Beat the heat in cool clothes

Fitness freaks who plan to sweat it out in the hot Indian summer would do well to wear skin friendly fabrics like cotton, say experts.

"Cotton is a natural fibre and has less allergic tendencies. It is best suited for people who have sensitive skin and hence are prone to skin irritation," said Hema Pant, dermatologist, Kaya Skin Clinic, a skincare solutions centre.

Even though cotton is widely available in India and has its advantages, other materials like synthetic, dri-fit and polyester have gradually built a market for themselves.

Ashish Dhir, India representative for the Cotton Council International, said dri-fit is made of polyester treated with moisture absorbing technology.

"Polyester is not known for managing moisture very well and so it is mostly treated to provide moisture absorbing capabilities. Today it is used over cotton as it is cheaper as a raw material and also lightweight," he said.

Pointing out the disadvantages of such fabrics, Pant said: "These materials trap sweat inside the body. This is not wise for people who have sweat related problems like dermatitis and prickly heat, as excessive perspiration can aggravate the problem".

Whether it is for competitions or for regular workout routines, athletes and fitness freaks need clothing that keeps them cool and dry.

"Dri-fit material is essentially a poly-micro-fibre which doesn't cling to the skin and enables it to breathe better. The fabric is designed to soak sweat which leads to better moisture management," Sanjay Gangopadhyay, marketing director, Nike, a sportswear brand, told IANS.

Gangopadhyay further explained that the apparel made from this fabric is extremely lightweight so that the person wearing it does not carry additional weight.

Fashion designer Charu Parashar said that other fabrics are preferred over cotton due to the perfect fit offered by them.

"While gymming, people look for fabrics which fit them well. Lycra as a fabric gives stretchability, which is loved by health freaks. Hardly anyone wears lose fitting clothes while exercising," she said.

Fashion designer Bobby Grover seconded Parashar. He said: "Such fabrics definitely offer better fitting and I would wear a synthetic track pant with a cotton T-shirt while exercising."

Source: hindustantimes.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

Milan to commemorate designer Gianni Versace on 10th anniversary of his murder

MILAN, Italy: The city of Milan will commemorate Gianni Versace on the 10th anniversary of his murder with a series of events in his memory, officials announced Friday.

Versace, who built his fashion empire from his studio in the center of Milan, was gunned down outside his oceanfront mansion in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 15, 1997.

Recalling Versace's love of the theater, French choreographer Maurice Bejart has written a two-part ballet titled "Thank you, Gianni, with love," to be performed on the 10th anniversary of his death at La Scala.

Other events include an exhibit of Versace's sketches of theater costumes that will be installed on Milan streets this month, and the establishment of a scholarship in Versace's honor at the European Institute of Design in Milan.

"Gianni for me was a great brother, a great man and a great artist," Donatella Versace told a news conference, sitting alongside her brother Santo. "He was a genius, who deserved all of this."

Source: iht.com

White shirt takes on new appeal

IN YOUR CLOSET: They could be the next big names in the fashion industry -- Thakoon, Doo.Ri and Rodarte are all considered important up-and-comers ---- and here's your chance to add their look to your wardrobe without breaking the bank: They've each designed three unique interpretations of the classic white shirt for Gap.

Doo.Ri's Gap items include a shirt with a scarf draped at the neck, a tailored camp shirt and a loose shirtdress; Rodarte's are a sleeveless blouse decorated with bows, a trapeze-shape sleeveless top and a voluminous minidress with pockets and bows; and Thakoon's are a bow-tie blouse with short, puffy sleeves, a short shirtdress with puffy sleeves and a tiered hem, and a belted shirtdress.

"My take on the project was to build a boy meets girl attitude into the pieces," said designer Thakoon Panichgul. "The shirt has feminine elements like pintucks, ruffles and hemstitches built into it, and the dresses have a boyfriend's shirt element in the top portion, while the bottom has a feminine play with a built in skirt and the other looks as if you tied another white shirt around your waist to make a skirt."

Top models Stella Tennant, Liya Kebede and Carmen Kass star in the ad campaign for Gap Design Editions that was shot by top photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoosh Matadin.

Another player in this project is Vogue magazine, which features all the white shirts ---- paired with ballskirts ---- on a fold-out cover of the May issue. Gap has only been featured on the cover of Vogue twice before, once in 1992 when Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer, among others, wore white shirts and white jeans to celebrate the magazine's 100th issue and in 1988 for Anna Wintour's first cover as editor in chief.

The new white shirts serve as an awareness initiative for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which supports new American design talent. Panichgul, Doo-Ri Chung, and sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte all participated in last year's Fashion Fund competition, and Chung was the winner.

Julie Alonso, senior director of public relations at Gap, says the retailer gave each designer the material, the buttons and then said, "Go!"

"I was blown away with what they did with a white shirt," she told the AP.

She added: "The white shirt is something we're famous for in our 38-year history. It's the perfect item for every closet. We thought consumers would be interested in the twists the designers gave it.

"The collection, which retails for $68-$88, is in select stores and on Gap.com. Click on Women, Shirts, Design.

-- Another high-fashion name reaching a broader audience this spring is Patrick Robinson, formerly the designer at Perry Ellis and Paco Rabanne. He is the latest designer to participate in Target's Go International program, which brings limited-edition collections to the mass retailer.

"The collection I designed for Go at Target captures bohemian chic with just the right dose of wit, color and lightness," Robinson said in a statement.

Items include a white off-the-shoulder gauze dress with floral details, a poet blouse, a mesh blouse with satin details ---- and a lot of tiny bikinis.

Source: nctimes