NASA mission may reveal the makeup of moon
An artist’s rendering provided by NASA shows the twin GRAIL spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field. The two probes are scheduled to enter orbit around the moon over New Year’s weekend.
NASA/AP
This weekend, two NASA spacecrafts will begin a kind of lunar ballet as they enter the moon’s orbit. Their mission: to try to answer questions about its interior makeup and topography.
The two robotic spacecrafts — weighing about 303 kilograms each — will begin a series of intricate braking manoeuvres to put themselves into the moon’s orbit over the weekend, about three months after they launched.
The first spacecraft is set to fire its engines at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, and begin its orbit of the moon soon after. The second craft will perform similar manoeuvres 25 hours later, around 5:05 p.m. on Sunday.
Then over the next three months, the two crafts will do a series of small engine firings to reduce their orbit to within 55 kilometres of the moon’s surface, said Maria Zuber, principal investigator for the GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission and a professor of geophysics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in an interview with the Star.
Once in orbit and at the right altitude, the two spacecraft will begin collecting data as they fly over the moon, speeding up and slowing down in response to tiny gravitational tugs.
As they are doing this lunar dance, they will send radial signals back and forth to each other and to the Earth, where researchers will be able to measure the change of velocity in the two spacecrafts and begin to paint a picture of the moon.
“Scientists will use the gravity field information from the two satellites to X-ray the moon from crust to core to reveal the moon’s subsurface structures and, indirectly, its thermal history,” the project’s website says.
The data, Zuber and others hope, will help explain the makeup of the moon’s interior — something that, despite more than 100 missions to the moon, scientists have yet to fully understand.
“We’re interested in how the moon formed and how it evolved,” Zuber said. “It just occurred to us the missing piece of the puzzle was a detailed analysis of the lunar interior.”
Scientists have hypothesized that the moon formed when an object about the size of Mars smashed into the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. It is believed that volcanic eruptions on the moon’s near side created large, dark plains from lava flows.
However, the far side of the moon is mountainous. The difference in topography puzzles many.
One possible explanation is a recent theory that suggests the Earth had a second moon orbiting it, but it crashed into the far side of the moon, creating the mountains and highlands there.
Zuber hopes the data from the spacecrafts will help confirm that theory, as well as further explain the makeup of the near side of the moon.
“We have ideas and there are hypotheses out there,” she said. “Maybe the data will be consistent with those hypotheses. Or maybe we’ll have to think about other options. You tend to get surprised in this business.”
The mission is scheduled to continue until June 2012, when there will be an eclipse. The spacecraft was not designed to last through the eclipse, but if it does, Zuber hopes NASA will extend the mission for another six months.
Then she plans to have the spacecrafts do another series of manoeuvres that will take them even lower, to about 27 kilometres above the moon’s surface. At that altitude the researchers could get an even clearer map of the moon’s interior makeup.
Fashion 2011: All the styles fit to tweet
MONTREAL – This is the year that Twitter exploded, rendering the narrative form and everybody’s attention span virtually obsolete. Here are the top style stories of 2011, from Alexander McQueen to the fall of Galliano and the rise of Zombie Boy, albeit in more than Twitter’s requisite 140 characters.
Alexander McQueen. The lady and the duchess dominated the fashion photos of the year, and both wore designs by the house of the late designer, who committed suicide last year. Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, wed Prince William on April 29 in a traditional bridal gown of lace appliquéd on ivory silk gazar. At the Bambi awards in Germany last month, Lady Gaga wore a gold and white feathered confection from the spring 2012 collection by Sarah Burton for McQueen. A few days after the royal wedding, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty opened at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York: 661,509 people attended the exhibition.
Bill Cunningham. The blue-smocked New York Times photographer, who has chronicled street style since the 1960s, was the subject of the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. “We all get dressed for Bill,� Vogue editor Anna Wintour says in the film. Now we all love Bill, and the movie, for his pure, eccentric pursuit of beauty in all its guises.
Christian Dior. Belgian minimalist Raf Simons of Jil Sander is the latest designer to be in talks with LVMH to take the helm at the storied house of Dior in the wake of the fall of John Galliano. Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs is out of the running, after months of speculation. He told Vogue the “idea of couture doesn’t hold that thing for me. It’s archaic – in my opinion.�
Designer moves. Karl Lagerfeld will debut an affordable collection at online retailer Net-a-porter in January, and a higher-end signature line for fall. Madonna is launching a collection, Truth or Dare. Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe came out with her own line in New York this fall. Opening Ceremony founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are now creative directors of Kenzo.
