Julia Alcântara
Rita Galkina
Martina M
Martine Falk Andersen
Mikko Puttonen
Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the core company of Teijin's carbon fibers business, will begin selling this March a carbon fiber fabric that is less than half the weight of conventional lightest carbon fiber fabrics. The new fabric, which has been developed with Sakai Ovex Co., Ltd. and is used for forming prepregs, will help further reduce the weight of composite products, making it ideal for high-strength, low-weight applications where design and style count, ranging from golf club and tennis racket shafts to personal computer casings.
Toho Tenax targets annual sales of more than 300,000 m2 at a value of more than 1.8 billion by its fiscal year ending in March 2013, aiming to expand the carbon fibers business for prepreg use.
The fabric is made with Toho Tenax's new carbon fiber yarn designed for making ultra-thin fabrics. Using Sakai Ovex's yarn-spreading technology, development of a thin fabric measuring just 0.06 mm in thickness has been achieved. The new fabric weighs only 60g/m2, or about half the weight of the lightest carbon fiber fabrics currently available.
A fabric prepreg is typically used on top of a prepreg layer for a composite product in order to maintain performance and prevent cracking during drilling and other machining. Reducing the weight and thickness of such fabrics helps to lower the composite product's weight as well as allows the original prepreg layer to be thicker and thereby enhance the entire rigidity without increasing the total thickness of the product. Moreover, thinly spread yarns generate less waviness in the fabric, which improves translation of fiber strength into the composite product.
NEW YORK - Naomi Campbell was wanted for questioned by New York police on Tuesday after her driver accused the British supermodel of assaulting him.
New York police said the 39-year-old model is accused of striking her driver from behind and causing his head to hit the steering wheel of the car around 3 p.m. (2000 GMT).
By the time police arrived at the scene in Midtown Manhattan, Campbell had left on foot. "The driver said a small bruise and swelling under his right eye was caused by her," the New York police said in a statement. "We want to talk to her."
Campbell would voluntarily cooperate with police, said her spokesman Jeff Raymond. "There shouldn't be a rush to judgment," he said in a statement. "There is more to the story than meets the eye."
In 2008 Campbell was sentenced by a London court to 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers during an expletive-filled incident after she had discovered an airline had lost one of her bags.
Campbell also spent five days mopping floors and cleaning toilets as part of a community service sentence in New York in 2007 after throwing a mobile phone at her housekeeper during an argument over a pair of jeans. She was also ordered to attend anger management classes.
In a previous incident with a telephone in 1998, Campbell assaulted an assistant, Georgina Galanis. The model agreed in 2000 to plead guilty in a Toronto court to the assault in exchange for expressing remorse, paying Galanis an undisclosed amount of money and attending anger management classes
The 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' singer recently got an etching on her back in tribute to her love of horses and she wrote the words for it herself.
Leona - who has another tattoo on the inside of her left wrist which is an Arabic message about love - said: "I got another one that goes halfway down my back recently.
"It's a poem - about horses. The last bit is a quote but I made up the rest. Their beauty captures every eye/ A gift from God for all mankind/ They lend us wings so we may fly/ To ride a horse is to ride the sky."
Although the 24-year-old pop star is delighted with new inking, her boyfriend Lou Al Chamaa was less impressed by the lengthy tattoo.
Asked how Lou reacted when he saw it, she replied: "He was a bit annoyed at first. He was like, 'It's permanent!' But he likes the message, everyone does."
Leona thinks many people are surprised by her tattoos because they wrongly believe she is a shy person.
The 'I Got You' singer - who won the 2006 series of Simon Cowell's UK TV talent show 'The X Factor' - added to Grazia magazine: "I'm actually not shy, I'm very outgoing, very talkative. I'm not a walkover.
"You've got to be tough in this business to get on. I am a very ambitious person, always been hard working and driven. You have to have that in you to go through a process like 'The X Factor'."
The American Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will officially execute a new lead requirement for imported children's products and other consumer goods being sold in the US this week.
After February 11, 2010, all manufacturers, importers or retailers of imported children's products and other consumer goods are required to provide evidence of third-party testing of their products and to show compliance with the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For the children's market, items are covered by the Act include toys, furniture and jewellery.
As a CPSC-accredited laboratory, UK-based SATRA is offering third-party test reports showing compliance with the US regulations. The Technology Centre can also offer guidance on how a product is affected by the CPSIA, the testing required and interpretation of the results.
Jackie Glasspool, business manager of SATRA, said: "Although SATRA is a UK-based test house, our accreditation for US legislation allows us to fully support our members selling into the US market."
Since the CPSC introduced the CPSIA in August 2008, there have been a number of changes to the limits of lead allowed in certain products, and to the testing required in order to show compliance.
