk well - people say the Chinese steal everything, but originally we stole it from them, didn't we? It's the crib of civilization."


She chose Zhang's factory as the location of her party because of its blend of gritty and modern aesthetics, she says.

Minnie Mouse Inspires Top Fashion Designers

Minnie Mouse Inspires Top Fashion Designers


LONDON Fashion Week designers are being inspired by Minnie Mouse

Disney will celebrate Mickey's famous girlfriend next month as one of its most beloved and enduring cultural icons.

A number of international designers will create 'Minnie Mouse Must Haves' one-off garments and accessories, to be unveiled at London Fashion Week and auctioned together with eBay, to support the BFC/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation.

Minnie Mouse has been an inspirational character since her first appearance as Mickey Mouse's sweetheart in 1928.

Renowned designers including Giles, Michael van der Ham, Richard Nicoll, Piers Atkinson, Bunney, Husam el Odeh in collaboration with Luke Hersheson, Katie Hillier, Lulu Guinness, Tatty Devine and Terry de Havilland will creatively interpret her signature bows and trademark polka dots.


An extraordinary collaboration with Meadham Kirchhoff will also be revealed at their spring/summer 2013 show.

The 'Minnie Mouse Must Haves' will be showcased to international buyers and media at London Fashion Week.

Each of the 'Minnie Mouse Must Haves' will also be available at an exclusive auction on the eBay for Charity programme, offering fashion-followers and Disney fans around the world the opportunity to own a unique one-off Minnie Mouse-inspired creation.

Proceeds from the auction will be donated by Disney to support the BFC/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation, a British Fashion Council initiative to nurture relationships between the creative industries and maintain a reputation for fashion innovation.

Marc Low, vice president of Fashion and Home for The Walt Disney Company EMEA, says: "Minnie Mouse and her unique style continue to inspire fans across the world.

"We're thrilled to collaborate with such visionaries to create these one-off designs. Surpassing trends, Minnie Mouse's iconic silhouette, signature bows and polka dots always remain in style which is why she is as relevant today as the day she first appeared on the fashion scene.

"London Fashion Week is the perfect stage for Disney, one of the world's largest apparel brands, to put a spotlight on Minnie Mouse."

Melanie Smallwood, head of eBay Fashion Brands says: "Since 2006 our eBay for Charity programme has raised over £36 million for UK Charities. We're delighted to be supporting this auction during London Fashion Week in aid of the Fashion Arts Foundation."

Fashion stars get Olympic gold

Fashion stars get Olympic gold

Models had their moment at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, among others, bringing gold ball gowns, high heels and glamour to the stadium that had been home to sneakers and sweat.

The unusual moment seemed to stump even the US network NBC announcers, who identified Campbell and Moss and otherwise stayed silent for much of the tribute, set to David Bowie's Fashion.

For the record, the other models were Georgia May Jagger (daughter of Mick) in a gold dress created by reunited Spice Girl Victoria Beckham; Karen Elson, in a gold floral lace bustier dress by Burberry; Lily Donaldson, in a gown covered with hammered sequins and metallic thread by Vivienne Westwood; Stella Tennant in a Christopher Kane Swarovski-crystal catsuit; Lily Cole in an Erdem embroidered lace cocktail dress; David Gandy in a Paul Smith suit; and Jourdan Dunn in a jersey tube dress splashed with gold ''paint'' by Jonathan Saunders.


Campbell wore a gold metal embroidered dress and Moss wore gold sequins, both by Alexander McQueen. The models and designers represented the best of modern British fashion.

Beckham also performed at the closing ceremony with the Spice Girls, reuniting with Mel C, Emma Bunton, Mel B and Geri Halliwell at the event for their stage return. Beckham wore a black strapless dress by Giles Deacon, which boasted cut-out panels that gave the illusion of strips of fabric being layered across a sheer bodice.

The star posted a candid backstage picture on her Twitter page of the creation, with an accompanying message to the British designer: ''Last min fitting before the show. LOVE my #Olympic2012 dress!!! Thank u gilesgilesgiles x vb,'' she wrote.

She later posted a picture of the outfit - as well as her patent black heels - on the floor.

''Good morning fashion bunnies!!!! X vb,'' she wrote alongside the image.

Rich toddlers draw fashion designers' eyes

Rich toddlers draw fashion designers' eyes

Juliet Sandler dresses in the latest $650 dresses and $400 shoes from Parisian fashion house Lanvin. Juliet is 3.

Her mother, Dara Sandler, says she dresses her daughter in the latest fashions because Juliet is a reflection of her — even though her daughter can't spell the names of the designers, let alone pay for their clothes.

"I dress my daughter exactly the way I dress myself," says the 33-year-old Manhattan mother, who spent $10,000 for her daughter's summer wardrobe. She plans to spend a few thousand dollars more for fall.

