Paweł Lewandowski
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U.S. pop star Lady Gaga arrives at the JFK Airport in New York, the United States, June 5, 2010.
In the Syrian capital of Damascus, al-Mamoun International Center's fashion design department organized Damascus 2010 Summer Fashion Show.
Held at Sheraton Hotel on Sunday evening, the fashion show featured 88 evening dresses and wedding dresses created by 22 Syrian designers and presented by dozens of Syrian young models who walked down the T-stage.
George Shalash, the organizer of the event, told Xinhua that the show aims for encouraging Syrian young talents and providing the Syrian designers with the opportunity to show their works.
"We are sure that the show presents the bright image of Syrian designers' works," he said.
Syria during the past decade has been more open to the west, with more Syrian women adapting different dressing styles.
"My works were inspired by those fashioned by international designers, and I adopt both eastern and western styles in order to satisfy all tastes," Riham Zahreldeen, a Syrian designer said.
Women dressing style in the country has been recently influenced by urbanization and modernization. While blue jeans and T-shirts are now common outfits for the Syrian women, other women could be seen wearing headscarves and long robes that leave only their hands and feet exposed.
The striking differences appeared on Sunday's show when Syrian women with traditional dresses, robes and headscarves stood side by side with young models with their bare back wedding and evening dresses
"I am very excited, this is a very rare event in Syria, and I hope it is a step in the right direction," said Syrian beauty expert Shamah Esana who was among the audience of some 150.
Sunday's show was a clear sign that the Syria fashion industry wants to catch up with the world, Esana said.
"The show aims for encouraging young Syrian talents and locally- made works," young designer Musaab Hureib said.
"The svelte models hit the catwalk in attractive bare back dresses with long hemlines. It is rare to see that in Syria," he added.
Dima, a Syrian model, said that if the sufficient support is given to the Syrian models, there is no doubt that they would rise to international stardom.
Syrian women are generally known to be quite fashionable compared to those of other Arab countries, particularly the conservative Gulf states. Syria's First Lady Asma al-Assad herself is something of a trendsetter, and was selected by French women's magazine Elle as the most stylish of international political female figures in 2008.
Damascus boasts a few private modeling agencies and a handful of annual fashion shows. Expensive designer boutiques have sprouted across Damascus, targeting an upper class that only few years ago used to travel to Lebanon for shopping.
The economic downturn has clipped the wings of luxury air travel.
Hi-end boutique airlines have fallen from the sky, business travelers are bargain hunting online and most folks seated in the front of the plane have paid only for the back, experts say.
"Luxury air travel has essentially been grounded," said Peter Yesawich, CEO of the travel marketing company Ypartnership, "One of the first prerequisites to go in a tough economy."
Yesawich, whose company tracks travel trends, said that with the exception of long hauls, these days even most folks in first class are flying on upgrades.
"It's said that real profit in any flight is front of plane. The rest covers the overhead," he explained. "But there's been a conscious effort by corporations and individuals to suppress that travel."
Airlines are also battling the price transparency that the internet has revealed.
"A couple of clicks on kayak.com, for example, shops airfares even for business class," Yesawich explained.
He said big carriers, such as Delta and British Airways, are trying to lure business travelers back to first class with amenities such as onboard showers, flat seats for sleeping and Internet access.
But the high-end boutique airlines that sprang up in the boom before the bust have mostly gone the way of the Dodo bird, or the Concord. Now most boutique airlines are low cost and no-frills.
"Eos is no longer in business and L'Avion was gobbled up by British Airways," said Steve Loucks, vice president at Travel Leaders, of two boutiques that ferried passengers in high style during high times.
So how do the rich get around these days? It depends on what you call rich.
"The super rich fly anyway they want," said Mike Weingart of Travel Leaders in Houston, Texas.
In Glendale, California, his colleague Vicky Voll agrees: "Business people, retired executives, film stars, some own private planes. Amazingly for long haul flights, they choose scheduled airlines in first or even business class."
It there are eight to 10 people traveling together they usually charter a small Gulfstream, she added.
According to Jami Counter, senior director of TripAdvisor.com, today's luxury traveler inclines toward private jets, or at least a piece of one.
"What's been in vogue is fractional jet ownership," which Counter likened to a time share. "It's flexible. You can tap into it, so it's a nice alternative to owning a jet."
For scheduled flights up where the air is rarefied, he cites the double-decker, wide-bodied Airbus 380, which has been flying commercially since 2007.
"Emirates out of Dubai, with 100 destinations around the world, has 50 Airbus 380s on order," he said, adding that they boast showers in first class, spas and private suites.
Counter says the luxury boutiques are like canaries in the economic coal mine.
