Manchester in vogue as fashion industry looks north for a party

Manchester's Exchange Square may have been home to a ferris wheel and a giant TV screen, but currently its highest-profile link to high fashion is in the form of the glass-fronted outpost of the Selfridges department store.

All this will change in October however when the square plays host to a prestigious, global celebration of shopping and fashion hosted by Vogue magazine.

For the past four years, Vogue has held its annual 'Fashion's Night Out' in London. The evening sees retailers and shoppers congregate in a recession-busting extravaganza designed to increase footfall in high-end stores.

For the first event in 2009 Chanel held a live fashion show at its boutique on Old Bond Street, where celebrity model Daisy Lowe posed for a shoot designed by Vogue's fashion director Kate Phelan and hairdressers Toni and Guy offered exclusive discounted pamper packages. Each event has grown since, with shoppers treated to goodie bags, discounts and complimentary cocktails.

It's the sort of gathering that I imagine happens frequently in London, the home of UK fashion. London Fashion Week sees the world's most reputable labels flock to the city to showcase their latest designs, and we frequently see photographs of celebrities papped in their finery, splashing their cash in Harrods and the like. So it comes as no surprise that the capital has been the natural stomping ground for an event such as Vogue Fashion's Night Out for the past four years.

But while London has been basking in the limelight, us Northerners have been quietly building a fashion industry of our own. Manchester's Northern Quarter and Liverpool's Bold Street can hold their own when it comes to vintage shops and boutique outlets. Newcastle is often praised for its shopping, as is Leeds, York and Chester. Northern cities have everything London has, just on a smaller scale.

And the North has a pretty good history with fashion. Manchester was the beating heart of a vibrant textiles industry throughout the Industrial Revolution. Without the blood, sweat and tears of our Northern factory workers, the textile trade simply wouldn't have had the legs to support the evolution of British fashion.

Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, said: "Manchester's importance to fashion is unquestionable. Bringing Fashion's Night Out to its streets is the next logical step in the evolution of Fashion's Night Out in the UK."

The North has produced some of UK fashion's finest talent: Sarah Burton, most famous for designing the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, is from Macclesfield, and learned her craft at Manchester Metropolitan University. Burberry's chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, hails from Yorkshire.

Selfridges and Harvey Nichols have already confirmed they will be taking part in the Vogue event on 10 October, and galleries, restaurants and museums are also expected to lay on special events. This year, Manchester is taking up its deserved place on the global fashion map and representing the UK as a city brimming with style.

Fashion Face-Off: Freida Pinto vs. Selena Gomez in Antonio Berardi

This fashion battle between Freida Pinto and Selena Gomez is a tricky one to judge.

On the surface, the two actresses are wearing completely different dresses. The Immortals star has on a racer-back sundress that's as flowy on the bottom as it is formfitting on top. Her hair is in a tight updo and she's accessorizing with silver sandals.

It's almost the polar opposite of the Spring Breakers star's ensemble: A tight, strapless mini worn with wild, curly hair and pointy black pumps. The only thing they have in common is designer Antonio Berardi's signature patchwork effect in black, blue and white.

K&G Fashion Superstore Launches Chicago Mom’s Design for Steve Harvey Women’s Collection

K&G Fashion Superstore (MW) announced today that the winning dress from the first-ever Steve Harvey “Designing Moms Challenge” will be sold online at KGstores.com and in stores beginning March 22. The dress, designed by Elysia Ganier of Chicago, Illinois, will be part of K&G’s exclusive Steve Harvey Women’s Collection.

Steve Harvey, renowned comedian, author, and radio and television host, put three moms to the test to design a dress for his fashion women’s collection that works for the office and beyond. To highlight the collection’s focus on offering modern women comfortable yet stylish outfits that fit their active lifestyles, the moms were challenged to create a day-to-night transitional look in a woman’s size 4 and 16.

Ganier, a mother of three who graduated from the International Academy of Design & Technology in Chicago and now owns her own clothing design company called Ganier Designs, described her piece as “an alternative corporate look.” Her knee-length, cream-colored dress is appropriate for formal office settings, while the draped neckline paired with added accessories can easily transition it into an exciting outfit for a night out.

Ganier’s dress will be sold online and at K&G stores in women’s sizes small – 3x for $49.99.
Harvey’s daughter, Karli Harvey, who is also the Creative Director of the Steve Harvey Women’s Collection carried exclusively at K&G stores, joined Mary Beth Blake, Executive Vice President at Men’s Wearhouse, Inc., to pick the challenge winner.

“Elysia’s dress was beautifully designed to be flattering and comfortable for professional women of all sizes, which complements the offerings in our exclusive Steve Harvey Women’s Collection,” Blake said. “K&G offers women affordable fashion that makes them look and feel great, and the Designing Moms Challenge allowed us to celebrate our customers’ amazing talents while offering our shoppers a unique benefit — a dress created for real women, by a real woman.”

To learn more about the inspiration behind the dress, watch the interview with Ganier on the K&G Fashion Superstore Facebook page. Ganier will also appear on the Steve Harvey Show on March 22, where Karli Harvey will interview her and reveal her design on the air.

LIM College Summer Fashion Lab Programs Offer High School and College Students Experience in NYC's Fashion World

LIM College, which is located in New York City and focused exclusively on the study of business and fashion, has announced that its 2013 Summer Fashion Lab for high school students and its new Advanced Fashion Lab are now accepting registrations.

This summer marks the first time the Advanced Fashion Lab program will be offered. It is designed for visiting college students currently enrolled in a degree-granting program and upper-level high school students who have previously taken the LIM College Fashion Lab program for high school students.

Fashion Lab for high school students, which is open to students entering their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school in the fall of 2013, is a series of classes that offer participants the opportunity to begin to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to pursue careers in the fashion industry.  Advanced Fashion Lab builds upon LIM College's popular Fashion Lab program by delving deeper into the worlds of fashion buying, styling, fashion magazines and more.

This year's Summer Fashion Lab courses include: Art's Influence on Fashion, Fashion Field Trips, Celebrity Styling, Event Planning, Fashion Buying, Fashion Communications, Fashion Magazines, Fashion Photography, Fashion Show Production, Marketing Communications, Career Development Skills, Social Media & Mobile Marketing, Urban Fashion, The Vintage Clothing Industry, and Visual Merchandising & Display.

Advanced Fashion Lab courses include: Private Label and Specification Buying, Web Product Data Management, Retail Store Events, and advanced versions of courses in Celebrity Styling, Fashion Magazines and Fashion Buying.  Most courses in both programs carry one college credit.

This year, LIM College expects to enroll a record-setting 300+ students in its Summer Fashion Lab and Advanced Fashion Lab programs.

According to LIM College President Elizabeth S. Marcuse, "LIM College's Fashion Lab for high school students and our new Advanced Fashion Lab take full advantage of our prime location in New York City -- one of the world's most exciting, diverse and fashionable cities. By studying the business of fashion with talented professionals, Fashion Lab participants will explore firsthand many of the exciting career opportunities the fashion world has to offer."

Both LIM College's 2013 Summer Fashion Lab and Advanced Fashion Lab programs will run for four successive weeks, from July 8 - August 2. Most classes are one week long, with the choice of a morning session (8:45 am–12:30 pm) or an afternoon session (1:30 pm–5:15 pm). Typically, LIM College Summer Fashion Lab students register for two or more courses each. All Advanced Fashion Lab courses offer one college credit.  Last year, students came from as far away as Poland, Mexico, Brazil, California, Oregon, Texas and Montana to participate in the Summer Fashion Lab program.

LIM College offers housing to students in both programs at the state-of-the-art 1760 Residence Hall on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The residence hall has staff on duty 24/7 and features air-conditioned double and triple rooms with private bathroom facilities.

Kick-Starting a Collection

Since he was fired from Gap in May 2011, and with still-fresh wounds from his days at Perry Ellis and Paco Rabanne, Patrick Robinson checked out of fashion for a while.

He went backpacking in national parks, at Yellowstone and Acadia and Yosemite, where the snow was still deep when he visited last June. It was cold. He said he awoke one morning to find a deer snoozing outside his tent.

It was here that Mr. Robinson, now 46, began to have a vision for what his next step would be. Though he was a popular designer with a skill for turning around the image of once-heralded labels, the corporate world had not always been kind to him. After four years of trying to refresh Gap, with its 1,000-plus stores and its inherent discomfort with trendy fashion, he gave up.

“I did learn a lot about running a big business,” he said.

Another look from the line Patrick Robinson is introducing on Kickstarter.

Another look from the line Patrick Robinson is introducing on Kickstarter.

Now Mr. Robinson is returning on his own terms, or more accurately, on yours. This week, he is introducing a collection of performance apparel designed for urban environments, seeking financing through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter. He has designed about 19 styles to start, but if you don’t like them, just tell Mr. Robinson and he’ll change them. Eventually, he will take suggestions on his own site.

“I wanted to have a direct connection with the customer,” Mr. Robinson said. “I am only going to show the prototypes, which will only get made if people pre-order them.”

Mr. Robinson did not want to put his own name on the label, calling that approach old-fashioned. His line is instead called Paskho, an ancient Greek word.

On his journey here, Mr. Robinson discovered that he liked to challenge himself, physically and mentally, and this was why he decided to focus on functional athletic-inspired clothing, with styles for men and women. His designs include tapered black cotton fleece pants with tab pockets for $125, or a black V-neck in a technical blend fabric for $80, prices that are competitive given that Mr. Robinson is bypassing the traditional retailer. There will also be paperweight cargo pants and shorts, and henleys and tanks in a cotton-cashmere blend.

“It’s not just what you wear to the gym,” he said. “The best way to describe it is clothes not just to work out in, but to hang out in.”

Having invested his savings in the start-up, Mr. Robinson hopes to raise $50,000 this month on Kickstarter, where he is offering a small range of products, as well as his design sketches, and, for $2,000, you can have a workout and dinner with him. He plans to ship the first orders in July, then turn Paskho into an e-commerce business.

“I discovered I like making things again,” he said. “It was one of my passions that drove me back into business.”

By the time Matthew Terry of Ocean City, N.J., turns 22 next week, he will have starred in a fragrance ad for Calvin Klein and two underwear campaigns, most notably in the ab-tastic commercial that ran during the Super Bowl and made him an overnight celebrity. Not that anyone recognizes him on New Jersey Transit, he said, “not without my hair slicked back and my body covered with baby oil.”

