Fashion To Open The Door Between New Zealand And Malaysia

New Zealand and Malaysia’s top emerging fashion designers are collaborating in a competition created by Education New Zealand to celebrate New Zealand Week, in Malaysia from 11 March 2013.

Emerging talent from both countries, including Whitireia Community Polytechnic student Natalie Smith, will work together ‘virtually’ in pairs to create four distinct outfits, which will be judged by leading New Zealand footwear designer Kathryn Wilson and Malaysian celebrity designer Bill Keith. Each collection will be based on the theme of ‘rejuvenation’, and be inspired by the rebuild of Christchurch city.

“The prospect of being judged by such renowned designers is pretty daunting but I am really excited to see what this collaboration will create. Working with a Malaysian student will be an amazing experience. I hope we can learn from the judges and create some unique pieces we can be really proud of,” says Whitireia Community Polytechnic student and participant, Natalie Smith.

Education New Zealand has developed the Virtual Re-Start Fashion Competition to showcase the quality of New Zealand fashion institutions and attract the attention of more Malaysian students, encouraging them to come and study in New Zealand.

“More than 2000 Malaysian students visited our shores last year and it is a privilege for Education New Zealand to foster on-going relations between both countries. The competition will showcase our cutting edge design talent and the high standard of education that fashion and design students can expect while studying within New Zealand,” says Grant McPherson, Chief Executive of Education New Zealand.

“The Re-Start Fashion Competition is an amazing way to showcase both New Zealand and Malaysian talent, and the fabulous opportunities made possible through the infusion of education and cultural diversity. It’s great to see Education New Zealand using creativity to market New Zealand education. These students represent the next generation in the fashion industry so I am really excited to see what they come up with,” says footwear designer Kathryn Wilson.

In the past, Education New Zealand has successfully attracted Malaysian students to New Zealand to study business, engineering and technology. The focus this year is arts and design, highlighting New Zealand’s growing reputation for design-related work on the international stage.

Students from institutions including Whitireia Community Polytechnic, Massey University, Otago Polytechnic, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, WINTEC, and Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) are competing in the competition.

Education New Zealand is working closely with both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) and the Ministry of Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in the delivery of the event as part of New Zealand Week in Malaysia.

Fashion Week Trend Alert! Celebs Wear Black-and-White in Paris and London

Paris Fashion Week officially winds down this week, and we've admired both the breathtaking runway looks and the spectacular celebrity style statements seen on the front-row attendees.

Plenty of our favorite stars packed their bags and traveled overseas to both London and Paris to support their favorite designers and turn some heads along the way.

One glance at the fashion week wardrobes from these lovely leading ladies and we couldn't but notice that there was a strong recurring theme: black-and-white.

Trend alert: bold black and white
In the City of Light, we spotted Marion Cotillard at Dior, Nicole Richie at the Stella McCartney show and Jessica Chastain at Chanel all wearing the classic combination in a variety of ways.

Cotillard looked ladylike in a head-to-toe Dior ensemble, while Richie rocked a bold monochrome swingy dress with a distinctly edgier vibe.

Chastain exuded classic elegance in a creamy blouse tucked into a satin pencil skirt, and Olivia Palermo was cool and crisp in Tibi's drop-waist checker dress paired with Brian Atwood boots at Antonio Berardi's show in London.

Paris Fashion Week fall 2013: Emanuel Ungaro review

Another day at fashion week, another old-fashion house trying for a revival with a new designer at the helm.

At Paris Fashion Week on Monday, it was the house of Emanuel Ungaro giving it yet another try, this time with Italian designer Fausto Puglisi, who succeeds a string of failed predecessors, most notably one-time artistic advisor Lindsay Lohan.

2013 Fashion Week coverage

The look: Hyper-feminine silhouettes, riotous color and print and jeweled accents. Mixed patterns on a single garment — a pair of pants with polka dots on one leg and leopard spots on the other leg, for example. One-shoulder mini-dresses with color-block details and high leg slits. Drapey jumpsuits, one in gray pinstripes. Blouses covered in jeweled butterfly brooches.

The verdict: It seems Ungaro may finally have found the right man. These clothes were exuberant and fun. I can particularly see them resonating with the pop music crowd.

Fashion Labels for the Picking this Spring Break

It’s spring break again. So why not poke our divining rods into the suitcases of those students bound for their getaway playgrounds? What could be tucked within are some hot stock picks among premium fashion labels.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) can easily be among our first finds. After all, this label ranks among the top 10 fashion brands most searched on the web search engine Bing in 2012, reports say. Moreover, the company had better-than-expected results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter. Propelled by a 6.5% sales gain in its retail segment during the period, Ralph Lauren’s revenue increased 2% to $1.8 billion, while operating income rose 13% to $304 million and earnings per diluted share were up 30% to $2.31.

Bye-bye rugby

With this year-to-date performance, the company projects that its full fiscal 2013 consolidated net revenues to increase by about 2%. This would be a deceleration from the 21% revenue growth in fiscal 2012, during which a $6.9 billion sales total was posted. For the fiscal 2013 fourth quarter, the company said it expects a mid-single-digit percentage increase in consolidated net revenues.

