Wills India Fashion Week begins

NEW DELHI: Come October 23rd and New Delhi gets ready to embrace the collections of 115 designers from around the country at the Wills India Fashion Week – Spring/Summer 2011.

To be held at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, the organizers of WIFW say that this season promotes a host of fresh faces who will showcase their creations on the national stage for the first time. While a number of established designers make it to the WIFW ramp, introducing new talent is in keeping with the spirit of Wills India Fashion Week, which tries to bring something extraordinary on the catwalk each year.


A total of 58 fashion labels will make it to the stage of the Pragati Maidan this season, with ace designer Tarun Tahiliani’s spring/summer collection scheduled to set the stage ablaze at the grand finale.

While Tarun Tahiliani collections will come attached with their signature style, the other designers also have surprises in store, claim organizers Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).

The Wills India Fashion Week is special this season because with the launch of the spring/summer collection, the WIFW celebrates its 10th year on the ramp and while the WIFW has always been known for showcasing the creations of the best in fashion talent of India, this season too will not disappoint the audience, say the representatives of the FDCI.

Tarun Tahiliani says that he is proud to be associated with such a renowned platform in Indian fashion and is looking forward to showcasing his creations over the weekend. Some of the other top designers featuring in this season’s Wills India Fashion Week are Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, JJ Valya and Wendell Rodricks among others.

Martin Johnson: I do not need a vote of confidence

When Martin Johnson walks into a room, it is difficult not to notice the man as his colossal, 6ft 7in frame engulfs the area.

Before he utters a sound, his presence alone almost justifies how he went on to win 84 caps and lead England to World Cup glory in 2003.

A fool would have doubted his credentials to take over from Brian Ashton in April 2008.


But at times that is exactly what has happened, and perhaps justifiably so, as his record as manager has not matched that of his playing days so far.

Johnson has presided over 23 Tests, winning nine of them, but the general consensus is his England sides have massively disappointed against tougher opposition.

But there is a new-found optimism as England embark on the autumn internationals, as a respectable series draw down under against the Wallabies saw a new generation of test players stand up to the plate.

Ben Youngs, Tom Croft, Courtney Lawes, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden all represent the future, and Johnson believes they are all the better for it after coming through some testing encounters.

“The team have been through some tough games and this has been important in their development together,” he said.

“With the games coming up we will be in a better position working towards New Zealand (in 2011).

“There are a lot of players in the group under the age of 25 and playing against some tough sides they’ll be all the better for it.

“We have seen in the last year a transition with players coming through and deserving to be there in a very competitive squad.”

The RFU’s Director of Elite Rugby, Rob Andrew, has always stood by his man and at the launch of England’s new partnership with rugby fashion label Eden Park this week was once again issuing him his backing.

But Johnson remains defiant and believes he is the man to lead his charges into the World Cup.

He said: “I don't think I need that vote of confidence because it is my job to manage the team and get the best possible results.

“We know we have to regularly play as we did in Sydney to challenge the best teams in the world.

“There will be defeats between now and the World Cup, unless it goes brilliantly well, and it’s how you deal with them.

“We need to keep reminding ourselves we can get confidence from good performances and if we do that the results should follow.”

For Johnson, it is not just the younger players England fans should be excited about, and believes he has sufficient experience and leadership in his squad going forward.

He remains hopeful of welcoming back his skipper Lewis Moody from an eye injury, but believes he has several options available to him should he not.

“The good thing is that we have a group of guys and could pick any one of them to be captain,” he said.

“We have a core of senior players who could all do a job. If you rely on one player, this is always a danger.”

Fashion East celebrates 10 years in style with Lulu & Co

Fashion East celebrates its tenth anniversary on Thursday with the launch of Lulu & Co, a collection of limited-edition dresses by ten of Britain’s most inspirational designers.We wanted to mark the birthday and were thinking about making some merchandise, small things like T-shirts,’ says Fashion East director Lulu Kennedy ‘It somehow grew into a much more ambitious project. Going through the designers’ archives is what really inspired me to get Lulu & Co off the ground. There were just so many great collections.’


Narrowing the range down to ten pieces can’t have been easy. Over the past decade, this independent, not-for-profit fashion collective has nurtured an impressive roster of design talent including Roksanda Ilincic, Marios Schwab, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll and Holly Fulton, earning Kennedy her ‘fashion’s fairy godmother’ nickname. As style.com states: ‘Fashion East is such a reliable next-big-thing barometer that it’s no longer an off-schedule quirk but one of the official London Fashion Week schedule’s hottest tickets.’

