Announcement

**Rasputin** · 02-06-2006, 06:40 AM

Fashion flash: Designers put wearable clothes on the runway

New York, Feb. 6: Working women rejoice: You'll actually have stylish-yet-appropriate clothes to wear next fall. Even better, there also will be clothes for you to wear to dinner, parties and play dates _ with or without the kids.

The collections previewed on Sunday on the runways of New York Fashion Week were mostly wearable. But there were some misses, too, especially the short bubble s***ts and knickers that have graced more than one catwalk.

Designer shows continue through Friday with Chanel and Fendi designer Karl Lagerfeld making his runway debut in New York with his new Karl Lagerfeld/Lagerfeld Collection as the finale.

Diane von Furstenberg brought back the '80s power suit, down to the slim pencil s***ts with high waists, puffy sleeves and oversized lumberjack-check and houndstooth prints. But von Furstenberg modernized the look by slimming the silhouette and adding feminine details, such as a peplum on a jacket or using a rosebud-print chiffon fabric for a blouse.

The newest incarnation of her wrap dress, which she first put on the runway in 1975, had a fuller s***t and was made in brushed cotton and suede instead of the classic jersey.

A black belted shirt dress with vertical pleats was one of those chic outfits that easily go from day to night.

For Badgley Mischka, eveningwear designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka marked their return to Fashion Week after sitting out a few seasons by courting the funkier Grammy crowd instead of the more staid Oscar-goers.

Several styles featured accordian-style vertical pleats. The best were a bright yellow strapless cocktail dress with a bow under the bust, and a printed silk satin and chiffon gown in plum, black and white.

The duo also offered a cool daytime look _ at least a daytime look for celebrities: sheared mink s***ts with unsheared mink hemlines.

However, a shapeless red dress with a separate piece of fabric in the back that stretched from the neck to the mid-thigh hem looked a bit like a boat's sail _ and it was a dud.

**Rasputin** · 02-07-2006, 07:01 AM

Bono Makes Designer Debut at Fashion Week

U2's songs have connected generations of music lovers, and now the band's frontman is taking his meaningful lyrics to the runway, with the debut of Edun, a socially conscious clothing line.

Bono and wife, Ali Hewson, joined the plethora of stars in New York City for Fashion Week; but this was the first time the dazzling duo was behind the scenes instead of sitting in the front row.

Their clothing line, Edun, is a team effort. Bono handles the philosophical side while Ali oversees the aesthetics. "He's a great sounding board," Hewson said. "And he's just really great to have there."

Bono hopes his new threads will be on the backs of those who want to make a difference. But when designing them, he knew they also had to look good. "If the clothes aren't good, no one's going to wear them," he said. "No matter what they stand for."

The humanitarian rock star also told us about his conversation with President Bush; the two got together to discuss more U.S. involvement in the African AIDS epidemic. "If things get heated, and they have, I think it's a sign that he's passionate about these things," he said.

Since his conversation with the president, Bono says the U.S. aid to Africa has nearly doubled. "He seems very serious on this stuff," Bono revealed. "And you know you can't fight the war against terror without fighting the war against poverty. Cause they feed into each other."

The rocker also chatted about another Hollywood couple taking a stand: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. "They're really serious people," he revealed. "They're really getting under the skin of their issues, and we work together."

**Rasputin** · 02-08-2006, 02:47 AM

Designers update classics at fashion week

The first thing women might want to put on their shopping list for autumn is a pair of long leather gloves.

They've emerged at New York Fashion Week as a surefire trend, practical, too, with the shorter sleeves of many of the coats and sweaters on the runway.

Dresses dominated the runway today, especially black cocktail frocks. But the new little black dress doesn't hug curves, it glides over them. Luca Orlandi's best version was a strapless one with a tight bodice, dropped waist and full bottom, with tulle peeking out from the bottom.

Another great dress featured a bodice made of tulle roses and a ballerina s***t.

Shirtdresses were made fancier with either a ruffled or beaded front, and one had fur cuffs.

The question is, whose calendar is filled with so many occasions that call for semiformal dresses?

For everyday, Orlandi favoured a sleek shape, offering a sheath dress in a traditional plaid - which editors, stylists and retailers have been seeing a lot of this week - and a simple, polished grey wool jersey dress.

Several nods to the 1980s have made their way to the Fashion Week catwalks - shirred sleeves, booties and power suits, among them - but Charles Nolan's black leggings, worn under almost every s***t and dress, was the most obvious reference.

