Sizzling hot looks: Fashion fads of 2012

Sensible shoes

Flat smoking slippers in velvet or satin and wedge sneakers with studs and straps overtook sky-high platforms in the fashionable footwear race.

Whether it was tiny Union Jacks, tuxedos, stripes, crystal flowers or caviar pearls, nail art went from the subculture sidelines to becoming an everyday indulgence, and not just for flamboyant pop stars like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. The boom was due in part to nail technology advances, including new, easy-to-apply nail decals and gel-color manicures, which allow for long-lasting decoration, including gradated glitter and stripes, as well as crystal and charm appliques.

Crop tops

When Gwyneth Paltrow exposed her tanned tummy in a two-piece Emilio Pucci ensemble at the Emmys in September 2011, she was on to something. The midriff-baring trend, borrowed from the 1980s, has been gaining steam all year, with Hollywood's resident exhibitionists (Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus) racing to uncover. Crop tops were all over the fashion runways in September and October, seen at Balmain, Balenciaga and elsewhere, so don't expect this trend to go away anytime soon.

Barely there

Hollywood stars also played peekaboo by wearing gowns with sheer panels and cutouts, none more so than Kristen Stewart, who turned heads at the L.A. premiere of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" in a sheer corseted Zuhair Murad gown and wore several more nearly nude looks while promoting the film in the following weeks. The sheer trend has translated to the street in more subtle forms, among them sheer chiffon shirts and sleeves.

Neon

The year was so bright, you had to wear shades. Hot-hued jeans, Cambridge Satchel bags and nail polish were among the most popular traffic-stopping items.

Prints charming

Fashion magazines advised readers on how to mismatch prints, and blue jeans were covered in a riot of pattern and color. Designers put their best prints forward, with florals, foliage, paisleys, plaids, houndstooth checks and photo-realistic effects, all in an effort to stand out from the pack.

Creature features

Wise owls, furry foxes and dashing dogs were among the cutesy creatures taking center stage on the fronts of sweaters and shirts by Burberry, J. Crew and Tory Burch. We're still waiting for a sweater featuring Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat Choupette — who garnered many fashion headlines this year with her adorable antics and pampered lifestyle.

Leather and lace

Naughty and nice, leather and lace were both big trends, even better when worn together. We shopped for leather motorcycle jackets and pants, which were available everywhere from Proenza Schouler to Forever 21, and lacy T-shirts, sweat shirts, blouses and tops. It was all about mixing hard and soft.

Tomboy chic

Lizzie Garrett Mettler's "Tomboy Style" book, which came out in April, documented 80 years of women who blurred the gender lines. It was perfect timing, with designers showing gender-bending styles on the runways for fall, fictional action heroines like Lisbeth Salander and Katniss Everdeen hitting the big screen, and women borrowing style from the boys, including lace-up oxford shoes, tuxedos and fedoras.

Facial fuzz

From the malls to the multiplex, it was a banner year for the beard and mustache bunch and the companies that cater to them. Men's grooming became one of the fastest-growing segments in the beauty business. Gillette launched a grooming gadget called the Fusion ProGlide Styler and enlisted a trio of celebrities — André 3000 Benjamin, Gael García Bernal and Adrien Brody — as pitchmen. Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" served up more chin whiskers than that of all the previous year's movies combined.

Creeping Ivy

Preppy's progenitor — Ivy League style — crept back into American men's wardrobes this year. It was found on the runway, where J. Press showcased a new back-to-the-Ivy-roots York Street capsule collection designed by Ariel and Shimon Ovadia. And it was featured in books and museum exhibitions, specifically the Museum at FIT's "Ivy Style" exhibition in New York City.

Adam Tschorn contributed to this report.

Fashion Week bursting at seams

Two emerging designers have been added to the roster for Fashion Week El Paseo, filling out the schedule for the nine-day event running March 15-23.

Deborah Drucker and Victor Tung will send their designs down the runway under the big white tent on Larkspur Lane starting at 7 p.m. on March 17. They join a list of designers that includes Sue Wong, Katharine Polk and Designer of the Week Gilbert A. Chagoury, plus local designer Michael Costello, who will once again host the popular “Project Runway”-themed event.

Integrated Wealth Management Fashion Week El Paseo 2013 is Drucker’s fashion debut, said Julie Springer-Holmes of ID Creative, which is handling promotions for next year’s event.

Drucker, whose bio says she’s married to “a world renowned musician,” will show a collection of chic, ready-to-wear women’s fashions that are elegant yet offer a rock ‘n’ roll flair.

While this is her design debut, Drucker isn’t new to the fashion world. Her father was world renowned Swiss watchmaker Severin Wunderman, who created the Gucci timepiece brand.

Victor Tung is a San Francisco-based artist and couture designer. He creates his fashions from his own fabrics, primarily silks and many handpainted by himself, according to an article on KQED.org.

Fashion Week El Paseo is marking its eighth year with the 2013 event. It’s the first year that presenting sponsor Integrated Wealth Management has its name in the title. Fashion Week El Paseo was created by and continues to be organized by Palm Springs Life.

It’s also the first year offering nine days and nights of events. Twenty designers participated in this year’s show and 50 will be showing their creations next year.

The 2012 event drew a record 11,140 people to the shows, and pumped about $3 million into the local economy, organizers reported.

Classic fashion brand Burberry attracts customers by going digital

Angela Ahrendts may be CEO of Burberry, but one of her favourite accessories is an Apple iPhone5 that she's used to oversee a mobile makeover at the 150-year-old company best known for trenchcoats and tartan plaids.

"This is the biggest flagship store in the world," Ahrendts says, holding up her iPhone during an interview in Chicago where Burberry just last month opened a new store. The Michigan Avenue site immerses customers in all things digital — from iPads for children to play with to video screens streaming Burberry fashion shows.

Burberry has long stuck to its English roots, giving its look from time to time modern tweaks, but it's been Ahrendts and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey in the past few years who have pushed the brand's digital, and now mobile, boundaries.

"It's very easy to allow an iconic brand to remain true to its heritage and at the same time obsolete itself," says Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst with market research firm The NPD Group. "The hard thing to do is keep the iconic brand relevant. This is about somebody at the helm deciding they're going to find a way to keep the brand relevant for the future."

Burberry has done that by making moves that it says attract a millennial consumer. That includes monthly updates at Burberry.com, where Ahrendts said more people visit every week than walk into all the brand's stores around the world combined.

The company has an internal social network called Burberry chat. And since Ahrendts started in 2006 she started hiring a team of "digital natives" with titles like mobile director and music director. The brand also has a strategic innovation council.

While some efforts were underway when she took the helm, Ahrendts says Burberry was "a manual spreadsheet organization" at the time.

"We just kept evolving the structure," she says. "We always said if we were going to target a millennial consumer then we had to do it in their mother tongue, which is digital."

Cohen says iconic luxury fashion brands have the story to attract consumers, but the challenge is finding the right means of communicating it in the digital world. "They have to turn the store into a story and the story into a site," Cohen said.

The Burberry website offers 10 times more online than what the company has in stores "because we say that is 'the world's store,'" Ahrendts says.

Mobile commerce gives customers instant access to products they aspire to own. "To me, the key is that even the luxury brands have to learn, have to evolve," Cohen says. "Without evolution the luxury brands will be overtaken by more progressive, up and coming luxury brands. Luxury has to worry about keeping their brand alive."

Burberry is interacting directly with consumers in the digital sphere too, launching projects like artofthetrench.com. The website invites users to upload pictures of themselves wearing Burberry trenchcoats, which have been made by the label since World War I. The result is a collage from around the world.