Christophe Decarnin, who brought glitzy rock-chic and shocking prices to Balmain, left the house amid rumours of depression and burnout. Dolce Gabbana shuttered its younger line, DG, with the spring 2012 collection the finale.
Economy. Unstable. Volatile. Frightening. Not good for fashion.
Farewell. Georges Lévesque, a designer known as the spirit of the Main for his eclectic, signature styles sold at the Scandale boutique, died suddenly at age 59 on Aug. 23. In 2011, fashion notables who passed away also include Elizabeth Taylor (whose jewels sold for a record $116 million in December), Loulou de la Falaise, Evelyn Lauder and François Lesage.
Galliano. It’s the story of the year. Flamboyant star designer for the storied house of Christian Dior, videotaped spewing anti-Semitic slurs. John Galliano was quickly suspended, then fired on March 1, and charged in French court with uttering racial insults. He got off relatively lightly, with a 6,000 euro fine, but the fashion world is divided on the fall. Some point to the pressure cooker of the fashion world and his longtime drug and alcohol abuse, seemingly a hazard of the job. Natalie Portman, who is Jewish and was the face of Dior’s Miss Cherie’s perfume, said she was disgusted, dissociated herself from Galliano, and wore Rodarte rather than Dior to the Oscars, where she took best actress award.
HM. HM’s hookup with Versace caused the usual retail frenzy when it hit stores Nov. 19. And it’s not over yet, with another wave to hit stores on Jan. 19. HM followed with a dark, goth collection based on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (not available in Montreal) and will continue its designer deals with a line by Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni on March 8. Sofia Coppola will direct the advertising video for that line, the opposite aesthetic of Versace’s.
IPOs. Michael Kors, Prada, Ferragamo went public this year. Kors remains 35 per cent owned by Silas Chou and Montreal’s Lawrence Stroll. More financial dealings: After LVMH picked up about 20 per cent of Hermès, Hermès CEO Patrick Thomas said, “If you want to seduce a beautiful woman, you don’t start by raping her from behind.� In December, LVMH upped its stake to 22.3 per cent.
Jean Paul Gaultier. He was the man of the moment in Montreal this year, with a stunning and delightful show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, titled The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. More than 2,000 fans mobbed the museum on opening night in June to wonder at the talking mannequins and their extraordinary fashions. The Gaultier fever continued in July with a parade along Ste. Catherine St., led by a smiling Gaultier clad in his signature sailor-striped T-shirt. And for a grand défile, magnificent haute couture hits and a capsule of fall were shown on the catwalk at the Festival Mode Design. “Jean Paul Gaultier is a contemporary artist, and what he says goes beyond fashion,� museum director Nathalie Bondil said. Almost 175,000 people visited the show.
Kate Middleton. Whatever she wears turns to retail gold, often from British high street chains like Reiss, French Connection and Whistles. On the duchess’s first official tour of duty, to Canada in July, she paid tribute to this country, donning a lace dress by Montreal-raised, London-based Erdem, a blazer by Toronto’s Smythe, and a red maple leaf fascinator by Lock Co. Naturally, the wedding dress was an “inspiration,’’ too, knocked off by J.S. Collections and Le Château, among others.
Her sister Pippa has also made an impression, with a page on Facebook, the Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society with more than 241,500 likes.
Lady Gaga. MTV News has its own “Special Gaga Unit.� She has had 36 international magazine covers, won the Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, performed on the Thierry Mugler catwalk in Paris and arrived at the Grammys in an egg by Hussein Chalayan, from which she hatched to perform Born This Way. It sold more than a million copies in a week. The lady has more than 17 million Twitter followers. Enough said.
Montreal Fashion Week. Organizers decided to get a jump on the international schedule, ahead of New York, Milan and Paris. The next round of shows is set for Feb. 6-9. Designers are scurrying to get ready. Marie Saint Pierre and Denis Gagnon remain the standard bearers of the Montreal scene.
A new generation. Anastasia Lomonova, Travis Taddeo, Mélissa Nepton, UNTTLD and Martin Lim showed strong collections at fashion week and beyond. Martin Lim took the top award at the Mercedes-Benz Startup competition, winning mentoring, a spot at Toronto fashion week showing fall 2012 and counsel from accounting and intellectual property firms.
