Crystii Lin
Guiri Uribe
Kellen Hofer
Weronika Kumanek
Mikko Puttonen
Models present creations by Italian designer Giorgio Armani as part of his Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture fashion show for Giorgio Armani Prive in Paris July 6, 2010.
The glitzy casinos of Monte Carlo and the posh Alpine ski resorts of Courchevel and St Moritz have become familiar with the Russian accent.
Now, wealthy Russians are invading the open seas, swapping fancy cars for multi-million dollar yachts with a sharp increase in the number of high-class boats over the past year.
Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of English Premier League club Chelsea, already boasts a fleet of yachts, one of which cost at least $300 million.
Russian businessman Ruben Khokhryakov has tried to capitalize on the craze by building a unique three-masted sailing ship, tailor-made for his deep-pocketed compatriots.
The special design of the boat enables it to float much higher than most other yachts of its class, generating a top speed of up to 20 knots and prompting Khokhryakov to name the ship "Running on Waves."
Chris Weafer, expert on Russia's business elite, told Reuters that for many Russian oligarchs owning a yacht is simply a way of showing off their wealth to their peers.
Weafer, who is chief strategist for investment bank Uralsib, said that yachts are this year's must-have toy.
"But for many new owners of these expensive toys the enjoyment is more about ownership than actually taking it out on the water," he said.
"Many of these yachts will simply stay moored to jetties on the Moscow River or on the side of one of the many lakes surrounding Moscow and St. Petersburg, where they will host parties rather than sail on the water."
Khokhryakov disagreed, saying his mega-yacht, with room for 45 passengers and 12 crew members, will sail for the Red Sea later this year before cruising the Mediterranean next year.
The yacht is equipped with jacuzzis, tanning booths as well as a huge sun deck and satellite TVs, expected amenities for luxury cruises.
CHILDHOOD DREAM
British explorer Tim Severen -- attending the boat's presentation in the Polish city of Gdansk -- praised its unusual design and the technology on board.
"I've seen a lot of sailing ships in my life, but I must say there is no other boat like it," he said.
Sailing does not come cheap, however, with the price for a week-long trip ranging from 3,500 to 35,000 euros ($46,960) per person.
The man behind the project said it was his childhood dream to create a sailing boat that is both unique and can withstand the roughest waters the open sea can throw at it.
One thing that worries Khokhryakov and his business partners from the United States, Britain, Germany and Israel, are the pirates in the Indian Ocean near the northwest coast of Africa.
"It's true, we were planning a trip to the Indian Ocean but had to cancel it," Khokhryakov told Reuters.
Nevertheless, the businessman said he expected to make a profit within five years.
"We have solid investors and can weather any financial storms threatening global economy from time to time," he said.
Italian fashion designer, Francesca Castagnacci, has designed never-before-seen hats and footwear by using optical fibres sewn in to fabrics, thereby, creating effects with light and dimensions.
The concept is mainly based on the optical effects, which are created with the light reflected from the fibres and the LEDs that are integrated in to the fabrics of the goods.
The concept of Luminex or Photonic fabrics is the new subject of electronic and medical firms and fashion houses. All of them are busy inventing and working with fabrics, which bring together photonic and material technologies.
Although, this technology was in use by the electronic firms, its latest introduction and usage by the fashion world has brought quite a stir.
With technology changing every day, optical fibres and LEDs are currently being sewned and incorporated within the fabrics, thereby, taking their shape and feeding light in to them. The end product is quite impressive, as goods made by illuminated fabrics possess an additional optical effect as against the rest.
While the Luminex fabrics were in use by just a few fashion apparel firms, the use in footwear by designer, Castagnacci is interesting and attractive. Further more, her hat designs, incorporating optical fibres, has all the more created an illuminative light effect.
Owner of US trademarks within the perfume and fragrance category, Real American Brands, Inc. is mounting an effort to bring more new 'green' brands to market.
According to CEO Doug Newton, "The company is now associated with Takasago International Corporation, a leading global partner and developer of flavors and fragrances for some of the world's most successful fragrance and personal care products.
"RLAB's proposed new products will be designed to show substantivity, diffusivity, and be stable and safe, while being made with an awareness of the importance of eliminating any and all adverse effects and risks everywhere in the environment.
"In addition to working with Takasago, RLAB has recently entered into an exclusive representation agreement with a brand well known for its focus on 100% green, non-toxic cleaning products, whose national expansion plans and options are being developed by RLAB and Takasago."
As previously announced, RLAB owns US Trademarks for Lasso, Lariat and Riata (the Spanish word for lasso) and the new, recently applied for mark "Pride" in the fragrance category.
"Our goal is to capitalize on the intellectual property assets of these names to produce a steady royalty stream for RLAB, ideally through high quality, innovative products specially targeted to serve both Hispanic and non-Hispanic consumers across the continent."
RLAB's focus is to support products and services whose origins, designs and character reflect and serve America's unique culture, heritage and way of life. RLAB owns a stable of US trademarks including "Born & Bred in the USA" , "Billy Martin's" the western lifestyle brand and "Green Blues", the name of the company's new eco-friendly blue jean brand.
