French fashion brand Lacoste has chosen retired Brazilian tennis player Gustavo Kuerten as the new face for its "Unconventional Chic" campaign. The three-time champion of the French Open (between 1997-2001) appears in the company's new ads, some of which were shot in black and white. When the choice was announced by the brand behind the crocodile logo, the tennis player described the French Open and Lacoste as being part of his childhood dreams, now "become reality." Kuerten, nicknamed "Guga," is also involved with an institute designed to help disabled and underprivileged children take part in sports activities.
Behind the Scenes in Paris with tennis legend Gustavo Kuerten and Lacoste Creative Director Felipe Oliveira Baptista at Paris’ historic Ecole des Beaux Arts.
The Brazilian tennis champion,"Guga", shares with Lacoste a very special link with French Open "Roland Garros". "When I was young, Roland Garros and Lacoste were part of my dreams. Today I live this spectacular reality, it's another magic lifetime experience" said Gustavo Kuerten, who perfectly embodies Lacoste's brand values of relaxed elegance, style and "joie de vivre". see:
Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto has spoken out about her plans for a signature plus size fashion line comprising simple basics, which she says would be "the IKEA of clothes for fat girls and boys."
"It wouldn't be crazy designs - it would be simple. I want to make the IKEA of clothes for fat girls and boys. Cheap, affordable, basic - but ethically made. Basics, you know?" Ditto told vulture.com in an interview May 24. The musician is also interested in nurturing her passion for vintage attire via an online store and is looking for the right partner for such a project. "I want to do a ‘buy the outfit' function, and I want to show how outfits look on all kinds of different body types, even boys and butches," she added. "It's high concept, and I don't have time. I'd need to find someone to work with me on it, but I'm also very controlling about this, just like I am with Gossip stuff." Ditto also commented on the controversy following Chanel creative director and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's comments earlier this year that songstress Adele has "a divine voice and a beautiful face," but is "a little too fat." "First of all, Karl Lagerfeld is not even sane. Second of all, he's not the end-all, be-all of what he does. He's really talented, but that doesn't mean he's right," said the singer. "Third, Karl Lagerfeld used to be this really fat, eccentric dude. He always had that fat kid fan with him, too. To me, only a person who was fat could get away with saying something like that."
Following hot on the heels of the Met Ball debut live stream earlier this month, the upcoming Council of Fashion Designers of America- CFDA Awards will be broadcast online in their entirety for the first time. Until now, the prestigious annual ceremony has never been televised and has been strictly industry focused, although fashionistas will be able to catch all the action from the 2012 edition when it is broadcast on Style.com a day after the June 4 awards. Style.com staff will also update fans live on social media, Instagram and Tumblr as the New York ceremony takes place. In a similar fashion to the Met Ball stream, in which reporter William Norwich and model Elettra Wiedemann hosted red carpet coverage, fashion journalist Tim Blanks will be providing interviews and other exclusives as part of the CFDA Awards broadcast.
Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA said, “We are thrilled to be able to share American fashion’s biggest night with the public for the first time and to be working with Style.com on this incredible project. This is an amazing opportunity to expand our audience as we open this exclusive industry event to fashion lovers around the world. It is not to be missed. Tune in and watch as we celebrate this year’s winners.”
“We are excited to team up with the CFDA on the first-ever digital broadcast of one of fashion’s most important events,” said Dirk Standen, Editor in Chief of Style.com. “From the beginning, it has been the mission of Style.com to use technology to bring our global, fashion obsessed audience behind the closed doors of fashion. This 50th anniversary show gives us an opportunity to do just that while allowing us to celebrate and give broader exposure to the incredible work of American designers.
more: The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers. As of 2009, Diane von Fürstenberg is the group's President and Steven Kolb is the Executive Director. Founded in 1962, the CFDA continues to advance the status of fashion design as a branch of American art and culture; to raise its artistic and professional standards; to define a code of ethical practices of mutual benefit in public and trade relations; and, to promote appreciation of the fashion arts through leadership in quality and aesthetic discernment. In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, the organization is committed to nurturing the development of the American fashion industry’s future designers. The CFDA’s Educational Initiatives provide support and resources for students at the high school, collegiate and post-graduate levels. In addition, CFDA supports working designers in the early stages and throughout their careers. Among those efforts include the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the Business of Fashion and the Business Service Network (BSN). The CFDA, through the CFDA Foundation, Inc., mobilizes its membership to support important charitable causes: Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, The CFDA Health initiative and The CFDA-Vogue Initiative for HIV and AIDS (7th on Sale).
