Lauren Conrad Spring 2009 Fashion Show

Santa Barbara Bikini Fashion Show Avia Spa Feisty...

Surviving an Economic Downturn - Five Tips For Small Business in the Fashion and Retail Industry

Google and YouTube, the darlings of Wall Street, are lowering their revenue expectations this year according to the WSJ. When multi-billion dollar powerhouses start kvetching about the economy, wonderment at your own business' slowdown feels validated.

The fashion industry as a whole is one of the first to feel the effect of an economic slowdown. Disposable income diminishes as necessities like food and fuel become more expensive. Early 2007 industry analysts like Markos Kaminis were anticipating a slow down in the industry, even though most major retailers were in deep denial. First quarter of 2007 Companies like Coach and Blue Nile were touting the strength of their sales, translating into increases in their stock prices. Fast forward to early 2008 and the picture has changed dramatically for both companies. First quarter of this year found both Coach (COH) and Blue Nile's (NILE) stock down by half of their last year highs.

What do the woes of billion dollar companies have to do with your family owned boutique or independent clothing line? They feel economic downturns later than small businesses, and they have far more resources to stay afloat. However, many small business owners don't realize (or are too modest to consider) that they too can apply within their own business many of the same tactics that the "big boys" use to mitigate losses and avoid bankruptcy.

1. Get lean and mean
Scrutinize your non-essential and convenience services that can be dumped, or done in a more cost effective way. Employees used to that water delivery? Time for them to embrace tap. Have you looked at your recent cellphone bills? Can you live with a smaller plan and still avoid overage charges? Have you compared your credit card merchant vendor with their competition lately? Using a shredding service? Convenient, but would an Office Depot shredder suffice? Can you refine your workforce to fewer employee hours without affecting service?

2. Prioritize your must-haves
You must have electricity & telephones, so place those vendors at the top of your expenses. You need product to sell, or materials to make your products, so staying on good terms with your suppliers is essential. Employees must be paid for the work they've already done. Eviction is an obvious business killer, so paying your rent is a must. Or is it? These essential, must-have elements are necessary to staying in business, but when Paul is demanding payment, it's time to get on the phone with Peter. Prioritizing between these essentials, and therefore your ability to be an ongoing venture, may depend on your ability to follow my next suggestion...

3. Negotiate your debts
If you find yourself in a cash flow crunch you'll need to shore up your courage, get on the phone, and start asking for concessions from your vendors and suppliers. One unfortunate benefit of an overall downturn in the economy is that everyone is in the same boat. Most of your vendors are experiencing at least some of the same economic challenges you are encountering. They too are finding fewer new customers, and loyal customers are probably spending less. You will most likely find your vendors receptive, especially if you are pro-actively contacting them before your bills are terribly overdue. They don't want you to go out of business any more than you do! Don't just limit your calls to your suppliers, you can also negotiate with your landlord, credit card lenders, anyone and everyone to whom you owe money. It's never too late, but if you're in trouble, start today! The longer you wait, the less credibility you will have. Your goal should be to satisfy creditors based on what you can afford, not unrealistic collection demands that will only discourage you into washing your hands of the whole affair.

4. Make the 80/20 rule your mantra
A major business rule-of-thumb is that 80% of your business is made up from 20% of your customers. That means 80% of your effort and resources need to be focused on the top 20% of your customers. That doesn't mean putting all your eggs in one basket! While you need to give your top current customers your love and attention, you also don't want to assume they'll always be there. You will use this information to identify what those customers have in common so you have a stronger sense of your core market. That's why sales and marketing will become more essential to your survival at a time when you might need to cut their budgets. So, it's time to get creative...

5. Pump up your marketing
This might seem like a bad time to be investing in more advertising, but it's a good time to demand a greater return on your advertising dollars. Since marketing budgets are often the first to go, advertising venues are clamoring for your business. You're probably getting the same desperate sales calls that I get from magazines, trade show venues and the like. A friend in the promotion printing business told me his sales were down over 25%. The upside is that an advertising dollar has never gone further.

Your closely paid attention to that top 20% of your customer base has helped you identify your core market and you've decided on the best medium to communicate with them. So, now you'll want to use the magic words (these will work on all your vendors, including advertising services), "What's your best price?", "Oh, that's X amount outside of my budget, could you do a little better for me?", "I'd be interested in product A if product B were also included in the price." Keeping these magic words in mind in both the good times and bad will keep your business happy, healthy and feeling wise.

Calvin Klein Fashion Show

Javad Fashion - Funny

The Start of Babydoll T-Shirt Fashion

Back then, teenagers were always wearing their baggy jeans and shirts. It was the hip thing to do, and as a result babydoll t-shirts were developed for girls. In order to match the hip looking boys, fashion designers made sure girls get a dose of bagginess with their shirts so they designed the babydoll t-shirt.

Babydoll t-shirt fashion might have started around the mid 90s. In high school, you would see a lot boy wearing their big long shirt and baggy jeans that are down to the sneakers. These were the style back then and many embraced it. For mobility wise, it wasn't that great since the jeans dragged down to the sneakers so it hinders movement.

However, the baggy fashion was very popular and many girls have thought of wearing them too see how it would look on them. Fashion designers picked up the demand for long t-shirts instead of small tight ones so they designed the babydoll tees. Lo and behold, girls who were slim enough looked really cute with them which made the fashion a success. Many girls started wearing them as a result.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Gimme More By Britney Spears

Secrets to the Prada Fashion Design Success

Have you ever experienced the taste of truly delectable chocolate? It is one of the most delicious tastes in the entire world! I am not referring to something made by Hershey or even Cadbury; you have to taste the real deal. Unfortunately, these outer-worldly experiences often only come from small chocolate boutiques found worldwide. Something so delectable cannot be mass-produced. Many individuals share a love of chocolate but very few have the opportunity to taste something heavenly.

Chocolate is not the only item in this world that has a large fan base. Fashion is just as elusive as the perfect piece of chocolate but, I would argue, even more ardently sought after. Paris, London, and New York City are just three of the world's largest trend-setting fashion capitals and hundreds of designers every year vie for top spots on runways and stages worldwide. One such company that is already well established in the fashion world is Prada. This designer, renowned for its handbags, shoes, and famous Prada sunglasses, is always closely watched by fashion divas every season.

Like the perfect chocolate recipe, Prada's designs were not flawless right away. This company was started in 1913 by Mario Prada who manufactured exclusively handbags, trunks, and luggage. One of his signature ideas, using walrus skin for a traveling garment, was wildly unsuccessful. Walrus skin proved to be too heavy and cumbersome, making travel extremely difficult. Nevertheless, he came up with more practical designs and soon his leather luxury goods found their way from his small boutiques in Milan to people's homes around the world.

The company began to see harder times in the 1970s, however. Desiring to continue her grandfather's vision, Miuccia Prada took over the company in 1978 and began turning that downward trend around. Her background as a mime and political science PhD did not lend itself to the world of fashion. Nevertheless, Prada soon proved those doubtful of her wrong. While other labels were focused on frills and lace in the 1980s, Prada decided to focus her designs on clean, elegant lines and very simple pieces. She stuck mainly to luxurious fabrics in the basic colors of black, brown, gray, green, and cream, which remain Prada's signature colors.

Prada has stuck to the concept of simple elegance throughout the years. Their designs are never showy; instead, they exhibit sexy confidence in a subtle way, keeping Prada's name on top of fashion everywhere. If you want to own an item with the elusive silver triangle, Prada's signature logo, you should look into discount Prada sunglasses or a handbag!

2008 Academy Awards Fashion Wrap

Fashion Design Sketches

The intense competition in the fashion industry makes it important for any fashion designer to showcase the designs to a larger audience. This can be done by creating fashion sketches and displaying them on the Internet. The sketches give an insight to the fashion fraternity and also to the common audience on the concept behind a particular fashion design. It is a way of communicating the theme to the people associated with the apparel industry. Hence, they are extremely important for any fashion designer.

Fashion sketches are illustrations made by professional artists and designed in a way that they can be easily displayed on the Internet. They portray the true creative genius of the designer. These can be considered a blue print of the final product. The perfection in making sketches is a prerequisite as they serve as the main marketing tool of the fashion professionals. The sketches reflect trends and the value added features of the design. They can also be used to evaluate the various patters used by different designers.

