'Dwarf': Undergoing Controversial Lengthening Surgeries

Tiffanie DiDonato said everything she has ever wished for has come true: a handsome husband, loving friends and a new baby. But most of her childhood dreams play out in simple, everyday victories, like taking out the trash or driving.

DiDonato, 32, was born with diastrophic dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. The condition left her with a 'typical size' torso, but abnormally short arms and legs. By the time she was in middle school, she was only three-and-a-half feet tall.

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Growing up in Marlborough, Mass., DiDonato fantasized about being tall enough to grab something off the grocery store shelf, cook on the stove, take out the trash and drive a car, but almost everything was out of reach.

But that all changed when DiDonato endured an excruciating and controversial series of limb-lengthening surgeries, which breaks bones and forces them to re-grow longer. It was a decision she made when she was very young, knowing that it would have risks and rewards with a lifetime of consequences.

At age 8, DiDonato had her first surgery to lengthen her arms and gain four inches of height.

'When I woke up, when it hurt so much, you freeze it, almost like if you scream it is going to hurt worse,' she said. 'All you can do is kind of let the tears fall and deal with it and suck it up and let it ride.'

When she was 15, DiDonato decided to have the surgery again. Ignoring the recommended maximum of four inches, she and her doctor decided not to put a cap on her growth. Her mother, who raised her to be a fierce fighter, said she supported her daughter's decision.

'It was all about independence,' Robin DiDonato said. 'It was doing things on her own, brushing her own hair. My biggest fear was her being dependent on others for her care because, let's face it, Gerry and I won't be around forever.'

Her father, Gerry DiDonato, said he told her she didn't need to have the surgery, and it was torture to him to watch his daughter suffer.

'It was very nerve-racking,' he said. 'She would cry it out. It was tough . it's horrible.'

But Robin never wavered. She said she didn't let herself cry in front of her daughter, even during the most gut-wrenching days.

'I was not going to because if I broke, maybe she would have too, maybe she would have stopped,' Robin said. 'Who knows what she would have done. I think she needed me to be strong for her.'

After her second surgery, Tiffanie DiDonato gained an unprecedented 10 inches of additional height, putting her at 4-foot-10 -- right on the cusp of little-person status. She kept a journal, which she said helped her get through the painful process.

'I was honest with myself, if I wanted to die, if I felt like that's what I wanted to do, then I wrote it down,' she said.

Her journal was turned into a memoir she defiantly titled 'Dwarf.' In it, DiDonato chronicles her 'no pain, no gain' view of life and how surprisingly grateful she is for the experience.

'If you go through a struggle, if you know what sacrifice is, and you have felt a little pain, it makes you that much braver,' she said. 'It makes you a little bit more aware.'

DiDonato is now married to Eric Gabrielse, a nearly-six-foot-tall Marine, and they recently welcomed a baby boy.

'She's so powerful and strong,' Gabrielse said of his wife. 'Being in the military, you need somebody that one, can be independent, but two, can be extremely supportive and because everything she's gone through, she's been through her own battles, so she knows exactly how to support me through mine.'

Controversy Around Lengthening Surgeries

We first met DiDonato four years ago when she and Gabrielse were about to tie the knot. After her story aired, she caught flack for her lengthening surgeries from critics who said The Little People of America organization doesn't support the risky procedures.

Reza Garakani was also born with dwarfism and said he regrets that his father pushed him to have the lengthening surgery back in the '80s. He was 12.

'I did not want to undergo the painful procedure which, in my mind, I was worried that, what if this fails,' he said. 'For a few inches, I didn't want to damage my life. I was happy with who I am.'

Unlike DiDonato, Garakani said the surgery left him paralyzed.

'Because of this procedure, I lost a major part of me,' he said. 'Before I was just an average dwarf. I could run around, I could play sports, I could swim and do things. Now, I can't do what I was able to do. I would have rather been three feet tall than be a few inches tall with all the complications.'

Even DiDonato's father, who still has mixed feelings about the surgery, said it may have taken a physical toll on his daughter.

'Personally, I feel she lost a little mobility with the extreme lengthening,' he said. 'I'll always remember her with her little jeans on chasing a ball, but she feels good about herself and that's the most important thing.'

