Future of fashion

 Lakme Fashion Week announced their list of Gen Next designers for August’s winter/festive 2012. Divya Kaushik spoke to a few of the Delhi-based ones about forthcoming collections

While some have five years experience and brushed their skills under veterans like JJ Valaya and Tarun Tahiliani, others are fresh out of college, and nervous about showcasing for the first time. Lakme Fashion Week recently announced the list of seven Gen Next designers, 15 emerging and three accessory designers who will feature during LFW Winter/Festive season. It is scheduled between August 3-7. We spoke to the Delhi-based designers.

Kanika, ankit and mansi

The three graduated in fashion from Pearl Academy and held shows from then. But they haven’t participated in fashion weeks yet. The next LFW will be their first. They give Avatar, credit for inspiring their future collection.It uses a transparent fabric.

Design Philosophy

The trio take inspirations from subjects like architecture. They worked with designers like Ritika Sachdeva.

Inspiration

Amit Agarvwal, Gaurav Gupta.

Pernia Qureshi

This designer-cum-stylist has been a part of the industry for five years. After a course from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, Qureshi, “explored styling” through her first Bollywood movie Aisha, and later on Thank You, starring Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. Pernia worked with designers like Valaya and Tahiliani. She also trained in Kuchipudi with Raja Radha Reddy.

Design Philosophy

“Sophisticated and classic. I believe in neat and simple cuts. One can get experimentative, but a collection should be a part of a wardrobe. Styling is important. My present one has a vintage, 60s retro feel.”

Inspiration

“I love Rahul Gandhi and Rohit Khanna. When it comes to my collection, I look for my own ideas.”

Prashant Chauhan

He is designer Samant Chauhan’s younger brother. Prashant did his PG diploma in fashion from NIFT, Mohali and worked with an export house to learn the business.

His tenure from 2006-2009, exposed him to workshops and, “gave insight into buyers’ mindset.”

The designer showcased his collection during the last season, (resort wear 2012) of Lakme.

His collection was inspired by Tibetan Culture, the use of floral patchwork and focus on handwork.

Design Philosophy

“I believe in sustainable fashion and want to focus on Indian techniques like kantha and handmade fabrics. Each piece I create is a work of art. Silhouettes are modern, but my weaves are desi.”

His present collection takes inspiration from a painting of the Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal. “I dis some ornamentation based on it,” he said.

Inspiration

Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Anamika Khanna, Rohit Bal.

Astha and Sidharth

The duo graduated from Pearl Academy in 2009 and started their label in February 2010. Their designs are edgy and quirky. They, might not have showcased at fashion weeks. But their interesting themes have been followed with interest.

Design Philosophy

“We believe fashion is infectious. And it should be a visual expression of one’s personality. Most of our garments are structured. We use transparent fabrics and materials that make our clothes textured.”

Inspiration

Late Alexander McQueen and Rohit Bal.

UPDATE 1-Fashion house Versace may seek outside investors

May 25 (Reuters) - Italian family-owned fashion house Versace may seek outside investors and could consider an initial public offering to fund growth and help it better compete in the global luxury industry, its chief executive said on Friday.

Versace, known for its glamorous gowns worn by pop icons such as Madonna and Lady Gaga, returned to profit last year for the first time since 2009, when it started a turnaround to rebuild its international market share.

The family has always cherished its independence, but needs financial ammunition after luxury peers such as Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Brunello Cucinelli have successfully tapped the stock market in less than a year.

"The management is studying some advisors, but no solution has yet been decided," Chief Executive Gian Giacomo Ferraris said in a text to Reuters.

Italy's weekly il Mondo said on Friday Versace had picked Goldman Sachs to seek a partner or study other financial solutions for the medium term, which may include the issue of financial instruments such as bonds.

The Versace family reiterated on Friday that it wants to keep control of the house.

Many family-owned firms, proud of their heritage, are reluctant to invite a partner at their table that may decide on their strategy.

That's why companies with strong family roots such as Prada, Ferragamo and Cucinelli have opted for selling a minority stake on the stock market with clear rules granting them managing continuity.

"We intend to remain independent," the company said in an email later on Friday in response to the article in il Mondo.

Ferraris said the group has not yet given a mandate to an adviser. A steering committee meeting was due later on Friday.

Versace said it could also opt for an initial public offering if advised to do so, but no decision has been taken.

