After seeing the pro-life movie October Baby get bashed by 75% of the film critics and praised by over 90% of the audience, I saw the film myself last weekend and came out of the theatre with two observations.
Nowhere is Hollywood's pathetic and despicable hypocrisy, bias, and cowardice more evident than in its handling of abortion. Films like Cider House Rules and Vera Drake, which both displayed abortion as a noble social good removing the chains of ignorance and oppression from women, had no problem getting wide distribution and garnering high praise and awards from all corners of Hollywood. The made for television movie
If These Walls Could Talk, which Cher partly directed and starred in, depicts two women who choose abortion as thoughtful victims of an ignorant society and a third who decides against abortion as an ignorant and gullible fool with no legitimate clue as to why she has made the choice. That third woman, played by Sizzy Spacek, is portrayed as a woman yearning for an education who drops all hope of happiness as she prepares to deal with an unwanted child while shining her husband's shoes. The clear message of all three stories is that men are heartless monsters who victimize women with pregnancy, reflecting the Obama message that pregnancy can be a prison and abortion is the get-out-of-jail card that only ignorant, gullible, and backward women reject.
Invariably, Hollywood condemns any pro-life film as blatant propaganda rubbish and any pro-abortion movie as thought-provoking, profound, and insightful. Bella, another beautiful pro-life effort, was criticized this way when it was released a few years ago, and October Baby receives the same treatment from the vast majority of the same critics who nearly slipped on their own drivel in excitement over Cider House Rules and Vera Drake. These films, and If These Walls Could Talk, practically depict abortion as a sacrament and abortionists as its most noble and saintly priests. In Walls, Cher is the smiling, benevolent, comforting, saintly doctor and abortion is the loving, sanitized, practically bloodless salvation from the suffering of an unwanted pregnancy.
In the most absurd and truly ridiculous of ironies, this peaceful abortion is cut short by the crazed violence of a bloodthirsty pro-life zealot. Such is the utterly heinous and vile lie sold by Hollywood and the Left. Namely, that abortion is anything near a salvation from violence and harm to women. In the most ironic and detestable of ironies, Cher is practically depicted as an almost Virgin Mary figure gazing over the girl seeking an abortion and, just as suddenly, as a Christ-like sacrificial lamb giving up her life for her noble cause.
2012年3月31日星期六
2012年3月30日星期五
Column: Accessorize me
Although this is technically a fashion column, I’m taking a bit of a break today to talk about something else: accessories.
I know what you’re thinking: “Aren’t accessories the same thing as fashion?”
Technically “fashion” is a bit of an umbrella term, consisting of clothing, accessories, jewelry and the like. But those discrete parts each deserve their own attention (or at least a Style File article), and accessories are first on my list.
Accessories are not only separate from fashion, which really just involves clothes, but sometimes they feel even more important. This is partially for practicality: Unless they’re especially wild, accessories last seasons longer than their clothing counterparts.
But it’s about the entire look — the big picture — as well. What’s a fabulous outfit without the perfect bag or shoe? I’d argue that accessories truly make the outfit.
They’re the elements that leave a lasting impression and build your personal style.
This is especially significant for girls like me who shop at H&M and own the same clothes as thousands of other women. You can mix and match your clothes any way you want, but accessories are truly the icing on the mass retailer cake. They add that je ne sais quoi.
Women have no problem saving most of their spending money for accessories. A hand-crafted, pebbled Celine tote not only feels like a thousand bucks, but it’s easy to justify spending that much on such a beautiful piece of leather artwork (if you have the cash, that is).
And unlike Céline, some of the best designers specialize only in accessories, such as Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and my current favorite, Charlotte Olympia. Some fashion bloggers write exclusively about accessories. It’s no joke.
But this isn’t exactly news. Accessories have been around forever, and the men and women who transformed accessories into these coveted, luxurious collectibles have been designing for decades. However, my personal stance on accessories has taken a turn to the obsessive.
I absolutely love fashion, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop dreaming up outfits in my sleep or playing with the latest trends. I’ve always loved accessories, too. For as long as I can remember, I’ve longed for a Chanel bag the way most boys want a sports car.
But something about this season has made accessories more than a blip on my radar. I’m now completely fascinated by the endless potential of a colorful wedge or the supreme versatility of the right mini bag.
I know what you’re thinking: “Aren’t accessories the same thing as fashion?”
Technically “fashion” is a bit of an umbrella term, consisting of clothing, accessories, jewelry and the like. But those discrete parts each deserve their own attention (or at least a Style File article), and accessories are first on my list.
Accessories are not only separate from fashion, which really just involves clothes, but sometimes they feel even more important. This is partially for practicality: Unless they’re especially wild, accessories last seasons longer than their clothing counterparts.
But it’s about the entire look — the big picture — as well. What’s a fabulous outfit without the perfect bag or shoe? I’d argue that accessories truly make the outfit.
They’re the elements that leave a lasting impression and build your personal style.
This is especially significant for girls like me who shop at H&M and own the same clothes as thousands of other women. You can mix and match your clothes any way you want, but accessories are truly the icing on the mass retailer cake. They add that je ne sais quoi.
Women have no problem saving most of their spending money for accessories. A hand-crafted, pebbled Celine tote not only feels like a thousand bucks, but it’s easy to justify spending that much on such a beautiful piece of leather artwork (if you have the cash, that is).
And unlike Céline, some of the best designers specialize only in accessories, such as Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and my current favorite, Charlotte Olympia. Some fashion bloggers write exclusively about accessories. It’s no joke.
But this isn’t exactly news. Accessories have been around forever, and the men and women who transformed accessories into these coveted, luxurious collectibles have been designing for decades. However, my personal stance on accessories has taken a turn to the obsessive.
I absolutely love fashion, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop dreaming up outfits in my sleep or playing with the latest trends. I’ve always loved accessories, too. For as long as I can remember, I’ve longed for a Chanel bag the way most boys want a sports car.
But something about this season has made accessories more than a blip on my radar. I’m now completely fascinated by the endless potential of a colorful wedge or the supreme versatility of the right mini bag.
Hogan Donna Hogan Scarpe
Through and baeing explanation, without a doubt what sort of certain subset of my readers will respond to this column. Experience dictates Sito Scarpe Hogan once I've taken my last swipe at their dear leader, Limbaugh's followers will well ... rush to fireplace off angry emails in the defense.
They're going to make this happen though there's no defense for what Hogan Donna he did on his program yesterday a calling Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a "prostitute" and a "slut" after she testified meant for requiring health insurers Scarpe Hogan to cover women's contraception.His followers will declare, through some arcane "logic" peculiar to true believers, that "Rush" a it certainly is "Rush," like they along with the multimillionaire talk-show host were Scarpe Hogan in the same bowling league a didn't say what I thought he said, or didn't mean a few things i thought he meant.
Point being, he reportedly reaches 15 million people a week who worship him robotically and sycophantically. So it will be a truth of life how the advertisers he's lost on account of his diarrheic mouth a no less than 10 at last count a will return, or perhaps replaced.
They're going to make this happen though there's no defense for what Hogan Donna he did on his program yesterday a calling Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a "prostitute" and a "slut" after she testified meant for requiring health insurers Scarpe Hogan to cover women's contraception.His followers will declare, through some arcane "logic" peculiar to true believers, that "Rush" a it certainly is "Rush," like they along with the multimillionaire talk-show host were Scarpe Hogan in the same bowling league a didn't say what I thought he said, or didn't mean a few things i thought he meant.
Point being, he reportedly reaches 15 million people a week who worship him robotically and sycophantically. So it will be a truth of life how the advertisers he's lost on account of his diarrheic mouth a no less than 10 at last count a will return, or perhaps replaced.
2012年3月28日星期三
Tod’s dice addio a Dorino Della Valle: morto il fondatore del gruppo
Il gruppo Tod’s dice addio al suo fondatore, quel Dorino Della Valle
che ha trasformato l’azienda di famiglia in un vero e proprio impero
della moda, aiutato anche dai figli, Diego e Andrea, che guidano
magistralmente il fashion brand. L’uomo, che ha ereditato la passione
per le scarpe dal padre Filippo, fondatore dell’azienda a conduzione
famigliare, lascia, oltre alla moglie, ai due figli imprenditori e ad
un’altra figlia, anche un’industria fashion e luxury che si trova ai
vertici del settore glamour internazionale, grazie ai tantissimi brand
che fanno parte del circuito.
Dorino Della Valle era nato nel 1925 nelle Marche: è morto ieri, 27
marzo 2012, all’età di 87 anni. Da tempo soffriva di una grave
malattia, ma non per questo aveva rinunciato ai suoi giri quotidiani in
fabbrica, per controllare che tutto fosse perfetto. Si è spento nella
sua casa di Casette d’Ete, paese del sud delle Marche al quale la sua
famiglia, la sua attività imprenditoriale e la sua azienda di moda è
strettamente legata.
Si deve proprio a lui la costruzione di un grande impero, a partire da
una semplice azienda di scarpe a conduzione famigliare, in un gruppo
potente e amato in tutto il mondo, che oggi comprende oltre al marchio
principale Tod’s, anche i brand Roger Vivier, Fay e Hogan. L’
imprenditore marchigiano da tempo era aiutato dai figli, Diego e
Andrea, che avevano preso le redini del calzaturificio tanto amato
dalle star di tutto il mondo.
Il marchio Tod’s, infatti, ha origini ben lontane: Filippo Della Valle
avviò una fabbrica di scarpe a Casette d’Ete negli anni Venti. Poco
dopo fu il figlio, Doro, a prendere le decisioni, lasciando l’azienda
nel paese dove la famiglia viveva. E la fabbrica si trova ancora lì
anche oggi che, dopo la svolta luxury degli anni Settanta e l’ingresso
in azienda dei figli Diego e Andrea, che hanno portato il gruppo ad
essere un brand del lusso a livello internazionale, non è più un
calzaturificio di famiglia, ma un vero e proprio impero riconosciuto e
amato in tutto il mondo.
Dorino Della Valle, nonostante il successo internazionale del suo
marchio, era rimasto l’uomo gentile, garbato di sempre, molto legato
alle sue origini e al suo paese, Casette d’Ete: in paese tutti
ricordano i suoi look, spesso accompagnati da capi e accessori
declinati in bianco, nei quali non mancavano mai cappello e bastone.
Era solito recarsi ogni giorno in fabbrica per controllare la qualità
dei pellami e il prodotto finito, che spesso affidava nelle mani (o
dovremmo dire nei piedi?) dei suoi amici, perché ne testassero la
comodità, la robustezza e la resistenza. Un uomo d’altri tempi, con un
senso degli affari davvero unico, che ha trasmesso anche ai suoi figli,
che oggi, brillantemente, conducono l’azienda.
I funerali di Dorino della Valle verranno celebrati in forma privata
nella mattinata di giovedì, mentre la camera ardente è già stata
allestita in queste ore all’interno della sua azienda, dove la sua
famiglia, operai della sua fabbrica compresi, potranno dargli l’
estremo saluto.
che ha trasformato l’azienda di famiglia in un vero e proprio impero
della moda, aiutato anche dai figli, Diego e Andrea, che guidano
magistralmente il fashion brand. L’uomo, che ha ereditato la passione
per le scarpe dal padre Filippo, fondatore dell’azienda a conduzione
famigliare, lascia, oltre alla moglie, ai due figli imprenditori e ad
un’altra figlia, anche un’industria fashion e luxury che si trova ai
vertici del settore glamour internazionale, grazie ai tantissimi brand
che fanno parte del circuito.