Here, thoughts from his gut:

How To My No. 1 thing is to stay consistent in the gym and on a diet. Everyone cheats. I’m a huge dark-chocolate lover, and I cheat once in a while, and when that happens, I work twice as hard at the gym. I personally like to do circuit training. You’re just hopping from one exercise to another, and I find that works for me. I go to the gym five times a week, for about an hour and a half. If I go with friends, I might go for longer. We like to chitchat.

Mmmm, Chocolate I like Hershey’s dark chocolate. I like chocolate with almonds, too. I could die for that.

Question Asked Most Often Am I single?

Growing Up When I was younger, I was a hundred and nothing pounds. I was a stick. In the seventh grade, I started working out and going to the gym. Being involved with high school sports really helped. I learned a lot of the techniques that I use now, if I need to lean out. If I’m getting too bulky — playing football, you tend to bulk up with muscles, and my shoulders get too big and my neck gets too thick — I do lots of cardio and endurance training. It doesn’t add size, but it gives definition. I’ve been working on my core since, like, the eighth grade.

 The Male Gaze Going to the mall and seeing the huge posters of people in Hollister, and Abercrombie, I wanted the chance to do that. But people get the idea that they’ll never look like me. Well, I’ll never look like a body builder or a basketball player. It’s about accepting your boundaries and being able to work with them.

Justin Bieber I’ve never seen his abs. If they are real, then props to him.If not, he’s got a great Photoshop crew.

Mmmm, Abs They are the in thing. Everyone wants to be lean and cut, and ripped is the word everyone likes to use. People get upset why they can’t get abs like this. A good amount of it is genetics. It’s a decent part of the social life. Girls love abs. I’m in the right line of work, I guess.

Sometimes you might wonder where all of those pictures and tweets sent from the front rows of Fashion Week really go. According to a study this season by Krupp Group and Curalate, which analyzes social media impact, the most popular ones were from unlikely sources. The most-liked on Instagram, for example, included a picture of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, a pair of Louboutin shoes backstage at Michael van der Ham, and scenes from the Topshop show in London (taken by one eleanorj92, a k a Eleanor Calder, a k a the girlfriend of Louis Tomlinson of One Direction).

The No. 1 most-liked image, however, showed the finale of the Badgley Mischka spring collection last September (193,000 likes). It was taken by Ryan Tristan Jin, 27, a fashion market assistant at Elle, who was as surprised as anyone by its reach this season. The image was picked up from his original post by the Instagram account of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week last month, “and all of a sudden, my phone started buzzing uncontrollably,” he said, whenever he was alerted that someone liked it.

Mr. Jin had a great vantage point for the show, right at the end of the runway. “With an iPhone,” he said, “you have to be at the right place, and at the right time.”

Fashion graduates wow Kuala Lumpur

CPIT fashion graduates Phoebe Ratcliff-Reid and Melissa McIndoe are “over the moon” after winning first and second prize, with their Malaysian counterparts, in the New Zealand Week fashion competition in Kuala Lumpur last night.

The girls met legendary shoe designer Jimmy Choo, New Zealand singer Boh Runga and other celebrities at the event, but found that they were the stars of the night.

“This is the icing on the cake,” CPIT fashion tutor Nicola Chrisp said from Kuala Lumpur today. “The show was absolutely amazing and all the students had obviously worked hard.”

Education New Zealand (ENZ) created the competition as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s New Zealand Week to showcase the quality of fashion and design courses in New Zealand to Malaysia.

The competition paired New Zealand fashion graduates with Malaysian counterparts to conceptualise, design and construct a mini collection under the theme of post-earthquake Christchurch ‘Virtual Re-Start Fashion Competition’. Third place went to one of four students from Massey University; other contestants were from WinTec, Otago Polytechnic, and Whitireia Polytechnic.

Chrisp said the students’ ability to collaborate and their excellent technical construction skills impressed the Malaysian students and the judges. The teams had just three days together to finalise their collections, but had been in touch by email and Skype previously.

“They found ways to work together. Their collections were seamless and you couldn’t tell where the Asian influence was and where the kiwi influence was.”

Ratcliff Reid said that the trip had been educational, eye opening and challenging, but her highlight had been meeting her Malaysian counterpart. “My favourite part of the whole trip was meeting Kathryn. We have become really close friends and to find someone like that who also compliments and enhances your point of view as a designer is extremely rare and amazing."

Ratcliff Reid won $10,000 for first place and McIndoe won $3,000. Both were accustomed to creating collections under pressure, having done so twice last year as part of their training. For Pitch, CPIT’s end of year fashion showcase, they each designed and sewed 10 ensembles of around 30 garments including formal dresses and suits. The strong technical emphasis of CPIT’s Fashion Technology and Design programme ensured the girls had honed their construction skills.

A stylish start to Norwich fashion week

New fashion collections from independent and high street shops were showcased on the catwalk in front of a 400-strong crowd.

The show highlighted the diversity of the city’s high street and its strong independent offering.

Among the independents showcasing, department store Jarrold brought fashion for both men and women to the catwalk alongside trend inspired fashion with a twist from Vanilla. Ethika proved how outfits made in Norwich and Norfolk from designers Marian Eve Williams and Twisted Tailor and eco-friendly pieces from national brands can embrace current trends, and Ginger, Jonathan Trumbulls and Hatters proved that they still have their finger on the fashion pulse with inspiring collections for men and women.

Joining the independent retailers this year were sets by high street brands John Lewis and Debenhams. John Lewis presented the Somerset by Alice Temperley collection that is exclusive to the store, and Debenhams showcased designer Henry Holland for women and Red Herring for men.


Opening Show of Norwich Fashion Week 2013 in the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams
Other designers on the catwalk included Norwich jewellery designer Lisa Bambridge of Stoned and Hammered whose show-stopping upscaled silver jewellery created a buzz in the crowd when it came onto the catwalk as part of the Aurum set.

The show highlighted the growing connection between retail and local and national designers.

Show producer and co-founder of Norwich Fashion Week Louise Lace said that the night proved how Norwich has become a platform for fashion.

“This year’s show has really set the standard for fashion week and proves that there is a diversity of fashion in Norwich,” says Ms Lace.

“Not only do we have some of the country’s finest independent shops, we are also home to a wealth of designers and makers and over the past year we have got some big designer brands in the city too. All were showcased at the Ionfashion retailers show.”

Clothes were not the only element on the catwalk that caused a stir. The hairstyles on the catwalk created by the stylists at The Gallery Haircutters on Waterloo Road, pushed the boundaries of conventional updos with side partings creating an androgynous look. The styles were complemented by make-up created by MAC make-up artists from Jarrold.

“The fashion on the catwalk is just a small selection of what is available in Norwich,” says Ms Lace. “For 2014 we are looking to make the retailers show even bigger to really highlight the diversity of fashion we are lucky to have in Norwich. The show really does prove that retailers, however big or small can work together to put on an amazing show.

“It’s thanks to the growing support we have had from across the city that has enabled us to bring a bigger and bolder fashion event to Norwich,”

Virtual fashion comp uses earthquakes as inspiration

Otago Polytechnic Fashion graduate Emily Scott and Malaysian fashion student Christine Kong Peoi Yi have teamed up to compete in the Virtual Re-Start Fashion Competition; working virtually to create a fashion line using the theme ‘Restart’, which focuses on the recovery of Christchurch after the 2011 earthquakes.

The competition, created by Education New Zealand to showcase the quality of fashion and design programmes in New Zealand, involves ten teams working virtually with one Malaysian and one New Zealand participant per team. The challenge is to create an integrated collection of four individual ‘looks’ that will be showcased at a fashion parade at the New Zealand Week Gala Event on March 11 in Kuala Lumpur.

Emily has been collaborating with Christine, who is studying at Tunka Abdul Rahman College, since December last year. The designer will fly over on the 7th of March to join her teammate and showcase their earthquake-inspired collection, Before Birth: Fall 2013.

"Our designs are inspired by the Gothic revival of the Christchurch Cathedral and the controversy of the transitional Cardboard Cathedral (designed by architecture Shigeru Ban)," says Emily. "It recognises the connection between life and afterlife while celebrating the journey to the restart of Christchurch. Playing with strong silhouettes and proportions, we aim to intrigue the viewer and spark a sense of curiosity."

Each team has been given $1000 NZD, split evenly between the two countries and distributed to the designer through their tertiary institution. Designers can produce a variety of looks from street-wear to more formal attire, with one item suitable for a cocktail event.

"We will commence the runway show with moody blue and black leathers, brought to life with bronze accents, and then transition to pearly cream leather pieces. This supports the idea of the journey from the earthquakes to where the city is today."

Time constraints and language barriers have proven to be some of the biggest challenges of collaborating virtually. "Marrying two designers’ aesthetics and running every design decision by my partner, down to the last stitch on a fully pleated silk chiffon jumpsuit, is time consuming and requires a lot of patience. But the positives definitely outweigh any negatives!"

Emily has received support from local businesses including a donation of leather hides from New Zealand Light Leathers, a fabric sponsorship from Cooper Watkinson Textiles and Global Fabrics. "The support from local businesses has been incredible, as well as the backing from Otago Polytechnic staff. It is so humbling."

Otago Polytechnic’s Academic Leader - Fashion, Margo Barton, says the collaboration not only showcases the high caliber of students coming out of the Design (Fashion) degree, but provides an opportunity for young designers to challenge themselves.

"This type of collaboration requires a huge amount of stamina," says Margo. "It is very testing to work in an environment where you can’t work in the same room, bounce ideas off each other or see the end result physically. It will be a fantastic learning curve for Emily and that’s so pivotal to the growth and development of a young designer."

Emily won the inaugural Australian Graduates Fashion Week held at Carriageworks in Sydney in November 2012, which took out a $10,000 prize. She beat 31 others from New Zealand and Australia thanks to her colourful and progressive collection.

The collections will be assessed by a group of celebrity judges at the Gala Event and first prize winners will be awarded $10,000 NZD.

New Zealand Week brings together Malaysian and New Zealand businesses, universities, and government departments to nurture the two countries’ rich history of cooperation in education and science.