Top fashion designers are pushing more expensive duds for the increasingly lucrative affluent toddler demographic. This fall, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marni launched collections for the pint-sized. Luxury stores Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman are expanding their children's areas to make room for the newcomers, many of them with higher price tags. Late last year, Gucci, which launched a children's collection two years ago, opened its first children's store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

Some designer houses like Oscar de la Renta and Marni say they're careful to keep the clothes appropriate for kids. But there are plenty of miniature versions of the adult looks that raise eyebrows because of their eye-catching prices and sophisticated styles.

American households are expected to spend an average of $688 outfitting their children for school, says the National Retail Federation, and that includes supplies like pencils and notebooks.

That's most families. Some will spend $795 on Gucci backpacks or $1,090 on leopard print puffy coats from Lanvin.

Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director at Us Weekly, admits that some of the clothes are outrageously prices. But, she says, things like $200 Gucci sneakers make her kids happy.

"They're a walking billboard of you. They're a reflection of who you are, so if you are someone highly stylized, then you want to make sure your kids are the best-dressed kids out there," she says.

Critics say the trend promotes elitism.

"This creates a class system of the haves and have-nots," says Dr. Alan Hilfer, director of psychology at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City. "It creates a culture of envy."

Only five years ago, the high-end children's wear business was dominated by just a few major designers like Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Christian Dior. But the recent influx of others is the latest sign that affluent shoppers have gone back to splurging since the recession. And as the wealthy feel more comfortable about spending again, they increasingly want their kids to reflect themselves.

It's a "mini-me" phenomenon, says Robert Burke, a New York-based fashion consultant. "It feels good. It's like one for me and one for you," he says. The trend isn't limited to Manhattan or Beverly Hills, but is occurring in other big cities like Boston and Chicago, he says. Sales of designer children's wear are also strong in resort areas where retirees who tend to dote on their grandkids live, he says.

Luxury children's sales account for just a fraction, or just over 3 percent, of the $34 billion market, but it's growing faster than the rest of the children's wear and clothing market, according to NPD Group Inc., a research firm. For the past 12 months ended in May, children's wear sales rose 4 percent, with the upscale component up 7 percent, according to NPD's most recent data. That compares with a 3 percent rise for the overall clothing market.

Designers, seeking more growth, are now looking at children's wear as another way to deepen their relationship with their customers as well as reach out to new ones.

The designers are targeting household incomes of at least $350,000, says Marshal Cohen, NPD's chief industry analyst. That's about seven times the U.S. median household income of $49,445.

Many of the new designer entries are more expensive than some of the established brands like Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren's cotton shirts for boys are priced about $59. In comparison, Dolce & Gabbana's plaid shirts for boys run $190. Girl's dresses are about $500.

Nordstrom, whose designer kids clothes were limited to a few names like Burberry and Ralph Lauren, is adding a number of collections for kids from the likes of Marni, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney.

Neiman Marcus Group's Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan recently expanded its children's wear department by a third to devote more space to Gucci and the new lines like Oscar de la Renta. For fall, the prices range from $4 for hair bows to $5,200 for an exclusive Christian Dior silk party dress handmade in France.

"We're definitely growing," says Andrew Mandell, Bergdorf Goodman's vice president and divisional merchandise manager of home and children's wear. "This is a whole new realm. And when you have our customers so fashion forward, they eat this up."

Colleen Sherin, fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, says both parents and grandparents are willing to spend on "unique, special" fashion items. "They're just not looking for basics."

The bigger trend, however, is designers creating free-standing shops devoted to kids, says Faith Hope Consolo, who leads retail leasing and marketing at Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Following in the footsteps of Gucci, Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani will be opening this fall its first U.S. store devoted to children in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Armani launched its children's business in the U.S. in 2009.The Armani store, which targets newborns to teenagers, will feature items priced from $50 to $500, says Armani spokesman Christian Langbein.

Some parents who are splurging say they also mix in shopping trips to Gap or other less-expensive stores, but see the designer duds as a confidence booster.

"I really believe when she dresses like this, she feels better about herself," added Sandler, who shops for pricey children's clothes at Barneys New York as well as a New York women's clothing store called Edit, which now has a designer children's wear section.

Manhattan resident Kelly Mallon, 39, says she's proud that her 9-year-old daughter Madeleine has developed her own fashion sensibility.

"I love seeing my child well-dressed. It makes me happy. It makes her happy," says Mallon who outfits her daughter in accessories from Italian designer Missoni and tops from designer Milly's year-old children's line called Milly Minis. "It's not a little girl playing dress up. She's in her own clothes made for her."