Burberry.com also features Burberry Bespoke, which lets users customize their own trench, down to buttons and belts.

Ahrendts wants Burberry online and Burberry offline to be seamless for customers. But it's not without challenges in a digital world where fashion buyers can become overwhelmed with emails, tweets and others messages.

"How do we keep the brand so cool and so pure and so relevant so it cuts through that clutter?" she wonders — then answering her own question. "But by the same token how do we keep the marketing and the communication much more customized and personalized."

Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012

It’s that time of year again as ARCHANA ACHAL heads over to Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2012 to pick the best of upcoming trends. Cue the lights and funky music! Welcome to the fashion event of the season!

The lights dimmed before every show and a sultry voice welcomed us to Lakmé Fashion Week in a crisp English accent. The levels of excitement were the same for every show, no matter which designer was showcasing his/her collection. Black cloth covers were quickly whipped off to reveal a white, black or multi-hued ramp and the crowd hushed, waiting for the first model to sashay down the walkway. LFW as it is known calls in the best designers twice a year to showcase their collections for the season. Apart from the stalwarts of fashion, there are many up and coming designers grouped under the Talent Box, and this season, their designs were very impressive as well. As stated by one of the designers, Debarun, LFW was the starting platform for him when he made his debut in 2007, helping him expand his visibility nationally and internationally. He also stated that buyers looking for new talent in India come to LFW, making a large impact on the fashion scene. While designer Shyma Shetty of ‘Huemn by Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty’ agreed that the response from the public and buyers has been good this season, the number of buyers seem to have dropped a little this year. Still, another established designer Archana Kochhar maintained that LFW helps designers meet potential buyers while promoting young designers to showcase their creativity.

The massive scale of the show cannot be denied, being one of the main fashion events of the year. It sets trends across the board, as is agreed upon by all designers we spoke to. So here’s what we spotted and what you can expect from Indian fashion for the coming season.

Cutting it fine

Sleek and elegant contrasted with voluminous when it came to silhouettes chosen by the designers for their collections. In keeping with the wintry feel, maxi dresses and evening gowns were on almost every runway, along with lehengas and free-flowing anarkalis for the festive season. Floor-grazing gowns came with slinky cutouts like the ones seen at the Vizyon show, or with heaps of embroidery and lace to add to the dramatic feel. Athithi Gupta’s collection also featured the cutout trend in ultra-feminine jackets. The asymmetric cut was also very prominent, with many designers opting for one-shoulder dresses. Asa Kazingmei’s beautifully asymmetric dress with tribal print caught the eye of everyone at the show.

What we suggest: Everyone should have one dramatic evening gown in their wardrobe! But the asymmetric cut may not be suitable for all body types. One shoulder dresses are an easy way to stay in trend, or choose a short dress with a train to retain drama without compromising on flattering shapes.

Print this

The colours and prints at LFW this season stuck to three major trends – sombre autumn colours, shades of blue and tribal or geometric/graphic prints. Deepika Govind’s Pop Patola collection celebrated the Patan Patola double Ikat weaving style in an array of bright colours while Archana Kochhar’s saris sported geometric prints in black, white and green shades. Slashed sleeves were also all the rage in nude or peach colours, seen on sari blouses on the ramp. Monochrome and colour blocking continued to stay in trend, especially black and white, like in the dresses by Kallol Dutta for the Grand Finale. Saris in white and cream, embroidered with red, gold and silver thread were a beautiful sight on the runway.

What we suggest: A grand sari with geometric print is a great buy for the festive season but keep the print simple. If you don’t have an LBD yet, it’s time to buy one!

All the rest

With winter rolling around, jackets are a must in your wardrobe. The designers at LFW went from ‘80s style work jackets with exaggerated shoulder pads to slinky numbers with lots of shine. Embellished shoulders, both detachable and attached, are also right on trend. Sheer fabric was on almost every piece at the shows. Sheer blouses with rhinestones jazzed up simple saris while evening gowns benefited from light sheer at the décolletage. Leather mixed with fur and silk showed up on jackets and skirts while silk was the fabric of choice for all festive wear.

Some designers changed the game with differently-draped saris, keeping the pallu wrapped around the neck like a scarf. Shivan & Narresh’s much anticipated bikini sari made its appearance as well to thunderous applause. Palazzo and pajama pants kept things casual. Opulence was key to the festive pieces, with each designer topping the previous with voluminous lehengas and heavily embroidered tops.

What we suggest: Pick up one piece that will add some fun to your wardrobe and dare to be different. Sheer fabrics are key. High waist pants are back in full swing so pick up a pair.

This season was all about difference. From dubstep versions of the Zee Horror Show’s theme song to black paper butterflies hanging from the ceiling, designers were at their funky best. Watch out for the young talent, as their shows showcased more haute couture than prêt.

Top 10 Fashion Ad Campaigns of 2012

LuxeInACity, an interactive guide to luxury cities from around the world, curated the top 10 Fashion Ad Campaigns of 2012.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC (PRWEB) December 24, 2012
Creating that distinctively recognizable yet truly original ad campaign can be a challenge even for luxury fashion houses of Paris, New York, Milan and London. Top fashion brands are renowned for pulling all stops to ensure the individuality of their ad campaigns. Enlisting renowned fashion photographers such as Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Tim Walker and duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and hiring the “of-the-moment” models such as Karmen Pedaru, Bianca Balti, Joan Smalls & Saskia de Brauw, fashion houses aim to maximize their chance of success.

LuxeInACity.com, a curated luxury magazine, has crafted their 2012 list of the very best fashion ad campaigns of the year.

Top 10 Fashion Ad Campaigns of 2012 are:
1- Dolce & Gabbana Fall Winter 2012 - La Famiglia: Set in a traditional Sicilian village, the fashion campaign aims to transcend the many familial values of the luxury brand. Italian beauties Bianca Balti, Monica Bellucci and Bianca Brandolini D’Adda pose while lace making, embroidering and cross-stitching.
2- Prada Fall Winter 2012 – Futuristic Game: Transposing cinematic shots to create a 'virtual labyrinth of fantasy and reality', Prada’s campaign is full of geometric shapes and patterns creating a futuristic video game-inspired look.

3- Lanvin Fall Winter 2012 - Real People: To keep it real and fresh, Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz decided to photograph real women and men, ranging from 18 to 90, creating a regal to punkish ad campaign.
4- Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2012 – Train Travel: Set onboard a Louis Vuitton luxury train which was deconstructed, shipped then reassembled in New York City, the features a cast of beautifully clothed models embarked on a historical voyage.

5- Michael Kors Spring Summer 2012 - The Safari: Making us dream of adventure and voyage, the fashion campaign is set on an African safari of style.

6- Mulberry Spring Summer 2012 - Fun-in-the-Sun: The Mulberry models are all about having summer fun in lovely Brighton while they pose next to playful giant ice cream cones.

7- Gucci Spring Summer 2012 – Golden Style: A golden experience showcasing beautiful models lavishly dressed in golden attires, the Gucci campaign is bright as the summer sun.

8- Valentino Spring Summer 2012 - Summer Romance: Set in Pezos, an abandoned mining town in Mexico, the fashion campaign evokes a feminine & poetic fantasy of delicate Valentino style.

9- Chanel Spring Summer 2012 - Cap-Eden-Roc: Shot at the prestigious Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes on the French Riviera, the fashion campaign suggests athleticism fun in the Mediterranean sun.
10- Mulberry Autumn Winter 2012 – Fairytale Travels: Set in an enchanted yet dark forest reminiscent of a children’s fairytale, the Mulberry campaign includes two bespoke, giant forest creatures that hints of of fantasy travels.

