Styles were subdued on the British capital’s catwalks as London Fashion Week designers opted for severe styles and dark palettes on Day Two.

John Rocha draped his models in voluminous black dresses that clung to their bodies like trash bags. Jasper Conran showed off a set of austere-looking brown, bronze, and black creations that hearkened back to 1920s trench coats or even 19th-century bloomers. Even young designer Henry Holland – whose work tends to be quite eye-catching – went with patterned clothes mainly in blue, black or crimson.

Lucky there was Kinder Aggugini, whose big pink cowboy hats and super-sheer tops brought smiles to the crowd.

Rocha’s billowing black womenswear was among the most original of the lot, although the work may not find much purchase outside the Goth community. Black lace, black leather-looking sleeves, black veils and webbed tops were in evidence, as well as what looked like furry black leg-warmers. Cutaways and veils added a touch of sex to the show, but some creations – like the Dublin-based designer’s big rumpled greenish dress – looked as if their models had fallen into upscale supermarket sacks.

The super-short haircuts sported by Jasper Conran’s models matched the severity of their clothes. Take out a sparkle here and hike up a top there and the dresses could easily have been worn into an office. A very strict office at that.

House of Holland kept its colours relatively conservative, although at least two models sported a striking all-red look. Another had an unambitious dark dress spiced up with bright red sleeves, while colourful zigzag patterns helped keep the show fun.

Aggugini went heavy on the sparkly, unveiling delicate prints and a kind of feminine cowboy motif.

There’s expected to be plenty of sparkle Saturday night as well.

Tonight’s hottest ticket is for English fashion alumna Stella McCartney’s special show at London’s Somerset House. Her return to the capital’s catwalks is expected to draw a constellation of stars to the front row for the second day of Britain’s weeklong fashion festivities.

Stella McCartney shook up the fashion world Saturday night by using a flash mob approach for a presentation of her evening wear.

Instead of a traditional catwalk show, Stella McCartney invited 100 or so of her closest friends for dinner – she was flanked by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the singer Rihanna, with model Kate Moss close by – and sat at her table applauding when the models emerged unannounced from the dinner crowd dressed in gorgeous evening wear.

They danced on tables, were passed around on chairs held high – almost as if it was a traditional Jewish wedding – and gyrated to raucous music for a brief six or seven minutes, then went up on stage to be joined by the designer.

It was an impressive break with tradition, with the models following a magic show that saw TV personality Alexa Chung apparently suspended in mid-air. The festivities followed a hoity-toity sitdown dinner that featured a live band in tuxedos playing traditional jazz tunes.

McCartney’s unorthodox contribution to London Fashion Week seemed to strike a chord, even if it was hard to gauge the sexy, lacy and tight evening wear her models were wearing for their brief spotlight stint. The dresses looked beautifully made and colourful, but it was difficult to judge each one as they swirled by.

“It was a good idea, and she made it work,” said former model Bianca Jagger, wearing a signature white suit. “It was nice to see something different, something dramatic. The clothes looked great. And the food was delicious.”

The menu included duck with black truffles, chestnuts and Jerusalem artichokes, beetroots with Sicilian blood oranges, saffron risotto, and Wigmore cheese with still more black truffles, along with a variety of wines and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

It was a rare London appearance for McCartney, who usually shows her designs in Paris. She was joined at the head table by Rihanna, wearing a dramatic dark green full-length gown with a deeply plunging neckline, and Wintour, who wore a more demure dark dress.

Rihanna’s many admirers said she had styled herself after the young Tina Turner.

After the show, an exuberant Stella McCartney declined to give any details about her designs for Britain’s Olympic team uniforms, which have not yet been revealed.

Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel is known for her easy-to-wear prints, and that’s what the Issa founder mainly stuck to, trotting out a series of well-cut floral and paisley dresses for a Russian-inspired fall/winter collection.

Like many at London Fashion Week Helayel made liberal use of furry caps and fur trim around the shoulders, the brown and grey nicely offsetting her dresses’ forest greens and splashes of red. The prints were radiant, with oversize floral motifs, and red-and-blue swirls that looked like the models were wrapped in bubbling lava.

“I loved the really juicy colours,” said Bobby Jackson, a 36-year-old chef from Vancouver who came to see the show with a friend. “The paisley prints are very hot this season.”

Issa’s silky dresses, some capelike, others verging on the kimono, were elegant without extravagance. Except for an almost completely transparent outfit that drew a few giggles, the collection might have gone straight to the rack.

That no-nonsense style has helped endear the designer to the likes of the former Kate Middleton, who famously wore a deep blue Issa dress when announcing her engagement to Prince William.

Fashion journalist Henry Conway said before the show that the royal connection had helped turned Issa into a global name.

And in a nod to some of the more adventurous numbers – including a lacy, backless hot red dress that captured the photographers’ eye – he said that Helayel was moving out of her comfort zone.

“The brand is really developing,” he said. “She’s moved on from just the prints.”

Designer Alice Temperley turned to the past for inspiration, charming her audience with a series of dresses based on 18th-century paintings that had fired her imagination.

The result was a startling mixture of past and present, with Alice Temperley – a favourite of many of London’s fashionistas, including the Middleton sisters Kate and Pippa – embellishing classic themes with a touch of modernism.

The result was often impressive as models seemed to capture a more glamorous era in evening gowns and shorter cocktail dresses with a hint of Russian and French.

Many wore lovely, oversize hats made in England from reclaimed fur but suggesting a bit of Dr. Zhivago romance.

Actress Minnie Driver and singer Pixie Lott were among the guests watched from the front row.

Backstage after the show, Temperley said she was seeking to capture a hint of the decadence of a bygone era as a “tonic” for modern-day blues.

