May 02, 2016

NEW YORK, United States — Scan the front row at just about any major runway show and past the hunched-over editors, high-wattage celebrities and stoic buyers you will likely spy a cluster of private clients. Typically dressed in the designer's garb, not unlike a fan wearing a band t-shirt to a rock concert, these brand devotees — many of whom spend well into the six figures, sometimes seven, on designer clothing each year — can help a brand hit its quarterly sales targets.

At recent fashion weeks, close observers will have noticed the rise of one such private client. Marjorie Harvey, wife of American comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey, has become a front row fixture, attending everything from Dior Couture to Chanel and Hermès ready-to-wear shows. Harvey’s invites don’t derive from her status as the wife of a celebrity, but from her sizable collection of fashion, which she documents for her nearly one million Instagram followers. In May 2014, Harvey launched a website called Lady Loves Couture, which features outfit posts, product recommendations and other lifestyle content written by Harvey herself and a dedicated team. According to the site’s editor-in-chief, Allison Brown, Lady Loves Couture is the “initial enterprise of the Marjorie Harvey brand,” which is meant to feel inclusive and positive.

Private clients like Harvey have long played an important role in high fashion. Couture, after all, is a business of one-off orders and notable socialites including Lynn Wyatt, Becca Cason Thrash and Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned have developed personal, long-term relationships with the designers whose gowns they’ve commissioned.

But today, private clients are no longer unique to couture. Indeed, top ready-to-wear clients now attract a similar level of personalised attention. To be sure, building a one-one-one relationship with a private client creates the kind of loyalty that is hard to come by in an era of comparison shopping and bland department store buys. What’s more, top clients are more knowledgeable than ever.

“Customers now are almost editors and curators as well, and I think that has to do with the immediacy of information,” says Jess Christie, global communications director of MatchesFashion.com, which operates a private shopping townhouse in London’s Marylebone neighbourhood that is reserved for top clients. “While there has always been a relationship between the couture client and the designer, the ready-to-wear client is now equally savvy. There’s a more precise awareness.”

May 02, 2016

Talented Chinese fashion designers are now competing on the global market with highly creative brands from all over the world. Their success is helping to build a creative class of graphic designers, stylists, retail architects, photographers, art directors, digital creatives and more, creating a ripple effect in adjacent industries. Can China’s blossoming creative economy have global impact?

BEIJING, China — It was a chance encounter at Peter Lindbergh’s first solo Chinese exhibition that set Kiki Xue’s career into motion five years ago. The stage couldn’t have been more fitting. At Lindbergh’s first artistic encounter with Xue’s home country, held at Beijing’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, the 23-year-old photographer had an encounter of his own that would draw him from China to the fashion capitals of Europe.

Having spotted Franca Sozzani across the crowded gallery, Xue approached the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia and, without a portfolio in hand, began his hustle with nothing but charm and instinct. He soon found himself being instructed to upload images on Vogue Italia’s online platform, PhotoVogue, and before he knew it, was introduced to senior photo editor Alessia Glaviano, who landed him a feature in a special edition of the storied magazine.

“Alessia encouraged me to find a chance to leave China to develop my career, so that's why I left and met Elena [Mereu], and thanks to her and Atomo Management I was really able to start developing my work as a fashion photographer,” says Xue, referring to the director of the artist’s management agency with offices in both Paris and Milan.

Interestingly, Xue’s profile within China is considerably lower than many other photographers there such as Fan Xin, Trunk Xu and Zack Zhang who regularly shoot for top Chinese titles, including those with strong international links including Vogue China, Elle China or Modern Weekly.

While Xue was encouraged by foreign industry leaders to step outside China, Kai Z Feng, was signed by Eiger Agency in New York without the help of any inside contacts. Now he is tipped as one of the most successful photographers to have come out of the country since Chen Man, and has photographed everyone fromLucky Blue Smith to Anne Hathaway, and shot covers for British Vogue and Elle Australia.

According to fashion industry leaders both in China and abroad, the stories of Xue and Feng are anomalies. Although Atomo and Eiger aren’t the only international agencies to represent Chinese fashion talent outside China, there are fewer than most would expect.

The gap between designers and the rest

“I would say 10 to 15 Chinese talents work internationally [at the standard of Kai Z Feng],” says Felix Chang, former managing editor of Asia Pacific for Models.com, an extensive database for creative talent in the fashion industry. “More Chinese should be represented based on their unique talent and on their work, regardless of their nationalities.”

A tally of more than 50 of the top international creative artist management agencies listed on Models.com yields less than five agencies that appear to represent Chinese talent.

But more important than agency representation, say critical voices inside China, is that the work of stylists and photographers is not seen enough in European or American fashion magazines, save notable exceptions such as Leaf Greener, Wing Shya, Tim Lim, Christopher Bu, Chen Man, Grace Lam, and Lucia Liu.

Over the past few years, the fashion industry has witnessed — and facilitated — the rapid rise of Chinese designers. From cosmopolitan contemporaries like Uma Wang and Huishan Zhang to veteran couturiers such as Guo Pei and young rebels like Xiaoli Li, Chinese designers now have an impressive international profile. That China’s designers continue to feature prominently in the shortlist for the LVMH Prize and that retailers like Opening Ceremony in New York are stocking over 30 of them in a special dedication this year is testament to their rising influence.

Yet the creative individuals who work for and around designers in hubs like Shanghai and Beijing — the photographers, stylists, makeup artists and hair stylists — have not had the same global impact. While the success of China’s designer fraternity should be celebrated, their achievements should not obscure the need for other fashion creatives to follow suit.

After all, the fashion industry only stands to gain from producing more work like Chen Man’s seminal 2012 covers for i-D Magazine. To critical onlookers, the relative scarcity of Chinese names since her debut seems conspicuously unbalanced in a fashion economy that is increasingly dependent on the loyal Chinese customer, who accounts for over 30 percent of revenue for brands such as Prada, Hermès, Burberry, and Gucci, according to data reported by Deutsche Bank last year.

“In China, we’ve had these kind of politics, where we don’t really support individual creativity. Now, our government is becoming more dynamic, but it still needs time,” explains Leaf Greener, stylist and former senior fashion editor of Elle China.

China is becoming increasingly dependent on its creative economy, which like the rest of its economy is growing rapidly, as the country moves from manufacturing to services.

“You have now got a creative industry that can support visionary talents that go abroad and are coming back… I think we are really at the axis of a cultural shift,” says Andrew Keith, president of Lane Crawford and Joyce, who was an early champion of Chinese designers and continues to talent-scout for Lane Crawford’s ‘Created in China’ portfolio which includes rising names such as Min Liu of Ms Min, Angel Chen and Xuzhi Chen of Xu Zhi.

