Anna Le
Tini Tani
Manuella Lupascu
Crystii Lin
Weronika Kumanek
For three days only, from July 19 to the 21, Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under is holding their first ever East Coast trunk and road show featuring the nation's only designer clothing collection specifically developed for shorter men. Mr. Au seized the opportunity to have the trunk and road show in New York City when it was announced he would once again be honored by MR magazine at their Uptown Downtown Awards Reunion Banquet during Men's Fashion Week. Mr. Au and the store were one of the original recipients of the prestigious award its inaugural year for having catered exclusively to shorter men. Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under continues to remain the nation's only designer men's clothing store catering exclusively to men 5'8" or shorter.
Mr. Au's client base in New York City is the largest outside of Southern California. While many customers do fly out to Los Angeles to shop in their Beverly Hills boutique, some cannot and instead, rely on the store's special "goodie" package system that entails a range of requests along with appropriate fashion suggestions to complement their choices. The trunk and road show would allow customers to view a larger portion of the collection in person and also to try on various items in adjacent sizes to get the best fit. For potential new made-to-measure buyers, it would be a chance to have their measurements personally taken by Mr. Au himself.
The trunk and road show will feature clothing designed by Jimmy Au himself, along with fashion essentials procured by Mr. Au that pass his strict quality standard of fit, fabrication and design. The collection available for viewing include suits, sport coats, leather jackets, casual jackets, dress pants, dress shirts, casual pants, premium denim jeans, sport shirts, polo shirts and shoes. The collection is the largest of its kind.
Alan Au, the owner's son and client relations manager says "The trunk show provides an opportunity for potential customers to see and feel what its like to have clothes that fit properly. The frustration of not finding clothes that fit can affect your psyche and overall attitude. Men eventually stop looking and accept their fashion fate. We hope to offer a solution to the savvy shopper that cares about the way he looks."
He also says. "We can't make a man taller, but we can make him look taller. That's our secret. Whether you're 5'2" or 6'2" all men seem to want to look taller. Perceived height is very powerful. It creates confidence, increases self esteem and allows others to focus on you and not your height. The goal sometimes isn't even to look taller, but to make height a non-issue by looking proportionate; something we achieve with the design of our clothes. It's why we've provided wardrobe on over 30 prime time shows in the last 4 years. It's also why we're on the list in Forbes Top Ten Clothing Stores for Men."
It's also why they're being honored by MR magazine, the menswear industry's leading trade publication. Mr. Au and the store are being recognized for its pursuit of designer clothing for shorter men, Au's own short men's clothing collection, exceptional depth and breadth of inventory, and customized shopping experience. Jimmy Au only designs clothing for short men, and Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under is the nation's only short men's designer clothing store.
The small, independently owned Beverly Hills-based boutique was nominated for several reasons including convincing and helping famous designer manufacturers like Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and DKNY to develop their clothing collections to include more sizes for short men. Jimmy Au now also has his own short men's clothing and sportswear collection. Au is also popular among other menswear stores for taking on hard to fit shorter men because his store boasts the largest size selection for short men in the country. Suits and sport coat sizes start at 34 extra short, short rise casual and dress pants start at a 28 waist, dress shirt sizes start at a 14" neck in a 30" sleeve and sportswear sizes start at an extra short/extra small. And if it weren't mysterious enough already, why there aren't more stores for short men, the customer service and shopping experience at Jimmy Au's feels unusually comfortable and inviting… if you're under 5'8". Perhaps it's because the entire store is scaled down, including the mannequins.
Grossman called Jimmy Au's For Men 5'8" and Under "an exciting store that manages to go above and beyond in terms of offering top quality clothing and outstanding service to men 5'8" and under. This store is very special and one of a kind; definitely different from all the rest. This is an often-neglected niche in the market, and by working with upscale vendors to properly scale down their sizing specifications Jimmy Au has done a service to the entire industry."
"I feel validated among my peers in the menswear industry. I'm very grateful to be here and honored to be included among such magnificent retailers," said Jimmy Au, owner and designer who began catering to short men in 1975. "Proudly, we will always be a short men's shop, but it would be an even greater honor to one day have a chain of stores for short men nationwide."
His son, Alan, who initiated the recent move to Beverly Hills, further added, "It feels great to see my dad be recognized by his peers among such innovative and established retailers. This award is a testament to what my dad has been developing and expanding since I was a kid. It's great to see his work get acknowledged by the menswear industry. He's worked very hard to create and develop better fitting menswear for shorter men that taller men have long taken for granted."
Once again, Liali Jewellery focuses on the stone of the month Ruby, considered to be the symbol of immortal love. The stone is especially perfect for those who are born in July as also those celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary! The retailer has sourced some of the finest rubies to create exciting pieces.
