Pink: The colour of the season!

Pink isn’t just for candy floss and fluff. You know baby pink can be just as sophisticated as severe black, and feminine fuchsia is far from frivolous. That’s why Think Pink 2007, fashion that helps spread awareness about breast cancer, is a project after your own heart.

Samsaara, the buyalicious boutique at Colaba, brought some of India’s top designers together to specially create a line of Think Pink 2007 clothing and accessories. This whole week, 20 per cent of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to the Women’s Cancer Initiative at the Tata Memorial Hospital. Some of the designers who have very sportingly ‘gone pink’ for this line are Surily Goel, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Deepika Gehani, Seema Khan and Pallavi Jaikishen. Pick from an array of fine bags, shoes, dresses, saris and salwaar kurtas, perfect for the upcoming festive season.


Enjoy the inner rush of happiness. And if someone asks if you’re sporting a Think Pink ensemble, let the roses rushing to your cheeks be the only revelation of your do-gooding. You wouldn’t want it any other way.

Valentino's Paris Ready-to-Wear Collections

Emotional Paris tribute to Valentino

PARIS - Italian fashion giant Valentino staged his last ever ready-to-wear show, winning a standing ovation Wednesday from his supporters and a reprimand from fellow designer Karl Lagerfeld, who said it was too early for the designer to retire.

Wednesday's show is not quite Valentino's last hurrah — a final haute couture display is scheduled to take place in Paris in January. But the emotions were palpable as he blinked back tears on the catwalk, and backstage there was hardly a dry eye.
"I want to stop at the height of my glory," the 75-year-old designer told reporters. "I want to have a bit of fun because I have spent my life stuck in couture houses drawing hundreds and hundreds of sketches every season."
Having celebrated his 45 years in fashion with three days of glittering celebrations in Rome, Valentino announced last month that he would retire in 2008. Alessandra Facchinetti, the former designer of Gucci women's ready-to-wear, has been appointed to replace him.
Valentino said he wanted his penultimate collection to be young and joyful as a tribute to all his fans.
Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova, back on the catwalk just three weeks after giving birth to her third child, opened the show in a short pink-and-lilac cashmere coat.
To a thumping soundtrack of Prince songs, models stepped out in flirty cocktail dresses scattered with polka dots and gold bows. Blocks of color formed graphic patterns that had an upbeat '80s feel, while a print of oversized arum lilies added a romantic touch.
Fashion editors and retailers praised the legendary designer, who has dressed luminaries from Jackie Kennedy to Gwyneth Paltrow.
"It's very emotional; he's such an iconic designer, such an important part of fashion history," said Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director for U.S. department store chain

Neiman Marcus.
Lagerfeld lamented Valentino's decision to stop.
"I am not very pleased because I think it is not good that he's stopping; he is in great shape," he told reporters after showing his Karl Lagerfeld ready-to-wear line earlier in the day. "He should continue. It's no fun; he will be bored."
Valentino had been insisting for months that he had no plans to retire, but the purchase of the Valentino Fashion Group — which owns his label — by private equity firm Permira may have influenced his decision.

The designer said he would take time to travel and perhaps design costumes for opera and ballet — he already has plans for a collaboration with the famed Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. He also is planning the creation of a foundation to house his creations.
Lagerfeld, 69, said he had no intention of stepping down in turn from his multiple roles as creative director of the Lagerfeld, Chanel and Fendi brands.
"All my contracts are for life, so I am like a death row inmate," he joked.
While Christian Dior and Valentino have staged lavish anniversary celebrations this year, Lagerfeld barely acknowledged the passing of his 25th year at Chanel. He joined the firm in 1982.
"There were never any celebrations, there will never be any — I hate that," he said.
"Fashion is about today and tomorrow, not about yesterday. If you have to be taken seriously because you have a heavy past, I don't think it's a good thing," he said. "I don't want to remember, I want to do things and go ahead."