Fashion sketches are important, since they are the preliminary designs that have to be taken to the different apparel manufacturers in the market. The sketches are then used to select the different fabric samples from the wide range on offer.

Computers are increasingly being used for the purpose of making fashion design sketches. Several software are now available that assist the designers in making the drawings. While some still prefer the traditional hand-drawn sketches, others choose to opt for the speed and convenience of computer-aided designing. Hand-drawn sketches can also be fed into the computer with the help of a scanner.

The art of making fashion design sketches is important for creating a niche in the highly competitive fashion industry. Fashion designers can make their presence felt only if their sketches are different and original. Good quality sketches are the only means of establishing a firm foothold in the fashion industry.

Lingerie Francaise Paris Fashion Show Part 9

Bruno - Fashion Polizei

Old-Fashion Barbecue Short Rib Bake and Potato Salad Meal Using Vintage Recipes

For a tasty old-fashioned meal of comfort foods, give these recipes a try. Barbecue beef short rib bake is always a hit with meat lovers, especially those with a taste for barbecue. And while the ribs are baking, you have a chance to make this old-fashion potato salad. This potato salad is different since it uses Marzetti's slaw dressing. And the Chewy Nut Squares are delicious with their chewy character accented with nuts and coconut.

BARBECUE SHORT RIB BAKE

4 to 5 lbs beef short ribs, cut in serving size pieces

Salt and Pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup diced celery

3 tbsp salad oil

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp prepared mustard

Arrange ribs in a 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onion and celery in oil in a small saucepan until they are tender. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Simmer gently about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove ribs from oven; drain excess fat. Baste ribs with about half the sauce. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake ribs 1 hour longer until fork tender. Baste occasionally with remaining sauce. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

OLD-FASHIONED POTATO SALAD

This recipe is from an old newspaper clipping advertising Marzetti dressings.

4 cups cooked, diced, cooled potatoes

2 hard-cooked eggs, diced

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles

2 tbsp chopped pimento, optional

1/2 cup Marzetti slaw dressing

1 tbsp pickle juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Chill to blend flavors. Garnish with additional hard-cooked egg slices and tomato wedges, if desired. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.

CHEWY NUT SQUARES

This is a recipe from an old KARO syrup advertisement.

1 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup KARO dark corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Mix 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. Cut in margarine until fine crumbs form; pat into greased 8" square pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove. Mix remaining flour and sugar and remaining ingredients. Pour over crust. Bake 30 minutes or until top is set. Cool. Cut into 16 squares.

Enjoy!

Fashion Images

Fashion can be treated as everything which is trend, whether it is shoes, clothes, hair styles, hair dyes, hair cuts, female apparel and interior decoration all form parts of the fashion industry. Therefore it is very important that the fashion images which are constructed portray the company in the best possible manner. When as fashion logo is constructed it is very important to design the logo according to the portrayed fashion. It is obvious that a shoe company cannot construct a logo showing an in vogue hair style. The necessary sessions are conducted between the logo designer, the fashion designer and the creative head of the company.

These sessions focus on conveying the designer what the actual requirements of the logo are? what affect will a certain logo have on a particular fashion sector. These sessions also focus on the intended public as one of the main concerns. It is a very important factor that a logo is designed according to the intended public for whom the fashion is launched. The logo may contain flashy colors if the intended public is the younger generation. However some sober designs and images may be used if the fashion is of traditional nature and no particular sector is targeted in case of fashion images.

The entire success venture of a brand depends on its logo. There are evens some people who purchase a certain brand only because it has an appealing logo. Fashion companies are recognized some times even by its logo. Prestigious companies at present have a very well defined and popular logo which makes them recognizable even from a distance.

Ladies Fashion For the Over 50

Women over the age of 50 often find a hard time finding fashion that fits them properly, that is stylish and trendy, and provides the comfort that they need as they move about their busy lives. While women over the age of 50 needs ladies fashion that is somewhat more conservative than they wore in their 20s, they also don't want fashion that will make them look as though they are bitty grannies. Ladies fashion that lies somewhere in a comfortable middle ground is important and is a way to ensure that what your wearing if your over the age of 50 not only looks great but that makes you feel great while wearing it!

The first thing any woman over the age of 50 needs to do before going and buying an entirely new wardrobe is to carefully look at their body and become familiar with it. This will give a great deal of insight as to what type of ladies fashion they should be focusing on and which parts of their body have dropped or expanded. This will let you know how to deal with the changes and you can then go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything that once looked great but now may actually call attention to your problem areas. Don't be sad about getting rid of these clothes - think of it as simply making room for all those wonderful new ladies fashions that you are about to fill it back up with!

Makeup is another area of ladies fashion that vastly changes once a person enters their 50s and it's important to know how to deal with these changes as well. The woman over 50 should begin to wear lighter makeup and continue to get lighter as they continue to get older. This will help to accentuate the natural beauty of the skin tones and eliminating the use of dark colors in your makeup will also eliminate the focus that these dark shades bring to your wrinkles. Tossing out the same shade of lipstick that you've been wearing for the past 15 years also allows you to explore some of the new trends emerging onto the market and explore many of these items that have been created with the woman over 50 in mind!

Loud prints are a lot of fun and there's no doubt that they have their place in ladies fashion but women over the age of 50 should skip the younger look of completely covering themselves head to toe in prints. This will only bring more attention to problem areas and can also make mature women look as though they have a fuller figure than they actually do. However, this doesn't mean that mature women need to entirely forego the fun prints in ladies fashions. They simply need to pick one piece to wear, such as a headband or a purse, and leave the rest of their outfit in solid colors. And remember that solid doesn't necessarily mean simple or boring. Pair a vibrant purple top with a zebra-print purse and people will know right away that you're the trendy and fun woman that you know you are!

clone fashion - glamour to kill

Professional women have the presence, style and sophistication to light up any room, meeting or event. And much of their attention can be directed to how they select and wear their clothes. It is important for business women to look polished, pressed and fashionable to create a positive and notable image in the career world. Women can also use these tips to select fun and eye catching color combinations for their business outfits.

Listed below are chic ways that women can highlight their everyday wardrobes for business success!

Black and Blue

Every women should have at least three pairs of black pants and skirts in their closets. Black bottoms are versatile and can be worn in the day time or in the evening. They are classic pieces that never go out of style and are interchangeable when selecting different outfits. Black can also be paired with blue to make a great color combination. Although navy blue is a very conservative color, we suggest brighter and more intense blues such as cobalt blue, teal blue, powder blue or sky blue. Black and blue look wonderful on almost all skin tones and hair colors and can be worn all year round.

Red and Brown

Both earth tones, red and brown is great for the Fall/Winter season. It is warm and deep and looks excellent with various patterns and textures. The colors are very similar in hue and almost create a monochromatic look. The softness of the two colors compliments the combination and does not clash or seem out of sync. Red and brown can even be mixed together in patterns for clothes or designs for accessories. The best way to highlight these colors is to include gold accents such as belts, earrings, pins and various jewelry.

Purple and Gray

Purple and gray are great to wear during the Fall/Winter season. They can be dressed up or dressed down for the day time or evening. This color combination looks great in pastels or darker color intensities. Purple and gray looks wonderful on almost all skin tones and hair colors. And it is best accented with silver accessories for belts, scarves, shoes, bags and jewelry. Purple and gray combination can also look divine with various prints such as floral, pin stripes and tweeds.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show(2007)- Heidi and Seal Duet

Kenneth Jay Lane Couture Rings - Fashion Design at Its Best by a Living Legend

Rings by Kenneth Jay Lane show his ingenuity and design talent. One can always recognize a ring by KJL because each piece is imbued with finesse and originality as well as artistic use of color. Mr. Lane has been called "the hottest designer" (Elle Magazine) and a "living legend."

He has exercised his creative imagination to its fullest since 1963 when he started out in New York City selling his designs on the street in the fashion district. He knows many socialites, movers and shakers, and international celebrities, and has designed for them and with them in mind. Yet his creations are accessible to everyone. His book Faking It tells his story.

Unlike much of the fashion or costume jewelry on the market today, every piece in KJL's Couture line is made here in the USA by skilled artisans. He has developed a special method of gold and silver plating that never discolors, tarnishes or leaves dark marks on your finger.