A Paris tribunal found Ebay Inc guilty of misleading consumers by using misspelt versions of luxury brand Louis Vuitton as search engine key words to redirect users to Ebay website links.
The tribunal on Thursday ordered Ebay to pay 200,000 euros ($275,800) in damages and 30,000 euros in legal costs incurred by Louis Vuitton, a leather bags maker owned by LVMH, the world's biggest luxury goods group.
It also demanded Ebay pay 1,000 euros in penalties every time it used search engine key words that "harmed the reputation of the Louis Vuitton brand."
Ebay recognized the facts of the case but said they reflected the workings of a search system it uses.
When a certain number of badly spelt words similar to Louis Vuitton often came up in search engines, the system allowed it to automatically pay search engines such as Yahoo and Google to have them used as key words directing users to Ebay.
"We are extremely disappointed by this decision," Yohan Ruso, head of Ebay France told Reuters. "We recognize the facts but we think the sanction is disproportionate."
Louis Vuitton said the tribunal had found Ebay liable for "harming the trademark and domain name of Louis Vuitton."
For its part, Ebay said the words were commercial links used in search engines to redirect consumers to Ebay to buy genuine Louis Vuitton goods.
"This issue is being used by certain rights owners as an excuse to retain total control of what people can buy, where they can buy it from and how much they have to pay," Ebay said in a statement.
Ebay said it had not decided yet whether it would appeal against the decision.
Louis Vuitton, which began proceedings against Ebay in December 2006, said it had asked for 600,000 euros in damages.
"The Tribunal said that with these key words, Ebay was doing advertising for its website by using the brand name Louis Vuitton and by doing so, was misleading Internet users," Patrice de Cande, Louis Vuitton lawyer, told Reuters.
"This is a decision to protect the consumer."
LVMH shares closed barely changed at 77.58 euros, valuing the group at 38.16 billion euros.
Applied DNA Sciences (APDN) has launched SigNature DNA, an anti-counterfeiting technology which uses plant DNA extracts to authenticate products.
In design, Nike has produced a device for concealing drawstrings in clothing, and Lectra has launched a new version of Modaris, its pattern making software.
Meanwhile, Shapely Shadow has developed FastFit360-an online application inspired by traditional flipbooks and social networking sites which provides users with a 360° view of the fit of a garment.
Environmentally friendly fibre and yarn developments include a 100% organic cotton sewing thread from Coats, launched under the company's EcoVerde brand, and a 100% recycled polyester/cotton yarn from Optimer Brands called Dri-release E.C.O (Environmentally Correct Origins) 2nd Nature.
In fabrics, Lenzing and Tejidos Royo have developed a new range of denim fabrics, called E[DOS], which is made from organic cotton and Tencel fibres
Invista has introduced Lycra lastingFIT, which has exceptional shape retention and stretch recovery properties, for use in the manufacture of denim garments. Meanwhile, Teijin Fibers has introduced a fabric for undergarments which can help a wearer to "burn body fat".
In clothing, Anvil Knitwear has introduced a recycled cotton T-shirt which has been certified CarbonFree. Eco-Panda has launched swimwear made from recycled nylon, and Teijin has unveiled suits made from recycled plastic bottles.
In functional clothing, Allen Solly has introduced stretchy wrinkle-resistant men's trousers to the Indian market. In sportswear, Adidas has introduced three new fitness garments which incorporate Skintex, a patented encapsulation technology developed by Cognis, while Moving Comfort is using SCafé, a fabric made from used coffee grounds, to manufacture a new range of sports brassieres.
India's garments industry has achieved worldwide prominence as a source of clothing that combines the latest global fashion trends with exquisite designs, which are resplendent of influences taken from the local culture.
As the sixth-largest garments exporter in the world, the country benefits from a number of competitive advantages. Foremost of these is an expansive pool of suppliers, which number more than 18,000. These companies are located in most major cities.
This report focuses on the main types of garments exported from India - casual, formal, baby and children's wear, sports apparel, and undergarments.
What you'll get
-In-depth profiles of 13 major suppliers with a comprehensive look at their product and pricing strategy, manufacturing and export capability, verified contact details, and more - this information is not available anywhere else
-105 full-color images that depict popular garment export models, complete with product descriptions, prices, minimum order requirements and delivery times
-Verified supplier contact details of an additional 5 exporters, including names, e-mails, telephone numbers, websites and key products
-Supplier information in tabular format to help you compare suppliers at a glance
-Results of the custom-designed supplier survey, which forecasts industry trends for the next 12 months
-An extensive overview of the industry discussing the main challenges facing suppliers
-An in-depth examination of the supplier base highlighting key characteristics of the different types of companies
-Details of the primary production centers
-An update of the latest trends in design, R&D, materials and components
-A review of the key factors that influence the price and quality of low-end, midrange and high-end products
-Comprehensive pricing tables featuring export price ranges
Who should read this report
- CEOs, Directors, Presidents, Business Owners
- Export/ Import Managers, Sourcing Representatives, Sourcing Engineers, Supply Chain Directors, Procurement Managers, Agents
- Sales Executives & Managers, Marketing Executives & Managers, International Buyers
- Business Consultants, Investment Managers
- Anyone who needs to understand the China supply market
ZeMis, the lifestyle accessories store promoting world culture and world travel, recently launched its Wonders of the World collection on www.zemis.com featuring 7 man made marvels and natural sites as the inspirational theme for its neckpiece line including the Pyramid at Giza, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Great Barrier Reef Machu Picchu as well as unofficial wonders – Acropolis and Serengeti.
