Taking The Last-Minute Plunge: Finding A Swimsuit All Year Round

“Mykonos!?” It’s 4:47 p.m. Tuesday, and your boyfriend has just surprised you with an impromptu trip to Greece. It would be a relative disaster if it weren’t such a dream proposition. There’s barely enough time to pack, and where are you going to find the perfect bathing suit this late in the season? Somehow, calling your best friend to say, “Can I borrow your polka dot Balenciaga bikini?” doesn’t seem quite right. Personally, I don’t own a bikini (my pale skin practically self-destructs in the sun), but I hoard plunging Eres one-pieces with the rationale that they’re perfect for a girl without a tan. Bikini or not, we’re still faced with a problem. Where to find a new suit this late in the season? Or, indeed, any time when they’ve been cleared off the racks of department stores and boutiques coast to coast?

So we turn to girls seasoned in this sort of dilemma: Where can the perfect swimsuit be sourced all year round? Take Lisa Marie Fernandez, the stylist behind her own line of surf-inspired swimwear with fans like Lauren Santo Domingo and Eugenie Niarchos. “I’ve always been super-spontaneous with travel and never know where I’m going,” says Fernandez. “I actually never really shop in the summer for bathing suits.” She suggests shopping online is the best bet for finding a last-minute suit, at either net-a-porter.com or clickini.com. “Some people shy away from buying online,” she says, “but sites allow you to see a great still life of a suit, or both front and back.”

“No one does a swimsuit quite as well as the Brazilians,” says Bev Malik, a freelance buyer and fashion director known for her skill at finding the best special fashion worldwide. She recommends doing some research at triya.com.br (the suits are sold at J Sisters; jsisters.com) and Osklen (osklen.com), the Brazilian outdoors brand with an outpost in New York that always has a suit style in store. Malik also likes lanouvellevague.com for Italian label Dosed’s “beautiful bikinis with gorgeous trims sourced in the finest factories in France and Italy.”

The off-season swimsuit hunt takes a new spin when you consider the Brazilian summer is the North American winter and vice versa. This was part of the argument made by Eres founder Irene Leroux when, in 1968, the Parisian public thought she was insane to sell swimsuits year round. She was quick to counter, citing traveling South Americans and, of course, the jet set, who just couldn’t—and wouldn’t—wait to buy their new suits.

“Ten years ago, before we opened the store, one of my friends argued that it’s absolutely ridiculous that you can’t buy a bathing suit year round in this town,” says Beth Buccini, co-owner of Kirna Zabête. The Greene Street store now offers clients the option to custom-order Lisa Marie Fernandez’s suits (it’s a service also available online at the store’s Web site; kirnazabete.com). Other stores with reliable swim options include Missoni’s New York flagship (Missoni suits are also available at Net-a-Porter) and Malia Mills (maliamills.com), while Norma Kamali’s store and Web site (normakamali.com) have over 300 styles of suits and a Try Before Service. For Tomas Maier swimwear, turn to the Manhattan-based catrionamackechnie.com (if you’re in New York, they’ll even messenger your suit from its Tribeca headquarters). Of course, there’s always the classic and reliable go-to, J.Crew, available at jcrew.com.

After all this exploration, I’m left smitten with the Azzaro Floristique swimsuit (available at Net-a-Porter). It fits in with my Eres stash—and I’ll have something special should anything arise, even if it’s only a surprise trip to Montauk.

So Young and Fabulous

AT Greenhouse, no one could hear you scream, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. The music at the club on a recent Thursday night — a procession of Michael Jackson songs played at airplane-engine volume — ricocheted off the low green-and-purple ceilings, sabotaging all attempts at spoken communication. Until Kim Kardashian grabbed the microphone.

“O.K., guys, let’s party!” she instructed from the well-fortified V.I.P. section of the SoHo club. Ms. Kardashian, who is famous for any number of reasons, was there lending her name to a new brand of vodka, which sponsored the event (never mind that she herself does not drink).