Calgary's Inaugural 'LOVE HER' Fashion Gala Hits Hotel Arts Thursday Night

Ovarian Cancer Canada is pleased to present the first-ever LOVE HER gala in Calgary on Thursday, March 7 at Hotel Arts. The fashionable evening affair will bring hundreds of Calgarians together to raise funds and increase awareness around ovarian cancer, the most fatal of all women''s cancers.
Calgary philanthropist W. Brett Wilson and Canadian comedienne Jessica Holmes will serve as Masters of Ceremony for LOVE HER, which will include a cocktail reception, runway fashion show and performance by internationally-acclaimed singer, composer and violinist, Sophie Serafino.

"As someone with ovaries AND a love of fashion, I''m stoked about LOVE HER," said Holmes, whose credits include The Royal Canadian Air Farce, Second City, Just for Laughs and her own sketch series, The Holmes Show. "I''m thrilled that it''s my second year taking the stage for this awesome cause, especially because the event takes place in Calgary where I''ve always enjoyed the audiences. On top of that, bringing awareness to this often overlooked and under-diagnosed disease, and hosting the show with Brett who is known nationwide for his philanthropy, makes this a pretty great gig. I can''t wait to bring on the laughs!"

The LOVE HER runway show will feature celebrated Canadian fashion designer Judith & Charles'' Spring 2013 collection, accompanied by the latest trends in footwear from world-renowned luxury brand Stuart Weitzman.

Tickets to LOVE HER are still available at www.love-her.ca. Additional info and updates can be found on Facebook at Love Her - Calgary and on Twitter @LoveHerCalgary. We thank you in advance for your support of this exciting inaugural event, and hope to see you at Hotel Arts on March 7.

Taking Comfort in Looser Tailoring

 When designers talk about clothes with “raw emotion,” “desire” and “happiness,” as they have since the fall shows began a month ago, you wonder what they mean. Certainly the relaxed shapes at Stella McCartney on Monday — or at Céline, Prada and Marc Jacobs — come as a happy surprise. They are not only beautiful, they are comfortable as well.

But isn’t comfort often associated with food and home? Could the message in the roomier coats, formless sweaters and the exquisitely refined slob appeal of Miuccia Prada’s undone tweeds be: eat, enjoy! And, while you’re at it, pass the potatoes.

This is decidedly bad fashion form, a clear demerit, and I’m sure I’ve missed some higher point about the virtue of an expandable waistband. But it’s interesting to me that these are the collections, among others, that the mavens are craving. Phoebe Philo’s fluttery skirts at Céline had everyone at her show in a swoon of desire, but I thought it remarkable that Ms. Philo had engineered the skirts (and their tops) in knits — rayon, silk or wool bouclé — and without a waistband or a zipper.

You just slip them on, not unlike your sweat pants. (I’ve been told by a Céline production manager that the skirts, which will retail for about $1,350 in silk or rayon, will retain their shape.) To be sure, Ms. Philo and her team that worked with an Italian mill to develop the knit get technical bonus points for resolving the problem of a classically feminine style. In a woven fabric, it would have looked like nothing special, or new. But fashion that is life-enhancing, as much as figure-flattering, is surely something that Ms. Philo cares about.

So does Ms. McCartney. She and her mostly female design team have a completely unfettered approach that keeps her brand distinctive. For fall she shifts the mood away from the feminine prints and sinewy cocktail dresses of recent seasons toward pinstripes and dark flannels, a haberdasher’s dream — except everything is a little off-kilter.

Lapels are exaggerated or displaced, and some looks have a swag of fabric at the side that kicks out. But despite the appearance of structure, reinforced by the pinstripes, the clothes move dynamically over the body. There’s also an amusing sense that Ms. McCartney’s women have occupied men’s tailoring on their terms. If they want a looser fit, then so be it. Also strong were long knock-around dresses in gray knit with deep black lace hems and some roomy silk separates in a scarred wallpaper print. Ms. McCartney had lots of color in her prefall line, but she might have given more to the runway.

The latest addition to Giambattista Valli’s ’60s shifts and cocktail chiffon are chic parkas, mostly in creamy white. And moccasins! Chloé looked plenty comfortable, too, with its many uniformlike capes, duffle coats and jumpers, but it needed to break out of the girls’ school.

In their explicitness, Riccardo Tisci’s clothes for Givenchy can often make people feel uncomfortable, and I like that. We can stand to be discomfited. But in the largest sense, this very soulful collection was about home, returning to the influences of Mr. Tisci’s career, like religious symbolism and subcultures. But now he has a much firmer grip on the parts. He knows what he wants. And that was coolly, if not brilliantly, conveyed in new versions of his influential sweatshirts, and dark romantic paisleys interrupted by half-undone corsets taken from the torso of a biker’s jacket.

Limerick fashion students hope to clean up at fashion awards

RANKED among the world’s top 50 fashion colleges, Limerick School of Art and Design is continuing to mould its students into top class designers with seven of them preparing to represent the faculty in two prestigious competitions.

Four students from the school have been selected as finalists in the reputable Persil Irish Fashion Awards for 2013 – making up half of the overall number of finalists in the national design competition.

To coincide with The Gathering, the brief for student applicants this years was “to celebrate their Irish heritage, their roots, ties and family”.

“Everybody took a different approach,” explained Anne Melinn, head of the school’s fashion department. “They focused on various subjects from Irish Celtic dancing and music, to family trees and Irish poetry.”

The students are busy working on their designs - mainly dresses, according to Anne.

“The garments are being made as we speak,” she continued. “We have just come back from our London buying trip so we were able to get some really nice fabrics out there.”

Earlier this year, the 19 fourth-year students at the college entered the competition by providing an illustration of their design along with an outline of what their inspiration was.

They were also required to outline how they would spend the prize money.

The Persil Irish Fashion Awards is now the largest student fashion design competition in Ireland with a top prize of €10,000. The outfits of the eight finalists will be showcased in selected Dunnes Stores during next June and an item from the winning collection will go into commercial production.

A red coat by last year’s winner Hannah Furlong sold out overnight in Dunnes Stores. Among the judges this year is renowned fashion and costume designer, Peter O’Brien.

The finalists from the Limerick school include Ciara Kilbride, Sarah Ryan, Jessica Kavanagh, and Michael Stewart.

“These particular students have had great work placements because we do work placements from April to September all over the world – very intensive – from Philip Treacy to Marchesa in New York and Ellery in Australia,” said Anne.

“Ciara Kilbride was in India for instance, Michael Stewart was with Natalie B Coleman, Jessica was also in London and Sarah Ryan was with Gareth Pugh in London. I always say to them that they are ambassadors for the department and every time somebody goes out, please God somebody from the college will be taken again which is great.”

Michael Stewart drew inspiration from three sources - The Gathering, the harvest festival and the Aran sweater for his outfit.

“It consists of a waist jacket, tapered, long legged trousers and a wrap around shawl,” explained the 23-year-old from Kilkishen, County Clare.

The big fashion story this week of course was the Oscars and for Michael, best actress nominee Jessica Chastain shone the brightest in her figure-hugging, nude Armani Prive gown. “I loved it - I thought it was so glamorous,” he said.

It is a very busy time for Michael as he is also one of four finalist from the school who is through to the Goldenegg Fashion Innovation Awards which take place on March 28 in Galway.

The students are competing in the Student Designer of the Year category. The theme this year is My Favourite Dress – that I never designed and made until now. The finalists include Michael Stewart, Svitlana Andryiets, Tatsiana Liauchuk-Couqurel and Ciara O’Toole.

“The dress I have designed is a long column shaped dress – it is quite complicated to describe,” said Michael.

Mugler, Van Noten, Pugh create tensions in fashion

Opposites and contradictions fuel contemporary fashion, as seen in the second day of Paris ready-to-wear shows.

Wednesday saw an abundance of such contrasts in style, fabric, tailoring and even in location that gave the start of the fall-winter 2013-14 season a dynamic lift.

Whether it be in Dries Van Noten's ode to Fred and Ginger, which captured his signature flirtations with menswear on girls, Guy Laroche's fierce versus the feminine, or Damir Doma's perfect twinning of slouchy and sophisticated, tensions littered the catwalk. They were often delivered with an ironic wink.
To playful gasps from onlookers, down the grand salon of 19th century townhouse Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, Gareth Pugh gave his show a postmodern kick by sending models wearing shredded polythene trash bags down the catwalk. They shivered like luxuriant black plumes.

Even the Mugler show, the day's most unified, featured plays between sheen and fur, and midriffs versus shoulders — a reminder that tensions are inescapable.

Thursday's shows include Balmain, Barbara Bui, Rick Owens and Lanvin.

DRIES VAN NOTEN
Dries Van Noten thinks fashion is far too serious. That's why he explored his usual menswear-womenswear tailoring this season via the frivolity of ballroom dancing, feathers and the two-some Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Wednesday's show was proof again of the Belgian designer's mastery when it comes to the art of clashing styles.

Who better to represent the Van Noten universe, where men's and women's styles merge together, than one of the most iconic and inseparable male-female couples in Hollywood history?

Ostrich feathers in midnight blue, faded gray and tea rose billowed like 1930s boas with large vivid embroideries and vintage fur alongside men's baggy pants, club stripes and Prince of Wales check.

One fantastic look said it all: a sumptuous navy feathered skirt (Ginger), and a large white tuxedo shirt (Fred.)

In Van Noten's world, like in Hollywood, there's no man without the woman, no Ginger without the Fred.

GARETH PUGH
To discordant music and hellish mist, Gareth Pugh went to the gates of the underworld, bringing back with him an inspired collection of dark angels.

Starting in white and ending in black, the 49 looks saw the London wunderkind further explore the long, flared and otherworldly silhouettes seen last season.

Here it came with stiff cowl and giant shawl collars, or fold-over jackets with exaggeratedly large lapels.
Each look was fastidiously tailored.

At times, it looks as if Pugh had made a pact with the devil and channeled the full-skirted proportions of the 1950s, with their tights waist and full collars, but with dark excess.

But in Wednesday's show, Pugh saved the best till last: a series of impressive black creations billowing with shredded black polythene.

They fluttered by malevolently like feathers, as if the models were half-human, half-raven.

DAMIR DOMA
Croatian designer Damir Doma was back in top form for fall-winter in a show that saw his slouchy style get an unexpectedly elegant makeover.

"Neo-corporate" was how the Raf Simons alumnus described his smarter looks backstage.