“All that brocade and decadence really influenced me,” the Central Saint Martins alumna said. “There are a lot of magical elements. I am seeing her as a very polished woman. I reworked a lot of different elements and embellished them. A lot of textures and looks – you have to weave them together.”

The somewhat romantic look relied on cinched waists, trumpet skirts, and carefully embroidered satins, velvets and taffetas – although the taffeta was cut by laser, a technology unavailable to 18th century artisans.

Temperley, who was once known best for her party dresses, said she was influenced by religious paintings and wanted to celebrate opulence with ornate decorations, multilayered outfits, and elaborate confections.

The dresses were set off by thick belts embellished with gold, and many of the dresses used a black and gold motif also favoured by Kinder Aggugini in his Saturday show. Some models wore long black gloves, adding drama, while others wore very colourful prints that seemed to carry a hint of Paris in its prime.

Others wore imposing, full-length leather coat dresses that seemed as if they would have been comfortable, and striking, on the wintry Russian steppes.

Although she looked to continental Europe for her styling cues, Alice Temperley said her show was part of a celebration of Britishness at a time when national pride is on the rise.

“With the queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics coming, this is a time to be proud to be British,” Alice Temperley said.

The European luxury goods market is suffering from weak demand and a credit squeeze, the chief executive of Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli said on Friday.

His comments highlighted the sector’s vulnerability to the euro zone crisis despite the fact that it caters to wealthy shoppers, mainly from Asia.

“The luxury market in Europe is in evident difficulty, especially in southern Europe. Who denies this does not want to face reality,”Roberto Cavalli CEO Gianluca Brozzetti said on the sidelines of the Just Cavalli 2012 autumn-winter show, where models in bold dresses spiced up a leopard-printed carpet.

“We must be careful because 2012 will be a difficult year for those who are most exposed to central and southern Europe,” Brozzetti said.

“Who has money can work well, but who needs financing will find it difficult to access credit,” he said.

Brozzetti, recruited by Florentine designer Roberto Cavalli in 2009 following stints at Gucci Group and Louis Vuitton Paris, said fashion houses cannot raise prices.

“To keep prices at acceptable levels is key. Shoppers want value for money,” he said.

Altagamma, Italy’s luxury goods trade association, said earlier this month it expected the global sector to grow modestly in 2012 on the back of strong consumption in Asia and better prepared businesses.

But an economic slowdown in Europe that began in the final months of last year is fuelling concerns about a repeat of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, when the luxury industry suffered a slowdown unseen in decades.

Cavalli, known for its animal prints and curve-enhancing dresses, was hit hard during the recession by financial problems at fashion group IT Holding, whose Ittierre unit manufactured its younger-focused Just Cavalli line.

Brozzetti said the group wants to deliver on its turnaround plan before looking at a possible sale or initial public offering. The group firmly denied this week a report in an Italian financial newspaper of a Russian offer.

“The conditions are not in place to think about something like this,” Brozzetti said.

Cavalli, whose clothes have been worn by celebrities such as model Cindy Crawford and singer Jennifer Lopez, is profitable. It closed 2011 with revenue of 178 million euros.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) equalled 14.5 percent of revenue. Net debt at the end of 2011 improved to 36.8 million euros from 40.9 million euros a year before.

On Friday, the company showed a bold collection of Just Cavalli clothes, which are now produced under licence with Italian retail businessman Renzo Rosso, known for his trendy Diesel brand.

Renaissance, Russian themes hit London catwalks.

Renaissance paintings, Russian themes and military cuts dominated the catwalk on the second day at London Fashion Week with evening gowns, fur hats and eclectic prints for the autumn/winter season.

Dresses in rich hues of cobalt, emerald and ruby featured heavily and marched alongside military-inspired coats with fur detailing for a fashion week keen to burnish its reputation for young creativity.

“It’s become a really, really exciting place to be. Especially in the last five years. People are realizing that there’s a lot of businesses here that are very scalable,” British designer Alice Temperley told Reuters.

Temperley, whose collection was inspired by Renaissance paintings, sent her models out in huge fluffy fur hats, brightly colored printed dresses with oriental flower patterns and delicate sheer evening gowns with rich beaded detailing and embroidery that oozed decadence and the glamour of past eras.

Dressed in a deep blue navy lace jacket and skirt, the designer said she wanted to have fun creating something that was new, current and sensual with something that was rich and opulent. She added that attention she had received from Kate Middleton (now the Duchess of Cambridge) and her younger sister Pippa had boosted her label.

“They’re great British ambassadors and we’re a British brand. It can only be a good, healthy thing,” she said.

At Issa London, models wore vibrant printed dresses and colorful evening gowns of deep rich hues. Subtle embellishments of beading, fur hats and a Chinese red lace piece drew approval from the crowd.

Actress Gemma Atherton, musician Tinie Tempah and American DJ and model Leigh Lezark graced the front row of Issa, another favorite of the Duchess of Cambridge, as models sashayed past with fur hats or printed scarves neatly tied about their necks.

MILITARY TREND

Issa, the label created by Brazilian designer Daniela Helayal, said its printed dresses and separates were inspired by a trans-Siberian adventure, Faberge eggs, St Basil’s Cathedral and the traditional print of Babushka dolls.

Aquascutum showcased a more masculine silhouette with models sporting slicked-back hair and winged eyeliner. Leather jackets with shiny patent panels adorned with fur, elegant and ladylike dresses and textured skirts with mid-length hemlines were mixed with discreet shades of grey, olive and burgundy and smart separate pieces.

Carrie Tyler, editor of ELLEUK.com, told Reuters she saw a big military trend emerging in New York.