The densely packed crowd was young, fabulous and occasionally recognizable. Danielle Staub from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” made conversation with a dapper middle-aged man with shiny, slicked-back hair.

“This is not my scene!” Ms. Staub screamed, as “The Way You Make Me Feel” transitioned into “I Want You Back.” Then she felt compelled to explain, “I turned down a few other things and ended up here, but I think Kim is beautiful.”

By 11 p.m., Ms. Kardashian and her entourage, which consisted of a sister, Khloé, and a celebrity publicist, Jonathan Cheban, grew tired of screaming and made a covert exit through the club’s kitchen with the help of some bouncers and other publicists. They ducked into a black S.U.V. for the short ride to Delicatessen, a restaurant on the Lower East Side.

There, nibbling on fried chicken and spinach-and-artichoke dip, the sisters talked about their own show on the E! network, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” the conversation morphing into one about reality TV in general.

“ ‘Big Brother’ is one of the best shows on TV — I’m completely obsessed with it,” Mr. Cheban said.

“I’ve never watched that,” Kim said.

“It gets crazy,” Mr. Cheban said, explaining how the show’s producers deprive the cast of food and contact with the outside world. “After a few weeks they get stir-crazy, and people get nasty, and someone once tried to stab another person on the show.”

“What?” Kim shrieked.

“We’ve never tried to stab each other,” Khloé said, looking at Kim. “Yet.”

Mr. Cheban, who grew up in Fort Lee, N.J., said that “every show about Jersey is amazing.” Then he ticked off “The Sopranos” and a show on MTV called “True Life,” which featured some episodes about the Jersey Shore.

“It’s so stupid, but it’s so good,” Khloé interrupted, referring to the MTV show.

Khloé, the more free-spirited of the sisters — a characteristic played up for comic effect on the show — seemed to embarrass Kim when she started talking about one advantage to partying in New York rather than in their hometown, Los Angeles: no driving.

“Ever since I had my D.U.I., and now like I’ve never drank and drove since that,” she said. “I mean now I can’t have one sip of alcohol and drive.”

As she was speaking, Kim mimed shooting herself in the head.

“I’m on probation,” Khloé continued, then noticing her sister, asked, “Kim, are you upset?”

“No,” Kim said, shrugging.

It was after midnight when they made their way back into the S.U.V., though only after an encounter with a photographer outside the restaurant. “He must have followed us here from the club,” Mr. Cheban said.

They were soon at the night’s final destination, Avenue, a new celebrity hot spot in the meatpacking district. There was a crowd outside, but the doormen unhinged the velvet ropes for the Kardashians and opened the doors to the club, revealing a crowd of young, fabulous people flouting New York’s antismoking laws. The music of the moment? “I Want You Back.”

Denim Shirts

The introduction of denim into our wardrobes was, make no mistake, a revolution. What was once an unremarkable fabric for the working class became a sought after fashion fabric that conquered the globe; denim was to the late twentieth century what Huddersfield cotton was to the 19th. Tough, hard-wearing and distinctively American, jeans particularly are the greatest reason for this material’s success. They were an American teenage trend in the mid 20th century, and by the end of that century, everyone was wearing them.

Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine life without denim jeans. They are such practical inventions of fashion – easily washed, tough and durable – that it seems our current mode of life, far more active and requiring ever more resilient clothing of the ‘wash-and-go’ variety, might not exist without them. Cotton and wool trousers are often too smart, and often too easily spoiled; I remember spilling cream on a pair of virgin wool trousers and making the mistake of rubbing away at the material vigorously, as I would on my jeans. The difference is that the jeans can take it.