But DiDonato said she was well aware of the risks from the start and has no regrets. It seems to have paid off. Being a new mom and the wife of a Marine, she seems to personify the Marine's fighting philosophy: Adapt and overcome.

'Having a baby, every day I'm adapting and overcoming, but I kind of feel like that's for every parent,' she said. 'Every mom, every dad, you have to take the punches as they come.'

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London show fetes Italian fashion designer Valentino

LONDON (Reuters) - The Oscar dress worn by Julia Roberts and a frock for Audrey Hepburn are just two tantalizing items out of the dozens of sumptuous pieces gathered for a new show in London celebrating Italian designer Valentino Garavani's 50 years in fashion.

'Valentino: Master of Couture' at Somerset House on the River Thames in central London features more than 130 pieces from a designer whose clients included Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Margaret.

Dressed in a light grey suit and lilac shirt, the man simply referred to in the industry as Valentino told reporters he hoped to do more shows in England in the future.

'I love England, I love to be in London and I hope to be able to come very often to do other exhibitions, other Valentino things in this beautiful city,' he said.

Besides the black velvet evening gown with white ribbons Roberts wore when she won the best actress Oscar and a delicate floral dress with green sash designed for Hepburn, the exhibition delves into Valentino's personal letters and photographs, displays handcrafted couture gowns and has digital installations, including videos of his atelier.

Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a huge white flower installation with interactive projections and quirky display cases made of plush white upholstered chairs.

A pale lilac carpet on the next level leads visitors towards a catwalk, where rows of white chairs are lined up amongst more than 130 pieces from Valentino's couture collections.

'We want visitors to feel in the centre of things on the catwalk, so it's a privileged catwalk in a sense...We hope it's going to be a really pleasurable experience,' co-curator Alistair O'Neill told Reuters.

Mannequins, sporting blonde wigs in different hairstyles, are dressed in decadent evening gowns with ruffled floral details, in the designer's signature red, as well as black, soft creams and animal prints.

The exhibition took around a year and a half to assemble, said O'Neill, who co-curated the show alongside Patrick Kinmouth and Antonio Monfredo.

The collection also features sleek capes, brightly colored kaftans and chic day dresses which span Valentino's work over the past 50 years.

'We wanted to be able to show something of this very rarefied world,' O'Neill said.

'It's very normal for Mr. Valentino...but for us, it's an amazing thing to step into.'

(Reporting by Li-mei Hoang, editing by Paul Casciato)



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Daughter of Anna Nicole Smith, six, models for Guess

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The six-year-old daughter of dead Playboy model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith has stepped in front of the camera like her mother to model for U.S. clothing brand Guess, the company said on Monday.

Photos of Dannielynn Birkhead, who was five-months-old when her mother died in 2007, were released as part of a campaign for the brand's kids line.

Smith - best known for marrying oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall when he was 89 and she was 26 - famously modeled for Guess in 1992-93 shortly after appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine.

Dannielynn's father, photographer Larry Birkhead, told television show 'Entertainment Tonight' that his daughter enjoyed herself on the shoot.

'The first thing she asked is 'When will I be on the shopping bags like Mommy?'' Birkhead said. 'I know that Anna's looking at this and seeing how great this will be.'

Anna Nicole Smith died in Florida at the age of 39 from a prescription drug overdose. Dannielynn was the subject of at least six paternity claims following her birth in September 2006. Birkhead was later confirmed as the father following a DNA test.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)



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Daughter of Anna Nicole Smith, 6, models for Guess

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The six-year-old daughter of dead Playboy model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith has stepped in front of the camera like her mother to model for U.S. clothing brand Guess, the company said on Monday.

Photos of Dannielynn Birkhead, who was five-months-old when her mother died in 2007, were released as part of a campaign for the brand's kids line.

Smith - best known for marrying oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall when he was 89 and she was 26 - famously modeled for Guess in 1992-93 shortly after appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine.

Dannielynn's father, photographer Larry Birkhead, told television show 'Entertainment Tonight' that his daughter enjoyed herself on the shoot.

'The first thing she asked is 'When will I be on the shopping bags like Mommy?'' Birkhead said. 'I know that Anna's looking at this and seeing how great this will be.'

