Isabel Marant’s designer collection is coming to H&M

2013 November 7. | Szerző: shannon

And in just over a week’s time it is landing on our doorstep.

The Isabel Marant for H&M collection arrives in Glasgow’s flagship Buchanan Street store next Thursday.

So expect overnight queuing as one of the catwalk’s most celebrated names takes her signature style to the wider public – and for a fraction of the price.

The collection oozes French laidback style, mixing some of the Parisian’s best-loved details, including fringing and chunky knits. Designer Isabel, who launched her fashion house nearly a decade ago, has combined wearable pieces with bohemian accessories to channel a chic but quirky vibe.

From navy peacoats to keep out the cold to silk scarves that are bound to be on a few Christmas lists, it is no wonder the designer has such a wide following.

As well as the line for women and young people, Isabel has created pieces for men for the first time.

The designer follows in the footsteps of Versace, Marni, Lanvin and Stella McCartney in collaborating with the high-street store.

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She added: “I aim at creating something real, that women want to wear in their everyday lives, with a certain carelessness, which I think is very Parisian.You dress up, but do not pay too much attention and still look sexy. The collection is infused with this kind of easiness and attitude.

“Everything can be mixed following one’s own instincts: my take on fashion is all about personality.”

The line launches in H&M Buchanan Street at 9am next Thursday, November 14.

A POP-UP shop is launching in a Glasgow shopping centre.

Parma Vintage (PV) will set up in Princes Square, on the lower ground floor, on Friday, and will be in the mall until Sunday.

Set up in 2009 by Gillian McGilp and named after her favourite retro sweets, Parma Violets, Gillian created a business from the vintage finds she picked up during her time as an air hostess.

PV became a one-stop shop in Gourock, Inverclyde, for vintage, modern brands, accessories, gifts and homewares.

The store mixes vintage with new on-trend fashion, and they stock an eclectic mix of both to suit all styles.

Gillian said: “Our customers range from people who live across the street to fashion lovers on the other side of the world.

“We want to bring the fun shopping experience of PV to you – and what better place to start than the style hub of Glasgow?”

Mad Men Makeup: Lead Makeup Artist Lana Horochowski Shares Her Secrets

2013 November 5. | Szerző: shannon

Loving the makeup from Mad Men? The show is a fabulous beauty throwback to hair and makeup of days gone by. But with the retro makeup trend in full swing, we were delighted to get some additional insight on these old school styles directly from a pro. Lead Makeup Artist for Mad Men, Lana Horochowski, shared a few of her favorite looks and what it takes to create the time capsule magic for the hit TV show with BeautyPress. Read on to learn about her most beloved character, where she finds inspiration, and what beauty brands she uses. Click through the slideshow for a few of the images from this oh-so-chic era.

So Lana, what kind of brands do you use on the set of Mad Men?

We use KohGenDo a great Japanese line, NARS velvet matte lipsticks, Tom Ford, and MAC.

What kind of research did you do to get inspired to create 1960’s looks?

We ordered so many fashion and vintage magazines. Like when we had to prepare looks from 1968, I ordered the entire year of 1968 Vogue. I would observe the cosmetic advertisements. Those are the most telling of how women were wearing makeup at that time.

Just out of curiosity, who’s your favorite character from Mad Men and where does their cosmetic transformation come from?

Peggy is my favorite. Peggy comes from a religious family, she moved up in a man’s world really quickly. Peggy never learned how to put makeup on, so she’s learning. That’s why her makeup always looks a bit off. Like when I saw an advertisement from the time era for this makeup palette with various different colors, I thought Peggy would totally use all of these colors at once trying to look the best she can.

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So what’s it like getting everyone ready to film? How long does it take to apply the makeup on set before shooting?

For the girls, they’re usually done in an hour and a half to two hours. The guys are fast, 45 minutes and they are ready.

What’s your favorite look from the 1950’s?

There’s nothing more perfect than a matte red lip with a full brow. So clean, simple, and timeless.

Can you explain what goes behind Pete’s receding hairline?

Pete gets shaved every day, sometimes a couple times a day. Then we paint out the shadow that is still left on the head. His head gets shaved with an actual blade to get a really close shave. Whenever it’s time to shave Pete’s head we yell “SHAVING!” and everyone just clenches tight until we’re done. It takes around 40 minutes to get Pete’s shaved head perfect.

The Olsens on Scents, Fashion and Branding

2013 November 1. | Szerző: shannon

Perfectionists? They freely admit it. That explains the deep dives for knowledge they make on any product category they consider entering.

But that’s part of the reason that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are at the helm of a megamultimillion-dollar licensing and manufacturing company, Dualstar Entertainment Group — which they’re now adding to with fragrances and next year with a first Los Angeles flagship for their The Row brand. They’re also juggling their Elizabeth and James contemporary brand, their Olsenboye line for J.C. Penney and a T-shirt line called StyleMint, among other projects.