Tyler said Topshop owner Philip Green’s renewed ten-year sponsorship of the NEWGEN platform of designers ensured talents like Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane and Erdem will get the necessary funding to grow.

“The mayhem at Katrantzou’s Topshop collection launch proves that there’s a global desire for these British labels. Fresh new British talent Phoebe English, Fyodor Golan and Corrie Nielsen kept London’s reputation for evolution alive,” Tyler said.

Rising star Fyodor Golan showcased a collection on Friday that was not only extremely creative but also contemporary and wearable. Models with intricately braided hair were adorned in rich materials of leather, burnished metallic and ruffled silk.

London is also gaining a sharp sense of business acumen that has helped its reputation grow commercially.

“As businesses, we deliver on time, we deliver really good products and there’s more of those scalable businesses than there were before,” Temperley said.

“It’s not just about the new generation, there are people coming through that are obviously very creative and very inspiring and what London is renowned for, but it’s also about people who have good businesses that can and do sell globally.”

Natasha Poly Is The New Face Of L’Oreal Paris!

Top model Natasha Poly has been in the news quite a bit lately! First, with a bar brawl alongside some fellow model-friends, and just today, it’s been announced that the Russian beauty is the new face of L’Oreal Paris. Natasha Poly told site that she’s long dreamt of serving as a spokesperson for the brand. “I’ve been doing modeling for almost ten years and I’ve been working so hard to reach this moment. My dream came true. I’ve reached a point where I can actually send a message to people, saying to them, ‘You’re worth it—we’re worth it.”

The best par is, she has been a real L’Oréal user since early childhood. “My first exposure was the shampoos,” she said. “The quality and the smell was so special. I’ve always loved cosmetics and I always need to have my products backstage at fashion shows.” Finally, a spokesperson that actually uses and has been using the products! Want to know what her key L’Oreal piece is? L’Oréal’s Youth Code Lumière. “It’s my job—I always need to look good. It refreshes your skin. I massage it in every morning.”

London Fashion Week shook off its traditional image as a mere playground for quirky emerging talent with a display of grown-up elegance for the autumn/winter 2012 season that had leaders of the global fashion pack singing the British capital’s praises.

By the close of the shows, top British designers such as Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton and Burberry’s Christopher Bailey had presented catwalk collections which more than suggested that the “edgy” London of yesteryear had matured into a sleek and sophisticated luxury powerhouse.

“We used to come here and think it’s all going to be eccentric and street chic and actually it’s incredibly grown up, polished and sexy, glamorous clothes so it’s a global stage now — it’s wonderful,” U.S. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour told Reuters on the sidelines of the shows.

London has always been overshadowed by New York, Milan and Paris on the fashion map, and often derided by critics as the “capital of quirk”, despite spawning industry stars such as Stella McCartney, McQueen and Vivienne Westwood as well as leading global luxury labels such as Burberry and Mulberry.

Military styles, bright prints, furs and quintessentially English looks dominated the catwalks, while bejewelled, sequined and embroidered creations also featured prominently this season.

Many of the collections included panelled creations. Belstaff delivered tailored leather jackets with armour type panelling. Burberry sent panelled trenchcoats down the runway and Peter Pilotto dressed his models in figure-hugging stretch dresses slashed with mesh panels.

Designers accentuated the female figure by nipping coats and jackets in at the waist to create an hourglass silhouette — Burberry used colourful bows to achieve this look while McQ from Alexander McQueen chose leather military-style belts with gold buckles.

Sasha Wilkins, founder of the successful  fashion blog, said the British capital now competed on equal footing with its rival fashion capitals.

“We seem to have got to the point where London can properly take its place on the world stage,” said Wilkins, a former Wall Street Journal executive style editor.

And the city’s place on the fashion map is likely to become more prominent this summer thanks to a “great halo effect” that the Olympic Games will bring, British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman told Reuters.

QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH

Traditional English fabrics like felts, velvets, tweed and tartan found favour with designers who sought to overturn London’s reputation for young creativity, avant garde trends and edgy designs by opting for elegant tailored creations.

Burberry creative director Bailey combined country and town styles at a show packed with celebrities including Kate Bosworth, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the British Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron.

His models sashayed down the runway in quilted jackets, peplum skirts and tiered fringe dresses teamed with brogue lace-up angle boots before a clap of thunder was heard and water emulating rain gushed down the sides of the transparent marquee in which the event was hosted.

Vivienne Westwood also championed the British cause with her Red Label collection which saw tattooed models don tweed suits, baggy jodphur-like trousers and tailored creations inspired by tribal prints.

“Britishness is just a way of putting things together and a certain don’t care attitude about clothes. You don’t care, you just do it and it looks great. What we do always looks British even if we’re inspired by Africa or the North Pole or whatever,” Westwood said.

At AlexanderMcQueen, military chic ruled supreme — creative director Sarah Burton, who designed the wedding dress Kate Middleton wore for her wedding to Britain’s Prince William last year, sent models down a runway carpeted with autumnal leaves in khaki coats and suits featuring large pockets and big metal buttons with shiny leather lace-up stiletto boots. Flared strapless tartan dresses with sheer sleeves, lacy tops, delicate embroidery and appliquDed velvet flowers showed a softer, more feminine side in a dramatic show which saw model Kristen McMenamy, clad in a bridal ivory gown, sign her soul away to the devil in a wooden hut in a forest. Stella McCartney also staged an extravagant spectacle, wowing the audience with magic tricks, models dancing on tables, a jazz band and a vegetarian dinner as she showcased bright marbled patterns, floral prints and gathered puffy skirts. “It’s London, it’s Britain. It’s celebrating everything that is bold and irreverent about being a British brand,”  Stella McCartney told Reuters about her inspiration for the opulent collection. After presenting a Renaissance-inspired collection of fluffy fur hats, bright print dresses with oriental flower patterns and richly embroidered and beaded sheer evening gowns, British designer Alice Temperley said London had become a very exciting place to be as people realised a lot of businesses in the British capital were actually very scalable. “It’s not just about the new generation, there are people coming through that are obviously very creative and very inspiring and what London is renowned for, but it’s also about people who have good businesses that can and do sell globally,”  Stella McCartney said.