In March, Ferraris told Reuters that any deal would not take place before 2014, when he aims for core earnings (EBITDA) of 20 percent of sales compared to around 11 percent last year. EBITDA rose 73 percent to 38.7 million euros in 2011.

Platinum-blonde designer Donatella Versace, sister of late founder Gianni Versace, owns the group with her brother Santo and her daughter Allegra, who has 50 percent and joined the board last year.

Privately-owned Italian fashion group Roberto Cavalli has also said it wants to deliver on its turnaround plan before looking to a possible sale or initial public offering. (Editing by Mark Potter and Jon Loades-Carter)

Fashion week finale goes younger

 Breaking the norm of well-known designers doing the coveted last acts at fashion weeks, this year, Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) winter/festive edition will see two young and not-so-famous designers at the grand finale.

Delhi-based duo Pankaj and Nidhi (38 and 29 respectively), and

Kolkata-based Kallol Datta, 28, have bagged the top slot at the event, scheduled to take place from August 3-7 in Mumbai. Organisers say the idea was to bring in a whiff of freshness.

“It’s always safe to feature established designers to pull in crowds, but we wanted to infuse some new and fresh energy and give the young, talented designers a platform to prove their mettle. This is no way to disrespect the veterans,” says Anjana Sharma of IMG Reliance, the organisers.

The chosen ones are ecstatic. While Datta has been tweeting non-stop about it, Pankaj Ahuja of the Pankaj and Nidhi duo says, “We are working on a collection that will bring a fresh energy to go with the philosophy.”

The big guys are not taking offence. Wendell Rodricks says, “This will give hope to our young designers, who are sidelined despite their enormous talent.”

Designer Rohit Bal, who mentored Pankaj and Nidhi, feels proud.”Everyone feels fashion weeks favour big designers; this is a great example to show that it is open for everyone,” says Bal. Ritu Kumar says, “This will have a positive impact and will hopefully be followed as an example by other fashion weeks too.” 

Cannes red carpet gets Bond girl flair

Berenice Marlohe, the newest Bond girl, has been making the red carpet at the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival look like a day at the beach.

One day it was a gold lame gown by Emilio Pucci with a black lace insert on the halter top; on another it was a black lace Roberto Cavalli with a deep V-neck complemented by a chainlike Swarovski crystal necklace.

Also getting attention is Naomi Watts, who has shown a deep closet full of custom-made looks: a Marchesa gown in champagne with feathers and embroidery, a blush-colored Calvin Klein gown with spaghetti straps, a sleeveless cocktail dress with a gray iridescent top and ostrich-feather skirt from Gucci, and a floral-print, sequin-dotted Cavalli with a gold-detailed black blazer.

The Marchesa gown had custom-dyed, hand-stitched feather flowers "cascade down the dress to create an airy and ethereal effect," said designer Georgina Chapman.

Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa thought his sexy slip dress design suited Watts perfectly. "Naomi was the epitome of classic, yet modern glamour in this sensual, sculpted dress," he said. "She looked absolutely flawless."

Kirsten Dunst had a very feminine moment in a demure, white dress by Dolce & Gabbana. She wore her hair swept in an updo decorated with flowers.

For another event, Dunst was in fuchsia Dior.

Many runway models are part of Cannes' fashion show, too, among them Karolina Kurkova in a paillette-covered, V-neck halter by Cavalli with a mermaid hem and long, dangling ruby-and-diamond earrings by Bulgari, and Erin Wasson in a multi-colored beaded-fringe gown by Oscar de la Renta. Irina Shayk wore a cream-and-silver sequined Cavalli minidress with a fringed hemline.

Some fashion statements are coming from the men, especially with their shoes. Brad Pitt paired white lace-ups with his khaki Gucci suit, and Ewan McGregor wore spectator brogues with his navy Marni striped jacket and trousers.

Brad Pitt, money maker, has bone to pick with American capitalism

Brad Pitt has brought his new movie "Killing Them Softly" to the Cannes Film Festival, and as The Times reported Tuesday morning, he and the film's director had an anti-capitalist message (or, at least, a message aimed against capitalism as recently practiced in the U.S.) to go along with it. 

And that message is coming from the mouth of the man who is the new face of Chanel No. 5 -- a job for which Pitt reportedly will receive seven figures. 

The new movie's "touchstone piece of dialogue," as The Times put it, is "America isn't a country -- it's a business." And Pitt has done very well in that business. 

It seems uniquely American for a celebrity to make money hand over fist, thanks to Hollywood ... and then become the highly paid face of a Parisian perfume maker, to boot.

