Monday, March 30, 2015

Prada Didn't Have the Best 2014

Prada Didn't Have the Best 2014:

The opening look at Prada's fall 2015 collection show. Photo: Imaxtree
The opening look at Prada's fall 2015 collection show. Photo: Imaxtree
Things still aren't looking too great for Prada SpA. Following a tough holiday season, where sales at its namesake brand declined 8 percent, the company said it generated €3.55 billion (about $3.86 billion) in net sales in the 12 months ending Jan. 31, down 1 percent from the year before. Profits declined 28 percent.

Where did things go wrong? According to the company, a lack of demand and slow tourism in Europe contributed to a 1 percent decline in sales for the company, while sales in the Far East saw a 5 percent dip, due to deteriorating market conditions in Macau and Hong Kong. Sales were stronger in the Americas (up 8 percent), Japan (also up 8 percent) and the Middle East, which was up 10 percent, but saw a slowdown in the second part of the year.

Brand-wise, Prada — which accounts for 83 percent of the company's sales — continues to be outperformed by the Group's other labels. Prada's sales were down 1.7 percent for the year, while Miu Miu's were up 4 percent. Church's, meanwhile, saw a 15 percent sales increase, and Car Shoe, 12 percent.

In a statement, Prada SpA CEO Patrizio Bertelli said that 2014 was "a year of transition for the Prada Group on its journey of growth." Here's to a better 2015.

Yoox Is in Talks to Acquire Net-a-Porter

Yoox Is in Talks to Acquire Net-a-Porter:

Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Last Thursday, WWD reported that Amazon was in talks with Richemont to buy luxury e-commerce site Net-a-Porter, though neither party officially confirmed it. Fast forward to Monday: Richemont has put out a release saying that it's in talks with fashion e-commerce conglomerate Yoox Group about a potential sale.

"With reference to what has appeared in the press, Compagnie Financière Richemont SA clarifies that discussions are currently underway with YOOX S.p.A. regarding a potential business combination between YOOX S.p.A. and The Net-A-Porter Group Ltd," the company said in a statement.

Yoox Group confirmed the news on its own investor relations site, sending its stock price up nearly 10 percent Monday morning. Whether a deal with Amazon is still in play remains unclear; a rep for Richemont declined to comment.

Given Yoox's strong ties to luxury brands — it runs its own suite of shopping sites, in addition to powering the e-commerce destinations of luxury brands like Marni, Valentino and Moschino — it seems like an easy fit for Net-a-Porter. (Yoox CEO Federico Marchetti stated last year it considers Net-a-Porter its "biggest competitor.") Amazon, meanwhile, has had a tough time courting the high-fashion world — though many brands refuse to sell through the site, their products still find their way onto Amazon's pages via third-party retailers — and an acquisition of Net-a-Porter could help it break into that part of the market.

How is this thing going to shake out? Well, Yoox and Net-a-Porter both say that they'll "update the market as appropriate in due course."

Gigi Hadid Covers 'Adweek,' Selfie Sticks Banned at Coachella and Lollapalooza

Gigi Hadid Covers 'Adweek,' Selfie Sticks Banned at Coachella and Lollapalooza:

Gigi Hadid. Photo: Alexei Hay/'Adweek'
Gigi Hadid. Photo: Alexei Hay/'Adweek'
Nineteen-year-old Gigi Hadid is front and center on the cover of Adweek's "Millennial Issue," posing as the poster child for the new wave of digitally savvy models using social media as a form of insurance against aging out. {Adweek}

Decency, perhaps, is not lost. Both Coachella and Lollapalooza have listed selfie sticks on their list of items prohibited this year. (Coachella, for its part, listed it as a dual ban on "Selfie Sticks/'Narsisstics.'") {Brooklyn Vegan}

Canadian model Coco Rocha and husband James Conran welcomed baby Ioni (meaning "island") James Conran over the weekend. Not surprisingly, #babyioni already has her own Instagram account with 16.9K followers. So, does she qualify as an Instagirl now? {Instagram}