Fashion store H&M to open in Luton

Shoppers at The Mall in Luton will be treated to more fabulous fashion when top high street store H & M opens on November 22.

To celebrate, the first 100 customers through the H&M doors from 11am will receive gift cards ranging in value from £5-£50 to spend in the store on opening day.

The new store will employ around 20 members of full and part-time staff including management positions.

The Mall marketing manager Julian Dow said: “We are very excited to welcome H &M to The Mall Luton, their wide range of fashion and accessories is set to be a big hit with our shoppers and will provide a fantastic addition to the strong fashion offer we already have at The Mall.”

H&M replaces shops Blue Inc, Herbert Brown, Krisp, and Millets, and will occupy over 1,7000 square metres on two levels.

It’s one of the world’s largest fashion brands, offering its customers fashion and quality at the best price.

Whether shoppers are a fan of the flamboyant or prefer a mixture of glamour and grunge, the diverse range of fashion and accessories at the new store will appeal to all those looking to create their own look and style .

H& M opened its first UK store in 1976 and currently has a portfolio of 214 stores across the UK & Ireland, as well as offering online shopping in the UK at hm.com, including H&M Home.

Filipino fashion designers ‘have what it takes to make it’—AFX finalist

Filipino fashion designers are able to compete on the international stage because of their talent, they just don’t know it.

Thus said Mike Yapching—a finalist at the 2011 Audi Star Creation fashion design competition held in the Asian Fashion Exchange (AFX) in Singapore—about his fellow Filipino designers.
“Filipinos don’t know how good they are,” Yapching said during an interview with INQUIRER.net at the launch of the 2013 AFX.

“[They] should push [themselves] to the limit and see how far that will take [them], it took me to Singapore,” he said.

He encouraged other fashion designers in the country to join the design competition. “They should take a risk, there’s nothing to lose,” he said.

Yapching, a native of Cebu, made it into the final round of the 2012 Audi Star Creation fashion design competition besting 144 others from 13 countries in Asia.

He was one of six Filipinos who competed. In contrast, neighbors Thailand and Indonesia had 20 entries each.

“If one out of six entries can make it all the way to the finals amidst the 144 entries received in 2011, this illustrates the amount of talented designers we have in the country and Filipino designers should be willing to take the chance,” Sherina Chan, Singapore Tourism Board Area Director for Philippines and Brunei said in a statement.

When he joined, he had very little budget and had to ask for family and friends to sponsor him for the competition, he said.

“The government is really not helping the fashion community here, but we have a lot of people in the fashion community helping each other out,” he said.

With financial support from one of her aunts abroad, Yapching was able to join the competition and eventually made it up to the finals.

“Audi Star Creation is a real opportunity for people to take in your designs, and learn what you stand for and believe in,” Yapching said.

“Although I didn’t feel I was ready to participate in something so big at the beginning, looking back, I don’t regret submitting my entry because this experience has taught me to be more confident in my work and to be exposed to different design techniques and the marketing side of fashion,” he said.

Entries are being accepted for the 2013 design competition up to January 31, 2013. Those who want to join simply have to send their sketches and entries for the competition free of charge.

Designers who are between 16 and 35 years old with less than two years of experience in the fashion industry are eligible to join. The theme for 2013 is “InspirASIAN” and the grand winner will get S$10,000 in cash and have a one year internship with FJ Benjamin, a well-known fashion retailer.

“Given the huge amount of design talent here in the Philippines, the AFX would be an excellent platform for Filipino designers to participate in,” Chan said.

“We also encourage the Philippines’ fashion design institutions, publications and retail sector to be supportive of the event and leverage the strengths of AFX for greater exposure globally,” she said.

The Reality of FASHION The Reality of AIDS" Reality Star Fashion Show To Benefit AIDS United Announces Celebrity Line Up

The Reality of FASHION The Reality of AIDS", announced today their exciting reality star line up slotted to walk the runway on Saturday, February 9th 2013. The formal attire, red carpet event will take place at the Altman Building in New York City located at 135 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10001 with doors opening at 7:00pm. The featured designer for the evening will be Dominique Auxilly. A well-known NYC based designer who has dressed celebrity names such as Nicki Minaj, Adrienne Bailon, Coco, and Tamar Braxton. Known to pull inspiration from all aspects of life, Auxilly's pieces most often reflect her love for old Hollywood, her obsession with architectural structures and her Jamaican roots. These elements and influences come together to create a label like no other. Created and produced by Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR (BPMPR), the first-of-its-kind philanthropic event has a fundraising goal of $300,000 for the evening to benefit this year's charity of choice, AIDS United.

The participating star lineup includes reality stars and celebrities that have appeared on reality shows such as Lil Kim of Dancing with the Stars and The Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious, Vanessa and Angela Simmons, Draya Michele, Janice Dickinson, Brittany Brower, Keenyah Hill, Ramona Rizzo, Alex McCord, Adrienne Bailon, Aviva Drescher, Ramona Singer, Tiffany "New York" Pollard, Michelle Money, Courtney Robertson, Tracy DiMarco, Jessica Romano, Briella Calafore, Nikki Rae Walker and many more. The show will showcase anywhere from 20-30 reality stars gracing the runway in couture pieces that will be auctioned off two weeks following the show to also benefit AIDS United.

"We are excited to work with each one of these stars and the additional names will grace the runway. With their help and the publics, we can raise funds that are much needed to assist in ending the AIDS Epidemic," States Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR (BPMPR) CEO Monique Tatum.

Tickets to attend the celebrity fashion fundraiser range from $450 for standing room, $800 for Priority Seating, to $1200 for VIP first and second row access with swag bags. Patron donations of $2500 or more receive priority row seating and VIP options such as backstage celebrity meet and greet access.
Purchasers may use code HOLIDAY70 Between December 20th 2012 and January 1st 2013 for 70% off of Standing Room or Priority Seating tickets.

Sponsors for the event include AIRWORKS Compressors Corp, Dre Productions, Hatch Creative Studio, Cherwin and Cherwin Auctioneers, Pulsd, and Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR. Sponsorship opportunities and Patron donations are still open and welcome. Television rights are currently still available and open to networks for televised broadcast access of the show.

Bollywood, art, fashion come together for Style De Jour

Mumbai, Dec 19 (IANS) It was a glitzy evening, with fashion, art and Bollywood stars coming together under one roof for the launch of a unique fashion property - Style De Jour.

The event, held here Tuesday night, was brought together by vodka brand Grey Goose, which made leading magazines Elle, Harper's Bazaar and L'Officiel depict their idea of fashion on models.

Even as several models flaunted various colours, trends and styles, Bollywood celebrities like Ayushmann Khurrana, Esha Gupta and Rohit Roy grabbed spotlight. Names like Salim Merchant, Sona Mohapatra and Anushka Manchanda, from the music industry, too were present at the event.

Ayushmann and Esha were named the male and female style icons, respectively, at the event.
Others too spoke about their fashion preferences.

For Anushka, who has a unique and funky sense of style, fashion is fun.
"As a musician, I get to experiment with a lot of things and I get away with most of it and it is just extension of my personality," she told IANS.

Rohit said: "My prime objective to fashion would be to be comfortable with what I am wearing. Sometimes I am classic, sometimes I follow trends, but I am not very outlandish when it comes to fashion. I am a very conservative person. I still like to try and experiment, but I usually follow classic lines."