A Pitt representative didn't respond right away to an email request for comment, but the actor said at Tuesday's news conference that at the time he decided to get behind the film, it was the "apex of the home mortgage debacle and people were losing homes right and left."  

As you watch the film, he said, it seems like a gangster movie, but at the end, it coalesces, "saying something about the larger world."

It likely doesn't say that Hollywood celebrities should turn down money.

True, with Pitt and Angelina Jolie's history of philanthropy, it could be that a good chunk of his incoming take-home pay from this film and from Chanel will not be taken home at all but will go toward their good works.

The pair have the charitable Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and Pitt has 36 charities and foundations he supports, according to the Look to the Stars celebrity-giving website.  

But here's a vote for Pitt keeping those seven figures from Chanel -- just be a selfish capitalist. That's one figure for each of his children plus one to grow on.

Fashion News: Miley Cyrus partly dressed at 2012 Billboard Awards

 — Miley Cyrus wore part of a tuxedo to the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She got plenty of attention, but why not with legs like that? Alicia Keys wore a simple, curve-hugging black Azzedine Alaia Couture gown; Swizz Beatz was in a crisp white suit, and Usher and Jordin Sparks both wore blue — the Huffington Post calls the latter two the evening's "style sensations." [Huffington Post]

— Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 28, married girlfriend Dr. Priscilla Chan, 27,  in a surprise wedding on Saturday — guests thought they had been invited to celebrate Chan's recent graduation from medical school. The bride wore a laser-cut floral gown adorned with matte sequins lined in silk by couture designer Claire Pettibone. The gown featured a jewel neckline and sheer back with chapel-length train. And it cost $4,700, according to a news release that hit my in-box from the designer — less than one might expect from a wealthy power couple. (Then again, the IPO isn't doing that well.) The groom did not wear his infamous hoodie. It may be the first time the world has seen him in a suit and tie. How did he announce his marriage? By updating his status on Facebook, of course!  [Washington Post]

— Kardashian siblings Kylie and Kendall Jenner make their debut as West Coast fashion correspondents for Seventeen magazine in the June/July issue, which hits newsstands on Tuesday. [Seventeen]

— The "Race to Erase M.S." gala in Los Angeles on Friday featured a musical lineup included "American Idol" winner David Cook, the Canadian Tenors, Fitz and the Tantrums and as a finale superstar Stevie Wonder. The event honored philanthropists Deb and Bill MacMillan and actress Teri Garr. Among the attendees were La Toya Jackson, Clay Walker and wife Jessica Craig, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner, Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Taylor Hicks, Pia Toscano and Jacob Lusk from “American Idol,” Francesca Eastwood, Carmen Electra, Taylor Hicks, Jon Lovitz, Jack Osbourne, David Osmond, Shannon Elizabeth, Anna Trebuznkaya, Megyn Price, Taylor Armstrong, Kim Richards, Kathy Hilton, Camille Grammar and Charlie Sheen. [Society News LA]

— The Prada dress Carey Mulligan wore to the Met Gala sold on eBay for $2,950. There were only 35 bids when the auction closed on Saturday. Proceed are going to the charity Oxfam America. [The Cut]

— The worlds of film and fashion partied together through the weekend in Cannes. [WWD]

— At the upcoming amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will auction off the chance to star in a short film they plan to produce. The gala is set for Thursday in Cap d’Antibes, France.  [New York Post]

Weekend Buzz: Wood caps off brilliant career in perfect fashion

The Weekend Buzz while you were stocking pizza and making pancakes for a houseful of 15-year-old girls on your daughter's birthday sleepover. ...

1. Kerry Wood's Sweet Home Chicago: One hitter faced. One strikeout. One standing ovation and one tremendous hug.

If there was a more perfect way for Kerry Wood to step from his uniform into the Chicago history books, I demand to know what it is. And no, don't tell me anything about after popping a champagne cork following a World Series win. These are the Cubs we're talking about. Be real.

Life is about the striving, and what the Cubs and Wood lack in titles, they more than make up for in lessons. ... 

Strike one. ...

He debuted in 1998 and fanned 20 Houston Astros in his fifth career start, a game in which many considered the finest single-game pitching performance in baseball history. If it wasn't No. 1, it was in the conversation. But here's the thing: He was only 21, and what could he possibly do for an encore?