Dorino Della Valle era nato nel 1925 nelle Marche: è morto ieri, 27
marzo 2012, all’età di 87 anni. Da tempo soffriva di una grave
malattia, ma non per questo aveva rinunciato ai suoi giri quotidiani in
fabbrica, per controllare che tutto fosse perfetto. Si è spento nella
sua casa di Casette d’Ete, paese del sud delle Marche al quale la sua
famiglia, la sua attività imprenditoriale e la sua azienda di moda è
strettamente legata.
Si deve proprio a lui la costruzione di un grande impero, a partire da
una semplice azienda di scarpe a conduzione famigliare, in un gruppo
potente e amato in tutto il mondo, che oggi comprende oltre al marchio
principale Tod’s, anche i brand Roger Vivier, Fay e Hogan. L’
imprenditore marchigiano da tempo era aiutato dai figli, Diego e
Andrea, che avevano preso le redini del calzaturificio tanto amato
dalle star di tutto il mondo.
Il marchio Tod’s, infatti, ha origini ben lontane: Filippo Della Valle
avviò una fabbrica di scarpe a Casette d’Ete negli anni Venti. Poco
dopo fu il figlio, Doro, a prendere le decisioni, lasciando l’azienda
nel paese dove la famiglia viveva. E la fabbrica si trova ancora lì
anche oggi che, dopo la svolta luxury degli anni Settanta e l’ingresso
in azienda dei figli Diego e Andrea, che hanno portato il gruppo ad
essere un brand del lusso a livello internazionale, non è più un
calzaturificio di famiglia, ma un vero e proprio impero riconosciuto e
amato in tutto il mondo.
Dorino Della Valle, nonostante il successo internazionale del suo
marchio, era rimasto l’uomo gentile, garbato di sempre, molto legato
alle sue origini e al suo paese, Casette d’Ete: in paese tutti
ricordano i suoi look, spesso accompagnati da capi e accessori
declinati in bianco, nei quali non mancavano mai cappello e bastone.
Era solito recarsi ogni giorno in fabbrica per controllare la qualità
dei pellami e il prodotto finito, che spesso affidava nelle mani (o
dovremmo dire nei piedi?) dei suoi amici, perché ne testassero la
comodità, la robustezza e la resistenza. Un uomo d’altri tempi, con un
senso degli affari davvero unico, che ha trasmesso anche ai suoi figli,
che oggi, brillantemente, conducono l’azienda.
I funerali di Dorino della Valle verranno celebrati in forma privata
nella mattinata di giovedì, mentre la camera ardente è già stata
allestita in queste ore all’interno della sua azienda, dove la sua
famiglia, operai della sua fabbrica compresi, potranno dargli l’
estremo saluto.
2012年3月27日星期二
Camilla reveals she and Prince Charles are 'addicted' to Danish drama The Killing
The Duchess of Cornwall got to meet the star of the gritty Danish crime drama during a visit to the set today.
But when the royal couple want to settle down in front of the television together, their rather unexpected choice of viewing, it turns out, is the gritty, expletive-laded Danish crime drama The Killing.
The Duchess admitted she and the Prince were “addicted” to the cult TV series when she met its star, Sofie Grabol, on a trip to the set in Copenhagen.
The Prince missed out on the visit because he had another engagement to fulfil, but admitted that the show was “one of the only things we can agree on seeing together”.
The Duchess, who specifically asked for the visit to be added to her itinerary during the couple’s official tour of Denmark, could not hide her excitement as she chatted with Miss Grabol, who plays the single-minded detective Sarah Lund.
After being told the cast were filming the climax to the eagerly-awaited third series, when Sarah Lund will finally unmask a murderer, the Duchess grabbed Miss Grabol’s pistol, pointed it at members of the press and declared: “It was me all along!”
“It is just a toy gun,” said Miss Grabol, who plays Lund. “It weighs nothing.”
The Duchess also left with a unique souvenir as Miss Grabol, whose character always wears a Faroese jumper, presented the Duchess with her very own Sarah Lund sweater.
“It’s fantastic!” said the Duchess, who was clearly itching to put it on. “Do NOT lose it!” she said as she handed it to an aide.
Miss Grabol even seemed a touch envious of the cardigan, saying: “It’s nice and soft. Why is it much softer than mine? It’s a better one!”
As the Duchess was shown around the location where part of the third series of the drama is being filmed – a scrapyard on the outskirts of Copenhagen – the Duchess said: “I’m an addict. I’m so excited by this.”
As she was introduced to Sarah Lund’s new sidekick, played by Nikolaj Kaas, the Duchess said: “I hope we are going to see you again,” referring to the fact that Lund’s previous two partners were both killed off. “I hope you don’t go the same way as the others.”
But when the royal couple want to settle down in front of the television together, their rather unexpected choice of viewing, it turns out, is the gritty, expletive-laded Danish crime drama The Killing.
The Duchess admitted she and the Prince were “addicted” to the cult TV series when she met its star, Sofie Grabol, on a trip to the set in Copenhagen.
The Prince missed out on the visit because he had another engagement to fulfil, but admitted that the show was “one of the only things we can agree on seeing together”.
The Duchess, who specifically asked for the visit to be added to her itinerary during the couple’s official tour of Denmark, could not hide her excitement as she chatted with Miss Grabol, who plays the single-minded detective Sarah Lund.
After being told the cast were filming the climax to the eagerly-awaited third series, when Sarah Lund will finally unmask a murderer, the Duchess grabbed Miss Grabol’s pistol, pointed it at members of the press and declared: “It was me all along!”
“It is just a toy gun,” said Miss Grabol, who plays Lund. “It weighs nothing.”
The Duchess also left with a unique souvenir as Miss Grabol, whose character always wears a Faroese jumper, presented the Duchess with her very own Sarah Lund sweater.
“It’s fantastic!” said the Duchess, who was clearly itching to put it on. “Do NOT lose it!” she said as she handed it to an aide.
Miss Grabol even seemed a touch envious of the cardigan, saying: “It’s nice and soft. Why is it much softer than mine? It’s a better one!”
As the Duchess was shown around the location where part of the third series of the drama is being filmed – a scrapyard on the outskirts of Copenhagen – the Duchess said: “I’m an addict. I’m so excited by this.”
As she was introduced to Sarah Lund’s new sidekick, played by Nikolaj Kaas, the Duchess said: “I hope we are going to see you again,” referring to the fact that Lund’s previous two partners were both killed off. “I hope you don’t go the same way as the others.”
2012年3月26日星期一
Color trademarks - are they protectable in the fashion industry?
Christian Louboutin, a French shoe designer, is well known for his luxurious collections of women's high heel shoes with bright red outsoles. Inspired by a bottle of red nail polish that he saw in the 90s, these sexy red-soled stilettos have become a necessity in every woman's closet, or at least to those who can afford the costly price tag. Featured in movies and worn by celebrities all over the world, these red-soled heels are generally associated with the designer Louboutin. However, with all this fame and recognition, what intellectual property protections are afforded to these fashionable heels? What about protection for distinctively-styled shoes and clothing in the fashion industry in general? Can Louboutin stop other fashion designers or third parties from manufacturing and selling footwear with red soles? According to a recent decision by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, he can't.
Red-Soled Shoes Lawsuit
In the United States, trademarks are available not just for verbal designations of origin (such as “Coke”), or stylized versions thereof (such as the familiar Coca-Cola script logo), but for non-verbal indicators of a unique origin (such as Target's red dot in a circle). It is also established that colors can sometimes be a unique and trademark-eligible designation of origin, as for instance in the case of In re Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 774 F.2d 1116 (Fed. Cir. 1985), which established that the color pink had attained trademark-protectable status for designating fiber glass insulation provided by Owens Corning. See also Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Prods., 514 U.S. 159, 173 (1995) (upholding use of green-gold color of manufacturer's dry cleaning press pads as a registered trademark); Unique Sports Prods., Inc. v. Ferrari Importing Co., 2011 WL 5156798 (N.D. Ga. 2011) (upholding the use of a light blue color grip tape for sports rackets as a registered trademark).
In 2008, Louboutin obtained a U.S. trademark registration on his “lacquered red sole” to be used in connection with “women's high fashion designer footwear.” Thereafter, in April 2011, Louboutin filed a lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent America, Inc., a fashion powerhouse, to prevent YSL from selling the red-soled shoes offered in its 2011 collection. Asserting a claim of trademark infringement under the Lanham Act, as well as related state and federal law claims against YSL, Louboutin alleged that four of the shoe designs featured in YSL's collection utilized the same or a confusingly similar shade of red as that protected by Louboutin's Red Sole Mark. YSL responded to Louboutin's claims by asserting a number of counterclaims, including a request to cancel the Red Sole Mark based on various grounds. (Notably, this is not the first time that Louboutin has sought to enforce his Red Sole Mark. However, this is the first time that his opponent has fought back).
In June 2011, Louboutin filed a motion for preliminary injunction seeking to prevent YSL from marketing and selling the allegedly infringing red-soled shoes during the pendency of the lawsuit. The district court denied Louboutin's motion for preliminary injunction in August 2011, reasoning that: “[b]ecause in the fashion industry color serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the Court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection, even if it has gained enough public recognition in the market to have acquired secondary meaning.” Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent Am., Inc., 778 F. Supp. 2d 445 (S.D.N.Y. 2011).
As the basis for its decision, the court cited and discussed the United States Supreme Court's holding in Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Prods., 514 U.S. 159 (1995). In that case, the Supreme Court upheld the use of a green-gold color as a trademark on dry cleaning press pads and noted that color alone “may sometimes meet the basic legal requirements for use as a trademark” if: (1) the color has attained secondary meaning, i.e., it identifies and distinguishes a particular brand, thus indicating its source, and (2) is not functional, i.e., the color is not essential to the use or purpose of the product and does not affect the cost or quality of the product. Id. at 163-74.
Applying these principles, the district court noted that although a single color has been approved as a trademark for industrial products (e.g., the Owens Corning case), a monopoly over a single color in the fashion industry involves additional considerations given that color serves both to “identify sponsorship or source,” and “advance expressive, ornamental and aesthetic purposes.” The court went on to observe that while the Lanham Act has previously been applied as the basis for the proper use of a color as a trademark in the fashion industry, these cases are limited to marks that have “distinctive patters or combinations of shades,” as in the Burberry grid-like check pattern, and have not involved a single color applied to an article of clothing. See e.g., Burberry Ltd. v. Euro Moda, Inc., No. 08 Civ. 5781, 2009 WL 1675080, at *5 (S.D.N.Y. June 10, 2009) (registered Burberry check pattern accorded statutory presumption of validity); Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Dooney & Burke, Inc., 454 F.3d 108, 116 (2nd Cir. 2006) (trademark protection accorded to entwined “LV” initials with three designs and displayed in 33 colors). Thus, highlighting the similarities between fashion designers and painters, the court reasoned that just as painters should not be denied the right to use a particular color, neither should those in the fashion industry.