ZeMis specializes in exquisite neckpieces made from pearls, semi-precious stones, luxurious and hand woven exotic fabrics and glass beads, all artfully interlaced by skilled artisans. Lindy Castillo, ZeMis’ designer and founder enthuses, “As soon as we launched our Spring-Summer accessories collection online, the fabulous reviews kept coming.” ZeMis’ Facebook Fan Page has more than doubled since it launched the line less than month ago. Lindy further adds, “We want the glowing comments to continue spreading. We really believe we came up with a good collection for this season and our prices are very reasonable. I think uber luxury pricing is a thing of the past – at least for the next 5 years or so.”
ZeMis will be handing out its best-sellers like the Leopard Warning, Berry Picking and the Bloody Fangs Necklaces from the Winter Collection and the wildly indulged Cleopatra’s Seduction, Rain of Ra, Incan Treasure, Andean Florets, Mystic Cusco and Divine Tomb’s Day from the Spring-Summer series to Golden Globe and SAG awards winners Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore, Meryl Streep, Mo’nique and Juliana Margolies as well as fellow nominees: Edie Falco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, January Jones, Lea Michele, Vera Farmiga, Penelope Cruz and Anna Kendrick.
For its Spring/Summer collection, ZeMis worked around the theme of ‘Wonders of the World’. ZeMis came up with its owns 7 Wonders list to draw inspiration from for its fabulous Spring collection of neckpieces.
At a recently concluded hospitality lounge, ZeMis gifted radiant neckpieces to Joan Collins, Patricia Arquette and a host of other celebrities.
The concept of ZeMis was germinated more than a decade ago when e-commerce was just about to explode. Its founder, Lindy Castillo, is an avid traveler and serious shopaholic who genuinely enjoys bringing home gifts from her exotic trails to family and dear friends. At that time, she had already set up an internet marketing company and was heavily entrenched in her VC firm. She put this project on hold but her passion to spread cultural awareness and encourage world travel never wore off. Finally in late 2008, she launched her online store and never looked back.
ZeMis debuted its designer accessories line in a celebrity gifting event when it participated in the film academy award nominee gift bag and the Haven swag lounge held in February last year. Its now famous and fully evolved AKT Vianca minaudiere made from pandan and palm leaves grace the lovely hands of paparazzi driven celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Eva Mendes and Sarah Jessica Parker as well as last year’s Oscar winners and nominees, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Respected female actors like Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson likewise wrap their fingers on this eco-friendly charmer.
ZeMis differentiates its products from other online stores selling jewelry and fashion accessories by presenting detailed product pictures with various angles and sketch diagrams showing relevant dimensions to give customers comprehensive information as well as delight, convenience and a seamless transaction experience.
ZeMis utilizes Amazon's e-commerce technology in order to provide ZeMis guests a safe, secure, and convenient online shopping experience. Transaction processing for ZeMis is handled by Amazon so buyers can use their Amazon.com account to order and checkout.
Milan kicked off the Italian leg of the international fashion run on Wednesday with a tighter schedule of catwalk shows aimed at meeting the needs of the foreign press but which has ruffled designers' feathers.
Thousands of journalists and buyers have descended on the Italian fashion capital to see designers such as Giorgio Armani, Prada and Versace's womenswear for next winter.
But the big names have squeezed their presentations into four days out of the February 24 - March 1 run after powerful fashion editor, Vogue's Anna Wintour, reportedly shortened her attendance.
Several designers and businessmen were quick to voice concern that a short show week would reduce the strength of the country's fashion industry. Paris fashion week runs over nine days.
"No one, not even if she is called Anna Wintour, can allow themselves to make or unmake our fashion calendar," Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti was quoted as saying in Italian newspapers.
"For this reason we must all work united."
Italian daily Corriere della Sera headlined a story about the calendar woes by saying Wintour held the Italian fashion sector "in her fist."
Wintour, who has an icy reputation, was believed to have inspired the cutthroat editor played by Meryl Streep in the film "The Devil Wears Prada."
