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French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent dies

French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent has died at the age of 71, hailed as a 20th century cultural icon who revolutionized the way women dressed.

The reclusive Saint Laurent's couture creations won global fine art status and he was widely considered to be one of an elite club of designers including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel who made Paris the fashion capital of the world.

From Princess Grace of Monaco to the actress Catherine Deneuve, Saint Laurent's creations adorned many famous women but he was also the first designer to make luxury labels accessible to a wider audience through innovative read-to-wear collections.

He exploded on to the world stage at just 21 and built up a clothes, perfumes and accessories empire that resulted in a 1989 stock market flotation -- the first by a fashion house.

But Saint Laurent, whose death on Sunday was announced without any details of the cause, was plagued by health problems -- he suffered from severe depression and underwent treatment for alcohol abuse.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Saint Laurent as a creative genius. "He was convinced that beauty was a luxury that every man and woman needed," Sarkozy said in a statement.

"(Coco) Chanel gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power," Saint Laurent's long-time friend and business partner Pierre Berge told France Info radio.

"(But) he was someone who was very shy and introverted, who had only very few friends and hid himself from the world." Continue to the full story.

Aspiring Amateur Fashion Designers

Swarovski Young Designer Awards Encourages Undiscovered Talent

Your chance to have your name and creativity flashed before thousands of people in the UAE is back. The Swarovski Young Designer Awards are providing a professional platform for aspiring fashion designers in the UAE to achieve national recognition and win a fashion internship.

The Awards, part of The Bride Show Dubai, are open to students and amateur designers and aim to throw the spotlight on undiscovered talent looking for their break into the notoriously tough fashion industry.
Ten finalists from both the Student and the Amateur design categories will be given the opportunity to bring their ideas to life and see their wedding dresses displayed on the catwalk by professional models as part of The Swarovski Young Designer Award Fashion Show on the last day of The Bride Show Dubai 2008.
The overall winner of the Innovation Award will win an internship at Swarovski or a dedicated fashion house. Furthermore, winners of each category will receive a Swarovski trophy and luxury gift hamper.
As is tradition for the Awards, a theme has been set for entrants to take inspiration. This year, the designers will be asked to reflect ‘the art of being intimate’ in their design for what is arguably the most important dress a woman will wear in her life.
Applicants to the Awards will submit a selection of mood boards, outlining their creative influences, their concepts and overall designs. A panel of judges, formed by eminent personalities and industry figures, will select top ten designs in each category which will then be designed and modeled. All participants will have access to invaluable workshops and mentoring, designed to develop their skills, from the Awards sponsor, Swarovski.
Swarovski, the world’s leading crystal company, is an integral partner with The Bride Show. Usually associated with global leaders of the fashion industry, Swarovski recognises the importance of nurturing young talent and developing new ideas and fresh creativity. The Young Designer Awards creates the perfect platform to reach promising future designers and help them break into the fashion industry.
“The response we have received in the last few years of the Swarovski Young Designer Awards has been overwhelming,” said Werner Baumgartner, Managing Director of Swarovski Middle East. “We believe this is an important competition, which helps both students who have embarked on a path to a career in fashion as well as amateurs who believe they have an eye for creativity and flair. I am very much looking forward to seeing how this year’s participants will develop the theme, ‘the art of being intimate’ into a beautiful wedding dress.”
The Bride Show Dubai is the largest and most prestigious bridal exhibition in the Middle East, making it the perfect arena for budding fashion stars to showcase their unique wedding dress creations to prospective brides and their families, Arab women and expatriates.
“Now in its 9th year, we are thrilled to build further on the success of the Swarovski Young Designer Awards at The Bride Show Dubai,” said Daphne Cota, Exhibitions Manager for The Bride Show. “Seeing the finalists’ hard work pay off on the last day of the event is always very inspiring and we know our visitors love to see local creative talent in the spotlight and on the catwalk. The Awards continue to raise awareness and standards for young talent in the Middle East fashion industry.”
Budding fashion designers who are interested in taking part should download an application form from www.thebrideshow.com. The deadline for submissions is 14 February 2008.