Ogilvy. The future of the grande dame of Ste. Catherine St. is uncertain after the purchase of the department store this summer by the owners of Holt Renfrew. Word on the street and fashion insiders suggest Holt Renfrew will move into the roomier quarters of Ogilvy’s at some point in the future, while the art deco luxury store on Sherbrooke St. W. will become condos.
Pantone colour of the year. Honeysuckle, a vibrant pink.
Quebec retailers’ woes. It’s brutal out there, with the local retailers fighting to stay in the game as international giants use their clout. Anthropologie, on de la Montagne, and Sephora, on Ste. Catherine St. W., are slated to open in the new year. Taking a cue from the giants, Reitmans teamed up with Marie Saint Pierre for a holiday collection, which sold out in a day in Quebec. A spring line comes April 26, with nine dresses and a jumpsuit. Bedo, after a similar collaboration with Denis Gagnon, is now backing a new lower-priced line from the designer, titled Odasi.
Red carpet. There was a crimson tide at the awards shows this year, starting with January Jones in a daring Versace and Christina Hendricks in over-ruffled Romona Keveza at the Golden Globes, continuing with high-fashion priestess and host Anne Hathaway in Valentino at the Oscars, and cresting with Nina Dobrev, Lea Michele and Kate Winslet at the Emmys. On the questionable side were eccentric Helena Bonham Carter in one red shoe, one green, Julianna Margulies in Armani Privé and Cate Blanchett in a truly odd Givenchy lauded by most of the fashion press. On the winner’s side: Angelina Jolie in glittering emerald Versace, Haillee Steinfeld in ballet pink Monique Lhuillier, Lea Michele in scarlet Marchesa, and the ladies in simple, sophisticated black: Piper Perabo, Sharon Stone and Laura Linney.
Sarah Burton. She started as head of women’s wear at Alexander McQueen in 2000, and against all odds, succeeded in assuring the continuation of the line after the death of McQueen. Obviously, the royal wedding dress was the crowning glory in the decision to name her Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.
Trends. Spring sprung with a hyper mix of hot colours, nowhere hotter than at Jil Sander, where purple, orange and pink played together. Fall went all warm and fuzzy, with extravagant furs in crazy colours topping the trend charts. As for next spring, the pendulum must swing. Look for soft pastels like sea foam and underwater themes, as at Chanel.
Ubiquitous. Parkas were everywhere the moment the temperature dipped just a bit. Mackage and Canada Goose were the coats of choice.
Versace. Having a moment, what with the HM collaboration and a star-studded bash to celebrate the line. The choice of Christopher Kane as designer for the younger Versus collection is also winning praise.
Wired. We all are.
XFactor. You tell me.
Ying Gao. “We need very few things in our wardrobe,’’ the Montreal designer and teacher said after a fall show espousing the slow fashion movement. Quebec City’s Musée national des beaux-arts put on a show of her work, titled Art, mode et technologie and featuring “intelligent� garments.
Zombie Boy. Former squeegee kid Rick Genest hit the international spotlight this year, thanks mainly to Nicolas Formichetti, stylist to Lady Gaga and creative director of Thierry Mugler, among other notable fashion titles. The totally tattooed Genest walked the Mugler runway in Paris, appeared with Gaga in her Born This Way video, and travelled the world this year. He is something of a folk hero; a YouTube video of an ad for coverup cream has more than 7.3 million views so far.
efriede@montrealgazette.com
evitastyle on twitter.com
Cut from the right cloth
Break down … a compostable swimsuit.
Compostable materials are making garments greener, writes LISSA CHRISTOPHER.
The clothes we buy – many of them inexpensive and discarded with little heartache – are becoming an environmental hazard to rival plastic bags. In Britain, 2 million tonnes of textiles, mostly clothes, are ”shovelled” into landfill every year, says Lucy Siegle, the author of To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?
However, most fabrics do not degrade in a hurry, nor do they enrich the soil.
Enter compostable clothing – items made from plant-based fibres that break down relatively quickly and non-toxically. It is a nascent industry – and not quite all it is cracked up to be – but the day when it is possible to throw old clothes into the compost bin with the potato peelings does seem to be drawing closer.
Boardshorts made from recycled water bottles. Photo: Natalie Boog
Manufacturers of sports clothing have been early adopters of eco gestures. Patagonia has been selling fleeces made from recycled plastic bottles for years. Billabong has used the same material to make boardshorts. Nike has trumpeted its World Cup jerseys made from recycled landfill. Now, Puma chief executive Franz Koch has announced the brand will be ”able to bring the first shoes, T-shirts and bags that are either compostable or recyclable” to market.
