UK:BFS sponsors designers for third season

 

The British Fashion Council (BFC) announces that designers Christopher Kane, Erdem and Marios Schwab will receive British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward sponsorship for the third consecutive season.

The scheme, supported by the London Development Agency, was established three years ago to provide funding for talented emerging British designers. This second stage scheme was introduced to give a further tier of support for the most promising designers as they emerged from NEWGEN. The award consists of a financial prize, to be used towards producing an on-schedule catwalk show at London Fashion Week, along with access to business support, from supporters including Baker Tilly and Shoosmiths, which provides them with knowledge required to further develop their businesses.

Previous winners include Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders, RichardNicoll, Sinha-Stanic and Roksanda Illincic. This season’s recipients, despite being relatively new businesses, have already garnered a following of international influencers and are sold in directional stores and boutiques here in the UK and internationally. In 2006, Christopher Kane launched his own label with his sister Tammy (collaborator and business partner) and has gone on to build his label into a major player in the high-fashion world. Now in its seventh season showing as part of London Fashion Week his collections are renowned for their contemporary, progressive vision and the label is a key contributor to trends.

On receiving the sponsorship, Christopher said "I am thrilled to have been awarded Fashion Forward by the BFC. This will be my 7th show at London Fashion Week and without its support I would not have had the ability to have presented the show in the way that I would want. I am especially thankful to have the BFC’s support on the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week as it has allowed me to reach the widest international audience possible which is invaluable to the growth of my business.” Erdem was launched in 2005 by Erdem Moralioglu and his designs have won plaudits for their fusion of sharp tailoring with romanticism and bold, graphic, custom-designed silk prints. His A/W 09/10 show was one of the top ten shows of the season as chosen by style.com. Erdem said “I’m so thankful to have won Fashion Forward from the BFC. Being able to show at London Fashion Week is integral to the brand and with this sponsorship, we are able to showcase our brand in an ideal manner.”

Marios Schwab has been credited with leading the body-conscious fashion movement with his figure hugging feminine dresses since his label launched in 2005. Marios has recently been appointed Creative Director at Halston and will present his first collection for the brand in February 2010. He will be showing in September for the ninth time as part of LFW, on receiving the Fashion Forward sponsorship this season Marios commented, “I am very happy to be backed by Fashion Forward for a third season, it gives me great stability and encouragement for my business”.

Caroline Rush, Joint Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council commented, “The British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forwardscheme plays a key role in building designer brands in London. This season’s winners were amongst the London based designers who led the world fashion media headlines last season for their innovation. The BFC is proud to continue to offer support to these outstanding talents.” 

UK:DHL expands partnership with LFWFerrari 458 Italia at Frankfurt Motor Show

Belgium:Women look more sophisticated in Marie Jo’s new line

 

New York society girl Mary Phelps Jacob was a poet, publisher, peace activist and. the inventor of the bra. In 1912 she was issued the patent for her brassiere, fashioned from two silk handkerchiefs held together by a pink ribbon.

Marie Jo's new Mary series is just as innovative as this first ever bra, although it's much more sophisticated than that original design, with a range of different styles to ensure that every woman finds what she's looking for, all with strong embroidery design, gorgeous details and refined colours.

Amalia is a tribute to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo. Marie Jo's inspiration came from Symbolism, an artistic movement prevalent during Earhart's lifetime.

Specially designed for women who think they've earned a treat, Amalia is a secretive, erotic series of contrasts. The fine embroidery on the straps and along the edge of the cups (pictured) offset the tulips perfectly. The two motifs are in contrasting colours, adding to the visual effect.

 

Citroen Revolte stars at FrankfurtIndia:Chiraag Dattani’s Design Studio in Juhu, Mumbai

UK:Moda Footwear collaborates with student designers

 

Moda Footwear, the UK’s largest fashion trade show for the footwear industry, is uniting with De Montfort University, for a project which will see footwear designs created by the university’s most talented students unveiled at the show in February 2010.

Moda Footwear will be challenging the next wave of final year footwear students to create designs that bring the rich heritage of the British footwear industry into the 21st Century with the launch of вЂHISTORY IN THE MAKING’, a bespoke project that will feature as part of their studies.

“Students from last year’s footwear design course were invited to present their designs at the August 09 show and we were blown away by the creativity on display” said Moda Footwear event director Nick Cook. “Moda is pleased to announce it will now be strengthening its links with De Montfort University with a project that will test students on their innovation and willingness to push the boundaries of footwear design.”