The Court finally concluded that the Red Sole Mark is functional because it is used to elicit, among other things, sex appeal, and to enhance the viable sales price of the shoes. The court further reasoned that enforcing the Red Sole Mark would significantly hinder competition in the designer shoe market given the broad nature of Louboutin's trademark registration and the potential that Louboutin could prevent others in the fashion industry from using any shade of red on the outsole of various types of designer footwear, e.g., flat shoes and wedges in addition to high heels.
Louboutin has appealed the district court's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As one would expect, this appeal has generated significant press in the fashion industry. Even Tiffany & Co., the high fashion jewelry designer who owns multiple trademark registrations for its robin's-egg blue packaging, which is in its own right a distinctive branding tool, filed an amicus curiae brief with the Second Circuit, along with International Trademark Association (“INTA”), a nonprofit association that is devoted to the support and advancement of trademarks.
Red-Soled Shoes Lawsuit
In the United States, trademarks are available not just for verbal designations of origin (such as “Coke”), or stylized versions thereof (such as the familiar Coca-Cola script logo), but for non-verbal indicators of a unique origin (such as Target's red dot in a circle). It is also established that colors can sometimes be a unique and trademark-eligible designation of origin, as for instance in the case of In re Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 774 F.2d 1116 (Fed. Cir. 1985), which established that the color pink had attained trademark-protectable status for designating fiber glass insulation provided by Owens Corning. See also Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Prods., 514 U.S. 159, 173 (1995) (upholding use of green-gold color of manufacturer's dry cleaning press pads as a registered trademark); Unique Sports Prods., Inc. v. Ferrari Importing Co., 2011 WL 5156798 (N.D. Ga. 2011) (upholding the use of a light blue color grip tape for sports rackets as a registered trademark).
In 2008, Louboutin obtained a U.S. trademark registration on his “lacquered red sole” to be used in connection with “women's high fashion designer footwear.” Thereafter, in April 2011, Louboutin filed a lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent America, Inc., a fashion powerhouse, to prevent YSL from selling the red-soled shoes offered in its 2011 collection. Asserting a claim of trademark infringement under the Lanham Act, as well as related state and federal law claims against YSL, Louboutin alleged that four of the shoe designs featured in YSL's collection utilized the same or a confusingly similar shade of red as that protected by Louboutin's Red Sole Mark. YSL responded to Louboutin's claims by asserting a number of counterclaims, including a request to cancel the Red Sole Mark based on various grounds. (Notably, this is not the first time that Louboutin has sought to enforce his Red Sole Mark. However, this is the first time that his opponent has fought back).
In June 2011, Louboutin filed a motion for preliminary injunction seeking to prevent YSL from marketing and selling the allegedly infringing red-soled shoes during the pendency of the lawsuit. The district court denied Louboutin's motion for preliminary injunction in August 2011, reasoning that: “[b]ecause in the fashion industry color serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the Court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection, even if it has gained enough public recognition in the market to have acquired secondary meaning.” Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent Am., Inc., 778 F. Supp. 2d 445 (S.D.N.Y. 2011).
As the basis for its decision, the court cited and discussed the United States Supreme Court's holding in Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Prods., 514 U.S. 159 (1995). In that case, the Supreme Court upheld the use of a green-gold color as a trademark on dry cleaning press pads and noted that color alone “may sometimes meet the basic legal requirements for use as a trademark” if: (1) the color has attained secondary meaning, i.e., it identifies and distinguishes a particular brand, thus indicating its source, and (2) is not functional, i.e., the color is not essential to the use or purpose of the product and does not affect the cost or quality of the product. Id. at 163-74.
Applying these principles, the district court noted that although a single color has been approved as a trademark for industrial products (e.g., the Owens Corning case), a monopoly over a single color in the fashion industry involves additional considerations given that color serves both to “identify sponsorship or source,” and “advance expressive, ornamental and aesthetic purposes.” The court went on to observe that while the Lanham Act has previously been applied as the basis for the proper use of a color as a trademark in the fashion industry, these cases are limited to marks that have “distinctive patters or combinations of shades,” as in the Burberry grid-like check pattern, and have not involved a single color applied to an article of clothing. See e.g., Burberry Ltd. v. Euro Moda, Inc., No. 08 Civ. 5781, 2009 WL 1675080, at *5 (S.D.N.Y. June 10, 2009) (registered Burberry check pattern accorded statutory presumption of validity); Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Dooney & Burke, Inc., 454 F.3d 108, 116 (2nd Cir. 2006) (trademark protection accorded to entwined “LV” initials with three designs and displayed in 33 colors). Thus, highlighting the similarities between fashion designers and painters, the court reasoned that just as painters should not be denied the right to use a particular color, neither should those in the fashion industry.
The Court finally concluded that the Red Sole Mark is functional because it is used to elicit, among other things, sex appeal, and to enhance the viable sales price of the shoes. The court further reasoned that enforcing the Red Sole Mark would significantly hinder competition in the designer shoe market given the broad nature of Louboutin's trademark registration and the potential that Louboutin could prevent others in the fashion industry from using any shade of red on the outsole of various types of designer footwear, e.g., flat shoes and wedges in addition to high heels.
Louboutin has appealed the district court's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As one would expect, this appeal has generated significant press in the fashion industry. Even Tiffany & Co., the high fashion jewelry designer who owns multiple trademark registrations for its robin's-egg blue packaging, which is in its own right a distinctive branding tool, filed an amicus curiae brief with the Second Circuit, along with International Trademark Association (“INTA”), a nonprofit association that is devoted to the support and advancement of trademarks.
2012年3月25日星期日
Luxury never goes out of demand: V D Wadhwa
Timex Group India Ltd, a subsidiary of the US-based watch maker Timex, is bullish on the Indian luxury market. In this interview to Alokananda Chakraborty, VD Wadhwa, managing director & CEO, Timex Group India, speaks about the huge opportunity waiting to be tapped. Excerpts.
How would you explain the difference between luxury and premium goods? Which category of brands is affected more by the recession?
Luxury has exclusivity whereas premium has high value with no guarantee of exclusivity or attitude. Mostly, the term luxury is associated with goods that are expensive as the price is related to scarcity, brand and storytelling. Such goods are targeted to high net worth individuals and people who have high level of disposable income.
The desirability to possess them is based on — consumers need for high quality, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision and innovation. Premium goods, on the other hand, are expensive variants of commodity goods — it is pay more, get more. It's the craftsmanship and quality along with the pedigree of the product having value justifiable to the purchase.
Luxury is recession free while premium gets affected. The percentage of the population that apparently has shrugged off any recession is buying enough Louis Vuittons and Versaces for all of us. During recession, the premium goods are affected more in comparison to the luxury goods. The customer has to adjust to the budget in accordance to their income and the substitution effect comes in to place, and this causes the customer to purchase less of it and move to more of substitute goods.
Is a luxury brand that starts talking about value, demoting itself to a premium brand?
A luxury brand never pushes itself to the level of a premium brand as premium brands could be more affordable when they go on sale and become accessible to the masses. If it's available for the masses, then the status of being exclusive fades away and luxury brands never highlight itself as a discounted brand. For example, Louis Vuitton has never gone on sale; rather they discontinue old seasoned stock.
How do you make a case for luxury in an economy which is in the throes of an extended slowdown?
Luxury never goes out of demand even during an extended slowdown as luxury customers are mostly high net worth individuals and jet setting executives. Aston Martin is a fine example of a luxury automobile brand. The waiting period for them could be anywhere between one and two years as these are customised according to customer requirements. The customers are willing to pay upfront and wait for their customised vehicle. Luxury is a necessity of the rich. For them, the luxury goods are essential commodities even during recession and it doesn't affect their lifestyle.
What's your perspective of the Indian luxury market? What differences do you see in terms of the culture of luxury and consumer attitudes in India compared with the US and the Chinese luxury markets?
China is 20 years ahead of India in experiencing luxury and it would take us at least 10 more years to match up with them. Mind you, the demographics of luxury buyers are no different in India in comparison to the rest of the world. The jet-setting consumer of luxury is a guilt free shopper in the age group of 25-40 years and he is fresh, successful, ambitious and career driven. The belief of being and buying exclusive is what differentiates this genre of consumers from the rest. At the same time, the consumer has the money to spend and is discerning enough on which luxury brands to spend on.
During the past year, the luxury market experienced a digital tipping point, with many brands rolling out e-commerce sites, social media campaigns etc. How should luxury brands approach social commerce?
Luxury products, alternatively known as sensory goods, have aesthetic characteristics that are best appreciated through the use of the human senses. High end fashion brands such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton have created their colossal brand strengths through an emphasis on the aura, creative and prestigious ambience of the brand which is reflected through the retail atmosphere. Luxury brands do not indulge in mass marketing, rather promote themselves via social media campaigns and offer personalised services to their customers through their own websites.
Are affluent consumers doing more research before making purchases now?
The affluent consumers are smart buyers and conduct proper online research on the latest fashion products prior to purchasing the product. The biggest trigger amongst this set of customers is the desire to buy and being the first time owners. They can afford it and own it.
What do you think should be the focus of luxury brands eyeing the Indian market?
Localisation of products should be the focus for luxury retailers and they should strive to become a part of the Indian way of life. Clients love products for two reasons: one is the cultural connect and two is the special feeling of owing something not available anywhere else in the world. Timex is the only international MNC with manufacturing facilities in India and to that extent we have been able to connect with the Indian consumer better.
What are the luxury brands in your portfolio and how have they performed over the last three to five years?
India is the fastest growing market in our industry. The whole new fashion and luxury segment at Timex was brought to India three years ago with Versace and Ferragamo under its umbrella of brands. The growth has doubled in the last three years and Timex has performed 200 per cent of their last year's expectation.
How would you explain the difference between luxury and premium goods? Which category of brands is affected more by the recession?
Luxury has exclusivity whereas premium has high value with no guarantee of exclusivity or attitude. Mostly, the term luxury is associated with goods that are expensive as the price is related to scarcity, brand and storytelling. Such goods are targeted to high net worth individuals and people who have high level of disposable income.
The desirability to possess them is based on — consumers need for high quality, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision and innovation. Premium goods, on the other hand, are expensive variants of commodity goods — it is pay more, get more. It's the craftsmanship and quality along with the pedigree of the product having value justifiable to the purchase.
Luxury is recession free while premium gets affected. The percentage of the population that apparently has shrugged off any recession is buying enough Louis Vuittons and Versaces for all of us. During recession, the premium goods are affected more in comparison to the luxury goods. The customer has to adjust to the budget in accordance to their income and the substitution effect comes in to place, and this causes the customer to purchase less of it and move to more of substitute goods.
Is a luxury brand that starts talking about value, demoting itself to a premium brand?
A luxury brand never pushes itself to the level of a premium brand as premium brands could be more affordable when they go on sale and become accessible to the masses. If it's available for the masses, then the status of being exclusive fades away and luxury brands never highlight itself as a discounted brand. For example, Louis Vuitton has never gone on sale; rather they discontinue old seasoned stock.
How do you make a case for luxury in an economy which is in the throes of an extended slowdown?
Luxury never goes out of demand even during an extended slowdown as luxury customers are mostly high net worth individuals and jet setting executives. Aston Martin is a fine example of a luxury automobile brand. The waiting period for them could be anywhere between one and two years as these are customised according to customer requirements. The customers are willing to pay upfront and wait for their customised vehicle. Luxury is a necessity of the rich. For them, the luxury goods are essential commodities even during recession and it doesn't affect their lifestyle.