Yet while China’s creative economy may support the visionary designers who have gone abroad and returned home, that doesn’t mean it prepares its creative talents to gain international recognition.

“Creative talents now have the tools to see the world for themselves and develop their own aesthetic, but most publications in China still aren’t allowing these talents the creative freedom to really express themselves [fully],” says photographer Kai Z Feng.

So while China’s creative economy is undeniably booming, it is still in a fledgling state compared to other countries at the traditional centre of the fashion system. This, suggest industry leaders, implies that the institutional framework of China’s fashion industry still compels many to take a more conservative and commercial approach to the creative brief.

This is exacerbated by the fact that stylists, photographers and other creatives in China don’t have an equal diversity of outlets, such as the plethora of independent fashion and lifestyle publications enjoyed by their European counterparts. Also, China typically has not embraced freelancers in the same way as other countries, which leaves some fashion talent tethered to the style mandate of a single magazine or publishing house.

“It’s not an issue of whether international capitals can discover an iceberg, but how strong and independent the Chinese creative industry can be,” says Lucia Liu, whose features for i-D and Dazed & Confused as well as various ad campaigns, including Linda Farrow, have made her one of the most internationally renowned Chinese stylists.

On the other hand, the youth of China’s creative economy means it creates a social and cultural environment that, although turbulent, is inspirational. “History offers a surreal situation…that means the breakdown of ‘rules,’ so you discover opportunities, risks, irrationality, and desires all together at the same place,” Liu adds

But talent is only one variable in a complex equation that requires international access, ambition and resources if fashion creatives hope to cross over from local hero to global dynamo. Overcoming barriers of language, working visas, money and the invisible walls of creative cliques and industry nepotism are common to creatives hoping to make it big in the fashion capitals no matter where they come from. It doesn’t help that photo sharing sites like Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook — which many young photographers around the world use to get scouted — have been banned by China’s firewall.

May 02, 2016

"Homegrown Asian Labels Challenge Western Imports" (Reuters)
"Fashion brands from South Korea, China and Japan are becoming serious rivals of their Western peers as Asian consumers become increasingly confident in their own style and take pride in buying home-grown labels."

"Chanel Winning Fight Against Luxury Grey Market, says Bruno Pavlovsky"(Reuters)
"Chanel said its efforts to curb the grey market have been successful and are helping boost revenue in China despite weaker overall demand for luxury goods."

"Valentino Cuts Prices in Asia to Boost Local Sales" (Reuters)
"Italian fashion house Valentino will cut its prices in Asia to bring them into line with European prices."

"Stamping It Out" (The Economist)
"As China grew richer and more innovative, people assumed it would counterfeit less. Think again."

"Hong Kong Luxury Migrating to Macau Along With Chinese Tourists" (Bloomberg)
"Macau, home to the world’s biggest gambling center, is trying to diversify its image by welcoming luxury-brand shoppers."

"Gucci Is Taking Its Fight Against Counterfeiting to the Next Frontier: The Afterlife" (Quartz)
"The Italian luxury label is warning Hong Kong shopkeepers to stop selling paper lookalikes of its bags, which people burn at funerals and include in the annual celebration of Qingming Jie to accompany their loved ones in the afterlife."

April 30, 2016

When it comes to comfort food, fried chicken is hard to beat. One fried chicken restaurant is finding out the hard way that you can’t wing it when it comes to branding.

A South Korean fried chicken restaurant has been fined (twice) for adopting the name of the global fashion house Louis Vuitton in its business name and for emulating the classic Louis Vuitton logos and designs in its branding. Talk about a legal flap.

The Seoul restaurant originally identified itself by the name “Louis Vuiton Dak.” The owner had claimed that it had simply attempted some clever wordplay on “tongdak,” the Korean word for ‘whole chicken.’

Along with slipping Louis Vuitton into its name (even minus a T), the restaurant’s owner used the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram as an inspiration for a similar design to use on the food’s takeout packaging and napkins.

Louis Vuitton was none too pleased with the fried chicken restaurant’s knock-off homage, and sued the restaurant in the Seoul Central District Court for the restaurant’s allegedly damaging use of their name. Given the high-end fashion brand’s worldwide popularity, the Seoul Central District Court unsurprisingly sided with the fashion brand, and ordered that the restaurant to stop using the name or face fines. Specifically, the Court threatened the restaurant with a 500,000 won fine for each day it was non-compliant with the order.

Undeterred, the restaurant, thinking that some minor tweaks to their name could differentiate them enough from Louis Vuitton to comply with the Court’s order, changed its name from “Louis Vuiton Dak” to “Cha Louis Vuiton Dak.” Again, nice try. Louis Vuitton returned to the Court, complaining that the name still sounded almost the same and thus was not compliant with the original court order. The Court once again sided with Louis Vuitton, except this time it demanded that the restaurant pay Louis Vuitton 14.5 million won (roughly a little over $12,000) for not complying with the first order.

Why would Louis Vuitton clip the wings on a fried chicken restaurant’s use of its name and logo, even if nobody would mistake the eatery as a legitimate brand extension? High-end fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and its parent company, LVMH, must take vigilant precaution in representing their brand’s image and reputation through broadly registered trademarks.

While the United States Patent and Trademark Office takes strict measures to prevent trademark applicants from registering their trademarks for more offerings than necessary, other countries like South Korea seemingly have more lax registration standards.

High-end fashion and luxury brands often take advantage of these more relaxed standards to prevent others from using their name for products that they may not want to be associated with their own offerings. For example, along with registrations for its usual offerings, Louis Vuitton has registrations in South Korea in Class 03 for false nails for both hands and feet, Class 08 for shaving kits, and Class 34 for cigarettes and tobacco. Other major fashion brands have done the same in South Korea, such as Gucci registering a trademark for their name in Class 29 for meat and poultry, or Versace registering a trademark in Classes 10 and 21 for ear picks and toilet brushes.

In the end, the fried chicken restaurant’s attempt at some clever wordplay invoked the wrath of one of the more cautious high-end fashion brands and cost it some serious money. It’s a lesson learned the hard way, but hopefully the restaurant and others now know not to mess with high-end brands that are focused on their reputation!

April 29, 2016

LONDON, United Kingdom — The hot topic in BoF's London offices this week was “Lemonade,” the new visual album by Beyoncé.

We were not alone. The surprise hour-long video spectacular — which dropped first on American television before being made available on Tidal and iTunes — had the Internet enraptured, spawning a veritable media storm, several celebrity rumours (that's you Rachel Roy and Rita Ora) and scores of memes, as it examined everything from Beyoncé's personal issues with her husband Jay-Z to race relations in America. “Lemonade” also, by the way, had more people looking at a Roberto Cavalli dress than any Cavalli fashion show I can remember in recent years!