Designs from students on the B.A. (Hons) Footwear Design course, which is the only single honours footwear design course in the UK, will be judged by an industry panel including the editor of leading trade magazine Fashion Extras. Six designs will be chosento be presented at the Moda Footwear show.

“The University is always looking at ways to forge closer links with the industry" said Kevin Guildford, Head of Footwear at DMU . “This project is a chance for students to show their designs in front of a huge industry audience which will open up fantastic opportunities for them.”

Moda takes place on 21 – 23 February at the NEC, Birmingham.  

USA:LaCrosse discontinues END Footwear as a standalone brandBMW to showcase green sports car in Frankfurt

USA:DC Fashion Week kicks off 11th season

 

DC Fashion Week launches its 11th season today when designers and models from around the globe and United States bring elegance and some of the most cutting-edge fashion available to the nation’s capital.

DC Fashion Week Executive Director Ean Williams said the event, which will culminate with an “International Couture Collections” show at the French Embassy on Sunday, September 20, shows how divergent cultures influence global fashion.

“We have an exciting line-up of events taking place throughout the city – I’m very proud of this season’s events,” Williams said. “For the first time, we will spotlight a designer from Pakistan. We also have clothing designers from Iran, Nigeria, Italy, Mozambique, Florida and, of course, right here in Washington, D.C. DC Fashion Week continues to put the nation’s capital on the world’s fashion map.”

DC Fashion Week gives local businesses and people interested in working in fashion industry a chance to network and attend a community fashion event. A “Fashion Industry Networking Party” on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Senate Square will bring together local make-up artists, photographers, models, designers, boutique owners, fashion buyers and others interested in a fashion career. Williams said, “Every major label has a presence here.” Williams will also present a ready-to-wear and urban fashion collection at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the “H Street Festival and Bazaar” in northeast Washington. The festival promotes community arts and culture.

Williams said the response to the networking event has been overwhelming. “Michelle Obama, stylish in her iconic sheaths, also adds to the ascendancy of Washington, D.C. as a fashion center,” he said.

The finale couture show at the French Embassy will also feature local celebrities as models. These include contestants from the popular “America’s Next Top Model” television program, the reigning Ms. D.C. International, and Ms. Teen D.C. 

USA:Designers to put fashion spotlight at Fashion In DetroitFerrari announces HGTE pack for 599

Australia:Alexander Wang connects with AWI for second season

 

To create his inspirational RTW spring 2010 collection, 2009 winner of the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear Alexander Wang has partnered with Australian Wool Innovation, owner of the world famous Woolmark brand.

вЂAfter working with AWI last fall, it’s been an exciting opportunity to experiment with new technologies and to continue to use Australian Merino wool, an innovative fibre,’ notes Wang. вЂEspecially for a season you wouldn’t expect wool to be a major part of.’

AWI CEO Brenda McGahan says: вЂThis is our second season of partnership with Alexander Wang. His innovative use of Australian Merino wool for the 2010 spring collection is helping put a fresh spin on the world’s best natural fibre. In his hands, wool – typically regarded as a fall/winter staple – is proving how truly versatile a fibre it is, for spring and year round apparel.

вЂCollaborations with leading international design talent like Alexander Wang help us take the Woolmark’s natural fibre message to a new generation of consumers and introduce our global network of Woolmark licensees to retailers worldwide,’ says Ms McGahan.

The celebrated designer worked with Woolmark’s accredited supply chain to feature 15 wool-rich styles on the runway. His overall themes of ease and functionality were highlighted by a series of tropical-weight khaki twill vests and jackets. Trans-seasonal shimmering metallic knits featured Merino Touch (mercerized) and Soft Classics (fine-micron) innovations in tanks, dresses and bodysuits.

вЂThis season’s collaboration with AWI and the Woolmark perfectly aligned with the direction we wanted to take the collection,’ says Wang. 

BMW M6 Competition special edition to be revealed at FrankfurtItaly:UCB women collection, smart start for fall/winter season

Germany:GDS convinces visitors with its variety of brands & information

 

The mood of the international shoe sector is quietly optimistic. This was demonstrated at the shoe fairs GDS – International Event for Shoes & Accessories and GLOBAL SHOES – leading trade show for sourcing that closed their doors on Sunday. According to provisional estimates, a total of approx. 28,500 buyers from 82 countries found their way to the three-day events held at the Dьsseldorf exhibition centre (11 to 13 September 2009).