During an exclusive interview at TriBeCa’s Locanda Verde, the Olsens discussed their new brand of two women’s fragrances, Nirvana, which is built off of Elizabeth and James and will be exclusive to Sephora. Black is a sensual woody scent, while White is a musky floral fragrance. The duo will be launched in late January, after a quick in-store holiday preview from Dec. 13 to 25.

Given that they’ve been working since they were nine months old — their age when they began the shared role of Michelle Tanner on the ABC sitcom “Full House” — spending much time relaxing isn’t usually comfortable for Ashley or Mary-Kate.

“We were always hard workers as kids,” said Mary-Kate. “It’s just the way we are, the way we were raised. Our work ethic was everything, and that never left us. We like to work hard, and we like to try to do everything 100 percent. In fact, it’s actually almost impossible for us not to. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes not so much, but it’s learning.”

“I always looked at myself, even as a kid, as a businesswoman,” said Ashley.

Added Mary-Kate: “With what we were doing in business when we were younger, I don’t think it ever felt like we were actresses — because we spent so much more of our time not in front of the cameras, building a brand.”

In fact, the Olsens founded Dualstar in 1993 at the tender age of six — “We couldn’t see over the top of the table,” Ashley joked — and their marketing savvy and the support of a strong team of adults reportedly made them millionaires by their 10th birthday. In 2004, on their 18th birthday, the sisters took over as copresidents (they are now co-chief executive officers) of the privately held firm, which has produced movies, TV shows, magazines and video games. While in their tweens, their business efforts included not only movies and videos, but clothes, shoes, purses, hats, books, CDs and cassette tapes, fragrances and makeup, magazines, video and board games, dolls, posters, calendars, telephones and CD players — with a market share made up mostly of the tween demographic. Mattel produced various sets of Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls from 2000 to 2005.

“We’ve been exposed to so much,” said Ashley. “We were very fortunate to have parents and people around us who wanted us to be part of the creative meetings and the business meetings, and we would just sit and listen and be sponges. At that time in your life, you really are a sponge. And we’ve learned so much from people we’ve been exposed to in our lives — interesting people from different walks of life, different ceo’s. The list goes on and on. Mary-Kate and I have always taken advantage of our time with those people and walked away learning a thing or two.”

Best business lesson they’ve learned? Both Mary-Kate and Ashley prize one above all others: trusting their guts. “We have really good instincts, and it’s better when we listen to them,” said Ashley. “That’s both personal and in work.”

“And [growing up] we also were learning about branding and staying true to ourselves as well,” said Mary-Kate. “What always worked was that we were speaking directly to our customers, who were our age. Even down to writing a script, they would want us and our input on what the script should look like or how it would sound — because a 50-year-old man is not going to know the way a 10-year-old is speaking. It was very collaborative, and we were able to learn a lot about branding and marketing and product.”

After moving to Manhattan as 18-year-olds, the sisters took a break from entertainment — and developed a true passion for fashion. “Mary-Kate and I moved to New York to go to NYU, and we put everything else kind of on hold because we wanted to just go to school and experience education without working at the same time,” said Ashley. “While doing that, we started conceptualizing The Row. We started one item at a time, and took it to L.A. because the machines we wanted to use [to create the pieces] weren’t available in New York.”

“We sold it at first with no label,” said Mary-Kate. “Only certain people knew it was us behind it. We didn’t do any press. Our idea — because we had been in the branding industry for a very long time — was ‘If the product’s good, it will sell.’” While Ashley and Mary-Kate were building The Row, the opportunity came for them to do the Elizabeth and James line with a partner. “It was when the contemporary category was very small, and now we have several partners who help us with Elizabeth and James,” said Ashley. “We still do everything with The Row ourselves.”

In fact, the Olsens are about to become vertically integrated. Next year, they will launch their first store for The Row, in Los Angeles. Eventually, they’d like to do a fragrance for that brand, noted Ashley.

“Retail is really our next step,” Ashley added. “We’re building the store right now for The Row in Los Angeles.”

Following the sisters’ affinity for perfectionism, they’ll build the empire “one store at a time,” said Ashley. “And eventually, Elizabeth and James would love a home as well.” Other categories are likely for The Row down the road. “We pretty much have all categories with Elizabeth and James right now, but for The Row it’s just apparel and handbags,” said Ashley. Shoes are on the wish list, “but that’s a very different type of business,” said Ashley. “We’ve done a ton of research, and it can be a really big expense, depending on how you want to do it. We like having success with one thing before we move on to the next. We don’t like to spread ourselves too thin.”

But they do appreciate what each of them comes to the table with. “We feel so fortunate to have each other, to have a dialogue,” said Ashley. “Communication is key; it’s the most important thing in life. And Mary-Kate and I get to communicate all day long, on all sorts of subjects. It gets us to a more educated, thoughtful place, because we often come to things from different directions — although we want to get to the same space and have the same goal and vision. But that conversation is what gets us there.”