It's the second time in the last couple of years that Beyoncé has used the power of her personal brand to surprise her fanbase and capture global attention. It made me wonder why major fashion brands — which also have large online fanbases — aren't regularly able do the same.

For me, the answer lies in the inherent conservatism of the industry's approach to communications. In our bi-annual Top 10 Fashion Films of the Seasonranking, out this week, we lamented the lack of innovation and risk-taking in the video content being produced by fashion companies. As many of you commented on the site, even some of our top picks simply felt like moving magazine pages rather than epic, exciting digital moments like "Lemonade."

Indeed, many fashion brands seem stuck in a formula when it comes to their marketing and communications, using the same photographers, the same art directors, the same models, the same stylists, the same references, season after season. Our standout fashion film, which some of you found disturbing, came from skate-brand Supreme whose film 'Pussygangster,' created with longtime collaborator William Strobeck, felt like raw and authentic storytelling, undiluted by the fashion industry's formula.

The topic of storytelling also came up in a wide-ranging panel discussion we moderated this week in partnership with Disney, one of the best — and most formulaic — storytelling companies in the world. But these days even Disney is challenging its tried and true formula to creating stock characters. No more Sleeping Beauties and Cinderellas, who wait patiently for their princes to come and rescue them. Instead, the company is creating characters like Frozen's Elsa and her sister Anna, who can save themselves. Together, the two princesses work to ensure their own happy ending, without anybody else’s help. More on that panel discussion next week.

But if even the formulaic fairy tales of Disney can change with the times, why can't fashion? There has been so much debate and navel gazing about fashion shows in the age of social media. But it seems to me that this is a major opportunity to think beyond traditional formats and truly take customers by surprise to give them something they don't expect. If the reaction of the "beyhive" to "Lemonade" is any indication, a new approach could be very impactful indeed.

April 27, 2016

Hermès said sales growth slowed after attacks in Brussels and Paris put off some tourists and an economic slowdown in China weighed on demand.

PARIS, France — French luxury goods group Hermès said sales growth slowed in the first three months of the year after attacks in Brussels and Paris put off some tourists and an economic slowdown in China weighed on demand.

The 6.2 percent rise in revenue at constant exchange rates to €1.19 billion (£927 million) compared with 7.2 percent growth in the last quarter of 2015 and 8.1 percent overall for 2015. Hermès reiterated on Thursday that 2016 sales growth could be below its medium-term target of eight percent at constant exchange rates, citing global economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties.

The first quarter increase, which was driven by higher sales at its leather goods division, was slightly above analyst estimates and outpaced rivals in the industry, however.

Luxury goods industry leader LVMH said this month that it registered no sales growth at its fashion and leather goods division in the first quarter. Comparable growth at Kering's luxury business reached 2.6 percent.

Retail tax-refund services company Global Blue said spending on luxury goods by Chinese shoppers abroad fell last month for the first time since it began compiling such figures in 2010.

Hermès said it achieved a 15.4 percent rise in quarterly leather goods and saddlery revenue, accounting for half of total group sales, "driven by sustained demand and the increase in production capacities at the two new sites" in France.

Ready-to-wear and accessories sales slipped 1.9 percent due to a slowdown in Asia, the United States and France, while the Islamist militant attacks in Europe and slowing sales in Greater China and the US dragged silk and textiles revenue down 9.2 percent.

The maker of printed silk scarves and Kelly handbags said its watches business was hurt by a "still challenging market, particularly in Asia, excluding Japan," meanwhile.

Hermès reiterated on Thursday that 2016 sales growth could be below its medium-term target of eight percent at constant exchange rates, citing global economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties.

April 25, 2016

One cheeky Bank Holiday weekend beforehand though is drawing this fallow period out.  I’ll be venturing up to Lake District for the first time, which according to Weather.com might be experiencing a cold blast of snow blizzards.  Spring is being set on pause and I’ll be digging out chunky jumpers and anything with a hood to roam through the fells and peaks.

One useful garment came duly to mind. The puffer (or “puffa” if you’re wearing it in London and intoning old Biggie lyrics in your head) jacket is the relatively light, waterproof outerwear option that gained significant stead for A/W 16-7 thanks to Demna Gvasalia’s debut collection for Balenciaga.  Like Junya Watanabe and Martin Margiela before him, Gvasalia recognised the shape-shifting properties of a down-filled jacket and its ability to create extreme volumes under a utilitarian and recognisable guise.  The off-the-shoulder versions of the puffer were of course sculpted to echo Cristobal Balenciaga’s own 360 degree vantage point of fitting couture garments on women.

They’re the cropped and oddly sensual counterpart puffer to Marques Almeida’s enlarged collar sleeping bag specimens, seen in their latest show as well as LCF MA menswear graduate Chen Peng’s collection.  Peng’s bubble gum pink puffer was worn by Julia Sarr-Jamois during the March round of shows and the rest of his collection together with its Quaker-meets-deerstalker millinery has been looping around in my head (and of course the giant puffers would be ideal Lake District apparel).  Peng’s collection entitled “Normal-in-Normal” was inspired by the idea of garments, where one size fits all.  Ranging in lengths and deliciously deep tones and pastel shades, the jackets aren’t panelled in linear formation and instead are pieced together with geometric panels.  The shorter ones are pleasingly bubble-like and the longer ones are basically portable duvets.  Either way, they’re begging to be cosied up in.  Peng’s similarly bulbous and volume-heavy hats will be featured in an AW16 project with Liberty in London.  Let’s hope his weather-proof yet striking outerwear goes down a similar path.

April 24, 2016

You could already hear the green/eco/sustainable hardcore semanticists baying for blood when Karl Lagerfeld uttered the words “a high fashion ecology” and made statements such as “sustainability is part of our expression of the times”.  Back off you green washing evil high fashion corporation!  You can’t hood wink us into thinking that Chanel’s haute couture S/S 16 collection was for real sustainable.

It of course wasn’t.  The collection utilised some technically recyclable elements such as paper fibres and wooden components, elevating such materials to the highest of aesthetic levels they could possibly go, as well as some use of organic cotton, most notable in the finale wedding gown ensemble.  The wabi sabi wooden house that was central to the zen-like set, apparently will be recycled in some capacity.  But it’s the media rather than the house that grasped at these vaguely eco straws.  “Chanel goes eco”, said Tim Blanks on Business of Fashion.  SMCP describes the collection as “eco-luxe”. As Chanel have not yet put forth a formalised CSR agenda, it’s wise that the there’s been no preachy communication from the house that sets out any sustainable fashion credentials in regards to the collection.