In the fascinating world of gemstones, ruby is considered to be the king of gemstones. High quality rubies are more valuable and rarer than the top quality colorless diamonds, thus making the gem an undisputed ruler. Liali Jewellery’s Ruby collection will be available in its stores located at Jumeirah Centre, Meadows and Mercato throughout the month of July. Jewellery lovers will find a good variety of jewellery and sets in rubies and diamonds in different price ranges to suit every pocket.
Keeping the stone of the month in mind, Liali Jewellery has designed a special Ruby - Roses Set which is available in all its stores. The extremely popular set comprises of a ring, earrings and a pendant with chain, and is being offered to customers at an amazing price. The beauty of the set is highlighted by 12 brilliant-cut diamonds which team with an oval shaped ruby in the centre. This winning alliance makes for a startling combination.
Anuraag Sinha, Managing Director of Liali Jewellery, said: “Ruby jewellery is a popular choice of brides as the stone dazzles with the romance and artistry of ancient times and has appealed to women of all backgrounds. Antique jewellery especially engagement rings and wedding bands are often set with brilliant rubies.
So come and experience the pure elegance of rubies and diamonds in gorgeous styles and get dressed for any occasion!
High fashion got a high street prelude last week as designers fielded spring-summer 2011 collections for their lower-priced second lines on the eve of Paris' rarified haute couture displays.
British madcap Vivienne Westwood, emerging French designer Anne Valerie Hash and Belgian design duo AF Vandevorst fielded their most commercial, most accessible lines, which were full of casual layered styles in light knits that looked like something someone would actually wear.
Known as Paris Fashion Days, the weekend event was aimed at giving the second lines -- which have long been seen as ready-to-wear's ugly stepsister -- a high-glamor patina.
"Before, designers were almost embarrassed by their second lines," said Muriel Piaser, exhibitions director at Pret a Porter Paris, which organized the two-day long event, held in a marble hall at Paris' former stock market.
"In today's economic climate, that kind of attitude is no longer possible because the client has changed," she said.
"Designers are now recognizing that they can use their second lines, with much lower price points, to promote top ready-to-wear lines."
That was the case with Hash, who launched her second line, AVH by Anne Valerie Hash, with a catwalk show instead of fielding a haute couture show later in the week.
"For a small company like us, it wasn't financially possible to do both," Hash said.
"We needed a line that would boost the main ready-to-wear line, something inexpensive that would tap into the energy of streetwear."
She served cuffed shorts paired with tanks and cardigans and elegant draped pantsuits in feather-light knits.
The collection, to be manufactured in Eastern Europe, captured the relaxed Parisian chic that has become the trademark of both Hash's ready-to-wear and couture lines.
Knitwear was also at the heart of A. Friend, Vandevorst's lower-priced line.
The design duo layered knit tankdresses and cowl-neck sweaters over slouchy, drop-crotched leggings.
For Anglomania, Westwood delivered swingy dresses with wasp-waisted bustier-belt hybrids and skintight jeans and sleeveless vests in metallic denim.
Paris Fashion Days later opened its doors to the public, with runway shows by smaller, lesser-known labels including Pablo, French label Gerard Darel's second line.
The second lines, with their low price points and mass-market appeal, were at the opposite end of the spectrum from couture collections -- where designers showcase their savoir faire with hand-sewn, made-to-measure gowns that cost as much as a car, or even as much as several cars.
The higher-profile Paris' haute couture extravaganza started last week, with luxury supernova Dior's ever-sumptuous, media-saturated display.
A new clothing company called Meliciously Yours is officially launched this week with a line of t-shirts that offer women and girls positive and empowering messages. Melissa Slaven-Warren, designer and founder of Meliciously Yours, quit her job as a marketing executive and created the t-shirt line to provide young girls and women of all ages a way to positively brand themselves.
What happens when a designer and marketing exec gets so tired of seeing tweens, teens and women wearing t-shirts with negative messages emblazoned on the front? If you are Melissa Slaven-Warren, owner and Founder of Meliciously Yours, you quit your day job and design a t-shirt line of your own that offers a positive alternative celebrating the fun, positive, and independent characteristics of women ages 5 to 105. With the June roll out of their first six designs entitled Free, Beauty & Brains, Old Soul, Lady, Trustworthy, and Sensuous, each Meliciously Yours design is hand illustrated and each shirt comes with a story – and a history lesson about the empowerment of women over the ages.
"I have a strong passion to give young girls and women of all ages a way to positively brand themselves. I created this line after seeing a twelve year old girl wearing a t-shirt that had ’I’m High Maintenance’ written across the front,” explains Ms. Warren. “I decided then and there that it was time to offer an alternative to those narcissistic, self- centered and often unempowering messages that are displayed on t-shirts today but at the same time I wanted to make sure that it was trendy, and appealing to fashion-conscious women. A product they could wear proudly and embrace their true personality.”
