Fashion and Design World Today

Hugo Boss is a fashion brand that is surely among the elite group of fashion designers known in the world today. But don’t tell that to the economic crisis bug as it looks like Hugo Boss may find itself cutting down to make sure that they don’t drown alongside other big corporate names that have made drastic changes to keep afloat.

German fashion house Hugo Boss is tightening its belt to cope as shoppers lose appetite for high-end menswear. The firm said it would cut its expansion by almost 50.0% in Western Europe and improve its profitability for this year following a 27.0% drop in net income for 2008.

The company said it would target sales outside the ailing Western European economies, to nearly half of its total, including an aggressive move into China. “Our stated target for the coming years remains to generate sustained positive development in our international markets, and particularly to increase our share as a percentage of total sales in the dynamic regions of Asia, Eastern Europe and North America,” said Chief Executive Claus-Dietrich Lahrs.

Hugo Boss “is being rather cautious as it tries to save cost. A good thing in this environment,” said Hamann. “It will be challenging for the company because clothing retailers are heavily exposed to a sharp decresase in consumer spending.”

Retailers have been under pressure to slash costs and launch aggressive promotions to attract costumers, who have scaled down or cut back on their shopping as a result of the global financial crisis.

(Source) Forbes

Perhaps actress Gwyneth Paltrow is not entirely relying on her showbiz career for her future. Just like most people who want to ensure that they are well covered, the popular actress has recently launched her own fashion line.

The Academy Award winning actress will launch her first autumn/winter 2009 collection in London next week according to ElleUK.com. She collaborated with French label ZOEtee’s on the capsule collection, from which all proceeds will reportedly go to a children’s charity.

Paltrow has been both applauded and derided for her sense of style over the years. She was widely panned for her Oscar’s outfits in 1998 and 2002 but has emerged in the last 18 months with a sleek new bob, an array of little black dresses and a fashion-forward attitude. It remains to be seen how this will influence her first collection.

The mother-of-two, and wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, has recently embarked on two other non-acting related ventures – a cooking show based on her travels in Spain, which is currently screening on Foxtel, and her website and e-newsletter Goop.

She also returned to the silver screen in Iron Man alongside Robert Downey Jr, after a self-imposed break from acting when her children were born. Her latest film Two Lovers, co-starring Joaquin Phoenix, is yet to be released in Australia.

(Source) SMH

The special World Fashion Award for Professional Achievement went to Alexander Shumsky, President of Russian Fashion Week (”RFW”) and head of Artefact Communications Agency — the prominent Russian PR company specializing in luxury, fashion, travel and lifestyle.

“We honored Alexander Shumsky as a pioneer who did the basic things that developed the Russia fashion industry. His Russian Fashion Week is the only professional event in Russia with a record of fashion discoveries and great influence on the whole market,” said Igor Udalov, President of World Fashion Channel on the ceremony.

Russian Fashion Week, which began in 2000 in Moscow, is renowned as the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe. RFW is famous for discovering new fashion talents and for showcasing the best Russian and ex-Soviet Union designers as well. Russian Fashion Week, which is held every April and October, is supported by the Russian Federation Ministry of Culture and features several international shows each season.

Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Jenny Packham, Jeremy Scott, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, La Perla, Frankie Morello, Armand Basi and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada have all showcased their collections in Moscow at RFW.

Internationally renowned Russian designer Slava Zaitsev received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding career spanning nearly 50 years. Slava Zaitsev just turned 71 years old and still holds a top position in Russian fashion. He was nicknamed Red Dior by the international media for creating glamorous collections during the era of the Soviet Union.

Slava Zaitsev and his son Egor, who is famous for his avant-garde collections, are participants in Russian Fashion Week. Slava Zaitsev is also the founder of the Lamanova Fashion Contest which every year since 1998 has been awarded to Russia’s best young designer.

The World Fashion Awards was founded by the World Fashion Channel in 2008 to recognize the most important people in fashion in Russia. The World Fashion Channel is an international satellite TV channel about fashion and headquartered in Switzerland with representative offices in Milan, Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Istanbul and Los Angeles. Russia is one of the key markets for the World Fashion Channel which reaches over 1 billion viewers in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Launched in 2005, the World Fashion Channel covers the latest fashion events, recent fashion and style news, current fashion trends, the lives of top models, backstage stories, photo session reports and designers’ biographies along with celebrity red carpets, retro fashion returns, music videos and the best fashion shows from the most acknowledged designers.

First off, this one of a kind dress was worn by Actress Molly Sims. This is a One-of-a-Kind Kevan Hall Dress Made of Real Fruit but was later on auctioned off for Charity.

Stealing the spotlight from celebrity guests and runway confections at designer Kevan Hall’s March 19 fashion show was a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind dress that features real cranberries.

The designer, renowned for his incomparable tailoring and sensuously draped, streamlined silhouettes, created the cranberry dress in celebration of new Dial Antioxidant Body Wash with Cranberry & Antioxidant Pearls, available nationwide this month.

Following the fashion show, the dress will be auctioned on ClothesOffOurBack.org to benefit children’s charities including The Children’s Institute.

Flirty, fun and designed to show a little skin, the Kevan Hall original is made of heavy, cranberry-hued linen adorned with more than 2,000 real cranberries. The berries trim the full, knee-length skirt and cover part of the one-shoulder bodice. “Showing off great skin is always in style, which is what I love about this asymmetrical, open neckline. And it looks gorgeous on Molly, who knows the importance of healthy skin,” commented Hall. “I also used more than 2,000 cranberries in the construction of the dress, which was a unique experience. I’ve never worked with fruit as a clothing material before and I’ll never look at another cranberry the same!”

Bidding on the one-of-a-kind cranberry dress begins March 20 at www.ClothesOffOurBack.org.

Source

Hell all my Design lookout readers. I found a great sweet and fashion forward snack for you. Massimo Gammacurta has a line of lollipops inspired by the some of the greatest fashion houses in the world! So if you have a great fashion sense and a huge sweet tooth than get your hand. The price for the designer lollipops are unknown but I hope to see them in designer store everywhere. Rumor has it that Lil Wayne is a huge fan of these fashionable treats. If any known where I ca get my hand on these lollis of fashion please leave a comment!

Here are the flavors for Massimo Gammacurta’s designer lollipops:

This is Chanel Green Apple. If these pops look like a  green apple Jolly rancher, than send one to me asap! Can you imagine me have a Chanel lollipop with my Chanel frames? Can you say awesomeness? I can! Oh and did I mention that the Chanel Lollipop comes in grape too! Wow!

This is Louis Vuitton watermelon slice. I can’t believe it. Imagine yourself with a Louis Vuitton lollipop walking down the step. Everyone will be envious! I can not wait until them pops hit the market.

This Yves Saint Laurent lolli comes in Carmel ( seen above) and Cherry! Designer taste has a whole new meaning. If I was Massimo Gammacurta, I would market these pops to this huge fashion houses than you can purchase them at any Yves Saint Laurent Store! I would buy them.

Finally, we have Gucci juicy pomegranate. OH My Goodness! I love pomegranate. I love it. Pomegranate has such a distinct taste. Massimo Gammacurta, please get these lollipops out! They would be a hit.

Make sure you check out Massimo Gammacurta site at http://www.gammacurta.com/! This site is fabulous with great photo and better style.

Photo Courtesy