Looks like bushy-browed Danish model Line Brems has some stiff competition when it comes to looking the most like Cara Delevingne. Over the weekend, 14-year-old Olivia Herdt of Uruguay amassed over 21,000 followers when she posted a side-by-side Instagram photo of herself and the British model. Yes, they look like carbon copies of each other. {Fashion Gone Rogue}

Homepage photo: John Parra/Getty Images

The April Issues Are Full of Bruce Weber Puppy-Bait

The April Issues Are Full of Bruce Weber Puppy-Bait:

Bruce Weber for 'Porter' magazine.
Bruce Weber for 'Porter' magazine.
When the spring/summer issues of fashion magazines begin to trickle out in March and April, there are a few editorial trends that we've come to expect: bohemian, desert-centric spreads to coincide with Coachella; models in bathing suits on a tropical beach; or sporty, athleisure-type trend stories that give a nod to the impending golf and tennis seasons. But our favorite editorial trend of the spring thus far has nothing to do with fashion, but puppies.

Over the weekend, Porter magazine unveiled its spring 2015 cover, starring Karlie Kloss shot on a beach by Bruce Weber, holding an adorable puppy staring lovingly at the camera, which we're betting will do wonders for newsstand sales. But the cuteness doesn't stop there. Inside the April 2015 issue of Vogue (which features Serena Williams on the cover), there's an eerily similar spread with Gigi Hadid, Jessica Hart and a whole bunch of pups -- also shot by Weber. Some of the photos include the season's most covetable sandals modeled by the dogs. Sure, that sounds a little weird, but the results are really endearing.

Bruce Weber for 'Vogue,' April 2015.
Bruce Weber for 'Vogue,' April 2015.
Magazine spreads are often shot months in advance and conceptualized by a team of editors alongside the photographer, so we're wondering if Weber had a say in the canine casting in both shoots, or if he was just along for the (very adorable) ride. On another note, if you happen to have a case of the Mondays, we suggest typing the phrase "Bruce Weber dogs" into your Google Image search bar. You can thank us later.

Photos: 'Vogue'
Photos: 'Vogue'

Saturday, March 28, 2015

MICHAEL Kors Fab Finds

MICHAEL Kors Fab Finds:



MICHAEL KORS Spring/Summer



MICHAEL%2BMichael%2BKors%2BSleeveless%2B
Spring is here, and summer around the corner!  It's so awesome to see sandals and wedges, and sleeveless dresses! It may not be quite warm enough yet, but it's time to add some warm weather essentials to your closet.  I've got the perfect solution with some fabulous Michael Kors finds!  The wedges are out in full force for Spring and Summer.  The shirt dress is also a very popular trend for the upcoming season.  Above, the gorgeous Karmen Pedaru is wearing the MICHAEL Michael Kors Sleeveless Crochet Dress shown in white. Enjoy more amazing Michael Kors below with jumpsuits, dresses, handbags, shoes, and plenty more chic accessories.  Just click on the image, or the description below, for more information.  Enjoy....Happy Spring!


MICHAEL Michael Kors Crochet Dress
MICHAEL Michael Kors Sleeveless Crochet Dress shown in White


MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Somerly'  Wedge
MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Somerly' Espadrille Wedge and Collection 58mm Aviator Sunglasses


Michael Kors Leopard Print Chain Lace-Up Dress
MICHAEL Michael Kors Leopard Print Chain Lace-Up Dress


Michael Kors 'Nadine' Platform Wedge Sandal
MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Nadine' Platform Wedge Sandal and Collection 56mm Cat Eye Sunglasses


Michael Kors Shirred Roll Sleeve Jersey Jumpsuit
MICHAEL Michael Kors Shirred Roll Sleeve Jersey Jumpsuit (shown in Black and Gold-Toned Hardware)


Michael Kors Wren Pave Dial Chronograph Watch
Michael Kors 'Keely' Wedge Sandal,'Wren' Pavé Dial Chronograph Watch, 'Large Miranda' Bucket Bag