Ralph Lauren’s sales growth appears hobbled by store closures as the company repositions its greater China sales network and by the phasing out of the Rugby and American Living brands. The opening of new stores and Ralph Lauren’s e-commerce initiatives helped cushion the impact of the store shutdowns and the brand phase-outs, as well as partly deflected the negative impact of currency conversions.

Kors racks it up

If sales growth is solely to be the gauge for the best fashion label stock pick, Michael Kors (NYSE: KORS) sure has an inside track. It led Bing’s roster of the 10 most searched fashion designers last year. For its third quarter, ended December 2012, the company’s total revenue rose 70.4% to $636.8 million. Gross income for the period amounted to $383.5 million, up 72.8% and represents 60.2% of total revenue, a further improvement from the 59.4% in the year-earlier quarter.

For the fiscal 2013 fourth quarter, the company sees total revenue of between $515 million and $525 million, assuming a low- to mid-20% comparable store sales increase. For its entire fiscal 2013, Michael Kors forecasts total revenue at about $2.1 billion, assuming that the gain in its comparable store sales hits a mid-30% clip.

Total revenue for Michael Kors fiscal 2012 rose 62.1% to $1.3 billion from $803.3 million posted in fiscal 2011. Fiscal 2012 gross profit increased 68.8% to $753.1 million, representing 57.8% of total revenue, higher than the 55.5% rise in fiscal 2011.

Ann’s slip shows

Perusing ladies’ luggage bound for spring break will likely turn up Ann Taylor and LOFT brands, which are owned by Ann (NYSE: ANN), a specialty retailer not only of women’s apparel but also shoes and accessories. Sales-wise though, Ann can’t match the double-digit growth of Michael Kors.

This ladies’ clothier recently revised guidance for its full fiscal 2012, projecting a 3% increase in sales to $2.376 billion for the year. With a gross margin rate expected at about 54.8%, the company, however, expects record earnings per share and double-digit net income growth. Ann’s net sales for its fiscal 2012 fourth quarter are now projected to drop 1% to $608 million though.

Better grip for Michael Kors

Without delving into the metrics of their current stock price levels, Michael Kors appears to have the upper hand in delivering higher shareholder value moving forward. As shown by its recent robust sales growth, the company currently has a better handle on the fashion market than Ralph Lauren and Ann.

Notably, Michael Kors (founded 1981) and Ralph Lauren (founded 1967) are both established but mature brands. What they have been doing to keep a firm grip on the ever-shifting fashion market is to revitalize their presence among the high-end consumers. One way of achieving this is by introducing product category extensions.

Ralph Lauren has obviously failed in this department. This was demonstrated in the phase-out of its American Living and Rugby market entries. Significantly, Rugby also has an e-commerce website that was shut down this February along with the brand developed as the younger version of the Ralph Lauren line.

As for Ann, the vital missing link is presence in the menswear market. In the U.S. alone, this market was estimated at $10.7 billion in 2012, and projected to grow by 5.3% annually and eventually reach $139.2 billion by 2017.

Michael Kors, on the other hand, appears to be better at reinventing the wheel with a simple play on its original brand identity, coming up with a range of labels such as MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS Michael Kors. It also helps tremendously that the founder of the company, the world famous designer Michael Kors, at 53, still personally leads its product design team.

The party's over for Fashion's Night Out

The annual shopping event has been part of New York Fashion Week each September since 2009, when it was created in response to the recession. It was masterminded by Vogue's Anna Wintour and championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

The event expanded to 500 U.S. cities and 30 cities globally. Celebrities mingled with shoppers, champagne was served and designers sang karaoke and played pingpong to drum up business for the important fall retail season.
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb said Wednesday that he was proud of what had been accomplished. However, there was grumbling from some stores and designers that it cost money they weren't sure they saw back in sales.

Fashion's Night Out will still be held in select international cities.

Fashion Brands Flock to Licensing Expo

Advanstar Licensing, organizers of Licensing Expo, the world's largest and most influential licensing industry event, today announced that more than 40 fashion brands are confirmed to exhibit at the upcoming Expo. Licensing Expo is taking place June 18-20 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chris DeMoulin, President of Licensing at Advanstar, and former President of MAGIC Market Week, has led a focused drive to develop fashion brands at the show. The show floor has been re-merchandised by brand category with The Fashion District serving as a home to fashion and accessories brands looking to grow their business through brand extensions and international distribution. Fashion licensing is the largest sector in the $185 billion licensing market and represents $37 billion at retail. The fashion brands exhibiting will use the show to build a network of licensees, expand international distribution, develop retail exclusives and find brand collaboration partners.

Chris DeMoulin, President of Advanstar Licensing, commented: "Like a microcosm of MAGIC Market Week, brands from every segment of the fashion industry will unite at the show to make licensing deals that could change their businesses forever.  We are providing a forum in which brands can meet with manufacturers and retailers from all product categories, from housewares, home decor and accessories through to digital apps and consumer electronics."

