Macho man is going out of fashion

By admin | June 29, 2008

As world financial markets wobble and bonuses shrink, the macho male is going out of fashion.

Paris designers showing their spring-summer collections on Saturday banished the tie and introduced a gentler take on masculinity, leaving the Gordon Gekko look in the dust.

With thousands of revelers pouring into the streets for the annual gay pride parade, French designer Franck Boclet proudly flew the pink flag at Emanuel Ungaro — but there was no message intended.

“I didn’t even know it was gay pride day today!” he said. “It just so happens that fuchsia has always been Ungaro’s signature color.”

Boclet celebrated the house heritage with a shocking pink backdrop, but used the color sparingly in his collection.

After all, he made his name at Francesco Smalto cutting suits with a defiant swagger. Here, they were rendered in checked patterns with pants that stretched suggestively across the thigh.

As a result, a pink linen blazer seemed slightly adrift, though a purple cardigan top with a loose matching parka was a plausible option.

French actor Samuel Le Bihan, known for his tough guy image, said he had worn a pink T-shirt last summer but would not be repeating the experience.

“I tried, but I just can’t do it,” he said.

The Smalto image has loosened up since Swiss-Korean designer Youn Chong Bak took over the design reins three seasons ago.

Models lounged around an Italianate fountain in a chic mansion in her crisp cotton jackets paired with tailored cream bermudas, conjuring images of the spoiled millionaire Dickie Greenleaf in “The Talented Mr. Ripley”.

Best of all were the waistcoats cut away in the front in the style of morning coats. These came in white linen with a tone-on-tone satin trim, or in a denim version slung over an unbuttoned white shirt.

“I think it’s always more pleasant to see men who have attitude but nonetheless have a slightly soft side, because people are sick of machos,” Chong Bak said.

That mood carried over to the Hermes catwalk, where the focus was on bare necklines with sailor-style sweaters that framed the collarbone.

This might seem like a bad move for a company famed for its luxurious silk ties, but French designer Veronique Nichanian provided plenty of alternatives.

They ranged from plain shawls worn loose over the chest to brightly patterned silk squares jauntily tied around the neck. The signature Hermes scarf even doubled as a cummerbund, worn simply over a white linen shirt and dark pants.

Alongside the catwalk shows, dozens of designers show their collections to buyers and editors in showrooms.

At the headquarters of Japanese label Issey Miyake, a video showed designer Dai Fujiwara and his team checking color swatches against plants in the Amazon rainforest.

Those colors ended up on outfits including a silk suit featuring dark stripes melting into olive green, thanks to a computerized weaving process. Casual options included a camouflage-patterned denim jacket with matching cut-off pants.

Tags: paris+fashion,+franck+boclet,+fashion,+trends, Samuel+Le+Bihan, Dai+Fujiwara, Issey+Miyake

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Yves Saint Laurent fashion to be auctioned off

By admin | June 15, 2008

A month after the death of Yves Saint Laurent, Christie’s is auctioning seven pieces of the legendary French fashion designer’s clothing and jewelry representing nearly every decade of his career.

The items at the July 2 auction include a 1958 cocktail dress for Dior and a 1970s Rive Gauche camel cable-knit sweater trimmed in fox fur similar to one Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wore.

“What’s exciting about the collection is that you see the progression of his career. He was a real style-setter,” said Christie’s couture specialist Laura Leyfer.

Saint Laurent died on June 1 at age 71. Considered one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, his creations — from pop-art print mini-dresses to peasant skirts and elegant pantsuits — endure to this day.

The cable-knit sweater — with a pre-sale estimate of $250 to $400 — is a version of one Onassis was often photographed wearing, a style she owned in several colors, according to Christie’s auction catalog.

All of the items are in excellent condition and are relatively inexpensive because they aren’t new designs and have been worn, Leyfer said Friday. “That’s part of the appeal and it’s what makes it a collectible,” she said.

Another item for sale is a dusty pink layered tulle evening dress with metallic pink and silver embroidery, which Saint Laurent designed for Dior in 1958. It’s could fetch $1,000 to $1,500.

The costume jewelry includes a floral gold-tone metal and crystal stone necklace from 1990, estimated to sell for $1,000 to $1,500, and a hammered gilt-metal “ethnic” necklace from the 1970s that could bring $600 to $800.

The sale also includes pieces from other designers including Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mugler, Balenciaga and Gianni Versace.

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Tori Spelling will be Skechers’ first pair (with her son)

By admin | June 1, 2008

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Tori Spelling and her 13-month-old son, Liam, will be the first mother-and-child models in Skechers new ad campaign called “Nothing Compares to Family.”

She joins past Sktchers celebs, such as Ashlee Simpson, Carrie Underwood, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.