6,400 of these also visited GLOBAL SHOES. Visitors included many renowned retail stores such as Apropos (Cologne), Betsy Palmer (Amsterdam), Breuninger (Stuttgart), Deichmann (Essen), Gцrtz (Hamburg), KaDeWe (Berlin), Office (London), Prange (Dьsseldorf) and Stiefelkцnig (Graz).

One in two buyers came here from abroad (82 countries, the top 5 being Benelux, Italy, Great Britain, Spain and France). At the same time, GDS and GLOBAL SHOES were once again able to significantly extend their reach within Germany also welcoming more buyers here with decision-making powers. 93% of visitors rated GDS good to very good.It was primarily the range presented, the proximity to current trends, the seminar programme at the new Speakers Lounge as well as the fashion shows that went down particularly well.

“We are very satisfied with the way GDS and GLOBAL SHOES went. Over the last three days both events presented themselves as reliable fixtures in unsettled times,” explained Director Kirstin Deutelmoser at the end of both fairs. “The pooling of the individual lifestyle worlds and the extension of the information programme for retail have proven good steps to take. Strong premium and quality brands have continued to bank on GDS. At the same time, buyers were able to discover many new brands. This combination of brand variety and information gives GDS its appeal.” Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, CEO at Messe Dьsseldorf, added: “The fairs have shown that the shoe sector still feels very much at home in Dьsseldorf even after over 50 years. And to ensure this continues to be the case we intend to develop GDS and GLOBAL SHOES further, continually adapting them to changing market circumstances.”

Echoing the views of German exhibitors Ralph Rieker, Chairman of shoe industry association HDS – Bundesverband der Schuhindustrie, summed up how the fair went: “The dark clouds of the economic crisis are slowly starting to clear. The shoe industry is still here. And thankfully the buyers are still here, too. Instead of the anticipated reticence it has primarily been small and medium-sized shoe stores that have placed orders. This is a good sign. GDS has managed to fulfil or even exceed the expectations of most exhibitors in these unsettled times and has therefore been able to consolidate its position in the international shoe business.”

Commenting on the significance of GDS for Spanish shoe producers Javier Garcia Lillo from the Spanish shoe federation FICE said: “Over the past few seasons GDS has developed from a classic shoe fair into a spectacular event with very high fashion standards. I know of no other  

China:14th China International Leather Fair & Shoe-tech to open on Sept 24No GM buy back of Opel; German minister

India:Kotwara line from Meera & Muzaffar Ali in various silhouettes

 

KOTWARA by Meera & Muzaffar Ali, began in 1990, to revive the traditional craft of the region through sensitively understanding it ethos, upgrading its design content and creating a modern day relevance in its application. This has spearheaded a vast movement in the area.

Kotwara, established in 1007 A.D., is the oldest living civilization in District Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh which is geographically in the Tarai, bordering the Himalayan foothills. The label integrates traditional craft skills of weaving, embroidery in chikan, zardozi and kaamdani and stitching techniques of tukri and daraz. Delicacy and details have been the forte of Kotwara and it continues to evolve in the timeless milieu of Kotwara House, Qaiser Bagh in Lucknow and Anhalwara Palace, Kotwara Raj.

KOTWARA is the quintessence of the coming together of the East and the West, where classic traditions are expressed through romantic silhouettes. The zenith of Awadh culture in the mid nineteenth century, as depicted in Muzaffar Ali’ epic film Umrao Jaan, blends with the romance of the Raj of pre-independence…where modern idioms evolve on aesthetic sensibilities that have found their roots in contemporary global culture…

The Kotwara collections are based on innovations in a range of forms inspired by different craft techniques expressed in a variety of different ways and silhouettes. Zardozi and Chikankari has been an essential part of Kotwara’s Couture with some of the finest workmen working in Kotwara House, Qaiserbagh, Lucknow and Anhalwara Palace in Lakhimpur, Kheri.

We link the name of Kotwara to fashion in its broad sense, from fashioning lives of the craftspersons to the lifestyle of its user. Fashion, therefore is a dynamic design function which ensures evolution and sustainability. It is an ongoing, ever changing process. 

Porsche unveils line-up for Frankfurt