What's your perspective of the Indian luxury market? What differences do you see in terms of the culture of luxury and consumer attitudes in India compared with the US and the Chinese luxury markets?
China is 20 years ahead of India in experiencing luxury and it would take us at least 10 more years to match up with them. Mind you, the demographics of luxury buyers are no different in India in comparison to the rest of the world. The jet-setting consumer of luxury is a guilt free shopper in the age group of 25-40 years and he is fresh, successful, ambitious and career driven. The belief of being and buying exclusive is what differentiates this genre of consumers from the rest. At the same time, the consumer has the money to spend and is discerning enough on which luxury brands to spend on.
During the past year, the luxury market experienced a digital tipping point, with many brands rolling out e-commerce sites, social media campaigns etc. How should luxury brands approach social commerce?
Luxury products, alternatively known as sensory goods, have aesthetic characteristics that are best appreciated through the use of the human senses. High end fashion brands such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton have created their colossal brand strengths through an emphasis on the aura, creative and prestigious ambience of the brand which is reflected through the retail atmosphere. Luxury brands do not indulge in mass marketing, rather promote themselves via social media campaigns and offer personalised services to their customers through their own websites.
Are affluent consumers doing more research before making purchases now?
The affluent consumers are smart buyers and conduct proper online research on the latest fashion products prior to purchasing the product. The biggest trigger amongst this set of customers is the desire to buy and being the first time owners. They can afford it and own it.
What do you think should be the focus of luxury brands eyeing the Indian market?
Localisation of products should be the focus for luxury retailers and they should strive to become a part of the Indian way of life. Clients love products for two reasons: one is the cultural connect and two is the special feeling of owing something not available anywhere else in the world. Timex is the only international MNC with manufacturing facilities in India and to that extent we have been able to connect with the Indian consumer better.
What are the luxury brands in your portfolio and how have they performed over the last three to five years?
India is the fastest growing market in our industry. The whole new fashion and luxury segment at Timex was brought to India three years ago with Versace and Ferragamo under its umbrella of brands. The growth has doubled in the last three years and Timex has performed 200 per cent of their last year's expectation.
2012年3月22日星期四
5 Rules of Southern Style
"You don't have an accent!" These five words are often the first thing I hear when I tell new acquaintances I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and studied journalism (i.e. wrote fashion columns) at the University of Mississippi. And it's true; while I brought many qualities with me from the South when I moved to the Big Apple, an accent wasn't one of them. What I did bring: a healthy appetite for sauteed greens and fried chicken, and my Southern-bred sense of style. Below, my top five rules of Southern style I try to emulate in the city that never sleeps.
1. Do you.
I think the South sometimes gets a bad rap as a close-minded, judgmental place – especially in a city like New York, where it's expected and required that we brush off any number of bizarre commute encounters before we have our morning coffee. But I don't think that's fair, or true; part of the reason I'm the confident New York woman I am today is my Southern upbringing, which always encouraged me to dress and express myself honestly. Growing up as a bit of a “fashion experimentalist” (to put it kindly), I appreciated this openness, and it engrained in me the first and most important rule of fashion: you gotta do you. Dress how you want to dress, in the manner that makes you happiest. Dressing for others, or being trendy for its own sake, is often the first step on the road to fashion disaster; it's fine to be trendy, but try to give it your own spin, and only take on trends that you truly love. I somehow lucked upon an amazing Stella McCartney chain belt at Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn (thanks, jaded hipsters!) and it's a total trend piece, but I wear it because I love it. If I didn't love it and just wore it because it's on-trend, it would be obvious — I guess what I'm saying is that the fashion's gotta come from the heart. And you better believe, three years from now when the chain trend is but a distant foggy memory, if I still love that belt as much as I do now, I'm gonna wear it anyway. Because I gotta do me. (Now, if someone would just spot me a couple stacks to buy a Falabella bag or two.)
2. You can never own too much jewelry – but you can certainly wear too much (I guess).
This one I learned from my mother, who has an entire freestanding closet just for her jewelry. I'm not to that point yet, partly (read: mostly) because my Manhattan apartment is simply too small to house such a contraption – but if I get my way, someday I will have one of my own. True Southern women love their jewelry, and don't necessarily adhere to any rules regarding how they “should” wear it. I try to amend this a bit, because simplicity really is king; the inimitable Coco Chanel famously said that you should remove one accessory before you leave your home. It's a rule my mother taught me years ago (though, bless her heart, she may not always succeed at following it herself) and which I try to practice to this day. Many Southern women might balk here, because in their minds and hearts it's simply not possible to layer too many necklaces, jingle too many David Yurman bangles, or stack too many Tiffany & Co. rings. While my gut instinct is to agree with them, and I allow myself to own as much jewelry as I can quasi-reasonably afford, I attempt to exercise self-control when it comes to wearing it. The key word here is attempt. (My granddaddy gave me these vintage rings! Don't make me play favorites. It's just wrong.)
3. Embrace comfort.
If you haven't lived through a Southern summer or two (try more than 20) please don't talk to me about fashion-induced discomfort. It gets really hot down there, y'all. Really, really hot. Combine that with a level of humidity that can only accurately be described as swamp-like, and you've got a recipe for misery. Thus, I learned at a young age to dress how I wanted while also staying as comfortable as possible. Of course, this isn't the choice I always made; I attended my fair share of college football games in sky-high stilettos (yes, I just said “football” and “stilettos” in the same sentence, sorry I'm not sorry). But when I look back on my favorite outfits, they were the ones that allowed me to feel confident and comfortable at the same time. It's never worth it to put yourself through hell just to look amazing; most of the time you'll end up wearing a grimace, which will instantly become your most noticed accessory. And it ain't a good lewk.
4. Kill ‘em with kindness.
On a recent elevator ride up to the shoe department at Barneys New York, I ran head-on into a woman who looked at me as if she were the exterminator and I, the roach. I love fashion, but I don't love when people view it as a way to elevate themselves above others. This may sound incredibly na?ve of me, but I know kind fashionistas exist, because I've met them. In fact, just prior to my encounter with the Wicked Witch of the Barneys Shoe Floor, I was visiting Michael Kors on Madison Avenue, where every single salesperson was as sweet and funny and excited as could be about my presence. I could tell they truly loved fashion and were not there to pass judgment on the human beings coming in the store – and guess what! It made me love MK that much more, which is kind of hard to do, since I stalk his sales like it's my job. It's a Southern standby to treat all people with kindness and respect – period. I won't even try to rebuke the idealist label this statement will earn me, but I truly believe fashion is for everyone. Wearing a sour puss is just about the worst accessory ever, even topping the aforementioned painful grimace.
5. It ain't that serious, y'all.
As a part-time yoga teacher and regular practitioner, I'm no stranger to people who take themselves far too seriously. In the middle of teaching a yoga class, I sometimes look out into the faces of my students and see serious looks of consternation, focus, and (it's true) even anger. I immediately encourage everyone to lighten up: contrary to what they may believe, this isn't a trip to the dentist, it's a yoga class! The same bodes true, I think, for fashion. If fashion ever causes your blood pressure to rise – not from excitement, but rather from stress – it might be time to take a deep breath, remove your finger from the clicker hovering over the Christian Louboutin site (I know, girl, I too chronically lust after the Rollerball loafers), and re-evaluate your priorities. I know you know the all-too-familiar caricature* of the über-serious fashion girl – don't let it be you. Try topping off your outfit with a smile; maybe, in this way, you can inspire others to love fashion, not to fear it.
1. Do you.
I think the South sometimes gets a bad rap as a close-minded, judgmental place – especially in a city like New York, where it's expected and required that we brush off any number of bizarre commute encounters before we have our morning coffee. But I don't think that's fair, or true; part of the reason I'm the confident New York woman I am today is my Southern upbringing, which always encouraged me to dress and express myself honestly. Growing up as a bit of a “fashion experimentalist” (to put it kindly), I appreciated this openness, and it engrained in me the first and most important rule of fashion: you gotta do you. Dress how you want to dress, in the manner that makes you happiest. Dressing for others, or being trendy for its own sake, is often the first step on the road to fashion disaster; it's fine to be trendy, but try to give it your own spin, and only take on trends that you truly love. I somehow lucked upon an amazing Stella McCartney chain belt at Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn (thanks, jaded hipsters!) and it's a total trend piece, but I wear it because I love it. If I didn't love it and just wore it because it's on-trend, it would be obvious — I guess what I'm saying is that the fashion's gotta come from the heart. And you better believe, three years from now when the chain trend is but a distant foggy memory, if I still love that belt as much as I do now, I'm gonna wear it anyway. Because I gotta do me. (Now, if someone would just spot me a couple stacks to buy a Falabella bag or two.)
2. You can never own too much jewelry – but you can certainly wear too much (I guess).
This one I learned from my mother, who has an entire freestanding closet just for her jewelry. I'm not to that point yet, partly (read: mostly) because my Manhattan apartment is simply too small to house such a contraption – but if I get my way, someday I will have one of my own. True Southern women love their jewelry, and don't necessarily adhere to any rules regarding how they “should” wear it. I try to amend this a bit, because simplicity really is king; the inimitable Coco Chanel famously said that you should remove one accessory before you leave your home. It's a rule my mother taught me years ago (though, bless her heart, she may not always succeed at following it herself) and which I try to practice to this day. Many Southern women might balk here, because in their minds and hearts it's simply not possible to layer too many necklaces, jingle too many David Yurman bangles, or stack too many Tiffany & Co. rings. While my gut instinct is to agree with them, and I allow myself to own as much jewelry as I can quasi-reasonably afford, I attempt to exercise self-control when it comes to wearing it. The key word here is attempt. (My granddaddy gave me these vintage rings! Don't make me play favorites. It's just wrong.)
3. Embrace comfort.
If you haven't lived through a Southern summer or two (try more than 20) please don't talk to me about fashion-induced discomfort. It gets really hot down there, y'all. Really, really hot. Combine that with a level of humidity that can only accurately be described as swamp-like, and you've got a recipe for misery. Thus, I learned at a young age to dress how I wanted while also staying as comfortable as possible. Of course, this isn't the choice I always made; I attended my fair share of college football games in sky-high stilettos (yes, I just said “football” and “stilettos” in the same sentence, sorry I'm not sorry). But when I look back on my favorite outfits, they were the ones that allowed me to feel confident and comfortable at the same time. It's never worth it to put yourself through hell just to look amazing; most of the time you'll end up wearing a grimace, which will instantly become your most noticed accessory. And it ain't a good lewk.
4. Kill ‘em with kindness.
On a recent elevator ride up to the shoe department at Barneys New York, I ran head-on into a woman who looked at me as if she were the exterminator and I, the roach. I love fashion, but I don't love when people view it as a way to elevate themselves above others. This may sound incredibly na?ve of me, but I know kind fashionistas exist, because I've met them. In fact, just prior to my encounter with the Wicked Witch of the Barneys Shoe Floor, I was visiting Michael Kors on Madison Avenue, where every single salesperson was as sweet and funny and excited as could be about my presence. I could tell they truly loved fashion and were not there to pass judgment on the human beings coming in the store – and guess what! It made me love MK that much more, which is kind of hard to do, since I stalk his sales like it's my job. It's a Southern standby to treat all people with kindness and respect – period. I won't even try to rebuke the idealist label this statement will earn me, but I truly believe fashion is for everyone. Wearing a sour puss is just about the worst accessory ever, even topping the aforementioned painful grimace.