Skechers plans to rotate a variety of famous families throughout the campaign, featuring mothers and small children and adult celebrities with their sisters, brothers, parents and grandparents.

Wow. This is rife with celebrity family drama possibilities. Off the top of my head, I’d suggest Alec Baldwin and his daughter, Ireland, talking on the cell phone. David Hasselhoff and his daughter, Hayley, filming him with her camcorder.

And the expanding Spears family would make a great ad! Say what you will, but if there was ever a family who’s really pulled together this year, it’s the Spears clan. Momma Lynne Spears helping her preggers teenage daughter, Jamie Lynn, prepare for the birth of her first out-of-wedlock baby. Daddy Jamie Spears helping straighten out the life (and finances) of his troubled older daughter, Britney, who seems to have made quite a comeback, thanks to Pop. I’d give the Spears family a call, Skechers ad peeps. You’ve already got their number, right?

Each Sketchers ad will be tagged with a family-related charity of the celebrity’s choice, such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International or Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for families.

Awwww.

Skechers is an award-winning global leader in the lifestyle footwear industry. We design, develop and market lifestyle footwear that appeals to trend-savvy men, women and children. A billion dollar company, Skechers’ success stems from its high-quality, varied product offering, diversified domestic and international distribution channels, and cutting-edge print and television advertising.

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Shoe Seller’s Secret of Success

By admin | May 24, 2008

HARVARD BUSINESS ONLINE posted a blog item on Monday morning praising the online shoe retailer Zappos. In short order, it spread around the Internet like kudzu.

The item, “Why Zappos Pays New Employees to Quit — And You Should Too,” written by William C. Taylor, applauded Zappos for what he called its unmatched customer service and for its insistence on thinking beyond the current fiscal quarter.

“There are plenty of companies with a hot product, a hip style or a fast-rising stock price that are, essentially, one-trick ponies — they deliver great short-term results, but they don’t stand for anything big or important for the long term,” Mr. Taylor wrote.

Not so at Zappos, which Mr. Taylor says will record $1 billion in sales this year, up from $70 million five years ago. Zappos delivers shoes, handbags and other products ordered over the Internet. Delivery is free and fast, and customers can return unwanted products at no charge.

“This company is fanatical about great service,” Mr. Taylor wrote, “not just satisfying customers, but amazing them.”

In an age of clueless, surly or impossible-to-reach customer service personnel, Zappos’s fanaticism helps it stand out. It is all in the hiring. After a few weeks of intensive training, new call-center employees are offered $1,000 on top of what they have earned to that point if they want to quit.

The theory, according to Mr. Taylor, is that the people who take the money “obviously don’t have the sense of commitment” Zappos requires from its employees. The company says about 10 percent of its trainees take the offer.

Zappos’s reputation preceded the Harvard Business item, of course. “Honestly, I’m getting to the point of burnout on hearing about Zappos in marketing circles,” Robert John Ed wrotewrote on his blog (redmarketer.com). But he still felt compelled to note this week that “the secret to Zappos’s success is real commitment that permeates through every customer and every transaction, every time.”

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Free shipping on regular priced items in Urban Safari trend! Use Promo Code JUNGLE at checkout. (valid 5.19.08 - 6.1.08)

By admin | May 10, 2008

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Although we do offer commissions on the following brands when purchased through Macys.com, due to contractual agreements, we are not permitted to promote them on affiliate sites: Coach, CHANEL, Estee Lauder, MAC Cosmetics, Origins, Prescriptives, Clinique, Lancome, Tag Heuer, 7 for all mankind, The Northface, Mimi Maternity, Crocs, Lacoste, and Polo Ralph Lauren (all forms of Ralph Lauren).

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It Pays to Link to Luggage Online!

By admin | May 9, 2008

It Pays to Link to Luggage Online!

Luggage Online carries top brand names in luggage, briefcases, computer cases, travel accessories and business accessories. Our customer service is 2nd to none - with all orders shipping within 48 hours, and FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100!

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CLINIQUE Great skin starts here. Clinique 3-Step Skin Care

By admin | May 7, 2008

CLINIQUE Great skin starts here. Clinique 3-Step Skin Care. Get custom-fit now >>

Clinique Laboratories, LLC. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of prestige skin care, makeup and fragrance products.

Clinique was first launched in 1968 with skin care and makeup products that are all allergy tested and 100% fragrance free. Our products have been designed to address individual skin types and needs. The products are based on research and related expertise of leading dermatologists. Clinique’s skin care products are marketed as part of the Three-Step System: Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturize.

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Bare Necessities YummieTummie!

By admin | May 5, 2008

Bare Necessities offers bras, panties, men’s underwear, hosiery and sleepwear from 100+ name brands. Our selection of over 2000 styles spans luxury designer fashions to everyday traditional styles and includes top brands like La Perla, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Dolce & Gabbana, Wacoal and Bali.