From the pages of Sports Illustrated to the Prada catwalk, Anne V is Awfully Versatile.

Fresh from promoting her curves inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, Anne Vyalitsyna is back in the spotlight – this time in a very different guise.

The 25-year-old yesterday walked in the Prada show at Milan Fashion Week, channelling pure sophistication at the trend-setting showcase and setting a different tone entirely to her better-known work as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and swimsuit edition model.

The blonde gazelle, known simply as Anne Vyalitsyna, has proved, unlike many professional clothes horses, that she is brilliantly versatile,
at home modelling both tiny bikinis and sharp, high-end design.

Joining some of the most sophisticated names in the runway modelling world, the Russian strode in a geometric patterned trouser suit on the fashion city’s stage.

Model Gia Skova to Co-Star in HUMAN FACTOR.

Actress and model Gia Skova will co-star in the crime thriller HUMAN FACTOR set to begin filming on-location in New York mid-2012.

In addition to Gia Skova, the film stars Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (“The Expendables,” “The Dark Night”), Charisma Carpenter (“The Expendables,” TV’s “Greek” and “Veronica Mars”) and Danny Trejo (“Spy Kids,” “Con Air”). The film will be directed, written and produced by Chaz Fatur, with a screenplay by Eric Goren and Patricia Goren.

The film centers around a determined investigative reporter and a renegade detective who plan to uncover the mysterious disappearances of a homeless population, all the while trying to stay alive themselves. “The Human Factor” is a screenplay that will engage audiences with its intense story line, incredible action sequences and relatable heroes. The film will aim to make audiences question whether something like this could actually occur.

“Gia was one of our great discoveries when we were casting the film,” said Fatur. “We were very taken with her determination and grasp of the script. We’re looking forward to working with her.”
Born in the small village of Saratov, just outside Kazakhstan, Russia,Gia Skova began her career at the age of 12. She quickly caught the attention of some of Russia’s largest retailers who began using her in their print ads and eventually broadcast commercials. It wasn’t long before television producers cast Gia Skova in several Russian television series and, by the time she was 15, she had become a celebrity in her native country.

Gia Skova has appeared on countless magazine covers around the world, adorned the runway for some of the most acclaimed fashion designers, been featured in print and commercial advertisements for internationally recognized brands and been cast in television series, films and theatrical productions.

30 UNDER 30: Emma Hansen, model.

As an international model, Emma Hansen has seen a lot of the world, but it’s the insight her experiences have given her into people that’s had a particularly profound impact on her life.

She recalls living with young models from Russia and Eastern Europe and they just didn’t understand the concept of personal belongings, and would eat other people’s food or wear their clothing.

Rather than being angry, she learned to be compassionate, and understand that people are brought up differently in different parts of the world.

Emma Hansen was just in elementary school, and performing at a St. Patrick’s Day Irish dance show when she was first discovered.

An agent took notice and presented her business card, but Emma Hansen parents—including her famous father Rick—were steadfastly against it, feeling she was much too young.

But a couple of years later, after she did her homework about which agency might represent her interests best, Hansen’s parents gave her the green light to pursue modelling as a career, which eventually took her around the world.

Currently studying sciences at the University of B.C. and hoping to get into a medical lab science program, Emma Hansen continues to be a part-time model, and has become increasingly involved with her father’s foundation, and joined him on a trip to China.

“China has been doing amazing things with regard to spinal cord research.”

Karl Lagerfeld mean-spirited critique of Adele.

When a tall, blonde model sashays down the ramp wearing the quintessential Indian garment, sari, it definitely  grabs eyeballs.

And that’s exactly what happened at the recently concluded fashion week in the City. The models, mostly from Russia, were brought in to showcase Indian designers’ collections.

They tell Metrolife that it is the passion for the fashion industry that brought them here. And though they describe their life here as ‘crazy’, they have made some very good friends and learnt much from their Indian counterparts.

Modelling for print and ramp for many years, Olya Proskuvyakova from Russia, says that she always wanted to be a model but never thought India would be her calling. “I love India, it’s such a beautiful place and people here are lovely.

It has been a crazy journey with back-to-back shows and late nights but at the end of the day, we get to do some good work which makes it worth the effort,” adds Olya.

Mention Indian food to these models and you can see them roll their eyes. “Indian food is a completely different story for us,” says Russian-born model Diana Bychkova. The spice is what they cannot handle. “The definition of ‘little spice’ in India and ‘little spice’ in Russia are two completely different things. So every time we are here, we are on a perpetual fruit diet. We love papaya and mango as we don’t get them back home,” adds Diana.

Language is one of the biggest challenges they face as very few of them know English. But they say when they are working, language doesn’t matter as all they need to do is look pretty. The demand for a foreign face in shows has increased, so work as of now is not scarce.

Says Mariya Morozova, another Russian model, “I think there is something special about us which is why most Indian designers prefer to have at least one foreign model in their sequence. But there are some designers who ask us absurd things like ‘Can you look more Indian for us?’ or ‘Please go more blonde’, which I find so funny. I never want to change how I look. So if someone wants me to model for them, they must accept me for the way I am,” adds Mariya.