Many fashionistas love big rings with sufficient surface to embed detailed designs. Would you enjoy wearing a curious zebra or a toothy tiger on your finger? How about a realistic crystal-encrusted bumblebee? Or a many-petaled peony with a lush pearl center. KJL also designed a stone-covered coiling snake ring with ruby eyes reminiscent of jewelry worn by Cleopatra.

Over the centuries, rings have communicated the wearer's status, taste, and wealth. Stacked rings have been perennially popular, and in the past jewelers tapered the shanks in the back so that rings could be comfortably clustered on the same finger.

KJL admirers and collectors include the Duchess of Windsor, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Onassis, Mica Ertegun, Mischa Barton, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Paula Abdul. A bejeweled belt he made for Jackie O brought a record bid of $4,000.00 at auction. Rings he designed 30 years ago are still in demand and considered collectible.

Here are some ring facts to think about while enjoying some KJL eye-candy. Surprised that a ring has shoulders and may wear a girdle?

The parts of a ring:

Bezel or head: the top of a ring into which stones can be mounted or set into separate holders called collets.

Collet (kohl-ay): receptacle for stones which can be either cup shaped or made from metal strips bent to shape.

Hoop or shank: the part that goes around the finger.

Shoulders: the part that joins the hoop and the bezel, frequently decorated. Most of KJL's rings have stones or other embellishment in this area.

Cuts of stones:

Cabochon (CAB-oh-shaun): a stone with a polished, domed upper surface and a flat back. Also called a "cab".

Facet: the face of a stone cut and polished.

Girdle: the widest part of a stone. (Makes sense, huh ladies?)

Brilliant-cut: introduced in the 17th century, has an octagonal table at the top and 58 facets above and below the girdle. By far the most frequent cut for diamonds and precious colored stones.

Cushion-cut, princess cut, marquise, emerald, pear: all are types of stone cuts.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2006: Part 5/5

Australian Fashion

Fashion can be a merciless industry to break into. From Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, the world is overrun by Designer labels who have the talent and the money to turn their hand to almost anything. With this in mind, how are Australian Designers finding their feet in an industry against multi-million dollar design enigmas?

Australia has recently started making its mark in the competitive world of frocks, catwalks and waif thin models. With home-grown talent such as Michael Lo Sordo, Arthur Avenue and Polynkova, slowly reaching out to the Australian market with delightfully simple and unique designs, any advocate of fashion can not deny that the fashion industry of Australia is blooming into the next must-haves of your wardrobe.

Like any industry, knowledge and originality is something that always seems to benefit those who break through the niche market. Dreams and reality become an interlaced façade, where our designers colour the world with their creations breathing life and vibrant energy to the lives of the fashion conscious public.

After talking to Sydney-based designers, the best way to get a break in the Australian fashion industry is to offer your services to people for work experience, either with a designer or at a magazine. Compile a list of magazines or designers you admire and start approaching them.

Duyen Dang Vietnam 15 - Si Hoang Fashion Show - Part 1

Project Runway & Fashion Icon Tim Gunn Interview Exclusive

5 Things to Consider When Buying a Fashion Handbag

Not everyone is desperate to buy the latest celebrity handbag, and there are even those of us who don't need a designer label on our handbags. Fashion handbags are fun, affordable and you can always find one to complement your unique personality. However, it is easy to fall into the trap of buying quantity versus quality when you go the fashion handbag route, and you can end up with a wardrobe full of bags you hardly ever use. Here are 5 things to consider when buying a fashion handbag:

1. Quality

Quality is still important when buying fashion handbags. Buying a cheap bag that breaks or rips soon after you've acquired it is not a saving. Check that straps are firmly attached, zips open and close easily and the bag is properly lined. A bag without a lining is likely to end up with holes in the seams making it easy to lose small items.

2. Longevity

Although part of the fun of fashion handbags is that you can afford new bags as the fashions change, it's not worth buying bags that are so 'of the moment' that you know it won't last more than a season. You do still need one or two bags in classic styles that will see you through several seasons and hopefully several years. Disposable fashion is commonplace these days, but it's not good for the environment and it clutters up your wardrobe with things you don't use.

3. Uniqueness

One of the things I love most about fashion handbags is that there is such a huge selection to choose from, so you can usually find one that is unique to you. Who wants to walk around looking like a clone? Choose a bag that represents your personality and individuality in fabric, style and embellishment. Whether you're creative and expressive, practical and sensible or smart and minimalistic, the bags that are your favourites will always be the ones that feel like 'you'.

4. Practicality

Before buying a bag it is worth considering exactly what you will use it for. It is no use buying a beautiful evening bag that is so big you cannot be bothered to take it out with you, or a smart little day bag that you never use because you can only fit your keys into it. If you need a big practical bag to hold all your toddler and baby bits, try to opt for a bag in a practical hard-wearing fabric too, like leather or denim. Something delicate and beaded is not going to last long when it is being thrown around the park or dumped on the pool changing room floor!

5. Conscience

One of the issues with fashion handbags is how they are produced. Many are churned out in sweatshop style conditions. It is possible to buy affordable fashion handbags without compromising on fair trade conditions. These days it is not hard to find out whether an item has been ethically sourced or not, and there are plenty of shops and boutiques that have committed themselves to selling only products that have not exploited people. The bonus is that fair trade fashion handbags are usually better quality and more exciting in design than those that are mass produced.

TRASHFASHION IT'S A RAVE DAVE

Nature fanatics and environmental awareness aficionados can now rejoice at the fact that there is a new business brewing in the horizon - and one that

The beauty of wholesale organic jewelry is that there is a great variety in the material that is being used to produce the various jewelry lines of earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, anklet and other such personal enhancements. IN Wholesale organic jewelry, the producers use the very popular wood material which is an exciting type of material that comes in a variety of textures and colors.

Wholesale organic jewelry that come in wood is usually produced as bangles and clunky wooden necklaces usually adorned and enhanced with some semi-precious stones and metallic trimmings to add glamour to an otherwise simple type of accessory. Of course, there are also wholesale organic jewelry pieces that come in resin material, a very fun type of material that is really cool to work with and can be transformed in a variety of ways.

In the production of wholesale organic jewelry made of resin, the designer can choose the resin to be transparent or semi-opaque in order to come up with a rich range of styles and designs which suit a wide variety of audiences. And finally, the business of wholesale organic jewelry will not be complete without the ever popular leather. There are so many ingenious types of wholesale organic jewelry made out of this very popular material because leather never ever goes out of style.

From bohemian to hippie to high class haute couture, wholesale organic jewelry in rich and brilliant leather material will surely add the extra-needed oomph factor to suit one's style and taste, whoever the customer may be and whatever it is that he or she is trying to come out as. Because of the richness in terms of variety and kind of these materials, wholesale organic jewelry can be said as a business that may never go out of style.

The designer can input several tastes and options that his or her range of audience will most likely have in order to sell more of some stock and introduce and exciting new range as well. Even better, wholesale organic jewelry is a market that also encourages the merging of one or two elements together to come up with a very interesting piece that will surely appeal to a lot of people.

Imagine putting together wood, resin and leather to come up with a very funky and stylish piece that works as a focal point of the entire outfit. With wholesale organic jewelry you can be sure that you as well as your customers will never go out of style and you will really profit from it.

Justin Timberlake -Sexyback @ Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Diesel Fashion Show

Fashion Clutch Purses in Autumn-Winter 2008

Strictly defined, a clutch purse isn't overly large but is large enough to carry our daily essentials. The clutch purse tradition dates back at least to the early 19th century. During that time, "women of style" began carrying or clutching small handbags with them on their daily travels. These bags didn't carry much-just a few essentials, like money and make-up. Today, clutch purses are all the rage. While, because clutch purses can become tiresome to hold, many of them come with small wrist straps for convenience.

Due to clutch purses' graceful appearance, the original accessories going with evening dress have been lead into the daily wear and show a more typical fashion. Having looked trough some information about luxury brands' shows, I collected some artistic clutch style. Let's share together.

1. Bottega Veneta

It is the top quality ostrich leather and crafty appliance of metallic studs that bring a fresh texture to it. Besides, the decorated handiwork hermming detail emphasizes the consistent perfect craftsmanship of Bottega Veneta.