Ashley and Mary-Kate were inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2009, and confess they get overly excited when they spot someone wearing one of their pieces. And while you’d think taking surreptitious shots would be the work of their fans, Ashley and Mary-Kate both confess to snapping shots when they see someone on the street in one of their creations. “Anytime we’ve started a brand and we see people wearing it — and we haven’t given it to them — we try and take pictures of them,” said Mary-Kate. “The first time we saw a Row T-shirt, an Elizabeth and James piece, a handbag — we got giddy.” Added Ashley: “It’s such a nice feeling that somebody appreciates your work.”

Roughly two years ago, Sephora’s Kendo division — the development arm that handles strategic partnerships — approached Mary-Kate and Ashley after a fashion market research survey commissioned by the beauty retailer continually referenced the Olsens’ Elizabeth and James brand. “We always knew we wanted to have a fragrance for this brand, because it’s very lifestyle,” said Ashley. “There are many components to the brand. We felt that between the brand Elizabeth and James and Sephora that we were really speaking together directly to our customer. We felt that was a really good place to start exploring the world of fragrance and beauty.”

After deciding the venture felt right, Ashley and Mary-Kate began working with fragrance veteran Robin Burns, cofounder of brand developer Batallure, and Michael McGeever, senior vice president of Sephora and general manager of Kendo.

Mary-Kate and Ashley spent close to two years developing the scents. “We’re not perfectionists at all,” deadpanned Mary-Kate. In fact, the Olsens’ attention to detail included flying in out-of-season peonies from New Zealand and lily of the valley from Holland for the interview because they are key ingredients in the scents.

Nirvana Black, developed first, took a year and a half, with around 50 different concoctions before hitting on the winner — “and that’s 50 versions not including the various tweaks we made to individual notes,” said Ashley. Nirvana White took just a few months.

Originally, the concept was to do just one fragrance to start, but during the development process the Olsens decided against trying to cram too many notes into one bottle. “We wanted to keep things as pure as we could,” said Mary-Kate. During one tweaking session, Ashley suggested doing two fragrances, an idea that immediately took root. “They also layer very nicely,” Ashley pointed out. “It’s not necessarily meant to be either/or, but both [fragrances].”

Before heading into the fragrance labs at Firmenich, where they spent a lot of time, Ashley and Mary-Kate studied the existing fragrance market and determined how they could differentiate their offering. “We looked at how people are speaking to this consumer and how we could speak differently,” said Ashley. “It was very interesting to focus on what’s working and what’s not working and why.”

Added Mary-Kate: “We didn’t want to do another very average commercial fragrance where it could be anybody’s name on the bottle and a visual, which would be a model with a bottle. We wanted to offer more than that and we wanted to offer a choice. I don’t want the fragrances to wear [the customer]. Ashley and I are really into oils, and those were the notes we were really attracted to. It was fascinating to see how many different variations of ingredients there were, how many different types of sandalwood, for instance. That was one of the things I found most interesting, the quality issues of these ingredients, and also balancing all of the notes so that they would sit well together in the juice.”

“And we have expensive tastes,” cracked Ashley, who confessed that she brought her shampoo, conditioner, face lotion, oils and deodorant to the first mixing session. “People would always say I smell good, but it was really a combination of those things rather than a specific fragrance.”

Mary-Kate said she’s always loved sandalwood, musk and amber notes — “darker and more masculine,” she opined. Nirvana White is built around peony, muguet and musk, while Nirvana Black features violet, sandalwood and vanilla notes. “Also, these fragrances are really about what everyone wants, which is intimacy.”

“Not speaking the language, trying to figure out what someone else wants to express, it’s so fascinating, Even if we didn’t use the right words, Pierre [Negrin, who helped develop Black] and Honorine [Blanc, who assisted in the White development process] knew what we were trying to express,” said Mary-Kate. “We all have skin in this game. It’s a team effort. That’s a fresh way to do things.”

Elizabeth and James Nirvana eaux de parfum will each be available in three sizes — 50 ml. for $75, 30 ml. for $55 and a $22 rollerball.

“We wanted the bottles to feel sensual,” said Mary-Kate of the opaque-textured bottles which bear the color of their respective names. “There was a texture on an antique that we really loved — a completely different shape, but the way it felt when you would hold it in your hand. We wanted to play with all senses. Whether it was scent, touch, size, the weight — we wanted it to be curved so when you held it in your hand it didn’t feel strict and harsh.”

“There’s a nice roundness to it,” said Ashley. “We wanted it to be modern, but not too modern. Also, the contrast of black and white in-store will hopefully be very dramatic.”