Anna Nicole Smith died in Florida at the age of 39 from a prescription drug overdose. Dannielynn was the subject of at least six paternity claims following her birth in September 2006. Birkhead was later confirmed as the father following a DNA test.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)



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The Mannequins Are Watching You

A well-dressed, picture-perfect mannequin stands still in a middle of a department store. She looks like any other life-size figure you've seen in stores for so long, except she can see and hear.

No, she isn't Kim Catrall and, no, we're not describing that 1987 movie 'Mannequin.' An Italian company, by the name of Almax, has created a bionic mannequin of sorts.

It has cameras for eyes, audio recording capabilities, an embedded computer to analyze shoppers' faces, and a modem to upload the data to a server. Called the EyeSee Mannequin, it's meant to provide more data to retailers and department stores about shoppers, says its creator.

'The EyeSee can tell if a shopper is male or female, his or her age range, how much time you spent looking at it and its outfit,' Max Catanese, the CEO of Almax, told ABC News. The EyeSee can also tell the ethnicity of shoppers.

The goal, as you might assume, is for stores to know more about who is shopping and looking at the displays. How long you looked at one mannequin versus others, how many types of shoppers come into the store, etc.

'The potential is huge. A store can really know who their client is. Let's say you have eight floors and six floors are for women and two are for men, but you find out 80 percent of the shoppers are male. You want to change the ratio and switch it,' Catanese said. The computer inside the mannequin captures data about each of the shoppers it sees and then uploads that to a portal, so that the store can see the statistics.

But while it feels like spying and a real invasion of privacy, it's not meant to be, says Catanese. The EyeSee does not store any images or record video. It also doesn't record audio, though it will have the ability to listen for trends soon.

'It might capture soon the keywords between people. Say, you are in front of a mannequin with a blue dress, and you say to your friend, 'It would be wonderful to have it in red,' ' he said. 'It will capture the words and analyze the words; not record it.'

So, when will these mannequins start analyzing you? They might already be. Not only does Almax sell the EyeSee to stores oversees, it already has one client in the U.S. 'It is already in some stores in the U.S., but I cannot disclose the client.'

Of course, many stores don't beleive in tracking shoppers in this way. Bloomberg reports that stores like Nordstrom and Benetton are not sold on the technology. Almax will be showcasing the high-tech mannequin in New York City in early December, hoping to get more stores to feature them.

When asked if the mannequin could analyze faces or emotions, Cantese said, 'There is some technology that is starting to give data like that, but it isn't advanced enough to give information about happiness, etc. In the future we will have it.'

Let's just hope in the future those mannequins don't also get an update that allows them to love. If we remember correctly, that's the part that got the mannequin in the 1987 movie in trouble.

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Grandfather takes China by storm - as women's fashion model

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Liu Qianping was visiting his 24-year-old granddaughter in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou recently when the women's clothes the aspiring fashion entrepreneur was packing into boxes caught his eye.

His visit came as the model that granddaughter Lu Ting and four friends had booked for a photo shoot to promote their online fashion business suddenly canceled, dealing a setback to their new venture.

But Liu, a 72-year-old former farmer visiting to escape the chilly winter of central Hunan province, stepped in to help.

'I walked into the room and saw them packing up some clothes and I thought they looked quite interesting and quite cute,' Liu told Reuters.

'So I tried on a jacket and they found it really funny, and I thought it was quite funny. So they asked if they could take pictures of me and post them on the Internet to sell the clothes. And I said, 'why not?'.'

It was at that time two weeks ago that a star was born.

Liu, known affectionately as 'MaDiGaGa' - funny elderly - is now one of China's most recognized models.

Delighted with his new fame, Liu says he now sometimes looks at fashion programs on television for ideas on how to pose but generally relies on Lu's team for direction.

He does, however, have his own opinions on styling.

'He will tell us which items should be stronger and what should be improved,' Lu said.

'He really likes bright, contrasting colors while I prefer more tone-on-tone combinations. So he gives lots of advice when we try different combinations, so we have some very different styles.'

Since her grandfather became involved, visits to their online site have increased four-fold and continue to rise.

Liu, who traveled to Shanghai with his daughter for the first time last week after they were invited to appear on television, said he had been approached by other companies to model for them but had turned them down.

'I never dreamed of lucky things like these happening to me. Now, my name has spread to everywhere in the country,' he said.

Lu has been criticized on the Internet and accused of using her grandfather, but he insists the experience has put a spring in his step and she says they are now closer than ever.