2. Christian Lacroix

As long as you see such an artistic colorful clutch which is just like a painter's color palette, you have to acknowledge the great motivity and infectivity fashion got from art. Design of hard exterior with gray&white grounding, the colorful glazes and the hand paint pattern show the perfect between art and fashion.

3. Dries Van Noten

At first sight, Dries Van Noten gives us a feeling of ethnic flavor with a bit futurism. Its black smooth leather exterior serves as a foil to shiny jewelleries and multicoloured charm works in concert with the whole clothing. Even the design of briefcase pattern extends the clutche's capacity greatly.

4. Chole

This season, the luxury rare python skin collections are in vogue. Like this Chole clutch with brown graduated python skin pattern. Its front flap signatured plate which has shiny metallic texture appears more decent under the decoration of the pattern and advances the fashion urbanity of the whole.

5. Emilio Pucci

Unlike other long clutch, Emilio Pucci chooses the pattern of tubo shape with strong feeling of three-dimensional space. The whole what is printed multicolored regular geometric drawing gives us a wonderful impact like a kaleidoscope. Addition to the amalgamation of retro hue and fashion bop elements, the visual effect is highlighted well.

6. Giorgio Armani

The decorated lambskin woven clutch shows a classical design through the artful change between soft warm tone and metallic tone. The black top closure is appropriately covered up the flaunty feature of the whole body and appears a low-pitched elegance.

7. Marc Jacobs

As you see, the whole is clear and simple, even appears a bit original Indian flavor with engraved plain stones. Besides, the light color expresses an American style.

8. Ragand Bone

I'm sure the dark blue clutch can make your sight bright. Chose from soft smooth lambskin leather, the body shows free and easy features. Getting rid of hale design, its particular envelop style imitates new livingness into the whole figure.

9. Versace

I like the tactility and femininity of soft cotton sweatshirt. In order to fit the flaunty character of Versace, the covered button is changed into a lock bar, and the improved chain shows a sign of luxury.

10. Viktor & Rolf

What a vivid eye-popping color it is! Yes, the designer selected scarlet color at pains. Under the reflection of the color, the front shiny golden logo tag becomes more dazzling. It is the perfect unite of futurism and retro. No matter where you are, you will be the focus by owning it.

Fashion Design Supplies

Fashion design may appear to be a glamorous profession with branded clothing and accessories. However, a lot of hard work goes into the creation of a designer item. Creation of a design involves a multi-step process. The designer has to keep in the mind not only the theme of the design but also how to create that design. This requires a proper selection of fashion supplies.

The designer has information of all the work aids. These include pattern masters, rulers, French curves and setsquares with engraved markings. A Pattern master comes in different sizes for cutting patterns, while a flexi curve draws the design along it. A metric vary form curve helps in the creation of flowing lines.

The colorings of designs require color pastel and high quality charcoal sticks.

The designers also need a hem maker for making chalk lines at the hem length of the cloth.

Other supplies include the grader ruler, which is used for measuring curves. The designers also use the fashion scale, which contains curves for making armholes, necklines and sleeves.

Another item that helps in the process of style planning is the fashion tape. It is used for fixing up the designed outfit on the dress stand.

Both amateur and the professional artists use non water-soluble pencils in the process of designing the outfits. In addition to these supplies, there are the pin holders used for pinning the fabric.

The other essential supplies are the dressmaking dummies and the tailors bust forms that assist in cutting of the patterns and making samples.

The fashion designers need carrying cases for carrying their sketches, patterns, fabric or incomplete garments from one place to another. The wallets are also used by the designers to carry their fashion portfolios.

All these supplies put together help a fashion designer complete his job in the best possible manner. From the first sketch to the final outfit, these fashion supplies are almost indispensable.

sway dasafo - flo fashion

Fashion - Hair Extensions and Acrylic Nails

Hair extensions are one of many modern day fashion concepts to help you change the way you look. Adding length and volume to your existing hair can give you a real confidence boost. European hair is ONE of the best types of human hair, because of its light weight, strength, texture and high protein content which gives the hair longevity. Hair extensions are not available in all salons as they are considered a specialist profession, with some hair studios catering specifically for hair extensions only. There are many different grades of human hair that are used for hair extensions, and the quality can vary significantly. They all come in a wide range of lengths, colours, styles and textures.

You are not even required to have anything permanent, or semi-permanent with hair extensions. You can opt for clip in hair extensions, which are an instant fix for achieving long hair. Clip in hair extensions are temporary hair extensions that are applied to your hair using clips. Clip in hair extensions usually come in sets, such as a full head or half head. The great thing about clip in hair extensions is the fact that you can fit them yourself, and they literally only take a few minutes to apply or remove. Clip on hair extensions should be comfortable when wearing them, so if they are not, it may be that they need adjusting.

Before getting any type of hair extensions though, you need to ensure that your hair is in good all round condition. For example, if your hair is oily, it will not hold your hair extensions, especially if they are the glue in type. You could ensure that you condition only the ends of your hair which gives added moisture to the part of your hair with the least amount of moisture. A common misconception about oily hair is that it is caused by an oily scalp. The exact opposite is usually true. Some things that you subject your hair and scalp to, such as chemical treatments or different styling products may only add to your oil problem. When the detergent in shampoo is left on the skin or scalp, it has a drying effect which takes you back to the vicious cycle of your body over producing oil to replace the lost moisture.

Dry hair can be equally as bad. Dry hair can be brittle and will also stand out, in appearance, from the hair extensions you are getting applied. There are many causes of dry hair; The outside, environmental factors, what we eat, blow drying, dying our hair, and iron curlers among other things. Although less prominent than oily hair, dry hair can look lifeless and lack volume. Normal secretion allows for the "coating" of the follicle shaft with oil that enhances growth, protection and health. Split ends are often seen in dry hair and so is dandruff which is the result of dry scalp.

Japan TV - Fashion in Japan - Part 1/2

A Skydiving Suit is Not Just For Fashion

Having the right equipment is important in a sport, and most skydivers agree that it is just as important to have the right skydiving suit as it is to have the right parachute. Everyone is different, so each of us needs a suit that is custom tailored for our own unique build and size. If your suit does not fit properly, your free fall may be seriously impaired.

Because of the individuality of each diver, you should not buy a skydiving suit from a mass marketer, but rather have a local supplier fabricate the suit specifically for you. You can even, if you skydive in warm weather, order a skydiving t shirt. You want to make sure that the suit fits you absolutely perfectly.

There are different materials used for skydiving suits. Which material you decide upon will be determined by the kind of jumping you plan to do. The reason for this is because the different types of diving create different types of drag, and different materials will react differently. The materials that are most commonly used for skydiving suits are cotton, polyester, spandex and nylon.

The two basic types of suits are formation flying suits and free flying suits. The free flying suits are for highly experienced jumpers who may be doing acrobatics in the air, or other stunts such as sit flying (appearing to sit crossed legged in the air) or pointing head down. Recreational divers and competition jumpers normally wear a different style because they spend more time flying on their bellies than free flying.

The free flying suits therefore are made of lighter materials so that there is less drag while permitting maximum movement. The materials used for these are most often cotton or polyester blends. Formation flying suits are of thicker fabrics, such as spandex or nylon, which give more drag and lift as needed, and also can support attached grips.

So don't try to follow a one solution fits all approach when it comes to your skydiving suit. You must know what kind of diving you are going to be doing and pick the one that suits it best, and make sure you have a suit that fits you perfectly. Wearing the wrong diving suit can be extremely dangerous. You will probably check with the experts to find out the best parachute for you; you should do the same thing for your diving suit.

Fashion Critic, Mr. Blackwell, Dies

Alicia Keys - No One (Live Swarovski Fashion Rocks)

Advice Debt IVA - Avoid Bankruptcy in Comfortable Fashion

Advice debt IVA offers an intermediate way so that both the creditors and the debtor can benefit. In case of debts going bad, creditors start harassing the debtors. Each creditor wants to get his amount back along with the interest. But as you as the debtor have limited assets, you cannot pay them all. Even if you do so, you have to sell off your assets or let the creditors take over your property.

When you sense danger of losing assets, the first thing that comes to your mind is filing for a bankruptcy, so that you are left with at least something that takes care of expenses. But believe me, there is another method available which is much better than filing for bankruptcy.