5. It ain't that serious, y'all.
As a part-time yoga teacher and regular practitioner, I'm no stranger to people who take themselves far too seriously. In the middle of teaching a yoga class, I sometimes look out into the faces of my students and see serious looks of consternation, focus, and (it's true) even anger. I immediately encourage everyone to lighten up: contrary to what they may believe, this isn't a trip to the dentist, it's a yoga class! The same bodes true, I think, for fashion. If fashion ever causes your blood pressure to rise – not from excitement, but rather from stress – it might be time to take a deep breath, remove your finger from the clicker hovering over the Christian Louboutin site (I know, girl, I too chronically lust after the Rollerball loafers), and re-evaluate your priorities. I know you know the all-too-familiar caricature* of the über-serious fashion girl – don't let it be you. Try topping off your outfit with a smile; maybe, in this way, you can inspire others to love fashion, not to fear it.
2012年3月21日星期三
Adam Clayton admits he reckons he can get away with wearing studded €500 Louboutins
THE quiet man of U2, Adam Clayton, stepped out in €500 Christian Louboutin shoes as he raised awareness for a new mental health initiative.
Speaking on the John Murray show on Radio 1, Clayton spoke about wearing the studded women's shoes, saying"I figured I could get away with it."
The campaign ‘walk a mile in my shoes' is being launched by St. Patrick's University Hospital, and is aimed at getting people to understand mental health illness.
Clayton became involved because of his mother, who was a tireless fundraiser for the hospital, who died last year after a battle with cancer.
He said"I felt I had a connection, I'm very sympathetic to the issues." He said it was important for others to understand the"terrible trauma" a mental health problem can cause.
The U2 bass player said mental health issues have been made worse by the economic situation, pointing out there has been"a whole generation wiped out of employment."
He celebrated his 52nd birthday in Dublin's Four Seasons hotel last week, joined by 20 close friends. Band mate Bono was unable to attend due to commitments to attend another birthday bash in Switzerland.
Clayton confirmed the band are continuing their work on a 13th studio album, however said a release date hasn't been confirmed."According to Bono it'll be in the shops tomorrow, but I think it'll take a little longer than that."
Clayton joined other stars including Brent Pope, Norah Casey and Daithi O'Se to launch the new campaign. It will see volunteers wearing mismatched shoes for a day, donating €2 in the process.
Speaking on the John Murray show on Radio 1, Clayton spoke about wearing the studded women's shoes, saying"I figured I could get away with it."
The campaign ‘walk a mile in my shoes' is being launched by St. Patrick's University Hospital, and is aimed at getting people to understand mental health illness.
Clayton became involved because of his mother, who was a tireless fundraiser for the hospital, who died last year after a battle with cancer.
He said"I felt I had a connection, I'm very sympathetic to the issues." He said it was important for others to understand the"terrible trauma" a mental health problem can cause.
The U2 bass player said mental health issues have been made worse by the economic situation, pointing out there has been"a whole generation wiped out of employment."
He celebrated his 52nd birthday in Dublin's Four Seasons hotel last week, joined by 20 close friends. Band mate Bono was unable to attend due to commitments to attend another birthday bash in Switzerland.
Clayton confirmed the band are continuing their work on a 13th studio album, however said a release date hasn't been confirmed."According to Bono it'll be in the shops tomorrow, but I think it'll take a little longer than that."
Clayton joined other stars including Brent Pope, Norah Casey and Daithi O'Se to launch the new campaign. It will see volunteers wearing mismatched shoes for a day, donating €2 in the process.
2012年3月20日星期二
The craftsmanship on display at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
Opens on March 21 the exhibition "Secret Archives". Patents, photographs, work tools and of course shoes
will be exhibited at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo and celebrate the artistic talent and craftsmanship of one of the brands made in Italy most famous in the world.
In a series of art and history, and technical genius, you can trace the timeless appeal of Salvatore Ferragamo, through the history of the founder and his collaborators, the documentary evidence, the machinery and the products made in corsodel time.
The route will start from the world of cinema, with models of shoes created specifically by? Shoemaker of Dreams? for the Hollywood stars of yesterday and today, like those used in the film which was won by Meryl Streep at the Oscars 2012 with? The Iron Lady?. The exhibition continues with a section dedicated to? Craftsmanship, the work tools and documentaries dedicated to the craftsmen, because of their technique, always nourish? Ferragamo impeccable style.
The exhibition will be available - as well as materials, tools, documents, films, photographs and shoes that tell the story of? Company - of the database? Ferragamo archive, thanks to which you can rediscover the beauty and? Originality of the 450 patents owned by Salvatore Ferragamo.
The exhibition includes a special section dedicated to the neckline high heel has always been synonymous with femininity and charm, from the early twenties examples shaped or flared continuing with the needle of the Fifties, represent an inevitable accessory in your wardrobe female. The archive pictures of the museum contains thousands of these models in different shapes and materials, especially loved by Salvatore Ferragamo because it can diesaltare the beauty of a woman.
No one could indeed imagine Marilyn Monroe, sexy icon of the twentieth century, without its cleavage heel 11 specially created for her by? Shoemaker of Dreams?. Almost as if to say, quoting,? Give a girl the right shoe, and she will conquer the world?.
will be exhibited at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo and celebrate the artistic talent and craftsmanship of one of the brands made in Italy most famous in the world.
In a series of art and history, and technical genius, you can trace the timeless appeal of Salvatore Ferragamo, through the history of the founder and his collaborators, the documentary evidence, the machinery and the products made in corsodel time.
The route will start from the world of cinema, with models of shoes created specifically by? Shoemaker of Dreams? for the Hollywood stars of yesterday and today, like those used in the film which was won by Meryl Streep at the Oscars 2012 with? The Iron Lady?. The exhibition continues with a section dedicated to? Craftsmanship, the work tools and documentaries dedicated to the craftsmen, because of their technique, always nourish? Ferragamo impeccable style.
The exhibition will be available - as well as materials, tools, documents, films, photographs and shoes that tell the story of? Company - of the database? Ferragamo archive, thanks to which you can rediscover the beauty and? Originality of the 450 patents owned by Salvatore Ferragamo.
The exhibition includes a special section dedicated to the neckline high heel has always been synonymous with femininity and charm, from the early twenties examples shaped or flared continuing with the needle of the Fifties, represent an inevitable accessory in your wardrobe female. The archive pictures of the museum contains thousands of these models in different shapes and materials, especially loved by Salvatore Ferragamo because it can diesaltare the beauty of a woman.
No one could indeed imagine Marilyn Monroe, sexy icon of the twentieth century, without its cleavage heel 11 specially created for her by? Shoemaker of Dreams?. Almost as if to say, quoting,? Give a girl the right shoe, and she will conquer the world?.
2012年3月19日星期一
Two Decades of Battling Through Awards Season Mayhem
War correspondents toil in the trenches, fashion reporters in trench coats -- preferably Lanvin or Burberry. But that's not where the comparison ends. People assume reporting on red-carpet fashion is glitzy at best, frivolous at least -- but these people remain blissfully unaware that awards-show fashion is a battlefield. Outfits get crushed. Egos get bruised. And brains and brawn actually are required to stay in the game.
Of course, a good wardrobe never hurt.
At my first Oscars in 1992, when I worked for Women's Wear Daily, I was the lone fashion reporter on the Shrine Auditorium's red carpet, and I was constantly amused by how many journalists didn't know how to spell "Armani," let alone "Giorgio." Mine was the single voice ringing out amid the din of fans, screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU WEARING????" I remember calling Julia Roberts' publicist to ask what the Pretty Woman star might be showing up in (before this info became as well guarded as Catherine Zeta-Jones' age).
"WHAT?" she screamed back. "WHY would you want to know THAT???"
Hollywood publicists resented fashion. They'd gotten used to actresses procuring outfits for themselves. And outside of Barbra Streisand's 1969 see-through Scaasi bell-bottoms and Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy sheaths, nobody cared.
Which is how every red-carpet disaster we now bemoan occurred between the '60s (end of the Studio System) and the '90s (beginning of the Stylist System), including Cher's Bob Mackie, complete with headdress, in 1988 and Geena Davis' Bo Peep dress in 1992. The red carpet then was truly a different animal; fashionwise, it was prehistoric. The Globes were completely backwoods: In 1992, the checkout line at the Beverly Hilton snaked right through arrivals. When Sarah Jessica Parker was cut off by a family with broken suitcases checking in, discount vouchers in hand, it didn't faze her. Whoopi Goldberg wandered into the press room barefoot, carrying a bottle of champagne. It was the wild, wild Globes.
Then, before anyone even knew to mourn them, fabulous Oscar and Globes fashion disasters like Demi Moore's bike shorts went the way of the dino. A couture breeze blowing in from Europe suddenly turned tornado. Madonna wore Jean Paul Gaultier's cone bra on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, Giorgio Armani hired a Hollywood team and Gianni Versace made inroads into the pop music world before the job of "stylist" even existed. Not long after, stylists such as Jessica Paster, Deborah Waknin and Phillip Bloch started putting Valentino and Alexander McQueen on their clients. When Uma Thurman showed up in violet Prada in 1995, followed by Nicole Kidman in chartreuse satin Dior couture in 1997, we fashion writers were in Hollywood heaven.
Male Oscar nominees were dragged into the red-carpet style system kicking and screaming. When Ralph Fiennes was nominated for The English Patient in 1997, the blase Brit's response to, "What are you wearing?" was, "My underwear -- want to see the label?" (His jacket was Gucci; I actually peeked at the inside.) When Daniel Day-Lewis arrived in a frock coat and I asked who made it, he spat back, "Wrong question." My response: "Wrong event for questions about Stanislavski." There were a few icy seconds -- then abundant laughter.
Being on the red carpet then was Hollywood fashion ground zero, like being at Yahoo in 1999 (without the stock options). As red-carpet fashion earned cred in New York and Europe, awards-show coverage went off the charts. That's when the carpet morphed into a better-dressed battlefield.
I remember arriving at the Shrine by noon for the 1997 Oscars. All pros know you get to the Globes or Oscars three hours before the carpet opens. You snooze, you lose -- your designated space will be inhabited by four other people. A conundrum, I know, but somehow a law of red-carpet physics. Another weird law: If you get there first, you get shoved less.
Of course, a good wardrobe never hurt.
At my first Oscars in 1992, when I worked for Women's Wear Daily, I was the lone fashion reporter on the Shrine Auditorium's red carpet, and I was constantly amused by how many journalists didn't know how to spell "Armani," let alone "Giorgio." Mine was the single voice ringing out amid the din of fans, screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU WEARING????" I remember calling Julia Roberts' publicist to ask what the Pretty Woman star might be showing up in (before this info became as well guarded as Catherine Zeta-Jones' age).
"WHAT?" she screamed back. "WHY would you want to know THAT???"
Hollywood publicists resented fashion. They'd gotten used to actresses procuring outfits for themselves. And outside of Barbra Streisand's 1969 see-through Scaasi bell-bottoms and Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy sheaths, nobody cared.