Of course, there are scattered detractors of denim. Dandy ‘evangelists’ for example tend to hold denim in contempt writing that “…this age of stonewashed blue jeans and practicality through the T-shirt is not the age in which a Dandy can come to aristocratic fruition.” They maintain a genuine refusal to acknowledge “…anyone who wears…jeans to be a dandy of any stripe.” Lapo Elkann admirers will probably disagree. The workaday value of denim is doubtless the problem for such critics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is the very value – something Yves Saint Laurent applauded – that explains their extraordinary success.

Aesthetically, they can be simple, even elegantly so. The material itself, no silk or velvet, is perhaps not the most lustrous or gorgeous of fabrics but pants rarely ever were the most glorious part of an ensemble. It is because of, and not in spite of, their supposedly ‘crude’ adaptability and relative simplicity that jeans, whether the detractors like it or not, are wildly popular and it seems, here to stay.

Other items of the denim family will look on in jealousy at the meteoric rise of the prodigal ‘denim jeans’; dungarees, though practical, are the old pretenders; the denim jacket is like a distant relative who uses the shine of the family name, so lacking in aesthetic and practical value is the product itself. The denim shirt, for some, is even worse. A friend once told me that while he adored denim jeans, he abhorred denim shirts; “They’re so ‘Me too!’ – what is the point in a denim shirt?” Not armed with a reason except the predictable and natural explanation that perhaps some people rather like them, I have often pondered the sartorial love/hate reception that meets the denim shirt. I myself rather like denim shirts.

Usually manufactured from a softer denim than jeans, they have a character and comfort all of their own. However, they are often very badly done in a manner that doesn’t suggest Fifties teenagers, milkshakes and Chevy-packed parking lots but beer guts, Stetsons and all-you-can-eat steakhouses. Denim should not be worn with denim – everything that ‘matches’ isn’t always a perfect ‘fit.’ Just ask Liza Minnelli and David Gest.

And while it is certainly true that the denim shirt is principally a casual item of clothing, it should not be treated in a slovenly manner. Denim shirts are boyish and as such, should be worn in a more fitted style. Baggy denim shirts, with clownishly voluminous arms, however comfortable they are, will make you look like a prisoner.

It is best to avoid overly ‘washed’ denim shirts. For one thing, indigo is a wonderful colour that should be displayed proudly and be allowed to age steadily. Secondly, there is something indescribably nasty about a denim shirt that seems to masquerade as an ordinary mid-blue cotton.

The context in which denim shirts are worn is rather unfortunate too. In their most popular habitat - the line-dancin’, country music luvin’ bone suckin’ states of the US of A – they seem to be predictably paired with denim, boots, and other items of rugged practicality. They could be better worn, as an item of intriguing colour and texture, with a club stripe tie, sports jacket, casual trousers and loafers to a booth at the 21 Club.

Michael Jackson Style

In the last few weeks, about one particular person, there have been written such headlines, obituaries, paragraphs, bloglines, Tweets and tributes that, if piled all together in some mausoleum of dedication, would surely be visible from space. Superlatives have been exhausted; the end of an era has been marked. Michael Jackson’s passing has dominated the thoughts of all from the breakfast to the boardroom table. Of his status as an entertainer, much has been said. Of his unconventional childhood, much has been lamented. He has been praised and pitied; scorned and celebrated. An awesome showman, he could write and produce his own music; he danced like no other, inspiring a generation of Jackson-lite dancers. He was equipped with a unique voice, a taste for fantasy and an enduring Peter Pan personality.