MICHAEL Michael Kors Halter Jumpsuit
MICHAEL Michael Kors Halter Jumpsuit (shown in Black/Silver


MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Beverly' Leather Mule Sandal
Michael Kors 'Beverly' Leather Mule Sandal and 'Large Jet Set' Saffiano Leather Crossbody Bag


MICHAEL Michael Kors Print Chain Lace-Up Shirtdress
MICHAEL Michael Kors Print Chain Lace-Up Shirtdress


Michael Kors Collection 58mm Pavé Stone Sunglasses
Michael Kors 'Keely' Wedge Sandal and Collection 58mm Pavé Stone Sunglasses


MICHAEL Michael Kors Embellished Neck Maxi Dress
MICHAEL Michael Kors Embellished Neck Maxi Dress


MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Odelia' Caged Sandal
MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Odelia' Caged Sandal and 'Lana' Clutch


ENJOY MORE MICHAEL KORS FASHION AT NORDSTROM 

(images via Nordstrom)


Georgina Chapman Is More Focused on Expanding Marchesa Than Charles James

Georgina Chapman Is More Focused on Expanding Marchesa Than Charles James:

Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman at the Marchesa fall 2015 show. Photo: Arun Nevader/Getty Images
Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman at the Marchesa fall 2015 show. Photo: Arun Nevader/Getty Images
Not all designers host trunk shows, but for some, they're an important way to get to know your customer, gain feedback and figure out what's selling. This is true for Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, co-founders of Marchesa, who have been doing trunk shows since the inception of their line of beautiful eveningwear in 2004.

For someone like me, entering a store like Bergdorf Goodman on a Thursday afternoon feels like walking into an unfamiliar world. "Oh, so people do just walk into Bergdorf's in the middle of the day and buy $2,000 Chanel bags," I thought to myself as I made my way to the fourth floor evening salon, where Craig and Chapman brought their fall 2015 noir-inspired collection in the hopes of collecting some pre-orders. "It’s quite a magical thing when you design a dress in a studio and you actually see a woman trying it on — you can feel the transformation and [the customer] really falls in love with something," said Chapman. "As a designer, that’s what it’s really all about."

Chapman and Craig say they don't think about a particular type of woman when they design — "we just think about our inspiration" — so the trunk shows offer an opportunity to find out who is actually buying their extravagant dresses, something I'm certainly curious about as well. The designers say they're most surprised by the range in age of their customers: At an event in Miami, Chapman says, "We had a girl [buying a dress] for prom, I think she was 15, 16, and an 86-year-old great grandmother. She bought a dress that Halle Berry had worn to the Oscars, so she was really amazing."

To be either of those ladies, I think, is the dream.

Of course, trunk shows aren't the designers' only focus right now. There's the upcoming Met Gala, for which they have "invited some people" to dress, but won't reveal whom.

Sooner than that, they have a bridal show during New York's bridal week at the St. Regis Hotel, where they have recently signed on as ambassadors. The collection will be "very romantic," and as for the St. Regis partnership, they plan to host more events, dinners and, eventually, design. They're also expanding their relatively new fine jewelry line beyond wedding jewelry, into more fashion pieces.

"We’ve always wanted Marchesa to be a lifestyle brand," explains Chapman, when asked if she plans to expand the label beyond fashion and accessories. "There are limitless ideas out there, so it’s always finding the right thing to do and not taking on too much."

Something they're allegedly not focused on: Charles James. Chapman's husband Harvey Weinstein bought the rights to the defunct American fashion house last year, and reportedly signed on Chapman as a creative consultant. Though, apparently, Chapman hasn't done much consulting yet. "I’m not actually," she responded when asked whether she's been involved with the relaunch. "My husband has bought the brand, but I don’t think that anything has been confirmed as to what they’re doing with it. You’d have to talk to him about it; I really don’t know what his plans are."

We guess those plans — and Zac Posen's rumored involvement in them — will remain a mystery a bit longer.