**Rasputin** · 02-10-2006, 03:28 AM

**Rasputin** · 02-11-2006, 07:30 AM

Hip-hop stars flash at Fashion Week

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Led most visibly by the world of hip hop, stars from the music business and Hollywood played to an eager audience of media and industry insiders at this year's Olympus Fashion Week for fall 2006.
Shaunya Hartley a stylist who has worked with singers Lauryn Hill and Usher, said designers ignored hip-hop fashion at first, but have tapped into the trend more than ever this season.
As their profile grows, some of the styles are becoming a bit more mainstream - and restrained.
"The slut is out and the prude is in," said Hartley after attending runway shows in New York City's Bryant Park this week. "There's a return to modest dresses, with longer pants and sleeves. It's sexy and subtle. A lot of women singers are looking more like movie stars."
Hartley sees no end in sight in fashion lines from hip hop and other pop artists.
Grammy winner Kanye West is expected to roll out a fashion line, as well as Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas.
Still, not all pop-music clothing designers have been able to stick around for long.
Fubu is no longer as hot as it was, and Master P's clothing line came and went, Hartley said.
Sal Cinquemani, music editor of SlantMagazine.com, said that rap artists dominate the music charts, so it's easy to see them migrating to other pop-culture venues, like fashion.
He cautioned that music artists often hit resistance when they try to translate their popularity into other businesses.
"It'll be hard to tell who becomes a big fashion name five years from now," he said. "The longevity is hard to predict."

**Rasputin** · 02-12-2006, 08:46 AM

**Rasputin** · 02-13-2006, 07:13 AM

Fashion stars stroll into town

THEY are prestigious venues with a track record of hosting major occasions dating back more than 100 years.

But the Assembly Rooms and the Signet Library are expected to stage their most glamorous events yet under plans for the city's first celebration of fashion.

Celebrated designers Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williamson and Jonathan Saunders will all stage major catwalk events run alongside shows by major retailers in the city.

The Assembly Rooms, on George Street, which dates back to 1783 and has hosted luminaries as varied as Sir Walter Scott, George IV, Charles Dickens and JK Rowling, will stage specially created shows by Westwood and Saunders.

Williamson's show will be staged in the Signet Library, the law library complex opened in 1822 in Parliament Square, which has been used for everything from banquets and drinks receptions to a film set in the past.

The three shows will take centre stage in the programme for the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival, which will be held over four days in April. The Harvey Nichols department store, the Omni Centre at the top of Leith Walk and the National Galleries of Scotland complex on The Mound will also stage events.

Westwood, who is renowned as one of Britain's most eccentric and influential designers, will be styling a one-off show dubbed "Fabric of Scotland", which organisers say will celebrate how she has used the likes of Harris Tweed and tartan in her famous designs over the years.

**Rasputin** · 02-14-2006, 04:32 AM

10-13 February - Paserela Cibeles or Madrid Fashion Week
This gathering of fashionistas vies with Barcelona's version in the second division of fashion shows. Not Milan or Paris but it does throw up some interesting ideas.

Just search it. is very cool !

**Rasputin** · 02-15-2006, 10:07 AM

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2006--As part of its focus on making an emotional connection with customers by offering styles that inspire, the J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) today announced the introduction of a new casual apparel brand for a woman's modern lifestyle. The private brand, a.n.a, debuts this month in all JCPenney department stores, the 2006 Spring & Summer JCPenney Catalog, and online at www.jcp.com.

Whether running errands with the kids or out for a casual evening with friends, women want to look pulled together in style wherever they go. The a.n.a brand delivers a complete modern casual lifestyle wardrobe of related fashion separates, including denim, knit and woven pants, s***ts, tops and jackets, affordably priced from $18 to $80.

As the name reflects, a.n.a represents "a new approach" by JCPenney to developing private-brand merchandise in response to the lifestyle needs of customers. In addition to being the company's first private brand launched simultaneously in all stores and in all size ranges -- misses', petites and women's -- a.n.a is also an example of the company's focus on rapidly moving concepts for its merchandise into production and onto the selling floor, in order to best meet customers' changing tastes and demand for current fashion.

"Private brands are a key strength for JCPenney, and a.n.a is by far the largest brand launch we've ever undertaken right out of the box," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman III, chairman and chief executive officer. "The line was developed based on clear feedback from our customers, who wanted a fun line of fashionable casual and weekend wear. With the strength of our design team, our worldwide sourcing organization and an industry-leading planning and allocation infrastructure, we were able to develop the right product and bring it to our customer across all of our distribution channels in record time, the fastest in JCPenney's history."

Select stores began receiving the first deliveries of a.n.a in November and December 2005. "The response from customers has been outstanding," Ullman added. "By achieving much faster cycle times, we expect to be able to keep fresh new styles on the floor at all times."

**Rasputin** · 03-22-2006, 04:48 AM

FASHION SYNDICATE PRESS 2006 (very nice site ) .

Fashion Showroom

Go to ---> http://www.fashionshowroom.com/

**Rasputin** · 03-23-2006, 01:09 AM

Makeup 411 (for ladies) .

Offers a range of beauty information, including celebrity beauty breakdowns, and product reviews.

Make-Up Artist Magazine Shop

https://www.makeup411.com

Read in more than 70 countries, Make-Up Artist is a bimonthly source for pros and aspiring artists working in film, fashion, TV, theater, retail and beyond. We reach generations of artists around the world through the pages of our magazine and our online edition.