Rita Galkina
Cassy Bhairo
Billy Hazel
Jess A
Lina S
JEAN RHYS knew a thing or two about style and, in particular, about the hauteur conveyed by the sweep of a hem. In her novel “Wide Sargasso Sea,” a Goth-tinged prequel to “Jane Eyre,” Christophine, a servant, lets the tail of her skirt fan out behind her — a gesture of breeding, the reader is told. Hitching up one’s hem, on the other hand, sends quite a different message. When your man is abusive, Christophine advises her young Creole mistress, just “pick up your skirt and walk out.”
“There is definitely a movement to a very lengthy look, especially among the young,” said Nevena Borissova, a partner in Curve, a progressive retailer with stores in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Ms. Borissova favors radically stretched-out skirts and dresses that “drag on the floor, with raw edges, and worn with combat boots,” she said. And as she pointed out, these myriad calf- or ankle-grazing iterations of the milelong skirt bear no relation to “Big Love” or, for that matter, the Summer of Love.
There is nothing remotely prim or saccharine about the latest interpretations of this look, with their distinctly urban overtones. Current versions, even the most languid, are likely to be toughened up with a military parka or a biker jacket and thick-soled shoes. A muted, and at times ascetic, successor to the sweet-as-a-bonbon, Hamptons-worthy maxi-dresses that first alighted on downtown streets a couple of summers ago, the new maxis are more Morticia than Ophelia. They are “darker and more sophisticated” than last summer’s flounced beach dresses, said Morgan Yakus, a partner in No.6, a haven for style-setters in downtown Manhattan.
More tellingly, perhaps, they represent a seductive — make that subversive — alternative to the jeans, leggings and showily girly micro-minis that pop up like ragweed with the first mild breeze. They are “fashion’s backlash to the short skirt,” Ms. Yakus suggested.
Sharon Graubard, a senior executive with Stylesight, a trend forecasting firm in New York, predicted that while the maxi trend is “forward” — that is, positioned well outside the mainstream — it would be adopted by “the same cutting-edge girls who first embraced the micro-mini” and would pick up steam as fall approaches. Cool-weather variations from houses as diverse as Louis Vuitton, Haider Ackermann, Ann Demeulemeester and Missoni, and even the calf-length renditions Marc Jacobs unveiled in New York last winter, are “really going to change women’s eyes,” Ms. Graubard said.
SPAWNED, though rather tepidly received, in the 1970s, the latest maxis have been filtered through the hair-shirt sensibility of the early ’90s, when excessive consumption gave way to an attitude of piety exemplified by a kind of monastic look — “fashion’s little penance,” as Amy Spindler termed it in The New York Times in 1993.
Today the fluid but rigorously plain maxis reflect a subtly shifting cultural climate born in the wake of the Dow’s collapse. Maxi-dressing “speaks to a movement,” said Colleen Sherin, the women’s fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, adding that the subdued and often monochromatic skirts and dresses appeal “to women who want something less ostentatious and care more about quality than flash.” Committed to opulent but understated interpretations of the style, Saks recently showcased long, blanket-like cashmere skirts by Michael Kors in its windows.
An elongated silhouette also represents a turning away from the frivolity and calculated provocation of a thigh-high skirt “toward a more austere sensibility,” said Holli Rogers, the buying director for Net-A-Porter, which highlights and sells long tanks from Helmut Lang (a side-split jersey maxi, $330), Stella McCartney (a long silk shirtdress, $1,115) and L’Agence (a cross-back jersey maxi, $200) on its Web site. “People are accepting a more muted, covered-up feeling and moving on,” she said.
Siena Scarritt, a sales assistant at No. 6, wears long bias-cut skirts most days of the week. “They make me feel tall and elegant,” she said, “and I like their feeling of movement.”
Sandra Bohbot of Bisou Bisou, the family-owned fashion chain where she works, said she enjoys the way her longish Chloé skirt plays around her calves. Ms. Bohbot, who has sworn off micro-minis — for the moment, at least — has found herself wearing longer skirts almost exclusively, because, she said, “I began to feel that wearing short is unclassy.”