Branding on the bottle is minimal, with the scent’s name engraved on a gold-toned plate running down the side of the bottle.

The name Nirvana was chosen, said Ashley, “because to us, this was really about a moment — and what’s that one word that’s going to define that one moment where you feel comfortable, sexy and at ease with yourself? For us, we always came back to our beds. That’s where I love to spend my time off. No noise, no people trying to bug you. So it was about capturing that. And about there being no judgment, and how our generation is growing up with that intention. People are much more accepting of things and of people’s choices. That was also part of this process.”

“Getting to the name Nirvana took a lot of time,” said Mary-Kate. “Then we were in a meeting, talking about launch dates, and Robin goes, ‘That date would be nirvana!’ We were just like, ‘What did you just say?’ What’s better than nirvana? That’s the dialogue we want to have with the consumer, giving them a choice, but figuring out where they’re coming from, what is their nirvana, what is their moment.”

“We wanted the feeling to be intimate, and we wanted a regular girl, not a model,” said Ashley of the ad visual, which breaks in the December issue of Allure. Shot by Ryan McGinley, the image features a naked model snoozing face-down in a cocoon of sheets with a black dog sleeping nearby. Originally the plan was to use Mary-Kate’s dog Jack, but “her dog looked totally big next to the model,” said Ashley with a laugh, teasing her sister about her passion for dogs. “She’s never had a better day on set than when she got to play dog trainer,” said Ashley. “She was so excited.”

An interactive marketing platform is being developed for the brand, said McGeever. “In the first part of their careers, they built a brand that was centered around them,” said McGeever. “When they created the second act of their career, it was really more about the celebration of quality and craftsmanship, with them almost invisible in the beginning. That’s what we’re working on [with the promotional plans.] This isn’t about sticking Mary-Kate and Ashley on a billboard. This is about the brand they’ve spent the better part of a decade building.”

How will the sisters define success for the fragrance? “I’d like to walk down the street and smell a note of it,” said Mary-Kate.

Ashley confessed to a frisson of fear about the beauty business. “I have to be honest, I do [fear it] a little,” she said. “I kind of felt it today and I know it’s because I’m relatively new in this category. But I felt it in a good way — it was like, ‘I have so much to learn.’ I know entertainment and apparel and brands; I’ve had schooling and training with that. With these [fragrances], this has been my training so far, and I’m so grateful to Robin and Michael for educating at the same time as developing.”

While all involved with the fragrance declined to discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated that Nirvana by Elizabeth and James would do about $7 million at retail during calendar year 2014.

This fragrance duo will likely lead to future scents by the sisters. “We’ve learned a lot through Sephora — why things work, why certain things don’t work and what’s new and exciting — and we think there are a lot of logical brand extensions,” said Ashley.

Both sisters attended Sephora’s national employee meeting in August. “It was great to see how they communicate and how much they believe in what they’re doing,” said Mary-Kate. “To me, that was the greatest thing to see. It’s why they’re so successful at what they do. It’s all coming from a positive place. They believe in the product and they trust their management.”

Will they go back to Hollywood? Doubtful. “We have a video catalogue of everything we did when we were younger, so we’re looking at distribution for that now,” said Ashley. “That’s not being in show business, but it’s been fun talking to these people we used to be in business with many, many years ago. But the industries are completely different.”

“We still feel welcome in the [entertainment] industry,” said Mary-Kate. “But it’s not the one we’re in.” Instead, the sisters say they’re still telling stories and entertaining — but through their products.

The fragrance will be sold in the U.S. and Canada for now, and will soon be presented to the other markets. Likely overseas possibilities include the U.K. and Japan, said McGeever. “We need to spend more time in Japan [to further suss out the market], and that’s planned for the first part of next year,” said Ashley.

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Campbell and VB talked fashion racism

2013 October 30. | Szerző: shannon

Naomi Campbell spoke to Victoria Beckham about the lack of black models on the runway at the moment.

Naomi Campbell phoned Victoria Beckham to discuss racism in the fashion industry.

The supermodel, along with model Iman and agent Bethann Hardison, has launched a campaign to stamp out racism on the runway. Naomi and her Diversity Coalition colleagues put their names to an open letter naming fashion houses that use predominantly white models. Victoria’s label was on the list and she was said to be furious with the accusation, with Naomi revealing the pair discussed the situation.

“I called Victoria and I spoke to her,” the 43-year-old told British newspaper The Mirror. “I don’t want to pin-point anyone. It isn’t a blame game. Everyone’s name was on that letter because they’d done it. It could have been completely unintentional. She is one of the designers on there like anyone else.”

Other designers on the list included Calvin Klein, Roberto Cavalli, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Chanel and Armani. The open letter claimed that just 6% of models appearing at New York Fashion Week were black.

Naomi had no qualms about naming names, insisting she is trying to make the fashion industry a more equal place to work.