Damas, leading retailer of stylish jewellery and watches in the Middle East, has introduced the opulent new line of its in-house diamond watches – Varotti. The current collection is highly feminine, has unique design and bold dials making it a perfect accessory for an elegant evening. Together, the dial and the strap give this collection its unique sparkle and elegance.
Ajay Pandey – GM Category & Marketing Head of Damas said: “This collection of Varotti proposes discrete luxury for all those clients who appreciate refinement in life. The watch movement is housed in 18k gold teamed with high quality diamonds adorning the dial and strap of the watch. Each piece is unique and outstanding for its superb craftsmanship and eye for detail. Thus we are proud to offer this glamorous accessory to our customers.
The impressive Varotti timepieces come in two versions: 18k yellow gold and white gold. They highlight impeccable features of exclusivity and make it one of the most impressive jewellery watch collections at Damas. Timeless beauties, they are sure to be cherished for a lifetime as a celebration of all the memorable moments in one’s life. Their unmistakable style unites a sophisticated sensibility with innovative looks. The iconic Varotti watches have captured the attention of regional celebrities and jewellery enthusiasts in the region due to their eye-catching jewels and intricate details. So give a finishing touch to your outfit with one of these vibrant bracelets on your wrist
Varotti watches are available in Damas Les Exclusive Boutiques in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Target audience: designers, buyers, makers, marketing, trends forecasting, line-builders, stylists, journalists, and design schools.
Provides information on the Japanese fashion trends in order for designers, manufacturers, line-builders, marketing departments, buyers, stylists, to follow the actual trends in live without coming to Japan.
As you know, more and more trends are now starting from Japan. The originality of the Japanese fashion market is the wide range of products that you can find in the shops: international brands as well as more and more national designers brands.
Their actual advance in fashion is therefore a very interesting asset for the designers, manufactuers, and buyers all over the world.
Basically, by knowing in advance what is successful and trendy in Japan, you can anticipate the trends that will appear in your country in the very near future.
This service will give you a permanent view of the Japanese fashion market
Dior designer John Galliano threw off any notion of recession on Monday with his boisterous collection of tight bodices and swinging skirts that recalled the extravagance of Dior's 1950's New Look.
The haute couture collection, designed for the winter of 2011, seemed to plead for spring, with contrasting primary colors and an abundance of swinging organza.
Models wore spiked strappy sandals and some had their heads wrapped in yellow or red cellophane as though they were bouquets of flowers.
The show recalled the "Tulip line" designed by Christian Dior in 1953 when the house was the beacon of French fashion.
"This show was such fun, after watching the news this morning, with the oil spill and everything," said Joyce Samuels, who has been buying Dior for 40 years.
Haute couture remains among the most expensive fashion in the world.
An evening dress can cost around 40,000 dollars and a suit not much less. Experts estimate that there are no more than 300 clients for the clothes, many of whom live in Russia, Arab countries and Asia.
The expense derives from the prestige of the piece and the man-hours that are required to make a dress or a suit by hand.
Galliano's pieces were no exception, with a black bodice made of feathers and hand painted dresses.
"You see in these dresses the work of the artisans ... their labor is evident," said Sylvie le Louam, who buys haute couture. "This is art."
But increasingly designers are finding the expense of haute couture hard to justify, especially during the economic turmoil.
They are turning their eye to both emerging markets and celebrities to sell their clothes. American actors Jessica Alba and Jared Leto attended the show, as did buyers from Hong Kong, Thailand as well as India.
"Wealthy people in these countries have a need for recognition and status," said Jean-Jacques Picard, an adviser to LVMH. "High fashion is, along with jeweler, the best means to convey the fact that you belong to the privileged, without having to utter a word."
Even amid the luxury Dior's clothing -- a dress of triple ply organza, a mohair jacket in turquoise with a high round collar -- there were moments of sobriety that could appeal, if not to the cash-strapped shopper, then maybe to the cash conscious.
Above a swinging skirt, he placed a white felt jacket nipped at the waist. Above a soft grey skirt, he put a black wool jacket a woman might wear to a job interview.
"There was a wearability to some of these clothes that we don't always see in haute couture," said one fashion editor, who asked not to be named. "There is a sense that Dior was getting back to basics."
Models present creations by British designer John Galliano as part of his Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture fashion show for French fashion house Dior in Paris July 5, 2010.
Models present creations by French designer Christophe Josse as part of his Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture fashion show in Paris July 5, 2010.
From buildings of Louis Age, French history to Chinese folk arts, these are all the inspirations of graduation works of 50 graduates. These students will use their creations to illustrate the relation between reminiscence and modern times. Over one hundred unique creations will stage at this show.
ESMOD was established in Paris in 1841, which is the first fashion university in the world. ESMOD has become an international university now with 20 overseas universities in 13 countries. ESMOD. Beijing was established in 2004. Since its establishment, it followed the original French way of teaching and tried to integrate French culture with Chinese culture in their teaching. In last 6 years, it has cultivated a large number of excellent designers, who are appreciated by fashion companies home and abroad.
This show will launch in 798 Art Zone on 8th, July.