I am revisiting this collection though on the occasion of Fashion Revolution Week (expanded from being just a day), which commenced yesterday with a special Fashion Question Time at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, hosted and chaired by the MP Mary Creagh and will continue on with people hashtaging #WhoMadeYourClothes as well as up-cycling workshops in London, which I will document.  Because what’s important is that a house like Chanel even mildly touched on a subject that is only gaining pace and momentum within our consciousness – not just high falutin fashion types but consumers at large, who are eager to get involved, even if it’s with the “half-arsed”approach that the likes of me adopt.  The amount of awareness that a Chanel haute couture collection brings to the words “eco” and “recycling” is indicative of the power of the house, even if the technicalities of the collection and the set are cloaked in a wishy-washy standpoint.

Place Chanel’s haute couture in isolation and particularly in tandem with the Paraffection companies, that come under their ownership, and the buzz words “sustainable” and “slow fashion” do apply.  I say this having finally made the pilgrimage to Lesage and Lemarié as well asseeing the Chanel haute couture flou and tailleur ateliers at work.  At all these establishments, you’ll find men and women of all ages in full-time employment, paid decent wages and working in good conditions, creating clothes and working at crafts that are definitely not going to be disposable, given that a singular piece of haute couture costs upwards of hundreds of thousands of euros.  You’ll find people meticulously sorting and filing away threads, scraps of fabrics and loose beads, feathers and sequins because every bit of material is precious.  You’ll see people making every sewn stitch and every cut of a fabric count because what they are making is a source of pride for them.

April 22, 2016

Friday is the first day of April, and April is the month when I officially start to get excited about plants again. I mean, I'm excited about plants all year long - but there's something about April, which is when the trees begin to bud around here and things start to really bloom outside, that makes me want to fill my entire house with them. I make weekly trips to local nurseries and plant shops starting this month, and I begin to plan my botanical design for our deck. And even though we're house hunting right now, which means I probably shouldn't invest too much time (or money) in decorating period (much less with something that can easily be killed), I just can't resist the simple joy that plants bring to a space. The spaces above have been majorly inspiring me lately. Fellow plant lovers, I hope they do the same for you.

April 21, 2016

Bohemian-style embroidery has been big for several years now (think gypsy tops andhippie dresses). And I still love those types of clothing items, but more recently I've noticed embroidery embellishment in less expected places. I'm talking jeans to shoes to socks to bomber jackets (which is basically the last place I'd ever expect to see it). It's popping up everywhere, and I'm into it. It adds such a cool texture, especially when it's applied to items that are normally sort of flat or dull. My current clothing goal is to find a really great pair of embroidered jeans (which may just be this pair - #2 above). I'd be way into some embroidered cacti hanging on my wall too.

April 20, 2016

You know those days when your skinny jeans are just too tight and all you really want to wear are sweatpants but you can’t because you have to go to work? That was me last week. So I made due by wearing the closest thing I had to sweatpants…silk jogger pants. With the comfort benefits of sweats AND the “appropriate” benefits for work attire, jogger pants are pretty much the best thing to ever happen to office wear.

Worn with a black turtleneck, my favorite IRO moto, a cashmere beanie and slip on shoes, I was basically in glorified pajamas with house slippers and not a single person noticed.

April 19, 2016

Zalando said the launch of a new sports label by Beyonce had boosted sales since the Easter holidays after revenue grew less rapidly than expected in the first quarter.

BERLIN, Germany — Zalando, Europe's biggest dedicated online fashion retailer, said the launch of a new sports label by Beyonce had boosted sales since the Easter holidays after revenue grew less rapidly than expected in the first quarter.

Analysts have become accustomed to Zalando beating their expectations, with revenue having increased by a third in 2015. But the fashion sector got off to a slower start this year due to an earlier Easter and a cool early spring.

Zalando said first-quarter sales rose around 23-25 percent to 788 to 801 million euros, missing consensus for 822 million euros ($931 million).

Zalando's shares were down 1.7 percent at 0850 GMT, compared to a 1.4 percent firmer European retail sector. The stock is now trading at 55 times forward earnings, a high figure but a discount to Britain's ASOS which is on 57 times.

Launched in Berlin in 2008, Zalando serves customers in 15 European markets with more than 1,500 brands, including big names such as Gap, Banana Republic and Topshop.

Rival ASOS, recovering from a tough 2014 when it issued three profit warnings and suffered a warehouse fire, has seen its shares rise 13 percent this year, buoyed by stronger-than-expected sales for the first half to Feb. 29.

April 17, 2016

The China Edit is a weekly curation of the most important fashion business news and analysis from and about the world’s largest luxury market.

"Luxury Goods Spending by Chinese Tourists Down 24 Percent in March" (Asia One)
"Spending on luxury goods by Chinese shoppers abroad fell last month for the first time since such records began in 2010, leading to the worst ever monthly result for the luxury goods industry's tourist sales."

"How Savvy, Social Shoppers Are Transforming Chinese E-Commerce"(McKinsey & Company)
"With the most Internet users of any country, China is the world’s largest and fastest-growing e-commerce market. Capitalizing on opportunities, however, is becoming harder for consumer-facing companies."

"Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri: China's Luxury Consumers Aren't 'Ashamed' to Wear Logos" (Jing Daily)
"'The Chinese are buying back into Gucci after many months of decline. No one is ashamed to show a GG belt.'"

"Alibaba to Buy Controlling Stake in Lazada For About $1 Billion" (Reuters)
"Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has announced it agreed to buy a controlling stake in online retailer Lazada for about $1 billion to expand its platform into Southeast Asia."

April 17, 2016

You know those times when you have guests staying over but you don’t really have anywhere for them to sleep? Denis Santachiara has you, and them, covered. Ca.Mia, designed for Campeggi, is an inflatable bed that also offers your guests privacy. As the bed is inflated, the shape of a small house begins to appear.

In my opinion, this sleeping bag not only for guest, but also good for travellers. Nowadays, lots of travellers in order to save money, they like to sleep on the host's sofa instead of hotel.

April 11, 2016

Antiquorum Auctioneers will put 259 timepieces on the block for its Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces auction, taking place April 20 in New York City.

Among the top lots are a rare platinum, tonneau-shape Patek Philippe wristwatch, estimated at $350,000–$500,000 (pictured, right); a gold Patek Philippe wristwatch (estimated at $150,000–$250,000); and a Corum Buckingham wristwatch once worn by Elvis Presley (estimated at $10,000–$20,000).

April 08, 2016

If you’re looking for ways to detox your home and body the kitchen is a great place to start. From the food we eat to what we cook and clean with, a shocking amount of chemicals may exist right in your very favorite room. These chemicals can effect our mood, reproductive processes, growth and development, sexual function and metabolism which can ultimately lead to productive problems, metabolic issues, cancer, birth defects, and other devastating disorders.