Street-sweeping skirts have been embraced by a handful of vanguard merchants offering elongated tank dresses, tubular skirts, taper-slim halter dresses and one-shoulder columns. Less common but perhaps appealing to women still on the fence about the full-on maxi are versions like one by Yohji Yamamoto for Y-3, hiked to the knee in front and pooling in a train at the rear. Mr. Yamamoto, it should be noted, is one of the Japanese provocateurs who introduced more voluminous versions of the look more than two decades ago.
Fast-fashion outposts like Topshop and Forever 21 sell their own variations of the newly slender maxi. Zara, too, has budget-friendly interpretations, including a black floor-length pleated tank dress and an earth-tone hip-slung skirt. While Zara does not disclose sales figures, a spokeswoman said that maxi-skirts and dresses have proved so successful that it plans to reissue some styles and add others throughout the fall.
No. 6, an early proponent of the look, sold out its long dresses within days after they arrived in late April, Ms. Yakus said. She plans to restock with ’90s-era monastic pieces from Donna Karan and Ghost, the British label known for its flowing, unembellished shapes.
Popular as they are with the nose-ring and chunky-boot set, maxi-skirts have only lately surfaced in the influential fashion glossies. In its April issue, Vogue showed lean, ankle-length skirts for day from the likes of Marni and Ann Demeulemeester, suggesting, however, in a cautious codicil, that “they work best on taller women.”
Will the street-length skirt endure? Even its most ardent proponents will tell you, that depends. “People are waiting to see trendsetters like Kate Moss wearing it,” Ms. Borissova of Curve suggested. “Then they’ll take a chance.”
She maintained, nonetheless, that by fall, a long, lean silhouette could be driving sales. “Five years from now,” she insisted in a whoosh of enthusiasm, “we’ll all be wearing maxis.”
And fending off the advances of unsavory-looking strangers with an insolent hitch of the hem.
Pataugas have announced the launch of a very special line of shoes created with the help of World famous designer, Jean-Paul Gaultier. With Madonna and Kylie Minogue amongst the list of singers who the designer has worked with, as well as being a successful and celebrated haute couture designer, Gaultier has achieved an illustrious career for over 30 years. He is probably the most renowned designer in the spectacular world of haute couture and his collaboration with Pataugas shoes is simply the most perfect way to mark their 60th birthday.
The Pataugas label was created in 1950 and have since became known for creating stylish and comfortable footwear. They made a name for themselves with their rubber soles canvas boots, originating from quality shoes for the great outdoors but they injected with urban chic and resulting in a high end brand of easy to wear shoes.
It seems almost a case of serendipity then, that Gaultier, who was born two years after the brand was created, should help them celebrate 60 successful years in shoe design. He has done so by producing a fantastic range of designs in his trademark style for the company. Sylvie Bondil, Managing Director of Pataugas, states that the two are almost kindred spirits in their attitude to fashion, saying: "Jean-Paul Gaultier and Pataugas principles are very similar actually - simple design, devotion to the product, authenticity… all this corresponds to our two brands".
The authenticity of the unique and exclusive Gaultier Pataugas designs, in particular, is going to be a major selling point, as the designer's classic styles of French sailor and fishnets are interpreted into footwear.
The detail and craftsmanship which the brand have put into the designs includes debating over the most suitable, durable fabric that renders identical to what a sailor would wear and Gaultier's input is evident. It is clear that the famous designer has ensured he can put his stamp on the shoes in his own way and with complete satisfaction in the final product. In fact, Pataugas confirmed that there was plentiful communication between the two brands, with Gaultier communicating with them at every stage of the process.
It has already been announced that there are plans for another collaborative effort for Autumn/Winter 2010 as interest in the Jean- Paul Gaultier range has been so high.
Playboy Enterprises Inc announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Fashion UK to create a new collection of Playboy-branded men’s and women’s fashion apparel, which will be available in the UK and Ireland beginning in August 2010.
“We are excited to partner with Fashion UK, a well-established company that has specialized in licensed apparel, specifically fast-fashion, for many years,” said Adrianna Chinnici, vice president, licensing, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. “We look forward to revealing the new fashion-forward line of men’s and women’s apparel to consumers in the coming months.”
The Playboy-branded line will include vintage wash and jersey T-shirts – including music-inspired and embellished styles – as well as hoodies and joggers.