Paris fashion frenzy: Haute Couture means the Highest Fashion

With as many as four major show weeks per year, Paris claims the status of the capital of fashion. In Paris, the fashion design industry is booming. From June 28 - July 5, Paris is whipped into a fashion frenzy for the S/S 08 Menswear and Haute couture collections. While runway shows may appear to be mere theatrical performances, they are also formidable money-spinners.
The use of the term haute couture is strictly controlled, and the list of fashion establishments allowed to call their lines "haute couture" is regulated annually by a special ministerial decree. While there were several hundred haute couture establishments in France in the 1950s, today just 10 fashion houses in the country meet the criteria, which include hand-tailoring and personalized measurements. These elite establishments are members of a professional haute couture society that organises two annual fashion events, in January and July. Haute couture is only for women.
The haute couture club may be restricted, but is not entirely closed, says Charlotte Cabaton at France24.com. Four non-French fashion houses, including Elie Saab and Giorgio Armani, share a similar status, as they fulfill all required criteria except for nationality. The fashion industry also desires to create opportunities for young talent and lesser known designers. This season, 17 designers have been adopted by the haute couture club, and given the status of “guest designer”.
The prestige attached to the title stems from fashion tradition and history. Even though haute couture is nearly 140 years old, the phenomenon has learned to adapt to the times. The key to haute couture’s eternal youth lies in its capacity to be resolutely meticulous, while being respectful to contemporary trends. In the words of Christian Dior, it allows “audacity amidst tradition”.
However, this audacity counts for no more than 200 regular woman clients in the world. Not that there is a paucity of rich women, of course – it’s just that most rich women have changed their lifestyles. They are more impatient and busier. Few are ready to wait for three months before wearing the dress they chose. Furthermore, the number of grand social occasions - the kind of event where an opulent haute couture gown is appropriate - is declining.
Haute couture sales represent not more than 2% of sales of the big designers. Why all the effort, one may ask?
The answer: To allow designers to practice their art, thus providing a fresh breath of air to the fashion industry. Haute couture is a laboratory of future trends – a type of investment in research and development, if you will. The designs worn on the catwalk influence future ready-to-wear collections.
Haute couture is also a powerful emissary of image. It creates dreams; thus, it sells. It gives rise to perfumes, cosmetics, and accessories, affordable to the public at large; it gives life to brand names, and also to the couture houses themselves.
For haute couture creates a thriving living for many artists. For every outfit a designer puts on the catwalk, many hands have gone into its creation – workers, designers, tailors, seamstresses, feather-workers, milliners and bootmakers.
Haute couture is a savoir-faire, a heritage that France has protected and preserved, notably at its Museum of Fashion and Textiles in Paris. For fashion tells a story. To be à la mode is to bear witness to one’s era. C'est vrais.

Under-16 models banned at London Fashion Week

CTV.ca News Staff
Models under the age of 16 won't be strutting across the "catwalk" at this year's London Fashion Week.
The move to allow only models aged 16 or older to participate in one of the fashion industry's most prestigious events comes on the heels of a report issued by Model Health Inquiry. The inquiry was set up by the British Fashion Council, which organizes London Fashion week, amid an international debate about models who appear to be unhealthily skinny.
It also follows the starvation-related deaths of South American models Ana Carolina Reston, 21, and sisters Louisel and Eliana Ramos. All died in the past year.
Models participating in next year's London Fashion Week, an event that features dozens of international designers, will also have to provide a medical certificate from an eating disorder specialist attesting to their good health.
"During the investigation, evidence of vulnerability of women in the modeling profession was startling and models are at high risk of eating disorders," said Baroness Kingsmill, the inquiry chair.
To acquire control of widespread health issues in the profession, the inquiry's report recommends that models with severe eating disorders such as anorexia not be allowed to participate in next year's fashion week. Kingsmill has noted that the girls with some milder eating disorders could take part, but only if they had their doctor's permission.
Some health professionals are welcoming the move as a step forward for the fashion industry.
"This is going to put the onus on the industry as a whole to have some kind of responsibility," Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist, told CTV News.
Those who ordered the study say it's a sign the industry is addressing the issue proactively.
"I think by commissioning the report in the first place, it shows that we do want to understand the issues and then do something about them," said Hilary Riva of the British Fashion Council.
The report also suggested that models participating in fashion week face random drug tests, but it's unclear if that recommendation will be enacted. The report's 14 recommendations also fell short of creating a minimum body mass Index or BMI limit. BMI measures ratio of weight to height.
The report's authors noted that using BMI does not accurately measure health. However, Italy and Spain have banned all models with a BMI of less than 18 -- effectively a size zero -- from fashion shows in those countries. A BMI of 18.5 is the World Health Organization's minimum healthy standard.
The report's authors noted that models are part of a profession at high risk of eating disorders but that there is a lack of knowledge about such disorders in the fashion industry. The authors said that overly thin models are fuelling criticism that the fashion industry is obsessed with thinness and dieting in the wider population.
Still, some who work in the industry say the approach is heavy-handed.
"I don't think it's right that the fashion industry should be dictated to by a booklet telling us that, you know, if a model is five foot ten inches, then she should be nine stone or something," British fashion designer Paul Costello told CTV.
Model Sasha Larner agreed it's problematic to set one standard that all models must fit: "There are very few of us, don't get me wrong, there are very few size zeroes, naturally, but they do exist."
Other Model Health Inquiry recommendations:
Criminal record checks for agents, designers, and photographers working with models under the age of 16;
Establish a health awareness program to help models and industry professionals recognize and get help for eating disorders;
Establish a healthy backstage environment with quality food products;
Limit digital manipulation of body shapes.