What has received less mention is Jackson’s very evident, somewhat controversial, taste in clothing. By some he is cited as the last example of extrovert dandyism; in whatever theme of clothing he currently favoured whether it be creamy fedoras, glittering socks, diamante gloves, Napoleonic tunics, wing collars or sequinned blazers. Jackson dressed like no one else. In many ways his extravagance was a renaissance of fashion showmanship unseen in centuries. For while it was undoubtedly idiosyncratic, it was actually well conceived. To some it was predictably vulgar, but to many it was an appealing extension of the Jackson aesthetic; a taste that embraced antiques, classic cinema, exotic animal pets, theme parks and history. He was evidently a curious and eager materialist who found delight in the sort of bauble and bangle that the most outrageous fop would question. But it was not only a willingness to wear what others might not wear; Jackson’s wardrobe was a premier example of personal couture. If Mr Jackson had the taste for a suit of armour, Mr Jackson would get a suit of armour. Indeed, when interviewed, Jackson’s costume designers, in acknowledging that Jackson never wore the same thing twice, indicated that Jackson was always the final arbiter on his clothing choices. But he was not simply an isolated fantasist. Jackson even had method to his adoption of faux-regimental clothing, considering that they ‘demanded attention’ had ‘clean lines’ and ‘fit…almost like dance clothes.’

It was not only that Jackson created his own unique wardrobe. He also, due to his magnificent fame, manipulated the mindset of a generation. I remember adopting some of Jackson’s milder clothing curiosities, a small trilby or penny loafer, and receiving my fair share of the humdrum commentary; “Look, it’s Jacko”, “Hey, MJ!”, “Ow!” For as much as penny loafers belong to a generation of Ivy Leaguers, for many younger people they are the stage-shoe of the King of Pop, and try as contemporary celebrities might to consistently adopt fedoras into their everyday headgear, they cannot shake off the glitter of mid-career Michael.

Some outfits of his in particular stand strong in the memory. The Billie Jean outfit, throughout the years of stage performance, remained roughly the same; a simple white t-shirt, skinny black trousers, a black trilby, black loafers and importantly, white diamante socks and a black sequinned jacket. A stage look, no doubt but wonderfully effective; the eye followed the gleaming socks in the moonwalk, the trilby was a clever prop. And as stagey as it appears, Jackson actually adopted more outrageous ensembles.

On a visit to the Reagan White House, Jackson was auspiciously centre stage. With a white wing collar shirt, black trousers, trademark white socks and opera pumps Jackson wore a museum-worthy creation half cartoon, half regimental elegance; a glittering blue mess jacket with light blue-edged lapels, dazzling gold epaulettes, gold sash and gold buttons – on his right hand he wore the legendary white sequinned glove. Such brazen pomp had probably never before been seen at the White House. As bizarre as the costume sounds, Jackson cut a marvellous, and extraordinarily gilded, figure; striding out onto the lawn between Reagan and his wife. For others, it would be impossible to imitate – for Jackson it was natural.

The one outfit that I remember, as a child, I ached to imitate was the creamy, faintly pin-striped suit from ‘Smooth Criminal.’ With a blue satin silk shirt, cream knit tie, spats and white fedora it was practically a parody of the gangster element which Jackson’s video highlighted. And yet it was simply the most wonderful thing I had seen. It wasn’t the white knight poetry of it, the obsession with Jackson himself or even the fact that I adored the song; Jackson simply dazzled.

Live From CFDAs: Another Coup for Wu

The awards are about to start after a flurry of late arrivals. Daphne Guinness with Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Zac Posen with a twirling Doutzen Kroes and Thakoon Panichgul who asked how early arrivers Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer and Lauren duPont looked in his pleated mini resort. (The latest of them all was Swarovski Award presenter Blake Lively in strapless screaming-pink Michael Kors). OK, she’s not MObama but Diane Kruger, who has the all-important task of presenting the Womenswear Designer Award is wearing Jason Wu: a cute little red dress with crafty black embellished shoulders. “I dressed her for Cannes,” Wu explained. “She just gets fashion.”