'We have no firm plans on how long we will continue, it depends on my grandfather,' she said. 'If he is happy and his health is fine, we will keep using him as our model.'

(This story has been refiled to change the name of the granddaughter on the second reference to Lu, throughout)

(Reporting by Stefanie McIntyre, editing by Elaine Lies and Anne Marie Roantree)



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New body scanner offers virtual tape measure for online shopping

LONDON (Reuters) - British researchers have come up with a new body scanning device that gives accurate measurements and could boost online clothes shopping.

Shoppers are still nervous about ordering clothes online because they often do not fit and, some say, there will never be a substitute for trying something on - one reason why the boom in online retail has not had the same impact on clothing as on music, books and electronics retailing.

In the United States, for instance, the consultancy ComScore estimated that only 14 percent of online spending went on clothes and accessories in the year to June.

The new scanner is being developed by the London College of Fashion, video imaging researchers at the University of Surrey and the company Bodymetrics.

The company already has in-store scanners that use the motion sensors from Microsoft Corp's Kinect gaming device in Bloomingdale's (part of Macy's Inc) in the United States, Selfridges and New Look in Britain, and Karstadt in Germany.

Some firms, including Berlin-based Upcloud, are already offering home scanners that use a webcam, but the British developers say their system is able to measure in unprecedented detail.

Philip Delamore from the London College of Fashion estimates that 30 to 60 percent of clothes bought online are returned.

'It's common for online shoppers to order two or three different sizes of the same item of clothing at the same time as they're unsure which one will fit best,' he said.

With the new system, a shopper inputs his or her height as a reference and can then take a single full-length picture with a webcam or smartphone from which all their other measurements are calculated.

It uses the measurements combined with a person's overall proportions to build a 3D image.

Combining this with sizing information from retailers, the system would also overcome the problem of variable sizing, which can mean a shopper is a 'medium' in one store but a 'large' in another.

The technology builds on previous work by the University of Surrey that was used to create animated characters in games like the Sims.

Adrian Hilton, who is working on the technology at the University, told Reuters that while some shoppers may still enjoy the experience of browsing in stores and trying on clothes, for others an improvement in the reliability of shopping online will be welcome.

'For the male market, I think we're there,' he said.

(Editing by David Holmes)



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Author Tom Wolfe, fashion designer Isabel Toledo set to open Miami Book Fair International

MIAMI - Book lovers and writers are meeting in South Florida for the annual Miami Book Fair International.

The fair opened Sunday with a presentation by Tom Wolfe, whose latest novel, 'Back to Blood,' is set in Miami. Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo also was scheduled to discuss her memoir Sunday night.

The fair runs through Nov. 18 at Miami Dade College. Other notable writers scheduled to speak at the fair in downtown Miami include National Book Awards finalists Junot Diaz and Robert Caro, The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik, the 'Goosebumps' series author R. L. Stine, social critic Camille Paglia and Anne Lamott.



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Diesel founder considering jewelery and Japan to beat slowdown

ROME (Reuters) - Diesel brand founder Renzo Rosso is considering expanding into jewelery and launching a new project in Japan to fuel growth at his fashion group despite the global economic turmoil.

Known as the 'king of high-end casualwear', the rockstar-looking businessman is one of the most dynamic figures in a fashion industry threatened by a slowdown in its core markets.

A painful recession in southern Europe and a slowdown in China are forcing European brands to come up with new ideas to lure consumers back into their stores.

Accessories, which, like leather belts and perfumes, are more affordable than evening dresses, are the fastest-growing category in a luxury industry expected to grow 5 percent this year from 13 percent in 2011 at constant exchange rates, according to consultancy Bain & Co.

Italian designer Giorgio Armani said in September he would boost sales of accessories.

Rosso, who also owns young-focused brands such Maison Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf, said he expected the recession to continue to hurt Italy well beyond 2013.

'There is a deep crisis and I believe it will remain serious for two other years,' Rosso said on the sidelines of the IHT summit on Friday afternoon.

'We need to take care of our licences for sunglasses, watches and perfumes. A world that fascinates me is jewelery. With my brands I want to enter this category too,' he said.

A visionary entrepreneur, Rosso was the first to turn stone-washed denim into a premium category in the 1980s.