DIFW announces emerging talent hunt competition

The Dubai International Fashion Week, (DIFW), has announced the emerging talent hunt competition to be held from 22nd July. The one month long hunt marks the commitment of DIFW to offer an unmatched platform to the regional talent to bring their work face to face with local, regional and international players in the fashion industry. The last day for sending in the entries is August 15th.
A rigorous selection procedure will identify three winners from amongst the several entrants based on a set of judging criteria. The panel comprising the members of the advisory board shall look at concept and design, choice of fabric and commercial viability of the collection, while deciding the chosen ones. The winners will then gain an opportunity to unveil their designs for the summer of 2008 in front of an audience drawn from amongst the best of fashion connoisseurs; fashion followers, commentators and buyers.
Mandatory for participation is a presence of less than two years in the business with at least one collection to their credit. The collection entered should showcase women’s ready-to-wear. The short listed candidates will then be put through a rigorous interview with the panel which will evaluate their understanding of the concepts developed and advice towards the final collections.
“The first edition of DIFW saw participation from both established and emerging talent from the region and outside,” said Nayla Yared, project manager of DIFW. “Building on the tremendous goodwill generated after the first event, the October edition will continue to focus on designers from the Middle East while simultaneously reaching out to more international buyers in a sustained bid to take the regional fashion industry to the centre stage of global trends,” she concluded.
About DIFW

Dubai International Fashion Week (DIFW) is a trade event aimed at bringing together major advocates of the fashion industry by providing them a single platform. Overseen by an advisory board, DIFW enables local and regional designers and fashion houses to present their collection to global and regional buyers, celebrities, media, fashionistas and the general public.
DIFW has been conceived and produced by Concept Events, a member of Concept Group, and a full service event management company with wide expertise and experience of managing corporate events, seminars and exhibitions, as well as live entertainment, award ceremonies and trade shows. Source

Tom Ford's plans to go global

Fashion super giant, Tom Ford, has announced that he will be taking over the world one continent at a time. After opening his uber chic store on Madison Avenue this year, the one-time creative designer of Gucci, is set to open almost 100 retail stores all over the world over a 10 year period.
From Dubai to Sao Paolo, dainty boutiques will sell his garments and a wide range of refined products. With a hard-to-accomplish objective in mind - becoming the true luxury label of the 21st century - Tom Ford and his friend and partner, Domenico DeSole, aim to become one of menswear heavy-hitters. Asia will become a Ford hot-spot; including a store in several countries. In addition, they aim to create a much tighter distribution than their competitors, and so become a high-end label in every aspect available. In the US, Tom Ford has already signed exclusive shop-in-shops agreements with, renowned department stores, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.
Both Tom and Domenico are confident that they will succeed on this hazardous quest of theirs. My style and market perception tells me that they will become with no doubt what so ever an iconic label in menswear fashion and that they will sell by the hundreds of millions, but I'm yet not convinced by their plans of becoming a fashion house highly above the others. Source

Who is more famous: Louis Vuitton or Scarlett Johansson?

Scarlett Johansson has recently appeared in these advertisements for the Louis Vuitton print and billboard campaign for the second time. Back in 2004 she made an appearance in a different series of ads for the company. The ad campaign is slated for release this season - Spring 2007.
In this photo shoots, Johansson appeared on a pink background with a very 1960s theme and clothing choice - very seductive, but don't consider it semi-nude. She looks truly beautiful in the adverts and the super model is also going to appear in other advertisement campaigns later in the year.

CHANEL Football

CHANEL, CHANEL, CHANEL...Everybody who's anybody knows that last year's Chanel skis were mind-blowing fabulous as Victoria Beckham was spotted on every slope sporting full on Chanel gear. But has Karl and his crew taken it a step too far? Are the masses ready for this fusion of high fashion and sports? Feast your eyes on this $195 Chanel football. Undeniably breathtaking, but just how many fashionistas can you picture gasping over this pigskin? Available at select Chanel boutiques like Jeffrey in NYC and Maxfield, Los Angeles.