Online Fashion Mall MyReviewsNow.net Announces a Holiday Gift Guide From Charm and Chain

Exciting designs and specialty items are available from Charm and Chain. Shoppers can quickly find unique gifts from the online merchant. A holiday gift guide provides stunning pieces of jewelry and accessories. Using an online holiday gift guide, shoppers can search for items that will satisfy an individual who has everything. Visiting the Charm and Chain website enables shoppers to make convenient purchases from home.
Charm and Chain has specialty items from top designers within its showcase. Shopping for rare items or presents that stands out from the crowd is an easier task with the holiday shopping guide from Charm and Chain. As a premier online retailer of fine jewelry, Charm and Chain provides a list of featured designers for a unique shopping experience. Shopping by designer offers a visual display of this season's trendiest styles and fashion statements.

An attractive collection of earrings and other fashion accessories are available through Charm and Chain. Shoppers can find presents throughout the website that will capture the attention of other individuals. Fine jewelry including Bracelets, necklaces and rings may be purchased to complement various outfits. The holiday gift guide enables a buyer to find specialty items for any occasion. Items made from rhinestones, pearls and other unique styles are available from the Charm and Chain inventory of items.

The holiday gift guide provides an easy format to locate an item for someone special. Charm and Chain provides free ground shipping too. Shoppers can use promotional codes that offer discounts of 30 percent or more for certain items. Some items featured within the holiday gift guide provide discounts that exceed 50 percent of the initial prices. Charm and Chain offers exciting deals that will dazzle online shoppers.

Personal shopping services are available from Charm and Chain too. If certain items are hard to find within the holiday gift guide, an onscreen personal shopper form may be used to obtain assistance. A drop down menu provides a list of features to help pinpoint specific holiday gifts. Simply selecting the type of jewelry desired, a price range and some details about the recipient could enable a personal shopper from Charm and Chain to locate the perfect holiday gift. Charm and Chain works relentlessly to provide a personal shopping experience that will exceed the expectations of its customers. Shoppers can easily navigate the website to view luxuriously crafted jewelry and premier fashion accessories.

The holiday gift guide from Charm and Chain should be considered for exquisite presents. Elegant items such as a brooch or a necklace can create a memorable moment for that special woman who opens a holiday gift. Sparkling jewelry designs from Charm and Chain make excellent gift ideas. The holiday gift guide serves as a roadmap toward fashionable pieces of jewelry. Consumers may use the holiday gift guide to search for items by color, metal or stone. Best selling items and vintage products may be found in the Charm and Chain holiday gift guide.

Fashion News We’re Reading Now: Dec. 17

The British Fashion Council has announced the shortlist of nominees for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 2013 prize. Roksanda Ilincic, Mary Katrantzou, Nicholas Kirkwood, Peter Pilotto and Emilia Wickstead are up for the £200,000 grant and strong yearlong mentoring program.

In her conversation with The Telegraph, Grace Coddington talks about a possible comeback from John Galliano.

Kate Moss is the face of the Stuart Weitzman’s spring 2013 campaign photographed by Mario Testino. Here’s a video teaser.

Not only is the HBO show “Girls” getting a soundtrack album, the manicurist to the stars, Deborah Lippman, announced a nail polish collection inspired by the four stars from the show, which returns Jan. 13 for a second season.

Riccardo Tisci recruited some of his pals, including Ms. Moss and Marina Abramovic, to appear in the Givenchy spring 2013 campaign, styled by Carine Roitfeld.

Fashion Island gunman fired 50 rounds, motive unclear, police say

A gunman fired at least 50 rounds in the crowded parking lot of the Fashion Island shopping mall, but Newport Beach police are unclear about a motive.

The gunfire sent shoppers scrambling for cover. A shopper in the parking lot recorded a video capturing the gunfire and posted it on YouTube.

Marcos Gurrola, 42, of Garden Grove was arrested in the parking lot near the Macy’s department store shortly after firing the shots about 4:30 p.m., said Kathy Lowe, a spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department. Officers on bike patrol apprehended the man.

Police searched the mall but did not find anyone who had been struck by the gunfire. The shots were apparently fired either in the air or at the ground.

More than 50 rounds were recovered at the scene, Deputy Chief David McGill said. A handgun was recovered at the scene, but police did not reveal any more details about the weapon.

The mall was crowded with holiday shoppers at the time of the shooting.

Shopper Dena Nassef said she and another person were walking toward Macy’s when people started yelling and running.

“With what happened in Connecticut, we were freaking out,” she said. “It was like crazy, people leaving stores.”

Ann Butcher, an employee at Macy’s, said she was on the patio at Whole Foods when people started running and screaming. She said some women left their purses and fled.

“That was very scary,” she said.

Shopper Eric Widmer said he was at the Barnes & Noble bookstore when he saw a mother and daughter rush in crying. He said he heard someone scream, “Shooter!”

He said he managed to exit the bookstore and head to Macy’s. Once there, he was not allowed to leave.

“I thought, ‘Great, I get to be scared twice,’” he said. “Lightning strikes twice.”

Fashion Faceoff: Holly Madison vs. Sofia Vergara

Today's Fashion Faceoff contenders chose the perfect maternity dress to show off their baby bumps! The odd thing is that only one of them is actually pregnant. Expectant reality star Holly Madison, 32, and Sofia Vergara, 40, whose "Modern Family" character just gave birth, are going head-to-head in the latest edition of Fashion Faceoff where we decide ... who wore it best?!

What they wore: A Pea in the Pod's green and black houndstooth faux-wrap dress, currently on sale for $99.99.

When they wore it: Madison wore hers while stocking up her kitchen at Whole Foods in her hometown of Las Vegas in October, while Vergara donned the dress on the set of her sitcom the same month.
How they styled it: Madison went for a casual chic look, wearing a side braid and sunglasses, black peep-toe wedges, sparkly jewelry, and groceries. Her opponent, Vergara, opted for a dressier vibe, and added black tights and black platform heels.

Judge's scorecard: Props to Madison, who looks fabulous while actually being pregnant. The former "Holly's World" star really knows how to glam up for a trip to the grocery store! Still, Vergara is stiff competition for anyone, and this garment really accentuates her curves, even though some of them are fake. So who do you think is the winner? Vote now!

Lady Gaga's Little Sister, Natali Germanotta, Gets Fashion Debut

Fashion must run in the Germanotta family because Lady Gaga's little sister, 20-year-old Natali, shined in her fashion debut.

Lady Gaga's little sister, 20-year-old Natali Germanotta, shined in her fashion photo spread for ViralFashion.com.

Germanotta, a student at Parsons The New School for Design, posed for the digital fashion website wearing Alaia, J Mendel, and Proenza Schouler. Gaga's sister, who rarely steps into the public eye, struck a pose in her family's New York City restaurant, Joanne Trattoria, along with some friends.

Natali admitted that she juggles her fashion studies at Parson along with playing an active role at the family eatery, which received harsh reviews earlier this year. (The New York Daily News called it "the worst thing since herpes.)

"I do a little bit of everything and adore my family," Germanotta told the fashion site.

The fashion shoot "Buon Natali" shot by photographer Marvin Joseph shows Gaga's little sister in demure, high fashion poses. However the dramatic details, like a high chignon and flashy jewels inspired by 1950's Italian cinema, was meant to be a juxtaposition to her big sister's over-the-top audacious style.

"Everything about the shoot was over the top from the oversized meatballs and the 20 pound fish on the table to the big hair and jewelry," ViralFashion.com's creative director, Christian Fleres, said. "We had drama in mind the whole time, for that day everyone was playing the superhero version of themselves."

While she is much a stranger to the public eye, Natali Germanotta has accompanied her sister Gaga to events before. In 2010, the younger Germanotta starred in Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone" and, most recently, walked the red carpet with her sister at the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards.

