Half the Sky Designs Introduces 2008 Collection of Eco-Fashion Forward Handbags

Marty Stevens-Heebner, founder and president of Half the Sky Designs, today announced the unveiling of Rebagz™ 2008 collection as well as appearances of Rebagz on ABC's "Ugly Betty" and in the current Pasadena Museum of History's 'The Purse and the Person: A Century of Women's Purses' exhibition. Rebagz, stylish and colorful handbags made from recycled juice packs and nylon rice bags, have quickly found popularity among fashionistas and the eco-conscious crowd since their introduction last summer.

Actress America Ferrera received a Large Multi-Colored Rebagz Tie-Tote in a celebrity gift bag last fall. In the episode of "Ugly Betty" that aired January 17, her character Betty was carrying the bag. Other celebrities who own Rebagz include Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Heidi Klum, Halle Berry, Sheryl Crow and Serena Williams.

"We're so happy that our Rebagz bags are gaining recognition," says Stevens-Heebner. "We were both thrilled and surprised to see America Ferrera with her bag on 'Ugly Betty' and to be invited to participate in the Pasadena Museum of History's exhibit." The response to Rebagz's introductory line last summer, "...was amazing," she says, "and we've added even more exciting eco-friendly designs for 2008."

Half the Sky Designs introduced the Rebagz 2008 collection at the recent California Gift Show, WWD MAGIC in Las Vegas and in the juried sections of the New York International Gift Fair and Atlanta International Gift Market.

There are currently two Rebagz lines: one made from recycled juice packs that are cut into strips and woven together to make colorful, durable bags and the other crafted from colorful recycled rice bags from the Philippines. "I'm always struck by the gorgeous designs on some rice sacks," says Stevens-Heebner. "It's a competitive rice market, so it becomes all about eye-catching packaging. The sacks are just too beautiful to throw away, so we transform them into eco-fashion forward handbags."

This season marks the launch of the new Rebagz Limited Edition line. Stevens-Heebner discovered some rice sacks she loved were from brands that had been discontinued. "This means we have a very finite number of bags," she says. "I look at these recycled sacks as my fabric, and this was fabric I definitely wanted to work with." So she created the Rebagz Limited Edition line to celebrate the uniqueness of these particular rice sacks and to illustrate the fact that many beautiful things around us are finite in supply. The Limited Edition styles include "Panda," "Stallion" and "Lion Brand," while supplies last.

Other rice bag designs include "Magnolia," "White Rose," "Jasmine," "Blue Birds," "Trophy" and "Best Mill." The Rebagz 2008 collection adds backpacks, wallets, cell phone carriers and coin purses to the extensive rice sack and recycled juice pack lines which already include totes in various sizes: baby bags, messenger bags that accommodate computers, shoulder bags and clutches.

Former human rights worker Stevens-Heebner works closely with her workers, ensuring that they are treated well and paid fairly. Her aptly named company references the adage, "Women hold up half the sky," paying homage to the many women who work with Half the Sky Designs.

Source: Marketwire.com

Puma recruits fashion designer to glam up brand

Sports goods maker Puma AG on Thursday appointed fashion designer Hussein Chalayan as its creative director in a bid to enhance its style status and mark itself out from rivals like Adidas.

Puma, the world's third largest sportswear maker, made the announcement during Paris Fashion Week where Chalayan presented a critically acclaimed womenswear collection for fall 2008.

"We want to be different, that's the idea behind this. We don't want to be mass market and selling to discount stores, we just want to keep a premium," Puma Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz, told Reuters in an interview at the presentation.

Chalayan, famous for his thought-provoking designs, would bring his use of new technology and provocative point of view to Puma, Zeitz told a news conference.

Zeitz is credited with turning Puma into a lifestyle brand and making it one of Germany's best-known exports.

Collaborations with designers are a regular feature in the cut-throat retail industry as the world's biggest brands seek to differentiate themselves and lure in ever-pickier consumers.

Puma, has already worked with edgy, top rated designers Alexander McQueen and Jil Sander.

Meanwhile German rival Adidas has seen its business boosted by its long-term collaboration with Stella McCartney, whose top end fashion house is owned by Puma parent company PPR.