4 Things You Should Know About the Menswear Market Right Now

4 Things You Should Know About the Menswear Market Right Now:

Men at work. Photo: Imaxtree
Men at work. Photo: Imaxtree
On Thursday, Womenswear Daily mixed things up by holding a — wait for it — menswear conference. The event, held on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, drew designers like Todd Snyder and Stuart Vevers of Coach, retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and newcomers from the startup world like Frank & Oak.

With New York Fashion Week: Men's coming our way in July, there's no better time to study up on the menswear market. Here are four things we learned from the panelists and speakers at WWD's event.

1. Men will pay more for products than retailers are currently charging.

That's according to Greg Petro, the president and CEO of First Insight Inc, an analytics company that provides predictive data on products that haven't gone to market yet. During the men's fashion shows in Milan, First Insight asked consumers which items on the runway they preferred and how much they'd be willing to pay for them. For leather jackets, the most popular style within the coats category, men said they'd be willing to spend 44 percent more than retail price. Depending on the brand and clothing item, Petro said, retailers could be charging 30 percent more than they currently do — and boost their profit margins in a big way.

2. In China, menswear is a bigger market than womenswear.

If you split up the Chinese apparel market by demographic, menswear occupies the biggest portion of the pie — 43 percent — says Richard Cohen, the CEO of Trinity Limited, a company that owns a number of high-end menswear brands and has a strong presence in China. Overall, men's clothing is worth $73.3 billion in the country.

3. The lines are blurring between traditionally "men's" and "women's" styles, and retailers are acknowledging that.

In a presentation on Coach's newly evolved men's collection, creative director Stuart Vevers said that he aimed for simplicity and an "American sense of function and utility" in designing the line's tote, backpack and messenger bag. But beyond that, what constitutes men's bags — as opposed to women's — has totally changed.

"Is a guy more comfortable carrying a bag today? I absolutely do think so. Something about a modern lifestyle implies actual necessity: a vessel for his gym gear, his technology, and absolutely in metropolitan areas and also in Asia, I often see guys carrying [bags] that were traditionally carried by women," Vevers said. "I think this also reinforces the idea that gender stereotypes are breaking down. I also think guys may increasingly be less likely to wear a classical wallet due to his slimmer pants and the fact that everything can be dumped in his bag. A guy's version of a clutch is becoming increasingly accessible."

4. Men are dressing better, and their sartorial status symbols are changing.

"It is a super exciting time. Guys are really well-bred, well-versed, have an interest in fashion. I think there are a lot of great influences right now," said Saks Fifth Avenue SVP and General Merchandise Manager Thomas Ott onstage. "The world of sports; I think basketball players are dressing so well. I think that that is very influential. A lot of young musicians are dressing up. I think that today's generation — guys in their 20s and early 30s — are great for the industry. Thinking back on my career it's probably one of the best generations of male dressers that we've seen."

That said, what guys are wearing isn't uniform across the board, even in our globalized society. While Ott said he's seeing a lot of guys getting into suits and ties, Vevers pointed out that he's noticed men veering away from tailoring, particularly in Asia.

"I've traveled a lot in Asia over the last seven or eight years, mostly in China and Japan, and I'm always struck by what a dramatic shift this region has generated, and especially for men's," said Vevers. "It's not easy to generalize, but I actually quite rarely see guys wearing tailoring, either. Even more rarely see a guy wearing a tie. To me, some of the new codes of status are being created right in front of us. A new sweatshirt, a crazy cult sneaker, or a modern and often quite playful leather bag."

'Mad Men' and 'Game of Thrones' Battle It Out for Best Dressed TV Cast

'Mad Men' and 'Game of Thrones' Battle It Out for Best Dressed TV Cast:

Kiernan Shipka in Miu Miu. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Kiernan Shipka in Miu Miu. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
"Mad Men" and "Game of Thrones" are two shows for which actors undergo pretty significant physical transformations to become the characters they play, inhabitants of eras that have long past. Which is why it's especially fun to see cast members together on the red carpet in modern-day fashion.