According to Contact Music, Germanotta has also posed for Teen Vogue and Interview magazine before the ViralFashion shoot.

Kevin Arpino Plays to a Silent Audience

TALL and tan with a wrist full of jangly silver bracelets, Kevin Arpino shouted into his cellphone in a room full of fashion models.

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“We need black pipin’,” he said, his profundo basso voice twisted by Dunhill Internationals and a strong North London accent. “Pipin’!” he repeated.

His assistant on the other end didn’t understand. “Piping,” he added with urgency, stressing the “g.” “For the pillows.”

“Such is the price of being English,” he said, but the models didn’t crack a smile. They couldn’t. They were fiberglass.

Mr. Arpino, 60, was standing in the disarrayed showroom of Rootstein Display Mannequins in Chelsea, where he is the creative director. It was the eve of the Retail Design Collective, a three-day event in early December known informally as Mannequin Fashion Week. Showrooms across Manhattan parade new hands, torsos and life-size figures. And though these models can’t use Twitter or Instagram, there is glamour nonetheless.

The hot ticket was the unveiling of Mr. Arpino’s newest collections, which he presents every year in Rootstein’s showroom on West 19th Street. “This year, it’s going to be all black and white,” he said, his dark eyes glittering. “Just like a photograph.”

Brash and particular, Mr. Arpino, who wears only black and white year-round, is a polarizing and powerful figure in the land of plastic people. Some call him the emperor of the windows. His collections (he usually releases two a year) are bellwethers for the small, tight-knit industry.

Though few outside the industry know Mr. Arpino’s name, his work is seen at all retail levels, from high-end stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Hermès, Lanvin, Chanel and Ralph Lauren, to mass brands like Zara, Juicy Couture and H & M.

Starting at $1,300, Rootstein mannequins aren’t cheap. The company manufactures 10,000 mannequins a year in factories in Tokyo, London and New York. “I refuse to manufacture in China,” Mr. Arpino said.

Rootstein was founded in 1959 by a South African window dresser living in London named Adel Rootstein. Her innovation wasn’t to cast celebrities as mannequins (Mary Brosnan had made mannequins of Babe Paley in the 1940s) but to use youthful models. Her 1966 mannequin of Twiggy remains a milestone.

Under Mr. Arpino’s stewardship, Rootstein’s collections have been theatrical and occasionally controversial. Previous collections have been devoted to sadomasochism, vegetables and “The Great Gatsby.” In 2010, Mr. Arpino came under fire for his Young and Restless collection, which featured hobbledehoys with 27-inch waists. The Guardian ran a piece headlined, “Skinny Male Mannequins Raise Eating Disorder Fears.”

Mr. Arpino remains unabashed. “If you want to blame someone, blame the designers,” he said, before adding, without apology, “Unfortunately, clothing looks better on tall and skinny people.”

For many shoppers, mannequins are the 50-something women of the fashion world: invisible in plain sight. But for Mr. Arpino, each is a person with a story. “I know all of these girls,” said Mr. Arpino, gently popping off the arm of a mannequin named Tamara. “She’s only 19. She was the runner-up for Miss Russia beauty pageant.”

The process of transforming a living model into a fiberglass mannequin takes a year and a half. Mr. Arpino not only oversees the highly technical production, but also the stylistic direction. It requires one to be finely attuned to seasonal trends — skinny jeans call for skinnier legs, higher heels for more relevéd feet.

Mr. Arpino typically holds castings during London Fashion Week in September. Models sit for hours in little more than a bikini over a three-week period at Rootstein’s studios in West Kensington. “Models are essentially just breathing mannequins,” he said. “So it’s not terribly difficult.”

There they are sculptured into life-size clay models as Mr. Arpino tweaks the poses. The clay models are then made into a mold and cast in fiberglass. “Look at these things,” Mr. Arpino said, knocking one of them hard on the sternum. “They last forever.”

The same could almost be said of Mr. Arpino, who has been in the business for 30 years. “One reason Adel picked me,” he said, “is because I knew who the good girls were because I had worked with them.”

Under his direction, mannequins have been made from Yasmin Le Bon, Dianne deWitt and Pat Cleveland. Recent models have included Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha and Erin O’Connor. “If they can sell fashion in magazine, they can sell fashion in a store,” he said.

This had been an unusually busy season. Mr. Arpino unveiled three collections this month, which were displayed in various tableaus in his Chelsea showroom.

“These are from the collection Sojourners,” he said, pronouncing it as if it were French. The languid mannequins swanned in repose. “Models are the new Gypsies, you know. These girls are from Poland, Russia, Lithuania.”

The other collections were an abstract line, Lift, and another realistic one called Street Boys. The latter, homeless-seeming, were skinnier than the Sojourners and had scruffy stubble.

Mr. Arpino has shown a knack for identifying emerging beauty and capturing its ascent. But to stroll through the showroom is to acknowledge how fleeting that beauty is. ‘“That’s Irie. That’s Dianne. That’s Joe,” Mr. Arpino said, the mannequins looking as youthful as the day they were cast.

There’s one mannequin that Mr. Arpino has vowed never to make: of himself. “Years ago Adel asked,” he said. “But I’d prefer not. It’s just a little too Dorian Gray for my taste.”

Fashion becomes art at Basel preview

Art and fashion intertwined at Art Basel Miami Beach this week, each serving as a backdrop and inspiration for the other.

That artistic juxtaposition was evident at the VIP preview, as silky dresses swirled down the aisles, boldly printed jackets summoned attention and sparkly jewelry caught the light.

For many patrons, wearing art to see art was de rigueur.

Clara Naman of New York, who previously worked in an art museum in Paris, dressed for Art Basel in a kaleidoscopic Vera Wang dress, accessorized with orange Balenciaga heels and a Prada purse.

“I really think it’s a piece of art in itself,” Naman, 28, said of her dress. “So when I see art I want to be colorful and feel like a piece of art, myself.”

Dina Reis, an art collector from New York who said she considers herself a chameleon, chose a black Dolce & Gabbana skirt, white Ralph Lauren blouse and Roberto Cavalli sweater with Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. Her jewelry glowed: vintage Chanel earrings and a sparkling K.C. Signatures bracelet.

“For me, fashion is art, and I think it’s a real expression of self,” she said.

Brightly colored apparel stood out — and fit in, simultaneously — amid the eye-popping paintings and sculptures.

“I wanted something happy,” said Miami interior designer Diane Sepler, who wore bright gold, with ring lizard Manolo Blahnik pumps and a vintage Fendi baguette purse made of fox fur and shirred chinchilla. “I wear a lot of black, gray and brown, and I thought today I would be happy,” she said.

Mother and daughter duo Sorri Naffis and Nina Miguel of Miami Beach selected their designer outfits to blend together, in an artistic way. Miguel chose a muted gray Valentino lacy, ruffled sweater dress and paired it with a Louis Vuitton purse. Her mother opted for a white and black Prada dress and a Chanel purse. Both wore Gucci boots.

“We like to put ourselves together when we go someplace, always,” Naffis said.

Joseph Paul Davis, an interior designer who lives in Palm Beach, looked animated in a pink and orange Lilly Pulitzer jacket, with an orange Etro belt and orange Prada shoes he bought in Italy, combined with jeans he got at Kmart for $19.

“It’s not about showing off, it’s just about having fun,” he said.

Indeed, for many, enjoying the parade of fashions was as delightful as viewing the art installations.

Irina Protopopescu, who owns a gallery in Brooklyn, floated down the aisles in a long, pleated Chloé dress, with pinkish-red Brian Atwood heels and a green Louis Vuitton bag.