Two years ago next month, Wood was working in the Cleveland bullpen when the Nationals came to town. Stephen Strasburg was making his second career start in the series finale after striking out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates in his major league debut. The buzz surrounding Strasburg was off the charts.

I stood with Wood on the field that Sunday morning for a bit in front of the Indians' dugout, and we chatted as Strasburg went through his final preparations. By then, Wood was 33. An old 33, with what seemed nearly as much time in the trainer's room as on the field.

Strasburg's youth, talent, sizzling fastball, dominance and seemingly unlimited future couldn't help but remind Wood of someone. Himself.

"But it probably wasn't even comparable to this until the 20-strikeout game in my fifth start," Wood told me that morning. "That's what changed expectations.

"After the 20-strikeout game, for months I [hated] going to the field because I knew it would be two hours of interview requests and radio call-ins. As a young player, you feel obligated to do that because you don't want to cut anybody off. But it got in the way.

"As a starter, the day after you pitch is the day to get your work in and get treatment, and before I got in the hot tub there would be this interview and that call-in."

Strike two. ...

Star-crossed as he's been with injuries and billy-goat luck, Wood stands apart from every single other Cubs pitcher over the past 104 years: He is the only man to earn the win in the clinching game of the only postseason series the Cubs have won since 1908. This was against the Braves in Game 5 of the Division Series in 2003, and we all remember what came next.

The Marlins did, followed by five more years of Wood beating his head against the Wrigley Field brick wall, trying to go backward to the October cheers by moving forward. Following that 14-11 '03 season, in which he led the majors with 266 strikeouts, he never won more than eight games in a summer again. When he broke down physically, he moved to the bullpen. Eventually, he moved to Cleveland, and then to the Yankees.

But his heart, and his love, remained in Chicago.

"Sometimes it seems like there was more downs than ups," he said when he formally retired on Saturday.

But you only remember the good times, right?

Strike three. ...

He took significantly less money than he could have gotten elsewhere last winter to stay in Chicago and finish his career as a Cub. You can't put a price on love and happiness, and if Wood couldn't bequeath Wrigley a championship, then that's a pretty damned good lesson to leave instead.

Manager Dale Sveum summoned him in the eighth inning Friday on a gorgeous Chicago afternoon, sunny, blue skies, a freeze-frame Cubs moment. And he struck out the White Sox's Dayan Viciedo on three pitches.

Then he was off, the organist playing a lovely rendition of Sinatra's My Way, son Justin wrapping him in a hug on the grass in front of the Cubs' dugout, standing ovation, curtain call.

There were smiles and tears and thank yous, to the Kevin Tapanis and Rick Aguileras and Joe Girardis and Jim Hendrys who played pivotal roles in the development of both a young man and a young fireballer.

There was a special thank you to the late Ron Santo "for teaching me what it means to be a Cub. We sat in that [clubhouse] kitchen for many, many years talking about life and baseball and the Chicago Cubs, what it means to be a Cub."

Now the Cubs move forward, and as Theo Epstein and Co. work to end this drought, you never know. Maybe Wood can bring something even more valuable to this franchise than the firecracker fastball from those October nights in '03.

Maybe what he can do now is to help keep alive the spirit of Santo as the Starlin Castros and Darwin Barneys and Anthony Rizzos take aim at winning a World Series.

"I'm going to continue to be a part of it," Wood promised. "I was always a Cub. I've always been a Cub. And I will always continue to be a Cub."

The moment was astoundingly perfect, for both Wood and the Cubs. 

Europe's Luxury Rally Founders as China, Greece Hurt LVMH

 May 11 (Bloomberg) -- The biggest rally in three years for [URL=http://www.luxuryproduct.us/]luxury product message[/URL] makers in Europe is fizzling on concern slower economic growth in China and renewed euro-area political turmoil after Greece's inconclusive election will choke off demand.

The nine-company Bloomberg European Luxury Goods Index, whose clothiers and watchmakers get 34 percent of sales from Asia, tumbled 5.5 percent over the past five days, the largest decline since Nov. 24, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index retreated 2.5 percent. The luxury gauge surged 25 percent in the first quarter as designers Hugo Boss AG and Salvatore Ferragamo SpA gained more than 50 percent.