Although cropped futuristic tunics and zippered shift dresses aren't exactly run-of-the-mill office attire, the sleek long silhouettes were a welcome turn that saw Doma's vibe get more sophisticated.

But if there's any worry that the Antwerp cool-kid is now grown up, mature and boring, fear not. The usual Doma DNA was still here, if muted.

Boxy jackets and classical menswear touches, such as stacked Chelsea boots, as well as masculine fabrics in perforated wool and lacquered leather, kept up the edgy fashion contradictions.

MUGLER
In a tight show of only 27 looks, designer Nicola Formichetti served up a collection of feminine, cocoon-like silhouettes.
Slick was the word.

The gentle rounded shoulders and softer skirts, in soft gray, blue and peach, evolved away from the angular, insectoid-obsession that's been almost haunting Mugler's recent collections.

It was a welcome change, which made for a ladylike vibe — in line with this season's trend.

Contrasts, such as soft peach fur on champagne satin, made one gentle look sparkle.

The odd geometric print — used sparingly — added the signature futuristic edge, as did neat bonnets on the heads.

Keeping it simple seems to suit Formichetti: it's one of the strongest collections he's done.

GUY LAROCHE
"It's the story of women, women who don't need men," says Guy Laroche's designer Marcel Marongiu of his brash, even kinky offering.
With this mantra, the Franco-Swedish designer explored a whole new terrain this season.

See-through lingerie shifts, rock-and-roll leather and even fierce bondage straps moved on quite dramatically from the classical codes of the house.
The sumptuous evening wear was still here though, in shocking pink and purple silk gowns, and several looks in blinding navy rhinestone.
He cited the style of Jimi Hendrix and Prince as inspirations — seen in the revealing sexuality of exposed nipples.
There were some great statement bombers, another nod to the fall trend: coats as the new accessory.

99 shows, 22 countries: Bonjour Paris fashion week

The world's largest traveling circus of fashion editors, models, buyers and journalists has descended on the French capital, clutching their metro maps and city guides, to cap fashion season for nine days of intensive ready-to-wear.

And this fall-winter 2013-14 is the biggest to date, with some 99 "on-calendar" shows that see the week almost tearing at the seams, starting earlier and finishing later than ever.

"There are 12 shows a day. Twenty-two different nationalities this season. With new top designers at work," says Didier Grumbach, president of the French Fashion Federation. "It's an impressive mix, an energy that sets Paris apart from what's going on elsewhere."

Tuesday — day one — saw collections dominated by three up-and-coming Belgian designers: Veronique Branquinho, Cedric Charlier and Anthony Vaccarello, who dressed actress Charlotte Gainsbourg at last Friday's Cesar film awards.
The similarities start and end with their nationalities; all three threw together strong but highly individual collections.

If Branquinho was elegance, Charlier was edgy architecture, and Vaccarello was retro sex-appeal.

In other shows of the day, Le Moine Tricote spiced up the bread-and-butter knitwear with woven fabric.

Wednesday's shows include Guy Laroche, Damir Doma and London's enfant terrible, Gareth Pugh.

ANTHONY VACCARELLO
The no-holds-barred sex appeal for Anthony Vaccarello is not for the faint-hearted.

The third Belgian designer to show on Paris fashion week's first day served up a black-and-white ode to the early '80s in a show that featured micro skirts, chainmail, a lot of skin and lashings of sensual leather.

Strong retro shoulders, asymmetrical, diagonally cut skirts, upturned lapels and cowl collars set the fashion time dial firmly back to the era of the New Romantics.

This was fused with the innate sexiness of his variations on the Little Black Dress.

The best look was a black kimono-style top, which billowed in great contrast to the tight, bright shiny black mini.

Subtle this was not, but then, subtle isn't glam-loving Vaccarello's thing.

VERONIQUE BRANQUINHO
It was the modern bohemian woman on parade.

Veronique Branquinho mixed and matched eclectic references, from wooden African bracelets to Obi-style dresses with belts.

The soundtrack included Marilyn Monroe's sultry "One Silver Dollar" from the Western "River of No Return," which played as cowboy boots and denim studs peppered the looks.

Stetson cowboy hats in Shetland went too far, but overall it was a strong collection for the up-and-coming designer — reined in only by its feminine silhouette proportions and textural contrasts that unified the show.

The graceful, slouchy style, now a Branquinho signature, was seen on several of the dropped waist looks, often in beige and fawn.

LE MOINE TRICOTE
Fall-winter sees bright-eyed designer Alice Lemoine brimming with ideas.
First of all, in the unique presentation of her Le Moine Tricote collection via three different mediums in three different rooms: there were edgy photos, vintage-looking video projections, and the clothes themselves on mannequins.
Second of all, there were new ideas in the direction of the up-and-comer's knitwear line itself, which saw the repertoire this season spun out to include stricter woven fabrics. They provided a subtle but welcome contrast to the more feminine thick-knit tailored jackets in black, beige and gray.

The strongest piece in the show was a fantastic black mid-length coat dress that had pockets, a lapel and sleeves in billowing wool to imitate fur.
Despite sporty flashes, the collection overall remained thoroughly feminine, thanks to the natural roundness of the thick-knit silhouettes.
This season, ladylike is the name of the game.

CEDRIC CHARLIER
Architecture, "art brut" and Dutch Master Brueghel were all inspirations behind Cedric Charlier's diverse show.

The first pieces, among the collection's best, mixed up sharp geometric paneling alongside oversize coats with fluid, rounded shoulders.

Ensembles were made up of several layers, like square navy skirts on top of knee-length leggings with a rectangular bib form hanging down.

There were also some great structured sheaths in silky navy and black leather.
It's a far cry from the more fluid looks seen in Charlier's last collection.
The designer said medieval painter Brueghel inspired the bright colors of some of the prints and patterns, as did an early 20th century movement called "art brut" that celebrated art from shunned circles, like mental asylums.

It was an interesting idea that worked on the more simple silhouettes.

Spanish fashion looks abroad, away from crisis

With Spain stuck in the economic doldrums, the country's fashion designers have redoubled their imagination to conquer new markets in Europe, the United States and emerging economies.

"Abroad difference, quality and creativity are very much appreciated," Nuria Sarda, creative director of Catalan lingerie brand Andres Sarda, told AFP at the four-day Madrid fashion week which wrapped up on Thursday.

"No two countries are alike, each has its own characteristics and you have to adapt," added Sarda, whose brand exports mainly to Europe but also to the United States, China and Russia.

Andres Sarda, Nuria's father, presented his latest collection on Tuesday at the twice-yearly fashion industry event which showcased work made by around 30 designers.

Among those who showed their works was Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, whose colourful and bold designs have made her one of Spain's best-known creators.
Models for luxury jewelry brand Aristocrazy meanwhile wore sumptuous necklaces that descended down to their waists, over black sheath dresses in a cathedral setting.

The Suarez Jewelers Group behind Aristocrazy launched the ready-to-wear jewelry line in 2010 in Spain and is preparing to make the leap to new markets.

The brand has projects underway in neighbouring Portugal as well as in Chile, Colombia and Mexico to respond to the "global interest" which the line has sparked, said 28-year-old Aristocrazy director Juan Suarez.

It promotes itself mostly through blogs. Aristocrazy works with New York-based blogger and fashion photographer Scott Schuman whose fashion website The Sartorialist is considered a major influence on industry trends.

"The brand has invested a great deal in this world. You get opinions about the product from people which are very direct and real," said Suarez.

The value of Spanish textile exports hit a new record in 2012, surpassing 10.35 billion euros ($13.6 billion), an increase of 8.0 percent over the previous year, according to the Information Centre for Textile and Confection.
Clothing exports were fuelled by the success of companies such as Inditex, the world's biggest clothing group, and Catalan high-street clothing chain Mango.
"We must not forget that the Spaniards, with Inditex, Mango, Desigual and other companies are world leaders in clothing, which brings widespread international recognition," said Borja Oria, the president of Acotex, an association of textile and accessory companies.

"Spanish designers are increasingly recognised beyond our borders," he said, giving as examples Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Josep Font and Miguel Palacio.
De la Prada's 2013-14 winter collection included a short blue skirt embellished with a big red heart, a turquoise dress decorated with a huge white moon and accessories decorated with giant daisies.

"Since the national market has collapsed, what remains is the international market," the designer's manager, Carmen Ayats, said.

Exports of the brand have soared and now account for 75 percent of total sales, against 45 percent before the start of Spain's economic crisis in 2008 due to the collapse of a decade-long property bubble.

The brand takes part in Paris fashion shows to project its image worldwide and its main markets are Japan, Brazil and the Arab countries such as Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, she added.

"Movement is happening elsewhere. There is no life here," said Ayats.
Europe is the main destination for Spanish clothes exports but with the continent stuck in recession Spanish designers have turned their eye on emerging economies.

"Forget France, forget Milan. Europe is in bad shape," said Madrid fashion week director Leonor Perez Pita.

Spanish designers should not be afraid and should use new technologies for their expansion, she added.

"It is never too late," said Sarda.
A model displays an outfit by Spanish designer Andres Sarda at Madrid Fashion Week on February 18, 2013. With Spain stuck in the economic doldrums, the country's fashion designers have redoubled their imagination to conquer new markets in Europe, the United States and emerging economies.

A model displays an outfit by Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada at Madrid Fashion Week on February 20, 2013. Her colourful and bold designs have made her one of Spain's best-known creators.

A model displays an outfit by Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada during Madrid Fashion Week on February 20, 2013. De la Prada's 2013-14 winter collection included a short blue skirt embellished with a big red heart, a turquoise dress decorated with a huge white moon and accessories decorated with giant daisies.

Fashion Fanatics are Welcomed to London by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, as London Fashion Weekend Arrives!

The home of British fashion, Somerset House, is the perfect location for London Fashion Weekend, which takes place directly after London Fashion Week. The event is sure to be packed full of famous guests, hot trends and new beauty products, so make sure you don't miss out on the chance to attend. Millennium & Copthorne's six stylish London hotels are the perfect place to stay while visiting the capital, and are all within easy reach of the venue.
Over 80 of Britain's best designers will be selling one-off pieces at reduced prices, including Twenty8Twelve, Pringle of Scotland and Linda Farrow, at this unique shop and style event. London Fashion Weekend also supports emerging designers, such as Lost Property of London and Tata Nata, so their collections will also be available for visitors to browse! 