All you have to do is to consult a paralegal that is licensed to practice as an insolvency expert. With the help of this nominee, you can chalk out a plan which can show the creditors that you still have the potential to pay off their loans. The nominee, as the paralegal is called after being appointed by you may charge some fee for his service. But paying the fee is better than letting your creditors take over your assets.

The Advice Debt IVA practitioner, that is, the nominee and you design a proposal that shows how you intend to pay off the entire debt in the coming few months. Once the proposal is designed, your nominee brings in a stay order along with an order for all the creditors to meet on a particular day. Normally, the proposal is circulated to each creditor before 15 days of the meeting so that each of them can understand the proposal clearly.

The creditors normally do not have any other choice than to accept the proposal. As the proposal shows them a method tat promises them back their money. Taking possession o your property forcefully will not in many cases help them get back their money. And it is not necessary that all of them should agree. If the majority accepts, others too are bound. But during the tenure wherein the advice debt IVA is implemented, you too have to control your expenses so that there are no new debts.

Libra Tattoos - Tip the Scales of Fashion Toward Your Libra Tattoo

It is said that Libras sometimes have the tendency to make hasty decisions. If you're thinking about getting a variation of Libra tattoos you need to go against the grain and make a wise, informed decision. The scales of justice that represent Libra are not as boring a design as they may seem. I will tell you how you can spice up your design and have people talking. It takes a little imagination and the right information.

Libra is the seventh of the twelve signs of the zodiac. It falls between September and October. The ruling planet of Libra is Venus. There is also a glyph that represents Libra. It is two horizontal lines, the top line has a half circle coming off the top like a sun setting on the horizon. In some pictures it looks like the Omega symbol with another line at the bottom. Libra tattoos can incorporate all or some of these things to make a unique tattoo.

Libras can't make up their mind and are easily persuaded. Don't let someone persuade you into getting a design you're not 200% comfortable with. The last place you want to go to look for designs is a tattoo parlor before you're ready to get inked. There are thousands more designs available online that can help you make up your mind. There are different ways you can represent the scales. The symbol for Libra can be drawn a little differently depending on your tastes.

Did you know that a membership tattoo gallery allows you to print unlimited designs? Instead of looking on the computer screen, you can download design after design until you have found the right one for you. Take a couple parts of the ones you like and put them together to make your perfect tattoo. Then you're ready to go to the tattoo parlor.

Gothic Lolita Fashion Album

Earn Your Fashion Designing Degree Online!

The field of online education is one which is getting popular day by day as people start realizing the benefits posed by eLearning. A vast number of colleges and universities across the world have adopted distance learning and offer specialized programs along with the regular traditional programs. Fashion designing degrees are one such example of specialized programs being offered completely over the internet.

Benefits of Acquiring Online Degrees
The advantages of opting for eLearning are countless. To begin with, distance education courses cut down on costs and time that is spent when attending a traditional university or college. Secondly, as the programs are available completely online, you can study at your own pace without having to follow a pre-set schedule. Then, studying online is perfect if you have a job or other commitments which can not be overlooked. With proper planning, it is not hard at all to learn and earn at the same time; all that is required is a bit of self-motivation and dedication.

Online Fashion Designing Degrees
There are quite a few online colleges and universities that offer fashion designing degrees via distance education. These institutions simply require you to fill out an online application to enroll in the course. Courses of distance learning programs require self-study through books, material available online, streaming audio and video lectures, participation in interactive activities such as live chat, discussion boards etc. Students are encouraged to interact with each other as well as their faculty through these tools.

For those who wish to attend an online institution, make sure that the college or university you choose is accredited and well-reputed. If your institution is not accredited, your online degree would be nothing more than a piece of paper. A vast number of traditional colleges and universities offer fashion designing degrees online for those who cannot attend their campuses for any reason what so ever.

The most well-known institutions that offer online fashion designing degrees include Westwood College which offers an online Bachelor Degree in Fashion Merchandising. There is also The Art Institute Online, which presents several eLearning programs including a Fashion and Retail Management Program. There are certain other institutions that offer fashion designing degrees online and can be found with a little research over the internet.

Sexy Zombie Car Wash! Naked Ape "Fashion Freak"

Do We Now Favour Online Fashion Stores?

Not so long ago we had a limited number of opportunities to shop. We either took a trip into town, shopped from a catalogue or we clipped out a coupon and popped it in the post. That was it.

Today however, there is an additional place to shop. Today we have the Internet and what a place to shop that is. Despite being the new kid on the block in terms of actual places to shop, the Internet is rapidly overtaking all other places to shop put together!

So if we now favour the Internet to satisfy our retail therapy habit, what future does the high street have?

Since the first online transaction fourteen years ago, the tide of sales from the high street to the Internet has been one way, and it's been gathering pace.

No longer limited by a lack of available retail space, online stores can carry huge inventories that their bricks and mortar counterparts can only dream of. Fashion stores in particular, rather that electrical or home ware stores, have taken advantage of this new found freedom and can now offer unlimited fashion ranges and a wider selection of sizes within those ranges. Add to that a virtual fashion adviser, a style selector and online fashion shows, it's no wonder that the bricks and mortar fashion stores future looks uncertain.

It's no surprise that high street fashion stores also have an online presence, because the alarm bells have been ringing for some time. At least one well known name in catalogue and home shopping has seen Internet sales overtake it's traditional catalogue sales this year and has responded accordingly. In monetary terms alone, the return on investment on the Internet far outweighs the return of investment from a printed catalogue. The costs of producing a printed catalogue are huge, which will be unsustainable if the switch to the Internet continues.

Without having a crystal ball, it's fair to say that sooner or later (probably sooner), shopping trips to town and flicking through a catalogue will be more of an exercise in nostalgia than necessity.

To combat the swing away fro traditional shopping outlets, it's hard to see how the high street and the catalogues can compete. There are just too many advantages to shopping online.

For the time being at least, high street fashion stores are playing their part in the whole shopping mix and I'd suggest we should use them or before long we'll lose them.

Wherever and whenever you shop, happy Shopping.

Victoria's secret fashion show 2007

Body Jewelery - Unique and Modern Fashion

The tradition of wearing body jewellery is centuries old and is still followed by the modern generations. People love to have a number of piercing on their body like nose, lips, tongue, belly button and other body parts. Nose piercing is very old and almost every girl has nose and ear piercing and wears beautiful and unique nose rings and earrings. The younger generation wants to express themselves through body art and body piercing is one of the hottest trends of body art. Other than piercing the art of body also includes tattoos and painting. In some cultures wearing jewellery is a way to represent religious values.

The fashion of wearing body jewels has been adopted by many cultures. Lip piercing is also very common and is done anywhere along the lip line. Labret studs, circular barbells, ball closure rings, body spirals, smooth segment rings and bar closure rings are suitable for lips. The unique and lovely studs are preferred for lips as they are personalized lip jewellery. The stud sits inside the piercing and only the ball can be seen which is fitted onto the front of the piercing. Navel piercing is also very common and you can find a variety of dazzling jewellery for navel. Gold ball closure rings, white gold barbells, navel banana bells of gold are perfect for navel. Navel jewellery adds a charm to your body and makes it more fascinating.

Eyebrow piercing is also very common and teenagers love to have pierced eyebrows so that they can wear trendy and cool jewellery on their eyebrows. Bars are most suitable for eyebrows which are made of white gold, titanium or silver. Spiral or twister bars with balls on each end look excellent on eyebrows. Different beads and stones are used in body jewellery like diamonds, birthstones and pearls and they add to the beauty of different jewellery articles. Another unique fashion of body piercing is the piercing of nails. Girls love long and pierced nails. Silver rings are usually used for nails and they look very stylish. Tongue piercing can be quite risky as it can cause infection of the mouth. If you want to get your tongue pierced then go to a safe piercing shop. You may face the problem of increased saliva after piercing but there is nothing to worry about as it is a normal condition which stays for a few days.

SAG Awards 2008: Fashion Wrap

Perfumes and Fragrances - The New Fashion Statement!

Perfumes are increasingly becoming popular as it helps you stand out from the crowd. Earlier, perfumes and fragrances were regards as women's beauty equipment and were often seen in their wallets. Today the era has completely changed and perfumes have found its place in both women's as well as men's wallets. These days, designer perfumes are making a way in the market and becoming quite popular among fashion conscious women.