Helen Gurley Brown’s Fashion Sense: the Power of Cleavage

Helen Gurley Brown’s Fashion Sense: the Power of Cleavage

Her Cosmo covers were an exacting science of bodacious hair, confident gaze, silky skin, and necklines that plunged low enough to titillate and entertain without causing too much offense. The Cosmo woman was neither raunchy nor vulgar. She was, in the parlance of the 1960s and 70s, liberated.

Her Cosmo kept an eye on Seventh Avenue, but it was never a fashion magazine. A model appeared on the cover of Cosmo as a kind of rite of passage from anonymous mannequin to individual. A young star who was ready to be perceived as a fully realized woman, as a sexual being, would sign up for her Cosmo cover. They didn’t wear the high-fashion frocks of the moment. They didn’t wear the kind of clothes meant to elicit an intellectual response. Instead, the image was one of pure visceral pleasure: a beautiful body, well displayed.

Brown didn’t concern herself with the shifting trends of the runway. She was more interested in the way fashion played out in popular culture, they way it could arouse, empower and provoke. In short, fashion was the conduit of a woman’s sexuality.

For Brown, the primary relationship that interested her was that between a man and a woman. The Cosmo girl courted the admiring masculine gaze. It didn’t matter if the man was straight or gay. And whether or not the self-declared feminists of her day, who were offended by her flirtatious gestures, chose to acknowledge it, most women take pleasure from and empowerment in a lingering glance.

For Brown, fashion was in service to pleasing men. And men liked cleavage.

“She liked clothes that were sexy, flirty, and tasteful. And she was obsessed with boobs,” remembers designer James Purcell, who dressed Brown in floral organza for the 1993 Academy Awards when her husband David Brown’s film, A Few Good Men, was nominated for best picture. “Clothes were to entice the man.”

The Cosmo girl’s heyday coincided with the rise of John T. Molloy’s working woman. The boardroom fashion guru advised women to, in essence, dress like a man in order to advance up the corporate ladder. And so, his advice gave rise to the dull navy suits and the floppy neckerchiefs standing in for the man’s four-in-hand.

Brown’s approach to fashion stood in stark contrast to that philosophy. It was far more audacious and ultimately, more connected to the reality of our culture. Her Cosmo girl wore clothes that reflected the complicated relationship between men and women—whether they were meeting in a ‘70s fern bar or a workplace cubicle. Sex appeal was as much a part of the interaction as the air they were breathing.

Fashion houses have designs on youngsters

Fashion houses have designs on youngsters


Juliet Sandler dresses in $650 dresses and $400 shoes from Parisian fashion house Lanvin. Juliet is 3.

Her mother, Dara Sandler, says she dresses her daughter in the latest fashions because Juliet is a reflection of her — even though her daughter can’t spell the names of the designers, let alone pay for their clothes.
“I dress my daughter exactly the way I dress myself,” says the 33-year-old Manhattan mother, who spent $10,000 for her daughter’s summer wardrobe. She plans to spend a few thousand dollars more for fall.
Top fashion designers are pushing more expensive duds for the increasingly lucrative affluent toddler demographic. This fall, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marni launched collections. Luxury stores Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman are expanding their children’s areas for the newcomers, many of them with higher price tags. Late last year, Gucci, which launched a children’s collection two years ago, opened its first children’s store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
American households are expected to spend an average of $688 outfitting their children for school, says the National Retail Federation, and that includes supplies like pencils and notebooks.
That’s most families. Some will spend $795 on Gucci  backpacks or $1,090 on leopard print puffy coats from Lanvin.
Only five years ago, the high-end children’s wear business was dominated by just a few major designers such as Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Christian Dior. But the recent influx of others is the latest sign that affluent shoppers have gone back to splurging since the recession.
It’s a “mini-me” phenomenon, says Robert Burke, a New York-based fashion consultant: “It feels good. It’s like one for me and one for you.”
Sales growth
The trend isn’t limited to Manhattan or Beverly Hills, but is occurring in other big cities such as Boston and Chicago, he says. Sales of designer children’s wear are also strong in resort areas where retirees who tend to dote on their grandkids live, he says.

'Project Runway' recap: 'Fashion Is Not For Sissies'

'Project Runway' recap: 'Fashion Is Not For Sissies'


My first thought upon hearing the news of Andrea's self-kidnapping: Please don't bring Raul back! I can't bear to look at him again. More on that later.

While everyone was sleeping, Andrea packed up her things and ran away in the dead of the night after her teammate Chris threw her under the bus at last week's judging. Chris and Gunnar, arguably the two least mature individuals of the season, were shocked by the immaturity of Andrea's actions, and I have to say, I'm siding with the scrufftastic boys on this one. House mother Tim Gunn was worried sick to find Andrea hadn't even left a note. I mean, how was it even possible for her to slip out like that without anyone from production knowing? Don't reality TV contestants have Hunger Games-level supervision and surveillance surrounding them at all times? Did she have to leap across a fire pit in the lobby of the Atlas building to escape?

