Romek Gelard Gello
Anna Le
Kristin G
Manuella Lupascu
Mikko Puttonen
Tory Burch LLC is pleased to announce its partnership with Chalhoub Group, the leading distributor and retailer of luxury brands in the Middle East. With this agreement, Chalhoub Group holds the exclusive rights to distribute and retail Tory Burch products in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
"Expanding in the Middle East is a significant step for our brand," says CEO and designer Tory Burch. ?We are excited to partner with Chalhoub Group and look forward to building a long-term business together.
The first Tory Burch boutique in this region is planned to open in fall 2011 at The Dubai Mall. The full Tory Burch collection will be available, including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, small leather goods, eyewear and accessories. Several additional Tory Burch boutiques are planned to open in 2012 across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
With fashion retail in exponential growth, we are delighted to join hands with Tory Burch for its development in the Middle East. This partnership is a major addition to our portfolio and we are confident it will offer the stylish, distinctive designer looks fashionistas are looking for when shopping in the region.” says Patrick Chalhoub, co-CEO of Chalhoub Group.
Since its launch in 2004 as a lifestyle concept with multiple categories, Tory Burch has received recognition from the fashion industry, including the CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year in 2008. In November 2007, the company was honored by the Accessories Council of Excellence with the award for Accessory Brand Launch of the Year. In 2005, the Fashion Group International awarded Tory Burch the Rising Star Award for best new retail concept.
Tory Burch is a luxury lifestyle brand defined by classic American sportswear with an eclectic sensibility and attainable price point. It embodies the personal style and spirit of its CEO and designer Tory Burch. Recognizing a void in the market for a designer aesthetic at a more accessible price point, Tory wanted to create stylish yet wearable clothing and accessories for women of all ages.
The Chalhoub Group is a leading retail, distribution and marketing powerhouse for renowned brands in the beauty, fashion and gift sectors. A regional group, based in Dubai with development platforms and external consulting services in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria, the Chalhoub Group represents some of the finest international brands in the region. Today, with coverage in 14 countries and expansion to neighbouring territories, as well as a portfolio of more than 280 luxury brands and the management of over 400 retail outlets - an appreciation of quality, excellence and luxury are the cornerstones of the Chalhoub Group.
LONDON – If ever there was a designer who could work endless magic on a single garment, it's Burberry Prorsum's design chief Christopher Bailey and the luxury brand's signature trench coat.
With prints, delicious colors and myriad styles both ladylike and sporty, Bailey wowed a star-studded crowd Monday with dozens of variations of the trench coat at Burberry's catwalk show for London Fashion Week.
The Burberry show is the weeklong fashion extravaganza's glitziest production, and drew a well-groomed crowd of celebrities including Kanye West, actresses Sienna Miller and Gemma Arterton, and tennis star Andy Murray.
Bailey, who has been at the helm of the historic British brand's designs for a decade, has been credited with revitalizing the once-fusty fashion house and boosting its international style credentials.
For the spring and summer 2012 season, he dished up a commercially savvy collection that ensured the clothes suited all tastes.
The classic waterproof trench — a Victorian-era innovation credited to brand founder Thomas Burberry — appeared variously in a slim-cut, buttery turquoise leather version, or with a feminine, cinched-in and full-skirted silhouette reminiscent of Christian Dior's New Look shape in the 1950s.
It also took the guise of cocoon-shaped jackets with poofy sleeves, as well as cropped, hooded parkas — all retaining the gun flaps, epaulettes and utility features of the original coat.
Neutrals were ditched for rich autumnal hues such as rust, burnt orange, hunter green and mustard, which dominated alongside colorful abstract prints that looked tribal and earthy.
Raffia was everywhere, and woven, beaded or geometrically shaped embellishments were prominently used on tops, coats, thick belts and oversized bags.
"I thought it was fabulous," a smiling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour said, before disappearing into the crowds.
Bailey said he wanted to celebrate traditional craftsmanship, such as hand weaving and beading, that is being forgotten — and to juxtapose that with the digital technology that the brand is embracing.
"I like the fact that what we're actually showing takes time. It's slow and it's really beautiful," he told The Associated Press after the show, staged in a conservatory-like tent in Kensington Gardens just across from the Royal Albert Hall.