China's cooling growth, the political impasse since Greece's May 6 election and proposed tax increases from France's new president are hurting the industry. Francois Hollande, who defeated Nicolas Sarkozy to become the first Socialist in 17 years to control Europe's second-biggest economy, has proposed a 75 percent levy on incomes above 1 million euros ($1.3 million). Swatch Group AG, the world's largest watchmaker, gets 38 percent of revenue from China, home to more than a million millionaires, and Burberry Group Plc generates 33 percent of sales in Asia.
"With the growth momentum in China slowing, what has been pushing the luxury-goods sector higher and higher is bound to weaken as well, and luxury companies will see an end of their massive rally," said John Plassard, a director at Louis Capital Markets SA in Geneva. "2012 will prove itself a transition year."

Slowing Growth

The Bloomberg luxury index retreated 3 percent from April 13, when a report showed Chinese gross domestic product trailed forecasts last quarter, through yesterday. That's three times more than the Stoxx 600, which slipped 0.9 percent. Swatch, Burberry, the U.K.'s largest luxury-goods maker, and Hugo Boss were the gauge's worst performers in that period. The index rose 0.6 percent today.
The measure tumbled 62 percent from the end of the second quarter of 2007, when Chinese growth was an annualized 14.5 percent, through the first quarter of 2009, when economic expansion bottomed at 6.6 percent, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Stoxx 600 dropped 57 percent over that period.
The number of dollar millionaire households in China climbed 31 percent in 2010 to 1.11 million, ranking the country third behind the U.S. and Japan, according to a Boston Consulting Group survey released last year.

Growing Valuations

The rally in luxury stocks has pushed Burberry's valuation to 19.9 times estimates earnings, compared with a low of 5.5 in November 2008, according to Bloomberg data. Swatch shares have risen to 15.1 times forecast profits from a low of 6.5 and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA has increased to 16.9 times from 8.7. The Stoxx 600 as a whole is trading at 10.5 times projected income, the data show.
"I've become more cautious on luxury goods as the valuations don't look as attractive," said Peter Braendle, who helps manage $60 billion at Swisscanto Asset Management AG in Zurich. "I've reduced positions in recent months to a light buy, down from a strong buy." Braendle said he would reduce his weighting to neutral if growth in Asia, especially China, slowed further.
China's economy expanded 8.1 percent in the first quarter, the slowest pace in almost three years. Foreign direct investment sank for a fifth month in March, while house prices fell in a record 37 of China's 70 cities tracked by the national government.

Finnish fashion wins at Hyères: won for its use of color and futuristic styling

The top fashion design prize of the 27th Hyères International Fashion Festival, held in the south of France (April 27-30), was awarded Sunday to a trio of Finnish designers: Elina Laitinen, Siiri Raasakka and Tiia Siren.

After the ten finalist designers presented their collections in a [URL=http://www.fashionluxurygoods.us/]fashion luxury goods[/URL]
 show, the international jury, headed by Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, chose to single out the menswear collection from the young Finnish team for its use of color and futuristic styling.
The festival provided the opportunity for ten upcoming designers to present their collections to professionals from the fashion industry as well as to members of the public.

While the most prestigious prize of the festival, worth nearly $20,000 was handed out to the three young Finnish designers, Canadian designer Steven Tai won the inaugural Chloé prize (also worth nearly $20,000) for his womenswear collection, while Ragne Kikas of Estonia took the Première Vision prize (worthabout $13,000) and the public vote for his womenswear collection.

The Hyères International Fashion and Photography Festival is an occasion for rising talents in these two areas to present their work and has in the past awarded designers such as Viktor & Rolf and Felipe Oliveira Baptista.

Deluxemoda.com Celebrates Fine Craftsmanship of Latest Hermes Collection

NEW YORK, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Handbag designer Hermes is hosting "Leather Forever" until May

27 in London. Visitors can actually see the craftsmanship of the bags unfold before their very own eyes.

Deluxemoda.com, a popular online handbag retailer, appreciates the fine details in Hermes newest collection. After

all, craftsmanship is what sets designers apart from each other in today's competitive world.

London's Burlington Gardens has been transformed into "Leather Forever," an exhibit for popular handbag designer,

Hermes, according to a Reuters article. The French company is marking its 175th anniversary with an exhibit

exploring its passion for leather and its relationship with the material. Deluxemoda.com, which sells handbags

online, celebrates the craftsmanship of Hermes newest collection, spread across 12 rooms of Burlington Gardens.

The exhibit features a red and orange calfskin saddle, along with details referencing the company's trademark orange

boxes. An oversized Kelly bag sculpture, displaying the various styles of Kelly and Birkin products, throughout time

is part of "Leather Forever." Hermes has created a reputation for itself through the famed Kelly and Birkin

handbags, named after Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco and actress Jane Birkin.