“Absolutely not! There is no way to candycoat this sort of thing. You have to be straight,” she argued. “We had the percentages and we were armed with the facts and you can’t be nervous about upsetting people. I speak the truth. People might not like it but I am doing it.”

Naomi is adamant that racism is still a relevant issue for models.

She claims some of the biggest names in the world have expressed their unhappiness at the situation.

“You will be surprised at some of the models who confide in me,” she said. “A lot of them are very big. They are told, ‘We don’t want you in our show, this isn’t the united colours of Benetton’.

“One model who said this to me is on about three covers right now. She is one of the lucky few and she’s still experiencing it.”

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Culture and Fashion Star at Indian Charity Bazaar

2013 October 28. | Szerző: shannon

Immersion in a piece of Indian culture is really only few steps away from home, right here in Jakarta.

Every year, the Indian Women’s Association organizes a charity bazaar, giving a chance for people in Jakarta to immerse themselves in a uniquely Indian atmosphere and be a part of the country’s rich and colorful traditions.

This year’s bazaar, recently held at JW Marriott in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, attracted over 1, 000 visitors. Inside, 167 neatly arranged tables provided products from India and elsewhere, featuring a big variety of jewelry, fabrics and traditional clothes.

“Every year our bazaar provides a very unique atmosphere enriched by a vast range of items — choices that are not easy to find outside,” said Gopi Panjabi, president of the association. “For example, among the items sold this year, there are special lights in honor of the upcoming Indian New Year, Diwali [on Sunday].”

Panjabi explained that in addition to typically Indian products, the bazaar over the years had come to include items from around the world, such as Singapore and Pakistan, all under one roof.

Malaysian Zal Steinmeyer, owner of Zal’s Accessories, is a regular vendor at the Indian Women’s Association bazaar.

“It feels good to participate in charity bazaars,” Zal said. “It’s a right time to contribute in doing good for people in need. Today I am selling products from as far abroad as Afghanistan and Korea.”

The Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh and his wife were also present. The bazaar, with an entrance fee of Rp. 50,000 ($4.55) and raffle tickets for Rp. 10,000 began in 2004 as an effort to raise funds for local charity organizations.

The proceeds are distributed to a broad range of organizations, including SLB Surya Wiyata, a school for special needs children and Pusaka 61, a center for supporting senior citizens.

The IWA also supports promising students on a monthly basis until their graduation from various universities across Jakarta, such as Gunadarma University and Mercu Buana University. Up to now, 100 students have graduated thanks to the association’s help, while thirty more students are currently on the payroll.

Charity bazaar lover Tess Pantoja always finds it interesting to buy items while supporting a good cause.

“Occasions like this are perfect to buy interesting and creative items and at the same time to do good,” said Pantoja, who is originally from the Philippines. “I’ve been living in Indonesia for 23 years and I am glad to find occasions where I can give back to the local people.”

Since its formation in 1975, the IWA has grown to include about 200 active members, 17 of whom were present on the day of the event, assisting visitors. The committee members were easily recognizable by their shawls, patterned with the Indian flag.

Count Me In, the volunteering arm of BeritaSatu Media Holdings, was also invited to join the bazaar, drumming up support for its “Drive Books, Not Cars” initiative by selling second hand English novels.

All proceeds go to benefit Sahabat Anak, which provides informal education for street kids, and Taman Bacaan Pelangi, committed to build libraries for children in remote parts of eastern Indonesia.

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Where is the world’s true beauty?

2013 October 25. | Szerző: shannon

I am on a hunt to find the most beautiful woman in the world. She’s lurking out there somewhere. I just know it.

My quest began when, earlier this year, People magazine declared Gwyneth Paltrow to be the most beautiful woman in the world, circa 2013. I have reservations about this choice.

Paltrow is unquestionably beautiful. But her strenuous efforts to achieve perfection – thrashing around a gym morning noon and night with celebrity fitness trainer Tracy Anderson and eating nothing but plankton and kale juice – leave us all shrieking, “What would she look like if you took away her battery of Pilates gurus and aura cleansers?”

I’d argue that in order to be crowned the most beautiful woman in the world, you should be living your life full-throttle à la Liz Taylor – more on her in a moment – rather than tormenting yourself with some deranged, ascetic self-maintenance regimen.

Watching the cadaverous models parade down the runways of New York’s recent Fashion Week, I found myself wondering whether one of these gals – a lissome Latvian, an elongated Estonian – might not be the most beautiful woman in the world, or MBWITW. A fashion runway seems, on the face of it, like an OK place to look.

But the most beautiful woman in the world should also have a cheeky demeanour and a decent rack. Sadly, these two attributes were in short supply.

Our cultural fixation on the identity and whereabouts of the MBWITW has been going on for a while. Helen of Troy was the first groovy chick to win the title. She was very unusual because she used her beauty to launch ships. This was a first, and a last. None of Helen’s successors showed any maritime aspirations. Instead they cashed in their God-given attributes to acquire shoes and jewellery.