There will be catwalk shows, both designer and trend, from a wide selection of designers showcasing four main trends: Graphic Art, Urban Lifestyle, Eastern Promise and Doll's House. There will also be goodie bags handed out by Radley, and the events sponsors include Toni & Guy, Elle Magazine, Canon, Elizabeth Arden and Kinder Bueno, so there are sure to be some great giveaways on offer!
There are a variety of tickets available online, offering access to different areas, starting from just £15.50. It promises to be a weekend to remember, so why not make your stay in the city unforgettable by staying in one of Millennium & Copthorne's London hotels, which offer convenience, style and luxury.

Fashion Week Geeks Out with Couture 3D Prints, Stitched-In Chips + More

Technology and fashion.  Those two words may be the least likely combination you’ll ever come across, but as technology invades every facet of our lives, it’s not so absurd.  Given the growing interest retail has shown in technology applications with the help of Big Data analytics, it was only a matter of time before new tech invaded the holy grail of fashion.

Fashion Week is a bi-anual, week-long event held months in advance of the season so designers can show off their upcoming collections.  The participating fashion capitals of the world are Paris, Milan, New York and London, with Madrid gaining popularity.

Just as Fashion Week offers a glimpse of the colors, patterns and cuts that will be popular through 2013, the global event also hints at the emerging services fashion will employ with the right technology in order to market and appeal to buyers.  So how has technology injected itself in today’s fashion?

Personalized fashion chips
.

Burberry launched a new initiative at London Fashion Week by embedding digital chips that deliver bespoke information regarding the new season’s coats and bags.  The idea is to entice consumers to pre-order items as they hit the runway.

The name of the game is personalization.  Consumers can pre-order coats and bags and have bespoke metal nameplates stitched into the lining of the item they want.
With the aid of a smartphone, the chip displays the story of the coat or bag, from its beginnings in a sketchpad to the runway.  The same technology can be found in its flagship digital store in Regent Street, London.  The chips will prompt the information to appear in its large-scale mirrors that turn into screens.

Burberry will reveal more information about the technology in about 9 weeks.

Fashionable hackathon
.

In New York, Decoded Fashion, a company that bridges the gap between technology and fashion, launched a hackathon that brought together hundreds of graphic designers and software developers.  The result was the creation of 78 different fashion apps.

SWATCHit, the “mobile-web communication platform that manages coordination between designers and artisans in emerging market textile industries,” took home the $10,000 grand prize.  Aside from the cash prize, Ramzi Abdoch’s team also took home a $2,900 Donna Karen New York (DKNY) shopping spree, a strategy lunch with the Refinery 29 founders at their headquarters, a private Macallan tasting, and a commitment from the Council of Fashion Designers of America to actually build the app.

Haunting haute-couture finishes off London Fashion Week

Spectral outfits and chilling winter prints capped off London Fashion Week on Tuesday, as the fashion season baton moves from the British capital to Milan.
London, one of the four major international fashion hubs alongside New York, Milan and Paris, attracts more than 100 million pounds ($154.43 million) in orders each season, according to estimates from the British Fashion Council (BFC).

Britain is also increasingly drawing high-profile names to its fashion industry, which has a direct value of 21 billion pounds ($32.43 billion) to the Britain's $2.5 trillion economy, BFC figures show.

American designer Tom Ford made his catwalk debut in London this week, while pop-star Rihanna chose to launch a clothing line with British retailer River Island.

Ghostly girls in white Edwardian lace and black veils circled the vast space of the Tate Modern museum's tanks for Anglo-French design duo Meadham Kirchhoff on the final day of fashion week.

The predominantly monochrome collection, which included outfits of black velvet with white collars and long silk skirts, was inspired by lyrics from the Beatles song "Helter Skelter".

A spokeswoman for Meadham Kirchhoff declined to comment on whether using the song for a show at the Tate was a deliberate reference to Charles Manson, whose interpretation of it as a prophecy of racial war led him to go on a murder spree 1969 that included the killing of actress Sharon Tate.

The pair told Elle UK it was an obsession with perfection that inspired the designs.

"I was thinking about perfection, being the perfect homemaker," Meadham told the publication in an online posting.

"People want to trivialize women's interests...I bake all the time; keep my home clean. I'm obsessed with perfection; that's what got me going in the first place," he said.

Belgrade-born Roksanda Ilincic echoed the mood at her show, where models in pale pink and black drifted down the catwalk.

"It was really about creating that special modern feel of a haunted beauty - mix of opposites," Ilincic said.
BRITISH LUXURY
British designer Maria Grachvogel printed the skeletal branches of trees in winter onto a sheer white blouse for one of the final shows at London's Somerset House, which hosted John Rocha, Jasper Conran and Issa London to packed audiences.

Grachvogel, who used hues of bone, oxblood and lichen in her 34 piece collection, said London was going from strength to strength as a fashion capital.

"London has always been known for its young creative spirit and its young talent, but I think what's happening now is that the young talent is growing up," Grachvogel told Reuters after the show.

"We've got the luxury brands of the future - we have some already - but it's getting stronger and stronger," she said.

Luxury British label Burberry Prorsum drew international celebrities to its red carpet reception earlier in the week, as did veteran designer Vivienne Westwood's Red Label, another British fashion industry torchbearer.
But London is best-known for its up-and-coming talent, such as Fashion Fringe award winner Haizhen Wang, whose show of sharply tailored separates, draped dresses and quilted jackets served as a finale for fashion week.

Wang, who was mentored by Burberry's chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, follows in the footsteps of former Fashion Fringe winner Erdem Moralioglu, who has gone on to garner international appeal and also presented at London Fashion Week this season.

"It feels exciting and I wanted to see how far I can make it myself," Wang said.

DOMINOES
Anya Hindmarch provided relief from the darker collections of the final day, with an elaborate display of 60,000 dominoes that tumbled around a course of trapdoors and pyramids.

The British accessories designer showcased her collection of satchels, clutches with graphic prints and handbags with giant tassels.

"The whole inspiration behind the collection was about games, so looking at dominoes and backgammon boards and all the kind of amazing graphics and colors," Hindmarch told Reuters.

All eyes now turn towards Milan's fashion week, which kicks off on Wednesday, before the finale of the season in Paris.

Westwood mixes politics and fashion

Few designers so consistently mix fashion with politics, or manage to secure her fans' adoration with the same looks almost every season. But Vivienne Westwood is not any designer.

The flame-haired grand dame of British fashion on Sunday sent her models walking down the catwalk in her signature tight-fitting dresses and nipped-in jackets, then in the finale joined them wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a giant image of her own face and a slogan that read "I am Julian Assange."

As always, Westwood was less interested in talking about her designs than about climate change, a subject she has long campaigned about.

"There's no latest thing, it's all rubbish," she said, brushing off questions about fashion. Instead, she patiently explained to reporters why she feels so passionately about her climate change campaign.
"Every small thing you do can really change your life," she said. "And the first thing they must do is inform themselves, believe the scientists . then they'll stop being consumers and start being more interested in the world."

It's anyone's guess how many people attending the Vivienne Westwood Red Label autumn collection shared her enthusiasm, but the crowds were clearly taken by the designs shown on the catwalk, which was held at the Saatchi Gallery.

Although the makeup was startling — chalky white faces paired with eyes and lips outlined in stark, cartoonish lines — the clothes lived up to her legendary fame.

Jackets and blazers were beautifully tailored to accentuate the waist and hips, and dresses were draped in all the right places to draw the eye to the curves. The palette highlighted a delicious plum, teals, and metallics.

There were dramatic pieces, for sure: a metallic zebra-stripe was printed on coats and a striking prom style dress with stiff underskirts, and an iridescent foil-like tight biker jacket that shimmered purple and green was paired with harem pants dripping in sequins.

Westwood has been selling the Assange T-shirts to raise support for the WikiLeaks founder, who is living in the Ecuador's Embassy in London. He is seeking asylum from the country to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault questions.

Ri Ri For River Island: Rihanna Launches Fashion Line At London Fashion Week

Last year Kanye West showcased his first fashion collection at Paris Fashion Week. The reception was mixed at best (“Rap with a capital ‘c’” is how one journalist put it). So when it was announced that fellow music industry darling Rihanna was to debut her collaboration with high-street retailer River Island at London Fashion Week, it was met with a healthy amount of scepticism — this despite Ri Ri’s own excited tweets in the lead up (“My designs will walk the catwalks of London Fashion Week in days!! It’s gonna be MAJAH”).

Rihanna’s show last night certainly added A-list glitz — and bling — to the Fashion Week circuit, but some insiders bemoaned the star for stealing the spotlight from up-and-coming British talent Thomas Tait, whose show was happening at the same time down the road. After all, it took Victoria Beckham (who, at the time of Rihanna’s show, was, coincidentally, in London town and on the judging panel of a Woolmark Prize event), the better part of a decade to transform herself from Posh Spice into a designer with real credibility.

The whole shebang did seem more like a concert than a fashion show. A scrub of paparazzi jostled outside the venue while hip-hop beats pulsated throughout. There was a stage in lieu of a runway. And, much to the annoyance of reporters comatose with exhaustion after running around in heels all day, things didn’t kick off until 50 minutes after the scheduled start time.

When it did start, to the blare of Kanye West, Jay-Z and Big Sean’s ‘Clique’, fierce faced models strutted between a series of nightclub podiums. The clothes struck a balance between sexy and sporty, urban and utilitarian. There were hooded jumpsuits, grey marl jersey skirts split at the thigh and mullet (long at the back, short at the front) spaghetti strap dresses. There was a heavy dose of nineties nostalgia too — many a toned midriff was on show and there was lots of denim, including a pair of dungarees. Accessories included backwards caps and hoop earrings. Rihanna’s signature shirt tied around waist look also made it into the collection.

Mighty Burberry Versus Fagin's Fashion Forgers

In this era of e-vites, (yes, we want to save trees), what a rare delight; a truly lovely fashion show invitation.

This is from Burberry.

Yet there is another reason it makes my heart beat fast. The intricacy of the paper-cut skyline, the delicacy of the paper trees; what a challenge to an ardent fashion forger.

I was once one myself.

My greatest achievements include getting eleven people into a Gianni Versace show at the Paris Ritz on a single ticket (and to the after-party too). Of course, John Galliano’s romantic invitations were a gift to one prepared to turn a little hotel room into Fagin¹s Fashion Forgers inc.

