USA:American Apparel expands Nail Polish Collection

 

American Apparel, the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, is announcing the addition of six new colors to its successful line of nail polish. The company timed and designed the expansion of American Apparel Nail Lacquer for the upcoming summer season.

The colors continue the theme of representing the brand and the culture which surrounds it. A khaki shade called "California Trooper" alludes to the uniforms of the ubiquitous California Highway Patrol, while "Malibu Green" is inspired by the colors found near the company's store on the historic Pacific Coast Highway. Other colors like "Summer Peach" and "Butter" are now also an available option for some of the company's classic garments, including the Pique Tennis Shirt, 4-Way Stretch Side Zipper Pants and Dov's Hoody. The line will feature the release of a base/top coat, a much-requested addition that will bring an extra layer of protection and gloss to the nail lacquer.

"The first 18 colors of our nail polish line were an experiment -- we picked colors that were beautiful and didn't set out to necessarily match them with anything. For summer, we saw an opportunity not only to add a few new colors, but also to develop some fresh shades that can coordinate with the tones of our new styles. We're proud that by listening to the feedback of our employees, customers and the online community, we were able to create a summer range that incorporates their ideas and expresses the palette we presented this season," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

American Apparel Nail Lacquer has been an exciting success for the company as it has expanded its aesthetic into new areas and styles. The initial run of 18 colors and 50,000 bottles quickly sold out worldwide and developed a loyal following of fashion bloggers and polish artists. By working with a California manufacturer near its headquarters in Los Angeles, American Apparel continues its commitment to the idea of Made in USA polish and hopes the new colors will be met with the same glowing reviews.

"The public has had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to our nail polish collection and we're excited about these new additions. As we translate our basics model to fashionable pieces and new kinds of products, we remain dedicated to maintaining the same level of quality and dependability that we're known for. The colors have the potential to enhance outfits in both classic and atypical ways and we're really look forward to seeing how people wear them," Brady said.

American Apparel Nail Lacquer is priced at $6 per bottle and is available in a 3-pack for $15. It is sold at American Apparel stores worldwide as well as online. The nail polish is DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free. The full color range, ingredients and photographs can be found in the American Apparel web store. 

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USA:Rick Pallack designs to be featured at his website this June

 

The Rick Pallack men’s clothing brand heritage is very rich. The fashion designer’s elegant creations have been worn for many famous historical celebrity weddings. The weddings include Senator Edward Kennedy’s, John F. Kennedy Jr.’s, Caroline Kennedy’s and the wedding of Marlon Brando’s son, Miko Brando. Hugh Hefner dressed in a Pallack tuxedo for his nuptials and has worn Pallack designs for the past two decades. Pallack also designed the Royal wedding attire for a European Prince to a Hollywood movie star. Pallack designs will be featured at RickPallack.com this June.

Pallack’s iconic designs have been worn by six Presidents of the United States including Bill Clinton, Ronald Regan and George H. Bush. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy wore Pallack attire from his senate wardrobe to sportswear sailing in Hyannis Port for over 20 years. Kennedy and Pallack developed a long time friendship. Jackie Kennedy Onassis loved ordering luxurious gifts from Pallack, especially for John F. Kennedy Jr. Sylvester Stallone sported stylish Pallack wardrobes in the later Rocky movies. Frank Sinatra’s famous black silk bow ties were by Pallack, self tied of course. Pallack’s famous men’s clothing designs are now featured in the Grammy Museum for designing the white suit and accessories Michael Jackson wore on the cover of the Thriller album and the cover of the Billie Jean single. Jackson also wore a stylish Pallack tuxedo to the Thriller release party.

The Rick Pallack men’s clothing brand has been the official wardrober to the announcers of the NFL, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings and wardrobed the Olympic commentators. Many of the world’s greatest athletes and sports stars have worn his fashionable wardrobe such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Sandy Koufax, Bob Costas, and Chick Hearn.

Countless celebrities and movie stars have dressed in Pallack designs including Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Jim Carrey, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Douglas, Pierce Brosnan, Gregory Peck, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay Leno, Donald Trump, Michael Jackson, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Johnny Carson, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Hugh Hefner, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, Mick Jagger, Tony Curtis, and the Disney Family.

The men’s fashion designer, Rick Pallack, has created luxurious designs, which have been worn by American Royalty, Hollywood Royalty, Rock Royalty, and European Royalty all at the same time. The International Best Dressed List by Eleanor Lambert has recognized and honored over 40 of Pallack’s well dressed clients.

Rick appeared on the OPRAH Show doing a celebrity makeover for the red carpet. He and his designer men’s fashion shows have appeared regularly on several TV talk shows. Pallack's been featured by the news on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, HBO, and Entertainment Tonight.
 

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USA:Adao Global to develop Columbia watch collection

 

Columbia Sportswear Company, a leading innovator in the global outdoor apparel and footwear industries, announced that it will be launching a new line of watches and instruments for outdoor enthusiasts.