“I wake up, I look in my closet and I just make a composite myself,” she said of her head-turning ensemble. “Usually it’s whatever pleases me.”

Italian designer fashions ruled for many arts patrons. Ondine de Rothschild, a collector who lives in Paris and New York, wore a Missoni skirt and sweater she bought in Venice.

Laura Ricci, from Boulder, Colo., wore a dress by Belgian designer Dries van Noten, with Celine shoes.

“I love fashion and art, and the two go together, for sure,” she said.

Some patrons even wore fashions they designed themselves.

Emma Berg, a Minneapolis clothing designer, wore a slinky asymmetrical gray skirt she designed, with a partly open-backed Yumi Kim blouse, a patent leather Kate Spade purse and Dsquared shoes.

Reina Chau, a designer from Hong Kong, wore a red jersey jumpsuit of her own design, accessorized with a Tracy Watts hat from New York and Chanel slippers.

“Comfort is key,” said Chau. “We’re walking around all day.”

Others chose their outfits for their levity.

“I like to wear funny clothes, not to be boring,” said Juan de Dios Ramirez, 53, of Mexico City, who wore matching green H&M walking shorts and sport jacket, with Prada golf shoes.

Diamonds and other baubles complemented the designer fashions and vintage finds swaying through the halls.

Marie-France Bloch of Miami Beach dripped in jewels, including a Chanel watch — one of a limited edition of 10 — and an Italian delicately handmade bracelet.

Mexico City jewelry designer Xanath Lammoglia’s polyurethane bracelet was also a limited edition piece, one of 20.

And Adriana Santiago’s bracelets from Mali were shiny, wearable art.

At floor level, footwear also caught plenty of eyes.

Artist Elias Maamari, who lives in Montreal, Paris and Beirut, donned multicolored Asics sneakers.

And Fiona Biberstein, who works at the famed Acquavella Galleries of New York, wore black-and-white striped Pierre Hardy wedges that stood out among the gorgeous Picassos, Thebauds and Calders.

She was nonplussed when asked to pose for a photo of her feet, saying it was the fifth time that day.

“I was standing next to Mr. Acquavella,” she said, laughing, “and someone was taking a picture of my shoes.”

'Fashion is toxic:' Greenpeace

Two-thirds of high street garments tested in a study by Greenpeace contained potentially harmful chemicals, the group said Tuesday, highlighting the findings with a "toxic" fashion show in Beijing.

The environmental campaign group is pushing for fashion brands to commit to "zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals" by 2020 and to require suppliers to publicise any toxic chemicals they release into the environment.

Greenpeace said its investigation tested 141 garments from 20 top global fashion brands purchased in 29 countries and regions in April of this year for chemicals that might harm the environment or human health.

The garments were made in at least 18 countries, mostly in the developing world, according to Greenpeace. Samples tested included jeans, trousers, t-shirts, dresses and underwear, it said.

The tests found that 89 of the garments contained "detectable levels" of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which it said can break down into hormone disrupting chemicals.

"Even the apparently small, but cumulative quantities of a substance such as NPE in individual items of clothing, which are legally allowed, can still be damaging," the group said in its report.

At the fashion show in Beijing, one model sporting leopard-print trousers carried an IV bag filled with orange goo, while another in an ivory bustier wore a bulging neck brace and face mask.

Another model with black powder caked around her eyes like bruises posed grimly with her arm in a sling.

"Major fashion brands are turning us all into fashion victims by selling us clothes that contain hazardous chemicals that contribute to toxic water pollution around the world, both when they are made and washed," Li Yifang, senior toxics campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia, said in a release.

The report, titled "Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch-Up", also said that "high levels of toxic phthalates" were found in four products and "cancer-causing amines from the use of azo dyes" were found in two products.

"As global players, fashion brands have the opportunity to work on global solutions to eliminate the use of hazardous substances throughout their product lines and to drive a change in practices throughout their supply chains," the report said.

With fashion seasons coming closer together, more clothes are piling up in landfills more frequently, Greenpeace said.

"As fashion gets more and more globalised, more and more consumers worldwide are becoming fashion's victims while contributing to the industry's pollution," Greenpeace's Li said.

Fashion rip-offs OK?

A fake Louis Vuitton handbag is not OK, right? Or so the fashion industry says. But what if they put out their own "fake labels"? Well then it's hip and cool, apparently.

The latest buzz on fashion news sites is the emergence of a new label, Conflict of Interest. Nobody knows who's behind it, but apparently it's some people deep in the international fashion world for whom, if their identity were known, the production of these T-shirts would be a conflict of interest between it and their day jobs. Why? Because the tees are fakes.

They are complete and utter piss-takes of high fashion, a point-and-laugh at the world's obsession with labels. Most fashionistas would scoff at paying $300 for a T-shirt, but if it's got a designer label stamped in plain script across the front, they'll toss their credit cards at the shop lady and gag for it, comfortably shelling out over $600 for an otherwise simple piece of cotton.

And funnily enough, rather then gasp at the audacity of the brand, the fashion world see the funny side, and these Conflict of Interest T-shirts have been spotted on some of the most high-powered people in fashion. 

This isn't the first time there have been T-shirts poking fun at high fashion. New Yorker Ross Karablin designed the famous Comme des F*$K Down tees a while back and it got the cool kids wet in the pants. Opening Ceremony also had a play with the label game and produced a range of Radarte pieces, playing with fashion darlings Rodarte's brand name.

While it's all very lovely that the high fashion world are having a giggle at their own expense, are they encouraging a horde of copycats to knock off their goods? It's almost as if they're saying it's OK to produce a fake (because we've all seen the "Reebok Just Do It" and "Marc Wacobs" garments for sale in Asia).

Is this a momentary snigger or could it lead to a resurgence of black market knock-offs? I'd love  to know what you think. Funny idea or just plain stupid? Hit me with your comments stick.

Fashion students’ festive fundraiser

FASHION students have kickstarted a six-month fundraising effort as they look to excel at a prestigious event in the capital next year.

A dozen dedicated students from the fashion enterprise course at Hartlepool’s Cleveland College of Art and Design campus are today hosting their very own Christmas fair - the first of a selection of fundraisers in the coming months.

All of the money raised at today’s and future events will then be put towards producing an outstanding showcase of the students’ work for when they make the trip to London for the Graduate Fashion Week in May next year.

Booking a spot to set up a stall alone at the showcase event costs £5,000, which the college pays for, but the students have now set an audacious target of £6,000 extra as they try to wow fashion icons at the event.

And the fundraising drive to hit that target started today at the Christmas fair, which is being held at Springs, at Hartlepool Marina.

The event, running from noon-7pm, features a variety of stalls selling home-made decorations, a selection of food and much more as well as quirky craft activities for kids.

Jemma Peacock, 20, is one of the final year students who will make the trip to the capital for the event, and helped to organise today’s fundraiser.

Jemma, who lives in the town centre area of Hartlepool, said: “All of the final year students will be going to the fashion week and we want to make our showcase as impressive as possible.

“An event like that is an easy way of getting scouted so we all want to show off what we are capable of.

“The more money we raise, the easier that is going to be.”

As well as today’s fundraiser, Jemma and her course-mates are already planning a fundraising movie night and date night in the coming weeks and months as they look to close in on their target. To be honest we don’t know how much we are going to raise,” added Jemma.

“But we just want to try and organise as many events as we can to raise as much as we can.”