Bollywood's Shetty dazzles India fashion week

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty provided some much needed star power to Delhi's fashion week, walking the ramp for the most dramatic show yet of India's five-day fashion extravaganza.

Shetty, who made headlines worldwide after facing racist abuse on the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother, wore a shimmery gold evening dress for designer Tarun Tahiliani's show late on Thursday.

But more than Shetty's presence, it was three men dressed as long-tailed Indian monkeys that provided drama on stage, mimicking the models as they strutted up and down the ramp. Tahiliani also surprised many by playing the national anthem just before the show.

"When you have someone like Shilpa coming for the show, one has to make sure it lives up to expectations," he said.

Tahiliani, whose women's wear collection was inspired by tribal designs, draped his models in multi-hued chiffon and linen tunics, dresses with free-flowing silhouettes and silver sequins on the neck.

Designer duo Ashima and Leena Singh turned to the Silk Route and the Orient for their kimono-like dresses in chiffon and georgette fabrics. Their range included black outfits with dramatic red and white print motifs.

The influence of Mother Earth, with shades of browns and beiges, was evident in the collections of Siddartha Tytler and Vikram Phadnis. But designer Ranna Gill sought inspiration from the beach, displaying a flurry of whites and navy blues in a variety of fabrics and geometric designs.

Part of Gill's collection for women featured swimwear, and the designer said this was so because summer, for her, symbolized "holiday resorts and travel."

More than 40 designers are showcasing spring and summer collections for 2008 at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which opened this week.

For the first time since India's fashion week started in 2000, the shows are being held in Pragati Maidan, a sprawling venue designed for trade fairs, instead of in swanky hotels.

Sharapova unveils U.S. Open wardrobe

NEW YORK — Maria Sharapova loves New York, especially its style and skyline. When Sharapova defends her U.S. Open title next week, she'll be wearing tennis dresses decorated with graphic interpretations of the cityscape on the chest.

The designs, created in collaboration with Nike senior designer Colleen Sandieson, were unveiled Wednesday evening on a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.
Like last year, Sharapova will have one outfit dedicated for day play and another for night matches.

"It's always important to feel comfortable in what you're wearing when you're playing, but in tennis, you can do so many things with your wardrobe," Sharapova said wearing the flame-red dress in a flared shift silhouette that she'll wear at night.

The color is in honor of the Big Apple. "I've worn a red top before but never a red dress, but there is no better place to do it than New York," she told the Associated Press.

The dress is a sleek garment made of a breathable wicking jersey and constructed with a no-sew technique with seams bonded with heat and silicone instead of thread.

There are more than 600 Swarovski crystals incorporated into the design, adding a little flash to the outfit, but Sharapova said it's simple and classy, which suits her taste. "I don't like things with too much pattern ... things that are tacky."

There also are three crystal buttons down the back, creating a keyhole effect.
For the daytime, the look is similar but in black and white — and without the crystals. It has a scoop-back design that facilitates movement, according to Sandieson.

Performance is always the priority, Sandieson said, but she and Sharapova strive for designs that marry function with fashion.

"She has a fantastic game and I have a lot of respect for that but she has a great eye for detail," Sandieson said. "She's got a style that's very natural to her, and she also knows what she likes and doesn't like."

Sharapova, 20, has become a player in the fashion world and has sponsorship deals with Parlux Fragrances, handbag company Samantha Thavasa and watchmaker Tag Heuer in addition to
Nike. She follows Venus and Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova as tennis players who are also seen as style icons.

"She wears clothes that a lot of other women would like to own and look good in," said Susan Kaufman, editor of People StyleWatch.

Kaufman also notes that today's tennis stars are photographed when they're off the court, too, giving more of a glimpse of their personal style.

Sharapova noted that the U.S. Open, which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 8, coincides with New York Fashion Week and she tries to make it to at least one show. For the past two years, it's been Marc Jacobs but she also hopes to make it to Michael Kors, Peter Som and Vera Wang this year.
Once her tennis career is over, she said, fashion is something she'd like to further explore.