That is in direct contrast with the instant, online social media-driven marketing strategy that Burberry has been focusing on in the past few seasons. Shows are live-streamed around the world — including on prominent Chinese websites to cater to the brand's significant number of wealthy Chinese customers — and anyone who fancied the brand new runway styles can order them online straight away.
On Monday, the company even showed its Twitter fans each model's look before they hit the runway.
"We are 155 years old, but it's a very young team," said Bailey, 40. "I just think it's a natural extension of our company."
Bailey said he used so much color because he wanted the collection to be "joyous," and guests were pleasantly surprised when the show ended with a burst of copper confetti raining from the ceiling.
"I wanted the colors to make you smile," Bailey said.
Burberry's show followed those by Christopher Kane, another blockbuster display, Pringle of Scotland and Erdem earlier Monday as the fashion week reached its fourth day.
LONDON – Next thing you know, the queen will be calling Roksanda Ilincic to ask if she can whip up something special for a big event.
That's how it must seem to Ilincic, the elegant Serbian-born designer whose colorful dresses just happen to have been worn this year by American first lady Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton, the stylish Duchess of Cambridge.
The highly visible endorsements have moved Ilincic from the "rising star" to "star" category in the British fashion firmament as she readies her much-anticipated Tuesday show at London Fashion Week. She's no longer up and coming, she's here.
The success of her expanding line is an impressive achievement for Ilincic, who grew up in the former Yugoslavia and came to London to study at the esteemed Central St. Martins art college, where she helped offset her student expenses by modeling on the side.
There is no question that the long-legged Ilincic has a model's looks, but for her the catwalk was just a means to an end, a way to train at the school that has produced some of Britain's leading fashion stars, including the late Alexander McQueen and other luminaries.
"I liked it, but I never thought that would be something that would take over my life," Ilincic said at her busy canal-side studio in northeast London. Assistants were helping her prepare 30 outfits for the catwalk — and matching the eyepopping shoes that are vital to the look.
Last minute decisions must still be made: Ilincic and senior members of her team have to choose the makeup and hair styling approach, and make final alterations to the loosely structured garments, which started out as simple sketches on Ilincic's pad.
Ilincic, who trained as an architect before she embraced dress design, no longer has to do the sewing herself. But her concerns now extend far beyond the catwalk. As the leader of an expanding company, she judges her collection's success not on the air kisses that come her way after the show — or even the press reviews — but on the sales results that trickle in a few months later.
"I always wait to see my sales figures and the results from the buyers," she said. "That's when I feel happy."
She said the glitz surrounding fashion shows can be misleading.
"People look at what we do and it looks glamorous and fun, but they don't realize there is a tremendous amount of pressure, particularly in and around the show," she said. "It's not just about creativity, there are many other elements that build up to the show."
It has been rare for a Serbian-born designer to scale fashion's heights. Ilincic grew up in Belgrade, where she was exposed to Western fashion at an early age. Her country would later be engulfed by war, but Ilincic — now in her mid-thirties — remembers a happy childhood before those troubles, and she is still drawn to her homeland.
"My memories are really amazing," she said. "I think my country is beautiful. We are quite family-oriented. It's not just Sundays, it's every day. There is always a meal in the day where all the members have to be present around the table. We have incredible sun and warmth in the summer months. We have such colors; I think that's why I love colors in my clothes so much, I bring it from home. It seems brighter."
Ilincic has been showing at London Fashion Week for the last four years, and she has had many prominent clients, including actresses Gwenyth Paltrow and Emily Blunt, but nothing prepared her for the velocity trendsetters Obama and Middleton would provide when they showcased her designs.
"It's no surprise she is attracting big name clients," said Avril Graham, Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor. "Roksanda is one of my own personal favorites on the London design scene. Her understanding of real women and silhouettes designed to flatter is perhaps the key to her success. Her collections are packed with must-have, tasteful numbers."
She said Ilincic's creative use of color offers "a hip and modern vibe" that have made her designs particularly popular in the United States.
Obama chose Ilincic twice this year, first in January when she wore a wool coat and satin dress to receive the Chinese president and again in May when she and her husband made a state visit to Britain.
Ilincic said she has always designed with strong, independent women in mind — qualities she said are embodied by Michelle Obama.
"Michelle made the whole dream come true," Ilincic said. "It was an extraordinary feeling."
Middleton chose a light gray dress by Ilincic for her arrival at Los Angeles airport in July on her first ever trip to the United States. She had earlier showcased other British designers on her extended trip through Canada.