The Lulu & Co range is a combination of some of the Fashion East designers’ best-selling archive work and exclusive catwalk pieces. Fulton offers a slinky art deco print maxi dress, Ilincic an asymmetric jersey cocktail frock and Saunders, the only designer with two dresses in the collection, a figure-hugging ‘Totem’ dress from 2004 and a stunning, chiffon flame detail evening gown – a sell-out when released in 2007.

‘Putting the collection together was such good fun,’ says Lulu.

‘Designers like Henry Holland are really easy to work with. He never seems to get stressed and Aggy and his gang of friends always keep things lively.’

The best advice Kennedy has ever been given came from Professor Louise Wilson, director of the MA fashion course at Central Saint Martins: ‘You can’t just expect something to be brilliant, you have to put the hours in and work really hard at it.’ Now one of the British Fashion Council’s Power 25 and the founder of MAN (a collaboration with Topman), Kennedy has forged a remarkable career in a notoriously cut-throat industry by following Wilson’s counsel. And although the Fashion East director has been mentoring young designers herself for ten years, she still suffers from insomnia and admits to feeling ‘as nervous as hell’ in the run-up to London Fashion Week.

‘I think by nature I am a worrier but it intensifies around showtime because I feel so responsible towards the designers we’re representing –
I want everything to be as perfect for them as possible,’ she says. But the support of her loyal Fashion East family, together with ‘a stiff drink’, helps alleviate any pre-show jitters.

‘It’s important to build a strong, positive team around yourself, people who believe in the brand,’ she adds. This advice, gleaned from years in the industry, is something Kennedy now passes on to her young designers: ‘Don’t try and do everything yourself, it’s all about teamwork.’

Victoria Beckham turning up at the Fashion East SS10 show was the highlight of Kennedy’s fashion decade. ‘We knew she was supposed to be coming but I thought she might cancel,’ Kennedy says. ‘When she actually arrived, I was thrilled.’

So how does fashion’s fairy godmother see the next ten years panning out? ‘London Fashion Week will continue to go from strength to strength,’ she says. ‘We really do have a group of world-class designers and the British high street is going to get even stronger, as is the online shopping trend.’

As for Lulu & Co, it’s a closely guarded secret – but don’t be surprised to see Lulu Kennedy herself getting involved in the design process. ‘Oh yes, we’re already playing around with that idea for next season,’ she says.

Lulu & Co will be stocked in Harvey Nichols London from today and
will also be available online at www.matchesfashion.com

Tamara Mellon proudly displays her OBE for services to Britain's fashion industry

Shoe queen Tamara Mellon proudly displays the OBE she picked up at Buckingham Palace yesterday for services to Britain's fashion industry.


Tamara, 42, founded and built up the luxury brand Jimmy Choo to make it a favourite among celebrities all over the world. Much-loved actress Vicki Michelle, 59, who played Yvette in the hit BBC series 'Allo 'Allo! was awarded an MBE by the Queen in recognition of her charity work.

Opening night of Fashion Focus takes sexy, playful turn

BY JESSICA SEDGWICK jsedgwick@suntimes.com

What is the forecast for fashion this spring, according to Chicago designers? In a word -- sexy. Opening night of Fashion Focus, held Tuesday in a white tent in Millennium Park, featured past and present designers from the Chicago Fashion Incubator program, and one big theme was sexiness, whether it's playful, quirky, glamorous or punk-rock.


CLICK HERE TO SEE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, PLUS PHOTOS FROM ALL 13 COLLECTIONS JEANS FOR ALL

The traveling warehouse sale for premium denim brand 7 for All Mankind will park its jeans at the Great Hall in Union Station, 210 S. Canal, this weekend for savings of up to 80 percent off (with the biggest savings on Sunday -- denim will be as low as $45). Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
GET IN ON THE ACTION

Buy tickets for shows today and Friday 

Fashion patrol: Biketoberfest fans say 'anything goes'

DAYTONA BEACH — Biketoberfest attendees ogled at more than the slick custom-made motorcycles crawling up and down Main and Beach streets Saturday.

Men stumbled to pull out their cameras as chaps, tub tops and tiny bikinis that barely covered cleavage made it up the street. Some outfits made those of artist Lady Gaga look modest.

Fashion, or lack of it — depending on who you ask — is as much a part of the event as motorcycles. No matter people's sizes or whether they prefer to wear shirts with an American flag or fish nets, attendees say anything goes at Biketoberfest, which ends today.

Mini leather skirts were among the hottest items on sale at Paradise City Biker's Den, store manager Nichole Herron said. But co-worker Chris Kelly, 20, was surprised that the leather thongs weren't going as quickly.Herron, 30, considers herself more of a traditional biker chic, wearing just jeans and T-shirts. Kelly, who also works as a drag queen, considers himself more of a fashion connoisseur. They offered their thoughts on fashion statements made Saturday. In spite of their comments, Kelly said that at the festival "anything goes" because "bikers don't care."
Mara Tripp

Biketoberfest is like Halloween, Mara Tripp says. "It's the only time I dress up." Daughters Christina and Erin, both in their late teens, buy her outfits for the four-day festival, which she has attended for years. The only criteria: they must be "sexy," the petite woman said.