“Fashion UK is thrilled to collaborate with Playboy,” said Gurdev Mattu, managing director, Fashion UK, “The Playboy brand is both iconic and universally recognized, especially among our target audience that thrives on fun and fashionable products.”
Since 2001, Fashion UK has successfully specialised in Licensed Apparel and leads the market in the terms of fashion and speed to market, thus creating an edge over its rivals whilst establishing a fresh concept at retail.
Official tailor since 2007, Marks & Spencer has created the official FA suit to specifications set by England Manger Fabio Capello. Created though collaboration between Savile Row tailor Timothy Everest MBE and M&S, the team sourced the finest British fabrics and finishes as well as tailor-making each suit to perfectly fit every player. The result is a classic suit which will complement a variety of shapes and sizes and is a wardrobe essential worthy of every football fanatic.
The two-button single breasted jacket is sculpted to a modern British block with sleeve head roll shoulders for a classic fitting, slim silhouette. Additional styling details include narrower lapels, slanted pockets, four button cuffs and a decadent red puppy tooth check lining. Trousers are flat fronted and half lined providing added comfort, superior fit and an elegant modern shape. The four-button waistcoat gives added style kudos and maintains the refined look.
This timeless and versatile suit is smart enough for the boardroom as well looking contemporary when worn after hours socially or for that special occasion. The suit is cut from 100% wool fabric in a black and white micro birdseye weave. This high quality British fabric is sourced from the famous Alfred Brown Mill and proudly woven in Leeds, England.
Richard Price, Menswear Director says, “The FA and M&S are both great British institutions so we are extremely proud to continue to dress the England team as they travel to South Africa this summer. The M&S official FA replica suit is an extension of this great partnership allowing everyone to feel like that can be a part of this exciting experience.”
Timothy Everest MBE says, “Working on the design of the Official FA suit is a real honour and I’m delighted with the suit which fits the brief perfectly. We wanted the look not to detract from the team’s goal, but to give them something that was representative of modern British style whilst feeling elegant and comfortable”.
During the initial ten months of the ongoing fiscal, exports of textile products showed an improvement of around 7 percent, reaching up to $8.46 billion from $7.905 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year, state the Federal Bureau of Statistics.
According to the data, raw cotton exports soared up to $194.154 million during July-April 2009-10 against $80.36 million for the corresponding period of the previous year, thereby, witnessing an increase of around 140.19 percent.
Corresponding to this, cotton yarn exports also witnessed growth. These exports reached up to $1.210 billion, recording 32.13 percent growth as against previous year’s exports of $916.461 million.
However, during these 10 months, goods such as cotton cloth, cotton carded or combed, knitwear and bed wear witnessed a fall of 10.69 percent, 52.06 percent, 0.7 percent and 0.61 percent, respectively.
The export of cotton cloth, which stood at $1.641 billion during July-April 2008-09, dropped down to $1.465 billion during July-April 2009-10; whilst that of cotton carded or combed dropped to $8.974 million from $18.718 million.
Similarly, knitwear and bed wear exports plummeted from $1.434 billion and $1.408 billion to $1.424 billion and $1.400 billion, respectively.
Shipments of towel swelled up by 4.83 percent and that of tents, canvas and tarpaulin by 5.95 percent. Readymade apparels showed escalation of 5.21 percent, overseas sales of made-up articles rose by 10.79 percent, other textile materials by 31.37 percent, while art silk and synthetic textile exports witnessed a surge of 66.94 percent during the period under consideration.
During a recent meet of the Ministry of Industry with Wang Tiankai, Deputy Chairman of the China Textile Industry Association, building collaborations in the textile sector, along with the immediate probabilities of this collaboration, fetching positive outcomes for both the countries were discussed.
Both the parties, analysed the prospects for joint ventures in the field of spinning and textiles for several companies, in conjunction with the technical assistance offered by China.
Rashad al-Asseh, Assistant Minister of the Industry, while emphasizing on the significance of developing co-operation, between both the countries and spreading out the same, said that, it is essential to impart training to the Syrian cadres, on the ways of operating China-made machines that are brought in to the country, by the Textile Establishment companies.