"She has such elegance about herself," Ilincic said. "To be supported by her was a big honor."
She might seem like a woman who has it all: a successful global business, a happy marriage, a young child — and high cheekbones to boot. But Ilincic still suffers from nerves, particularly when it's time to shed her anonymity and come out in front of the crowd at the conclusion of a catwalk show.
"I hate coming out at end of a show and taking a bow," she said. "I do bow. I think the bow means thank you to all the people who put an effort into it. I feel like doing that. But I don't like it because you're up there and you're being judged a lot and that kind of judging I don't like."
At least she has one advantage: Ilincic can choose any of her own designs for her brief moment in the spotlight.
In early September, cotton trades were moving at a slow pace in Brazil, due to the price oscillations. Differences between asking and bidding prices prevailed at the beginning of the month. While purchasers expected quotes to drop because of the end of the harvesting, producers focused on the accomplishment of contracts.
In August, exports hit a record regarding volume and revenue. Brazil shipped 117.5 thousand tons last month, way above that registered in October 2008 (106.4 thousand tons), the highest amount ever exported in one month. The revenue reached 252.2 million dollars in August, a record.
Brazilian exports in August 2011 were 61.7% higher than in August 2010. However, in the accumulated of the year, shipments have amounted only 195.3 thousand tons (year on year decrease by 14.2% to 227.6 thousand tons). On the other hand, the revenue obtained in the partial of 2011 reached 409.3 million dollars, against 350.8 millions in the same period of 2010.
Between August 31 and September 15, the CEPEA/ESALQ Index for cotton type 41-4 (delivered in São Paulo city, payment in 8 days) upped slightly 0.2%, to close at 1.8080 real or 1.0585 dollar per pound on Sept. 15.
In early September, producers surveyed by Cepea were focused on the wrapping up of the harvesting activities, on the advance of the cotton ginning and on the final adjustments of the new summer season. Purchasers, however, were refrained because of instabilities in the market. In most cases, they traded only to rebound inventories.
CEPEA - Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics is a research center of the University of São Paulo located at ESALQ in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo. It is focused on agribusiness issues considering a diversity of related subjects: market analysis and price discovery, international trade, macroeconomics, management strategies, environmental and social aspects, entrepreneurship and family farming.
LONDON (Reuters) – With inspiration ranging from the yachts of the super rich to tropical beach colours, designers at London Fashion Week are seeking to ride out the tough economic times with creations that stand out and sparkle.
An array of colours and bold prints have prevailed on the catwalk since London Fashion Week began on Friday. Fashion theory may state that when times get tough hemlines drop but several names showcasing their designs for spring/summer 2012 have kept skirts short and dresses tightly fitted.
Designer Julien Macdonald said he was taking his clients on a journey from the yachts of Saint Tropez and Monte Carlo to China and Japan, with a collection filled with Asian print designs and embellished evening and cocktail dresses.
With their hair tightly gelled back, models wore white tuxedo jackets, metallic belts and waistcoat dresses, accessorized with Porsche-designed sunglasses and military caps.
"The collection is exclusive, it's very expensive. Only the richest people in the world can afford to buy it," he said.
Macdonald, known for luxury designs which usually sell for hundreds of dollars, often hosts more than 400 people at his shows but this year picked a smaller, more intimate setting.
"I just invited the best. I said no to 550 very upset people," he said. "The recession affects every designer. People just want special things ... If you've spent the money on the clothes, you want to look a billion dollars."
At London Fashion Week, which runs until September 21, dozens of British and international designers are showing their lines, eager to entice cash-strapped buyers with their collections.
RIO IN LONDON
At Issa London, tropical colours, flirty dresses and luxurious katfans set the catwalk alight, as Brazilian designer Daniela Helayel brought Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema beach to the British capital. One model ended the show dressed as a samba dancer with an embellished corset and crown of feathers.
The brand was thrust into the spotlight when Kate Middleton wore a blue Issa dress to announce her engagement to Britain's Prince William last year. The dress sold out within 24 hours.
"If you have a good dress, you know a dress that makes you feel good, it's the only thing that lifts up your mood; so good dresses will always be in demand," Helayel told Reuters.
On Sunday, Mulberry, known for its expensive handbags, hit the beach for next summer with a seaside and pier rides inspired palette of colours and animal prints collection presented among giant ice cream cones and hundreds of animal balloons.