There are many celebrities who endorse perfumes by their names, by doing this; they add imperative marketing feature to the sale of perfume and helps in making it successful. When stars endorse perfume brands, they present them in more attractive and tempting way before the targeted consumers.

Whatever may be the reason, the truth is that when stars give their names to the perfume brands, the monetary worth and market goodwill of the scents also becomes very high. However, people must make it a habit of testing perfumes before buying it, as the scent that may work well for one individual may not work well for the other.

All perfume fragrances contain three basic layers known as 'notes'. The first layer or note is called the top note, which, people smell soon after the very first application. It is basically the alcohol content present in the perfume and is lighter than the other two notes. When the first note disperses, the scent of second note becomes evident. This second note is also called the heart of the perfume fragrances. The third layer supports the second layer to stay longer.

Photography Tutorials - Fashion Photography

The enjoyable pastime of shopping for something special has generally been something to look forward to.

Unless of course you happen to fall outside of what the fashion industry considers normal. Normal in terms of size is something that is extremely debateable. This doesn't stop fashion retailers playing it safe and manufacturing clothes to fit the majority. (My own opinion is that because it's the majority, that doesn't equate to normal!)

So that's okay then. Well erm... it's not actually. By playing it safe and manufacturing clothes in a relatively narrow range of sizes, retailers have alienated a huge proportion of the population.

If you happen to be taller or smaller than average, or wider or thinner than average, then the supposed enjoyable pastime of shopping lost its sparkle the very first time you tried to buy mainstream fashion.

How many slightly tall men and women have tried on trousers or skirts that are the longest length made, yet still just too short. Or sleeves that fall too short, or trousers and skirts that are just too long.

Lets face it, unless you're a small medium or large, you're gonna struggle. Or are you?

There was a time and it wasn't so long ago that this was an acceptable problem, but not anymore.

Because of the Internet, shopping for larger, thinner, taller and smaller clothes is a whole lot easier than it once was. Plus fashion, outsize fashion, extra tall, extra small, call it what you will but there are now some brilliant retailers who cater for all of the above and without the premium price tag their rare high street counterparts once had. The creation of plus fashion clothes is no longer a novelty for a minority not worth investing in. Today, the market for plus fashion clothes is huge and thankfully some very switched on retailers are filling the void.

So great is the impact of the Internet, that it's now possible to create an entire business empire dedicated to absolutely anything, without the huge start up costs or the costs of having a high street presence in record time.

There are now enough retailers catering for taller, smaller, thinner and wider markets for them to no longer be considered a niche and to their credit, they're even fashionable.

Whatever your size, go forth and shop!

Fashion - Hanoi Rocks

CWoE - Pantyhose As A Fashion Statement

GHD - Is it a Billion Dollar Global Fashion Brand?

The rise and rise of GHD is becoming an ever more impressive story. Despite being ultimately a one-product company (the iconic ghd hair straightener, albeit it in various sizes and colours), and despite (or perhaps because of) being headquartered in deeply unfashionable Silsdon in Yorkshire, UK, GHD seems to get as many mentions in the fashion press as a certain Mrs Beckham.

Monique Lhullier, Miss Sixty and many others featured GHD as their haircare partner at their recent Fashion Week shows, with wavy, sea-inspired styles that showed off the versatility of the ghd iv styler.

Perhaps even more importantly the GHD marketing and PR machine that was so effective in dominating the UK market for GHD, is now fully up and running on a global basis with the famous pink GHD promotion now appearing across the globe (with a global network of breast cancer charities benefiting). Other campaigns like the GHD Pure / GHD Dark promotion also enjoyed global promotion

further example of how GHD is becoming a genuine international fashion brand is the unwelcome arrival of large-scale counterfeiting of GHD products. Indeed, major UK-based discount beauty and cosmetics chain, Superdrug, recently admitted supplying its customers with counterfeit GHD hair straighteners, albeit unintentionally [Source: BBC News Website, Friday, 19 September 2008]. This would suggest that GHD counterfeiting is now highly organised and very professional (as it is with designer perfumes and luxury fashion accessories). Of course, no-one at GHD will be happy with fake GHD products being sold, but it does bracket the company in some pretty exclusive company (Gucci, Prada, and the like).

It would appear that GHD have realised from the start that building a fashion brand is not exclusively about sales figures. Turnover, although important, must be conducive to brand building. For that reason, GHD have a famous reputation for refusing to supply to high street names - culminating in rejecting likes of Boots when GHD themselves were only a few years old. Although this policy has been relaxed slightly in recent years (with Boots and Amazon starting to sell directly supplied GHD hair straighteners in the last 12 months), it helped create the exclusivity and allure that any brand needs if it is to become a significant asset in its own right.

Which brings us to the issue of how much GHD might ultimately be worth. When the most recent management buy-out took place last year (just before the global credit markets seized up), the valuation was around $288 million ($160m). One of the reasons given for injecting capital a that stage into the business was to help it strike out around the globe to boost its presence and revenues from the US, Europe and Australasia. Achieving this, particularly in the US, where it was previously an underground cult brand, will certainly see the valuation of the GHD brand soar.

Of course, now isn't the time to get carried away with valuing privately-held companies, but once the markets have returned to normality in 2010 or thereabouts, and provided that GHD has managed to continue to build its presence globally, then there is no reason why the people of Yorkshire won't be celebrating the presence of a billion dollar fashion brand just up t'road.

Fashion News - What's Trendy in 2008?

A fashion conscious person never misses the fashion trends for the year to come. If you are already reading this article, this means that you are interested in what to wear in 2008. Do you like the fashion of the fifties? Well, you should, because it will come back in 2008 and that entire craze will be in style again. As a matter of fact, this trend of the 50s comeback has already started before 2008, so you are at least a bit familiar with the concept.

First things first: the spring summer fashion for 2008 will contain a lot of interesting models that clearly reminds us of the 50s. Baggy dresses below the knee for day wear or vaporous dresses for evening that will make the fashion in 2008. The trousers will be in fashion as well, and mini trousers may be worn as well. Capri trousers are still in style and may be worn with extra large sweaters. However, there is a trend that will mix styles, so sporty style will mix with the chic and there will be an ethno mix, which will result in some interesting combinations. The urban style will thus be a functional wardrobe with sporty details. This highly unlikely combination that comes as a surprise is like a breathe of fresh air.

The colors that are dominant for the style for 2008's spring and summer are the grey, black, white plus yellow. This color is a problematic color that does not suit with everything, so it must be worn with great care. However, next year, dare to wear yellow and see how it looks. The prints on the dresses or blouses can be floral, but they will become more abstract and even geometric or will totally lack. So uni is back in style. The accessories will match the outfit. The oversized bags are still in style, while the super huge earrings and necklaces will compliment the overall clothing.

The jewels may be made of plastic or more natural materials such as wood or even clay. These can be ethno influenced and create a great effect on the entire apparel, making the body look small and giving an interesting perspective. So, are you ready for spring and the summer of 2008? Get your wardrobe ready for this year's style and buy some great new trendy apparel online or in the stores that you usually visit. Now you know what to hunt for, just go and get them.

Fashion industry thrives in Iran

Be Chic and Rebellious With 90s Fashion

The 90s was a great decade for fashion. No longer were the big names of fashion concerned with the amount of dress and under-dressing. In a minimalistic twist which emphasized the grace and freedom of the human form, the 90s featured a great fear of overdressing. Ostentatious displays of class were replaced with the beauty of stark simplicity. And apart from a product's style, the way it was portrayed by the media became an equally important factor in a product's success.

Fashion took a turn for the revolutionary and out of the ordinary at the end of the 20th century. No more were the blond bombshells and femme fatales of past decades ruling the runway and the billboards. In their stead, themes of poverty, sexual violence, disability, death and body modification came into being through the form of the romantically poor waif, with a face devoid of make-up and stark backgrounds. Retailers of ready-to-wear clothing like The Gap, Banana Republic and Eddie Bauer came into prominence with clothes that women found to be comfortable and ultimately wearable.

It was also in the 90s that Gucci (which had existed since the 20s) found international success by winning the Brand of the Year award, becoming the largest selling Italian brand of all. And like Gucci, Prada also came into prominence with a truly luxurious style that benefited young ladies whose fashion sense was more relaxed and subtle. And like Gucci, its specialty was high quality bags and shoes. In the United States, the fashion industry was lorded over by Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. They used a combination of minimalism with hints of veiled sensuality to market their products to thousands of buyers.