"In 2000 Legend Airlines announced an incredibly high-end, 59-seat business class service out of Dallas. Then came the dot.com downturn and Legend lasted less than a year," he said.
"Every time airlines go in for this high-end luxury service, it's a sign things are getting overheated."
Zazzle, the leader in on-demand retail manufacturing,announced that it has expanded its partnership with Edun Live, the sustainable t-shirt brand founded by Ali Hewson and her husband Bono. Edun Live and Zazzle are engaging artists to create a wide range of designs related to Africa and soccer/football. All designs will be submitted by African designers, and will be sold on only African Edun Live blank t-shirts. Proceeds will go to Invisible Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to children by documenting their true, untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change.
The new designs, available online at http://www.zazzle.com/edunlive, will be printed on Edun Live's 100 percent certified organic cotton t-shirts, and each of the designers will receive income from each sale, consistent with Zazzle user terms. Ten percent of all proceeds will be donated to Invisible Children. The designers represented include:
• Zetuzakale Productions, a group of East African designers whose inception evolves a dream of design and creative perceptions from African themes. Zetu-za-kale is derived from Swahili words that mean "ours from the past" and it is from the past that we draw our inspiration.
• Bonk is a Kenyan clothing company that designs and makes tees and bags for the coolest Nairobi crowds. All designs are sketched-up, colored with funktitude and produced in Kenya by a sizzled ensemble of Kenyans: Ashi Kariuki, Aika-Grace Temu, and Fady Rostom.
• Jamburi Wear founder and designer Kimathi was raised in 1980s Nairobi, Kenya. He credits his Mum for piquing his sense of style, Leaders from elsewhere across cultures and disciplines also count as inspirations Fashion designers Ralph Lauren and Nigo (Bathing Ape), visual artist Yinka Shinobare, business maverick Richard Branson and perhaps most profoundly, Nigerian afro beat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti. "Fela, to me was a style icon," muses Kimathi, "and he is probably our biggest icon. He was Africa cool before it was even cool to be African."
• G1 Media is a robust, design company based in Uganda with a unique perspective covering design, creativity, innovation, and consumer psychology. G1 Media believes effective design is somewhat like a composition written for a symphony orchestra, in that it requires several instruments working symbiotically in order to achieve the desired result.
• David Ssengendo is a fine Ugandan artist and graphic designer with a background in painting, printmaking, and illustration. He has shown his work in the All Artists Exhibition at the Nomo Gallery in Kampala and has done illustration for Macmillan Uganda.
• Paul Douglas Kihiko is a graffiti artist and designer who is currently working as an artist coordinator with the British Council in Kenya. In addition to doing commissioned artwork for various organizations in Nairobi, he has also done freelance graffiti and design for a wide range of clientele.
Launched in spring 2005, EDUN's mission is to help build Africa as a viable source of production for fashion. Founded on the premise of trade for aid, EDUN is a for profit business that aims to raise awareness of the possibilities in Africa to encourage emulation. To help achieve this goal, EDUN is investing in the development of a community-based value chain, beginning with organic cotton. In 2007 the company launched EDUN LIVE, a blank tee shirt division that is 100% "grow to sew" African produced.
Invisible Children Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to invisible children by documenting their true, untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change.
"Zazzle is always excited to work with notable organizations whose missions resonate with our core values, and both Edun Live and Invisible Children certainly fall into this category," commented Jeff Beaver, co-founder and chief product officer at Zazzle. "One of Zazzle's primary aims is to empower individuals, both our consumers and Sellers, in making a difference in people's lives. We look forward to engaging with more African entrepreneurs and charitable organizations and feel lucky to have the opportunity to contribute positively to their communities."
Zazzle is the world's leading platform for quality custom products. Zazzle's proprietary technology enables individuals, professional artists, and major brands, including Disney and Hallmark, to create and offer billions of unique products for customers worldwide. Zazzle's rapidly expanding product base covers every topic imaginable and includes Father's Day gifts, custom shirts, business cards, and invites, in addition to a variety of other gifts. Upon creation, products are instantly and accurately visualized on the site and offered in the Zazzle marketplace. When ordered, each product is made on-demand, typically within 24 hours. Launched in 2005 and based in Redwood City, California, Zazzle's vision is to redefine commerce, powered by the world's imagination.
Nolcha is offering the chance for participants of the Ethical Fashion Preview in association with Bel Esprit to have certain items selected from their collection to be apart of the Ethical Fashion Runway Collective during Nolcha Fashion Week: New York September 2010. The runway show will feature 30 looks of Spring/Summer 2011 brands that adhere to environmental, ecological and/or fair trade principles.