Either way, Project Runway isn't some one night stand you can just sneak out on in the middle of the night. When Tim and the designers convened at the Michael Kors flagship to talk about this week's "woman on the go" challenge, they took a moment to bask in their superiority over quitter Andrea. "Fashion is not for sissies!" Michael decreed. "The fashion industry is a shark," Elena drawled. "If you can't handle it, then maybe you shouldn't be in this industry because that's the way it is." Just like the Ukraine, right? (Side note: From some angles, Elena bears a striking resemblance to Rachel Dratch).

Back in the work room, Kooan continued slumping around like the sad Zoloft egg from last week, and while Tim was updating the group on Andrea's mysterious disappearance, Kooan suddenly announced that he wanted to leave, too. In a matter of seconds, the workroom devolved into an elementary school classroom in which all the kids start crying at once. Nathan tearfully confessed that he wanted to leave, too. It's like when you were a kid and you saw that one kid got out of being in the Christmas pageant by throwing a hissy fit, so you throw a hissy fit too. For a second, it looked like there might be a cast-wide walkout. But instead, Kooan was the only casualty in this round of quitting, and he left our lives forever with a bow of his fluffy-haired head. I blame Mean-a Irina for this. I blame Mean-a Irina for most things.

Ugh. With Kooan out, Raul and his widow's peak came back in with a big womp-womp. Will his comeback be glorious like Chris March's, or will he be right back out like that, errr, "confused" Mormon from a couple of seasons ago? Let's see what happens on the runway!

Lakme fashion week: Snippets of day 5

Lakme fashion week: Snippets of day 5


The finale of the Mumbai fashion week was a special affair with young designers Kallol Datta and Pankaj and Nidhi showcasing their Winter/Festive collection. The lack of celebrities in the front row, was more than made up by actor Kareena Kapoor adding a touch of glam as the showstopper, though we were surprised to find none of her Bolly friends cheering her on. Kallol’s line took the black and white theme forward with tunics, gowns and skirts with snail prints, faces and detailing like fabric fringes. Pankaj and Nidhi played on texturing with quilting and lattice work on their kimono style gowns, ponchos and tunics. The designer duo has won an international award, and will be competing with other winners next February at London Fashion week, where they’ll be judged by Karl Lagerfeldhimself and Albert Elbaz and Alexandra Shulman — the gods of fashion.

Injury alert
Through the week, models complained of minor injuries at the event. While no major accidents occurred, a number of models ended up getting scratches from some of the designer outfits. A few were seen tending to their wounds with ointment in between shows as they hung outside the green room, as there was no designated space for models to unwind either.


Tamara missing
Top model Tamara Moss, who was expected to walk the ramp at LFW this week, was absent from the event. A source told us that Tamara had missed the fittings which supposedly the organisers were miffed about, hence she was apparently asked not to be part of the fashion week.

No time to breathe
The tight schedule at the fashion week was something quite a few people were unhappy about. Back to back shows between the main show area and the Talent Box meant attendees and media alike had to run back and forth with shows almost overlapping because of delays.

Blogger a fashion icon in China

Blogger a fashion icon in China

Until recently Han Huohuo was just a 20-something Chinese fashion blogger.

Today he enjoys front-row seats at European catwalk shows and rubs shoulders with the editor of Chinese Vogue.

More than a million people now follow the wildly famous fashion blogger on Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, and a leading website recently listed him among the country's top 20 movers and shakers in the industry.

The 28-year-old's flamboyant style - he favours women's clutches, skintight black pants and the occasional high heel - and passion for the industry have won him fame in a country where fashion icons are just starting to emerge.

Experts say his rapid rise to fame over the past four years was propelled by international brands eager to latch onto anyone who holds sway in China - set to become the world's largest luxury market by 2015, according to a Boston Consulting Group forecast.

"You've got so many luxury brands throwing money at China and they are grabbing people who have some sort of influence," says Chloe Reuter, who runs a luxury communications agency in Shanghai, Reuter PR.

"It's extraordinary what kind of stuff they get given. They fly first class and have chauffeurs.

"Because everything is very new, people are basically being catapulted into A-list segments - something that might take a lot longer anywhere else."

Han's unconventional style would stand out anywhere, but in China, it is particularly unusual.

His microblog - set against a leopard-print background - features a stream of portraits of himself stalking city streets in leather pants, designer purses, fur-lined coats and gold bracelets.

Part of his head is shaved, while what hair he has is long and swept back like a mane.

Not everyone likes his look, with some scorning his feminine style as "abnormal" and "evil".

"It's just like Lady Gaga," Han says, referring to the pop star known for extravagant outfits.

"A lot of people criticise her but many are also praising her because she did what others didn't dare to do.