After Helen, there was a bit of a lull. In the Middle Ages people were too busy trying not get burnt at the stake or eaten by wolves to spend much time worrying about beauty. Things perked up in the late 18th century.

Enter Pauline Bonaparte. There is no celeb today who is as horny, outrageous, or spendaholic as Napoleon Bonaparte’s gorgeous sister. Pauline was a walking, talking, shagging, shopping, drop-dead gorgeous tour-de-force. She makes Kim Kardashian look like Anne of Green Gables.

In August 1803 she hit the mother lode and married Prince Camillo Borghese. She moved into the Borghese Palace in Rome and swanned about in transparent frocks striking Grecian attitudes. A marble replica of Pauline adorns the Villa Borghese, giving woodies to visiting males to this very day.

After Pauline kicked the bucket there were a bunch of wars which caused another lull. This one lasted until lasted until the 1950s. Enter Elizabeth Taylor. Everyone was in the thrall of that violet-eyed, bejewelled, hooch-guzzlin’ brunette. (Everyone except Debbie Reynolds, whose husband, Eddie Fisher, ditched her for the MBWITW.)

After Liz, things sped up radically and the MBWITW came thick and fast. Enter the C-words: Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, and Catherine Deneuve. These sultry soubrettes were mute most of the time but when they spoke it was with a mysterious foreign accent.

Europe was definitely having a MBWITW moment. Scandinavia too. Remember Nina Van Pallandt? Frequently touted as the MBWITW, Nina was one half of the folk duo Nina and Frederick. The fact that the most beautiful woman in the world hailed from the out-of-it world of folk music is proof-positive that the MBWITW might be lurking absolutely anywhere.

Enter Shakira Baksh. In 1967, the gorgeous Guyanese partook in the Miss World contest and the most beautiful woman in the (OK, Western) world was finally a woman of colour. She placed third, which was an outrage since it was quite clear to everyone that La Baksh was the MBWITW. Michael Caine agreed. He tracked her down and married her, and they have been together since.

In the ’70s we were deluged with blondes like Margaux Hemingway, Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Tiegs, and Patti Hansen but nobody was buying it. Black was beautiful, and so was Latin: Diana Ross, Raquel Welch, Beverly Johnson, Pat Cleveland, Iman, and Bianca Jagger were clearly the most beautiful women at Studio 54 and beyond.

When the ’80s rolled around, Studio 54 closed, leaving the field wide open. In swooped lots of TV-star contenders with big shoulder pads, including Linda Gray, Diahann Carroll, Catherine Oxenberg, and Victoria Principal.

My vote for the MBWITW of the ’80s? Nastassja Kinski, star of Tess and One From the Heart. Remember Avedon’s snake photo? Case closed.

In the ’90s we suddenly had beautiful women coming out of our asses: Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Kate Moss. The most beautiful? Naomi Campbell. And she’s still got it. During the recent fashion week, she appeared on the Diane Von Furstenberg catwalk – it was a dramatic, unexpected, the-bitch-is-back denouement – and put those pale Ukrainian chippies to shame.

Which brings us right up to date: Today those glamazon models have been replaced by the aforementioned dour, flat-chested, catwalkers. As a result our focus has shifted back to those plankton-guzzling movie stars. It is impossible for us, with our red-carpet obsession, to think that the most beautiful woman in the world might be anything other than an A-lister. Which means we are back in the 1950s, minus the decadent sizzle.

I think we can all agree that it’s time to look beyond the red carpet. No disrespect to Gwynnie and her mugwort muffins, but I feel that the real MBWITW is still out there, skipping about in some improbable location, uncrowned and unfeted.

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Tapper’s Diamonds Reveals New Collection by Monica Rich Kosann

2013 October 23. | Szerző: shannon

Cooler temperatures and brilliant fall foliage paint a beautiful backdrop for metro-area residents who are eager to step out in new and stylish fall fashions. Tapper’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield has introduced a new collection by Monica Rich Kosann, which provides style and on-trend function.

The Monica Rich Kosann collection is designed to offer customers heirlooms for this generation. Kosann’s pieces capture the essence of fashion while maintaining the timeless elegance of design. Her collection strives to help a woman tell her story through her jewelry, while celebrating the memories she creates each day in her life. Also featuring earrings, bangles, and beautiful chains, Kosann’s collection is available in 18k gold and sterling silver.

As a fine-art portrait photographer and jewelry and home accessory designer, Monica Rich Kosann has worked for many years with people to integrate their memories and most cherished possessions into their daily lives.