The CHANEL boutique in Dubai is at Wafi Mall and soon this hot creation will be available there for all the local fans.

P.S.: Is it just me or does this design have to be the result of Tom Brady and Gisele's romance? FOOTBALL VS FASHION????

Dubai International Fashion Week

The Dubai International Fashion Week will kick off tomorrow April 1st at the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel. The designers who have already committed their participation represent an international mix of talent, including JJ Valaya from India, Autandil Tsruitinidze from Georgia, Assanova Balnur from India, Autandil Tsruitinidze from Georgia, Assanova Balnur from Kazkhstan, Hassan Shahyar Yasin from Pakistan, Keneyoshi Kondo from Japan, UAE-based Mille Rostock and Meher Michandani and Lebanese born international designer Walid Atallah, who has been operating in Dubai since 1996.

Apart from presenting the already established designers, the organisers of the Dubai International Fashion Week conducted a talent search to encourage promising designers by providing them a cost-free boots to the international fashion ramps. The DIFW advisory board chose six young designers, to showcase their new collections of high-end pret-a-porter garments.

The catwalk fashion shows are by invitation only at the Palace Ballroom of the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel.

The exhibition is open to the public at the Arabian Court, Palegrine Ballroom of the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel.

Faberge's presented in Dubai by Damas

Faberge timeless pieces have gained popularity because of their outstanding design and craftsmanship that transcend time.

The watches from the latest collection presented by Damas Group recently in Al Mooroj Rotana have the unmistakable Fabergé look. They have fire-enameled and hand-glitched dials that identify each watch as a precious object.
The production of each Faberge timepiece is guided by the same rigorous process applied during the era of the Russian Tsars. There is a growing appreciation for hand-crafted objects worldwide and Faberge watches epitomise the finest craftsmanship following this vanishing tradition. In many parts of the world where Faberge is present, there is always an exclusive segment that prefers timeless beauty over passing trends, the romance of hand-made over the mass produced.
Damas, the international jewelery and watch retailer is the exclusive seller of Faberge precious watch collection in the UAE market.
Two collections for men are presented - Agathon and Carrée, each composed of unique pieces that are perfect objects of rare beauty.
AGATHON pays homage to Carl Peter Fabergé's little-known younger brother who was a brilliant designer. The application of the best of traditional and modern watch making technologies makes these timepieces ideal for the gentleman with a taste.
The Carrée Collection represents the Old Master's pre-Revolutionary concept of time. To complete the classic look, the characteristic rectangular case harks back to Fabergé's early designs for wristwatches.
Anastasia is one of the ladies collection. The oval case encloses sapphire glass.
Agathon Medium Lady Series, another line for ladies is expected to be a big hit among customers once it's launched in the market. This collection is eagerly awaited by many women as a statement of self-confidence and acknowledgment of their own femininity.
The Faberge Watch Collections are available at Damas Boutiques in Mall of the Emirates, SAKS 5th Avenue and Emirates Towers.

Emilio Pucci Spring-Summer 2007

The ready to wear Spring-Summer 2007 collection of Emilio Pucci is expected to arrive to Dubai in the beginning of April. The Emilio Pucci boutique is located at the Shopping Boulevard in The Emirates Towers. Harvey Nihcols is carrying the line as well.
Few items from the Pre-Collection Spring-Summer 2007 are already on the shelves. Just enough to provoke the imagination. Think of classic jet-set glamor, whether it is sailing on the Dubai Creek, playing a tennis match at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, or enjoying a desert safari trip. The collection is for the young sophisticated women, with a contemporary spirit. The catalog of the complete collection is already in store and fans can check it and pre-sellect models and accessories. For more details please call 04 3300660.

London Fashion Week

During the London Fashion Week the British designers seemed desperate to please. Everywhere at the London shows people looked pleased, drinking the free drinks from the liquor sponsors, loading up on the goodie bags.