Valentino Resigns!

Paris - Designer Valentino Garavani on Tuesday unexpectedly announced he was retiring, just seven weeks after celebrating his 45th anniversary in fashion with a sumptuous weekend in Rome.

"Last July, in Rome, I celebrated my 45th Anniversary in Fashion. It was a moment of infinite magic and tremendous joy, and I cannot fully express with words how deeply moved I was by the occasion. I received an outpouring of good wishes from all over the world, which brought me great satisfaction. I was very touched that friends-old and new-traveled from far reaches to be a part of the Festivities," Valentino said in an official press statement.
"It was a moment that will be impossible to repeat. And so, at this time, I have decided that is the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion," the 75-year-old designer added.
His departure comes three months after private equity Permira won a fraught takeover battle for control of the Valentino Fashion Group (VFG), that includes Valentino and Hugo Boss, in a deal that valued VFG at 2.6 billion Euros, and the house of Valentino, the designer with the most expensive and opulent lifestyle in fashion, at $380 million.
The acquisition marked the third change of owners for Valentino since he and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti sold the label back in 1998.
As the English say, "I would like to leave the party when it is still full," joked Valentino.
However, his retirement is definitely unexpected. At a news conference in Rome, he denied any suggestion that he was considering calling halt to his career.
"I have no intention of retiring," said a clearly still very in thrall of the limelight Val in Ara Pacis, which featured his summer exhibition in the austere minimalism of Raymond Meier's new museum.
Asked about dealing with yet another new set of investors, Giammetti said: "I doubt they have spent so much money on a global luxury brand to devalue it by parting from so great a talent as Valentino."
His partner's departure is sure to raise speculation that the new owners were not so keen on funding Valentino's legendarily extravagant lifestyle.
The couturier's yacht TM alone has €1.2 million running costs; his three-hundred-acre estate near Versailles, Chateau de Wideville, features one million roses. Giammetti's pied a terre in Paris has two Warhols, one Francis Bacon and Cy Twombley in the living room. They, very literally, lived like kings, in a palazzo practically on top of Rome's Spanish Steps.
"I realize the house that carries my name will go through some changes but I wish to think that the team of designers of the various lines-some of whom have been working by my side of many years-will make me proud of Valentino's products," said Valentino in a nod to the new owners.
Valentino's final two collections will be his ready-to-wear collection to be shown in Paris this October and a last collection of haute couture to be shown in Paris in January 2008.
"My future will be filled with new interests and challenges. Some may be linked to fashion, as I have a strong desire to create and support institutions to promote the study of fashion design, and to preserve the history of the art of fashion. It will be a marvelous continuation of this amazing adventure that I had the privilege to have," the great couturier added.
He certainly is going out on a high, not as a champion slugging out some final pointless rounds. His celebratory weekend in Rome summed up his obsession with opulent living.
His fashion house spent a reported €10 million on his Eternal City festivities, including a private party of 400 set in the ancient Temple of Venus and designed by cineaste Dante Ferretti, set director Zefferelli and Fellini in Italy and latterly of Oscar winners Cold Mountain and The Aviator. Beauties floated in five-meter long Valentino sinful red dresses across the amphitheater, shadows cast Expressionistically over apartment buildings, ancient stones, churches and Mediterranean pine.
Guests like Uma Thurman, Claudia Schiffer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway and Elle MacPherson attended a runway show in the longest Renaissance room in Rome the next day, before enjoying a dinner for 1,000, wined on Ruinart and Tignanello and entertained by Annie Lennox.
"Even as a young boy, my passion was to design, and I have been very lucky to be able to do what I have loved all my life. There can be few greater gifts than that. I am especially grateful that I have been able to keep my own style over the decades, in spite of the many changes that have taken place in the world of fashion and in its business," Sir Val continued in the release.
"My most emotional thanks go to the thousands of people in fashion, and to those the world over who have supported me all of these years. Finally, a special word of heartfelt thanks to my associates who have helped me make my work a success."
The search will immediately begin to find a successor to Valentino, generally regarded as the greatest creator of fine evening wear for ladies in the past half century.
For those anxious to see what all the fuss is about, get thee to Rome to Valentino's exceptional retrospective. Two regiments of his signature sinful red columns and cocktails flanked Ara Pacis' gleaming white altar to the Roman goddess of peace.
But like Roman rulers before him, from Sulla to Diocletian, this emperor of style chose his own day to retire, and not to be pushed out a palace coup.