Puma is claiming a first but compostable fabrics and clothes have been available for some time. Granted, they have been fringe dwellers and Puma might be first to make them mainstream.
Ingeo, for example, is a biodegradable polymer made from corn. It is suitable for a range of products, including food packaging and bottles, but its fabric form has been used by German sportswear brand Salewa and Target in the US, among others. Ingeo has green credentials for its compostability and the fact it is oil-free, but has been criticised over its use of genetically modified corn. The fabric is also unsuitable for a home compost bin, requiring industrial-scale attention.
At this year’s Miami Fashion Week, Linda Loudermilk – dubbed ”the Vivienne Westwood of eco” by Elle magazine – put two compostable swimsuits on the catwalk. The models looked a bit like they were wrapped in sheets of nori, and it is hard to say how well the designs would hold up in surf or during laps in a chlorinated swimming pool, but they could be ideal for poolside cocktail consumption. It was reported the fabric would decompose under soil in 180 days and not while on the body.
”Wear it! Plant it! Then eat it!” runs the sales pitch for the Spudcoat, a hooded poncho-style raincoat made from bioplastic derived from potato starch and other natural resources. When you are sick of the coat, you plant it and a clay seed ball integrated into the structure should bloom. Finally, the remainder decomposes into the soil. No waste. The coat is also embossed with the words ”I was a potato” – intended to prompt questions about the coat and so provide its wearers with an opportunity to sing the praises of bioplastics.
German microbiology student turned fashion designer Anke Domaske hit the headlines this year for her Qmilch, a fabric made from milk protein. Milk-based fabrics have been around for decades but have included a lot of acrylic material. Domaske’s version is uniquely organic and was originally intended as a soothing alternative for people with sensitive skin. Apparently, it is very soft – and compostable. Domaske has used it in her clothing line, Mademoiselle Chi Chi, and it is being promoted as a ”climate textile” for sleepwear and manchester.
It remains to be seen just what Puma’s compostable clothing will be made from. Possibly, it will be the corn polymer but it could be something new and unlikely, perhaps even something we would rather have on our backs than on our plates. Choko comes to mind.
Gossip Girl Fashion Begins at Milanoo.com
CHENGDU, China, Dec. 30, 2011 — /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Milanoo.com, a China based online fashion spot with a wide range of fashion collections, brings new and unique fashion items from Gossip Girl, following the latest styles of the hottest US TV series. The accessories and clothes of Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf are duplicated in Milanoo Gossip Girl Collection.
“Gossip Girl bags and dresses for special occasions not only creates a deep impression on fans, but also leads the direction of fashion trends,” according to Gu, the manager of the procurement center of Milanoo. “Developing this fashion line specially for those with a passion for fashion, we select the latest fashion items from the hottest TV shows, and Milanoo wants to bring celebrity fashion styles to your daily dressing,” he added.
Milanoo’s Gossip Girl collection mainly made up of bags, shoes and clothes. Amongst them, B’s Sweet Pink PU Women’s Shoulder Bag and Black PU Leather Rivet Decoration Women’s Clutch Bag, S’s Fashion Black Zip Closure PU Polyester Lining Shoulder Bag and Elegant Khaki PU Women’s Tote are the highlights. The special pea coat, fur coat, jackets, and outwear are also recommended by Milanoo.com, where you can also find those sexy shoes worn by Blair and Serena.
To know more information about Gossip Girl fashion styles, you can also find Milanoo at major social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and also their blog. Personal information of each customer is kept confidential for making safe transactions on Milanoo.com. Now, you can enjoy hassle-free shopping in the comfort of own home.
About Milanoo
Milanoo, based in China, comes up with a plethora of new and trendy fashion apparel, cosplay costumes, wigs, lingerie, formal wear, wedding attire, shoes and spandex Zentai suits which are included in their scope of online retail business to meet the expectations of women customers by offering great comfort level along with unique style. Milanoo has been a very popular website for its ultimate fashion and also value for money while fulfilling your fashion needs.
Related Links
http://www.milanoo.com/Gossip-Girl-Fashion-Dresses-c1004
http://www.milanoo.com/en/promotions/specials-id-111977.html
SOURCE Milanoo.com
Gossip Girl Fashion Begins at Milanoo.com
CHENGDU, China, Dec. 30, 2011 — /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Milanoo.com, a China based online fashion spot with a wide range of fashion collections, brings new and unique fashion items from Gossip Girl, following the latest styles of the hottest US TV series. The accessories and clothes of Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf are duplicated in Milanoo Gossip Girl Collection.