Deb Pokallus of Bel Esprit Showroom states: "The new runway show at the Ethical Fashion Preview is a perfect opportunity for the talented designers of contemporary sustainable fashion to show off their style during New York Fashion Week and continue to put ethical fashion on the map."
The Ethical Fashion Preview is a day dedicated to exhibiting select independent fashion brands who hold to sustainable, organic and eco-friendly fashion standards. The addition of the Ethical Fashion Runway Collective is a natural progression to support the ever-growing consumer demand for responsible fashion choices. The runway show will demonstrate that ethical fashion can be a chic feature in every wardrobe.
As shoppers prepare for a season of cook-outs, beach trips, concerts and patio parties, Payless ShoeSource is enabling fashion fans to celebrate the outdoors with the Zoe & Zac summer collection of affordable and fashionable green shoe and accessory options. The shoes and handbags channel the season's hottest trends to deliver "Fresh Green Fashion" at unbeatable prices.
"Each season our Zoe & Zac brand continues to democratize green by delivering affordable green shoes and accessories created with a fashion-first point of view," said LuAnn Via, CEO of Payless ShoeSource. "We strive to push the envelope and expand shoppers' eco-horizons by making green footwear and handbags accessible to all. Our eco-consultant Summer Rayne Oakes is an invaluable partner in this mission; she helps us ensure that the products are as green as possible, but also contributes an excellent eye for style. This summer's Zoe & Zac offerings are a testament to the trend-right possibilities of green fashion."
The Zoe & Zac summer collection features six women's footwear styles and two handbag styles. Shoppers can accessorize for all occasions -- dressy to casual -- with silhouettes that encompass a strappy dress heel, a woven-strap "sandal shootie," a wedge sandal, a thong sandal, a ballet flat, and a sneaker. Two organic cotton and natural linen handbags serve as versatile carry-all totes for carting the season's necessities with ease. The items draw from a summer palette of neutrals, with a tomato red tote and a tie-dye-inspired ballet flat offering pops of color.
"I am energized each season to work with Payless on the latest Zoe & Zac seasonal line," said Summer Rayne Oakes, Payless' eco-consultant for the Zoe & Zac brand. "We begin by targeting the strongest trends of the season, then work to create those silhouettes, colors and details with innovative green materials and processes. The end result is a stylish and eco-friendly line that shoppers can afford, thus breaking down the barriers to sustainable style. The Zoe & Zac products don't look like the other green shoes out there -- they are all about fashion-first and each season I am truly proud of the collection."
The Zoe & Zac green brand is available now in about 1,000 Payless stores nationwide and Payless.com. The line was created and first launched by Payless in April 2009 to democratize green footwear and accessory products by making them affordable and accessible and to bring eco-consciousness to the mainstream. The Zoe & Zac products are green because they are made from eco-friendly components and materials such as organic cottons and linen, environmentally preferred faux leather, suede and patent, as well as natural hemp, recycled rubber outsoles, eco-friendly EVA cushioning, and water-based glues. The product packaging is eco-smart as well, utilizing 100 percent recycled shoe boxes and soy-based inks for the printing.
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value. As of Q1 2010, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores.
MANGO and the International performer Shakira are launching a small collection of solidarity t-shirts inspired by the official FIFA World Cup anthem “Waka Waka”. The design of the t-shirts represents the spirit, vitality and energy of the host continent of the FIFA World Cup and profits from the sales of the “Waka Waka” t-shirt will be donated to initiatives for elementary education in South Africa.
One of the principal schools to receive the profits, and which has the support of UNICEF, is the South Africa East Observatory School, which cares for children who have been orphaned or displaced by war. The school has around 560 children, 60% of whom are orphans due to civil war, while 20% have lost one of their parents as a result of the AIDS virus. This school offers a combination of a quality education with social support and a daily school nutrition programme, reflecting the commitment of UNICEF and the Barefoot Foundation towards child nutrition and general education programmes. Once this project has been completed, any additional funds from this campaign will be donated to other school projects in South Africa.
“The true spirit of this World Cup involves making a lasting contribution”, Shakira says. “We can add to the legacy of this historic moment a platform committed to providing quality education for the children of South Africa and to ending poverty and inequality wherever they exist”.
A total of four t-shirts, two models for women and two models for men, bearing the printed slogans “Waka Waka” and “This Time for Africa”, have been exclusively designed for the occasion. The models will go on sale at all MANGO stores, and via its webpage from 10 June.
Profits from the sales of the Barefoot Foundation, founded by Shakira, will be used to extend child education initiatives in Africa, where 1 out of every 10 children suffer from severe malnutrition and 35% of all deaths from AIDS correspond to children under the age of five. All proceeds will be donated directly to the Barefoot Foundation, which will allocate the funds to selected schools in South Africa.