One season, Galliano’s show invitation was a battered flute. Too easy; the junior of the fashion team from the British newspaper for which I used to write was dispatched to scour music stores and then buy a hammer in a hardware store on the way back.

An invite featuring an old key and a luggage tag was such a disappointment; we’d knocked out a score of those by lunchtime only for half the team to be thwarted by security posted at the tiny door to the massive mansion that was the venue.

My favourite ever was the pirate map, charred around the edges. Our resident artist was set to work. A pint of milk was purchased, its contents gently brushed over pages. The night porter was coerced to letting us in to the hotel kitchen (“We’re English and must make toast!”)

Happy days.

This morning, I bumped in to David Downton, who is artist-in-residence at Claridge’s and is not, I wish to make clear, the artist cited above. But that’s only because he failed the job interview. Asked if he would be prepared to climb through a toilet window to see a fashion show – surely a reasonable question – he looked startled. Clearly, he was a no.

I do have regrets. Every time I see Mr Downton’s wondrous work (Cate Blanchett picked out in pen on the cover of Vogue Australia, his rendition in paint of Daphne Guinness in Vanity Fair) I feel somewhat like the judge of Miss Teen Niagara, 1978, who failed to notice that Linda Evangelista was going to be a star. But then, while Downton’s skills in portraiture are peerless, frankly he was never cut out for Fagin’s Fashion Forgers.

Which brings us back to cut outs. I do hope that a fashion-obsessed bright young thing is, right now, busy with a small pair of nail scissors. The British Fashion Council is dedicated to nurturing the future generation. By sharing the skills that underpin my career,  I like to feel I am doing my bit.

Travel Postcard: 48 hours in London during Fashion Week

London's Autumn/Winter 2013 Fashion Week runs from February 15 - February 19 and is one of the best times to visit the British capital, abuzz with fresh designs and creativity on and off the catwalk.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge show how to make the most of a short visit to the British capital and where to find good food, fun and of course fashion.

FRIDAY
6 p.m. - Whether you've just checked into your hotel or spent the day devouring designs from the catwalk, celebrate the first day of shows with oysters and champagne at J. Sheekey Oyster Bar. A stone's throw away from Somerset House - where most of the fashion action happens - you're bound to run into a few fashionistas out on the town.

8 p.m. - The Victoria and Albert Museum of art and design houses the world's largest dress collection and is a must-see for fashion fiends. On Fridays visitors can enjoy live performances, installations, cutting-edge fashion, debates and guest DJs at the museum's late-night exhibition opening.
SATURDAY

9 a.m. - Wake up bright and early to get nimble with a reformer pilates class at Ten Pilates in up-market Mayfair. There's no subscription or joining fee, so it's perfect for those passing through town. Don't overdo it - make sure you choose the right class out of beginner, intermediate and advanced.

11.30 a.m. - Head to Liberty London, known locally as "Liberty's". The department store's founder nurtured the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau scene and it is famed for its floral and graphic prints. Nowadays Liberty's Tudor-style beams are home to irresistible designer collections. Get a blow-dry and manicure worthy of London Fashion Week's front rows in the atelier of celebrity colorist Josh Wood, recently launched in store.

4 p.m. - For more avant-garde designer pieces, sashay down to Dover Street Market near Green Park underground station. Brainchild of Comme des Garcons founder Rei Kawakubo, it stocks London Fashion Week favorites Christopher Kane, Erdem and Simone Rocha.

5 p.m. - Around the corner is the Royal Academy of Arts where you can admire Japanese sculptor Mariko Mori's critically acclaimed exhibition "Rebirth".

6 p.m. - Tuck into a pre-theatre ceviche at the Peruvian restaurant of the moment Lima before catching Helen Mirren resume the role that won her an Oscar in 2006. In a limited season, she stars as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience" - a play about the monarch's private meetings with British prime ministers.

10:30 p.m. - The stunningly designed Sketch restaurant and bar on Conduit Street is sure to be a fashion week hangout for those in the business. Go late doors to soak in the atmosphere and have a few cocktails. The gallery, created by Turner Prize winner Martin Creed, is one of Sketch's five spaces and is at once an exhibition, an artwork and a restaurant.

SUNDAY
11:30 a.m. - Join the long line of hipsters queuing at the inconspicuous door of the Breakfast Club tucked away on Artillery Lane in Spitalfields. Sip a "morning mojito" spiked with gold rum alongside your eggs royale.

If you find yourself there in the evening, sneak behind the big SMEG fridge door - and you'll be in basement speakeasy The Mayor Of Scaredy Cat Town.

1 p.m. - The London fashion experience would not be complete without a vintage find - Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair (www.clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk) takes place on the Sunday of Fashion Week at the beautiful Old Finsbury Town Hall.

4 p.m. - Stop by the brutalist Barbican to experience what it's like to control the rain in Random International's popular art installation.

7 p.m. - Round off your trip with some modern British food at trendy Hix at the Tramshed, run by seasoned English chef and restaurateur Mark Hix. Not one for vegetarians, the menu is cheekily echoed in a large, specially commissioned art work by British artist Damien Hirst in the middle of the restaurant - a cockerel perched on a cow in a glass tank of formaldehyde.

Rising Stars Tailor Dreams From The Ground Up

When designers show off their collections at New York's Fashion Week it's a big deal. With fashion press and buyers from all over the world on hand, high-profile designers treasure their coveted spots under the tents.

But for many emerging designers like Adrian Alicea, the long road to fashion's walk of fame starts in a Harlem apartment with clothes literally hanging off the walls.

"There isn't a lot of attention given to new designers because of the mainstream designers but there is a lot of talent out there that needs to be recognized," says Alicea.

Alicea is daring and thinks outside the box. His 2012 couture collection is aptly called "exotic birds". The former model who started designing in 2000 has devoted fans.

"Sophistication, glamour...just everything. I'm always astonished what I see when I come into the showroom," said one fan.

Thomas Woodard also has legions of fans. He worked behind the scenes learning the ropes for 15 years at major fashion houses like DKNY, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren and Nautica. Now he's striking out on his own with his ready to wear label, Thomas LaVone. He's even styling cover models like Alek Wek.


"The vision is always about redefining yourself, always making yourself better. I took that personal and also took that for the line," says Woodard.
NY1 recently met the rising star at MIST studios in Harlem where he gave us an exclusive look at his latest styles.

"He's a technical designer and he makes glamorous clothes. He can make anything," says Fashion Avenue News Publisher Sofia Davis.

Both designers are showing their latest collections at different venues around the city, but fashion insiders believe that a tent at Lincoln Center is in their future.

Locals to go behind the scenes at Fashion Week

When Entertainment Tonight starts rolling footage of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week or Vogue magazine prints photos from the event, people might be seeing the work of a Carlisle hair stylist and a makeup artist.

They just won’t know it.

Rachael Brooke, a professional make-up artist and aesthetician, and Jaime Freet, an Aveda certified colorist and stylist, who work at Tranquility salon are among only 15 people to be chosen to be on the hair and makeup teams for Aveda at fashion week, which starts Thursday in New York City.

The event, which runs through Feb. 14, features top designers and models and attracts celebrities from around the world as high fashion takes to runways around the city.

“Mainly, it’s the most popular trends of the upcoming season,” Brooke said.

And she doesn’t mean spring – she means Fall 2013.

Fashion week won’t be a place for the two women to show off their own creativity in their

selected fields. For both hair and make-up, team leads will show the stylists and makeup artists how to do the look one time. It’s up to the artists to recreate the look identically.

“I think we’re both pretty much into fashion. We’ve both been inspired to do fashion week,” Freet said.

The Aveda representative who checks in with the salon and keeps it up to date on new products and classes recommended the two women for fashion week and put them in touch with the right contacts to take the next step.

“What we had to do was complete a two-part classroom prep course in fashion runway (looks),” Brooke said.

The class was held at Aveda Advanced Academy in Soho, New York City, where they were taught all the logistics and techniques they needed to know to create high fashion looks. The classes also included etiquette instruction to prepare the two for the high pressure atmosphere – and personalities – that come with fashion week.

Etiquette translates to keeping cool despite the high pressure and the potential arrival of celebrities backstage. It also means remembering the models are human beings getting dragged around from place to place. They’re young and some won’t even speak English, Brooke said.

After finishing the workshop, Freet and Brooke were invited to fashion week. They will continue to be invited back every year unless there’s a problem with their work this year.

Brooke will be working on a team lead by Janell Geason, celebrity make-up artist and Aveda’s Global Artistic Director for Makeup. Freet will work with Jon Reyman, an Aveda instructor who has traveled around the world styling hair for celebrities and for models in runway shows for top designers.

“When we get there, we already have a lot of shows booked,” Freet said. They also have to be ready for any shows that pop up.

Freet said they will have to be prepared for anything as the models will be coming in from other shows. Makeup artists will have to remove and reapply makeup while the stylists will have to work with hair that may already be full of styling products.

Both hair and makeup are being done at the same time. “It’s like a team working on someone,” Brooke said.

The institute included a video to offer a taste of what it would be like at fashion week, but the women know the real thing will be much more intense as they work in small spaces.

“People are literally crowding you,” Freet said. “There’s a lot of pressure and I’m sure it’s not for everyone.”

“That’s what’s going to set apart the girls from the women,” Brooke said. “I want it so bad that I’ll make it be what I want it to be.”

The women said the instructors were clear on the fact that the two will be at fashion week as representatives of Aveda, not to promote themselves or to try to meet celebrities.

“It’s not about us. It’s about pleasing our leads,” Brooke said.

Freet and Brooke will be staying in the heart of the city during the event. “New York City is known for high fashion and it’s just going to be completely nuts that week,” Brooke said.

Brooke said the experience will set the two apart not just in the Carlisle community, but also statewide. They will bring back experience working in high fashion and with a variety of ethnicities. People will be able to request those high fashion looks.

“Unless you’re working in New York City, I don’t know where you’re going to get that,” Brooke said.

Both will continue to do classic looks for proms, weddings and other special occasions. “We will also have the ability to supersede and intensify looks,” Brooke said.

But, both women have goals that go beyond the first weeks back home after a whirlwind fashion week experience.

“I’m just looking forward to gaining knowledge and wisdom in this industry to get me to another level and be the best I can be,” Brooke said.