“Gossip Girl bags and dresses for special occasions not only creates a deep impression on fans, but also leads the direction of fashion trends,” according to Gu, the manager of the procurement center of Milanoo. “Developing this fashion line specially for those with a passion for fashion, we select the latest fashion items from the hottest TV shows, and Milanoo wants to bring celebrity fashion styles to your daily dressing,” he added.
Milanoo’s Gossip Girl collection mainly made up of bags, shoes and clothes. Amongst them, B’s Sweet Pink PU Women’s Shoulder Bag and Black PU Leather Rivet Decoration Women’s Clutch Bag, S’s Fashion Black Zip Closure PU Polyester Lining Shoulder Bag and Elegant Khaki PU Women’s Tote are the highlights. The special pea coat, fur coat, jackets, and outwear are also recommended by Milanoo.com, where you can also find those sexy shoes worn by Blair and Serena.
To know more information about Gossip Girl fashion styles, you can also find Milanoo at major social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and also their blog. Personal information of each customer is kept confidential for making safe transactions on Milanoo.com. Now, you can enjoy hassle-free shopping in the comfort of own home.
About Milanoo
Milanoo, based in China, comes up with a plethora of new and trendy fashion apparel, cosplay costumes, wigs, lingerie, formal wear, wedding attire, shoes and spandex Zentai suits which are included in their scope of online retail business to meet the expectations of women customers by offering great comfort level along with unique style. Milanoo has been a very popular website for its ultimate fashion and also value for money while fulfilling your fashion needs.
Related Links
http://www.milanoo.com/Gossip-Girl-Fashion-Dresses-c1004
http://www.milanoo.com/en/promotions/specials-id-111977.html
SOURCE Milanoo.com
Driver In Rollover Allegedly Doing Makeup
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Gossip Girl Fashion Begins at Milanoo.com
CHENGDU, China, Dec. 30, 2011 — /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Milanoo.com, a China based online fashion spot with a wide range of fashion collections, brings new and unique fashion items from Gossip Girl, following the latest styles of the hottest US TV series. The accessories and clothes of Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf are duplicated in Milanoo Gossip Girl Collection.
“Gossip Girl bags and dresses for special occasions not only creates a deep impression on fans, but also leads the direction of fashion trends,” according to Gu, the manager of the procurement center of Milanoo. “Developing this fashion line specially for those with a passion for fashion, we select the latest fashion items from the hottest TV shows, and Milanoo wants to bring celebrity fashion styles to your daily dressing,” he added.
Milanoo’s Gossip Girl collection mainly made up of bags, shoes and clothes. Amongst them, B’s Sweet Pink PU Women’s Shoulder Bag and Black PU Leather Rivet Decoration Women’s Clutch Bag, S’s Fashion Black Zip Closure PU Polyester Lining Shoulder Bag and Elegant Khaki PU Women’s Tote are the highlights. The special pea coat, fur coat, jackets, and outwear are also recommended by Milanoo.com, where you can also find those sexy shoes worn by Blair and Serena.
To know more information about Gossip Girl fashion styles, you can also find Milanoo at major social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and also their blog. Personal information of each customer is kept confidential for making safe transactions on Milanoo.com. Now, you can enjoy hassle-free shopping in the comfort of own home.
About Milanoo
Milanoo, based in China, comes up with a plethora of new and trendy fashion apparel, cosplay costumes, wigs, lingerie, formal wear, wedding attire, shoes and spandex Zentai suits which are included in their scope of online retail business to meet the expectations of women customers by offering great comfort level along with unique style. Milanoo has been a very popular website for its ultimate fashion and also value for money while fulfilling your fashion needs.
Related Links
http://www.milanoo.com/Gossip-Girl-Fashion-Dresses-c1004
http://www.milanoo.com/en/promotions/specials-id-111977.html
SOURCE Milanoo.com
Fashion nightmare for Rachel Zoe as American Airlines loses her suitcase …
By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:40 PM on 29th December 2011
Rachel Zoe was left a little threadbare, so to speak, after her luggage was lost by American Airlines on a recent trip out of Los Angeles.
The stylist to the stars was forced to go on a frantic shopping spree after arriving in Miami, en route to St Barts, to discover her suitcase packed full of designer clothes had gone missing.
Sources told the New York Post’s Page Six her case contained a Tom Ford for Gucci vintage leather jacket and
Missoni caftans, among other stylish items.