In the last six or seven years, since McQueen and Hussein Chalayan moved their shows abroad, London fashion has lost ground to New York and Paris. Meanwhile, British institutions like Burberry and the trendy Topshop have prospered. Design schools like Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art attract students from around the world, as well as supplying talent to the major fashion houses. British art directors and photographers produce some of the most up-to-date magazines, which meticulously document the latest band and microniche club look.

Yet despite the media thunder around British Fashion Week, which ended on Friday evening with a show by Marc Jacobs, no single first-rate talent has emerged. Perhaps perversely, one of the best shows of the week was by Topman, which included great knits and coats by Topshop’s men’s division as well as fresh-looking ponchos and thick cabled sweaters by Siv Stoldal. Many of the looks in the Topman show won’t cost much more than $150.

Too often, though, the runways seemed less about a new point of view than a sequel. Plenty of designers have shown that you don’t need the crutch of a club or a book to design original clothes, among them Mr. Alaïa, Karl Lagerfeld and Raf Simons.

British fashion has insufficiently acknowledged that London is awash in cash, from the equity markets as well as from wealthy foreigners. At the same time designers are not as unrestrained in their imagination as they once were. The upshot is that their endeavors seem small.

Only Marc by Marc Jacobs show looked very glamorous. In the front row were Sofia Coppola, the actress Selma Blair and Naomi Campbell, who came with a Brunei prince.

Marc Jacob to open a boutique in Dubai

Marc Jacobs celebrated the opening of his latest London boutique with a runway show at Claridges Hotel and an illustrious party at The Connaught where the entire ground floor housed a dance floor, restaurant, and four bars. The Marc by Marc Jacobs show included male and female models, dressed in his latest designs of carpet bags, chunky tartan short coats, herring bone pants, cardigans with deep pockets and scarves, according to Fashion Wire Daily.

Jacobs' desire is to design beautiful clothes. His designs for 2007 mimic fashions from the early 60s and 70s, tailored clothes with sharp collars, knee length or ankle length pleated skirts, and slim belts worn over unadorned cashmere sweaters. He pairs white and grey with neutral colors, topping off the ensemble with a silver metallic hat and handbags made of crocodile skin.

Marc Jacobs Boutiques will be expanding to Beirut, Moscow, and Dubai, increasing his numbers to 60 boutiques.

Designer Fashion

How do fashion designers end up with a runway full of stunning clothes during fashion week? The process is actually quite a long one and each design goes through many steps before it is ready to be worn.
Fashion houses group clothing into collections. Typically these are based around a particular season. For instance, a designer might present their “Autumn Collection.” Collections are not just groups of items, but rather are carefully planned pieces which are meant to complement each other. They all will fall under the broad design element that the designer is wanting to showcase and they will fit the style that the rest of the designer’s work is known for.
Fashion designers are often credited with creating trends. Sometimes this is the case, but often they are simply paying attention to what is going on in the fashion world and trying to predict what will be popular next. Some designers do not care very much for trends, and instead try to create completely original and groundbreaking work. They might base their designs around a theme which they consider their inspiration. For instance, they might visit a foreign country and be enthralled by the bright colors that women use in their clothing. They will then use that as the theme of their collection, and incorporate these same colors into their designs.
Once they have their general ideas, they need to start creating the individual pieces. How this is done varies greatly depending on the designer. They might use a computer program, draw pictures, change existing designs from a previous collection or even just work with fabric and a dress form until they see something they like. Once they’ve got their design, they will have a toile made for them. A toile is a sample version of the design made out of plain calico. Once this is created, they will have it modeled or put it on a dress form to view. If they like the way it fits, they will send it to a pattern maker. The pattern maker has to then very accurately create a pattern for the garment based on the toile. Once the pattern is created, a sample garment will be made out of the actual material it was intended to be made in.
The process can be quite tedious, but it ensures that the garments created are of a high quality and are exactly what the designer envisioned.