"The reason I got attention is that I did what others didn't dare to do.

"I think I encouraged a lot of people."

Han launched his blog in 2008 but since then his microblog, which he began in 2009, has become his main outlet for expression.

He is now so well-known that he says he sometimes dresses down when he goes out to avoid being pestered for photos.

Most of his fans simply follow him on his Weibo account.

"I look at it pretty often. He has his own ideas and opinions," says Jiang Li, a design student at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

"We see him as one of the trendier fashion icons," says her classmate Guan Jiao.

Han entered fashion early - and almost by accident.

Bored with university, he left to work as a travel writer for a Beijing magazine that decided to launch a fashion section. The management tapped Han to run the new venture simply because he was the youngest person in the office.

From there he became an editor at the Chinese version of Marie Claire magazine, where he built up his fashion knowledge and network, leaving four years later in 2010 to start his own projects.

Now his fame extends to the upper crust of the fashion world, including the editor of Chinese Vogue, Angelica Cheung.

Cheung says bloggers like Han are "very good in terms of influencing this younger generation of consumers", but cautions that they could lose their position as quickly as they won it if they only post uninformed or unoriginal views.

"I think certainly these fashion bloggers create a lot of celebrities out of nothing," she says.

"The only ones who will remain are the ones who have real knowledge and insight into the fashion industry.

"Even with Han Huohuo, he's still young. There's still a lot to learn."

And other fashion voices are cropping up as well - not only online personas such as "Dipsy" (270,000 followers) and Leaf Greener (30,000) but also artists including Yi Zhou, models like Du Juan and editors such as Cheung, says Reuter.

As he seeks to establish himself beyond his blog, Han has worked with labels including Hong Kong-based Linea Rosa to design shoes and clothing, compiled a fashion photography book and appeared as a judge on a Chinese fashion design television show.

He says his style has evolved into plainer clothing like T-shirts, although bold accessories - especially women's purses - are still a must.

"Accessories must stand out," he says.

"I really like women's clutches because I think men's accessories are too ugly… they're impossible to use.

"I don't care what people say. I figure, I like them, and that's the most important thing."

'Atrocious' Olympic fashion horrifies Londoners

'Atrocious' Olympic fashion horrifies Londoners


At least that's the verdict of one of London's dedicated followers of fashion on the uniforms doled out to more than 90,000 staff of the Olympic Games.

For the tsars and tsaritsas of British fashion, the outfits - either a juxtaposition of purple and red on sports jackets or constellations of pink and magenta diamonds on unfitted t-shirts - are an insult to London's reputation as the hippest city on earth.

"Atrocious, artless, cynical," is the way Stephen Bayley, one of Britain's leading voices on style, taste and contemporary design, described the uniforms.

"Look as though they were made for a Sacha Baron Cohen parody," Bayley told Reuters, referring to the Cambridge-educated comedian behind fictional characters such as Ali G and Borat.

Bayley, co-founder of London's Design Museum, added that the Olympic logo, advertisements and car designs were also failures unlikely to win gold in any Olympian design contest.

Londoners pride themselves on living in one of the world's most elegant cities: from the tailors of kings on Savile Row to the "freshest" designers of the London's ever-so-hip East End.

"In all the areas where we are thought to excel, the Olympics shows weakness, lame thinking and lack of enterprise," Bayley said.

He is not alone: Members of the British public took to the social networking site Twitter to air their dismay too.

"Seen a few Olympic volunteers, the outfits they have to wear are awful, purple shell suit, chinos and chunky trainers anyone?" said one Twitter user, Steven Joyce, after noticing a volunteer on the street.

"The shirts the Olympic volunteers have to wear are tragic," added another, Matt Page.

SARTORIAL SENSATION

The purple and red uniforms, worn by 70,000 volunteers, 6000 staff and 4500 technical officials, were produced by sportswear label Adidas and designed by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

The pink and magenta creations, for 11,000 Olympics ambassadors charged with helping visitors make the most of their time in various Games locations across Britain, were designed to stand out and reflect Britain's sporting heritage.

"The feedback we've received from our games makers has been great - our volunteers love their uniforms," a LOCOG spokeswoman told Reuters.

A spokesman for Adidas said that, while the company produced the volunteer uniforms, the design brief was issued by LOCOG.

When asked what he thought of the red and purple uniform, one Olympic volunteer said: "Not very nice at all. Let's just put it this way: I wouldn't wear this garment to go anywhere outside these Olympics."

"Red and purple is a bit of a fashion clash but it is quite comfortable to wear," added another, who asked for her name not to be used because she was not supposed to speak to the media.

The uniforms are not the only clothes attracting criticism.

Spanish canoe sprinter Saul Craviotto tweeted a picture of himself wearing Spain's red and yellow patterned outfit: "At home trying on my Olympics clothes. It's best if I don't give an opinion, I will leave it up to you.".