Shakira will sing the official FIFA World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka” (This Time for Africa), on 10 June in Johannesburg during the official opening concert and in the closing ceremony on 11 July. “Waka Waka” is included on the album “Listen Up! The Official FIFA World Cup Record” and profits from the record will be donated to FIFA’s “20 Centres for 2010”, an initiative which aims to create social change through sport and the construction of twenty “Football for Hope” centres for public health, education and football training in Africa.
MANGO is Spain’s second largest exporter of fashion. Its concept is based on an alliance between a quality product, in accordance with the latest fashion trends, and an affordable price. The firm currently has a total of 1,431 stores in 100 countries. By supporting this initiative, MANGO is emphasising its commitment to social action.
Barefoot Foundation is a foundation created by Shakira which aims to seek education and nutrition opportunities for vulnerable and displaced children in Colombia and the rest of the world, in order to produce citizens committed to peaceful co-existence.
UNICEF, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, operates on the ground in over 150 countries and regions to help children survive and progress in life from early childhood to adolescence.
French designer Christophe Guillarmé’s red carpet fashion seen at the Cannes Film Festival this year was really about friendship.
Celebrities from the TF1 TV show,where Christophe was fighting forSidaction, passed by the Villa d’Estelle to wear Christophe’s gowns. These included Olympic figure skater Surya Bonaly and Cannes nominated Avida lead Velvet d’Amour, actresses Celyne Durand and Karine Dupray. A touch of glamour and humor!
Christophe took to the red carpet for the opening ceremony with spokes model Hofit Golan wearing a long gown in red printed mesh, fully embroidered with ribbons.
Additionally he accompanied US actress Phoebe Price, who wore the most extravagant outfit, with a stunning dress in ombré silk embroidered with peacock feathers.
Last but not least, the personal guest of President Gilles Jacob, French actress Salomé Stevenin choose a fully beaded, sequined mini dress in white viscose jersey for her red carpet debut.
Two thrilling weeks, enlivened by the Famous orange of Christophe’s Mugler jacket, deemed too informal!
The Fairtrade Foundation has teamed up with the Ethical Fashion Forum to launch its major sustainable design competition, INNOVATION Award.
For the first time the competition will run a Fairtrade cotton category sponsored by Tesco, which will be judged by fashion model Laura Bailey. Ethical Fashion Forum is the fashion industry Network focusing upon social and environmental sustainability. Ethical Fashion Forum Innovation Awards Showcasing Inspirational New Talent In Fashion Design And Sustainability.
The INNOVATION Awards were launched in 2008 as an initiative aimed at supporting emerging designers and businesses in the ethical fashion arena. INNOVATION AWARD Winners of the INNOVATION Award will be chosen by an expert panel of judges to exhibit their S/S 2011 collections at either Pure in August 2010 or Estethica in September 2010.
FAIRTRADE COTTON AWARD - SPONSORED BY TESCO The winning entrant will be invited to work with the F&F clothing team at Tesco. A selection of the winning range will be sold online.Deadline for application forms submission: Sunday 13th June 2010 at 1700.
This initiative has the support of renowned fashion professionals as judges: Dolly Jones editor of Vogue.com, Laura Bailey Model and Fairtrade Foundation Ambassador and Courtney Blackman of Fashion Business Club. "The INNOVATION competition supports and promotes designers who are set to make a difference for people and the environment."
Australia's Hells Angels bikies will be forced explain how they pay for their extravagant lifestyles with sports cars high-end bikes and after losing a court case brought by the Australian Crime Commission.
Twelve of the Hells Angels bosses will be quizzed about their activities with the notorious bikie gang, dating back 19 years, Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.
The bikies lost a Federal Court case on Wednesday aimed at preventing the Australian Crime Commission examination.
Sports cars, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, drugs, firearms, computers and financial documents relating to bikie activities were seized in recent police raids, said the newspaper.
As a result, the 12 Hells Angels bosses were served with summons to appear before the commission, to answer questions on tax fraud and their finances.
The commission has sweeping powers to force the bikie bosses to give evidence against fellow bikies if they are involved in crimes including drug and violence offences.
Biker gangs in Australia such as the Hells Angels, Nomads, Rebels, Commancheros and Bandidos have periodically waged violent turf wars involving drive-by shootings and firebombings, as they seek to control their lucrative drug trades, say police.
In 2009, Hells Angels and Commancheros fought a deadly brawl at Sydney Airport in front of terrified passengers. One bikie was beaten to death by up to 15 others wielding metal bollards used to separate passengers in the airport flight check-in area.