Very often on the ramp, one can find them walking in heavy lehengas, saris and kurtas. Carrying the heavy garments with grace does get difficult and the models practice close to four to five hours a day. “Walking in a heavy lehenga or sari is not as easy as it seems, so we do practise a lot to perfect our walk,” says Olya.

Many of these models have other jobs and modelling is a passion for them. Nioosha Beatris, who is half-Russian and half-Indian, has been modelling for the past five years. Having started her career in Turkey, she moved to India. Nioosha is also a part-time computer programmer. She says that it was passion for modelling that got her into the industry. “I am happy with what I have achieved so far in my life. The Indian modelling industry has improved a lot over the years and there is good work for many of the foreign models,” she adds.

Interestingly, there is very little work for foreign men. Elvira, another Russian model, says it is because there is no demand for their body type in the Indian fashion industry. “Here, they like men who have huge muscles on the arms, which is not the case abroad. That’s why you rarely see foreign male models coming to India,” she adds.

Have they ever felt like they are ‘competition’ for Indian models? “Never,” says Maria, “We are a different category altogether, so there is no question of competition. The Indian models are really sweet and friendly. There have been  many times when they have helped us make our stay a memorable one,” sums up Maria.

Be strong to fight insecurity in modelling world: Tinu Verghis.
Model Tinu Verghis scorched the runway for a decade, before bidding adieu to the Indian modelling world. For all the young girls who hope to make it big in the industry, she has a word of advice — be strong and don`t waste time!

She further cautions that the modelling profession requires lot of hard work and a confident mindset.

“There are a lot of beautiful young girls coming in. If they are strong enough to stand up and fight off the insecurity that is around, it will be good for the industry,” Verghis told IANS.

“Have faith in yourself. Never be scared to push your limits. Never worry about what people think of you, you can never please all the people all the time,” she added.

Verghis, who is now set to join LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore, says its important for all models to pursue something of interest side-by-side for long term.

“Do short courses and learn something new every year. Don`t waste other people`s time and object if they waste yours. Read books, and always think about what you would like to do once, you are done with modelling,” she said.

A supermodel from southern India, Verghis is one of the few Indian models to have walked the international ramps in Milan and Paris for renowned fashion houses like Christian Lacroix, Gucci, DKNY, Christian Dior, Prada, Escada and Alexander McQueen.

Sharing the experience of her growth in the industry, she said: “The first show I did was for Rs.250 in Bangalore for Prasad Bidappa and since then, the whole experience was worth every moment.”

The Indian ramps are currently dominated by foreign models. Tinu Verghis finds no fault with that but points out that some of the faces on the runway are not worth the fame.

“I don`t separate models based on their nationality. Anyone who can look good on the ramp should be allowed.

“(But) Some of the foreign and Indian models on the ramp are a mistake. There is no need for the industry to compromise on talent, since there are many beautiful girls waiting to step in,” added Verghis, without taking any names.

The words were echoed by British fashion supremo Sir Philip Green, the billionaire who masterminded the rise of the Topshop, Miss Selfridge and BHS brands. ”The catwalks are fantastic,” said Sir Philip at London Fashion Week. ”Now, we need to look at manufacturing, and creating real businesses.”

Graeme Lewsey, CEO of LMFF, understands the strength of technology in looking at fashion’s future.

”Consumers are voting with the touch of a button, whether Facebook or tweeting. That’s having the greatest impact on fashion,” says Lewsey. ”There’s that instant gratification. Designers, manufacturers and retailers must respond accordingly. Consumers want goods delivered today rather than weeks,” he adds.

Lewsey appreciates the new role of technology, but also sees the need for those in fashion to have a strong point of difference. He cites stores such as David Jones focusing on leading Australian designers.

”Retailers, as well as designers and consumers, are also seeing the importance of showing a tight-edited collection, but not to the point where choice isn’t there,” says Lewsey. ”But for retail to succeed, it’s fundamental to get the balance right, between bricks-and-mortar and online solutions.”

Much of the talk at the Business Seminar will look at providing a bricks-and-mortar-style retail experience in the online world. The line-up of guests at this year’s seminar includes Mike Shearwood, CEO of Aurora Fashions. It’s a British company that trades from more than 1280 stores in 33 countries.

Shearwood knew seven years ago the website visitation would need to provide a considerably richer experience if it was to assist retailers. ”Buying apparel on the internet is considerably more complicated that buying electrical goods. Six or seven years ago broadband wasn’t able to deliver this experience. That’s why it was relatively slow to take off,” he says.

Now with an in-house production studio, Aurora Fashions is able to show microscopic details of each garment, and how they appear on models. ”We can zoom into each design and provide the consumer with extensive information,” he adds.

Aurora Fashions has also introduced ”omni-channelling” where several different arms of the business feed into the one business. ”We only have one inventory and one stock pool that service the entire operation. If a customer wants a particular garment, it’s easy for us to search for it. And if it’s available anywhere in the UK, we can easily deliver it within 90 minutes to most major cities within the UK.”

He also understands the importance of Gen Y consumers, who are not only technology savvy, but many are moving back home to live with parents and influencing the entire family’s buying patterns. And with bricks-and-mortar stores shrinking, Shearwood predicts significantly less physical space for retailers in the next 10 years.

”Research in the UK has shown the internet now accounts for 33 per cent of all apparel purchases. By 2020, they’re predicting the internet will account for 78 per cent of all sales,” he says.

Australia’s proximity to China also provides a strategic advantage. Timothy Coghlan, founder of The Maosuit, a blog providing the latest coverage of the Chinese fashion and luxury industry, has lived and worked in Asia for the past 15 years and has witnessed a ‘’spike” for international fashion brands.