Solar Power

Francisco Costa had one concern about Calvin Klein's celebration of Visionaire's new Solar issue at the Standard hotel last night: the dress code. "I thought people might think it was too Puff Daddy," the designer joked about the all-white theme. (He was referring, of course, to the hip-hop impresario's notorious Hamptons party of old.) But Costa needn't have worried. Tyra Banks, Elettra Wiedemann, and Chloë Sevigny all played by the rules, though it took some convincing to get the latter into her ivory Chloé jacket: "I found out about the dress code after I had bought this amazing Comme des Garçons leopard-print dress," said the actress, adding that she thought about wearing the spotted frock anyway but lost the nerve. Not that she would have been alone: Costa, ironically, left his white suit in the car and emerged instead in a white shirt and dark jeans, while Italo Zucchelli, the brand's menswear designer, showed up in a hot pink jacket.

The reason for the mostly adhered-to all-white requirement? Visionaire's Solar issue, which was made in partnership with Calvin Klein, features photographs that change color in sunlight, and Costa and Zucchelli employed similar technology when designing a women's gown and a men's suit in a fabric that goes from white to pink and blue when exposed to UV rays. "They're kind of like those Hypercolor T-shirts that you had when you were a kid," said Harley Viera-Newton, "but much, much chicer."

A Conversation With Halston’s New Man

Ask Marios Schwab for the picture that comes to mind when he thinks of Halston, and he’ll admit that he reaches for the same mental snapshot we all do: Bianca Jagger, in a draped black dress, entering Studio 54 on a white horse. Unlike the rest of us, however, Schwab has the chance to conjure a new vision of Halston, one scrambled out of the brand’s sexy, seventies-heyday DNA but updated in Schwab’s own image. Last week, it was announced that the London-based Schwab would be taking the reins at Halston, a label that’s seen its share of troubles since Roy Halston Frowick exited the stage. Since 1983, the Halston legacy has been entrusted to more than a half-dozen designers, with fitful success. The previous designer, Marco Zanini, lasted only two seasons. Schwab has a rather formidable challenge before him as he seeks to turn the ship around. And the Greek-Austrian designer will be upping the ante for himself by continuing to design his eponymous label, which launched in 2005 and earned him the Best New Designer prize at the British Fashion Awards in 2006 and the prestigious Swiss Textiles Award in 2007. Here, Schwab talks to Style.com about moving into the house that Roy built.

Fashion Competition - Fred & Ginger Lingerie to be won

This week Fashion on www.telegraph.co.uk has beautiful Fred&Ginger luxury lingerie to give away consisting of a vintage-look ‘Beau’ bra and knickers set with matching kimono and eye mask, all in antique ivory. Fred&Ginger, launched during London Fashion Week in September, 2007, has quickly become a sought-after lingerie brand. After five years as senior designer at the evening wear label, Jenny Packham, Victoria Holt decided to branch out and launch her own lingerie line. Holt’s newest collection is made from luxurious, French, silk satins, crinkle- chiffons, Chantilly lace and Swarovski crystals to evoke the glamour and sophistication of the 1950’s.

Her range is extensive with kimonos, teddies, nighties, French knickers, camisoles, boleros, corsets, bras, knickers, eye masks, garters, and even risqué peephole-knickers, lace cuffs and blindfolds, all designed and manufactured in the UK. Prices range from £75 - £280.

Escala - the new legs of Pretty Polly

It is usually the arms of the four glamorous girls who make up the electronic string quarter, Escala, which are flashing. Now, the quartet has been announced as 'The Legs' of the leading hosiery brand, Pretty Polly.

The Escala 'bow belles' - two violinists, a viola player and a cellist, narrowly missed out on winning ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2008, but were immediately signed by the music mogul Simon Cowell.

They recently made a triumphant return to Britain's Got Talent, with a star turn watched by 15 million, and their debut album was released on May 25th.

The girls, Izzy Johnston and Victoria Lyon, violinists; cellist, Tasya Hodges; and the viola player, Chantal Leverton - have been chosen as the star 'legs' for the campaign for the re-launch of Pretty Polly 'Naturals' - a collection of better-than-bare hosiery.

"The Naturals collection complements each of our skin tones perfectly and provides us with that coveted 'air-brushed' look without the air-brushing!" said Chantal Leverton.