Russia's offerings of swirling cherry red lines have made the Time magazine "ugly" list.

OLYMPIC DESIGN

London's fashion police has also set its sights on other Olympian design faux pas.

After the official Olympics 2012 logo was unveiled in 2007, 50,000 people in two days signed a petition to scrap it.

The logo, designed by Wolff Olins, features jagged abstract shapes forming the numerals of 2012 in bright shades of pink, green, blue and orange with a yellow outline.

Designed to appeal to a modern Internet generation, the logo was reported by local media to have cost £400,000 pounds ($592,131).

"We have terrible, wince-making ads. The worst graphics in the history of design. A terrible font," Bayley said.

Wolff Olins told Reuters Bayley was missing the point.

"Our intention was to take the Olympics off the podium, out of the stadium onto the streets into people's hands," a spokesperson for the brand consultancy said.

"These are Olympics like no other, these are everyone's Olympics, with unprecedented levels of participation. Our work conveys and encourages that."

So far, the London Olympic Games have cost the British taxpayer more than £9 billion ($13.32 billion), an outlay, which has been criticized as excessive in a time of government budget cuts and the paring back of public services.

"Given the commitment of money, it should have been a demonstration of excellence. Instead, it does not in these areas rise even to the level of mediocrity," Bayley said.

The loose-fitting uniforms for Olympics volunteers and staff appear to have been made on a one-size-fits-all basis, but British athletes have seen no expense spared in the creation of their team kits.

Team GB stepped into the sporting limelight wearing a subtle medley of blue, white and red, created by high-profile British designer Stella McCartney, who based her work on the British flag, the Union Jack.

McCartney's creations have been broadly well-received, but even they have not escaped.

Tour de France winner and Britain's most decorated athlete Bradley Wiggins, cheekily tweeted: "Stella was a bit Lucy in the Sky when she knocked this one up."

Wear it proud: The flag as a fashion statement

Wear it proud: The flag as a fashion statement



There was no mystery as to which team Varun Pemmaraju was supporting: His American flag was tied around his neck, the Stars and Stripes floating like a cape behind him.

"I was going for the Superman, Captain America-look," said the beaming 19-year-old computer science and chemical engineering student from San Jose, California, as he stood a stone's throw from Olympic Stadium. "I thought America was a little under-represented."

Patriotism and the Olympic games have long gone together, but gone are the days when one just waved a flag. Now flags are worn.

The fashion flags can be found at Olympic Park and around London as shift dresses and smocks, pants and shorts, hats and shoes, even dangly earrings and bracelets. There's apparently no garment — nor nail polish — that can't be fashioned into something akin to a national banner.

Although the sponsorship police at the International Olympic Committee can stop merchants from using the five Olympic rings, there's no trademark police on flags.

Besides, capitalizing on a good fashion idea is not new. In recent years, "fast fashion" has transformed the retail industry, as mainstream companies seize the hottest ideas from the catwalk, copy them as quickly as possible and move them onto the shop floors. Some manufacturers have gotten so fast they can produce wearable creations from factory to store in the same season in which they were created by top designers at Chanel, Ralph Lauren or Dior.

None of these flag fashions are going to give Burberry a run for their money — they are not made to last.

Jayne Ody got her raincoat, which was covered in Union Jacks, from Primark, a British store that specializes in cheap, cheerful fashion. And it was a bargain, at 8 pounds ($13).

Her friend Ann Wanklyn was wearing two Welsh flags — emblazoned with a dragon — that had been sewn together into a simple shift dress. But Wanklyn is not about to claim she's a fashion princess — Olympic Park is a sporty crowd.

"You won't see anyone here walking around in heels, I can tell you that," Wanklyn said.

Turns out those flags can be handy in this unpredictable British weather. Someone seems to have a concession of selling a plastic variety that doubles as a raincoat. The British flag, as one might expect, seems to be very popular, but so is the tricolor of France and the triangle-cornered ones of the Czech Republic.

And then there are the Dutch. Who needs a flag when your nation is basically a color — blinding orange? There are orange jackets, overalls, shoes but you almost never see the Dutch flag itself.

The orange also comes in the form of tiny hats — a bargain at 1 pound ($1.56) each — as worn by three Wagenaar sisters. Sabine Wagenaar, 24, simply laughed when asked about her fashion choice.

"It's a nice little hat," she said giggling. "It's girlie."

Then there are those just trying to buck their athletes up. Hugh Barton, 11, from Brisbane, Australia, was sad that the Aussie swimmers weren't at their best this year. He wore a flag around his neck and held one in his hand for maximum patriotism.

"Australia needs moral support," he said.