Which is how every red-carpet disaster we now bemoan occurred between the '60s (end of the Studio System) and the '90s (beginning of the Stylist System), including Cher's Bob Mackie, complete with headdress, in 1988 and Geena Davis' Bo Peep dress in 1992. The red carpet then was truly a different animal; fashionwise, it was prehistoric. The Globes were completely backwoods: In 1992, the checkout line at the Beverly Hilton snaked right through arrivals. When Sarah Jessica Parker was cut off by a family with broken suitcases checking in, discount vouchers in hand, it didn't faze her. Whoopi Goldberg wandered into the press room barefoot, carrying a bottle of champagne. It was the wild, wild Globes.
Then, before anyone even knew to mourn them, fabulous Oscar and Globes fashion disasters like Demi Moore's bike shorts went the way of the dino. A couture breeze blowing in from Europe suddenly turned tornado. Madonna wore Jean Paul Gaultier's cone bra on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, Giorgio Armani hired a Hollywood team and Gianni Versace made inroads into the pop music world before the job of "stylist" even existed. Not long after, stylists such as Jessica Paster, Deborah Waknin and Phillip Bloch started putting Valentino and Alexander McQueen on their clients. When Uma Thurman showed up in violet Prada in 1995, followed by Nicole Kidman in chartreuse satin Dior couture in 1997, we fashion writers were in Hollywood heaven.
Male Oscar nominees were dragged into the red-carpet style system kicking and screaming. When Ralph Fiennes was nominated for The English Patient in 1997, the blase Brit's response to, "What are you wearing?" was, "My underwear -- want to see the label?" (His jacket was Gucci; I actually peeked at the inside.) When Daniel Day-Lewis arrived in a frock coat and I asked who made it, he spat back, "Wrong question." My response: "Wrong event for questions about Stanislavski." There were a few icy seconds -- then abundant laughter.
Being on the red carpet then was Hollywood fashion ground zero, like being at Yahoo in 1999 (without the stock options). As red-carpet fashion earned cred in New York and Europe, awards-show coverage went off the charts. That's when the carpet morphed into a better-dressed battlefield.
I remember arriving at the Shrine by noon for the 1997 Oscars. All pros know you get to the Globes or Oscars three hours before the carpet opens. You snooze, you lose -- your designated space will be inhabited by four other people. A conundrum, I know, but somehow a law of red-carpet physics. Another weird law: If you get there first, you get shoved less.
2012年3月18日星期日
Pepe Jeans London Footwear womenswear collection Spring / Summer 2012
The collection Footwear Women Pepe Jeans London, Brings the woman to dress so perfect in every moment of the day and at any occasion, from an evening with friends to a weekend in the country, to a romantic date. The collection is divided into five lines:
PORTOBELLO
With the younger models and athletes, inspired by the girls' blogs and street style, creates a casual beach. The models range from basic tennis shoes to sandals, low heel with wood up to high-heeled shoes. The materials are soft, which washed fabrics, floral prints and soft leather with vintage finishes and colors are bright, and range from dark orange, red and blue.
SUNSET ANGELS
The line inspired by the '70s, a period in which the maxi skirts and trousers were flared boots paired with wedges of wood, raffia and cork.
The line consists of bright colors in shades like orange, purple and red, or floral and ethnic prints.
PORTOBELLO
With the younger models and athletes, inspired by the girls' blogs and street style, creates a casual beach. The models range from basic tennis shoes to sandals, low heel with wood up to high-heeled shoes. The materials are soft, which washed fabrics, floral prints and soft leather with vintage finishes and colors are bright, and range from dark orange, red and blue.
SUNSET ANGELS
The line inspired by the '70s, a period in which the maxi skirts and trousers were flared boots paired with wedges of wood, raffia and cork.
The line consists of bright colors in shades like orange, purple and red, or floral and ethnic prints.
2012年3月15日星期四
Biggest shoes to fill: NC State
Today we visit the Wolfpack, who are looking to fill a void at receiver and in the return game.
OUT: T.J. Graham. Graham exits NC State following a senior season that saw him finish second in the ACC in punt return average, third in all-purpose yards and fourth in kick returns. He caught 46 passes for 757 yards and seven touchdowns, up from 25, 316 and four as a junior. In a 31-24 Belk Bowl win over Louisville, Graham caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns and added 63 yards on three kick returns. He had two catches for 27 yards and returned a kickoff 27 yards in the Senior Bowl.
IN:Tobais Palmer and Bryan Underwood (receivers). Palmer and Rashard Smith (return men). Palmer had 37 catches for 496 yards and five touchdowns last season, while Underwood added 16 catches for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Palmer also returned three kicks for 48 yards and was fourth on the team in scoring and third in all-purpose yards. Smith caught just one pass for six yards but was the only Wolfpack player other than Graham to return kicks last season, brining back two for 13 yards. But his prep credentials (two punt return touchdowns, one kickoff as a senior) at Dublin (Ga.) High School suggest he is capable of stepping into Graham's role on special teams.
OUT: T.J. Graham. Graham exits NC State following a senior season that saw him finish second in the ACC in punt return average, third in all-purpose yards and fourth in kick returns. He caught 46 passes for 757 yards and seven touchdowns, up from 25, 316 and four as a junior. In a 31-24 Belk Bowl win over Louisville, Graham caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns and added 63 yards on three kick returns. He had two catches for 27 yards and returned a kickoff 27 yards in the Senior Bowl.
IN:Tobais Palmer and Bryan Underwood (receivers). Palmer and Rashard Smith (return men). Palmer had 37 catches for 496 yards and five touchdowns last season, while Underwood added 16 catches for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Palmer also returned three kicks for 48 yards and was fourth on the team in scoring and third in all-purpose yards. Smith caught just one pass for six yards but was the only Wolfpack player other than Graham to return kicks last season, brining back two for 13 yards. But his prep credentials (two punt return touchdowns, one kickoff as a senior) at Dublin (Ga.) High School suggest he is capable of stepping into Graham's role on special teams.
2012年3月13日星期二
J. McLaughlin Opens Third Suburban Shop
Preppy by Nature
J. McLaughlin, the über-preppy brand known for its bright colors and two-way stretch fabrics, celebrates the opening of its third Chicagoland location (53 S. Washington St., Hinsdale) with a party on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. The new J. McLaughlin store gives shoppers in the southwest burbs better access to its constantly growing selection of reversible ribbon belts ($48), handmade silk ties ($65), silk scarves ($115), and Catalina tees ($135 to $155). Stop by the grand opening to explore the new selection spring must-haves, including the women's slim fit bi-stretch dixie jean ($168) in bold colors, like lime green and coral red, as well as the men's pima cotton skinny stripe polo shirts ($88) in rose and white, denim and Irish green, and more. For Fido, find a great selection of high-quality collars and leashes ($30 to $75). Fifteen percent off all event sales will benefit the Wellness House.
Top Sales This Week
Celebrate Christian Louboutin's 20th anniversary collection, which showcases 20 limited edition styles, in the Ladies' Shoe Salon at Neiman Marcus on Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bonus: free martinis.
To celebrate its recent renovations and ten-year anniversary, STELLA holds a Big Bang Bash with refreshments, entertainment, discounts, and more on Thursday, March 15 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The Best of the Rest
* The Denim Lounge hosts its third annual Girls' Night Out with mini sex seminars from G Boutique, a wine tasting from Lush Wines & Spirits, and the latest samples from Henry & Belle Denim (henryandbelle.com) on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. Ladies only, and space is limited.
* Meet and take photos with model and Chicago native Erin Heatherton at Victoria's Secret on Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. During the event, Heatherton will also share style tips as well as introduce new pieces of the Very Sexy Collection and fragrances.
* DuPage Habitat for Humanity hosts “Hammers and Heels” Shop and Dine Wheaton on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event, which features more than ten local retailers and restaurants, is held to benefit Women Build, a Habitat for Humanity initiative that educates women on how to build and advocate for affordable housing. The first 100 shoppers receive a complimentary Vera Bradley tote filled with discounts and goodies, and all guests receive a punch card for their chance to win raffle prizes.
* Friday, March 16 through Saturday, March 31, P.O.S.H.hosts its The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon sale with up to 75 percent off on items including glassware, silverware, and dinnerware.
* Fashion and flowers unite at the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show, running now through Sunday, March 18 at Navy Pier. For less than $20, explore more than 25 gardens, products and services from more than 100 vendors, culinary demonstrations, and educational seminars.
* Dozens of Chicagoland spas, fitness centers, salons, and wellness studios offer discounted services and classes during Wellness Week, Monday, March 19 through Sunday, March 25. Find the full list of participating businesses and their deals at spafinder.com/wellnessweek.
* WPA Chicago takes 20 percent off Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini lounge, dining, bedroom, and office collections as well as 15 percent Le Corbusier indoor and outdoor collections through Tuesday, March 20.
J. McLaughlin, the über-preppy brand known for its bright colors and two-way stretch fabrics, celebrates the opening of its third Chicagoland location (53 S. Washington St., Hinsdale) with a party on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. The new J. McLaughlin store gives shoppers in the southwest burbs better access to its constantly growing selection of reversible ribbon belts ($48), handmade silk ties ($65), silk scarves ($115), and Catalina tees ($135 to $155). Stop by the grand opening to explore the new selection spring must-haves, including the women's slim fit bi-stretch dixie jean ($168) in bold colors, like lime green and coral red, as well as the men's pima cotton skinny stripe polo shirts ($88) in rose and white, denim and Irish green, and more. For Fido, find a great selection of high-quality collars and leashes ($30 to $75). Fifteen percent off all event sales will benefit the Wellness House.
Top Sales This Week
Celebrate Christian Louboutin's 20th anniversary collection, which showcases 20 limited edition styles, in the Ladies' Shoe Salon at Neiman Marcus on Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bonus: free martinis.
To celebrate its recent renovations and ten-year anniversary, STELLA holds a Big Bang Bash with refreshments, entertainment, discounts, and more on Thursday, March 15 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The Best of the Rest
* The Denim Lounge hosts its third annual Girls' Night Out with mini sex seminars from G Boutique, a wine tasting from Lush Wines & Spirits, and the latest samples from Henry & Belle Denim (henryandbelle.com) on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. Ladies only, and space is limited.
* Meet and take photos with model and Chicago native Erin Heatherton at Victoria's Secret on Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. During the event, Heatherton will also share style tips as well as introduce new pieces of the Very Sexy Collection and fragrances.
* DuPage Habitat for Humanity hosts “Hammers and Heels” Shop and Dine Wheaton on Thursday, March 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event, which features more than ten local retailers and restaurants, is held to benefit Women Build, a Habitat for Humanity initiative that educates women on how to build and advocate for affordable housing. The first 100 shoppers receive a complimentary Vera Bradley tote filled with discounts and goodies, and all guests receive a punch card for their chance to win raffle prizes.
* Friday, March 16 through Saturday, March 31, P.O.S.H.hosts its The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon sale with up to 75 percent off on items including glassware, silverware, and dinnerware.
* Fashion and flowers unite at the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show, running now through Sunday, March 18 at Navy Pier. For less than $20, explore more than 25 gardens, products and services from more than 100 vendors, culinary demonstrations, and educational seminars.
* Dozens of Chicagoland spas, fitness centers, salons, and wellness studios offer discounted services and classes during Wellness Week, Monday, March 19 through Sunday, March 25. Find the full list of participating businesses and their deals at spafinder.com/wellnessweek.
* WPA Chicago takes 20 percent off Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini lounge, dining, bedroom, and office collections as well as 15 percent Le Corbusier indoor and outdoor collections through Tuesday, March 20.