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Source: reuters.com

Lingerie Market: Focus on Design & Fashion Trends

The growing fashion appeal of lingerie has changed drastically over the years. The market is being driven by the advent of modern technologies and fabrics that help in designing innovative products such as laser-cut seamless bras and moulded T-shirt bras. Designers are putting greater emphasis on rich-looking fabrics, laces, embroideries and brighter, more daring colors. The largest-selling lingerie product is bra. There is a huge demand for full-busted bras.

Retailers acknowledge the fact that lingerie market has higher profit margins than regular apparel. They are launching new lingerie lines and also giving their older products a makeover. Lingerie vendors are focusing more on their alliances with lingerie specialty stores as compared to department stores. The worlds largest lingerie manufacturer, Victorias Secret, operates almost exclusively in North America. The European market is quite fragmented, with Triumph International and DB Apparel leading the market.

The report analyzes the worldwide, US, UK, and French lingerie markets. Apart from providing a competitive landscape of the market, the report also profiles the major lingerie companies, with a discussion of their key business strategies. It also analyzes the major trends prevalent in the lingerie market.

Source: Research and Markets

Manish Arora designs new Reebok garments & accessories

Futuristic fashion gets a new address with Reebok commissioning Indian designer Manish Arora to come up with a complete line of high-end garments and accessories that can be showcased at the Paris Fashion Week.

The colour “Black” will be represented through new age easy-to-wear boots in vibrant colours and sequined toe fronts while the “Jungle Low” range will create the look and feel of a lost era. Neon shoes with classic leather work on either side, they would come in a fiery combination of black and orange.

The daily lives of the modern Indian woman and the smells and sensibilities of India would be the blueprints that emboss this range of shoes. While the inspiration for the footwear line is the heart of India, the apparel is inspired from the theme of nature.

On the footwear front, leather, Swarovski, specialized fabric and suave and svelte designs characterize the Fish Fry collection.

Priced between Rs 6000 and Rs 60,000, Fish Fry shoes are elegant and funky and they come in delicate pink, blue, silver, gold and red hues that make for a bold fashion statement. The brand is being sported by Bipasha Basu. The collection is available at select Reebok stores.

Source: livemint.com

Palm Beach Fashion Week Runs February 29 through March 8

The glamour and excitement ofhigh-fashion are coming to Palm Beach County, as Palm Beach Fashion Weekpresents nine days of runway shows from top designers, live musicperformances and product launches alongside luxurious private cocktailparties and charity events. Palm Beach Fashion Week is truly a Lifestyleevent.

Fashion Week kicks off on Leap Day with an Opening Night Gala Friday onFebruary 29 at 6:30 p.m. This exclusive event held at the Mar a Lago Clubin Palm Beach will showcase the looks of Lilly and ERES, jewelry by IvankaTrump, and runway looks from Vlassis Holevas. Cocktails will be servedunder the stars. Dinner and a fashion show fundraiser in the ballroom willbenefit Wheels for Kids. Tickets are $350.

In addition, Palm Beach Fashion Week proudly presents "The Box" at TheColony Hotel, a series of five runway shows featuring fashions from WorthAvenue brands, and designers from New York, L.A., Europe, North and SouthAmerica. Tickets are $35, limited quantities available.

"The Box" schedule (designer biographies provided upon request):
- Saturday, March 1, 2008, 11:00 a.m. - Mark Belford- Red Carpet
- Saturday, March 1, 2008, 2:00 p.m. - ESCADA
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 1 p.m. - Richard Day- Men & Women
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 4 p.m. - Paris Gordon- Ready to Wear
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 7 p.m. - Laurance Rassin- Ready To Wear

"Fashion shows are the new rock concerts," explains Lauren Malis, ownerof Palm Beach Fashion Week. "Beautiful people, beautiful clothes, greatmusic and amazing energy, combined with the creations of new and emergingfashion designers and brands make these events a very hot ticket."

Palm Beach Fashion Week is a multi-day, branded, entertainmentenvironment celebrating the luxury and opulence of Palm Beach with ninedays of direct-to- consumer luxury fashion, beauty, shopping and diningexperiences. Palm Beach Fashion Week is truly a Lifestyle event.

Source: Prnewswire.com

Paris shows boast new designers -- aged 7

Paris Fashion Week is feted for boasting the world's oldest fashion names but the spotlight on Monday fell on a couple of newcomers -- Phoebe and Euan, aged 7.