I personally thought that I was doing a good job with our kitchen detox until I read this GOOP article and was SHOCKED to see the bad EWG scores on products we use that we thought weren’t bad (ehhh hmmmm Method and Mrs. Meyer). After reading the article, I detoxed our kitchen, again, and will continue to as we learn more about the dangers of what we’re using.

Here are seven ways to detox your own kitchen:

1. FOOD: Shop local/organic as much as possible (I realize it costs a little bit more but this is your health – you are what you eat!) and avoid all the processed foods.

2-5. SOAPS & CLEANERS: Most antibacterial soaps and hand-sanitizers contain nasty triclosan, a petrochemical that’s devastating to the environment, along with sodium laureth sulfate (likely contaminated with 1,4- dioxane, a known carcinogen), the preservative methylisothiazolinone (this can cause allergies), and fragrances and dyes. Swap out products that contain these chemicals for ones that don’t. Here are the highest rated brands by the EWG for the specific types of soaps/cleaners you use in your kitchen:

Dish soap: Planet Ultra and Better Life

Hand soap: Dr. Bronner’s Organic Fair Trade Shikakai Hand Soap

Dishwasher detergent: Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwashing Powder

All purpose cleaner: Planet All Purpose Spray Cleaner and Bon Ami Powder Cleaner

6. COOKWARE: Non-stick cookware may be coated with Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical that may cause cancer. Replace your pans as they scratch, peel, and wear out—and avoid cooking in them over high heat. As you slowly swap out your non-stick cookware, look for stainless steel, cast-iron, and enamel pots instead.

7. PLASTIC: Components of plastic, like BPA (bisphenol A), the building block of polycarbonate plastics, can leach out of containers and into the food, water or product inside. Always check the resin code on the bottom of the plastic storage containers and bowls in your kitchen. Avoid plastic numbers 3, 6 and 7 (when 7 is polycarbonate). In general, try to store food and beverages in glass and 100% stainless steel containers. Also, skip the canned food when you can, as many cans are lined in a resin that contains BPA.

April 07, 2016

We aren’t wearing coats and sweaters ironically here in Los Angeles, it’s actually cold! Thank gosh! With the cooler temperatures comes a fresh way to get dressed and I am thoroughly enjoying layering up. Chunky knits, oversized coats and hats for the win!

April 06, 2016

One of the best life changes I made was waking up earlier so that I can wake up slow. I started this habit after I graduated from college and having the time to take a walk, lay around while reading the news, mediate, take a long shower and/or make a good breakfast allows me to start my day off right.

Since waking up earlier means there isn’t a rush, wellness rituals have become an important part of the start to my day and by Snapchat (@GeriHirsch) demand, here is my routine:

1. Drink hot water with lemon
After slowly waking up I mosey on over to the kitchen to make hot water with lemon. I squeeze 1/4-1/2 a lemon into a mug and top it with warm water to cleanse and detox my system, stimulate digestion, release toxins from the liver, jumpstart digestive enzymes, get a vitamin C boost and relish in oh so many other benefits which you can read about here. I sip this as I get ready throughout the morning.

2. Dry skin brush
In full disclosure, skin brushing is a new part of my routine but so far I really enjoy it. The ancient wellness method improves lymphatic drainage, reduces cellulite, promotes digestion and supports detoxification. The key is to dry skin brush before you shower using an all natural brush (like this one) for 3-20 minutes (4 minutes is my magic number). When you do it, gently brush in a circular motion, starting from the ankles and wrists moving toward the heart to  improve blood flow. After you shower be sure moisturize. I opt for Fair Trade Shea Butter, coconut oil (yup, this one right out of the jar), natural lotions or organic body oils.

3. Set my intentions
I like to set my intentions while taking an extra hot shower (fun fact: Pharrell and Paul McCartney do the same!). What does setting my intentions mean? Simply put, it’s like mapping out my thoughts and and actions for the day. I believe that I am the only person who can control my thoughts and find that taking time out to set my intentions every single day is the first exercise toward leading a positive day. It is the driving force of your higher consciousness.

4. Eat a healthy breakfast
This may seem obvious but SO many people still skip eating a healthy breakfast. I believe that it’s important to fill your body with nutrients including good fats and proteins before you head off for a busy day. Plus, a healthy breakfast keeps you from making poor food choices later in the day.

April 05, 2016

Thank you all so much for the concerned snaps, comments and notes regarding my absence from the WWW.  I’m just now coming up for air after going through what is undoubtedly my biggest nightmare.

The story I’m about to share is pretty heavy but I’m sharing with the hope to helps saves lives and I urge you to please share this with those that you love.

On January 20th I got that dreaded call, “Your husband is in the emergency room, you need to go there immediately.”

I’m certain I broke just about every driving law while on my way there, including driving on the wrong side of the road. With a pounding heart, I arrived and was greeted by a social worker who told me that on his typical morning jog his heart stopped and he collapsed on the pavement. He was found by a passerby who called 911. LA County Sheriff Leobardo Trujillo arrived at the scene and performed CPR – he had no pulse and had stopped breathing.

The Fire Department arrived minutes later to assist. They got him breathing on his own and rushed him to the hospital where the doctors discovered a 95% blockage in his heart. He immediately had surgery then spent the next few days in a hypothermic coma.

I stayed by his side in the ICU, held his hand, left on ESPN so that he felt at home and talked to him as though he were awake.

“I love you so much, Boss. We’re going to get through this. You’re the strongest. We got this! PLEASSSSSE.”

I had never been more afraid. And was in complete shock.

Our families and friends sat together and prayed. We prayed for him, for the doctors and nurses, for the men and women who saved his life and for all the other families going through a hard time.

He slowly began to wake up. He’d move an arm or open his eyes and when he lifted his hand to give us a thumbs up the tears were uncontrollable. We knew our guy was back!

I’m relieved to share that we’re now home, he’s doing great and will make a FULL recovery. It is truly a miracle and there are no words to express our gratitude. I feel like it is now our responsibility to share his story with the hopes that it can help save others from going through the hardship we’ve endured. Here is what I learned and ask of all of you:

1. Please update your medical and emergency contact info in your phone. He was a John Doe upon arrival and they didn’t know anything about him nor did they know who to notify. This information is very helpful in emergencies. If you have an iphone, you can add this in the health app under *Medical ID.

2. Please take a CPR class. You never know when someone may need your help and every second counts. Had the sheriff been 20 seconds later he may not be here today.

3. Be on top of your health and listen to your body. My 38-year-old husband is a vegetarian, has low cholesterol, works out everyday, sees doctors regularly and was the healthiest. Nobody is pardon from health problems.

