Tuesday 29 March 2011

Glam Media enters South Korean Online Market

Glam Media  is perhaps the largest online fashion publishing and advertising company. They have partnered with many sites to provide quality advertising promotion to businesses. Glam Media Inc. also runs their own flagship websites, such as Glam.com. Furthermore, if you have a website you'd like to market to potential viewers, you might want to consider joining Glam Media's list of websites they publish their ads and links onto. Recently, Glam Media is expanding into the South Korean market. According to one source, South Koreans spend a significant amount of time purusing the internet, making it a good candidate for online brand identity promotion. There will be 15 major sites participating in Glam Media's South Korean market launch, including Marie Claire, ezday, and WomanSense, and glam.kr. Heesun Chin will be Glam Media's Country Manager for South Korea.

Saturday 26 March 2011

HK Ritz Carlton's Hotel & Employee Fashion Show

The Hong Kong Ritz Carlton, soon to be the tallest hotel in the world, recently hosted a fashion show for its employees. The fashion show displayed uniforms to be worn by its future employees, highlighting what accessories and shoes would be allowed to be worn to work (e.g. jewelry). Here is a link to a video of the hotel before opening. Below is another video highlighting the hotel's amenities:

Thursday 24 March 2011

The UK's London College of Fashion To Host Workshops in Dubai

The UK's London College of Fashion will be hosting workshops during 13-27th May this year at the Pullman Dubai Mall of the emirates hotel. The workshops will include topics such as fashion journalism, promotion, product design and development, entrepreneurship, and merchandising. The workshops vary from one to three days in length depending on the specific topic. Although much more costly than its UK equivalent course (with similar completion certificates being given out at the end of each workshop),  the additional fees go towards the extra costs of hosting the workshop courses in another country. These include travel for staff members, extra associated costs of leasing the space for the workshop venue, and extra staff to ensure everything runs smoothly. Even with the extra costs of attending the UAE workshops, locals may still find it cheaper than the cost of the flight, visa, and lodgings associated with attending the equivalent workshop in London. If you book before 1 April, there are "early bird" discounts of 10% per workshop.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

International Stock Market and Fashion News

Japanese stocks overall seem to be rebounding this week while US stocks overall have fallen somewhat, according to FXStreet.com. However, some of the large US retailers such as Target Corp, had a slight increase in their share value, even amid the current devastation in Japan. In Canada, retailers have shown slight mixed growth depending on the particular industry sector. Toronto stock markets have recently been very volatile within a given day, though it showing little overall change over a week-long period. For updates on overall market changes, CNN provides a useful interactive online map with regular updates.



In other news, China International Fashion Week begins on 24 March, 2011. Levi's International has appointed Ms. Laurie Etheridge as its global leader for Women's Merchandising and Design. During March 16-18, Maritius hosted Origin Africa's Fibre to Fashion 2011. Tokyo's retail fashion stores are beginning to reopen.

Saturday 19 March 2011

CDFA Awards Lady Gaga as Fashion Icon

The Council of Fashion Designers of America will award Lady Gaga as a "Fashion Icon". Perhaps the only thing mentioned in reference to Lady Gaga as much as her music is her unique fashion sense. Infamously known for her "meat suit" and "hatching" out of a giant egg, Lady Gaga is constantly testing the bounds of fashion. Admittedly controversial at times, she appears to be more of a trend-setter than a trend-follower. However, it is still based on trends and the image she creates for herself. Only time will tell if she can manage to keep influencing fashion. Do you believe she deserves such an award? Why or why not?

Below is her latest video, seeming like an odd mix of 80s fantasy film meets a dia-de-los-muertos goth version meets minimalist, futuristic cyborg-factory. What is your opinion of the video and Lady Gaga's choice of costume?

Friday 18 March 2011

Interesting Links...

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for no blog topic yesterday. I hope that everyone had a great St.Patrick's Day (for those who celebrate)!

What's going on in the global fashion industry right now? Quite a lot, to be honest. Here are a few interesting things going on in the industry:

Foreign Trade Zones in the United States are becoming useful for apparel companies wanting to delay paying customs duties until the product reaches the US, resulting in less time between when the duties are paid and the product reaches its retail/distribution destination. This, in turn, results in a more effective cash flow allowing the manufacturers time to use the money for other things until the duties must be paid.

Local apparel companies meet demand of uniforms for Afghan troops, helping their economy. Multiple apparel companies have been set up in order to meet the high demand for uniforms for the Afghan military.

And just for fun, check out this link for fashion for tall women: http://amazonablog.com/

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Got Your "Five Fingers"? Vibrams: A New Take on Footwear

Ever wondered what would happen to shoes after toe socks became a wardrobe staple? How about shoes like Vibrams Five Fingers described in the video below:



But how do they compare to barefoot running? Check this out:



For athletic activities such as running and hiking, I think this is the next step in footwear design.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Japan's Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Efforts

Friday, March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by an 8.9 earthquake at approximately 2:46 pm. Due to the earthquake, people were stranded all over the country, to include Disney theme parks in Tokyo. The worst destruction occured in northern Japan, however. The Fukushima I nuclear power plant was shut down following damages caused by the earthquake. Later, an exterior plant wall blew up. Overall, the radiation fallout from this is expected to be relatively low levels.

Not only has the earthquake caused numerous deaths, injuries, and other potential health risks, it is also a threat to industry. Many Japanese industries have been hurt due to the earthquake, including its automotive and electronic industries. The roads and railways in many parts of the country were shut down due to damages. Many airlines have also encountered problems such as delayed and/or cancelled flights due to the earthquake.