Columbia's line of high quality instruments was developed with design and function in mind to deliver solutions that are important to outdoor consumers. Columbia targeted the Trail, Water, and Travel categories as the key inspiration for the new line, with feature sets within each category tailored to benefit the user during associated outdoor activities.

Individual products within the line feature various combinations of Altimeters, Barometers, Compasses, Thermometers, Tidal Reads, Moon Phases, Sunrise/Sunset predictors, Ski Timers, Sail Timers, Hydration Alarms, Interval Timers, Lap memory, and Chronographs. Each instrument features a robust, durable design with an aesthetic inspired by the spirit of the Greater Outdoors.

"Columbia is taking a leadership role in the outdoor industry by bringing meaningful and easy-to-understand performance attributes that deliver real benefits to a broad set of outdoor consumers," said Mick McCormick, executive vice president of global sales and marketing, Columbia Sportswear Company. "The watch and instrument category is a perfect place to extend this role."

Columbia partnered with the talented design team at Adao Global of Austin, TX to develop a collection that would translate the brand equity that Columbia has earned in the outdoor industry into the watch and outdoor instrument industry.

"It is clear that the Columbia consumer is looking for much more than the time of day. This consumer wants relevant, innovative solutions that bring value to their pursuit of the greater outdoors," said David Arnold, president of Adao Global. "We are confident that this line will resonate with Columbia's targeted consumer." 

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USA:Leah Chalfen creates headpieces for J. Crew Weddings Store

 

It has been “super exciting to work with J. Crew,” says Leah Chalfen, owner and designer of Leah C. According to Ms. Chalfen, the J. Crew April catalogue and website already feature her veils and hair pieces paired with the Wedding Collection and the May catalogue will offer still more styles. “The demand for beautiful and unique wedding accessories is rising,” reports Ms. Chalfen, who notes that “J. Crew has paired Leah C’s unique, couture headpieces with J. Crew’s flattering, comfortable and simply elegant wedding gowns.”

Leah C. is thrilled to be part of the new J. Crew store, which is eagerly anticipated by J. Crew fans. Sivouthy Lam, author of the J. Crewaholics blog writes about the new store, “I think that this would be a great move as I get so many inquiries from readers, wondering if any of the stores carry the items from the Wedding Collection.” Wonder no more, this Summer the opportunity to view and buy unique pieces from the Leah C. Collection and J. Crew wedding dresses on Madison Avenue will be a reality.

Leah C. has been an innovator in bridal and evening headwear since 2000 and is featured in fashion magazines and on runaways worldwide with designs that are bold, sometimes fantastical, but always distinctive in style. A fitting alliance since J. Crew is emphasizing unique accessories and becoming more than just a clothing store. “In the past couple of years we've been looking at elevating every category," said Jenna Lyons Mazeau, executive creative director of J. Crew. Ms. Mazeau notes that “when it's quality, the customer gets it. We're looking at doing special incredible pieces." Molly Carey, designer for J. Crew Wedding Collection and Jewelry Designer is also "so excited because we are now collaborating. Leah C. will be doing some one-of-a-kind bridal pieces for J. CrewВґs Wedding Collection!" 

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Romania:Romanian designs 12 inch stilettos

 

A Romanian footwear designer, Mihai Albu, has introduced new pair of sandals in the market that helps raise the height of a woman by 12 inches (31 centimetres).

Although these stilettos are compared with skyscrapers due to their towering heels, it might also have something to do with their price, as in a country where the average wage of an individual is Euro 450 (US $575) these handmade stilettos are priced at Euro 1,200 ($1,525)

According to Albu, apart from being fashionable, long heels are advantageous for women who don’t have long legs and also help reposition the waist.

Last month, boutiques in Washington displayed an array of footwear mainly platforms, which were only 1.5 inches (3.8 centimetres) and the stilettos were 4.5 inches (11.4 centimetres) in height.

However, as per a chief editor of a fashion magazine, late British designer, Alexander McQueen died in February this year and for his last collection he had used, 12 inches heels.

More so, this editor also informed that, although they might look impractical, but there existed women who were brave enough to carry them, which in turn created attention for them and the designer.

Since he was an architect before, Albu now blends maths, architecture and art in his creations that make his footwear look more like sculptures than regular footwear.

He utilises French leather and styles it with jewels, mirrors, taps and feathers, which attract Romanian women to their evergreen love affair.

Despite being highly-priced, according to Albu, his order books are getting full with dozens of orders for his new-footwear collection.

Other than its height, Albu’s footwear also depicts various designing facets depending on the angle, such as his new creation is a 12.2 inch (31 centimetre) stiletto made out of three black wedge sandals and it comes only in small sizes.
 