Maisie Williams in Markus Lupfer. Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images
Maisie Williams in Markus Lupfer. Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images
This week we got lucky, with events to celebrate the imminent returns of both shows. From Kiernan Shipka's glamorous Miu Miu to Maisie Williams's playful looks, click through to see how the stars of "Mad Men" and "Game of Thrones" fared on the red carpet this week. And prepare to keep your Sunday nights open for the foreseeable future.

Dhani's Light, Cropped Sweater for Spring

Dhani's Light, Cropped Sweater for Spring:

It had been a while since I'd entered a Club Monaco, but something drew me to it a couple of weekends ago and it was both a blessing and a curse.

The store's inventory right now is good, but also a little pricier than I remember Club Monaco being. The quality seems to have improved as well: most things look as expensive as they are. So I settled on this simple, versatile cream cropped sweater that's so light, it seems more like a shirt than a knit. Though it also feels more substantial and sophisticated than your standard crop top.

I plan on wearing it with high-waisted skirts and jeans. Those pants the model's wearing are kind of calling my name, too. They may be my next purchase.

Lizeth crop sweater, $139.50, available at Club Monaco

Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making

Friday, March 27, 2015

One Of The World's Largest Collections Of Pin-Up Girls Goes On View

One Of The World's Largest Collections Of Pin-Up Girls Goes On View:



The pin-up girl is a very particular type of woman. She's an All-American super babe, known for dressing up -- and sometimes spilling out -- but never enough to warrant a censor bar. She's flirtatious yet innocent, erotic but not sexual, mischievous and still sweet.

"Her sexiness is natural and uncontrived, and her exposure is always accidental," Dian Hanson, author of The Art of the Pin-Up explained to The Huffington Post. "A fishhook catches her bikini top, an outboard motor shreds her skirt, a spunky puppy trips her up or the ever-present playful breeze lifts her hem, revealing stocking tops and garter straps, but never the whole enchilada."

girl


Gil Elvgren, Low Down Feelings, Oil on Canvas


The history of the pin-up girl stems back to the time of World War I, when President Woodrow Wilson formed the Division of Pictorial Publicity to create visual stimuli to persuade men to join the war effort. Turned out pin-up girls were quite convincing. It wasn't long before the wavy haired, rosy cheeked, buxom women were popping up on calendars, advertisements and magazine covers all over the country.

The pin-up girl's popularity continued to rise throughout World War II, when soldiers abroad would hang up an image of a pretty lady to remind them of what they were fighting for. Yet some enthusiasts claim the origins of the pin-up extend even further back, debatably to the invention of the bicycle in the early 1800s. For practical reasons, women began sporting pants for the first time soon after, drawing attention to legs like never before and making mainstream women's fashion at once more masculine and more erotic.

To suffragists, the bike was the "freedom machine," releasing women of their ties to a male escort. To the male gaze, the mode of transportation was a prop upon which models sat, prompting a whole new genre of painted and illustrated muses.





Alberto Vargas, Brunette with Blue Flowers, Watercolor, crayon & graphite on paper
The mythic history of the pin-up is certainly filled with contradictions. On the one hand, objectifying scantily clad women for male pleasure is hardly revolutionary. (Cue hundreds of years of art history.) And yet the pin-up movement has an arguably feminist angle as well, emboldening women with a distinct sense of sexuality, agency and liberation from norms. "We find that the pin-up provided a model through which women could construct themselves as icons of contemporary womanhood," art history professor Maria Elena Buszek writes. "Through the genre, women were representing themselves as at once both conventionally feminine and transgressively aware of her own power and potential for agency on levels both personal and political."

Gallerist Louis Meisel has had a soft spot for the kitsch subculture since childhood, growing up to become the leading dealer and collector of original pin-up artworks. His stash includes oil paintings, watercolors and pastels, each managing to capture the softness of a beautiful woman's face. Some are classic depictions of the girl next door, while others, depicting eroticized visions by the sea or floating in mid-air, seem almost surreal. His works are currently on view at his gallery, in an appropriately named exhibition, "The Great American Pin-Up Girl Returns."