Before the games, American athletes were briefed on how to hold the flag should they be lucky enough to win. The U.S. Olympic Committee pointed out a picture of swimmer Missy Franklin displaying the flag properly after winning gold — right hand on stars, left hand on stripes.

Wearing the flag, well, that's for spectators. Still, people like Pemmaraju are wearing it well.

"It's a way of celebrating all the things that your country is about," the University of California student said. "I know America is not a perfect country ... but it's got me where I am."

My fashion career stole my smile, says Victoria Beckham

My fashion career stole my smile, says Victoria Beckham

Singer-fashion designer Victoria Beckham says fashion stole her smile.

Victoria Beckham, 38, who is married to soccer ace David Beckham and has four children with him, said she pouts in pictures because she does not want to be seen grinning, reported Showbiz spy.

"I actually used to smile a lot in pictures. I think I only stopped smiling when I got into fashion. Fashion stole my smile! I've created this person. And I'm not saying that's not me, but I wouldn't say that's the whole me... It's an armour that goes up," she said.

She also says that she wants to see her business growing from five years down the line.

"I'd like everybody to be healthy and happy. I'd like to be growing the business at a steady pace, and to be making more women feel empowered, beautiful and confident. And I'd never say never about another baby. It's a juggling act a career, family, a husband who's busy. But I'd never say never!"

First food trucks, now mobile FASHION? How high-end labels are moving their stores on wheels in the pursuit of shoppers

First food trucks, now mobile FASHION? How high-end labels are moving their stores on wheels in the pursuit of shoppers


The first time the brakes went out in her trailer/store, Joey Wolffer ran a stoplight and worried what would happen to her high-end accessories inside.

Two years later, she has a close relationship with a mechanic, knows the best spot to park in New York's Meatpacking district and has a devoted summer following in the Hamptons.

Wolffer transformed a greasy potato chip truck into a 1980s glam, bohemian den she named Styleliner.


It is stocked with limited-edition accessories, like a $430 crystal and fringe necklace, from her world travels.

Styleliner is among a handful of mobile retail stores in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland and across the U.S that are hawking vintage accessories, sexy shoes and denim to-die-for in their haute wheels.
Owners say they're taking cues from the food truck industry, which glamorized street cuisine, garnered a cult following and even spawned a hit TV show.


Friends were always asking Wolffer where she got a piece of jewelry, and the former trend director for Jones Apparel Group said she was looking for a unique way to introduce some favorite designers to the U.S. market, along with some of her own creations.

She bought the truck with money she inherited and set up shop.

'I wanted relationships with customers, I wanted to get out there and work with people and meet new people all the time,' said Wolffer, who made a profit from her first summer in business in 2010.


The boutiques on wheels can only accommodate a few customers at a time, providing a more intimate shopping experience than a crowded department store.

Styleliner can fit about five customers at a time.

'The old door-to-door salesman is too difficult in today's world but we're seeing an uptick in bringing the product to the consumers,' said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at New York-based NPD group.
It's also a cheaper way for start-up companies to break into the business quickly.
When former fashion editor Sarah Ellison Lewis wanted to open a funky shoe boutique in Austin, Texas, she had sticker shock every time she saw the price for a store lease.

So for a quarter of the price, she bought a 30-foot trailer, decorated it with vintage wallpaper photography, reclaimed wooden benches and leased a parking spot between a chic hotel and popular brunch spot.

She declined to say how much she paid for the truck or her parking spot.

Retail spots in hot Austin neighborhoods can be as high as $45 per square foot, according to Habitat Hunters Real Estate Services.
Lewis does not pay property taxes but many mobile retailers are required to pay permit fees, which vary by city.

The 36-year-old stylist specializes in smaller, hard-to-find designers of men's and women's shoes.

Bootleg Austin's customers - about 50 a weekend - love to paw through her well curated collection that includes black ankle booties with gold buckles, polka dot flats and gold metallic lace-up sandals.
The trailer was turning a profit in nine months, says Lewis, who predominantly sells from her leased space, but is about to embark on a 20-city tour this fall.

'This was about being an entrepreneur and doing it in a strange and audacious way and the trailer brings out all these great stories from people that I love,' said Lewis. 'I wanted to do something that was also really friendly and really warm. I'm really sick of retails being cold and stark and snotty.'


Experts say traditional stores want to collaborate with mobile retailers, not compete with them.

The trend comes as brick and mortar stores are struggling to get customers excited about shopping in a struggling economy.
'It's an opportunity to get [customers] into the parking lot and go to the mobile truck and we believe there's overflow traffic that goes right into the store from there,' said Mike Gatti, a senior vice president of the National Retail Federation. 'We're not hearing really any complaints about them.'
Customers are also drawn to the novel experience and personal attention they get from mobile retailers.