More than 5000 brands will be represented at the show, with The Fashion District premiering Authentic Brands Group properties, including Marilyn Monroe, Judith Leiber, Adrienne Vittadini, Taryn Rose, Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman.

"We are excited to present our portfolio of fashion and luxury brands as a key exhibitor in the Fashion District of Licensing Expo," said Nick Woodhouse, President and Chief Marketing Officer at Authentic Brands Group.  "Licensing Expo does a phenomenal job connecting best-in-class licensor and licensee attendees dedicated to formulating strong and rewarding business partnership opportunities."

Other new and notable brands include Crocs, Da Vinci, Rock and Roll Religion, Nat Nast, ale by Alessandro Ambrosio, Liz Lange, Wize and Ope, AND1, Blue Pearl and ABS by Allen Schwartz.

Armand Marciano, Co-owner at ABS commented "As ABS by Allen Schwartz looks to continue to build our brand globally the Fashion District at Licensing Expo will provide us with the platform and the opportunity to connect with the best partners to drive these growth initiatives."

Celebrity trainer and innovative fitness pioneer Tracy Anderson will also utilize The Fashion District as the launch pad for the Tracy Anderson brand's global expansion.

Oscars 2013 fashion featured neutrals, H&M and wizard hair

The red carpets have been rolled up but the fashion of the night is just starting its stride. The Sunday night trifecta of the Oscars, Vanity Fair party and Governors Ball brought notice-me neutrals, volume and lots of sparkle to those outside of Hollywood.

How did Jessica Chastain choose her look? “...It’s very ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President.’” said the star on the red carpet. Robin Givhan, agreed that Chastain managed to channeled a bit of Marilyn glamour:

0
Comments
Weigh InCorrections?

Personal Post
Gallery

2013 Vanity Fair Oscar party fashion: Fashion designers, actors, actresses and Hollywood elite arrive in style for the annual Oscar party.
Related Articles
Robin Givhan: On Oscar’s red carpet, an actress’s choice means business

Robin Givhan FEB 25
For Hollywood women minding their personal brands, there's a fine line between fashion and glamour.
All is inanity at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party

Dan Zak FEB 25
Says Catherine O’Hara: “I don’t want to say it’s superficial because it’s not.”
At the 2013 Oscars, a night of Hollywood as theater

Monica Hesse FEB 25
Acting wins for Hathaway, Waltz cap a night of honors spread among a disparate group.

When Jessica Chastain walked down the red carpet just before the 85th annual Academy Awards wearing a pale copper strapless gown with a mesh overlay by Giorgio Armani, her promenade was a two-part statement about the complexity of branding and the perilousness of glamour....On the most photographed red carpet of them all, she steered clear of flashy designers, gossiped-about designers and controversial ones, too. Instead, she chose a classically glamorous gown by the godfather of red carpet style whose philosophy of celebrity dressing is: First do no harm.

However, it was the ladies in Dior who stole the show. Jennifer Lawrence took home the Oscar for Lead Actress for her role in “Silver Linings Playbook.” Her voluminousness Dior ball gown might have caused her to stumble on her way to accept the award, which she acknowledged on stage:

“You guys are just standing up because I fell and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you,” she joked while accepting the Oscar for best actress.

But the pale pink color, mermaid silhouette, and back-grazing necklace was not a misstep.

Charlize Theron looked statuesque in her white Dior gown, and her pixie haircut that has everyone talking.

Anne Hathaway also rocked the short hair, neutral gown combo (not well-loved by the people of the internet, but she took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, so we think she’ll recover.) Her Prada gown reminded Cara Kelly of Gwenyth Paltrow’s famous 1999 Oscar gown: The neckline differs from the spaghetti strap of the RL piece, but the square shape is reminiscent of popular silhouettes from the 90s.

The biggest fashion question mark of the night? Helen Hunt in H&M? Yes. Givhan explains:

The rote question called out from the media gauntlet on Oscar night remains “Who are you wearing?” But the more salient one is really, “What does the clothing say about your personal brand?” Is there any doubt that what Helen Hunt — best supporting actress nominee for “The Sessions” — was saying with her simple navy strapless gown, which she volunteered was made by H&M even before E! Entertainment host Ryan Seacrest thought to ask? She is serious. She stands apart from this out-of-touch Hollywood glitz. She is as willing to take a fashion risk and be judged brutally for it as she was willing to get stark naked on film without benefit of candlelight and traditional romance.

What about the men? Hair seemed to be the fashion trend of choice. Facial hair for Ben Affleck and George Clooney. Flowing locks for “Life of Pi”’s Claudio Mirando, Paul N.K. Ottosson of “Zero Dark Thirty,” and Per Hallberg of “Skyfall.” Caitlin Dewey explains what Twitter dubbed the “wizard hair tend”:

Is this the year metal hair makes a comeback? Maybe not. But it seems like a pretty good year for wizard jokes. Among the people Miranda, Ottosson and Hallberg were compared to on Twitter last night: Dumbledore, Gandalf, Meat Loaf (or another aging rock musician of your choice), Karl from Die Hard and the killer in The Da Vinci Code.