Hermes included several interactive features in the exhibit. Visitors touch hidden panels or take a whiff of the

fine leather. Visitors watch craftsman create the purses from Hermes' atelier in Paris. Each handbag is individually

created and signed by the craftsman in a hidden spot inside the handbag. Patrick Albaladejo, Director of

Communication for Strategy at Hermes, said "a craftsman is a master of the know-how." The skills of a craftsman are

passed down from older generations throughout the years, he said.

"But what is important to his job, is not so much the technique that he will use, but the nature of the objective

that he is pursuing and his objective is to create beauty," Albaladejo said.

Like the Hermes craftsman, Deluxemoda.com tries to leave its mark on its products too. Deluxemoda.com always

considers craftsmanship when selecting inventory for its online shop. Customers will only find the most authentic

selections of discounted designer handbags and accessories. Prada, Fendi and Burberry are just a few of the

prominent designers found on Deluxemoda.com.

Customers who shop at Deluxemoda.com are guaranteed craftsmanship from start to finish. The company works with

reputable resellers and vendors to offer the highest quality merchandise at an affordable cost. Inventory is

regularly updated to ensure customers are offered the latest styles in today's fashion.

ABOUT:

Deluxemoda.com is an online retailer of discounted handbags and accessories. Wallets and sunglasses are also

included in the retail shop's inventory. Top-of-the-line designers available on Deluxemoda.com are Prada, Ed Hardy,

Fendi, Tods, Gucci, Coach, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. Products are shipped from a

smoke-free and climate controlled warehouse to ensure they arrive in the most pristine condition. VIP Rewards Club

members get access to special discounts and promotions. To browse through Deluxemoda.com's catalog, or for more

information, go to http://www.deluxemoda.com .

Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs

I went to see this exhibition recently at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which documents the history of Louis Vuitton from the craftsmanship of the man himself to the brash branding of Marc Jacobs.I didn’t really know too much about the history of Louis Vuitton, but one thing that stuck with me is how a company can develop from beginnings very much based on craft and practicalities; designing neat, stackable trunks that worked well for both storage and traveling, to an entity completely based on branding, something Louis Vuitton got so good at that it became not only ripe for commentary and parody but also gave birth to a hyper-version of the ultimate accolade in a brand’s success – bootlegged fakes.

Vuitton himself was inspired by other products, much like other designers are by the Louis Vuitton today. He was mad into the H.J. Cave & Sons Osilite trunk, a traveling case that was popular with explorers (and subsequently used on the 1933 Everest expedition). At the time, most people were making trunks with rounded lids, which meant water could run off them easily, but in 1858, four years after Vuitton established his label on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris, Vuitton started making flat canvas trunks that could be stacked for traveling. They became popular with rich folk in France who used them to store their haute couture gear. Because Vuitton’s trunk designs were getting ripped off, he created the Damier canvas, that kind of two-tone brown chessboard design with a Louis Vuitton logo.

But it wasn’t until Vuitton died and his son took up the business that the logo-d branding took off, with George Vuitton pushing an increasingly busy monogrammed canvas to differentiate LV trunks from the rest of the market. He also came up with the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage for inside the trunks. By the time their new shop opened on the Champs-Elysees in 1913, it was the largest luggage shop in the world.

Fast forward to 1997, and Marc Jacobs was installed as the brand’s creative director aged just 34. There couldn’t be a greater contrast between the considered approach of the Vuitton family, and Jacobs’ collaborative pop-hungry prowess. In the exhibition itself, one half is made up of dimly lit glass cases displaying Louis Vuitton trunks almost as historic artifacts with a considered and reverential tone. When you reach the Jacobs era, it’s a loud Warholian projectile vomit of screens blaring pop references and female mannequins dehumanised with animal heads, as the strobey, aggressive mass-marketing of Jacobs consigns the hushed tones and ingenious, hardy canvas designs of Vuitton’s craft to boring old history. For all the fawning that goes on around Jacobs and the accolades he receives, the contrast is rather hilarious, with Jacob’s trashy approach wallowing in superficiality. You’d wonder what Mr Vuitton would make of how his trunks ended up.

Fashion and Beauty Expert Jenn Falik joins forces with Dove (and you can too!)