4. If you’re having reoccurring chest pain, please see your physician and inquire about a CT Angiogram. A stress test is not always enough.

5. Hug those you love tightly. And don’t forget to say I love you. It can all be taken in just one heart beat.

Lastly, if you’re as stunned and confused as we were to learn about what happened, you can find out more at Heart View Global and support first responders like Sheriff Trujillo atALADS.

The post A Very Personal Note On Heart Health appeared first on because im addicted.

April 04, 2016

NEW YORK, United States — Among fashion and lifestyle magazines, the growing consensus seems to be that bigger is better.

With its March 2016 issue, Elle US debuted a new trim size of 9 inches by 10 7/8 inches, up from 8 inches by 10 7/8 inches. But the Hearst-owned publication is not alone. In the last year, Condé Nast Traveler, former “lad mag” Maxim and women’s lifestyle magazine More — which has since folded — all increased their trim sizes.

For the most part, larger pages are a bid to increase these titles’ appeal as a platform for advertisers — particularly luxury brands — at a time when driving revenues from print ads is increasingly tough. Print advertising sales at US consumer magazines fell 6.2 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2015, according to media intelligence firm Kantar Media.

“Advertisers saw the eyeballs going towards digital and their budgets weren’t going up, so if they were going to follow [readers] to digital, the money had to come from somewhere,” said Beth Egan, associate professor of advertising at Syracuse University, on shrinking print spend. Bigger trims, she added, are also “an interesting way to add content without adding pages,” which can quickly increase the cost of printing and mailing a magazine.

“We’ve always done beautiful hero images of accessories and fine jewellery…. A bigger size gives those images more impact,” Robbie Myers, editor-in-chief of Elle US, told BoF. “Our advertisers are luxury advertisers, fashion advertisers and beauty advertisers, where the image is paramount.”

Elle’s new trim size brings it in line with that of Marie Claire, whose US edition is also published by Hearst Corporation. Elle is now larger than Condé Nast titles US Vogue (8 inches by 10 7/8 inches) and Glamour (7 7/8" inches by 10 7/8 inches). However, Condé Nast-owned W magazine has long used an oversized format, with a trim size of 10 by 13 inches.

“More than ever, everyone wants to stand out,” said Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine. “The future of print is in premium content with a collectible quality.” According to Tonchi, W’s oversized format “serves as a luxurious environment for our bold and immersive imagery.”

Guillaume Bruneau, art and design director at Maxim, said the magazine increased its trim size to 9 by 11 1/8 inches with the “affluent” reader in mind. “The advertisers, especially high-end advertisers, will find our beautiful magazine an ideal place to reach that core audience,” he said.

Maxim’s new trim size was part of a bigger overhaul, as the title attempts to drop its legacy as a “lad mag” and move upscale in the face of sliding sales. On launching the redesign, Maxim also cut the rate base of circulation it offers advertisers from 2 million to 900,000. Bruneau, who joined Maxim from Man of the World, a quarterly luxury men's magazine with an e-commerce store selling items like Rolexes and deluxe stationery, added that Maxim’s new trim size supports more “high-end editorial content,” describing each issue as a “collector’s item,” despite its low price tag of $4.99.

This new direction comes from Sardar Biglari, Maxim’s editor-in-chief and owner, who initially brought in Kate Lanphear — former style director of T: The New York Times Style Magazine — in September 2014 for a short-lived stint as editor-in-chief. As of December last year, the new Maxim boasted better quality paper and skewed towards more artistic photoshoots rather than images of nude glamour models, content that has lost its cache in recent years, not least because of the availability of free pornography online. Playboy also relaunched this March, cutting nudity from its pages and signalling its luxury ambitions by increasing trim size and improving paper stock.

Some also say that bigger is better for attracting attention on the newsstand. Maxim’s Bruneau points out that the December/January 2015 issue of the magazine — its first in a larger size — outsold any other men’s lifestyle magazine throughout 2015. Yet according to Beth Egan, “There’s certainly no research that a particular page size is any more or less impactful than another.”

March 13, 2016

MILAN, Italy — When Demna Gvasalia put oversized ski parkas on the runway at Balenciaga, some traced the moment back to the influence of Italian sportswear label Stone Island, one of the first to blur the boundaries between technical wear, streetwear and high-fashion. Indeed, from its inception, Stone Island aligned itself with a new mode of dressing that defied easy categorisation. “The new generation of kids — in Italy, they were called the Paninari — was less politically involved than mine, but more interested in dressing,” says Carlo Rivetti, Stone Island’s president and creative director, who founded the label in 1982 with designer Massimo Osti. “Their shirt would be by Burlington, the sweatshirt by Best Company and the jacket by Moncler. And they quickly embraced Stone Island.” Particularly popular were the label’s garment-dyed utilitarian jackets, which took inspiration from military uniforms and workwear.

“Stone Island was a company that was born by accident,” recalls Rivetti, referring to Osti’s early experiments with the resin-coated canvas used for military tarps from which the designer made Stone Island’s first jackets. “We had no business strategy and we had no branding strategy,” he continues. What Rivetti did have, however, was the support of his family’s company, Gruppo GFT, one of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers, which produced and distributed clothes for Italian brands like Armani, Valentino and Ungaro. The company got behind the fledging Stone Island and it sold fast. “GFT's sportswear division was doing about 33 billion lira, mainly in Italy and Germany, when Stone Island was born,” says Rivetti. By the second half of the 1980s, Gruppo GFT's sportswear division was generating about 50 billion lira in sales, with over half of its revenue coming from Stone Island, according to the company. “There was no real men’s fashion then. And Stone Island hit upon the youth movements that wanted to distinguish themselves — the Paninari in Italy and the Mod’s revival and terrace culture in the UK,” explains Rivetti.

March 13, 2016

LONDON, United Kingdom — Addressing an audience of students at Central Saint Martins last year, Anna Wintour advised: “The only thing I worry a little bit about, going straight from school to starting your own business, is not that many succeed… I personally would advise you to think carefully before you start your own business, and consider possibly working for a designer or a company whose work you admire.”

For every Alexander Wang, who launched his label straight out of school and has gone on to build a commercially successful brand, there’s a Meadham Kirchhoff, a label launched by a pair of designers after graduation, which has since shuttered. And for every Kirchhoff, there are many more labels that never got off the ground to begin with.

According to some in the industry, many young fashion businesses die of the same disease: simply, lack of experience.

“Don’t think that the business aspects of running a brand are not applicable to the designer — they are,” advises Gary Wassner. Wassner is the founder of two companies: Hilldun, a factoring firm that provides young designers with loans and other forms of credit, and Interluxe, an investment firm. Hilldun has financed labels including Marc Jacobs and Tommy Hilfiger. Interluxe has stakes in Jason Wu and Andrea Lieberman’s label A.L.C., and intends to make four or five investments eventually.