The pair, from a primary school in England, were enlisted by Vivienne Westwood, the grande dame of British fashion, along with 34 of their classmates to paint bugs, plants and snakes all over her collection.

The theme? Ecological crisis.

"It was just brilliant, and she was very nice and helpful," said Euan Bonser about working with Westwood who erupted to fame in the 1970s fomenting the punk movement and dressing the Sex Pistols.

Phoebe Ackroyd, seated beside him on the front row, also in her school uniform of green sweatshirt and grey trousers, said the experience of painting dots and dashes on dresses, jackets and a pith helmet left her wanting "to be a model".

Fashion has always been a vehicle for politics for Westwood, who, most recently in 2005, joined forces with British civil rights group Liberty with a series of T-shirts and babywear with the slogan "I am not a terrorist" to draw attention to the preservation of civil liberties post-Sept. 11.

Monday's collection, titled "Chaos Point", was no different. Her vision was a group of freedom fighters trying to avert the planet from ecological disaster and included one model on stilts "distinguish the characters and their clothes," Westwood said.

Phoebe and Euan found their way to the front row of the world's premier fashion event because of their teacher, Madeline Bell, 25, who had her class write to Westwood after she taught them about the designer in a lesson on "Great Artists".

Bell, who studied fashion before training as a teacher and "absolutely loved" Westwood, said the thrill was as much hers.

"I'm living my dream through the children," she said. "She's given them such a brilliant chance to do something amazing."

Source: in.reuters.com

ITFA hosts seminar for Palestinian textile professionals

The Israel Textile & Fashion Association in cooperation with Peres Center for Peace recently hosted a seminar for Palestinian textile professionals, featuring OptiTex software. OptiTex, an Israeli company, is the world’s leading design software manufacturer for fabric-related industries.

“We organized this seminar within our capacity-building series in order to introduce Palestinian textile professionals to new software, thereby allowing them to become more competitive and provide enhanced opportunities for Israeli-Palestinian trade cooperation” said Idit Nirel, Business Cooperation Projects, of the Peres Center.

OptiTex technology is used in countries from Argentina to Vietnam. Its creativity-enhancing package provides a fully customizable onscreen environment. Using either 2D or 3D models that can be adjusted for a wide variety of body types, designers can see how different fabrics will move before the first piece of fabric is cut. Users can also realize a rapid ROI via computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM), eliminating wasted material and speeding items to market.

“It’s remarkable how user-friendly OptiTex software is,” said Tarek Sous, the chairman of the union of Palestinian Textile. “Even though the software is feature laden, its intuitive design allowed even the least experienced trainees to quickly grasp the wide range of possibilities OptiTex provides.”

“We were extremely pleased at the positive feedback the trainees provided,” according to Ran Machtinger, President and CEO of OptiTex, Ltd. “72% of the students rated the practical application as excellent or very good, while 79% felt that the training would benefit their businesses. In this part of the world, building bridges to peace is essential, and we’re glad that our software could be part of that process.”

Isaac Schechter, from the Israel Textile & Fashion Association happily concurs with Machtinger’s assessment. “All our attendees felt that they benefited from the training. OptiTex’s software is deployed in virtually every fabric-related industry including fashion, upholstery, automotive and aeronautics. Experience with this software will certainly make our trainees marketable on a worldwide basis.”

Source: Fibre2fashion.com

Menswear range to be launched at SSAFW in Aug

Nothing vindicates the Sanlam SA Fashion Week vision of a vibrant designer industry capable of substituting imports locally and wowing international markets internationally, more than designers nurtured over the past twelve years ripping through the silk ceiling to secure a commercial foothold whilst remaining true to their cutting-edge instincts.

Jacques van der Watt, now with partner Danica Lepen, whose Black Coffee collections have enthralled successive SSAFW audiences since 1997, is making impressive progress with their off-shore retail network. The creative duo's piéce de resistance, 20-options skirt/dress, secured them a presence in über cool Zagreb concept store, Viktor, along side iconic ranges such as Comme de Garcon, Issy Miyake and the Antwerp 6 and is a great addition to their existing Stricker & Strauss in London and Shwe Shwe in Melbourne, portfolio. Having scooped the inaugural True Love SA Fashion Awards late last year, they are currently jostling for position with another SSAFW stalwart, Karen Ter Morshuizen of Lunar, and eight other finalists, for the 2008 Visi Designer of the Year award.