Zuoan Fashion Limited Announces Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Zuoan Fashion Limited (ZA) ("Zuoan" or the "Company"), a leading design-driven fashion casual menswear company in China, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

James Hong, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our revenue growth was a result of increased distributor sales volumes as well as increased sales volume from our direct stores.  We came in slightly below our third quarter top line revenue forecast largely due to an inventory shipment delay to distributors of approximately RMB58.8 million, resulting in a shift in revenue recognition to the fourth quarter instead of our third quarter.  Gross margin held steady as we benefited from increased wholesale prices implemented over the past year as well as increased contribution from our self-operated direct stores and flagship stores which contributed to higher overall gross margin.  Operating expenses trended higher than anticipated due to the increased cost associated with the expansion and management of our self-operated flagship stores and direct stores.  This was further compounded by a slowdown in consumer spending in China resulting in elevated inventory at the distributor and sub-distributor store level.  We are working with our distributors and sub-distributors to reduce inventory in their store channel."

"During the course of the third quarter, we made the decision to transition our 26 self-operated flagship stores over to our distributors.  As consumer demand in China has moderated recently, we felt it was important to streamline our internal operational infrastructure to lower expenses and improve performance. The distributors we work with are highly experienced in retail store operations and the transition of our flagship stores allows us to concentrate on design-driven casual menswear fashion, our core area of strength. This move, which will be fully implemented in the fourth quarter, is expected to reduce our future consolidated gross margin but can also lower our operating expenses, lower inventory levels at the company level and improve net margin."

"We have a healthy balance sheet and a strong cash position of approximately $134 million at the end of the third quarter.  In spite of slower market conditions, recent economic data from China indicates the domestic economy is improving which can lead to a pick-up in consumer spending environment in the coming quarters.  We continue to execute on our initiatives to raise the visibility of Zuoan and broaden our presence in China.  We remain optimistic about the long-term growth opportunities in our business and are confident our revenue and profit can continue to grow with the expected recovery of the domestic economy along with our efforts to enhance our distribution network, maximize operational efficiencies and increase our brand recognition." concluded Mr. Hong.

Third Quarter 2012 Financial Performance
Revenue for the third quarter was RMB476.3 million ($75.8 million), a 12.1% increase from RMB424.8 million ($67.6 million) in the same period last year.  The increase in revenue was driven by both distributor and direct store sales volume.  Third quarter distributor sales increased 11.3% to RMB450.2 million compared to RMB404.4 million in the third quarter of 2011. Third quarter 2012 self-operated direct store and flagship store sales were RMB26.1 million compared to RMB20.4 million in the prior year period. A total of 49 distributor and sub-distributor stores and 2 direct stores were opened in the third quarter of 2012, offset by the closing of 93 unproductive, older distributor and sub-distributor stores, resulting in a total of 1,289 store locations at the end of September 30, 2012 compared to 1,331 store locations at the end of June 2012.

Cost of sales increased 6.8% to RMB252.7 million ($40.2 million) in the third quarter of 2012 from RMB236.6 million ($37.7 million) in the same quarter of 2011, primarily as a result of the increase in sales volume. As a percentage of revenues, cost of sales decreased to 53.1% in the third quarter of 2012 from 55.7% in the third quarter of 2011.

Gross profit in the third quarter increased 18.8% year over year to RMB223.6 million ($35.6 million) from RMB188.1 million ($29.9 million) in the same period of 2011.  Third quarter 2012 gross profit margin was 46.9% compared to 44.3% in the same period last year.  Third quarter 2012 gross margin increased primarily due to greater sales from the Company's higher margin self-operated direct stores and flagship stores. Gross margin at the Company's self-operated direct stores and flagship stores was 65.4% and 73.0%, respectively.   Combined gross margin at Company self-operated locations was 72.1%.

Selling and distribution expenses in the third quarter were RMB84.1 million ($13.4 million), or 17.7% of revenue, compared to RMB46.6 million ($7.4 million), or 11.0% of revenue in the same period last year.  This percentage increase was primarily due to the increase in store expansion related rental charges and direct store expenses, advertising and promotion expenses, and costs of renovation and fittings of distributors' new and existing stores.

Administrative expenses in the third quarter were RMB14.0 million ($2.2 million), or 2.9% of revenue, compared to RMB15.6 million ($2.5 million), 3.7% of revenue in the same period last year. This percentage decrease was primarily a result of the decrease in equity-settled employee benefit costs.

The effective tax rate in the third quarter decreased to 25.6% compared to 26.6% in the prior year period.
Net income for the third quarter increased 0.7% to RMB92.8 million ($14.8 million) from RMB92.2 million ($14.7 million) in the same period last year.  Third quarter net income as a percentage of revenue was 19.5% compared to 21.7% in the prior year period.

Diluted earnings per ordinary share was RMB0.83 ($0.13) in the third quarter of 2012, equivalent to RMB3.34 ($0.53) per ADS, compared to diluted earnings per ordinary share RMB0.83 ($0.13) in the third  quarter of 2011, equivalent to RMB3.31 ($0.53) per ADS. The Company's diluted number of shares outstanding was 111.3 million in the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

As of September 30, 2012, the Company had cash, cash equivalents of RMB841.6 million ($133.9 million), compared to RMB690.5 million ($109.9 million) as of December 31, 2011.  Net cash used in operating activities was RMB172.9 million ($27.5 million) in the three months ended September 30, 2012, compared to RMB4.3 million ($0.7 million) generated by operating activities in the three months ended September 30, 2011.

Zuoan Fashion Limited Announces Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Zuoan Fashion Limited (ZA) ("Zuoan" or the "Company"), a leading design-driven fashion casual menswear company in China, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.
James Hong, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our revenue growth was a result of increased distributor sales volumes as well as increased sales volume from our direct stores.  We came in slightly below our third quarter top line revenue forecast largely due to an inventory shipment delay to distributors of approximately RMB58.8 million, resulting in a shift in revenue recognition to the fourth quarter instead of our third quarter.  Gross margin held steady as we benefited from increased wholesale prices implemented over the past year as well as increased contribution from our self-operated direct stores and flagship stores which contributed to higher overall gross margin.  Operating expenses trended higher than anticipated due to the increased cost associated with the expansion and management of our self-operated flagship stores and direct stores.  This was further compounded by a slowdown in consumer spending in China resulting in elevated inventory at the distributor and sub-distributor store level.  We are working with our distributors and sub-distributors to reduce inventory in their store channel."

"During the course of the third quarter, we made the decision to transition our 26 self-operated flagship stores over to our distributors.  As consumer demand in China has moderated recently, we felt it was important to streamline our internal operational infrastructure to lower expenses and improve performance. The distributors we work with are highly experienced in retail store operations and the transition of our flagship stores allows us to concentrate on design-driven casual menswear fashion, our core area of strength. This move, which will be fully implemented in the fourth quarter, is expected to reduce our future consolidated gross margin but can also lower our operating expenses, lower inventory levels at the company level and improve net margin."

"We have a healthy balance sheet and a strong cash position of approximately $134 million at the end of the third quarter.  In spite of slower market conditions, recent economic data from China indicates the domestic economy is improving which can lead to a pick-up in consumer spending environment in the coming quarters.  We continue to execute on our initiatives to raise the visibility of Zuoan and broaden our presence in China.  We remain optimistic about the long-term growth opportunities in our business and are confident our revenue and profit can continue to grow with the expected recovery of the domestic economy along with our efforts to enhance our distribution network, maximize operational efficiencies and increase our brand recognition." concluded Mr. Hong.