Inspired by the British summer, creative director Emma Hill sent out models in waterproof macs over beach dresses with drawstring waists or brightly colored encrusted gemstones.
Dogs were also in mind with specially designed shiny macs, modeled by one pooch on the catwalk.
The season's signature prints are bright enough to banish grey skies!" Mulberry said in a release.
Celebrities have also been adding to the glamorous touch with model Kate Moss and actress Kristen Stewart on the front row at Mulberry, and actress Pamela Anderson and artist Tracey Emin at Vivienne Westwood's Red Label show.
Red Label is Westwood's more affordable line, and she showed cardigans worn as belted dresses, oversized shirts, tailored suits, holographic cocktail dresses and a show-stopping red gown. Big hair and bold makeup added the final touches.
"What we're doing is just making women look great because we're offering them so much choice, they really can choose what suits them," Westwood told Reuters backstage after the show, as champagne corks popped at a makeshift bar behind her.
"It's always sexy, fashion is here to help, that's what we're here to do. It's a life enhancing experience."
H. Stoll GmbH & Co has introduces its Chinese Trend Collection for Autumn/Winter 2012-13.
RE-THINK is the theme for the collection.
Talking…about the contrast of sustainability and the digital landscape we face today.
Thinking…about using things that have been abandoned or characterized as waste such as stones or shards of glass left on a beach.
Rebuilding…our structures including economies and new resources. In all this the industrial aspectand the contrast of things “being created and handmade” come into consideration.
Coming back …to the root of matters to create a future that is worth living in. The thought of reusing “refuse” and sustainable yarns is being integrated into knitwear.
New resources from plant fibres as well as natural dying features are being explored. Alternative solutions show the way to combine these elements in an innovative and sophisticated way.
The new collection Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 is an attempt at this.
The colours range from earthy stone greys to warm purple and violet, while black and crème are a neutralizing go-between. Starting from materials like stone, glass and plastic, natural optics and transparent features have been integrated into the collection. Transparency and layering techniques are important themes as well as the clean black and white group that is a graphic statement of modernity.
3D effects have been realized by intarsia technique as well as racking structures. Knitted woven optics flow through the collection and show how the re-thinking of materials is mainly used in fabrics. Traditional patterns, such as variations of the classic "houndstooth" in jacquards are examples of symbolic re-use in garments.
Knitting technology and handmade elements work together while applications become the base structure and are completed by macramé elements. Fine wool qualities and a soft cashmere blend create garments that are wearable and comfortable. They are supported by the use of a special monofilament yarn that gives a technical look and unusual stiffness. A fancy nylon yarn gives a scrap like contrast to the pieces as though disturbing conventional surfaces.
Stoll is a manufacturer of flat knitting machines and pattern preparation systems.
Hollywood designer Oliver Tolentino proudly represented the Philippines at "United Colors of Fashion" (UCOF) last Friday during New York Fashion Week. UCOF, billed as a charity fashion event and gala, took place at one of Manhattan’s most prestigious hotels, The Pierre on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park.
The evening, featuringg musical performances, ballet dancers, a silent auction, gourmet food, and a runway show, benefitted the UCOF Charity Care Program-Soweto Hospice and the Bisila Bokoko African Literary Project, both based in South Africa. Broadway actress Kaaye Tuckerman served as Chief Ambassador for UCOF, while Kimberly Garrett served as the Honorary Chair/Stylist. An after-party followed at the Carlton Hotel on Madison Avenue.
Oliver presented a 12-piece Spring/Summer 2012 collection along with four other international designers representing Spain, Russia, Cambodia, and South Africa.
Oliver’s collection featured classic looks made from Philippine fabrics dyed in vibrant colors and accented with color-themed beadworks. While he used the usual Philippine fabrics such as pina, abaca, and raw silk cocoon, Oliver also introduced a new fabric made from water lily and jute which came about after meeting with weavers in Aklan.
Oliver noted, "I have been aggressively promoting our native weaving and embroidery industries internationally because I want our centuries-old expertise to live on well into the 21st Century. There is no greater joy than seeing the awe and amazement when I tell people what these outfits are made from. All Filipinos should be proud."
The night before his show, Oliver joined actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (upcoming star in Broadway’s "Godspell" revival) at Joe Jonas’s performance at Saks as part of Anna Wintour’s "Fashion’s Night Out." The following night, Anna Maria sat front row at Oliver’s show. On both nights, she wore his dress.