Jamal al-Omar, Director-General of the General Organization for Textile Industry (GOTI) asserted that, although his organisation is all set to comply with the pre-requisites for exporting cotton fabrics to China, the same will take place only after they analyse the prices.
Tiankai, in his opinion, showed his keenness to carry on the co-operation amongst both parties while also mentioning his willingness to welcome the Syrians to impart them training on machines available in-hand in these projects in China.
21-23 August 2010 , Atakent Exhibition Center, Pav 10
Fur and Leather Garments have always been a desirable clothing item for both men and women in the past and present. There is no doubt that each man has at least a single leather jacket and a woman has a fur coat in his/her wardrobe which are sometimes worn at the very special occasions or just like leather jackets, a sign of comfortness and rebellion, are preferred for daily use.
Eurasia Trade Fairs, holding LeShow Kazakhstan for the Fifth time at Atakent Exhibition Center, will once again be bringing exclusive (high priced), moderate and low priced leather and fur garments, goods and accessories from all around the world under the same roof on 21-23 August 2010.
Kazakhstan is a new market for most of the exporters worldwide. As it is a new market, most of the exporters have doubts or hesitation before they take a final participation decision. However, the ones who had decided to join our show before, witnessed the true dynamism of the market and the fact that Leshow Kazakhstan acts as the only bridge between the producers and the wholesalers, retailers in Kazakhstan and the neighbouring countries.
90% of LeShow exhibitors are composed of manufacturers which look for agents or partners to buy in bulk. Leshow Kazakhstan is built to cater that need and besides, to showcase the dynamism of the retail market which definitely indicates that Kazakhstan is a country one should invest in.
Kazakhstan has strong and long winter period which makes fur clothing an obligatory dressing item for the local residents. Sometimes the temperature could go under -30, even lower in some regions of Kazakhstan. Especially, women are acustomed to purchase a new fur coat every season which really creates a very good market taking into consideration that the woman population is more than the man in the general population of Kazakhstan which is 15 million.
Since Kazakhstan has an overall import value of around 30 billion USD annually, and the production is very scarce in almost every industry, and finally, is a country very prosperous in terms of mines, petroleum, natural gas, and wheat production eventually leading to the fact that Kazakhstan is a new market option that any exporter should definitely consider.
LeShow is the only fashion platform in Kazakhstan and the neighbouring countries solely dedicated to leather and fur fashion industries gathering the manufactuers from different countries and exposing the latest trends set in the industry to the wholesalers and the retailers. We strongly recommend you to try this overwhelming market by taking a booth at Leshow Kazakhstan, 21-23 August 2010.
New study focuses on Germans' favourite outdoor recreational activities – Top brands present their products to retailers at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen
Hiking is Germany's favourite recreational activity. Some 40 million Germans regularly lace up their hiking boots and hit the trails. A new representative study entitled "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" has provided the first reliable data on avid hikers and the economic aspects of hiking as a leisure and holiday market. These results are also highly interesting for exhibitors at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, where the top brands of the outdoor industry will meet on July 15-18, 2010.
The "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study commissioned by the German Hiking Association provides reliable data and facts on the hiking market. The study's key result is that 39.8 million Germans, or 56 per cent of all respondents, rated themselves as "active hikers". "This means that hiking is Germany's favourite outdoor activity", says Dr. Hans-Ulrich Rauchfuss, Chairman of the German Hiking Association. The popularity of mountain recreational activities is also reflected by the large numbers of members in the German Alpine Association. "Over the past few decades, we've seen a steady increase in membership. With roughly 37,000 new members – that's a growth rate of 4.57 per cent – in 2009 we've even registered the largest increase in the history of the German Alpine Association", says Thomas Bucher, head of press and media contacts at the German Alpine Association.
There are often no clear-cut boundaries between the individual disciplines of walking, hiking and mountain climbing. But one thing is crystal clear: "Outdoor activities have become mainstream in today's society", says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. Friedrichshafen has hosted the OutDoor since 1994, helping it to become Europe's leading outdoor trade fair and an event that annually attracts the industry's top companies to Lake Constance.