2012年3月12日星期一
Barnidge: Walnut Creek still standing after Neiman Marcus' arrival
Remember the Walnut Creek residents who feared a Neiman Marcus store would turn downtown into a congested mess? Turns out they were right.
I went to the grand opening Friday, and it took me nearly two minutes to find a parking spot almost a block and a half away.
They were dead on, too, about the storefront blocking scenic sight lines. As I approached from the west on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, the building obscured what used to be a lovely view of Nordstrom's rooftop.
The shoppers who stampeded the upscale retailer when it finally opened its doors came in all sizes and shapes. There were women in designer slacks and heels, men in old sneakers and knee-worn jeans, young mothers pushing strollers and older women dragging grumpy husbands by invisible tethers.
I brought my personal fashion consultant, so I would know what I was seeing.
Among the first items we examined was a marvelous houndstooth sheath, with fitted capped sleeves and attached bolero, by Alexander McQueen. I knew it was marvelous because it was priced at $2,800.
My first car cost less than that, and it didn't need to be dry cleaned.
We peeked into the Stella McCartney boutique -- "She's Paul McCartney's daughter," the consultant said -- and saw some striking things, but they were marked in European sizes. I forgot to bring my European-to-American conversion guide, so we had to move on.
If you are into designer labels, Neiman Marcus is a sweet slice of pretentiousness: Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Lora Piana, Aidan Mattox, Chanel and more.
Cowboys brand cattle, Neiman Marcus brands people. You can tell what herd they belong to by their logo.
The store even has designer toddler wear, which is one of the reasons the rest of the world hates us. We admired a Florence Eisman hand-embroidered dress for a 3-year-old -- lined, of course -- for just $92. It would have gone nicely with a tiny pair of Stuart Weitzman leather sandals, offered in pink or silver metallic, for $59.
"This," said my consultant, "is the kind of shoe you'd want your 3-year-old to kick off, so your friends can see the label."
We priced Jimmy Choo designer shoes at $665 a pair, which were a steal compared with Christian Louboutin's platform pumps (with stiletto heels) at $825.
"The red underneath is his signature," my consultant said. I told her I had a can of spray paint in the garage, and I'd be happy to give her shoes the same signature look.
A Neiman Marcus textured black leather men's belt was available for $425 and a smooth-finished brown one for $146. But it was a wide, orange belt ($300) that caught my eye. It looked like it might have belonged to a crossing guard.
Curiously, we didn't see many people actually buying anything. For all the bodies filling the aisles, hardly anyone carried a shopping bag.
We planned to eat in the Neiman Marcus café, where popovers come with every order, but you needed a table for that. The wait was 2? hours, so we slipped next door to California Pizza Kitchen and discussed the high fashion we'd seen and couldn't afford.
I finally located a customer with merchandise out on the sidewalk, a man in his 20s carrying a small silver Neiman Marcus box. It looked like it might contain a necklace.
"What did you get?" I asked.
"A cookie," he said.
I forgot to ask for the designer's name.
I went to the grand opening Friday, and it took me nearly two minutes to find a parking spot almost a block and a half away.
They were dead on, too, about the storefront blocking scenic sight lines. As I approached from the west on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, the building obscured what used to be a lovely view of Nordstrom's rooftop.
The shoppers who stampeded the upscale retailer when it finally opened its doors came in all sizes and shapes. There were women in designer slacks and heels, men in old sneakers and knee-worn jeans, young mothers pushing strollers and older women dragging grumpy husbands by invisible tethers.
I brought my personal fashion consultant, so I would know what I was seeing.
Among the first items we examined was a marvelous houndstooth sheath, with fitted capped sleeves and attached bolero, by Alexander McQueen. I knew it was marvelous because it was priced at $2,800.
My first car cost less than that, and it didn't need to be dry cleaned.
We peeked into the Stella McCartney boutique -- "She's Paul McCartney's daughter," the consultant said -- and saw some striking things, but they were marked in European sizes. I forgot to bring my European-to-American conversion guide, so we had to move on.
If you are into designer labels, Neiman Marcus is a sweet slice of pretentiousness: Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Lora Piana, Aidan Mattox, Chanel and more.
Cowboys brand cattle, Neiman Marcus brands people. You can tell what herd they belong to by their logo.
The store even has designer toddler wear, which is one of the reasons the rest of the world hates us. We admired a Florence Eisman hand-embroidered dress for a 3-year-old -- lined, of course -- for just $92. It would have gone nicely with a tiny pair of Stuart Weitzman leather sandals, offered in pink or silver metallic, for $59.
"This," said my consultant, "is the kind of shoe you'd want your 3-year-old to kick off, so your friends can see the label."
We priced Jimmy Choo designer shoes at $665 a pair, which were a steal compared with Christian Louboutin's platform pumps (with stiletto heels) at $825.
"The red underneath is his signature," my consultant said. I told her I had a can of spray paint in the garage, and I'd be happy to give her shoes the same signature look.
A Neiman Marcus textured black leather men's belt was available for $425 and a smooth-finished brown one for $146. But it was a wide, orange belt ($300) that caught my eye. It looked like it might have belonged to a crossing guard.
Curiously, we didn't see many people actually buying anything. For all the bodies filling the aisles, hardly anyone carried a shopping bag.
We planned to eat in the Neiman Marcus café, where popovers come with every order, but you needed a table for that. The wait was 2? hours, so we slipped next door to California Pizza Kitchen and discussed the high fashion we'd seen and couldn't afford.
I finally located a customer with merchandise out on the sidewalk, a man in his 20s carrying a small silver Neiman Marcus box. It looked like it might contain a necklace.
"What did you get?" I asked.
"A cookie," he said.
I forgot to ask for the designer's name.
2012年3月11日星期日
18 Hidden Rules of Trade Shows
Hidden rules govern almost every area of our lives. They guide our behavior and expectations, yet are rarely written down for us in neat little books.
For example, there’s the 5 Second Rule: When a piece of food falls on the floor, you can eat it if you pick it up within five seconds. There’s the High Heel Rule: if a woman is taller than her date, she is less likely to wear high heels. And there’s the Full Moon Rule: On days with a full moon, there are more crimes committed and babies born.
Uncover the 18 Hidden Rules of Trade Shows
Trade shows also are governed by similarly hidden, yet immutable rules. You may have already run up against them without realizing it, or discovered them through arduous experience. Since forewarned is forearmed, here are 18 hidden rules of trade shows:
The more words you put on your trade show display, the fewer times they will be read.
The larger the crowd of people already in your booth, the more other people will want to visit your booth.
The person who complains the most about the value of trade shows is usually the one who knows (and tries) the least.
The more fun trade show attendees have in your booth during the show, the more serious business you will do after the show.
The effort each booth staffer puts forth increases as the distance between them and their boss decreases.
Your best booth staffers are usually the ones who talk the least and listen the most.
The longer a booth staffer stretches out their break, the fewer leads they will take when they are actually staffing the booth.
The colors of your trade show display will likely be determined by: 1. your brand colors, or 2. the latest design trends or 3. your company president’s spouse.
The length of time to design your exhibit expands exponentially with the number of decision makers involved.
The greater the distance a visitor has traveled to attend a trade show, the higher the level of hospitality you should provide.
Carpet belongs on the floor of your trade show booth, not on the display backwall.
The better-looking the booth staffer’s shoes, the more likely the staffer will complain about sore feet.
The more years you exhibit at the same show, the more you will have repeat customers visit you in your booth.
The more the trade show leads holder looks like a trash can, the more likely your booth captain will end up screaming.
The bigger the main visual image on your trade show exhibit, the clearer people will understand your message.
The older your trade show display, the less innovative your booth visitors will perceive your company.
The more aisle space bordering your booth, the more opportunities your staffers have to engage with attendees.
The faster you follow up your trade show leads, the greater the sales you will generate from that show.
Now that these hidden rules have been revealed to you, may you enter your next show hall with the open eyes of a seasoned exhibitor. And if you’ve discovered your own hidden rules of trade shows, please, please, please share them with us in the comment box below. There's no rule against it!
For example, there’s the 5 Second Rule: When a piece of food falls on the floor, you can eat it if you pick it up within five seconds. There’s the High Heel Rule: if a woman is taller than her date, she is less likely to wear high heels. And there’s the Full Moon Rule: On days with a full moon, there are more crimes committed and babies born.
Uncover the 18 Hidden Rules of Trade Shows
Trade shows also are governed by similarly hidden, yet immutable rules. You may have already run up against them without realizing it, or discovered them through arduous experience. Since forewarned is forearmed, here are 18 hidden rules of trade shows:
The more words you put on your trade show display, the fewer times they will be read.
The larger the crowd of people already in your booth, the more other people will want to visit your booth.
The person who complains the most about the value of trade shows is usually the one who knows (and tries) the least.
The more fun trade show attendees have in your booth during the show, the more serious business you will do after the show.
The effort each booth staffer puts forth increases as the distance between them and their boss decreases.
Your best booth staffers are usually the ones who talk the least and listen the most.
The longer a booth staffer stretches out their break, the fewer leads they will take when they are actually staffing the booth.
The colors of your trade show display will likely be determined by: 1. your brand colors, or 2. the latest design trends or 3. your company president’s spouse.
The length of time to design your exhibit expands exponentially with the number of decision makers involved.
The greater the distance a visitor has traveled to attend a trade show, the higher the level of hospitality you should provide.
Carpet belongs on the floor of your trade show booth, not on the display backwall.
The better-looking the booth staffer’s shoes, the more likely the staffer will complain about sore feet.
The more years you exhibit at the same show, the more you will have repeat customers visit you in your booth.
The more the trade show leads holder looks like a trash can, the more likely your booth captain will end up screaming.
The bigger the main visual image on your trade show exhibit, the clearer people will understand your message.
The older your trade show display, the less innovative your booth visitors will perceive your company.
The more aisle space bordering your booth, the more opportunities your staffers have to engage with attendees.
The faster you follow up your trade show leads, the greater the sales you will generate from that show.
Now that these hidden rules have been revealed to you, may you enter your next show hall with the open eyes of a seasoned exhibitor. And if you’ve discovered your own hidden rules of trade shows, please, please, please share them with us in the comment box below. There's no rule against it!
2012年3月8日星期四
The Daily Shoe | Runners-Up
Deciding on The Daily Shoe, T's regular Fashion Week feature starring a favorite shoe (just one) from a day of shows (10 or 12 every 24 hours sometimes), was terrifically challenging. How does an editor pick Chanel over Alexander McQueen (both occurred on March 6), Lanvin over Christian Dior (March 2), Jil Sander over Bottega Veneta (Feb. 25)? Not easily. No doubt, narrowing a collection's worth down to just The One was the painful part (contrary to what those who've commented on a heel's comfort factor, or lack thereof, may want to believe). In the end, the shoes that offered newness or reinforced trend won out, although that's not to say that novelty wasn't rewarded (see Versace's fishnet boots), or that gut reactions weren't acted upon. “The Jil Sander shoes” was the subject heading of an e-mail I received from T's Sally Singer: “gorgeous, especially the sandal w/ the neon fuchsia squiggle up the side (like the last look).” The sandals were still coming down the runway. Another e-mail from Singer alerted me to what was ahead: “Tomorrow there's going to be a jeweled brothel creeper at Armani that could be very cute, if you want a flat.” Indeed, that flat was featured, not just because it offered us a break from high heels, but because it hit on the emerging metal toe cap trend and because, frankly, I like flats. Are shoes not personal, after all? Of course there's one — or two or ten — for everyone, but if you didn't find it on The Moment this past month, perhaps our runners-up — Alexander McQueen's heel-less fur-front booties; Christian Dior's elegant pointe-shoe-inspired platforms; Meadham Kirchhoff's glittery, witchy heels, among them — will do the trick.