“I don’t think designers right out of school understand very well how to merchandise; what gross margin is; how to manage relationships with retailers,” says Wassner. “[The market] is so complicated today that unless you have a support structure around you in a new venture, you’re going to make major mistakes… I think you learn that with experience at other brands.”

French designer Alexandre Mattiussi has seen both sides of the coin. AMI, his Paris-based menswear label, launched in 2011 and gained traction quickly. In its first four seasons, sales grew by at least 50 percent each season and the brand built up 120 points of sale. Today, it has 300.

However, Mattiussi first attempted to launch his own brand in 2002, about a year after he graduated from the Duperré School of Applied Arts in Paris. “I didn’t know anything,” he says. (He was 22 at the time, and had spent over a year working at Dior on the house’s classic menswear line.) “I think it’s a great experience to realise you’re too young… I was doing everything: collection, production, deliveries, invoicing, press. It was really hard.”

After two years, Mattiussi packed it in and went to Givenchy, where he spent five years and worked with creative director Riccardo Tisci on his first menswear collection for the LVMH-owned house. He recalls regular meetings with the production, sales and commercial staff. Each week, he met with Marco Gobbetti, who oversaw Givenchy Couture (and is now chief executive of Céline), to show the collection and discuss its positioning in the market.

After another year designing menswear at Marc Jacobs, AMI was born. Mattiussi recalls: “I said, ‘Okay, I think I have understood the most important things: you have to have a team, you can’t work alone. You really have to have investment, so you have to think about a business plan. You have to think about fabrics and production, understand where your products are going to be made. You have to think about where to market and sell the collections,’” he says.

Things were very different second time around. AMI launched with a team of three, and Mattiussi quickly hired a sales manager and production manager. He took on PR firm KCD. And he found investment (AMI declined to comment on its investment). Today, AMI has a team of 50.

March 10, 2016

LONDON, United Kingdom — There has been much hand-wringing about the fashion month just ended. While the dominant topic was the rise of ‘fashion immediacy’ and direct-to-consumer shows, it’s pretty clear we are far from consensus on this issue. Indeed, after meeting with designers, chief executive officers, retailers, wholesalers and the fashion councils in Italy, France and the US, it’s pretty clear that the questions surrounding the fashion system and the role of shows will take some time — possibly several years — to sort themselves out.

Naturally, looking back at the season gone by, I also thought about the experiences that made a real emotional impression on me. In my short time in fashion, such moments have been few and far between: Raf Simons’ debut at Dior was certainly one, as were several of Alexander McQueen’s shows, Rick Owens’ Spring 2014 stepdancers show and Alessandro Michele’s first womenswear show for Gucci in February of last year. But this season, I was lucky to experience two genuine fashion moments that, in a way, were polar opposites.

Walking into the Balenciaga showspace on Sunday morning, there was certainly a sense of anticipation about Demna Gvasalia’s debut for the storied house. Personally, I wondered whether he would be able to carve out a distinctive identity for Balenciaga, one that would be differentiated from the red-hot street-inflected aesthetic of Vetements and respectful of the architectural precision of Cristóbal Balenciaga.

It turned out to be all of that — and more. Demna had thought of the entire experience from the moment we walked into the venue, where little speakers squawking out unintelligible noise lined the route downstairs into a huge underground television studio. The walls were insulated with grey padding and there were no windows at all. We really could have been anywhere in the world.

March 08, 2016

Tim’s Take | Chanel Autumn/Winter 2016

PARIS, France — In a new video series, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks talks to fashion’s top designers to decode the creative thinking behind their latest collections. Today, Blanks speaks to Karl Lagerfeld about Chanel’s Autumn/Winter show, fashion democracy and a 3,000-strong audience.

March 07, 2016

NEW YORK, United States — Fashion is addressing the issue of racial diversity. Whereas, just two years ago, only the rare black model was spotted in a runway lineup, today, multiple models of colour are casted at most shows and are the subject of high profile editorials and campaigns. One defiant voice amidst the ‘multi-culti’ progress is the influential Paris-based designer Demna Gvasalia and his design collective at Vetements and Balenciaga, which both showed their recent Autumn/Winter collections on white models only.

How does one of fashion’s brightest stars helming two closely tracked brands feel comfortable casting only white models in this racially charged age? It’s especially stunning when a stable of racially diverse models are ruling the game so visibly. Imaan Hammam, Lineisy Montero, Joan Smalls, Karly Loyce, Ajak Deng, Maria Borges, Herieth Paul, Liu Wen, Soo Joo Park and others are all helping to diversify the most visible side of the industry. Magazines from Antidote, 032c, CR Fashion Book and Elle worldwide to the Japanese, German and American editions of Vogue are featuring models of colour with such regularity we can only hope that — finally — inclusion is here to stay.

In campaigns, Gucci’s quirky, decadent model squad is multi-culturally representative and looks particularly on point. Céline arguably ushered in the ubiquitous natural hair trend by way of campaign star Karly Loyce. And Dominican Republic sensation Lineisy Montero’s racially non-specific beauty is the current face of Chanel (Prada before that). For those of us paying attention, there’s been a collective sigh of relief.

Meanwhile if we’re to rely on the vision of Gvasalia and his band of millennial influencers, fashion’s future is strangely one-dimensional and melanin-free. For someone whose excellent design work has been dubbed "revolutionary" in fashion circles, the all-white casting Gvasalia champions is, unfortunately, out of touch with today’s global reality. Vetements’ Americana-themed collection of reworked street wear, leather city coats and knee high boots worn exclusively by wan, Eastern-bloc looking models does not reflect the racial diversity seen on New York City streets, or even in middle America or on the West Coast where plenty of clued in hipsters of colour already wear or want to buy from the brand, as they do from London to Lagos, to Los Feliz.

On this topic, Vetements and Balenciaga need to be called out and corrected. We can’t excuse Gvasalia and his cronies for their early years spent in unified Stalinist and Leninist Georgia. Surely any modern designer with a worldview is attuned to the importance of diversity. It’s a myth that uniformed skin colour is the way to convey a cohesive, singular design idea and it is irresponsible and senseless businesswise to ignore this hot-button issue.

March 01, 2016

LONDON, United Kingdom — Fashion education has never been so fashionable. As the industry’s cultural profile rises, more and more students are applying for places on fashion related courses and the competition has never been tougher. “The difference now is that there are so many more people trying for places that, frankly, three quarters of the people that I would have given a place to 20 years ago, I am not able to give places to today,” says Willie Walters, BA course director at London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins.