International manufacturers use the OutDoor to present their product innovations for the coming season. One of these exhibitors is backpack manufacturer Deuter. "Hikers are by far the largest target group for Deuter. This means that hiking backpacks are the largest product group in our collection", says CEO Bernd Kullmann. According to the study conducted by the German Hiking Association, the most popular pieces of equipment include jackets (92 per cent), followed by day packs (80 per cent), hiking boots (72 per cent), sleeping bags (62 per cent) and hiking maps (58 per cent). No matter what product hikers purchase, the key criterion for outdoor gear is the right combination of quality and functionality.
Not all exhibitors, however, are coming to Lake Constance with special products exclusively for hikers. "Our target group includes everything from leisurely hikers to avid climbers. As a multi-specialist, we provide all products from a single source. Customers select from our collections to meet the demands of the terrain and their personal standards," says Stefan Rosenkranz, CEO of Salewa Sportgeräte GmbH.
A common thread among all manufacturers of outdoor equipment is their awareness of the attractiveness and enormous potential of the hiking market. One of the main results to emerge from the "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study is that hikers spend an average of 92 euros a year on equipment. By taking this figure and extrapolating it to all hikers in Germany, researchers concluded that Germany currently has an annual total market volume of 3.7 billion euros. This amount does not include expenditures made by the rest of the population for outdoor equipment.
A total of 7,500 interviews were conducted for the "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study, which was initiated by the German Hiking Association and supervised by the European Tourism Institute at the University of Trier.
The latest trends and product developments that manufacturers intend to use to shape the hiking market of the future can be viewed at the OutDoor trade fair on July 15-18, 2010 in Friedrichshafen. "A large number of exhibitors use the industry's top trade fair to debut new products and present their latest developments to trade visitors", says OutDoor Project Manager Stefan Reisinger. With 847 exhibitors from 39 countries, the leading international trade fair is enjoying record demand for booth space this year. The product showcase for the outdoor industry includes special lectures, presentations and discussion forums.
New York – Fashion and floral's finest joined forces on Thursday night, May 20, for the ninth year in a row at Tulip and Pansies: The Headdress Affair, an annual benefit for VillageCare, a non-profit in New York that provides healthcare for people living with HIV/AIDS.
"There are so many people having a really hard time and so few organizations that can directly affect their lives on a daily basis. VillageCare is a direct-to-client model," said Kelly Cutrone, who co-chaired the event with Ariana Rockefeller. Cutrone owns PR firm People's Revolution and is the star of her own reality show on Bravo, "Kell on Earth."
"It's big, and it's campy and it's fun," said James Aguiar, the evening's charismatic master of ceremonies. "It's the best of what fashion is. It doesn't take itself seriously, and people are here to have a great time. Of course it's for a good cause, but all the jaded front row stuff is gone."
Designers such as Tracy Reese, Betsey Johnson and The Blonds joined newcomers to the event like DKNY and House of Holland in pairing their vibrantly colored dresses with some truly outrageous headdresses painstakingly made out of hundreds of dollars worth of flowers, from orchids to peonies to roses.
The floral couture was shown on a runway with models that ranged from the drag queens of The Imperial Court of New York to legendary model Pat Cleveland, who stole the show with her theatrical sashay down the runway.
Tara McInerney of Morningside Greenhouse in Haledon, New Jersey, designed a show-stopping, over-the-top look that took home the "Most Original" award that evening, doled out by judges Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Fern Mallis, John Bartlett, Freddie Leiba and Ashleigh Verrier.
Inspired by Johnny Depp's portrayal of the Cheshire Cat in the latest version of "Alice in Wonderland," McInerney's model, Jack, wore an enormous hat covered in orchids, peonies, roses and leaves outlined in glitter that took a day and a half to create - including a labor-intensive application of 5,000 individual pussy willow buds and 33 yards of rhinestones in a pinstripe pattern on his jacket.
"I have no more fingerprints!" laughed McInerney. She estimated that the hat weighed more than 10 pounds.
"You gotta have a really strong neck, and take a couple of aspirin before you put it on for a while," she said.
You also have to be willing to part with hundreds of dollars worth of flowers, like the $1800 worth of white orchids that Michael Gaffney of The New York School of Flower Design used for his Gatsby-inspired headdress for b. Michael, a glamorous "Phyllis Diller meets Diana Ross meets Cher," look. What did he plan on doing with the flowers once the show was over? He would give them away.