Tommy and Thierry Trench Up Against Racism

Paris - Designer Tommy Hilfiger and Thierry Henry, international soccer's classiest goal scorer, are tag teaming to create a new fashion collection One 4 All, whose proceeds go to the anti-racism foundation, One 4 All, recently created by the sport star.

"I'm very happy to be able bring something to people who've had less luck than myself," explained Henry, the official ambassador against racism for FIFA, soccer's ruling international organization.

The two Ts plan to launch One 4 All on October 2nd in the designer's Regent Street flagship store in London.

Thierry was the top scorer and captain of the famed north London team Arsenal, generally regarded as the side that plays the most elegant football in Britain. However, this summer Henry, a winner of World Cup and European Championship medals for France, transferred to the legendary Spanish side Barcelona.

"I am honored by Tommy's interest in my foundation, and if I can do a little to help racism and social inequalities disappear that would be worth all my personal accomplishments," added Henry, for whom creating the collection was his first ambassadorial gesture.

One 4 All will be a capsule collection inspired by Henry, Hilfiger stressed, and include suits, sportswear, shoes and underwear.

Across the English Channel, or La Manche (sleeve) as the French call it, Tommy will produce a limited series of 14 trench coats, each with lining featuring images of the star player.

The looks will be sold exclusively in Colette starting September 24 and will be featured in the windows of the Paris style emporium from that day until September 30.
All the earnings from the trenches, priced at 1,014 Euros, or $1,370, will go to the One 4 All foundation.

Tommy will also throw a party to celebrate the anti-racism raincoats, at which one of his fave new bands, Les Plasticines, will play.
And all for one.

Fans greet Hilton at fashion line launch

LOS ANGELES - Police and city workers were called in to handle the crowd and a lane of traffic was closed as Paris Hilton unveiled her clothing line at a trendy boutique.
The heiress, author, singer, perfume designer and reality-TV star unveiled the line at Kitson, a boutique known for its celebrity clientele. The traffic lane was closed for pedestrians' safety, a city spokesman said.
Clad in a gold sequin minidress, Hilton, 26, emerged from a black sport utility vehicle to a throng of fans who spilled into the street Thursday. Inside the store, Hilton was all smiles.
"It's a dream come true to have my own clothing line," she said. "It's just Paris style: fun, bright and flashy."
The collection, which Hilton described as "really comfortable" and "really affordable," includes shoes, T-shirts and jeans. Hilton said she spent a year submitting and approving designs.
"It's just from my closet to their closets," she said. Additional pieces will be released next month, she said.
She also discussed other newsy matters in her life: her pregnant pal, Nicole Richie ("She's going to be a great mom," Hilton said), and the pending sale of her Hollywood Hills home.
"I'm going to miss my house because I love it. I really designed it to be my perfect taste," she said. "But too many people know where I live and I'd rather be in a gated community."

Fashion Rocks with Piven and Lopez

NEW YORK - To judge New York Fashion Week by the lineup at Thursday night's Fashion Rocks concert, you'd think the mismatched look was in.

Fergie sang with Aerosmith, Teri Hatcher shared the stage with 50 Cent to introduce Jennifer Lopez, and Jeremy Piven served as host to a crowd of style insiders. From the start, Piven wondered aloud why he was there — were possible emcees Tom Ford, Kanye West or Heidi Klum all unavailable?

Yes, Piven answered, and that left him to do the job. He was more than serviceable.
He warmed up the crowd at Radio City Musical Hall with photos of the "trendsetting" fashions of his youth. The oversize T-shirts that now dominate designer runways — check. Feathered hair later worn by Kristy McNichol and more recently by the heartthrobs on the "O.C." — check.
Same goes for Jean Paul Gaultier's crazy hats and shawls. Piven compared them to the outfit he wore to his bar mitzvah.

He did better for Fashion Rocks in a slightly shiny dark suit. But some of the other celebrities onstage more closely hit the fashion mark: Martina McBride wore a pantsuit and bow blouse in line with the fall's polished look, and Cuba Gooding Jr., with a bright yellow shirt, must have had an early line on the spring clothes being previewed on the catwalks through Wednesday.

Steven Tyler wore a medley of animal prints, Jessica Alba had on a black gown with chain link detail and Tyra Banks wore on-trend booties with her black cocktail dress. Lopez started her performance in a short, sequined trenchcoat but eventually pulled it off to reveal a short, sequined baby-doll dress. She kept her knee-high boots on the whole time.
The concert will be telecast Friday in a two-hour special on CBS.