Other icons of the era include Vivienne Westwood with her blast to the past fashion sense, Gianni Versace with his colorful and sexy patterns, and Dolce and Gabbana which embodied the feminine psyche of the era in terms of fashion. The 90s was a truly rebellious and colorful era. If you're interested in these tidbits of information, you were probably born for a fashion design degree.

winx fashion show!

The Loss in Fashion

Have we hit upon the right idea of Fashion? The process which has been going on ever since the world began seems to have a defect in it. When you have got a woman thoroughly civilized and well fashioned you cannot do anything more with her. And it is worth reflection what we should do, what could we spend our energies on.

We do not like to admit that fashion process has its cycles, that fashion and women, like trees and fruit, grow, ripen, and then decay. The world has always had a conceit that the globe could be made entirely fashionable, and all over the home of a society constantly growing better. In order to accomplish this we have striven to eliminate bad taste in women and in nature:

Is there anything more unsatisfactory than a perfect color, perfect fabric, perfect texture, design and print brought into the most absolute harmony of taste and culture? What more can a woman do with it? What satisfaction has a woman in it if she really gets to the end of her power to improve it? There have been such nearly ideal situations, and how strong nature, always working against woman and in the interest of untamed wildness, likes to riot in them and reduce them to picturesque destruction! And what sweet sadness, pathos, romantic suggestion, the human mind finds in such a ruin! And a fashion that has attained its end in all possible culture, entire refinement in style, in tastes, in the art of elegant intellectual and luxurious living--is there nothing pathetic in that?

London is probably the most civilized centre the world has ever seen; there are gathered more of the elements of that which we reckon the best.

Amanda Lear - Fashion Pack (83)

The Plus Size Woman and Fashion Accessories

Buckling the in-one-day-out-the next mentality of the clothing industry, belts are always a must have. They just never go out of style. Look for designers that create unusual designs that stand out. It's ok to bring attention to your middle. Big belt buckles can really bring any look together. Check out the Lyn Gaylord collection. With over 250 designs, you will be sure to find the perfect buckle.

When choosing a belt and buckle, think of your personal style. Choose a belt that works with your wardrobe. By selecting a suede, patten or leather belt with multiple buckles, you will have one belt for nearly all pieces in your closet. Thus saving space as well!

Give your look an extra something by slightly tucking in your top behind your belt buckle. Top that off with a great short jacket and you'll really have people talking. Don't be afraid to draw attention to your mid section. I think that most of us plus size girls try to hide whats in the middle.

Bright jeweled chandelier earrings are playful by day and fabulous by night. Match them with a contrasting jeweled necklace and chunky bracelet. The contrast will bring the attention to your face instead of your waist!

One of my favorite fashion accessories is a mens watch. Check out TKO watches. They have a new line called the Candy Collection that is fun and funky. Another favorite of mine is the Milano line in blue/fuchsia. Be one of the first to own this fun watch.

Colored and Normal Contact Lenses - Not Mere Fashion Accessories

Can looks kill? Well we don't know about that, but a pair of piercing eyes certainly can! The eyes once called the 'windows to the human soul' have since become the tool to present a whole new you. Your eyes are the most noticeable facial feature and can enhance your personality when projected the right way. Depending upon perception and cultural setting, the color of the eyes may reflect a person's traits too.

For example, dark intense eyes are purported to be the associated with seers, soothsayers and even criminals. Blue eyes are synonymous with royalty and have a certain sex appeal. Brown eyes are apparently 'dreamy' and romantic, while green eyes are believed to suggest feline qualities. The hold of the color of eyes on the human psyche is for real; no wonder people go to great lengths to showcase them, mold them modify them.

Enter the era of contact lenses - visual add-ons that serve dual roles, that of visual correction as well as a beauty aid. Normal lenses are usually used for therapeutic purposes as a substitute for glasses. These colorless eye lenses are manufactured with an ophthalmic value and have the requisite magnification number as recommended by the ophthalmologist. The lenses are transparent and preserve your true eye color. For those seeking colored eyes there are in fact a host of choices. Colored lenses are usually favored by those looking to mold their natural looks with a pair of arresting eyes. There exist a range of colored lenses to add to your aesthetic appeal. The fun with colored lenses mean that they can be worn by almost anyone, as long as you take your overall persona into consideration. Present the right image by opting for the appropriate eye color depending upon the occasion. Try wearing a subtle shade for an afternoon engagement and a bold striking pair for an evening out.

The common variety of colored eye lenses is opaque and tinted variety. Opaque lenses do not allow the original eye color to be seen and are used by those who want to conceal their original eye color. Tinted colored lenses allow the original eye color to be seen and are used by people who wish to enhance the original color of their eyes. Colored lenses also have an added advantage over normal lenses in that they have inbuilt UV protection. This helps protect your precious pair from harsh sunlight. If you wear prescription lenses but wish to enchant your audience with a pair of distinctive colored lenses, try colored contacts that have the corrective properties. These dual lenses have the magnification factor desired inbuilt. Ensure however that you don't compromise on quality over cost; combining the color and magnification requires a high degree of industrial precision and this makes the high-quality colored lenses rather pricey.

Fashion File: Making Hermes Bags

B'z HOT FASHION

Belts - Hip Scarves - Make a Fashion Statement

The belt hip scarf is something belly dancers in exotic countries use to accentuate the line of their hips and know whether they are moving their hips in time to the beat. But, don't think that wearing a belt hip scarf is limited to just belly dancers. These scarves are no longer exclusive to them only, but is a fashion accessory any woman can wear. Many women are complimenting their outfits with hip scarves while highlighting their figures even further.

The original hip scarves manufactured in Egypt and used in belly dancing can be quite expensive because they are labor-intensive as sewing of coins, beads or crocheted lace has to be done manually, and this procedure can take days if not weeks. However, it is not necessary that all hip scarves should have beads and coins. Beads and coins are typical for belly dancing costumes. But, now you can buy them is a dazzling array of colors and styles from online scarves and shawls websites.

* You can wear a hip scarf very easily; without much ado. All you have to do is tie the scarf elegantly around your waist (or hip if you like) and then let the ends fall on one side, either left or right. As you walk the scarf will accentuate your waist and your hips. However, scarves with heavy decoration can be cumbersome to tie as the beads can end up getting snagged. In order to avoid the scarf from slipping down, you can purchase a pin or brooch. Wrap the scarf around your waist or hip and then use the pin or brooch to keep it place. This way you can sashay without worrying about the hip scarf slipping down.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2006 - Part 1

Lacoste - History of the Fashion Brand

The history of the brand name of Lacoste actually has foundation in the game of tennis. The brand was founded by René Lacoste, one of the legendary French tennis players in the circuit.

In the year 1927, he and his teammates, who were dubbed as The Musketeers, took the Davis Cup away from the American tennis players for the first time. It was during that tournament when Lacoste made a legendary bet with the Captain of their team.

The captain of the team agreed to buy Lacoste a suitcase that was made of alligator skin if he could win a very important tennis match for the French team. And when he won that important match, he was then dubbed as the Alligator by the media and the press from America. His friend, Robert George, drew a tiny picture of an alligator, which was then embroidered on the blazer that he wore on the tennis courts. This then became the foundation of the huge Lacoste empire in today's fashion industry.

In 1933, both he and André Gillier, who was the owner of the biggest firm manufacturing French knitwear got together and decided to set up their own company. The main product both had in mind was the alligator-embroidered shirt that Lacoste wore during that winning match. By this time, he had already designed a lot of tennis shirts for his personal use, and both wanted to make a profit out of the concept.

The first catalogue was then released, containing shirts for all sports, including golf, sailing, and tennis. The first collection was also released in that same year.

Since then, the shirt has brought a lot of changes in men's sportswear, replacing the woven fabric of classic sports shirts. Over the years, the brand has certainly improved a lot in terms of quality, stability, and comfort.

Aside from sportswear, Lacoste has also expanded their product line, and has started producing their own scents and fragrances. These include Booster Cologne, Cool Play Cologne, Lacoste Elegance Cologne, Lacoste Hot Play Cologne, Lacoste Junior Cologne, Lacoste Pour Homme Cologne, and so many more fragrances.