Despite its increasing innovations in the online arena, Louis Vuitton hasn't forgotten the art of letter writing, with reports that the French luxury house is planning to expand its stationery offerings with more "paper goods and related paraphernalia." The expansion plans follow the house's announcement earlier this year that it will be venturing into the realm of perfume, and is said to tie in with the development of its boutique in Paris's Saint-Germain-des-Prés literary neighborhood - famous for its past associations with writers such as Ernest Hemingway. While there has not yet been an official announcement, sources told WWD this week that the leather goods label will be adding to its existing offerings which include pens, agendas and notebooks, with plans to "pump up its writing category."Other luxury labels to have ventured into the realm of stationery include Tiffany & Co. and Mulberry, while last year Oscar de la Renta revealed its collaboration with US luxury stationery firm Mrs. John L. Strong. The ornate set includes place cards, notecards and invitations adorned in bows and other common Oscar de la Renta motifs. (AFP Relax News)
Bianca Balti in a 1950s look for Dolce & Gabbana's new eyewear campaign
AFP Relax News - After releasing some teaser photos in February, Dolce & Gabbana has now unveiled the advertising film for its new line of eyewear -- frames and sunglasses. Directed by Luca Finotti and photographed by Giampaolo Sgura, this new campaign features Italian model Bianca Balti, who appears in a retro look with strong 1950s influences. The Matt-Silk collection by Dolce & Gabbana uses classic shapes and colors like cherry red, taupe, cerluean blue as well as lipstick pink, earth brown and jet black. In the words of the brand, the collection is "cool, pretty and perfectly in tune with this season's main trend: Fifties." The spokesmodel for this new line, Bianca Balti, was also featured in the design duo's 2012 spring/summer jewelry collection.
The Cannes Film Festival, historically intended to attract attention to the film industry, is also in part a competition. A select jury, comprised of actors, directors, and designers, will have to choose which outstanding movies deserve the prized awards. One member of the jury this year is the stunning Kruger, who looked flawless last night in a mint colored, floor sweeping gown.
Eva Herzigova in Dolce & Gabbana
With a body like that, it is no wonder supermodel Herzigova opted for a tight fit.
Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen
The redhead-of-the-moment looked stunning and sophisticated.
Eva Longoria in Marchesa
Undoubtedly the belle of the ball, the Desperate Housewife star was sensational in her form-fitting bodice and never-ending train.
Freida Pinto in Michael Angel
A splash of color is just what this festival needed.
Lana Del Rey in Alberto Ferretti
The songstress kept her look elegant yet chic.
Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior
The beautiful peach color compliments Cotillard's complexion and is a perfect choice for spending time in the French Riviera.
BURBERRY was awarded $100 million yesterday by a Manhattan Federal court, which ruled that a network of Chinese internet counterfeiters had infringed upon the brand's trademark.
WWD report that the defendants, who ran websites such as yesburberryvision.com and buyburberry.com, were known to have sold at least 22 different product types all bearing imitations of the British heritage brand's various trademarks, such as its iconic plaid check and equestrian knight logo.
The resolution of the case, which was originally filed in January at Manhattan Federal Court, comes after months of waiting for the defendants to reply to the accusations and appear in court - neither of which was ever done. The domain names for all the infringing sites will now be transferred to Burberry, allowing the brand to cut off any associated internet providers, web designers, sponsored search engine or ad-word providers, merchant account providers, payment processors and others from doing business with the defendants in this matter. Additionally, Burberry has won the right to intercept any associated monies held by PayPal Inc - the payment processor for the counterfeit sites - and will also now be able to hold third parties such as Google, Twitter and Facebook accountable for associating with the various sites. Last month, Hermes was also awarded approximately £63 million after winning their case against 34 counterfeit websites.
It’s not often that the opening act for an exhibition doubles as the most glamorous red carpet event of the year. And yet, that’s precisely what happened when The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala unleashed its fashion-forward attendees into its current juxtaposition of Italian luminaries Miuccia Prada (who donned a pantsuit for the affair) and the late Elsa Schiaparelli. Open to the public on May 10, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations compares and contrasts the two designers by constructing imagined discussions between them. Their dialogue, though fictive, is as captivatingly beautiful as each designers’ craft, representing fashion at its best. Both Prada and Schiaparelli had complex ideas that raise the presentation from beautiful to meaty.