The Apparel Logistics Group recently announced they will begin to provide fashion logistics services for Maker and Company.
Maker and Company is a sportswear brand which has a unique spin on a classic approach for better menswear. Designs and color palettes that are truly made for the tastemaker and synonymous with the season. Based in New York, Maker and Company has made its way into over 250 better men’s stores across the country and continues to build a fan base with its collection.
"One aspect of Maker’s early success is its ability to focus on merchandising and design and allowing The Apparel Logistics Group to handle our inventory and distribution," according to Steve Seelert, Director of Operations for Maker & Company. "Their ability to handle large bulk inventories and deliver in a timely manner to customers is unmatched. They also possess an automated material handling system which not only leads to an extremely high accuracy rate but also a lower cost per item of handling. This is very important to Maker as we enter into the e-commerce world."
The Apparel Logistics Group provides companies with exceptional third party logistics services (3PL) for apparel inventory warehousing, apparel distribution, cross-docking, pick and pack, fulfillment, supply chain management, and value added services (VAS). Additionally, the company offers apparel third party services (3PS) like customer service, EDI, ASN and other IT-related support, accounting services, and imports management for the apparel industry.
Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC, received at the SABIC headquarters in Riyadh on September 15, a high-level Chinese delegation, headed by Zhang Gaoli, Member of the Political Bureau, Central Committee, Communist Party of China (CPC), and Secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee.
The delegation was accompanied by Li Jinjun Vice Minister, International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Mr. Xiong Jianping, Vice Mayor of Tianjin City and the Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yang Honglin and other embassy officials. Also present were the SABIC Board of Directors and senior executives.
Prince Saud praised the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and China as well as the efforts of the leaderships of the two countries to develop these ties at all political, economic and technological levels. He lauded the strong growth of the Chinese economy, which has, in turn, boosted SABIC’s presence in the Chinese market.
Prince Saud said, "The strong initiatives taken by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz have greatly contributed to the growth of the Saudi economy and its stability even in the face of global financial uncertainties. According to the World Bank’s business performance report for the year 2009, the Kingdom has moved up to the 13th rank globally. It is also ranked top among Arab countries for the best investment environment."
Prince Saud commended the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to SABIC headquarters in Riyadh in 2006 and the subsequent cooperation between SABIC and the Chinese company, Sinopec. This collaboration has resulted in the SABIC Sinopec joint venture in Tianjin, which has grown rapidly to form the basis for building a long-term strategic partnership.
Experts expect the annual demand for petrochemicals in China to grow above 10 percent over the next ten years. SABIC has announced its plans to establish a US$ one billion high-tech SABIC advanced polycarbonate technology plant in Tianjin City, China with an annual capacity of 260K tons to meet the growing demand for plastics in the country. The project will provide an opportunity to the company to grow in the market for high performance engineering thermoplastics, and meet the growing demand for SABIC advanced polycarbonates in China.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
New York – Just when the whole fashion pack was beginning to expire from the dearth of any new mega trend in the New York season into which it could dig it's editorial and retailing teeth, along came Marc Jacobs and wowed us with a plasticized dancehall sweethearts show that will ignite a half a dozen new movements in the world of clothing and style.
His Wild West naughty gals meets Chicago nightclub flappers spring 2012 collection, staged Thursday, Sept. 15, in New York, will be the most influential show this season. Among its major trends will be plastic-coated ginghams, layered faux glass skirts, prim bobby socks, cloche headbands and a soft louche attitude.
The show also got everyone's vote for the best presentation in New York in many seasons, a dramatic barn dance setting with fairy lights, patched-up pine dance floor and gigantic, cheap gold curtains. Pulled away, the stage revealed models perched provocatively on wooden saloon chairs. Jacobs last collection for Louis Vuitton in Paris in March referenced boudoir chic and prostitutes glamour, and while this show had an easy virtue air, there was something purer and more innocent about the whole mood.
The majority of models wore either cowboy boots - and the see-through plastic versions will be another big trend - or courtly high-heels paired with ankle socks.
But if the collection referenced any era it was the Twenties with flapper dresses - albeit in green and white plasticized gingham. Throughout, the designer used technical fabrics to re-invent customary codes - most brilliantly with nylon gabardine sweatshirts, another look that will be influential.
"Its about women being tough and hardy even. But somehow being American and fresh, if you know what I mean," Jacobs commented backstage.