What to wear: Rachel Zoe, pictured here earlier this week on the beach in St Barts with son Skyler, has had her luggage lost by American Airline
Rachel – who is holidaying with
husband Rodger Berman and their baby son Skyler – managed to pick up some
new clothes in Miami before continuing her journey to St Barts.
She was pictured earlier this week on
the golden sands of the Caribbean island with her family, along with
designer Marc Jacobs and his ex-fiance Lorenzo Martone.
Zoe – the star of Bravo’s The Rachel
Zoe Project – styles a slew of A-list stars, including Cameron Diaz, Eva
Mendes and Kate Hudson.
Quick-thinking: The stylist to the stars managed to pick up some new clothes for her luxurious break with husband Rodger Berman
What a calamity: Zoe caught up with designer Marc Jacobs, left, and his ex-fiance Lorenzo Martone, who doted over little Skyler
An insider explained to Page Six: ‘Rachel jetted from Los
Angeles to Miami just before the Christmas holiday, and her suitcase
with all of her favourite pieces has been missing ever since.
‘American
has offered up no information as to its whereabouts,’ the source went on, adding that it has been missing for over a week now.
A spokesman for American Airlines told
the publication: ‘We are working diligently to find Ms Zoe’s bag, as we
would for any passenger.’
Earlier this month Alec Baldwin hit
the headlines after American Airlines ejected him from a flight after he
refused to switch off his mobile phone.
Passion for fashion: Rachel pictured shopping on the exclusive Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills just a few days before her flight out of Los Angeles
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Another very bad story about A A. Fly with some
other airline !!!!!
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Something about American and Miami – my luggage, too, was lost once by American en route to Miami – direct flight, too. Didn’t show up until the middle of the night a few days later, in the meantime I lived in some pajamas I picked up near the airport. I think if I owned vintage Gucci anything, it would come on board with me.
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Who cares about this designer-obsessed woman?
She shouldn’t be a stylist at all since her outfit choices a lot of times are bizarre rather than spectacular.
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Did AA lose her grooming items, too? Like the case with her hairbrush? Alec Baldwin has as much to do with this story as the Iowa caucus.
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Oh how will she ever get over this? Things like this happen to us mere mortals too, IMAGINE THAT!
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“Sources told the New York Post’s Page Six her case contained a Tom Ford for Gucci vintage leather jacket and Missoni caftans, among other stylish items.”
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Hardly a nightmare for someone like her – an inconvenience perhaps, but not devastating…get a grip.
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Fashion: summer’s hot top 10 looks
NATASHA SILVA-JELLY
Fashion: summer’s hot top 10 looks
Kate Moss strips for Pirelli calendar
Tom Ford: Invest in Spanx
Kerr even sexier as mum: Bloom
Jandals fly off shelves
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Stuff’s top 10 frocks of 2011
Parade your pins with pride
See-through clothing: hit or miss?
Now that summer has officially arrived – and with sales shopping and the party season in full swing – there’s never been a better time to overhaul your wardrobe.
To help you bag the best on-trend bargains we’ve compiled “Summer’s Hot Top 10″ – the looks to rock right now – as well as the 10 failsafe items no fashionista should ever be without.
Maxi-mum glamour: It wouldn’t be summer without a delectable assortment of maxi dresses ready for some beach-to-bar action. This season floral and animal prints are the hot contenders, or look for the new twist on the old faithful – the full flowing printed maxi skirt, worked back with a simple tank, in muted silk we say.
Colour Pop: The hot shade of summer? It’s all about a riot of eye-popping bright hues – think neon pinks, bright blue, sunshine yellow and citrus orange. Fly the flag for all-out colour and clash complementary shades (hot pink skinny jeans with a turquoise T-shirt, what’s not to love?) or go for a bold block party dress this season. Or if subtlety is more your speed, embrace a pop of colour on bags, jackets, belts – and this season’s hottest ticket – two toned heels.
Summer LWD: The fashion landscape is set to white hot, so swap your classic LBD, for a little white dress this summer – even Collette Dinnigan has traded her signature black lace for white. Relaxed cotton styles (beachy shirt dresses and kaftans) or dressy cocktail frocks in lace or silk are where it’s at.
Animalia: It’s official: animal print has reached cult status. This season in keeping with the safari vibe, jungle leopard and zebra prints have popped up all over maxi dresses, summer blouses, kaftans and accessories – from heels to flats, bags and belts, scarves and even the trusty beach hat.