“I would love to be an educator and be known for my work,” Freet said. “I think we both would aspire to something like that.”

Kourtney reveals post-baby bikini bod

How does Jane Fonda get her age-defying body? Which singing star is trying to lose weight? A round-up of all the major fashion-related news right here.

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West want fashionable baby

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian says her rapper boyfriend Kanye West wants to dress their baby
up in fashionable clothing including chains and leather trousers.

The 32-year-old socialite and West already have big plans for their unborn child, who is due in July, and are going to kit the tiny tot out in custom-made clothes so it can look as fashionable as them, reported E! online.

Speaking on chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kim said, "If anyone knows Kanye, they just know how into fashion he is, and I think he's going to have things, like, specially made. I don't think hand-me-downs are going to work. I think it has to be, like, really fun stuff."

Asked what fashion-forward items it will be wearing, Kim added, "Chains... leather pants!"

While the baby was unplanned, Kim confessed that West, 35, is over the moon about becoming a father for the first time.

"We talked about it, but it was a nice surprise.... He is so excited, it's really cute how excited he is," she said.

Fashion Union Become Official Sponsors of Chasing The Saturdays

Leading online retailer Fashion Union are very excited to announce that they are the headline sponsor for Sky channel E!’s new reality show, ‘Chasing The Saturdays’.

The campaign starts on 3rd February and runs for ten weeks and the online women’s wear brand are sponsoring girl-group The Saturdays’ new reality show on E! in which they take on life in Hollywood and begin work on their new album. The show will broadcast once a week with a minimum of five additional repeats per week. TV spots will include opening and closing credits as well as four five-second bumper breaks per show.

The campaign, which is targeted primarily at women between 16 and 34, aims to continue to raise the profile of Fashion Union and further position the retailer as the one stop online destination for up-to-the-minute women’s clothing and fashion. Activity will also include an online push via social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, including a competition to win The Saturdays’ latest look.

Fashionunion.com launched in 2009 and has swiftly become a leader within online fast fashion. The brand targets the on trend women’s wear shopper, fashionunion.com boasts an extensive and regularly updated collection, which includes the latest catwalk and celeb inspired trends in women’s wear, including going out dresses, mix and match separates, women’s shoes and accessories.

Pawan Khosla, CEO at Fashion Union said: “This is a major campaign for Fashion Union. It’s the first time we’ve explored TV advertising in this nature and E!’s audience is a great fit for this campaign which is very much in-line with our targets and business objectives. “There is a clear synergy between Fashion Union as a clothing brand and the programme content of ‘Chasing The Saturdays’. Out target audience has a real affiliation with the girl group and this sponsorship allows Fashion Union to remain front of mind when viewers are looking to recreate the outfits worn by The Saturdays in the show which fits in perfectly with Fashion Union’s commercial strategy.”

Fashion industry turns to social media

Our generation, otherwise known as “Generation Y,” has come to rely heavily on social media.

Fashion is constantly changing, so those involved in fashion have to keep up with what’s “hip” in order to successfully reach their audience.

Blogs, Twitter and Instagram, have changed the fashion industry.
Here’s a rundown of social media forums and mediums to help you keep up with what has come to create a rather “intimate” relationship between fashion and the digital realm and what you can to do stay in the game.

Blogs
If you want to make it in the fashion industry, it is essential to have your own blog where you can showcase your personal style and what aspect of the fashion world you’re interested in.
“Electornic portfolios” are another sort of blog where you can add your resume, examples of your work and whatever else you want potential employers to see.

Employers want to understand who you are, and with the help of a blog and an electronic portofolio, you can prove to them why you’re the right person for the job.

What to use: Blogspot.com is a popular site for blogs, as is wordpress.com for an electronic portfolio.
A quick note on the more technical always look at the AP Stylebook to make sure you don’t make any grammar or punctuation mistakes.

If your writing is not accurate, readers will not take you as seriously. 
Contrary to the importance of having a blog, you should always be reading blogs.
Whether the blog is your friend’s, or just someone’s that you are inspired by, it’s so important that you keep up with what’s going on in the fashion industry.

Some great blogs are Cupcakes and Cashmere, Man Repeller and Who What Wear. Also keep up with sites like FDLuxe, Business of Fashion, Women’s Wear Daily and Style.com.

Twitter
Many bloggers, magazines and fashion gurus have turned to Twitter as an alternate method to entertain their fans.

Because “tweets” can be updated on a regular basis, Twitter creates an even more personal feel.
And, thanks to the high traffic rates on Twitter, these individuals and companies are getting a lot of free publicity.

So if you have a blog or are thinking of creating one, make a Twitter account with the same name, or a similar one so your followers can be consistently updated on what you’re up to.

Some great Twitter accounts to follow are @nytimesfashion, @wwdmarketplace and @cfda.
Also, be sure to check out the “about” section of a blogger’s page. They may have a Twitter you didn’t even know about.

Instagram
Instagram is definitely one of the most recent fads that has taken fashion to a whole new level.
Bloggers, fashion magazines and anyone else who simply loves fashion can upload pictures of runway shows and their outfits of the day (otherwise known as #ootd).

With the editing option, Instagram has created a more enjoyable experience when it comes to sharing pictures. And, like Twitter, they can use hash tags that will lead the “instagrammer” to similar pictures that have been taken by other people in the Instagram sphere.

But it doesn’t end there. Instagram allows users to “add your location” so you can let your friends know where you were when the picture was taken.

Apps
Then there are the applications, otherwise know as the “apps” that are made for iPhones, Androids, iPads and Tablets.

As it has been said, “there’s an app for that.” This is undoubtedly true — whether it’s to deposit a check or to get some great “pick-up lines,” you can find an app to do just that.

So of course there are apps for everything fashion-related.

Magazines, like Vogue and ELLE, have subscription apps that will give you access to the magazine so you can look at it anytime and anywhere without having to lug around a stack of your favorite reads.

Other apps can give you quick rundowns of current trends (Vogue Stylist), make it easy to shop online (HauteLook and H&M) right on your device or give you advice on how to style an outfit (Style Book).

So why have they all jumped on the social media bandwagon? Well, because social media is making things more easily accessible and more appealing to this generation, which- let’s admit it, is obsessed with all things digital.

Kate Upton Just Passed A Major Milestone In The Fashion World

Kate Upton has publicly said that she wants to be more than a swimsuit model.
She proved she has what it takes to succeed in fashion with several Vogue editorials.

But now, Upton has passed another major milestone: her first major fashion campaign.

Upton is starring in a campaign for Sam Edelman shoes, a role previously held by couture model Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Women's Wear Daily reported.

Advertising guru David Lipman, who ran the campaign, said he chose Upton for her curvy body.

" We chose Kate because she isn’t stick thin. She’s beautiful and all-American,” he told WWD.

Sam Edelman said Upton caught his eye because she was often photographed wearing a pair of his equestrian boots.

Upton told Vogue last year that she aspired to walk runways and do a "big, glamorous ad campaign."
But the 20-year-old has been snubbed by much of the industry. She's never walked a major runway campaign and was famously rejected by Victoria's Secret.

Why does much of the industry shun Upton?
Our theory is that like Kim Kardashian, the industry is turning a cold shoulder because it prefers waifish models to voluptuous, overtly sexy women.

But Upton's manager at IMG said he always believed in her potential.

"Kate’s only beginning to first realize the power that she has… A lot of products are now approaching us because she’s accessible and women are captivated by her. Last year it became very clear in my mind that she was a supermodel like Cindy Crawford," Ivan Bart told the New York Daily News.

India has indigenous fashion handwriting: Ritu Kumar

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Veteran fashion designer Ritu Kumar, who has been named for the Padma Shri award, takes pride in the fact that the Indian fashion industry can still boast of having an indigenous identity.

"I am deeply appreciative of the fact that the government has recognised my efforts in the field of fashion, textile and craftsmanship. India remains (to be among) very few countries which have an indigeneous and a very strong fashion handwriting, not dictated by Paris or New York, but is evolving with the designers of the country," Kumar said in a statement Saturday.

Active in the fashion industry since 40 years, Ritu Kumar began her work with four block printers and two tables in a small village near Calcutta, and was the first woman to introduce the 'boutique' culture in India under the brand name 'Ritu'.

Since then, she has grown to be one of the most formidable names in the country's fashion scene, and has also helped make its local textiles global.

"I am grateful for the support I have received from the crafts people of this country," added Kumar, who now has her outlets in 14 cities in the country.

The 68-year-old's designs reflect rich Indian cultural heritage and her forte lies in traditional Indian designs.

Kumar was recently in the news for designing costumes for a wedding sequence in Deepa Mehta's forthcoming "Midnight's Children", based on Salman Rushdie's Booker Prize winnng novel of the same name. Earlier, she designed for films like "Love Breakups Zindagi" and styled Freida Pinto for a few of her scenes in "Slumdog Millionaire".

Her clientele includes Jemima Khan, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai and almost all the winners of the Miss India titles. She had even designed for late Princess Diana.

Her fascination for tie and dye pattern appealed to former Spice Girls singer Mel B so much that she asked Kumar to design the band's clothes for one of their shows.

No sign of fashion prizes

Dunedin fashion graduate Emily Scott is still waiting to receive more than $15,000 worth of prizes from Australian Graduates Fashion Week, more than two months after winning the inaugural event in Sydney.

The Otago Daily Times has been told others associated with the November event are also out of pocket and have taken legal action against organisers.

Miss Scott (21) won $10,000 to launch her fashion design career, a $5000 website package, a two-page spread in international fashion magazine Cielo and various other prizes.

But she said calls and emails to event organisers had been ignored and she doubted whether she would ever receive her prizes.

''The whole thing just seems like a joke. If this is how they are going to run it, I don't think it will go very far,'' she said.

An Australian public relations employee who worked for Australian Fashion Graduates Week said the event had ''turned sour'' and Miss Scott was not the only one owed money.

The ex-employee asked to remain anonymous because she did not want to be associated with the competition.

''Myself and several other team members have not received payment for work, nor reimbursement for things we paid for.

''I spoke to Emily before Christmas and advised her to take the same action I have taken, to get legal help for this matter,'' she said.

''Unfortunately, a great event has turned sour and given itself a bad reputation,'' the woman said.

Project co-ordinator Elmedin Kumalic said delays in getting prizes to winners were beyond his control.