"They're gifts from my daughters," Tripp, 48, of Port Orange, said. Tripp was selling beer in a black bathing suit and lacey fish-net shirt that draped over her rear. It covered little. She stopped men in their tracks every time she bent over to pick up ice or a cup. They whipped out the camera phones.

Tripp, who has been riding a motorcycle for 30 years, said she would never wear the clothes elsewhere. "No — I'm an insurance agent," she said.

HERRON'S CRITIQUE: "She knows how to get tips. If I looked like that, I would be wearing that, too."

KELLY'S CRITIQUE: "Love the lace. It makes her look slim."

Holli Ingels

Holli Ingels wore white leather chaps over a pair of undies and a low-cut spaghetti-strap tank top. The slender Atlanta woman said all is accepted at the festival and nobody cares how much of you shows.

Friends selected her outfits for the festival. "Just call me Barbie," Ingles, 52, said. She and her friends were looking at some skimpy outfits at a Main Street shop.

"It has to be provocative and classy," said friend John Lippens of Sanford. "I go to sleep, thinking of what she's going to wear."

HERRON: "You can tell her personality from her outfit. She's outgoing, she's not shy … I would never wear that."

KELLY: "Personally, I love it… [but] I think it's too much."

Mike Fair

Mike Fair, 55, decided to go with something more modest. He wrapped an American flag-printed bandanna around his head and wore a heavy jean vest that he customized. The vest, covered in pins, studs and dozens of beer can tabs, took five to six years to make. Also covering the vest were patches of the provocative cartoon character Betty Boop and Marvin the Martian, which matched a tattoo on his right arm.

"I like to be loud. … It's a conversational piece," said Fair, of Davenport. He's right. Several people stopped him on Beach Street to touch the vest and take pictures with him.

HERRON: "I like all the patches. I like the cane."

KELLY: "Very fun outfit, but the man has too much time on his hands."

Cat Miller and Maria Moquin

Cat Miller of Ormond Beach dazzled the blue cast on her arm with jewels. She hurt her wrist trying to decorate her motorcycle, which she says is the most important piece to her outfit. The bike was covered with Halloween decorations, including a artificial vulture, spider and freaky dolls.

Maria Moquin wore a black Mardi Gras mask and top hat. Moquin, of Daytona Beach, said she wore the mask "to cover my face so nobody would know it's me." A Harley Davidson motorcycle owner, she had to ride Miller's Honda into town since she couldn't drive with a cast.

Their fashion rule: wear "the most outrageous thing that won't fly off on our bikes," Moquin, 49, said.

Miller wore a bright orange cowboy hat and large choker with plastic spikes. Although they opted for jeans and T-shirts instead of revealing clothes, the women turned many heads. People stopped to take pictures of them. "We like attention," Miller, 60, said.

Castle Megastore’s Castle in Wonderland 4th Annual Halloween Fashion Show

Castle Megastore Group, Inc. will be hosting their 4th  annual Halloween Fashion Show themed Castle in Wonderland, this evening, Friday, Oct. 15 at Castle’s Deer Valley location in Phoenix, Ariz. The event will showcase this season’ hottest costumes and will stream live on www.Castle.tv starting at 7:30 p.m. MDT.

“This year’s fashion show is bigger and better then before,” said Pilar Quintana, Lingerie and Costume Buyer. “We will feature over 80 sexy and fun looks for this Halloween season, worn by the gorgeous models of Ford/Robert Black Modeling Agency. We are taking our guests through the rabbit hole to a Wonderland that is full of flirty and sexy looks.”

With stores ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 square feet, Castle Megastore features top lingerie and costume manufacturers, including Dream Girl, Coquette, Leg Avenue, Mystery House and Forplay. The stores also offer a wide selection of lingerie, apparel, adult toys, shoes, novelties and sexy accessories.

Castle Megastore Group, Inc., is StorErotica 2010 Store Chain of the Year, AVN’s 2010 Outstanding Retail Chain of the Year, and XBIZ 2009 Retailer of the Year. Castle Megastore is a leading adult retailer with 17 stores operating in Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. By providing excellent customer service and a wide array of product choices, Castle Megastore is the market leader in the adult industry in each of its operating markets. Castle Megastore’s mission is to lead the adult entertainment industry through exceptional service, revolutionary promotions and great product selections, all while redefining romance, intimacy and sex.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/15/2318464/castle-megastores-castle-in-wonderland.html#ixzz12bI0UViW