The launch of the new Pretty Polly collection coincides with the release of Escala's self-titled debut album, which features the girls' signature version of 'Palladio', by the Welsh composer, Karl Jenkins; a collaboration with the ex-Guns 'N' Roses guitarist, Slash, on Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir'; and their covers of Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' and Wings' 'Live and Let and Let Die'.

WOMEN’S ACTIVE WEAR BRAND ATHLETA JOINS GAP INC.’S ONLINE PORTFOLIO

SAN FRANCISCO – April 17, 2009 – Continuing to expand its product offerings to customers, Gap Inc. today announced that its newest brand, Athleta, is now available through the company’s online platform.

Athleta, a popular women’s sports and active apparel brand, takes its place as the “fifth tab” on the company’s unique Universality online platform, providing a shopping experience that’s simple, easy and convenient. Customers can now shop the Athleta brand alongside Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime – with one shopping cart and a flat shipping rate of $7.

“Over the past ten years, Athleta has evolved as a premier lifestyle brand with a strong following of loyal customers in the rapidly growing women’s active wear sector,” said Toby Lenk, President, Gap Inc. Direct. “We wanted to make sure we brought Athleta’s authenticity and distinctive appeal to life on our ecommerce platform, and we’re excited to unveil it today to the millions of customers that shop with us online.”

Last year, Gap Inc.’s online net sales reached just over $1 billion. The company continues to improve customers’ shopping experiences through innovative technology improvements, such as Universality, as well as new brand opportunities, like Piperlime and Athleta.

Acquired by Gap Inc. in September of 2008, Athleta offers stylish and functional high-quality apparel for women for a variety of sports, including running, skiing, snowboarding, surfing and yoga. Customers can also continue to make purchases from the brand’s popular catalog.

Europe’s biggest shopping mall Westfield London is now open

It is official - Westfield London is open!
With 265 shops and 49 restaurants it is set to excite shoppers and diners in England’s capital. The dining offering is something completely new to the UK with no McDonalds or plastic trays - just great food, healthy food, new concepts, michelin starred restaurateurs, a street of 17 restuarants, 13 culinary counters in a shared dining environment - so as well as a retail feast, Westfield London offers a shoppers a never ending culinary feast.

A NEW LIGHTFOR LONDONLondon’s retail landscape changes forever as Westfield London opens its doors to shopperstoday after almost four years in the making.Westfield London is an architecturally stunning showcase for five anchor stores: Debenhams,Next, Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser and Waitrose.

This iconic building, with its undulating glass roof, is home to more than 280 luxury, premium andhigh street retailers from more than 15 countries, together with 47 places to eat. The WestfieldLondon site in W12 spans nine postcodes and is the largest city-centre shopping mall in Europe.Fourteen retailers today make their UK debut and dozens of others are creating stores that willset new standards in retail design.More than 21 million people are expected to visit Westfield London each year – some 60,000 a day.

The centre will employ 7,000 people, which together with substantial investment in transportinfrastructure, will contribute to the regenerative impact Westfield is having on Shepherd’s Bushand the surrounding communities.Attention to great service is paramount: a concierge and valet team have been trained to 5-starhotel standard, and will help create an environment where shoppers’ needs come first.

Services being planned to make the experience compelling and comfortable include home delivery,personal shopping, style advice, hands-free shopping and valet parking.Food is as important as fashion at Westfield London. Forty-seven places to eat and drink boast73 awards between them and offer some 25 styles and nationalities of cooking. Six are new tothe UK and, of those, five are first ever seen brands.

Seventeen restaurants run the length ofSouthern Terrace, the pedestrian dining street, and open cooking brings drama on The Balconywhere fresh food from 13 counters is prepared fast and to order.A stunning central Atrium, unique in London, will host a full calendar of arts and educationalevents beneath a spectacular glass roof. A 14-screen state-of-the-art cinema will open in late2009, and a new library will serve the local community.