He said the $10,000 cash prize was only registered in Australia, despite the competition being opened to New Zealanders. The money had proved difficult to transfer. He said Miss Scott would receive the money in the next week, as well as her other prizes.

''She was advised there was going to be a delay,'' he said.

Mr Kumalic said other prize winners were also waiting to receive products, which had been late coming from sponsors.

He did not know the details about money owed to former employees, but said it was being dealt with. He said prize delays were unfortunate and had been made worse by businesses closing over Christmas and the New Year.

He was unable to comment on whether the event would be held again.

Cielo editor Dimitri Frost, who also judged the competition, said yesterday he had been overseas for work and unable to arrange the spread which was part of the prize. He said he would feature Ms Scott's work as she had been promised.

It was the first major competition Miss Scott had entered, and she was left disillusioned.

''You just presume that if you win something you will actually receive it.''

The event included 32 fashion graduates from Australia and New Zealand, of which Miss Scott was one of three entrants from the Otago Polytechnic School of Design.

She travelled to Sydney with her parents and sister to see her garments modelled at the competition, for which she paid a $98 entry fee.

''I was so excited about winning. It was amazing to be praised by the judges. They said my collection was cohesive. They loved the accessories and colours used, and they appreciated the unconventional cuts of my garments.

''All that excitement and elation has now disappeared, I feel really let down and frustrated.''

Otago Polytechnic academic leader of fashion Margo Barton said it was extremely concerning a graduate appeared to have been ''ripped off''.

''This is an appalling way to treat a young designer and the organisers of this event should be very embarrassed. It's a disgrace that such an exciting moment in Emily's career has been tarnished by this level of unprofessionalism. She deserves her prize,'' Dr Barton said.

Fashion competition fails to pay prize

Dunedin-based fashion designer Emily Scott hasn’t yet received the $10,000 prize money she is entitled to after winning the inaugural Australian Graduates Fashion Week held at Carriageworks in Sydney in November 2012.

After several broken promises about payment from the event’s Project Manager, Elmedin (Elmo) Kumalic, Emily is now concerned she may never receive her $10,000, nor the swag of other merchandise she won including a $5,000 website created by Fly Finch Fly, a double-page spread in the international magazine, CIELO, and a substantial cosmetics and accessories gift pack.

"It’s been so difficult to contact Elmo - he has only occasionally replied to my repeated emails and messages," she explains. "When I have managed to get hold of him, he first told me the money would be through before Christmas. Then he said by 11-14 January, and finally I was informed it would be in my account by Wednesday 23 January. However, there’s still no sign of it. I’m really disappointed and upset and I think it’s incredibly unprofessional." The Bachelor of Design (Fashion) graduate from Otago Polytechnic beat out 31 others from New Zealand and Australia to win Australian Graduates Fashion Week, thanks to her colourful and progressive collection. Not only did Emily pay for her own airfares and accommodation in Sydney, she also paid organisers an entry fee of $AUD79.

"I was so excited about winning," recalls Emily. "It was amazing to be praised by the judges. They said my collection was cohesive, and they loved the accessories and colours used. They also said they appreciated the unconventional cuts of my garments. All that excitement and elation has now disappeared, really. I feel let down and really frustrated."

Otago Polytechnic’s Academic Leader - Fashion, Margo Barton, says she’s extremely concerned that one of her graduates appears to have been ripped off. "This is an appalling way to treat a young designer, and the organisers of this event should be very embarrassed. It’s a disgrace that such an exciting moment in Emily’s career has been tarnished by this level of unprofessionalism. She deserves her prize."

The judging panel at Australian Graduates Fashion Week was made up of fashion designers Nicola Finetti, Paolo Sebastian and Phoenix Keating; Editor of CIELO magazine, Dimitri Frost; and international fashion photographer, Elvis Di Fazio.

Gaultier gives Paris fashion Gypsies, Valentino goes Renaissance

Jean Paul Gaultier chose swirling translucent veils, the sound of sitars, and the insouciance of Gypsy culture for his haute couture show on Tuesday, while Valentino opted for an ethereal yet decorative look that evoked the bloom of the Renaissance.

The Spring 2013 collections presented on Wednesday by the two design houses, one French and one Italian, found inspiration from different epochs and parts of the globe, pointing to the diversity seen during Paris Fashion Week, the creme de la creme of the global fashion industry.

Gaultier, often labeled the bad boy of French fashion, turned eastward to India for inspiration, transporting his audience to Rajasthan, with sinewy models sporting oversized earrings and billowy veils in periwinkle, tangerine and pink.

Valentino - under new owners the Qatari royal family and with the designing duo of Maria Grazie Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli at the helm - presented a more sober but no less theatrical vision. Gowns that a 15th century queen would have been proud of featured patterns that brought to mind iron grillwork in a formal garden.

This range of options for women willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a made-to-order haute couture outfit help prop up the global women's luxury apparel market, estimated at 27 billion euros ($35 billion) and growing, according to consultancy Bain & Company.

Only a small number of houses such as Christian Dior, Chanel and Giorgio Armani are allowed to exhibit haute couture in Paris, where manufacturing is carefully regulated and work must be sewn by hand in order to be considered haute couture.

At Gaultier, majority owned by Spanish family luxury group Puig, some expected an elephant as the grand finale, but instead a delightful Mother Goose moment saw an elaborately decorated bride flipping up her voluminous skirt to reveal four little children who scampered down the runway to applause.

Backstage, Gaultier said it was not the first time he had been influenced by India, but this time he evoked the Gypsies, a migratory people whose centuries-old ancestral home is India.

"It's glimmering, it's incredible the colors that you see, it's superb," he told reporters, speaking of Rajasthan. "I tried to recreate a bit of that, but more the Gypsy side, rather than the Maharaja side. It's more like couture Gypsies."

The audience - which included French film star Catherine Deneuve and actress Rossy de Palma, a muse of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar - began furiously snapping photos at the appearance of a black form-fitting gown with an exposed brassiere whose diaphanous hot pink veil added a jolt of color.
Bold stripes, tight pleating and even fringe figured prominently in the collection, where a dose of colorful patchwork offered a fresh, devil-may-care attitude.

Gaultier said the patchwork was hard to recreate, but offered a fashion tip to anyone with scissors.
"In the time of economic crisis, those who are game, take your old clothes, cut them up and make patchwork! It's a new outfit!"

The liner notes for Valentino's collection described it as "sublime art" and indeed, many of the looks could have been stolen from a Botticelli painting.

With founder Valentino Garavani, who retired in 2008, in the front row, guests admired the parade of ivory, black and carnal red dresses, where heavy embroidery reminiscent of armor nevertheless imparted a light, evanescent feel.

"We think that beauty lies in the armor, in the proportion," Piccioli told Reuters. "That comes from the Renaissance, the proportion of Italian master paintings."

Silk piping wove its way across a translucent black cape covering a diaphanous white gown, the cape's swirls and geometric patterns evoking the ornamental gates to a garden.

High necklines and tight long sleeves evoked the gowns one sees adorning the marble tombs of many a deceased Renaissance-era queen, but Chiuri and Piccioli's work never felt old.

The decorative swirling pattern on some dresses evoked tapestries, while the sharp horizontal bodices of others recalled the Elizabethan-era.

Despite the many references to centuries gone by, the collection felt fresh and elegant. Backstage, a note to models summed up what the designers hoped to communicate: "You are all beautiful. Be Light. Be Delicate."

In an October 15 report, Bain forecast the worldwide luxury industry would bring in estimated revenues of 212 billion euros ($281.56 billion) in 2012, of which women's apparel would be a 27 billion euro slice.

Michelle Obama's inaugural gown puts fashion designer Jason Wu back in the spotlight

Jason Wu was a relative newcomer in the fashion world in January 2009 when Michelle Obama appeared at the inaugural gala wearing a one-shoulder chiffon gown by the designer, then just 26 years old.

Suddenly Wu, who was born in Taiwan, was on the map. He has spent the last four years building his consumer base and product assortment to include clothes at a variety of prices, accessories, and even cosmetics.
But for all the buzz, neither Wu nor industry insiders expected the first lady to wear another of his designs to the second-term inaugural ball. Seems like she fell in love with Wu's red velvet and chiffon dress with a diamond ring by Kimberly McDonald at the neckline. Photos of it were instantly seen and shared on social media around the globe Monday night.

"Inshock!!!" Wu tweeted.
"To be honest, I was surprised," said Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in New York. The organization has a membership of more than 400 top fashion industry talents, including Wu, who won its emerging designer award for women's wear in 2010.

"I've known him very well from the early years of his career," Kolb says. "He's basically the same person he was then. He's humble, and still has that childlike enthusiasm and excitement when something good happens."

But being a nice guy isn't going to get you far in the fashion business. "To succeed, no matter what opportunities you are given, if the talent isn't there, you have nothing to leverage," Kolb says.
The designer's ability to create clothes that are both modern and elegant set him apart from the pack, according to Ken Downing, senior vice president for fashion at Neiman Marcus. "A return engagement in elegance made for perfect partners when Michelle Obama chose Jason Wu again," Downing said in an email Tuesday. "Jason once again proved he is a designer that transcends generations."

The 2013 inaugural gown will be donated to the National Archives for display in a future Obama presidential library, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Her first inaugural gown was given to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., where the ensemble is exhibited in the first ladies collection.

Wu is savvy about business as well as being creative. His company has grown from four to 30 employees as he continues to produce his seasonal fashion collections sold at such stores as Neiman Marcus. He also launched a high-end handbag and shoe line, and collaborated with Target in 2012. Among the designer's latest ventures is his Miss Wu contemporary line of clothing for Nordstrom, in stores and online this month.

Wu dedicated his life to his creative pursuits beginning at an early age. His family moved to Canada when he was 9 and he started designing and sewing clothes, using dolls as his first models, according to the biography on his website. At age 14, Wu went to Tokyo to study sculpture. He decided to become a fashion designer after spending his senior year of high school in Paris. Fashion studies followed at New York's Parsons School of Design and Wu launched his first collection in 2006. In 2008, he was a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominee for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear and received the Fashion Group International's Rising Star award.

"He's part of what I like to the call the new generation of American talent," Kolb says of a group that includes such designers as Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung and Thom Browne, whose coat Michelle Obama wore to Monday's swearing-in ceremony. "There hasn't been a pool of talent like this in some time."