”The Chinese want to wear international labels and show others they can afford foreign brands, but only those which represent quality. But if Australian designers want to establish a presence in China, they will definitely need to take Chinese sizes into consideration and adjust accordingly,” Coghlan says.

As well as the growth for international designers, Coghlan has seen a move towards the lifestyle clothing market in China. The ugg boot brings a grunt from fashionistas, in northern China, according to Coghlan, they’re a hot fashion item.

”They perfectly fit into the Chinese climate and lifestyle,” he says. But while the ugg is a ”perfect fit”, the Australian market is considered too small to give many brands the momentum to expand into China or internationally. ”Australia’s seasons are the opposite to most of the world, which makes it difficult for designers to time designs for the northern hemisphere,” Coghlan says.

However, for Australian designers keen to break into the Chinese market, one of the world’s growth areas in fashion, the brands that fare best are ones that focus on one category, be it men’s, women’s, or a specific niche, such as lingerie. Another difference is that Chinese department stores simply rent space to retailers, rather than buying stock and merchandising themselves.

Danny Guest, founder of Blue Illusion, now has 90 brick-and-mortar outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand, employing 450 staff. In 1998, when Blue Illusion was established, Guest made the label in Australia. Fast forward to 2012, all the manufacturing takes place in China. He says the customer is far more careful with each purchase, be it in-store or through the company’s online business.

”As early as the late 1990s, manufacturers here were going broke,” says Guest. ”The GFC finished most the others.”

He cites the problem of lack of investment in new machinery, coupled with the state-of-the-art facilities and services offered in countries such as China.

”The experience was like going from the corner milk bar to a supermarket that offered everything. Fashion is now a global business.”

In Britain, the government is now subsidising the local fashion industry to help to keep jobs and maintain its international competitiveness. Last year famous leather goods brand Mulberry received £2.5 million from the country’s ”regional growth fund” to help build a new handbag factory in Somerset. That means 250 skilled jobs stay in Britain.

”That kind of money has traditionally gone to car factories, and those kinds of industries,” said Britain’s Culture and Creative Industries Minister, Ed Vaizey.

”That Mulberry can access that money is a reflection of the fact that the government acknowledges the role of fashion in our economy.”

Of course, the times aren’t so dark for the local industry that it needs government handouts.

Billabong might be feeling the full force of the global downturn, but there are still bright spots. Myer, for one, spent $42 million to buy a 65 per cent stake in Sass & Bide.

It’s Anderson who best sums up the situation. ”The industry is in a state of change, but this is an industry that adapts to change better than many others.”

Fashion industry facing a run for its money.

WHEN it comes to glitz and glamour, Australia’s biggest fashion festival now holds its head high on a global stage.

A media pack exceeding 700 will descend on L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival when it kicks off next week, including 300 photographers.

Over the course of the week 1350 casual jobs will be created. More than 60 models will grace the runway shows in Melbourne. Just preening the models for the key shows will take up 1400 hours of hair and make-up support from 30 backstage staff. Those make-up artists and hair stylists will use 160 lipsticks and 40 cans of hairspray inside a week.

Prada, Moschino and Etro show winter 2012-2013 collections.

Milan, the centre of the influential Italian fashion world, shows off its local talent: Prada Moschino and Etro.

Milan, February 24 – Prada is covering up next winter – except for a few bare-midriffs and sleeveless combinations. After the last collection’s hotrod-inspired, feminine, sexy cheer, the new collection, which showed Thursday at Milan Fashion Week, swung to another extreme.

Models looked a little ghoulish, with deep, black shadow engulfing their eyes, their brows powdered gold, and queerly-coloured extensions attached to their hair. The colour black, with giant appliqued jewels, dominated the much of the collection, while dizzying, clashing geometric patterns were deployed across the rest. Designer Miuccia Prada donned all models in long trousers ending above the ankle, and then layered jackets, long skirts or dresses and long wool coats over those. Some pants suits looked rather 1960’s, especially with high-waisted jackets and colourful centre clasps. But most ensembles seemed like a cold-weather, European riff on dress-and-pants combos of the Indian salwar kameez, though a few bared midriffs or arms. Two buttoned waistlines and vertically arranged chunky jewel applique’ echoed the decorative motifs from early last century. But shiny stones also made their way onto pant cuffs and even shoes, which were high-heeled Mary Janes partially covered in coloured rubber. The bright rubber overshoes even looked practical for braving ill weather in spike heels.

Moschino showed a sexy winter collection that juxtaposed tomboy and young-lady looks. Models topped in cowboy hats were decked in form-fitting skinny pants and toy-uniform-inspired jackets, while ladies in brightly coloured monochrome dress suits, cut above the knee, sported bouffant hair wrapped in big side bows.

The black cowboy hat was paired with dresses and skirts, too – of the bad-girl ilk – like black minis with gold side buttons or quilted black leather, a red mini-skirt suit with a multitude of zippers, and a skirt with Mondrian-like graphics. Skinny pants were tricoloured – red shin, white knees and black thighs and hips, for example. Colour combinations changed while the cut, for the most part, did not.

Exceptions were tight, black skinny pants in leather or stretch material.

Jackets and tops gave off a whiff of French officer, a dash of toreador, a bit of biker gang or something of a gunslinger.

Even with a black mink jacket, a pinch of bad girl spiced up looks with skinny pants.

In lady-like mode, hemlines for dresses and skirts all fell to mid-thigh. After a series of little wool suits and dresses – in yellow, red, black, cream and blue – a sapphire satin party dress with cap sleeves and blue ostrich-feather skirt broke a new leitmotif. A quilted blue satin dress with a regal, double-breasted cape followed, and a quilted black satin dress with gold and pearl military buttons and black flounce skirt.