A 1930s Vanity Fair column by Miguel Covarrubias (featuring fictional interviews between names like Greta Garbo and Calivin Coolidge) inspired the approach, which includes a Baz Luhrmann-directed short film of simulated conversations that frame the investigation of both designers’ legacies. Australian actress Judy Davis plays Schiaparelli, while Prada plays herself. Viewers get to eavesdrop on the exchange, where both women confess their fears, outline their goals, and debate the notion of fashion-as-art (unlike Prada, Schiaparelli believed fashion should be judged against objects in a museum). Both are staunch feminists who aspire to express beauty in innovative ways, and refused to follow trends or traditions. Curators Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda opted to divide Prada and Schiaparelli’s designs by theme after Bolton spent months interviewing Prada in Milan, studying Schiaparelli’s autobiography, and poring over both designers’ archives.
Even the fashion unconscious are likely familiar with Prada, the ubiquitous fashion heir who’s known for the “ugly aesthetic” she established in the 1990s, while Schiaparelli is less commonly known but hardly insignificant. The legendary designer had her heyday in the 1930s and passed away in 1973, leaving a legacy of Dada and Surrealist-inspired designs behind. She was Coco Chanel’s biggest rival (the French designer famously called her the “Italian artist who makes clothes”), dominated fashion between two World Wars, and collaborated with Salvador Dali and Alberto Giacometti. Schiaparelli introduced graphic knitwear to the fashion world and printed food, animals, and body parts onto her textiles. She wasn’t afraid of color, which she splashed on zippers that stitched up everything from evening dresses to sportswear, and incorporated quirky buttons, embroidered shirts, turbans, pom-pom-rimmed hats, and wedge shoes into her stylings. Her most iconic work, the black felt “Shoe” hat, is on view at the exhibition alongside a silk crepe de chine dress printed with matchsticks and an ebony cape embroidered with the image of Apollo.
Prada steadfastly holds that fashion is not art, and was initially surprised at the comparison of Schiaparelli and herself. The exhibition attempts to show viewers their similarities and how both designers fuse their conceptual approach with practicality—though we’re not sure if we, or Prada, are convinced.
It’s not often that the opening act for an exhibition doubles as the most glamorous red carpet event of the year. And yet, that’s precisely what happened when The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala unleashed its fashion-forward attendees into its current juxtaposition of Italian luminaries Miuccia Prada (who donned a pantsuit for the affair) and the late Elsa Schiaparelli. Open to the public on May 10, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations compares and contrasts the two designers by constructing imagined discussions between them. Their dialogue, though fictive, is as captivatingly beautiful as each designers’ craft, representing fashion at its best. Both Prada and Schiaparelli had complex ideas that raise the presentation from beautiful to meaty.
A 1930s Vanity Fair column by Miguel Covarrubias (featuring fictional interviews between names like Greta Garbo and Calivin Coolidge) inspired the approach, which includes a Baz Luhrmann-directed short film of simulated conversations that frame the investigation of both designers’ legacies. Australian actress Judy Davis plays Schiaparelli, while Prada plays herself. Viewers get to eavesdrop on the exchange, where both women confess their fears, outline their goals, and debate the notion of fashion-as-art (unlike Prada, Schiaparelli believed fashion should be judged against objects in a museum). Both are staunch feminists who aspire to express beauty in innovative ways, and refused to follow trends or traditions. Curators Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda opted to divide Prada and Schiaparelli’s designs by theme after Bolton spent months interviewing Prada in Milan, studying Schiaparelli’s autobiography, and poring over both designers’ archives.
Even the fashion unconscious are likely familiar with Prada, the ubiquitous fashion heir who’s known for the “ugly aesthetic” she established in the 1990s, while Schiaparelli is less commonly known but hardly insignificant. The legendary designer had her heyday in the 1930s and passed away in 1973, leaving a legacy of Dada and Surrealist-inspired designs behind. She was Coco Chanel’s biggest rival (the French designer famously called her the “Italian artist who makes clothes”), dominated fashion between two World Wars, and collaborated with Salvador Dali and Alberto Giacometti. Schiaparelli introduced graphic knitwear to the fashion world and printed food, animals, and body parts onto her textiles. She wasn’t afraid of color, which she splashed on zippers that stitched up everything from evening dresses to sportswear, and incorporated quirky buttons, embroidered shirts, turbans, pom-pom-rimmed hats, and wedge shoes into her stylings. Her most iconic work, the black felt “Shoe” hat, is on view at the exhibition alongside a silk crepe de chine dress printed with matchsticks and an ebony cape embroidered with the image of Apollo.