The Visi Awards celebrate exceptional home-grown designers ranging from architects to furniture and interior designers and are particularly coveted by the industry as contenders are nominated by peer panels.

Abigail Betz too, has received an unequivocal vote of confidence with investor Maria Dracatos recently buying a substantial stake in the Abigail Betz House of Couture. Plans are already in motion to open a signature store in Rosebank, Johannesburg, that will stock Abigail's ready-to-wear couture, bridal dresses and beauty products as well as provide a service for custom-made wedding dresses. A menswear range, aimed at the sophisticated male consumer, will be launched at the SSAFW Summer 08/09 Collections in August.

Since winning the 2007 SSAFW Elle New Talent competition, Tiaan Nagel has invested his winnings in an industrial sewing machine, employed a seamstress and opened a studio in Doornfontein.

His show at the Summer 07/08 Collections garnered rave reviews including the ultimate endorsement by a New York fashion journalist who bought 80 percent of the collection and continues to place long-distance orders. Tiaan currently supplies Fab Lab in Sandton and the Black Coffee store at Bamboo Centre whilst recent fashion features in Elle and Wanted magazines have boosted his private client base significantly.

Hangwani Nenghovhela's Rubicon summer range also caught to the eye of a visiting fashion scribe, this time from London, with plans for a fashion feature in the pipeline. Business has been brisk following an insert on SABC 2's magazine programme, Zwahashu, that profiled her shop on Jan Smuts Avenue in Craighall Park. Her range is now stocked at Laila in Millpark and her designs may also be spotted on Muvhango actresses Khabo Nina, Elle and Florence Masebe as well as Mthunzi.Com presenter, Thobi Mkhwanazi, who have enlisted as Rubicon brand ambassadors.

Ella Buter, too has signed up new outlets for her Superella range - Salvation in Pretoria and Black Coffee at the Bamboo Centre. This has secured her a steady cash flow and enabled her to focus on growing her private client base. Ella will be featured with Clive, Marion & Lindie, Bongiwe Walaza, Mantsho, Terrence Bray and Black Coffee in an upcoming issue of Hong Kong's Escape Magazine that will focus on exceptional South African designers.

Tshepo Modiba of Artistic Soul has cracked the nod from several SA corporates keen to get their promotional merchandise on trend, with an impressive client base that includes heavy-weights such as MTN, Standard Bank, SABC and Smirnoff. His participation in the 2007 Prestigious Awards for South African women achievers, has now also given him a foothold in this key market which he has long wished to enter.

Finally, flying the South African flag high on the international circuit, is Albertus Swanepoel, one of our favourite local boys made good. Following the success of an accessory range which included batik-printed fabric produced by the Sizakhele crafters group in Pretoria, for Barney's, New York-based Swanepoel recently became the milliner du jour for luminary designers Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein's Winter/Fall 08 shows with his gorgeous, signature hats.

Source: Fibre2fashion.com

Madame launched its Spring/Summer Collection 08/ 09 - The Cool Blaze

Come Spring time and it is the time to bring a whiff of freshness to your wardrobe with Madame’s Spring/Summer collection 2008. In cool fabrics, summery shades and trendy styles, the Spring Summer collection is must to make you look hot this summer.

“We have worked on a repertoire of amazing fabrics and materials ranging from 100% Cotton, Cotton Blends to modern fabrics like Viscose and Modal blends. Ecologically sound Bio washes are used as treatment on most products. Irresistible colors are a theme throughout the collection with bright shades like Peacock, Wine, Mauve, Aqua, Pink Rhu, Neon Red. Hues of Khaki, Coffee, Blue and Gray still rule the collection as well. The styles, cuts and fabrics that have been chosen to give each design a unique look, with comfort and ease being an integral part of the collection.” Says Mr. Akhil Duggar, Creative Head, Madame.

By combining soft and girly lines with bold colors, insightful designs strike a unique combination of street and sweet resulting in a versatile collection with wide appeal. The price ranges from 349.00 to 1,499.00

Speaking about the collection, Mr. Bipan Jain, MD, Madame, says, “Our goal was to bring something to the marketplace that is street-inspired yet soft and girly. We want to highlight the timeless beauty of what it means to be a free-spirited and empowered female.”