Although the fashion education sector has already expanded significantly to meet demand, by creating courses and enlarging the number of places on them, non-private schools — which include many of the industry’s most renowned institutions — remain constrained by funding limitations and government-dictated quotas. As a result, securing a place at a selective school has become increasingly difficult. For the most competitive places, applicants must distinguish themselves in an internationally diverse field that numbers in the tens of thousands. Yet, given the high rates of competition, all of the educators interviewed expressed a degree of disappointment in the level of interview preparation many applicants believe to be sufficient.

To be successful, applicants — most of whom are from the Instagram-generation — must impress selection panels that were educated before the digital revolution. However, across the board, educators stressed that new media, digital artistry and idiosyncratic, global cultural reference points were to be celebrated, not ignored.

BoF asked the directors of the top ranking courses that will help select the class of 2017 to share their advice with applicants.

February 29, 2016

Disney princesses are definitely having a moment in fashion and beyond. This weekend alone, Dolce & Gabbana showed a blatant Disney princess collectionand at the Oscars, Alicia Vikander was quite literally Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" — from her yellow Louis Vuitton gown right down to her hairstyle. And if you click on Buzzfeed or Cosmopolitan on any given day, you'll find stories like "If Disney Princesses #WokeUpLike This" and "This Is What Disney Princesses Look Like Without Makeup." Clearly we want Disney princesses to be #justlikeus — and we want to be more like them. 

February 28, 2016

What happens when you hand over a 100-year old church to an artist and give them free rein? A colorful indoor skate park, named La Iglesia Skate is born. Located in the Spanish municipality of Llanera, Kaos Temple, as it’s known, has become a destination for skateboarders around the world with its one-of-a-kind interior painted by artist Okuda San Miguel.

February 27, 2016

Presentations by Fendi, Max Mara, Emilio Pucci and Prada kept show-goersvery busy on Thursday in Milan, and many dressed for the runway marathon in flared trousers in a range of lengths. From floor skimming, wide-leg styles to cropped versions that flare from the knee or calf, the '70s inspired silhouette that popped up all over the spring 2015 runways was everywhere. We didn't see anyone in jean flares, however, perhaps proving the combination of the cut and denim is too on-the-nose about the '70s influence — or not sufficiently formal for the day's designer presentations. Other trends included belted outerwear, socks with heels (again) and fur stoles (ditto). 

February 23, 2016

If you've ever had the honor to help host a baby/wedding shower for one of your friends, you know how tough it can be to think of the perfect treats to serve. I'm all about healthy eating and getting in my green juice and smoothies when I can, but when I go to a party or shower, I want the junk food to flow like wine if you know what I mean. A few years ago when I hosted a baby shower for my friend Candace, I was looking for something that would not only taste delicious, but also look adorable on the treat table. I knew I had found the answer to my prayers when I came across this birthday cake popcorn recipe online, and if I thought it looked and sounded good just by the photo and name, my expectations were exceeded once I actually tasted it. IT'S CRAZY GOOD!

February 21, 2016

I’m one of those girls who is always cold. You’ll catch me with a jacket over my shoulders on a cool 78 degree day, no problem. I’m from California, what can I say!?

Enter the always cold girls dream: The Double Jacket.

Wearing two jackets became a fashion thing somehow and when Los Angeles isn’t busy being 85 degrees I embrace the trend whole heartedly.

February 15, 2016

Health food and drink become more and more popular.

 Packed with spinach and nutrients for strength like chia, flaxseed, mucuna pruriens, almond butter and vanilla mushroom protein the nice thing about this smoothie is that if you live somewhere where it’s actually cold, it has a warm, nutty, vanilla and caramel flavor making it winter approved.

February 14, 2016

Valentine’s Day is upon us. For many people this means exchanging cards, chocolates, and eating fancy meals, or maybe even ignoring the holiday altogether. A select few of you, however, may be using this romantic holiday as an opportunity to propose. And while we’re taking opportunities, maybe you’ll even take the time to create a handmade ring box to spice up the moment when you pop the question. So here are nine cool ring boxes to inspire and to make.

February 12, 2016

Leave it to a group of students to completely reimagine the bicycle! A group of studentsfrom TU Delft in the Netherlands spent three months designing and producing the fully functioning Arc Bicycle that’s constructed with a 3D printed, stainless steel frame. Their goal was to demonstrate the potential of what could be made by 3D printing metal.

February 10, 2016

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reached a deal with Apple to be the only manufacturer for the iPhone 7's processor, likely called the A10, reports The Electronic Times [Google Translate]. TSMC won over Apple largely because of its 10-nanometer manufacturing process. The chip will reportedly go into full production in June.

While TSMC's 10-nanometer process is one reason the company was awarded with a deal over rival Samsung, another likely has to do with the company's more advanced device packaging techniques, which allow for better power performance and efficiency. However, at its conference call last month, TSMC said that it was hoping to ramp up 10nm production in 2017, with a slow start to production coming in the second half of 2016. 

February 07, 2016

Lady Gaga  sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to kick off tonight’s Super Bowl 50 festivities. I think the “Star Spangled Red-Slipper eyes” will become popular, also the make up tutorial has already on YouTube. 

February 06, 2016

Today is Chinese New Year and giving red envelopes is a Chinese tradition for certain festive occasions. Some Luxury brands such as LV, Ralph Lauren have the red envelopes to give the Chinese consumers. It is a good way to attract the Chinese consumers.

February 05, 2016

Burberry's new format for shows is specifically tailored to its consumers around the world and will follow a "see now, buy now" approach. Once a collection has made its debut, pieces will immediately be available for purchase both online and in stores, along with window displays and marketing materials aligned with the new collection. 

February 04, 2016

The world will shortly be celebrating the beginning of another Year of the Monkey. For those born in these years, or for anyone who just loves monkeys, there is a jungle’s worth of fine jewellery out there to help you ring in Chinese New Year.

February 03, 2016

As you may know, we’re always on the hunt for new hair accessories. We live for a good trend but we also get down with the stand-alone classic. Pearls are clearly a classic but we’re finding that they’re having a big moment right now and wanted share some of our current faves.

February 02, 2016

2016 is the year that shoes give watches an extra kick of sex appeal, like this JLC Reverso Duetto customised by Christian Louboutin. 

The iconic Reverso range of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches stepped out for their 85th birthday in grand red carpet style with sexy new straps and fresh faces with bold colours, courtesy of cult shoe designer Christian Louboutin. The gorgeous metallic colours on the Scarabé Reverso strap add a refreshing dash of seduction to this timeless watch. As part of the Atelier Reverso service, customers can now customise to their heart’s delight, choosing engravings, dial colours, gem-setting options and a cornucopia of watch straps - including the 2016 models designed by Louboutin - for their Duo and Duetto models.