About Dove’s “Show Us Your Skin” Campaign: By uploading a photograph of themselves, each Prada Designer Bags participant will be

featured in a Dove ad for their “Show Us Your Skin” campaign, including online ads, a digital gallery, and an

interactive billboard in the world-renowned Times Square.

About Jenn Falik: Jenn is an authoritative expert on everything fashion and beauty who has honed her skills at

predicting and interpreting trends by working with many of the most influential behind-the-scenes trendsetters (from

makeup and hair artists to dermatologists to clothing and Prada Bags Collection designers, stylists, and buyers). A frequent

guest on “The View,” “The Today Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” “Tyra Banks,” and “E! Entertainment

Television,” Jenn uncovers beauty bargains, decodes the latest wacky skincare ingredients, and reveals her sought-

after secrets for Prada Bags Saks making even the most daunting fashion and beauty trends wearable.

Russell Westbrook Makes Unique Fashion Statement

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma City Thunder made a statement on the court with a big win to open the second round

against the Lakers and after the game, Russell Westbrook made quite the fashion statement.

In the post-game interview room, Kevin Durant and Westbrook walked in to address the media with Westbrook sporting

khaki pants and a white polo adorned with fishing Cheap Prada Bags lures printed all over it.

In addition, Westbrook's shiny red framed glasses added a special touch some compared to Steve Urkel or Sally-Jesse

Raphael.

The shirt immediately got fans across the country talking with some mixed emotions.

Charles Barkley, an outspoken critic of Oklahoma City since the Hornets said "Well, at least we know they got a TJ

Maxx in Oklahoma City."

Shaq chimed in saying "I've got one word for you: Garanimals."

After practice Prada Bags Online Monday, Westbrook was asked about his shirt and had this to say: " I just saw the shirt and I got it

from Lacoste, according to Barkley I got Authentic Prada Bags from TJ Maxx, but yeah I got it from the Lacoste store—I saw it and I

liked it."

As far as the glasses go, Westbrook said: "I think last night was just the night they finally seen it, I've been

wearing glasses all season."

"I told him what I thought about it, so hopefully we're not going to see it again," said OKC's Thabo Sefolosha with

a smile.

"It's a bad look, It's a bad look, It's a bad look," said Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks. " heard about it, I

didn't see it, I am going to go pull Prada Bags Outlet up and look at it on video. But maybe I should wear it tomorrow night, maybe

it will be a good look for me."

The shirt is a Lacoste polo that retails for $115 and comes in either white or blue. Some say that $115 is way too

much to pay for such an unusual find.

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Chanel sashays into city

French fashion label Chanel is set to open in upmarket King Street in the latest nod to Perth's resources-driven wealth.

Plans for a $2 million fit-out at 39-41 King Street, currently occupied by jeweller Linneys and the adjacent vacant former shop for Periscope, are contained in a development application lodged with the City of Perth this week.

The application includes a ground floor retail fit-out, basement storage area and new lift at the rear of the building.

It comes after the arrival to the King Street quarter in recent years of international labels Prada, Gucci and Tiffany & Co and home-grown labels Tarvydas and Wheels & Dollbaby.

Lease Equity managing director Jim Tsagalis, who has not brokered the Chanel lease, said yesterday Chanel's entry to the Perth market reflected confidence in the WA economy.

"A lot of brands are looking at Perth and saying this is a market that is very strong, increasingly more affluent and a market that really needs more servicing," he said.

"It's a gateway into Asia as well, so we have a lot of Asian tourists and residents."

Mr Tsagalis said while it had been a "trying economy" for middle to lower-priced retailers, the global trend was positive for luxury brands. The Weekend West understands Hermes and Zegna are among other high-end labels eyeing Perth.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the boost in luxury brands was a good sign for the city.

"It's another strong indicator that the city is evolving and maturing," she said.

"It's another layer of sophistication. Chanel is a highly reputable, international designer brand and so I think it's only a good sign for the city."

Retail Traders Association executive director Wayne Spencer said in a global market consumers were drawn to a quality product and service.

"People are looking for that value and are prepared to pay for that," he said.

"People are not prepared to spend frivolously any more. They'll go through and check the value they're chasing.

"The question is: are you supplying the value, are you supplying the service, the product, the goods?"

Mr Spencer said a premium space such as King Street could demand annual rent of up to $5000/sqm.

Mr Tsagalis said though the upmarket retail segment was growing, the next big upswing would be in food.

"People who haven't been into the CBD for five years ... it will just be 'this is a new city'," he said.