Third Quarter 2012 Financial Performance
Revenue for the third quarter was RMB476.3 million ($75.8 million), a 12.1% increase from RMB424.8 million ($67.6 million) in the same period last year.  The increase in revenue was driven by both distributor and direct store sales volume.  Third quarter distributor sales increased 11.3% to RMB450.2 million compared to RMB404.4 million in the third quarter of 2011. Third quarter 2012 self-operated direct store and flagship store sales were RMB26.1 million compared to RMB20.4 million in the prior year period. A total of 49 distributor and sub-distributor stores and 2 direct stores were opened in the third quarter of 2012, offset by the closing of 93 unproductive, older distributor and sub-distributor stores, resulting in a total of 1,289 store locations at the end of September 30, 2012 compared to 1,331 store locations at the end of June 2012.

Cost of sales increased 6.8% to RMB252.7 million ($40.2 million) in the third quarter of 2012 from RMB236.6 million ($37.7 million) in the same quarter of 2011, primarily as a result of the increase in sales volume. As a percentage of revenues, cost of sales decreased to 53.1% in the third quarter of 2012 from 55.7% in the third quarter of 2011.

Gross profit in the third quarter increased 18.8% year over year to RMB223.6 million ($35.6 million) from RMB188.1 million ($29.9 million) in the same period of 2011.  Third quarter 2012 gross profit margin was 46.9% compared to 44.3% in the same period last year.  Third quarter 2012 gross margin increased primarily due to greater sales from the Company's higher margin self-operated direct stores and flagship stores. Gross margin at the Company's self-operated direct stores and flagship stores was 65.4% and 73.0%, respectively.   Combined gross margin at Company self-operated locations was 72.1%.

Selling and distribution expenses in the third quarter were RMB84.1 million ($13.4 million), or 17.7% of revenue, compared to RMB46.6 million ($7.4 million), or 11.0% of revenue in the same period last year.  This percentage increase was primarily due to the increase in store expansion related rental charges and direct store expenses, advertising and promotion expenses, and costs of renovation and fittings of distributors' new and existing stores.

Administrative expenses in the third quarter were RMB14.0 million ($2.2 million), or 2.9% of revenue, compared to RMB15.6 million ($2.5 million), 3.7% of revenue in the same period last year. This percentage decrease was primarily a result of the decrease in equity-settled employee benefit costs.

The effective tax rate in the third quarter decreased to 25.6% compared to 26.6% in the prior year period.
Net income for the third quarter increased 0.7% to RMB92.8 million ($14.8 million) from RMB92.2 million ($14.7 million) in the same period last year.  Third quarter net income as a percentage of revenue was 19.5% compared to 21.7% in the prior year period.

Diluted earnings per ordinary share was RMB0.83 ($0.13) in the third quarter of 2012, equivalent to RMB3.34 ($0.53) per ADS, compared to diluted earnings per ordinary share RMB0.83 ($0.13) in the third  quarter of 2011, equivalent to RMB3.31 ($0.53) per ADS. The Company's diluted number of shares outstanding was 111.3 million in the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

As of September 30, 2012, the Company had cash, cash equivalents of RMB841.6 million ($133.9 million), compared to RMB690.5 million ($109.9 million) as of December 31, 2011.  Net cash used in operating activities was RMB172.9 million ($27.5 million) in the three months ended September 30, 2012, compared to RMB4.3 million ($0.7 million) generated by operating activities in the three months ended September 30, 2011.

'Fashion Star' Secures Asian Remake Deals

Fashion Star, the U.S. reality show featuring Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos as mentors of young designers seeking to launch a clothing line in a high-end New York retailer, is to be remade in South Korea, Vietnam and India.

Chinese Censors Suspend Broadcaster After Foul-Mouthed Rant on Reality Show

Part of Electus International’s slate at the Asia Television Forum, which begins this week in Singapore, Fashion Star has been snapped up for local series commitments by SBS E! in South Korea, VTV3 in Vietbam and Endemol in India. The original show has already been signed up to be shown in 20 countries in Asia through DIVA Universal.

“Asia is an incredibly important market for Electus International, so I’m thrilled to announce that we're kicking off our push into local productions through series commitments of Fashion Star in Korea and Vietnam,” said Electus International president John Pollak in a press release. “Fashion Star is a unique and compelling format that resonates universally as it fuses entertainment with commerce to build the next big fashion brand.”

The show revolves around a competition in which as-yet unknown designers were put through a variety of tests, while buyers from Macy’s, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue judge the contestant’s work by bidding to purchase their work. Winning designs were made available online and in retail stores in the U.S. the night after each episode. The top prize, meanwhile, will be the opportunity to place an exclusive capsule line in each of the three stores.

Filming of the second season -- which will air on NBC next year -- was temporarily put to a halt in October because of an IATSE-backed picket, brought about by demands from the non-union show's crew for union pension and health benefits. The problem was resolved when the producers agreed to the demands.

Womens Fashion Retailer Javelin Scoops Prestigious Award at the Drapers Fashion Awards 2012

Womens Fashion Retailer Javelin of Bury St Edmunds has been announced winner for the Independent Womenswear Retailer of the Year at the Drapers Fashion Awards 2012. With tough competition, Javelin a specialist in designer and indie clothing brands for men and women proved to be ahead of its game.

Womens Fashion Retailer Javelin of Bury St Edmunds has been announced winner for the Independent Womenswear Retailer of the Year at the Drapers Fashion Awards 2012. With tough competition, Javelin a specialist in designer and indie clothing brands for men and women proved to be ahead of its game.

Voted for by the fashion heavyweights including Rob Templeman, British Retail Consortium, Marcus Leroux, Retail Correspondent for The Times and Eilidh MacAskill, Editor of InStyle to name a few, this year saw a 30% increase in entries.

Other winners included Primark, who won the Larger Multiple Retailer of the Year, River Island who won the Retailer of the Year – Consumer Award and celebrity favourite The Cambridge Satchel Company won Smaller Etailer of the Year.

Javelin had the following to say about winning their award: "This feels amazing. We work so so hard, every day, as a team and it's tough times for everyone. We're a small independent shop…in Suffolk…and we are here tonight at this big national awards having dinner at Grosvenor House, it feels incredible. The atmosphere is absolutely electric tonight. Thank you so much Drapers Fashion Awards."

It was a winning night for ASOS who has seen stellar growth over the last year securing two awards; Larger Etailer of the Year and Retailer of the Year.

Caroline Nodder, editor-in-chief of Drapers, comments: “We are delighted that Javelin is this years winner for the Womenswear Retailers of the Year. The judges felt top-level customer service combined with strong business acumen and a well-considered brand mix all contribute to the winner’s success”.

Drapers is the market leading fashion trade magazine and a key resource for the UK fashion industry. The Drapers Fashion Awards recognise and celebrate the very best in the fashion industry, having been selected across a range of categories by a panel of experts.

Located in a beautiful rambling 16th Century building in the heart of the historic market town of Bury St Edmunds, Javelin's flagship store is an eclectic boutique store consisting of over 3500 sq ft and offering a cultivated and unique selection of brands, across womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery and gifts.

Our diverse mix of brands, from iconic designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Diesel, Barbour, Scotch and Soda and Hugo Boss, to high street names such as Vero Moda and Superdry, has earnt Javelin its reputation as the ultimate shopping destination for any fashionista.

Originally a sports retailer, opening in 1997, Javelin has evolved and developed with fashion trends, new brands and customer needs. We are consistently updating the products on offer as Javelin strives to offer its fashion forward customers new and exciting, high quality fashion and lifestyle. The Javelin brand continues to grow, now occupying three stores; the flagship Bury St Edmunds store, the Sudbury sister store, and Javelin Outlet.