"It's flower power," he said. "I try to brighten up someone's day. We always try to find a home. It's like puppies."
Bingo Wyer from Cote Fleurie Studio, on the other hand, felt some regret about stringing up chains of hyacinths into dangling garlands on her Jackie Kennedy and Lady Gaga-inspired look to pair with a preppy Lilly Pullitzer bubble dress.
"Philosophically, it kills me," she said. "They've been good! They don't deserve this!"
Luckily, the demise of the flowers had a higher purpose - to help the HIV/AIDs patients of VillageCare.
New study focuses on Germans' favourite outdoor recreational activities – Top brands present their products to retailers at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen
Hiking is Germany's favourite recreational activity. Some 40 million Germans regularly lace up their hiking boots and hit the trails. A new representative study entitled "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" has provided the first reliable data on avid hikers and the economic aspects of hiking as a leisure and holiday market. These results are also highly interesting for exhibitors at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, where the top brands of the outdoor industry will meet on July 15-18, 2010.
The "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study commissioned by the German Hiking Association provides reliable data and facts on the hiking market. The study's key result is that 39.8 million Germans, or 56 per cent of all respondents, rated themselves as "active hikers". "This means that hiking is Germany's favourite outdoor activity", says Dr. Hans-Ulrich Rauchfuss, Chairman of the German Hiking Association. The popularity of mountain recreational activities is also reflected by the large numbers of members in the German Alpine Association. "Over the past few decades, we've seen a steady increase in membership. With roughly 37,000 new members – that's a growth rate of 4.57 per cent – in 2009 we've even registered the largest increase in the history of the German Alpine Association", says Thomas Bucher, head of press and media contacts at the German Alpine Association.
There are often no clear-cut boundaries between the individual disciplines of walking, hiking and mountain climbing. But one thing is crystal clear: "Outdoor activities have become mainstream in today's society", says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. Friedrichshafen has hosted the OutDoor since 1994, helping it to become Europe's leading outdoor trade fair and an event that annually attracts the industry's top companies to Lake Constance.
International manufacturers use the OutDoor to present their product innovations for the coming season. One of these exhibitors is backpack manufacturer Deuter. "Hikers are by far the largest target group for Deuter. This means that hiking backpacks are the largest product group in our collection", says CEO Bernd Kullmann. According to the study conducted by the German Hiking Association, the most popular pieces of equipment include jackets (92 per cent), followed by day packs (80 per cent), hiking boots (72 per cent), sleeping bags (62 per cent) and hiking maps (58 per cent). No matter what product hikers purchase, the key criterion for outdoor gear is the right combination of quality and functionality.
Not all exhibitors, however, are coming to Lake Constance with special products exclusively for hikers. "Our target group includes everything from leisurely hikers to avid climbers. As a multi-specialist, we provide all products from a single source. Customers select from our collections to meet the demands of the terrain and their personal standards," says Stefan Rosenkranz, CEO of Salewa Sportgeräte GmbH.
A common thread among all manufacturers of outdoor equipment is their awareness of the attractiveness and enormous potential of the hiking market. One of the main results to emerge from the "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study is that hikers spend an average of 92 euros a year on equipment. By taking this figure and extrapolating it to all hikers in Germany, researchers concluded that Germany currently has an annual total market volume of 3.7 billion euros. This amount does not include expenditures made by the rest of the population for outdoor equipment.
A total of 7,500 interviews were conducted for the "Hiking: A Market with a Bright Future" study, which was initiated by the German Hiking Association and supervised by the European Tourism Institute at the University of Trier.
The latest trends and product developments that manufacturers intend to use to shape the hiking market of the future can be viewed at the OutDoor trade fair on July 15-18, 2010 in Friedrichshafen. "A large number of exhibitors use the industry's top trade fair to debut new products and present their latest developments to trade visitors", says OutDoor Project Manager Stefan Reisinger. With 847 exhibitors from 39 countries, the leading international trade fair is enjoying record demand for booth space this year. The product showcase for the outdoor industry includes special lectures, presentations and discussion forums.