Media reports have said she would only be staying three days in Milan because she will then travel to Paris fashion week and then fly to Los Angeles for the Oscars.
"I am very much looking forward to going to Italy as always," she told trade publication Women's Wear Daily.
ONLINE FASHION
It is not the first time Milan fashion week has been tainted by calendar wrangles. In September, a last-minute shuffling of slots because of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur threw organizers into a fluster.
"Our designers are the best in the world but unfortunately they often show they are not conscious of their power and instead give in to the pressure of the foreign press," said Mario Boselli, chairman of Italy's National Chamber of Fashion.
Boselli has promised a new calendar in September, with at least five days of shows.
Smaller names and young designers kicked off Milan fashion week, which overall will have more than 80 catwalk shows as well as presentations. On Thursday, Prada and D&G will start off the intensive run of the bigger names through Sunday.
Continuing the growing trend for online fashion, several shows will be broadcast live on the Internet. Designers are embracing a growing crowd of Internet-savvy fashion followers taking the glamour of the catwalk beyond the coveted front row.
Designer duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have gone one further and will broadcast their D&G and Dolce & Gabbana shows live on i-Phone and Android smartphones.
According to the fashion chamber, the industry's turnover fell 15 percent to 56.5 billion euros ($76.76 billion) last year. It has forecast a 6.5 percent growth this year.
Hint of seduction in this Blumarine creation at the just concluded Milan Fashion Week. Max Rossi / Reuters
Luxury was the key word in Italy's fashion capital as the top brands rolled out their new womenswear. Marie-Louise Gumuchian with Reuters reports
Next winter will be more colorful and retro for womenswear, designers at Milan Fashion Week showed, with brands making bolder statements in their creations as customers regain optimism and seek newness for their wardrobes.
The omnipresence of fur played up a luxury feel at the autumn-winter 2010/2011 shows, which ended yesterday, while an emphasis on sexiness was clear from Prada's dresses with fitted bodices and ruffles delineated busts to Versace's asymmetrical creations.
Designers injected doses of color from red and orange at Giorgio Armani to pink at Bottega Veneta.
A pickup in turnover for Italy's fashion industry is forecast this year after it fell 15 percent last year to 56.5 billion euros ($76.87 billion) in 2009 as the crisis hit demand.
"Even though the economy is showing some signs of recovery ... it's important the designer thinks of ... the woman who can afford to buy the clothes going up and down the runway," Ken Downing, fashion director at Neiman Marcus, says.
"We're very pleased, it's all about newness and newness is paramount. Women are not buying something they already own."
Fur, like in this Salvatore Ferragamo offering, fires up the Milan runway. Max Rossi / Reuters
Designers mixed leather, fur and wool on clothes and at times took inspiration from male wardrobes.
Known for his polished elegance, Armani presented square-shouldered jackets over short shirts that were reminiscent of the 1980s while sleeveless dresses were covered in tiger print or embroidery. He also put capes over dresses and toques with strips that lay like a fringe on models' heads.
Gucci had cashmere coats and collarless cropped jackets, paired with silk tops and skinny trousers with folded waists and metal plate belts.
Dresses with metal collars and cuffs had cuts exposing skin. They were worn with over-the-knee suede boots.
Patterned Chantilly lace dresses with sequins or ostrich feathers for evening wear were worn with lace stockings.
"It's absolutely full-blown luxury, every fur you can imagine," fashion journalist Hilary Alexander says of the shows.
Prada's silhouettes cast a late 1950s/early 1960s look with jackets with doubled-up collars in fur and knit and matching skirts. Dresses bore wallpaper-style patterns in red, mustard and brown and were worn with wool socks decorated with frills.
For Versace's biker chic line, designer Donatella Versace put zips on leather and suede jackets, trousers and fitted dresses, which were worn with boots with chunky heels.
Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier put bandeau leather tops and wool felt sleeves and collars on sleeveless silk dresses. He also highlighted the season's trend for ankle or calf length boots with his black wedge booties.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana highlighted the sartorial work of their Dolce & Gabbana brand with tailored black jackets. They also presented black lace and satin dresses.
There were also floral, polka dot and animal print designs.
The duo showed snowflake patterned knits worn with chiffon skirts and furry boots for their second D&G line.
Armani picked an "Uptown Girl" look for his Emporio Armani line, with short skirts paired with eco-fur and wool jackets.
Celebrating the 40th birthday of his brand, Roberto Cavalli picked a bohemian look with military-inspired tapestry brocade tailcoats and mixed fur jackets. Models wore transparent trousers over shorts and floating dresses in tulle.
Accessories played a strong role in all shows and buyers noted a more wearable and comfortable shape for bags.
"I wouldn't say that (designers) are being cautious," says Marigay McKee, fashion and beauty director at Harrods. "I would say it's more of an evolution than a revolution."