Black and cream were combined in graphically complimentary ways, like a cream A-line minidress with black trim and gold buttons, or the cream-and-black-striped suit with pleated miniskirt. Turning back to evening, a confection of pink satin flounce and bows, and a flounce-trimmed black satin cape with gold and pearl military buttons paired with black mink bonnet turned channeled porcelain dolls into seductive flesh and blood.

Shoes were black patent leather or suede, platform ankle boots or Mary Janes, all with gold buttons punctuating the side.

Later on Friday Etro kept up yin and yang themes with looks befitting a gentlewoman or a curvy seductress with a collection entitled “Lady Paisley.”

Etro’s is known for paisley, of course, which designer Veronica Etro renewed with oversized dimensions and surprising applications, like the heart-shaped curve of single paisleys used to emphasize hips, or in a black velvet burnout pattern that made for a sizzling evening gown. The first model to hit the catwalk wore an hourglass-shaped tweed jacket topped with a lady-like grey astrakhan capelet. Paisley leggings were cut so long they draped over the arch of the foot.

Form-fitting, printed knit dresses with body-flattering, contrasting cutouts followed. Leather peplum belts accented hips, and one corset peplum belt reached up far enough to cup the breasts. Etro stuck to a classic autumnal palette.

Genteel, masculine undertones played through full-skirted, sharp-shouldered coats; a black pants suit with diamond-patterned deep-red smoking jacket; a brown pinstripe suit with criss-crossed foulard and boxy salmon overcoat. Evening looks were all about seduction, with body-hugging mermaid dresses that were as sophisticated and subtle as they were sexy.

Top model Jade Thompson heads to FAB Cheltenham.

TOP model Jade Thompson will be adding to the glitz of the catwalk in Cheltenham next month.

The winner of hit reality show Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model last year, Jade will be coming to the town to support the launch of the Fashion and Beauty (FAB) Festival.

Daily events will be staged in stores across the town throughout the week, including our search for Cheltenham’s Fashion and Beauty Model 2012.

Unlike traditional catwalk shows, FAB will have a theatrical twist to keep audiences entertained.

Models and dancers, chosen by the show’s producers McCallion Brown, have been auditioning for a spot on the catwalk at the world-famous Pineapple Dance Studios in London’s Covent Garden.

Catwalk shows, special events and promotions will bring all the buzz of a high-fashion event right here to Gloucestershire.

From the exclusive Ladies Lunch Vintage-Style show to Urban Locked Down, for the younger, edgier audience, there is something to suit everyone’s fashion tastes.

Jade, who was named the winner of the model talent hunt last September, will be appearing on the catwalk at two of the festival’s events.

She has agreed to take part in the prestigious Red Carpet Fashion Show at Cheltenham Town Hall on March 23 and the Urban Locked-Down at the Brewery on March 24.

Jade, who had worked as an insurance adviser before taking the model title on the show, is currently signed with Models 1 Agency.

She has appeared in Company magazine, featuring on the cover of the November 2011 issue, as well as modelling for make-up giant Revlon.

Project director, Hayley Anderson-Dixon, said she hoped the event would add to the list of festivals already making a name for themselves in the town.

She added: “Cheltenham is famous for festivals and FAB promises to be an annual addition on the festival calendar.

“To date our expectations have been surpassed by the excitement of retailers in the town and we’re grateful for their enthusiasm.”

Lifestyle brand Toast in The Promenade has already signed up to take part in the inaugural fashion festival.

Store manager Sue Corlett said she was looking forward to being part of the event.

She added: “We are very excited and relishing the opportunity to get involved.”

FAB has the backing of Cheltenham Borough Council and town centre manager Martin Quantock said the prospect of the festival had been something he had been excited about from the start.

“Cheltenham is a festival town and is also particularly well known for its shopping offering,” he said.

“As well as a fashion and beauty festival, I see this as a shopping festival that, with the support of people from across the town and outside, can grow into something really special.”

Yes, actress Mila Kunis, who is famous for That ’70s Show, being the voice of Meg Griffin on the Family Guy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Max Payne, The Book of Eli and Black Swan was born in
She was born Milena Markovna Kunis on August 14th, 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union and when she was seven years old, she and her family moved to Los Angeles, California.
At the age of nine her father enrolled her in acting classes and that led her to meeting her agent Susan Curtis.
Susan (who is still her manager) got Mila work in print ads, commercials, and finally TV and movie work.
The young immigrant that was so upset by her move to the US that she cried herself to sleep at night has gone on to appear in over twenty films, fifteen TV shows and has won or been nominated for over thirty awards including eleven nominations for her role in Black Swan.

Ieva – great European model from Lithuania. Soon you will see her presentation here. Ieva have unbeliavable power for transformation, from the sweet girl in the church to the very provocative nice sexy girl. Of course that she have mine recomenndation and you will read about it here very soon! (Ieva do not have web site, that is the reasons why she do not have link here)… Thank you Ieva for support, you have spirit of new European girl with nice Lithuanian soul.

If you are model, or models agency, or celebrity person, you can help us a lot. See in section “RA Supporters” (left menu) our action. If you support us, we will make here your presentation with your portfolio, personal toutch, my text of remenndation and gallery of your activities. Each name here will be open in new window (as external link) on this way, your site will be part of nikkolai.org but in same time it will be indipendent site.

We now have material for some models to make their presentation here (soon it will be finished). In meantime you can click on name and visit their official sites:

Staphanie Styles – she is great model and actress, you should visit her site. Some of her expressions are unique, very proffesional and maked with highest style (soon you will see her presentation here and mine text about Staphanie Styles). Please click o her name and visit her site, have a lot positive things to see… Thank you  Staphanie Styles for support – you have great and noble soul.