The collection is available across 42 exclusive stores of Madame and over 500 Multi brands outlets across India.

Source: indiaprwire.com

Series of five runway shows in ‘The Box’

The glamour and excitement of high-fashion are coming to Palm Beach County, as Palm Beach Fashion Week presents nine days of runway shows from top designers, live music performances and product launches alongside luxurious private cocktail parties and charity events. Palm Beach Fashion Week is truly a Lifestyle event.

Fashion Week kicks off on Leap Day with an Opening Night Gala Friday on February 29 at 6:30 p.m. This exclusive event held at the Mar a Lago Club in Palm Beach will showcase the looks of Lilly and ERES, jewelry by Ivanka Trump, and runway looks from Vlassis Holevas.

Cocktails will be served under the stars. Dinner and a fashion show fundraiser in the ballroom will benefit Wheels for Kids. In addition, Palm Beach Fashion Week proudly presents "The Box" at The Colony Hotel, a series of five runway shows featuring fashions from Worth Avenue brands, and designers from New York, L.A, Europe, North and South America.
Tickets are $35, limited quantities available.

"The Box" schedule (designer biographies provided upon request):
- Saturday, March 1, 2008, 11:00 a.m. - Mark Belford- Red Carpet
- Saturday, March 1, 2008, 2:00 p.m. - ESCADA
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 1 p.m. - Richard Day- Men & Women
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 4 p.m. - Paris Gordon- Ready to Wear
- Sunday, March 2, 2008, 7 p.m. - Laurance Rassin- Ready To Wear

"Fashion shows are the new rock concerts," explains Lauren Malis, owner of Palm BeachFashion Week. "Beautiful people, beautiful clothes, great music and amazing energy, combined with the creations of new and emerging fashion designers and brands make these events a very hot ticket."

Palm Beach Fashion Week is a multi-day, branded, entertainmentenvironment celebrating the luxury and opulence of Palm Beach with nine days of direct-to- consumer luxury fashion, beauty, shopping and dining experiences. Palm Beach Fashion Week is truly a Lifestyle event.

Source: Fibre2fashion.com

Canadian designers learn to 'sell themselves'

Canadian fashion designers are beginning to establish themselves in a multibillion-dollar industry dominated by powerful European brands including Gucci, Prada, Chanel and Versace, according to experts.

"Canadians are developing a far bigger brand and respect from other countries around the world," says Robin Kay, president of the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC). "No other country is as poised to become a success as we are right now."

But one of the biggest challenges Canadian designers must overcome before sewing up the international market is their own modesty, she adds.

"There seems to be this mindset that we shouldn't talk about ourselves because it might be seen as bragging or boasting. You have to sell yourself. It's not just good enough to be a talented designer. You have to be a strong business person when it comes to marketing as well," she says.

Kay is a former designer who built an empire with about 600 wholesale accounts after 25 years in the business. She realized a need for the Fashion Design Council after noticing no national organization looked after branding for the industry itself.

She founded Toronto's L'Oreal Fashion Week about seven years ago. With recent assistance from Toronto tourism officials, the event now draws 15,000 people twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. Last fall's festivities were held in a dramatic 30,000-sq.-ft. tent set up in the public square in front of Toronto City Hall.

Meanwhile, designers are spending late nights working on their fall '08 collections, which are scheduled to premiere next month in Toronto from March 17-22.

A walk along the sides of the catwalk at one fashion show revealed front-row seats were reserved for representatives from numerous European and U.S. fashion magazines. At the end of the runway were bleachers for dozens of photographers.

"Toronto isn't as big as New York or Los Angeles yet. You do business there, but most of the meetings are set up with buyers beforehand and they usually come to your hotel," said one designer, who asked not to be named. "You don't want to miss the shows and parties, though, because that's where the schmoozing comes in. It's where you do your initial networking. And the networking is crucial."

One of the biggest Canadian designers during last October's Toronto fashion week was Joe Mimran, with his Joe Fresh Style clothing line.

The fashion label, available exclusively at 70 Loblaws-operated Real Canadian Superstores, offers low-cost clothing in pastel colours. His wife, Kimberly Newport-Mimran, is behind the high-end Pink Tartan clothing brand.