Kosann works with photography clients to integrate her candid images of children and family into the decor of their homes. She encourages clients to frame her photographs as they would any other piece of art. After she began scouring antique shows and flea markets for vintage lockets, cigarette cases, and powder compacts that could be adapted to hold family photographs, a new passion was discovered. Kosann since developed her own unique collection of jewelry available exclusively at Tapper’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry in southeastern Michigan.

Tapper’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry offers an exquisite selection of engagement rings, spectacular designer jewelry, and luxury timepieces. Tapper’s provides a luxury shopping experience with unparalleled customer service at each of its three metro-area locations in Novi, Troy and West Bloomfield. A multi-generation family-owned business, Tapper’s has been helping its customers Mark the Moment for more than 37 years.

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Fashion tips for the festive season

2013 October 21. | Szerző: shannon

With the festivities in the air, it’s time to look and feel glamorous and dress to impress.

Today’s modern woman seeks versatility and innovativeness in design and style. She prefers utilitarian fashion pieces that ride high on the trend quotient and are versatile enough to be dressed up or down- allowing the wearer to express her individuality regardless of the occasion. The color palette is a mix of cheerful vibrant hues like rani pinks, peacock blues and lime green which are perfect for the festive season.

Whether it’s those fun festive evenings, or a walk down the red carpet or even your best friend’s wedding, we tell you how to dress your best!

– Wear outfits in breathable fabrics like georgettes and chiffons that flirt with lace and gotapatti resulting in a sophisticated femininity.

– For an elegant yet edgy festive statement, team up a gorgeous hot pink or lime green raw silk bandi with a flowy gown or a lehenga for a cocktail or mehendi function.

– The bandi can also be paired with a bandhini skirt for a night about town or a Diwali cards party! Comfort and style join hands with a bandi paired with dhoti pants.

– Sashay down the red carpet in a pink brocade gown with a hint of sheen or a cream jacquard print gown complimented with stunning jadau earrings.

– Be a head turner at a wedding with a gorgeous peacock blue net brocade anarkali- a gold clutch and statement earrings complete the look

– Go classic with a gold and cream anarkali with traditional Rajasthani gotapatti work complimented with gold jhumkis making for a very pretty picture for a pre wedding puja ritual or a festive puja- it’s feminine, graceful and naturally alluring!

Hot tip- Festive wear this season is all about timelessness and understated elegance so keep one item in the overall look opulent- and let that be a magnificent statement piece of jewellery.

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Rotorua toyshop site looking for a new player

2013 October 19. | Szerző: shannon

The building that housed Martin’s Toyworld in Rotorua for two decades is for sale.

The shop at 1206 Eruera St has operated as Martin’s Toyworld since the early 1990s.

The Hintz family established the toy shop brand in the city in 1973 at another central city location before moving to Eruera St.

The two-storey 414sq m building will be sold by Bayleys Rotorua at an auction on November 7.

The leasehold building has a rental of $11,000 a year running until 2021, and meets 76 per cent of new building standards – equivalent to a B Grade. The facade was rebuilt in 1993.

The Bayleys agent handling the sale, Mark Rendell, said the open plan layout of the store, with its wide street frontage, would suit the likes of a boutique fashion outlet, stationary supplier, pharmacy, charity shop or high-end interior decor consultancy.

“With 15 minute free parking immediately outside the location, and throughout all of Eruera St, the Rotorua City Council has clearly signalled its support for the continuation of retailing in this part of town,” he said.

Office administration and storage space upstairs and to the rear of the premises includes a small kitchenette and bathroom facilities.

“Part of the upper floor level could be integrated into the ground level space,” Rendell said.

“Following a change in family circumstances, the Hintz family has been slowly winding down the toy retailing business. It is now selling the retail premises as the final chapter of a commercial legacy that spanned more than three decades and brought joy to tens of thousands of children.”

Rendell said the Eruera St store was in the heart of the city’s specialist retail strip, where shopping trends had changed markedly over the past decade.

“As consumer habits and shopping choices have evolved, Rotorua, like all provincial cities around New Zealand, has seen the bigger retailers and home store chains move out to the city fringes where larger warehouse style floor plates are available at cheaper leasing rates.

“Meanwhile, the city centres have seen a consolidation of specialist and boutique shops – the type usually directly operated by the owner who has a specialist product knowledge of the goods or services they are selling.

“That was certainly the case with Martin’s Toyworld. Deryck Hintz was well known in the community and the shop’s longevity was getting to the stage where customers who had been bought toys from there as children were now returning to buy toys for their children.

“Martin’s Toyworld certainly created a legacy but, as is sadly the way with such stores, that legacy often ends when the owner is no longer involved with the business.”

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No longer in the game, Harper Woods’ Angela Ruggiero still leads

2013 October 17. | Szerző: shannon

As a hockey player, Angela Ruggiero was anything but diplomatic. Sharp elbows and intimidation were as much a part of her game as quick hands and dominating defense. The Ruggiero of today?