Putin’s ‘model’ photographer sparks Internet frenzy

In this photo Yana Lapikova, who has started working as an intern to support Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s staff photographers, walks to take a position while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attends the opening of a Children’s Hematology and Immunity Disorders Center in Moscow, Russia. Putin has hired a former fashion model as one of his three personal photographers. – AP Photo

MOSCOW: Russia’s government Friday sought to douse a frenzy of Internet comment after it hired an attractive former model and “Miss Moscow” finalist as personal photographer to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The government confirmed the hiring of Yana Lapikova to join the pool of Putin’s official photographers as an intern but insisted she had been chosen on the grounds of her personal qualities alone.

Prominent Russian blogger drugoi posted scantily-clad photographs of the sultry brunette’s modelling past on his LiveJournal site, provoking a flurry of comments querying the real reason why she was hired.

By apparent coincidence, the administration of President Dmitry Medvedev has also just hired a female photographer for the first time, Ekaterina Shtukina from the national daily Izvestia.

“Yes, I am working as an intern in the prime ministerial pool,” Lapikova told the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. “Working as a photographer is the dream of my life. It’s true I took part in Miss Moscow. Clearly this was a mistake that I’m paying for now.”

“It was not worth it. Working as a photographer is more important than taking part in a competition.” Clearly irritated by the speculation, the government responded to questions about Lapikova’s apparent lack of longstanding professional experience by saying it was not easy finding photographers for the official pool.

“We do not hire photographers according to gender. She is genuinely a good photographer, her past as a model does not concern us. In any case, it is not a crime,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the RIA Novosti news agency.

He explained that it was not easy for the government to hire photographers as the pay for the job was considerably less than that offered in international photo agencies.

“Working as a personal photographer is a kind of torture which is not payed like in the international agencies but far lower”.

He said the two personal photographers currently employed by the government – Alexei Druzhinin and Alexei Nikolsky – were overwhelmed with work as they had to attend events not only with Putin but also deputy prime ministers.

“We have been thinking a long time about taking on a photographer but the pay did not suit,” he said.

In latest June’s issue of Elle Russia is shown marvelous cover shoot with American supermodel Angela Lindvall, who appears in colorful and seductive garments from labels such as Dior, Versace and Diane von Furstenberg styled by Daria Anichkina. These dresses are best for this Summer 2011 fashion season.

Swimsuit Calcedonia, bracelets Prada, leather sandals Giuseppe Zanotti Design

Silk dress Dior

Asymmetric bodysuit Herve Leger by Max Azria, metal bracelet, leather sandals Giuseppe Zanotti Design

dress with hood Diane von Furstenberg, pink gold watches Imperiale with brilliants, pink gold bracelet everything from Chopard

dress with hood Diane von Furstenberg

Top and compressed silk skirt Lanvin, wedge-heeled sandals Sergio Rossi, bracelet Emilio Pucci

Russian Fashion Exclusive – The Best of Models, Designers,

Backstage and More – FashionTV

RUSSIA – FashionTV features the trendiest collections and designers showcased in Russia. First up, the infamous Viktor & Rolf duo do an exclusive interview with FashionTV in the W Hotel in St. Petersburg. FTV captures them as they look out at exquisite Russian architecture from the top of a balcony, then talk about how they met and got their start in fashion. They presented themselves doing haute couture in Paris and are now known throughout the world as a mega fashion brand. They are known for adding surreal theatrical elements in all of their shows. This collection showcased is very aggressive, sharp, with a wide variety of shapes. Viktor & Rolf’s red-faced collection is showcased as part of Elle Russia’s project Elle Fashion Days. Later, a smokin’ after party is held to celebrate at the W St. Petersburg backed by beautiful ladies dancing on tabletops and breathtaking beats on the balcony. Russian actor Ivan Nikolaev says hello to FashionTV. The partygoers are also celebrating the opening of the W Hotel in St. Petersburg. Next, FashionTV takes a tour with the beautiful ballet dancer and model Maria Mogsolova in Moscow, where she visits top Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin’s showroom during Moscow Fashion Week. She checks out jewelry and flips through the designer’s lookbook, then tries on some of his luscious prints, then heads to Valentin Yudashkin’s Fashion House for a casting. Valentin Yudashkin himself is there to watch her strut her stuff down the …

Adriana Francesca Lima, born on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She is a famous brazilian model and actress, best known as Victoria’s Secret Angel since the year 2000. She is a very tall woman, 5 foot 10 (1.78 cm) in height. Her nickname is “Lima Bean”.

Adriana was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and is of nati-brazilian, african-brazilian, portugese, french and Caribbean heritage.

Adriana entered the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest at 13 years old and won second place based on her stunning beauty.

At age 16 she moved to New York and joined the Elite Model Management and continued her modeling career.

She has appeared on convers of magazines including Vogue and Marie Claire and also appeared in Italian TIM Mobile commercials.

Personal Life

Adriana married Marko Jaric, a serbian basketball player on Valentine’s Day of 2009. She declared she was a virgin until marriage, quoting: “Sex is for after marriage”. They held a wedding in each of their hometowns at the end of 2010 but they wed in a private ceremony in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.She gave birth to a baby girl in November 15, 2009. She named her daughter “Valentina Lima Jari?”.

Personal Quotes

“I was so embarrassed about mispronouncing words. I just knew how to smile.”

“I like to go to the movies or read.”

“I’ve never been to the gym. I do nothing.”

“You don’t have to have an attitude if you’re famous. ”

“I was in a fashion show and I had on a strapless top. When I got to the end the top was down.”

“I would like just one time to be on the cover of Italian Vogue.”