New transport links make Westfield London the best connected shopping destination in the UK.Westfield is 20 minutes on the Underground from Piccadilly Circus, 20 minutes from Heathrowairport and one and a half hours from Brighton. Cycle bays, secure pedestrian routes and 4,500car parking spaces directly beneath Westfield London complete the transport picture.Leona Lewis, London’s international music sensation, today stars in the spectacular launchcelebrations, which included a cutting edge fashion show, thrilling performances by the LondonCommunity Gospel Choir, the Young Guns Orchestra and a ribbon-cutting ceremony by BorisJohnson, London’s Mayor.

The celebrations will continue through the weekend, with further fashion shows andperformances by music acts helping to create a great experience for London’s new generation ofshoppers.See www.westfield.com for background information on Westfield.

Blumarine

Leopard spots, Stephen Sprouse, and Andy Warhol gone Latin: Those were the unmissables at Anna Molinari's relentlessy cheerful Blumarine. Unless Azzedine Alaïa is seriously put out by the referencing of his seminal eighties leopard signatures—from top to toe, not forgetting the matching clutch—it was hard to imagine anyone feeling curmudgeonly about the sheer brazen up-ness of it all. If ragazzi just wanna have fun next fall, this is a company that will deliver it—in neons with crystal, and featuring lots of sexy "biker" and Balmain-esque jacket-and-flashy-jeans combos as further options.

Shamelessly kitsch the show may have been—Ms. Molinari projected a pseudo-Warhol portrait of herself on the backdrop—but, funnily enough the content was not 100 percent cheese. The designer's Italian-quality knitwear holds up to scrutiny, and when her sweater dresses were paired with well-tailored coats, it qualified as a reasonably chic grown-up look. All that was forgotten, of course, once she started up with the sub-Warhol flower-print leggings, sugar-pastel satin mini-suits, and an orgy of neon leopard chiffon disco gowns. Then again, the single-minded mission to keep good-time girls happy in a bad time also has a certain honor in it.

TORONTO DESIGNERS INVITED TO PRESTIGIOUS NEW YORK FASHION SHOW - DRESSED TO KILT

TORONTO, Ontario – March 25, 2009 – On March 30th, the fashion collaboration of two Canadian companies, Puffin Gear and Ostba of Salzburg, will grace the runway at this year’s “Dressed to Kilt” show in New York.

Ostba of Salzburg and Puffin Gear have been invited to attend and show their new Harris Tweed Collection at the prestigious fashion event on the evening of March 30th. Hosted by Sir Sean and Lady Connery, models at the show will include Scottish actors Brian Cox and Tony Curran, “Ugly Betty” star Ashley Jensen, Ivanka Trump, and the award-winning actress Andie MacDowell. Dressed to Kilt is the highest profile showcase for Scottish fashion in the world and attracts only the most talented designers. It is Hollywood’s Highland fling, to celebrate the very finest in Caledonian couture.

Ostba of Salzburg and Puffin Gear’s Harris Tweed Collection of co-ordinating hats and bags will be showcased along side collections from Vivienne Westwood, Mackintosh and many other design aficionados of Scottish textiles.

From: FashionNews

A Kinder, Gentler Christian Bale at the "Terminator Salvation" Premiere

Los Angeles – Christian Bale was all smiles during his red carpet walk for the premiere of his latest action film "Terminator Salvation" held at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Thursday, May 14. No sign of that angry actor who so famously went off on the film's director of photography; instead, he hugged his wife Sibi Blazic to his side and behaved.

Perhaps that's because it isn't Bale who is getting all the attention for this fourth installment in "The Terminator" series that began way back in 1984. That honor goes to Australian actor Sam Worthington, who breaks out in a big way in the massive action flick.