Mimran is a former accountant with Coopers & Lybrand who is best known for starting the Club Monaco fashion brand in 1985 with his older brother Saul and designer Alfred Sung. The brand quickly grew from a single store to a 141-store retail chain in just over a decade. The chain was purchased in 1999 by Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. for US$52 million.

Kay says Toronto fashion week is important because in addition to established designers, it also provides a forum for young talent trying to get recognized.

"They need to get their sea legs here, and then go international to New York or other cities. You have to make some sort of a name for yourself here first or they won't even give you the time of day."

A September 2006 BusinessWeek magazine story provided a rare glimpse inside New York Fashion Week. To even get on the schedule, designers had to go through an extensive interview process and portfolio review. It said the cost of putting on a 15- to 20- minute show can add up to between US$50,000 and more than US$1 million.

Kay pointed out Canada has no shortage of aspiring young designers. About 2,500 fashion-design students graduate from schools across the country every year. During last fall's Toronto fashion week festivities, final contestants from Slice Network's reality series Project Runway Canada held their own fashion show.

The production company had audience members sign a confidentiality agreement stating they wouldn't reveal the winner until the show aired in December.

The final winner - Saskatoon's Evan Biddell - did not even have any formal design training before winning $100,000 to start his own design label, a professional photo shoot, and a cover and feature spread in Elle Canada magazine.

"They all graduate thinking it's easy to become rich and famous in this industry. The truth is it's a lot of hard work, and then you have to constantly keep working to stay on top," Kay says.

Like a lot of other industries, it also comes down to getting that first Milano Blahnik foot in the door with buyers.

As winter temperatures dropped this month, one designer was in tears as she made an announcement that sent a chill through the industry.

Toronto-based designer Linda Lundstrom declared bankruptcy after more than three decades on the international fashion scene.

Lundstrom was probably best known as the designer for LaParka, a layered coat that helped her create an empire valued in 1997 at $12.5 million, including about $4 million in U.S. retail accounts. She sold more than 140,000 coats in 129 signature colours that were never repeated from one season to the next, according to Toronto newspaper reports. But despite varying the product line with new designs and colours for 22 years, she could never come up with another hit to continue the success.

"When customers walk into our stores, all they want is the labels they recognize," says Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction for Holt Renfrew.

"Times are certainly changing, but it is a risk for most retailers bringing in an unknown name, because this business is about what sells. That makes it tough for the little guy just starting out."

Atkin says it becomes a classic Catch 22 situation for most retailers in the industry. Retailers will buy collections from established designers, but how does one become an established designer unless someone gives them their first big break?

"We generally haven't been that good at supporting our own designers here in Canada," says Atkin. "I think Canadians by nature seem to be very low-key in promoting themselves. They have to almost partner with the retailers and find ways to work closely with them."

She says successful designers need to have not just a good sense of design - but know the business of retailing. "They need to come to us with a brand strategy and know what margins are about and everything else. We tend to work with designers who can support multi-season deliveries so our inventory is constantly being refreshed. And they need good (financial) backers too because they might not get paid for those shipments for at least 90 days, either."

After more than 20 years at Holt Renfrew, Atkin is widely recognized as one of the most influential people in Canadian fashion. Elle Canada named her in the past as one of "Canada's Top 30 Power Women."

In 2002, Atkin surprised one young designer by showing up unannounced at his Calgary home late at night. She tapped on his basement window and asked if she could come in to see what he was working on.

Paul Hardy already knew Atkin from when he worked as a personal shopper at Holt Renfrew's Calgary store. He had been quietly doing sketches of dress designs in his spare time and worked out a deal with former clients: If they paid in advance, he would give it to them "wholesale price.?

Someone had been impressed by what they saw and passed the information along to Atkin, who decided to pay him a surprise visit herself.

"Paul Hardy is very talented. I realized that right from the beginning," said Atkin, who arranged for Hardy to show during the next Toronto fashion week. Afterward, she started buying his designs for Holt Renfrew customers.

But like starting any new business, Hardy says it still wasn't easy at first. His father worked for a major bank and was able to co-sign a loan. The rest of his startup capital came from using credit cards. "I paid for everything on one card, and then when I reached the limit on that I took out another credit card.