Prada steadfastly holds that fashion is not art, and was initially surprised at the comparison of Schiaparelli and herself. The exhibition attempts to show viewers their similarities and how both designers fuse their conceptual approach with practicality—though we’re not sure if we, or Prada, are convinced.
"I was brought up in a very feminine environment," Louboutin told a press conference to launch the 10-week exhibition. "I had three sisters, I had a father who was barely there." As a result, the 49-year-old said, he grew up with "the biggest love and the biggest respect for women".
A giant 3D hologram of a burlesque dancer greeted footwear-lovers Monday at a playful London exhibition marking 20 years since celebrated French shoe designer Christian Louboutin first set up shop. The exhibition at London's Design Museum features dozens of the Frenchman's creations, many of them displayed on a 17-metre (56-foot) version of the famous scarlet sole that features every Louboutin shoe. Lashings of glitter, ruffles and feathers reflect Louboutin's life-long fascination with showgirls, as does an enormous hologram of a glittering stiletto that turns into the sashaying image of burlesque star Dita von Teese.
"I am concerned by comfort and I know that it is important," said Louboutin, clad in a simple brown and red checked jacket. "But I do not wish to have that evoked in my designs. The idea of someone saying 'Oh my God, how comfortable it looks...'" He shudders. But recalling how Parisian showgirl friends would stuff their shoes with veal carpaccio to make them more comfortable, he conceded that "to suffer to be beautiful doesn't work". "It doesn't give you a nice smile," he said. "The aim with his stilettos is to make them "as comfortable as possible for that kind of shoe". The discomfort does not put off a host of celebrity fans including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, fashion designer and wife of English football star David Beckham. The exhibition takes visitors through the design process, from sketches to prototypes to the factory floor. Louboutin's witty designs, some of which are displayed with magnifying glasses to allow closer examination, include shoes featuring miniature Marie Antoinette-style wigs, and stilettos made entirely from plastic googly eyes. (AFP Relax News)
With rousing live performances from Manu Dibango and Imany, the fashion crowd thronged to Tommy Hilfiger’s Avenue des Champs-Elysées flagship on Thursday night for the Paris launch of “The Promise Collection,” a line manufactured in Africa with proceeds benefiting Millennium Promise, an international non-profit organization that aims to halve poverty in Africa by 2015.
Imany at the Paris launch of the “The Promise Collection”
“She’s amazing, she has soul in her voice,” said the night’s host, Yelena Noah, as she took in Imany’s concert in the store's sprawling basement. But she was quick to remind her entourage that the night was not just about entertainment. “It’s amazing. I mean it’s always nice to have a cocktail and to drink Champagne, but it’s important to remember what this is for,” she said. “I really like what they’re doing. It’s not charity just to give, it’s charity to create sustainable development , and Tommy Hilfiger, which is a huge, huge company, is giving 100 percent of the proceeds from the collection, which is quite rare. It’s quite beautiful.”
Noah, who is a jewelry designer, revealed she has a charitable project in the pipeline herself. She is developing a jewelry collection with women from a community in Suriname. “It will be based on their cultural identity, very ethnic looking. But it’s still in the pipeline,” explained Noah, adding that she hopes to launch it in the U.S., where she is based, this fall.(WWD)
TOMMY HILFIGER PROMISE COLLECTION Promise Collection cotton shift dress, £110
The Promise Collection, a suite of clothing inspired by designs from various African countries and made from textiles and materials procured from Africa. All proceeds from the collection will go to support Millennium Villages in Ruhiira, Uganda.
Through photos and video, the website features a trip the actress Katie Holmes made to Ruhiira earlier this year. “I was drawn to the project from the moment I heard about it, as its goal is not just to donate funds," she said, "but to give villagers the support they need to create a self-sustaining future.” Holmes was named an ambassador by Tommy Hilfiger and will continue to help raise awareness on the progress being made by the Millennium Villages.
More than a dozen styles of shirts, shorts, dresses and accessories are up for sale in stores across Europe, Mexico, India and the US. You can also purchase on the website which tracks how much will be given through sales and support from Tommy Hilfiger. Items are tagged in different categories based on what the consumer might be interested in contributing to. For example if she was interested in supporting education, she could buy the “Maputo T-Shirt.”
To help inspire people by the progress being made in Ruhiira, a competition using twitter is being held over the next two months while the clothing is available. Consumers are encouraged to tweet how they could help in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and disease and make change for the better in their own community and abroad. One motivated winner will have the opportunity to travel with Tommy Hilfiger and engage firsthand with communities in Ruhiira. See here for more details.