As a member of the International Olympic Committee, U.S. Olympic Committee board member, and president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, Ruggiero has learned how to curtsy before queens and bow to diplomacy. Don’t even get her started on cheek kissing.

“On the ice no one would have expected her to be quite so popular in the field of foreign relations,” said Caitlin Cahow, her friend and former teammate at Harvard and the U.S. national team. “I don’t think anyone ever mistook one of her checks for diplomacy, or her slapshot for peaceful negotiations.”

Tonight Ruggiero, a Harper Woods native, will wear a fancy dress and toast athletes ranging from 18-year-old swimmer Missy Franklin to 64-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s annual awards gala in New York City.

Of all the hats and helmets she wears, Ruggiero’s involvement with the Women’s Sports Foundation is closest to her heart. In 1998, after capturing gold in her sport’s Olympic debut in Nagano, the U.S. women’s hockey team was honored. Ruggiero, the youngest on that team, was blown away by the athletes she met.

“I thought, ‘Wow this is so cool.’ I just liked hockey. I had something to prove because I got cut from boys teams,” Ruggiero said. In a room full of legends, she saw potential and opportunity. “After that I stay involved and weaseled my way into the organization, saying please let me know if I can help in any way.”

Ruggiero joined the foundation’s board in 2009 and became president this year.”She just wants to make a difference in the world,” said Billie Jean King, who started the foundation in 1974. “She’s very flexible, she’s nimble. She can do different things, have different roles in different situations.”

Even when she finds herself in very different situations, especially as an IOC member.

Such as her meeting with Queen Elizabeth II: “So we’re supposed to curtsy. I never curtsied before. So I just lowered my head like I’m used to in Korea.”

Or learning the art of European cheek kissing: “When you’re in Switzerland, it’s three kisses. In France, it’s two. When you see an American or Canadian overseas, what do you do? I just go for it, every time. This is how it is. This is our world.”

This too is Ruggiero’s role. At last month’s IOC session in Buenos Aires, the future of three sports was being decided and wrestling was trying to rejoin the Games. Usually IOC question-and-answer sessions are filled with self-important bloviating instead of substance.

However, after wrestling’s leaders delivered their pitch to IOC members, Ruggiero raised her hand and asked about the absence of gender equity in Greco-Roman wrestling.

“That was a Title IX question, about the participation and quality of funding,” she said in an interview later. “The IOC is pushing to try to get 50(PERCENT) (female) participation and we were 44(PERCENT) in London. The only way we are going to be able to move the needle is if we require and ask every federation to have an equal number. Their response usually is women haven’t shown interest. Usually the reason people don’t do it is because the opportunity doesn’t exist.”

As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, Ruggiero elbowed her way onto her brother’s hockey team. In 2005, she would become the first woman (non-goalie) to play professional men’s hockey in North America, for the Tulsa Oilers alongside her brother, Bill. They entered the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first brother-sister duo to play pro hockey together.

The Sochi Games in February will be the first Olympics without Ruggiero, 33, on the blue line. Considered one of the best defenders in women’s hockey history, Ruggiero retired in 2011 after playing more games in a Team USA uniform than any other player (256), winning three world championships and four Olympic medals (gold, 2 silver and a bronze).

The only hockey she plays now is for her Harvard Business School team. (Yes, in her free time she’s getting an MBA.)

“We beat McGill in the final for the McArthur Cup,” she said, smiling. “It’s a fun league. The only other woman on the team played at Harvard as an undergrad. It was like growing up, playing with the boys.”

This past summer Ruggiero worked as an intern for a hedge-fund management group. What she’s learning with the IOC, USOC and Women’s Sports Foundation also carries over to the classroom. In 2007, her business savvy impressed Donald Trump when she was a contestant on “The Apprentice,” a year after she graduated from Harvard (with Cum Laude honors). After her run ended on the show, Trump offered her a job anyway. She turned him down to compete in her fourth Olympics.

Ruggiero travels about 80 days a year, much of it internationally. She frequently shows up in class with luggage, either because she’s going someplace or just returned.

Those who played with her aren’t surprised with what she’s juggled beyond Harvard. “I always marvel at what she’s able to accomplish. There’s always been an unflappable grace to her,” said Cahow, who’s in law school at Boston College. “From day one she’s been able to balance so many balls in the air at once. These are massive endeavors that normal people would only tackle at one time, but Angela manages to take them all in stride and do a fantastic job.”

Still Ruggiero’s off-ice diplomacy may face a test in the near future. Her old nemesis, Hayley Wickenheiser, the longtime captain of the Canadian team, is running for election to the IOC Athletes Commission. (Athletes will vote in Sochi.)

IOC member Dick Pound of Canada laughs at the possibility. “I don’t how well Angela and Hayley know each other,” Pound said. “They probably knew each other’s elbows. They can say to each other, ‘Let me show you my bruises.’”

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