"Eventually, I was up to three credit cards. I had to sell samples at the end of the season to pay for next season," says Hardy. He now travels to international fashion capitals including Paris, Milan and New York. In the fall of 2005, he was asked to design a jewelry collection using only government certified diamonds from the Canadian Arctic. Later this year, Hardy will be featured in a glossy coffee table-book tentatively called Designers of the Americas. Last spring, a friend helped introduce him to actress Kate Hudson when he was in New York. She had heard about his designs and wanted to meet him. A weekend meeting at Hudson's home was quickly arranged. "We had a great conversation. We were all in her backyard. She ended up trying on some of my designs and bought a few pieces," Hardy says.

Right now, he's coping with the challenges of developing an international brand. Hardy says it would be more cost effective to produce his designs in Europe for his growing list of clients in that part of the world. But consistency and quality control are new potential issues.

"People see you in fashion magazines coming down the runway and they think you have it made. For me, it's still lots of hard work and the power of prayer. I'm very happy where I am right now though," Hardy says.

Source: businessedge.ca

Six local designers to inaugurate fashion incubator

Six local fashion designers have been chosen to be the first to occupy the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s on State Street.

The incubator, set to open in March on Macy’s 11th floor, is part of Mayor Richard Daley’s efforts to turn the Windy City into the Trendy City, known as much for its fashion as its residents’ remarkably unfashionable winter garb.

The mayor and business leaders want to give local designers a reason to stay in Chicago rather than going to New York or Los Angeles. “This is another important step toward developing the next generation of design talent in our city,” said Mayor Richard Daley in a statement.

“By partnering with a major retailer like Macy’s, we’re providing local designers with the opportunity to develop their skills and learn more about the fashion business.” The designers will receive mentoring by Macy’s Chicago-based merchant, marketing and store teams as well as other professionals in the fashion industry and business community.

Ralph Hughes, Macy’s vice president of corporate communications, said Macy’s wants to empower the designers with the tools they will need to succeed in the fashion business.

The designers are:
Glenn Mallory, whose 6ACE features classically designed garments created with leather and other natural-fiber fabrics

Kate Coxworth, whose Kate Boggiano features clothes manufactured in the United States

Agga Raya, whose AGGA B. offers classic silhouettes with an element of art

Lidia Wachowska, whose Evil Kitty merchandise is based on the character of that name

Yana German, whose YANA Collection is feminine with a modern flair

Kristin Rosynek Hassan whose organiK Revolution clothing is eco-conscious

Source: suntimes.com

TO NEW HEIGHTS

U.S. designers have improved their level of artistry and craftsmanship at the same time that the weak dollar is drawing buyers to now more affordable American lines.

IT'S a rainy day in Los Angeles and Juan Carlos Obando is padding around his apartment in a hooded sweat shirt, plaid shorts and shearling slippers, putting the final touches on a spectacular clear-sequin cocktail dress sprouting chiffon "feather" wings on the back. The dress alone took a month and a half to finish, and there's also an electric blue chiffon coat painstakingly tucked and sewn to look like fur, and a spidery black mini dress constructed from three layers of cashmere lace singed under a high heat to give it shine.

In four days, the designer, who has been a fixture on the L.A. runway calendar for the last five seasons, will pack up those pieces and for the first time show at New York Fashion Week. It is his most ambitious collection yet, beautifully crafted, sophisticated and strong, and it's inspired by superheroes, the emerging style icons of 2008.

Obando's timing couldn't be better. This is a great moment for American designers. Not only have they raised their level of artistry and craftsmanship to new heights, but the style pendulum is swinging toward the cleaner lines Americans do best -- and the weak dollar has pushed European lines into the stratosphere, and store buyers and shoppers toward talent close to home.

As the monthlong circuit of runway shows kicks off this weekend in New York, you can't help but think about how the economic slowdown is affecting fashion. Stroll any luxury row in New York or Beverly Hills, and the air is buzzing with British and French accents, as European tourists take advantage of their new buying power, and travel to the U.S. for shopping sprees.

For American shoppers, escalating prices on foreign luxury goods are making them more and more unappealing. A plain khaki cotton shirtdress -- sleeveless, unlined, unfinished hem -- from the spring Prada collection is an alarming $1,595 at Barneys. It's beyond questions of style and cachet; you'd have to be a sucker to spend so much on something so basic.

Department store buyers are picking up on that reaction and say they will be casting a more critical eye on the designer clothing they stock.

"If the price is going to be more than customers are used to, it has to be a really special piece. That's how we have been looking at collections," says Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus.