Aside from fragrances, the brand has also expanded into footwear, such as socks and shoes. All the same, these products come with the superb quality offered by the shirts and sportswear that have been in the market for decades now. The brand itself is also preferred by many tennis players, including American Andy Roddick, who is known for his smashes and fast serves.

Buying Fashion Jewelry - A Guide For Finding Affordable, Beautiful Jewelry

Fashion jewelry has become one of the most popular kinds of accessories in the world, and can be seen on housewives, men and celebrities. You do not need to have a lot of money to enjoy fashion, but you do need to have a sense of style. Low cost accessories can be worn to help show your personality to the world, and to help you accent your favorite outfits.

Where to Find Your Pieces

Luckily, you can find fashion jewelry nearly everyone. The popularity of affordable, well accessories have helped to make it available everywhere from discount stores in your local neighborhood to online shops that specialize in supplying you with the newest and best in fashion jewelry. Your personal style will dictate where you will want to shop.

If you have a very specific or eclectic style, then you will want to find an online shop that carries the fashion jewelry that you love to wear. Since these pieces are so affordable, you will be able to pick up several pieces each time you shop, so that you can mix and match your pieces to have a fresh, original look each time you want.

New Styles

Some of the newest style of fashion jewelry includes crystal necklaces, bracelets and earrings. These wonderfully glittering pieces that can be worn with nearly any kind of casual outfit, and can even make great accessory for an evening out. Crystal rings have the same glitter and shine as more expensive rings, but are available at a fraction of the cost.

Ali G - Bruno - Fashion Show

SUEDE SHE'S IN FASHION

Lacoste Bags - Form, Function, Fashion!

The man behind the Lacoste fashion brand, Jean Rene Lacoste, was actually one of the world's most popular tennis players.

During his athletic career, he designed a tennis shirt that had a crocodile logo on the left chest of Lacoste polos, which became such a big hit. In fact, the crocodile logo is popularly considered to be the first appearance of a designer logo on a clothing item.

The brand started the clothing line in 1933, which has since then expanded from just about everything ranging from lingerie, bags to accessories and has even entered haute couture.

The products are popular among the elite class, but these are also being sported by many in the low and middle income brackets. These are also widely available in many vintage stores and thrift shops as well. Bags, in particular, match well with pleated skirts and sweater vests, which can create a refined and sophisticated look.

The bags mostly have an athletic design and are also reasonably priced, which go for low hundreds. They are great for people on the go, as well as for sporting and casual events. Popular styles of bags include beach bags, handbags, messengers, shoppers, shoulders bags and totes. Usually made of nylon, polyester and PVC, they spell casual versatility and superior craftsmanship. There are plenty of bag styles that you can choose from. For one, the classic Boston tote is great to bring with you on your weekend trip, giving you enough space and protection for all your essentials. It features a single interior pocket and a PVC lined exterior that can endure rain and other liquids.

On the other hand, the Vertical Shopper is perfect to carry around when shopping at the mall or on casual days. Look smart and chic with the very affordable Summer Croc Messenger bag. This bag is made of cotton and is great for college students who are strapped for cash and time.

Meanwhile, the polyester Boston pique bag is ideal for girls who want to look ultra-feminine with its flirty yellow color and great for casual days. Anyone sporting this bag will surely get noticed with its striking yellow color. Lacoste bags are available in many chic department stores like Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks. True enough, you can't go wrong with Lacoste bags. Whatever your style and personality is, these designer bags can give you the form, function and fashion that you need.

1917 Fashions

Create Your Own Fashion Style 101

Fashion is a funny thing. Many people strive to be as fashionable as possible and they only wear the hottest new designers and that season's "in" color. The point of fashion is to stand out and make yourself look unique and original. However, when everyone sees that runway show and then shows up at the city's hottest night clubs in the signature outfit of a particular line, the worst situation happens. Everyone ends up looking the same! As hard as it is to believe, every piece of clothing, whether made by a top designer or a no-name company, is influenced by that season's latest fashion trends. It is boring to look like everyone else, however. It is much more exciting to put together your own outfits and create a statement of your own.

You might be wondering how you can be original if every piece of clothing that is manufactured has somehow been influenced by fashion trends. One option is to make your own clothing! Many people enjoy working with patterns and a sewing machine. It can be quite fun especially because you can experiment with different types of fabric and cuts. When you are ready to model one of your latest dresses, throw on a pair of oversized sunglasses and your design will be an instant hit.

If you are not someone who is skilled with a thread and needle or you simply do not have time to spend on making your own clothing, then you just need to get creative with the items that are out there. Layering and mixing and matching are just two of the many ways you can spice up your everyday look. Since you are already familiar with the types of outfits that are popular already, you can try changing them up by using different accent pieces, such as a bold necklace or eye-catching belt.

You should also try shopping at boutiques or resale stores. You never know what great pieces of clothing you can find and, most of the time, you can alter these pieces very easily. Since the price is never too high, you have no qualms about altering it to make it your own! Every piece you come up with will always look great with oversized sunglasses. This extra accessory just makes your unique designs stand out more and you will establish yourself as a trendsetter in no time!

THE AQUABATS - FASHION ZOMBIES!

Burberry Fashion Handbags Come in a Variety of Styles

Burberry fashion handbags collection can be one of your most valuable possessions. From the world recognized maker of designer bags, you can choose from different designs that are truly worth keeping.

There are two designs of Prosum handbags that are most popular. The House Check Clutch which sells at $1,000 has an attractive light brown color. Its outstanding features are the crocodile trim, brass lock, magnetic fastener and inside zipper pocket.

If you want a double compartment, get the Leather Tote. At $1,500 this tan colored bag has a middle zipper fastener and front flap.

A special satchel called Nova Check is sold at $500. It has black rolled handles, piping, trim, 2-way top zipper fastener, and inside cell phone pocket. You may choose between black and Nova Check colors. Closely related to this design is the Nova Check Shackle with its leather strap, decorative snap shackle buckle and PVC with black lining. It is sold at $500.

Some designs are made for autumn and winter. The Manor sells at $1,500. Made of leather, this design has double handles, polished brass fittings, zipper top fastener, a brass lock and key. It is available in beige, tan, and black.

Slightly higher in price, the Alligator is sold at $2,000. It features polished brass trims and buckles, 5 feet on the brass, zipper fastener, keyhole pull, and leather covered handles.

There are also handbags by Fabric. The Zip Hobo Check Handbag comes in light brown and costs $500. It features a leather trim, brass fittings, magnetic buckle up, convertible shoulder strap, canvas lining, zipper compartment inside and two pockets.

The Baby Messenger Check Handbag sells at $500. It features a black leather trim, snap over fastener, convertible shoulder strap, shackle buckles, side pockets, nickel fittings, changing pads, and PVC nylon with lining.

If your choice is leather handbags, choose the Backpack at $700. It has exterior pockets, house check, trim piping, brass fittings, inside pockets and convertible shoulder strap.

The Sling that sells at $400, has check trim on all the sides, fold over flap and snap fastener. It comes in red, black, cognac and white.

Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion

Armani Fashion - Watches to Watch

Armani fashion may mean Giorgio Armani or Emporio Armani. As part of its marketing strategy, this Italian based company, established in 1975, decided to widen its business exposure.

The result was the creation of different categories to specialize in marketing a variety of fashion accessories. For example, their fashion watches are sold under the Emporio Armani brand. It is now one of the most popular brands in the world.

The "Emporio" brand was put up purposely to attract the market of young professionals. The company has such clear vision of how they should create products for the different needs of the different social groups. This has led to the availability of products whose prices are lower compared to the main range.

Empire watches, for example, have a kind of personal touch. This means that wearers of these watches reveal something about themselves in the product, be it through art design, color or other features.

They have built such a good public image that its product gives consumers a sense of well-being, status and importance.

Though there are different product categories, there is one unifying force that makes the brand a status symbol. This is what the company has tried to maintain. There is no doubt that they have succeeded because of the present respect they enjoy from their consumers.

By holding on to its high standards of quality, they are able to command admiration among the public. Needless to say, those who wear their fashion watches believe that a certain price has to be paid if one goes for quality. With each timepiece delivers the company's vision to give each of its customers a sense of pride.