Short shorts: Prepare to bare those pins – bronze tan essential – as shorts are the new trouser this summer. Don’t fret, this season’s version comes in a figure flattering just-above-the-knee length and looks chic dressed up with a relaxed summer blazer. Again look for shorts in bright shades or embrace the desert trend and go for charcoal or khaki. Just add a strappy flat sandal in tan or luxe gold.
The wedge: If you only buy one shoe this season make sure it’s a platform wedge. Perfect for funking up jeans or dressing up shorts – and the only heel acceptable with a maxi dress – go for a bright pop of colour, classic tan or chic black.
Cat Eyes: There is definitely a whiff of retro in the air judging by the sunglasses of the season – 50′s style cat eye shades are the sexy new way to cover up. Or you will never go wrong with a classic pair of Rayban wayfarers, which are still going strong among the fashion and A-list set.
Party dressing: Tis the season of the cocktail party and the best pieces to see you through every soiree include – a killer frock (something short and bright), a statement heel (work that frock back with a colourful or glittering heel) and a juicy patent clutch – neon bright naturally.
The big swim: Hooray for swimsuit season and the return of old style Hollywood glamour as retro fifties and sixties bathing suits prevail. Think bandeau, bustier and balconette bra tops worked back with ultra glamorous high-waisted boy leg bikini bottoms in nautical and animal prints and chic safari shades.
Nautical: Call it our love affair with French dressing – or perhaps it’s in preparation for long summer days spent on the yacht – but the striped nautical look is a huge this season. Work a Breton top back with shorts or Capri pants, or score serious sartorial points round the pool or at the beach with a navy and white striped mini dress or cover all. Nautical also gives good swimwear.
10 FAILSAFE FASHION CLASSICS
The Blazer – every wardrobe needs a chic boyfriend style blazer, which for summer comes in soft neutral shades (we love blush pink) or nautical style navy. But you will never go wrong in classic black.
The Denims – the ultimate wardrobe staple, the hot right-now look in denim is tight legging styles in bright blue denim (or rainbow shades).
The LBD – ready to solve every “what to wear?” dilemma. Always have at least one little black dress on hand. Short and chic we say.
The White Shirt – like the LBD, the classic white shirt (crisp and tight-fitted), confers style instantly. Work it back with tight jeans and ballet flats and lashings of silver jewellery.
The Ballerina – ballet flats will literally take you anywhere. Look to soft tan or nude shades this season.
The Pump – A classic pair of black or tan pump heels are ready take you from boardroom to bar and from chic to sexy.
The Day Bag – An oversized slouchy, over-the-shoulder tote – in classic tan or grey this season – is an essential for every working mother.
The Wrap – A cashmere or bamboo wrap – in a soft neutral or pastel shade – instantly updates an outfit, is an airplane essential and the perfect cover-up when the sun starts to fade.
The Basics – have become our new uniform, thank you Bassike. Trust us, you can’t live without an arsenal of organic cotton tees, easy living jersey dresses and casual harem style.
The Kaftan – You can’t call yourself a beach loving Australian without a statement kaftan. Leopard print is classic, as is nautical, but this season kaftan style dresses in core colours like white, black and charcoal will keep you chic in the sun.
– © Fairfax NZ News
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Online shoe clubs are in step with fashion-forward women
Once a month, you can automatically receive in the mail a bottle of wine, a box of organic fruit and now, a pair of sequined stilettos.
In a cyber twist to the traditional monthly sales clubs, shoe membership websites have become a hit among fashion-forward women, who say they bring together the convenience and affordability of shopping online with the personalized experience offered in a boutique.
“This is fashion of the future,” said celebrity fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons, who recently signed on as president, creative director and an investor of JustFabulous Inc., an El Segundo membership club. “It speaks to the modern-day woman’s budget and lifestyle.”
Members register on sites such as ShoeDazzle.com Inc. or JustFabulous for free and take a fashion personality quiz — What outfit are you most likely to wear on a first date? Which celebrity’s closet would you most like to raid? — to determine their unique style preferences.
On the first of each month, members log in to their accounts to view a limited, customized showroom of shoes: five-inch gold platform heels for the Hollywood clubgoer, conservative flats for the girl next door, studded leather boots for the rocker chick. The shoes are designed in-house, often by a team of high-profile celebrities and stylists, and customers receive the pair of their choice starting at $39.95, including shipping. Members can skip a month if they don’t feel like receiving a new pair of shoes, provided they opt out (usually by the fifth of the month).