China has already offered to send navy to help with relief efforts while other countries, such as the US, are already aiding Japan. Google and twitter, not long after the initial destruction, have been doing what they can to aid Japan by helping people locate family members and keep up with ongoing news. Companies such as P&G are doing what they can to account for all employees. For those who want to help, this link provides a good overview of some of the major global organisations that are helping provide aid to Japan.

Below is a video of the tsunami that hit Japan following the earthquake:

Wednesday 9 March 2011

My Opinion: "Diane Von Furstenberg Talks About Body Image....Really?" Followed by World Fashion News

Diane Von Furstenberg is the president of Council of Fashion Designers of America. Sometimes, she speaks out about he importance of having a healthy body image during events such as the one mentioned in this article at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders. While I understand and respect her promoting a healthy body image, especially with regards to models in the fashion industry, I'd have a lot more respect for her if she actually led by example.

What do I mean? Most people, when they think of fashion models, they think of tall, extremely thin women who work hard to maintain their look. Some fashion models have even died of eating disorders themselves. Many girls want to be fashion models. They think of this look as "hot". They think it's what guys want. They think of it as the "perfect figure". Ironically, I was once taught that a possible reason for using this thin build in fashion shows was because the women were supposed to be more like a hanger in which the clothing could be showcased rather than the woman herself attracting all the attention. Yet for some reason, despite all this, Diane Von Furstenberg's self-titled couture line uses the average barely-healthy stick-thin models in her fashion show. Did it ever occur to her that, maybe, just maybe, you should "be the change you want to see in the world"?

Here is the Diane Von Furstenberg fashion show at the last Mercedes-Benz fashion week:



For me personally, I think a fashion show AND the clothing would get a lot more attention if the women were healthy. What fashion brand is actually addressing this issue? Elena Miro, a plus size brand. Check out a short video on the brand via youtube.

In other news, the Maritimo Shopping Center in Romania, planned to open in the Fall of this year,  will house international brands such as Zara, H&M, Decathlon, Oysho, and Bershka. It will have over 50,000 square metres of space for lease. For more information, click here and here. Topshop will soon expand its brand into Canada, which will be operated in Canada by Hudson Bay, Co. Ottawa Fashion Week in Canada is scheduled from 18 through 20 of March. The 4th annual "International Wedding Expo Doha" (IWED), held by the Qatar Expo Group,  occured earlier this month. Designers included American designer Vera Wang, Saudi designer Waed, and Lebanese deisgner Walid Atallah. . In South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Foundation is launching a fashion line designed by Seardel under the number 46664 (Mandela's former prison number). Today, in Lagos, Nigeria, ARISE Magazine Fashion Week 2011 begins.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

International Women's Day is Today! Plus: Fashion Weeks Continued...

Today is the 100th annual International Women's Day! This year's theme is "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women". If you are a woman, it's time to be proud of how far women have come in the past century. Some activists are taking the time to focus on not only how much more freedom women have in many places around the world, but to also bring more attention to how much further the international community of women still have to go in the realm of women's rights.

In honor of this international holiday, companies around the world are taking time to honor women. I think it is really cool that Femi9, a Saudi fashion company, is going out of their way to honor women during the month of April. Milanoo.com will be offering up to 80% off select pieces of merchandise on its website today. Some communities, such as the International Cultural Group in Zimbabwe, held celebrations early, complete with a fashion show.

In the following video, FashionTV honors women in fashion:



If you are a woman, take this day to appreciate being who you are- female and proud. Sisters around the world, today is a day for us all to celebrate together!


In other news, fashion weeks continue as Ankara hosted its 21st International Fashion Week. Lakme fashion week in Japan begins 11 March and lasts through the 15th of the month. Also of interest may be the fashion show that took place at the end of a wedding expo in Ramallah, Palestine. Click here for a short video highlight of the event.

Saturday 5 March 2011

83rd Annual Academy Awards

Earlier in the week, the 83rd Annual Academy Awards were held. Those attending such an award ceremony dress to impress, decked out in designer labels. Most men wear nice suits and ties while women wear lovely evening wear. This year, a variety of styles and colors were seen for women's dresses. This year, there was an overall emphasis on the colors orange, silver, and blue in addition to soft, light pinks and purples. (For particular examples, I recommend viewing the pictures and/or video below.) Feminine touches such as lace and chiffon fabrics seemed more popular this year. For most, the waist was defined between an empire-waist and true-waist levels. Horizontal lines across the body, particularly around the hip and waist levels, were seen. There were a variety of sleeve styles. Pictures of the event can be seen here.

For a whole video of the red carpet event, please see the video below:

Thursday 3 March 2011

Interesting Links: Fashion Weeks Continued...

Paris is currently busy with its ready-to-wear fashion week (March 1-9th). For the schedule, click here. Additionally, check youtube for videos of the fashion show.
Perhaps the most notable thing to happen thus far during Paris RTW Fashion Week is Lady Gaga's apparance in Mugler's fashion show.




Meanwhile, in Miami, fashion week starts today, March 3rd, and continues through the 6th. For information on the 13th annual Miami International Fashion Show, please refer to their official website here.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Editor's Note: Changes for the Month of March

This year will be a time of much change for my blog. As with everything, growth occurs in stages. This month, I will be cutting back to just 3 posts per week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In exchange for the lack of daily posts, what you, my readers, will receive in exchange is an increase over time in the quality and quantity of information each posts contain. As this is a one-person show, I can only work within my limits. If there are any particular subjects you would like to see addressed this month, please do not hesitate to ask. Rather than having weekly posts on set categories such as the ones related to businesses and universities, I will be posting on various topics relevant to recent industry news. Please leave comments. Feedback is appreciated!

Yours truly,
 Miss Lori.