2012年3月7日星期三
Kim Kardashian Shares Her Huge Shoe Collection
Kim Kardashian has been all over sharing images on her photo blog in the past week. While she loves to take photos of herself in all manner of apparel and all manner of accessories, the one thing we should get out of Kardashian's sharing habits this week is not her high level of narcissism but her extreme collection of shoes.
Kardashian used Instagram over the past few days to share a few photos of her shoe collection, including three walls of shoes organized by type and color, including a wall of bold hues, a wall of nude hues, and one of glitzy, sparkly shoes. If it takes three photos of three walls to cover only part of her heel collection, I can't imagine how many walls it takes to cover sneakers, flats, and boots, too. Yesterday, Kim posted a new photo with a caption that alluded to a love for an unusual pair of heels.
If a person has room in his or her shoe collection for a pair of knitted heels with ridiculous attached pearls that probably matches one in a thousand outfits, one might want to think about cutting back on the shoe buying. Just saying. You can check out more from Kardashian's shoe collection over at Celebuzz.
Kardashian used Instagram over the past few days to share a few photos of her shoe collection, including three walls of shoes organized by type and color, including a wall of bold hues, a wall of nude hues, and one of glitzy, sparkly shoes. If it takes three photos of three walls to cover only part of her heel collection, I can't imagine how many walls it takes to cover sneakers, flats, and boots, too. Yesterday, Kim posted a new photo with a caption that alluded to a love for an unusual pair of heels.
If a person has room in his or her shoe collection for a pair of knitted heels with ridiculous attached pearls that probably matches one in a thousand outfits, one might want to think about cutting back on the shoe buying. Just saying. You can check out more from Kardashian's shoe collection over at Celebuzz.
2012年3月5日星期一
Marc Jacobs Responds to Allegations of Non-Payment
Marc Jacobs Responds to Allegations of Non-Payment: 'If Models Don't Want To Work With Us, They Don't Have To'
Marc Jacobs has responded on Twitter to our story of earlier today covering the fact that the designer does not pay many of the models who work in his New York runway shows, and that he kept a 17-year-old minor working for over 30 hours without paying her a single cent. Jacobs — who is far from the only high-profile New York designer to get models to work for free — says that payment in "trade," or clothes, is standard in fashion and that if models "don't want to work w/ us, they don't have to."
Related: the New Zealand-born supermodel and Australia's Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson just called Jacobs a "douche lord" on the Twitters. Developing!
Marc Jacobs has responded on Twitter to our story of earlier today covering the fact that the designer does not pay many of the models who work in his New York runway shows, and that he kept a 17-year-old minor working for over 30 hours without paying her a single cent. Jacobs — who is far from the only high-profile New York designer to get models to work for free — says that payment in "trade," or clothes, is standard in fashion and that if models "don't want to work w/ us, they don't have to."
Related: the New Zealand-born supermodel and Australia's Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson just called Jacobs a "douche lord" on the Twitters. Developing!
2012年3月4日星期日
Women ran for a better worldOver the weekend Turkey witnessed women's rights marathons
Women ran for a better worldOver the weekend Turkey witnessed women's rights marathons in the southwestern city of Antalya and the southeastern city of Sanliurfa.
While in Sanluirfa women ran to protest child brides and violence against women, Antalya hosted female runners to raise awareness for women-dedicated nongovernmental organizations, which struggle to overcome women's issues in Turkey.
While the Sanliurfa Marathon winners won cumhuriyet gold, women ran for the underlying issue of raising their voices against violence. Women in Sanliurfa carried banners saying “We are against child brides in Turkey.” A total of 300 women ran in the marathon.
The Sanliurfa Marathon was organized by Karak?prü Municipality. The marathon aimed to raise awareness against cancer. The winners Derya Canbeyli, Bahar Dag and Nuray Akdag were given cumhuriyet gold, and Gov. Nihat ?ift?i gave t-shirts as presents to the attendees.
The Sanliurfa Marathon took place simultaneously with the Runtalya Marathon in Antalya.
The seventh Runtalya Marathon kicked off yesterday. The marathon, which was organized by ?ger Tur and the Antalya Culture Center, hosted wheelchair marathoners. The marathon consisted of half, full and 10 km marathons and kick started at Gov. Mustafa Akaydin's signal.
The marathon took place at Atatürk street, ISiklar street, Fener neighborhood and Lara Beach Road.
A total of 3,200 people attended the marathon. Selma Karako?, a teacher from Van who had organized an aid project, also attended the marathon with seven people from Van.
Women also ran to raise awareness of the nongovernmental organizations that struggle to solve the issues of women in Turkey.
The marathon for women, which was titled “High Heels Marathon,” also witnessed interesting scenes.
Turkish TV series actress Wilma Elles ran in high heels for women. She ranked fifth at the marathon. Elles is currently taking part in the series “?yle Bir Ge?er Zaman Ki” (As Time Goes By).
The women ran with 7-cm-high shoes at the marathon. The theme of the marathon was “Each woman has a different heel voice.”
The money raised by the marathon will be given to the Turkish Education Association and the Turkish Paraplegia Association. Women ran for a better world and a better Turkey.
The High Heel Marathon, which was 100 meters, ended with glory. While Semra ?Scen finished the marathon within 14 seconds, she won 3,000 Turkish Liras. Sükriye Yildiz ranked in the second place and won 2,000 liras. Third place belonged to Tugba Er, winning 1,000 liras.
While in Sanluirfa women ran to protest child brides and violence against women, Antalya hosted female runners to raise awareness for women-dedicated nongovernmental organizations, which struggle to overcome women's issues in Turkey.
While the Sanliurfa Marathon winners won cumhuriyet gold, women ran for the underlying issue of raising their voices against violence. Women in Sanliurfa carried banners saying “We are against child brides in Turkey.” A total of 300 women ran in the marathon.
The Sanliurfa Marathon was organized by Karak?prü Municipality. The marathon aimed to raise awareness against cancer. The winners Derya Canbeyli, Bahar Dag and Nuray Akdag were given cumhuriyet gold, and Gov. Nihat ?ift?i gave t-shirts as presents to the attendees.
The Sanliurfa Marathon took place simultaneously with the Runtalya Marathon in Antalya.
The seventh Runtalya Marathon kicked off yesterday. The marathon, which was organized by ?ger Tur and the Antalya Culture Center, hosted wheelchair marathoners. The marathon consisted of half, full and 10 km marathons and kick started at Gov. Mustafa Akaydin's signal.
The marathon took place at Atatürk street, ISiklar street, Fener neighborhood and Lara Beach Road.
A total of 3,200 people attended the marathon. Selma Karako?, a teacher from Van who had organized an aid project, also attended the marathon with seven people from Van.
Women also ran to raise awareness of the nongovernmental organizations that struggle to solve the issues of women in Turkey.
The marathon for women, which was titled “High Heels Marathon,” also witnessed interesting scenes.
Turkish TV series actress Wilma Elles ran in high heels for women. She ranked fifth at the marathon. Elles is currently taking part in the series “?yle Bir Ge?er Zaman Ki” (As Time Goes By).
The women ran with 7-cm-high shoes at the marathon. The theme of the marathon was “Each woman has a different heel voice.”
The money raised by the marathon will be given to the Turkish Education Association and the Turkish Paraplegia Association. Women ran for a better world and a better Turkey.
The High Heel Marathon, which was 100 meters, ended with glory. While Semra ?Scen finished the marathon within 14 seconds, she won 3,000 Turkish Liras. Sükriye Yildiz ranked in the second place and won 2,000 liras. Third place belonged to Tugba Er, winning 1,000 liras.
2012年3月1日星期四
Emma Watson to Star in Sofia Coppola's “The Bling Ring”
Juvenile-sounding title aside, the film is actually named for the group of teenage criminals notorious for stealing more than $3 million in jewelry and designer products from Hollywood's hottest celebrities between October 2008, and August 2009, Vanity Fair writes. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Rachel Bilson, Brian Austin Green, and Megan Fox were among the victims. Cops arrested members from the Bling Ring in 2009 in the midst of robbing Orlando Bloom's home in the Hollywood Hills.
Watson is said to lead what will be an ensemble cast of young actors, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The Coppola-written script will follow the Bling Ring's high-scale theft as a dark portrait of today's youth.
“Reflecting on the naiveté of youth, amplified by today's culture of celebrity and luxury brand obsession, the members of the Bling Ring introduce us to temptations that nearly any teenager would find hard to resist. What starts out as youthful fun spins out of control and reveals a sobering view of our modern culture,” quotes First Showing from a press release.
In Vanity Fair's article, aptly titled “The Suspects Wore Louboutins,” Nancy Jo Sales interviews alleged members from Hollywood's most notorious criminal group. She paints this picture of one of the members, Alexis Neiers, just 18 at the time of her 2010 arraignment.
“A leggy girl with long, dark hair and shimmering blue-green eyes, Neiers was wearing a tweed miniskirt, a pink sweater, and six-inch Christian Louboutin heels. 'I have a pretty cool shoe collection going on right now,' she said.”
Though there's no word on Watson's character yet, the Brit's gorgeously chic-sleek looks would make her perfect for the role of Neiers.
Coppola told THR, “I'm excited about the young cast we're assembling, and I'm looking forward to shooting on location here in Los Angeles.”
Watson is also linked to the upcoming Guillermo del Toro's Beauty and the Beast. Coppola will produce The Bling Ring with her brother, Roman Coppola, and Youree Henley.
You'll want to keep an eye on your Burberry bag.
Watson is said to lead what will be an ensemble cast of young actors, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The Coppola-written script will follow the Bling Ring's high-scale theft as a dark portrait of today's youth.
“Reflecting on the naiveté of youth, amplified by today's culture of celebrity and luxury brand obsession, the members of the Bling Ring introduce us to temptations that nearly any teenager would find hard to resist. What starts out as youthful fun spins out of control and reveals a sobering view of our modern culture,” quotes First Showing from a press release.
In Vanity Fair's article, aptly titled “The Suspects Wore Louboutins,” Nancy Jo Sales interviews alleged members from Hollywood's most notorious criminal group. She paints this picture of one of the members, Alexis Neiers, just 18 at the time of her 2010 arraignment.
“A leggy girl with long, dark hair and shimmering blue-green eyes, Neiers was wearing a tweed miniskirt, a pink sweater, and six-inch Christian Louboutin heels. 'I have a pretty cool shoe collection going on right now,' she said.”
Though there's no word on Watson's character yet, the Brit's gorgeously chic-sleek looks would make her perfect for the role of Neiers.
Coppola told THR, “I'm excited about the young cast we're assembling, and I'm looking forward to shooting on location here in Los Angeles.”
Watson is also linked to the upcoming Guillermo del Toro's Beauty and the Beast. Coppola will produce The Bling Ring with her brother, Roman Coppola, and Youree Henley.
You'll want to keep an eye on your Burberry bag.
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