Saks Fifth Avenue fashion director Michael Fink echoes the sentiment. "No one is going to buy anything basic at a designer price point. And it is a time for American designers to shine, because there is some control of the cost factor here."

Some stores are even giving up on selling European lines at all. Consider the price leap: In 2003, a 1,000-euro jacket would have cost $1,080. Today, that jacket would be $1,450.

"I'm focusing more on younger, creative and edgier designers here that I can support and introduce," says longtime Sunset Plaza boutique owner Tracey Ross, who's been feeling the pinch for months now.

Marc Jacobs was one of the first designers to fill that bill, of course. And now the Pasadena-based Rodarte designers, Laura and Kate Mulleavy, are also playing a role in changing opinions about American fashion with their romantic, mixed-media pieces, couture-like laces and chiffons.

Koi Suwannagate is another L.A. designer elevating the homespun DIY aesthetic, with sculptural designs and hand-folded rosettes. Nominated for a Council of Fashion Designers of America award, she's showing in New York for the first time this season, too.

"They've shown it's possible to do that kind of craftsmanship in America," says Liz Goldwyn, an author, jewelry designer and Rodarte client.

Goldwyn is also enthusiastic about Obando's clothes, which she calls "intellectual." He used her as the muse for his Frank Miller-style New York show invitations and consulted her about the collection and the presentation.

Her best advice? Don't be too literal.

And he wasn't -- no star insignias or skintight jumpsuits here. But there is a bias-cut gown with a panel of red fabric coming off the side, the faintest hint of a cape.

Superheroes are surging in popularity -- on TV in "Heroes" and "Bionic Woman"; in the upcoming films "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Dark Knight"; even at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, where they will be the subject of an exhibition this spring.

Obando says he did not know about the exhibit before he began designing, in which case it certainly is a happy coincidence.

He comes to superheroes by way of comic strips, which he's been smitten with since he was a kid growing up in the coastal town of Barranquilla, Colombia.

After going to college in Miami, he moved to New York to work as an art director in advertising, and eventually to Los Angeles, where he freelances at Whittmanhart advertising agency, working on such accounts as Harley-Davidson and Scion.

Which means he works on his intricate clothing line at night and on the weekends.

His mother was a seamstress, and now she runs Obando's small clothing factory in Colombia. Obando never went to fashion school. Instead, he learned about patterns by ripping apart vintage clothes, and fit by spending weeks as an observer at an Italian factory.

Obando started thinking about America as a theme after Karl Lagerfeld's curiously timed homage to the stars and stripes in the spring Chanel collection, and Obando kept on mulling as he was working on the new ad campaign for Budweiser. Instead of focusing the ads on NASCAR as they had been, Obando and the others working on the account decided to go back to the roots of the beer, its authenticity. The tag line? "Great American lager."

"It's about restoring faith and pride in America," he says.

Which sounds a lot like his fall collection. Obando insists it's not a political statement, but it does have a story. Because in fashion, as in advertising, you need a story. "I think right now," he says, "everybody is looking for a superhero."

And someone who can rock a pair of skintight pants.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Rag & Bone Are Serious About NY Fashion

Rag & Bone declared itself as a serious New York Fashion Week player with a fall collection that was equally somber and stylish.

The label, known mostly for its denim just a few seasons ago, showed serious clothes for men and women on Friday _ clothes worthy of the buzz designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright have been generating and of their up-and-comer award last year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

A packed house that included Gisele Bundchen and Julianne Moore saw a parade of gray, black and navy clothes on the runway at midtown Cipriani that seemed loosely military-inspired, but the look was more a retro Russian style than that of a modern-day soldier.

One of the best men's looks was a Navy officer's coat worn with a slim cashmere trouser, while a great women's outfit was a black wool duffel coat worn with a black silk tie-tuxedo shirt and a jodphur-style legging.

A fitted "cigarette" minidress with chunky black beads forming a vertical stripe down the front and back was one of the few pieces with any adornment, really making an impact, The female models wore berets on their heads in that chic way that French women do it without seeming costume-y at all.

The designers made clear, though, that their commitment is to the local fashion industry and nowhere else with the phrase "Handmade in New York" beamed on to the walls under its name. Neville and Wainwright have been active in a campaign to keep manufacturing in the Garment District.

Source: Associated Press