If you're looking for a primer on pin-up culture, curious to see what sexy meant in 1950, or just want to see some beautiful and airbrushed ladies in themed garter belts, enjoy a preview of the show below. For a more in-depth history of how it all went down, check out our timeline here.

"The Great American Pin-Up Returns" will show at Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City between April 2 and May 2, 2015.



  • Vaughan Alden Bass, Sugar N' Spice (Towel Girl) Oil on Canvas




  • Peter Driben, Reclining Red Head in Green Dress with Chocolates (24x35 Oil on Canvas)




  • Gil Elvgren, I've Been Spotted (30x24 Oil on Canvas )




  • Art Frahm, Tow Truck (Flat Tire) (31x25 Oil on Canvas on Board




  • William Medcalf, Permite Girl on Car Creeper (30x25 Oil on Canvas)




  • Earl Moran, Eve-N-Tide (46x36 Pastel on Board )




  • Zoe Mozert, Woman in Red Swimshirt




  • Haddon Sundblom, Untitled (Girl with Dog) (40x30 Oil on Canvas)


Anna Kendrick Covers Glamour UK Looking Sexy As Hell

Anna Kendrick Covers Glamour UK Looking Sexy As Hell: Anna Kendrick looks pitch perfect on the May issue of Glamour UK.



The actress, who has an affinity for sweatpants, cleaned up well for her cover shoot wearing a radiant embellished dress, minimal makeup and a sexy, tousled bed head.



glamour mag




In the issue, the actress talks about everything from George Clooney to braving the red carpet to filming "Pitch Perfect 2." She also touches on her looming 30th birthday and her constant struggle to be seen as an adult: "I really like '50s-style dresses, but they make you look childish, and I don't want to look like one of those people trying to look like a little schoolgirl… I'm trying to give a message to the world that I am a grown up.”



Kendrick also speaks to how she manages to stay out of the spotlight and dodge the paparazzi: "Part of it is because I'm dressed really boring in sweatpants and sneakers, so those pictures just don’t sell," she told the glossy. She continued, "You need to be really styled – in the perfect leather jacket and little booties, and have your red lipstick and your coffee – and I haven't managed that yet. If I've got jeans on, it's a good day.”



Preach girl.



See the full shoot and interview in the May 2015 issue of GLAMOUR, on sale Thursday, April 2.


Original enclosures:

Timeless Wedding Dresses By Solo Merav

Timeless Wedding Dresses By Solo Merav:

You were searching for the wedding dress from your dreams, weren’t you!? Stop! I have found some dreamy gowns to inspire you and to awaken your creativity. These stunning dresses that you are going to see in a short are made by Solo Merav.

Prepare yourself to see magnificent designs that will take your breath away and will leave you speechless. Every design is made to emphasize the curves and the beauty of the female body. Plus, each dress is innovative and original. High quality of fabrics are used and the designer payed a lot of attention to the small details. Check out the designs here and inspire yourself! Enjoy and have fun!

The designer graduated from the school that is considered as the best Italian fashion school. After that, she returned in Israel and opened the “Solo Merav” studio that specializes impeccable couture. Her immense talent and passion for fashion and wedding industry is translated in her new collection.

Nowadays, Solo Merav is a leader in the bridal industry with her 20 years of experience, elegant and sophisticated style. She is using the highest quality fabrics and maintaining the attention to detail and meticulous tailoring. You can visit her site or her studio which is located in Haifa, Israel. Enjoy in the rest of the dresses. 


I hope that you have found these dresses stunning and beautiful. I love all of the designs and I can’t pick yet which one is my favorite? Which wedding dress would you like to wear on your Big Day? Pick the one that you like the more and step in the world of love, passion and happiness like a real fashionista. Be the most beautiful bride in the world! If you have some other suggestions for me, please leave me a comment below! Enjoy in the rest of the day and stay up to date with the contents of Fashion Diva Design!

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