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Switzerland:Watch market is like a microcosm of the art market - Sotheby's

 

SOTHEBY’S sale of Important Watches this evening saw international collectors out in force, staking their claim both for big brands and, even more noticeably, for rare and historic timepieces. In total, the sale realized CHF 6,854,825 / US$ 6,338,588, well within pre-sale expectations of CHF 5,910,100-7,775,800 (US$ 5,465,010 - 7,190,205). 53% of the lots sold achieved prices in excess of high estimate, with sell through rates of 78.4% by lot and 81.8% by value.

Geoffroy Ader, European Head of Watches at Sotheby’s, said: “Historic timepieces and pocket watches stole the show this evening, highlighting a pattern we have seen evolving for some time now. While there is no doubt that the market for the big brands remains as strong as ever, there is, simultaneous with that, a new and exciting groundswell of interest in antique pieces with historical resonance and decorative allure. Tonight’s sale was carefully put together with this in mind, and we were thrilled, therefore, that so many of the pieces offered were so enthusiastically received. ”

Daryn Schnipper, Worldwide Head of Watches at Sotheby's, said: "In many ways the watch market is like a microcosm of the art market - both are currently characterised by a fascinating interplay between established and new buyers, all looking for blue-chip, rare and iconic pieces. That same unfettered desire for quality, which has been evident in our recent sales in Hong Kong and New York, was demonstrated further here tonight.”

“In addition to that, the results of the sale further emphasised another trend that we have been witnessing in our watch sales around the world. Underlying the headline-grabbing prices for modern, complicated watches, there is a strong, insistent and ever-increasing demand for watches of particular historic and decorative interest. This demand is fuelled largely by buyers from the Middle East and Asia, many of whom were remarkably active in the saleroom tonight."

“Shepherdess” Automaton, made for the Chinese market, sells for CHF 746,500
The top lot of the evening was lot 90, an exceptional Three Colour Gold, Enamel and Split Pearl Shield Form Automaton, c.1805-10. Estimated at CHF 400,000-500,000, this spectacularly small and complex automaton, featuring a shepherdess tending two sheep near a waterfall, excited interest from across the globe, with no fewer than 5 bidders locking horns in a battle to secure it. Together, they drove the final price to CHF 746,500 (690,281 USD). Their enthusiasm was no doubt sparked by the fact the automaton ranks among the most impressive pieces ever made by legendary watchmakers Isaac Daniel Piguet and Henri Capt. Like so many of the most accomplished pieces of the period, this extraordinary example was made for the Chinese market. As a forthcoming exhibition at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva will illustrate, the pieces made for this market were superlative: made to seduce Chinese Emperors and dignitaries at a single stroke. The extraordinary craftsmanship behind this piece was matched by its exceptional provenance: it once belonged to the notoriously extravagant King Farouk – last King of Egypt – whose legendary collection was sold at Sotheby’s in 1954.
 

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Spain:Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week coming soon

 

CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK, the grand forum for the promotion and presentation of Spanish design, an event organised by IFEMA, has established the dates for its second edition of the year. The next edition of the leading showcase for design in Spain willbe staged between 17th and 22nd September in Hall 14.1 at Feria de Madrid.

In the same way as at last February's edition, CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK will once again take place over a period of sixdays, devoting the whole of its first day to the fashion parades of a series of talented young designers brought together under the umbrella of EL EGO. This initiative will be celebrating its tenth edition on this occasion. In this respect, on Friday 17th September CIBELES will present the collections of the youngest designers. The period between Saturday 18th and Tuesday 22ndwill, thus, be preserved for established designers.

This edition of CIBELES will once again be based on theinnovative fashion show model presented in September 2008, at which the fair presented a new organisational and staging format,as well as introducing the brand, CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK.Themain objective of this concept, which will guide the development of CIBELES over the next few years, is to strengthen the presenceof Spanish design within the context of an increasingly competitive international market. Other important new features that form part of this project, initiatives that have already been successfully implemented at previous editions, include the following: the design of two fashion parade rooms; an increase inthe occupied exhibition area from 5,400 to 14,000 square metres; and the creation of an area known as CIBELESPACIO. This area features a range of different ongoing activities, such as music, live concerts, the sale of clothing creations by young designers,etc.

Furthermore in view of the warm reception that was granted to thespecial area for the most outstanding fashion bloggers at thelast edition of the Fashion Show in February, the September edition of CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK will once again set aside a specific area for these opinion-leaders. This section of the event will feature all of the necessary technology in order to enable these bloggers to express their opinions regarding the participating designers and their collections, effectively addressing their corresponding groups of virtual followers with the spontaneity and special vision that characterises them. In this respect, CIBELES will reflect the growing reach and importance that the fashion blogs phenomenon has acquired both inside Spain and abroad.

A Wide-Ranging Presence of Private Sponsors
At each edition, CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK, an event organised by IFEMA, enjoys the support of the Madrid Regional Government,aswell as the backing of a wide-ranging group of private sponsors. These brands are all keen to promote fashion, design andcreation. They include names such as L'Oreal, Lancia, Grey Goose, TelefГіnica, Cruzcampo, Las Rozas 

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