The member-only programs have quickly attracted hordes of loyal shoppers. The sites, subscribers say, are easy to use, are customer-friendly when it comes to returns and exchanges, and usually do a good job identifying what styles they like.
“It’s very addicting. I have a heel collection now; before, I probably had maybe like one or two pairs that lasted me years,” said Yucaipa resident Amber Venturina, 26, who joined ShoeDazzle in June and also became a member of JustFabulous. Now “I have to have shoes in every color.”
Shoe club officials say the websites make the process of buying shoes less overwhelming while bringing the elite service of a personal shopper to the masses.
“Not everyone has access to a stylist, but we can be a stylist through that technology and hopefully recommend the right products,” said Josh Berman, chief executive of BeachMint Inc., which operates newly launched shoe club ShoeMint. “Rather than going to an Amazon or Google and typing ‘shoes’ and having thousands of things to choose from, what we’re learning is consumers like to be curated and shown what is hot.”
But as fashion memberships surge in popularity, they’re adding to the increasing pressures on bricks-and-mortar merchants. Because shoe clubs sell directly to customers and don’t operate physical stores, they’re able to save on overhead costs such as staffing and rent, enabling the brands to price the shoes for about half of what they would cost at the mall, company officials estimated.
“We are in the midst of a reinvention of retail,” said Kasey Lobaugh, a principal at Deloitte Consulting who follows online shopping trends. “Retailers are being forced to innovate the business model. If they don’t, there is now a long list of nontraditional competitors who will.”
Another problem for old-school retailers: Many members are flocking to the shoe clubs’ Facebook pages and other social media sites to ask other shoppers for help choosing a style or pairing their latest purchase with the right outfit. That high level of interaction is creating tight-knit Web communities of shoe aficionados and replicating the in-store experience of shopping with a group of girlfriends, historically something that couldn’t be found online.
“I’ve made a lot of good friends from the shoe clubs. We keep in touch in real life: We email, we text, we call,” said Joyce Moore, 33, a Palmdale stay-at-home mom who has bought dozens of shoes through the membership programs. “We understand our love of shoes, that it’s not weird to have so many shoes, and you can never get enough.”
The clubs have more in common than monthly delivery of cute shoes: Four of the companies — ShoeDazzle, JustFabulous, Sole Society Inc. and ShoeMint — are headquartered in Los Angeles County, part of a growing crop of e-commerce fashion brands that is helping to raise the profile of the region’s fledgling start-up scene. Many are garnering big sales and investment dollars and have their sights set on adding more product categories and expanding internationally.
ShoeDazzle, co-founded in 2009 by Kim Kardashian, has raised $60 million from investors, including a $40-million round in May led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which has invested in major tech companies such as Facebook and Groupon. Based in Santa Monica, ShoeDazzle expanded to Britain and South Korea this year and is launching in 10 other countries in 2012, co-founder Brian Lee said. In May, the brand said it had more than 3 million members.
Since launching in March 2010, JustFabulous has gained more than 4 million members nationwide and is posting $5.5 million in monthly sales. The company — which also sells handbags, denim and other products — announced in September that it had raised $33 million in new funding. Revenue and membership have increased 20% month over month this year, and the company expects to sell 2.5 million to 3 million pairs of shoes and handbags in 2012, JustFabulous co-CEO Adam Goldenberg said.
Santa Monica’s ShoeMint launched on Black Friday and three days later had sold out of its entire inventory of women’s shoes, which are designed by actress Rachel Bilson and Hollywood stylist Nicole Chavez. Parent company BeachMint said ShoeMint — its fourth e-commerce site — attracted about 80,000 pre-registrations and was its most successful website launch to date; 10,000 people are on the wait list to buy shoes.
Another competitor, downtown L.A.’s Sole Society, announced this month that it had been spun off from HauteLook, a “flash fashion” website owned by Nordstrom Inc., so company officials could better focus on growing the shoe business. Sole Society launched in March and today has nearly 500,000 members.
As young companies, the brands are still finding their footing. Some shoppers have complained that it’s too difficult to remember to opt out when they don’t feel like a new pair of shoes, or note that their showroom of styles appear to be the same regardless of what they filled out in their style questionnaires.
Company officials say they’re still tweaking the software behind the recommendations and note that the more consumers who join, the better the sites will become at predicting what they’ll like.
“The model will work well in any country where women love shoes,” ShoeDazzle’s Lee said. “I think that’s 99% of the world.”
andrea.chang@latimes.com