'People love it... You are now back to the social aspect of shopping,' said Cohen.
In Portland, Oregon, shoppers sift through vintage dresses and men's ties on a tricked out double-decker bus.

The Fashion Truck features cute and affordable clothes from its Boston-based trailer - a chevron print shift dress sells for $48.

And it's not just retail. Experts predict consumers will see more industries, including medical and home furnishing, hitting the road.

The Man Cave offers haircuts, shoe shines and neck massages in an air conditioned trailer with high-end cigars and a humidifier.

Owner Julia Hutton also runs two other mobile retailers in Phoenix, including Biker, Babes and Beyond LLC and Bling N' Things.

Hutton says a permit costs $35 a year in Cave Creek, a popular area in metro Phoenix, and about $1,000 in nearby Chandler. The Chandler permit requires owners to park in the same spot and doesn't allow them to roam the city.

Her company, ExTreme ReTrailers, also designs custom trailers to look like mini stores on wheels. The trailers include wireless credit card machines, changing rooms and air conditioning.

Trailers start at $10,000 and Hutton has five companies looking to purchase within the month, including a massage business, a pet products retailer and a craft store, she said.

She decided to take her store on the road after struggling to get enough foot traffic at her biker store in northern Arizona.

Hutton says mobile retailers solve a lot of problems for entrepreneurs in a struggling economy.

'They own their own business,' she said. 'They own their own building that the business is in. They own their own billboard. They have a traveling billboard wherever they go.'

Fashion Olympics: Big designers behind games

Fashion Olympics: Big designers behind games

The athletes' parade during Friday's opening ceremony might as well have been a catwalk show, with some of fashion's biggest names -- Armani, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney -- designing the team uniforms.

Many in the fashion industry are already calling this the most stylish Olympics ever.

"For any designer, this is the biggest audience you can possibly have for your designs and arguably the most critical," said Avril Graham, Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor. "These outfits have to fly the flag and represent their nation in the eyes of the rest of the world."

The Italians must be some of the best-dressed athletes, scoring points with an understated monochrome kit in navy and white by Giorgio Armani, as well as waterproof blue designs for their sailing team by Prada.

Stella McCartney has worked with Adidas to design the sporting gear and "village wear" (read lounge wear) for Britain's home team, though the outfits weren't on show Friday as athletes covered up in white and gold tracksuits. McCartney's gear takes inspiration from the iconic Union flag, but she said she deconstructed it to make it "more delicate and feminine." Look out for them on the track and at the pool: Red is sparingly used to highlight a palette that mostly features white and shades of blue -- turquoise, navy, cobalt.

Meanwhile, the American team may have gotten a barrage of bad press for its made-in-China Ralph Lauren uniforms, but the preppy designs were still some of the most stylish in the arena: clean-cut navy blazers, crisp white trousers, skirts, and shoes, accessorized with navy berets and blue, red and white striped scarves.

The Jamaican team is in the spotlight because of sprinter Usain Bolt, so it's fitting that it also got a boost in the fashion stakes this year. Its kit, which features the national colors as well as lightning-like prints, was designed by Cedella Marley, daughter of legendary singer Bob Marley, for Puma. The styles were modeled by a flamboyantly dancing Bolt at a London catwalk recently.

"Cedella Marley brings island color to team Jamaica -- a sea of tropical yellow, green and black," Graham said Friday.

Other designers behind the Olympics this year include luxury label Hermes, which designed riding jackets for the French equestrian team, and Salvatore Ferragamo, which designed the official uniform for the tiny European republic of San Marino.

Some designers didn't get involved in the official Olympics gear but used the games as an opportunity to cash in and promote their brands anyway.

Karl Lagerfeld, for example, launched an Olympic-themed women's wear collection called Team Karl at the London department store Selfridge's -- though he reportedly said he wouldn't tune in to watch the games.

Meanwhile, high-street chain store H&M said it was launching two pop-up stores dedicated to selling sportswear in London.

Friday's parade of athletes also showcased some surprising and less popular designs.

The German team was notable for not using its national colors at all. Instead, the kit was all hot pink for the women's jackets and cornflower blue for the men. Both were paired with white trousers.

The Czechs, meanwhile, wore bright blue wellington rain boots paired with white shorts.

Spectators also made their own judgments about the much-maligned uniforms for the Spaniards and Russians, both made by Russian sportswear company Bosco. Some Spanish athletes have posted tweets grumbling about their garish red and gold outfits, and there are even Spanish Facebook groups set up to campaign against the gear.

Official kit aside, there were strong fashion showings in the spectator stand, too.

Michelle Obama chose a white dress by J. Mendel, while the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton, dazzled with a pastel blue satin and belted coat dress reportedly by wunderkind Christopher Kane.

British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha, demonstrated her fashion credentials with a bold red and black outfit by London-based designer Roksanda Illincic.