Ms. Slaven-Warren plans to introduce a new t-shirt every couple of months and also has made a commitment that her t-shirt suppliers adhere to a strict social responsibility such as no forced labor or child labor practices, no discrimination and health and safety guidelines. She has also integrated eco-friendly alternatives into her line such as an organic crew which is manufactured with 100% organic cotton.
Meliciously Yours is a privately held company based in Wilmington, NC and launched in 2010. Its mission is to offer unique apparel designs influenced by the manners, opulence, timeless beauty, charm, and structured femininity synonymous with the Victorian era, but translate into modern meaningful and positive messages for women. The company was founded by Melissa Slaven-Warren, a marketing executive and writer with a passion for fashion and desire to offer beautiful, intelligent women of all ages with positive messages on apparel.
Moda Footwear is set to play host to an increased number of fashion and lifestyle brands for August with the expansion of its Life zone for the next edition of the show, which takes place on 8-10 August 2010 at the NEC Birmingham
The Life zone has established itself as a key buying destination for fashion stores and footwear specialists, regularly featuring brands including Base London, J Shoes, Frank Wright, Rockport, Ikon and Camel Active.
February this year saw debut appearances from a number of fashion brands, including footwear collections from Peter Werth and Boxfresh, which also showed their apparel lines at Moda for the first time. The expansion of the Life zone for August is designed to accommodate more new names now looking to come into the show.
"Lifestyle fashion is one of our key growth areas, and the brands which have been coming into the Life zone over the last couple of seasons have been very pleased with the business they’ve done,” says Moda Footwear event director Sean O’Connor. “It’s a very exciting area of the market, and we’ll be announcing some more great new names over the next few weeks.”
Hush Puppies, which returned to the show this February after a season’s absence, was one of a number of exhibitors to report its best ever show. “We took a record amount of orders this season and opened a number of sought after new accounts,” says the brand’s marketing manager Julie Bradley. “Moda Footwear provided the perfect showcase for our new Body Shoe and 1958 concepts, which were both well received by buyers.”
Hush Puppies has already signed up for the August edition of the show, as well as other big name brands including Boxfresh and Start-rite, who both enjoyed successful debuts in February, Terra Plana, Rocket Dog and Rieker.
Models present creations by Colombian designer Veronica Ardila during the Angels Summer Fashion 2010 show in Cali July 9, 2010.
Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue magazine, leaves after the Valentino fashion house Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture show in Paris July 7, 2010.
Actress Jessica Alba of the U.S. poses for pictures before a Boss Black line fashion show by German fashion house Boss at Berlin Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 in Berlin, July 8, 2010.
Former German soccer player Jens Lehmann (R) and his wife Conny pose for pictures before a Boss Black line fashion show by German fashion house Boss at Berlin Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 in Berlin, July 8, 2010.
Scottish actor Ewan McGregor poses for pictures before a Boss Black line fashion show by German fashion house Boss at Berlin Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 in Berlin, July 8, 2010.
And, you may have noticed some Russian supermodels are gracing the catwalks and appearing on magazine covers in record numbers. The success of the likes of Natalia Vodianova is inspiring many other young Russian women to follow in her footsteps.
In an old ballet studio in the provincial town of Ulyanovsk, twenty young girls are lining up in bikinis.
Each of them, age eight to 18, dreams of living the glamorous life of an international model.
The lucky ones were told to step forward, the not-so-lucky stood crestfallen at the back.
After a successful audition, Dasha heads home hopeful.
Her family lives in the simplest of homes surviving on 20,000 roubles a month, or approximately 650 US dollars. Dasha's opportunity inspires her mother Lidya to dream of a better life.
Lidya Shurmakina, mother of aspiring model, said, "Of course we want her to become more financially independent. If she decides to help us out - great. It would be a helpful addition to our family budget."
But the pursuit of fame and fortune is only the bright side of the story.
Ruslana Korshunova is originally from the Republic of Kazakhstan. She strutted the runways for Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci, and DKNY. In 2005, British Vogue hailed her as "a face to be excited about."
Then one day she committed suicide due to extreme weight loss, being overworked, and a desire to leave the industry.
But still, young Russian girls dream of the glamorous jetsetting lifestyle of a model.
The grand opening ceremony of Shenzhen International Apparel Fair is held in Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center on 8th, July, 2010. Organized by Shenzhen Apparel Association, it is one of biggest and most influential apparel fairs in Asia Pacific area.
The exhibition area of this fair is 80,000 square meters with more than 3300 booths. Almost 1000 apparel companies attend this fair. Not only local companies but also overseas companies actively attend this fair.
It is expected that this three-day exhibition will attract 100,000 professional visitors.