The former bricklayer from Perth is the man of the hour, as was obvious at the elaborate after party set up in a parking lot across Hollywood Boulevard. As spotlights swept the scene and massive robots loomed over the revelers, Worthington was mobbed by excited new fans. He hung on tight to girlfriend Natalie Mark, and seemed to take it all in stride.

"I think I'm in a lucky position to be getting offered roles that I find interesting," said the 32-year-old actor who spent ten years working in Australian film, television, and theater before taking the leap to Hollywood. "I'm working with some very talented people and hopefully telling some good stories. And hopefully my work isn't going to let those people down."

His co-stars on hand seemed happy with his performance as they did the meet-and-greet at the premiere. Moon Bloodgood, Jane Alexander, Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard all made the star-studded scene, along with "Terminator" fans like Rose McGowan, Eric Dane, Anil Kapoor, Tyrese Gibson, Kathryn Morris, Brook Burke, Eric Mabius, and Kelly Osbourne.

But despite the rumors swirling around the party, it turned out that California's governor and the original star of "The Terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver did not make the premiere. They did, however send three of their children to the celebration. Katherine, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger represented the family, and watched their dad's robot character return to the role that made him a household name 25 years ago.

From : YahooNews

Victoria's Secret PINK Announces New Schools for The Collegiate Collection!

Victoria’s Secret PINK will be announcing the new schools that will be added to the exclusive PINK Collegiate Collection as the “Class of 2009.”

Beginning on May 15, a new school will be announced each day on www.vspink.com leading up to the online product launch on June 22.

After receiving more than 10 million votes for hundreds of different schools through its “Nominate Your School” program on www.vspink.com, VS PINK has chosen the 24 new schools that will be added to the PINK Collegiate Collection.

As of June 22, over 50 universities across the country will be included in the PINK Collegiate Collection, which is comprised of a variety of items such as fleece pants, hoodies, tees, shorts, dresses, and flip flops.

From : FashionNews

"Tulips & Pansies: The Headdress Affair" - A Night of Flowers and Fashion to be Remembered

New York – If you hadn't yet become savvy to the fact that pollen season has begun in New York City, then the "Tulips & Pansies: The Headdress Affair" fashion show fundraiser thrown by Village Care New York on Thursday, May 14, was a true spring awakening, merging fashion and flowers for a good cause.

Fashion designers and florists, 17 duos in total, teamed up for the eighth annual VCNY event where there was more coming down the catwalk to look at than just a pretty dress. Each florist worked with a clothing designer to come up with an extravagantly decorative headpiece that models adorned, complementing the runway look. Lilies, orchids, poppies, roses and even palm leaves all served in the cast of foliage that stood high atop the models' crowns.

The event was hosted by James Aguiar from Full Frontal Fashion and Style Network and featured apparel designers including Tory Burch, Pamella Rowland, Ralph Rucci and Cynthia Steffe.

Winning accreditation from the judges for most entertaining design was Sara Jordan of Sara Claire and Esther, who paired fishnet stockings to her Bordeaux colored, man-tailored cropped jacket highlighting this season's special vintage embellishment - lace. "Lots of feathers," said Amy Wolk of Fleurs as she made final preparations backstage before the show, which proved to be essential to her winning top hat design that completed the cabaret inspired ensemble. The headdresses, each with their own themes, styles and inspirations, were floral masterpieces in height and length, some towering over four feet high and others spanning the same in width. Creativity was in full bloom with designs that included a fantasy bird's nest with eggs, a Greco-Roman Cleopatra hair style, a floppy "over the top" brim hat made of roses, and a Napoleon hat.

Fashion entrepreneur and founder of public relations firm People's Revolution, Kelly Cutrone chaired the event for Village Care New York along with Jack Curry. "This is the only place that helps people with HIV when they have no where else to go," said Cutrone. Having lived in the West Village area of Manhattan, she reaffirmed her loyalty to the cause, as well as her old neighborhood, shrugging her shoulders and saying, "What can I say. I'm a downtown girl."

From : YahooNews