His holding 'Only The Brave' - which includes his brands as well as Staff International, a company that produces under licence for Just Cavalli, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, DSquared and Marc Jacobs Men - had revenues of around $2 billion in 2011.

DENIM KING

Rosso said he finds inspiration for new projects from travelling and working with his international team.

'I went to Japan with my daughters for three days and I came back with an incredible idea about a business that is totally different from what I do but related to clothing,' he said.

Rosso said nobody really understood him when he started to age his jeans by washing them with stones. His products are now sold worldwide, mostly in Japan.

'Japan is a country where fashion is extreme, more than elsewhere. I also love London,' curly haired Rosso said.

'Russia is going very well, like the Arab countries. Another growing market is Brazil, where people enjoy life,' he said.

Rosso, who works hands-on in Diesel but leaves designers at his other brands complete autonomy, has interests spanning from wine to eco-friendly technologies.

On Friday, Rosso announced a partnership with his friend rockstar Bono to sell in Diesel stores fashion products, sourced or entirely made in Africa under an Diesel+Edun label.

Through his Red Circle investment arm, Rosso is also the single-biggest shareholder with a stake of around 9 percent in growing Italian online fashion retailer Yoox .

Rosso has also invested in an Italian start-up incubator called H-Farm and in a maker of electric vehicles.

Rosso, whose thought-provoking slogans 'Be Stupid' and 'For Successful Living' have inspired books, did not rule out other investments in the future.

(Editing by Alison Williams)



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Miss America Contestant Will Undergo Mastectomy

Allyn Rose lost her mother to breast cancer when she was just a teenager, so after the newly-crowned Miss District of Columbia competes in the Miss America pageant in January, she will undergo a double mastectomy as a preventive measure for her health.

Rose, 24, said she would rather remove both of her breasts than risk getting cancer, a disease she is genetically predisposed to because of a gene mutation carried by the women in her family. Her mother was first diagnosed with cancer at age 27, had her right breast removed, and then found a lump in her left breast 24 years later. She died at age 51.

'Knowing I am a carrier I just said to myself I don't want to put myself through what my mom went through. I want to be here for my kids' - no pun intended - crowning achievements,' Rose said.

Rose, originally of Newburgh, Md., and now living in Washington, D.C., won the title of Miss District of Columbia in June. In 2011, she placed in the top eight at the Miss USA pageant as Miss Maryland. She said that the upcoming Miss America pageant will be her last with both of her breasts.

'A lot of people are confused when I say I'm choosing life over beauty, but it's beauty as a stereotype, the Hollywood idea of beauty, the physical attributes. I'm not going to let my desire to achieve those goals distract me from my own health,' she said.

Rose's family are carriers of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, a rare disease that affects men almost exclusively, but is carried by females. Rose's mother carried the disease, for which there is a high correlation to breast cancer, she said.

'I met with my surgeon, and the doctors that treated my mom, and doctors are 50-50 with this,' she said. 'Some say you can put it off, you don't have breast cancer. Others say it is an incredibly wise decision, your mom was diagnosed at 27, only three years from where you are now, why not make a proactive decision?'

Rose's decision to be proactive was similar to an increasing number of women in America who decide to have both breasts removed as a precaution against cancer. A 2008 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that the rate of the procedure, called a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, more than double between 1998 and 2003.

After making the decision to have the surgery, Rose said she became passionate about prevention and proactiveness. She has based her platform for January's pageant on the idea that everyone should be proactive about their health.

Rose said she plans to have the operation after she is done serving out her title with the Miss America organization, whether that is her Miss District of Columbia title, which expires next June, or that of Miss America, for which she would serve until 2014.

Rose said she was not afraid of life without breasts.

'There's been leaps and bounds in surgery over the last few years, in reconstruction, to make your body look the same as it did before. Or you can lose a nipple. If surgery doesn't go the right way, you could lose the entire breast. But I knew my mom my whole life with one breast, and she never let that stop her from achieving her goals of being a good mom and wife. So I said if I had to live my whole life with no breasts, I'd rather be alive,' Rose said.

Miss America Contestant Will Lose Her Breasts

When she is finished competing, and finished with surgery, Rose said she hopes to go to law school. She graduated from the University of Maryland, where she studied government and politics, and hopes to work as a constitutional attorney in Washington. The scholarship from being awarded the Miss America crown would help her pay for law school, she said.

In the meantime, Rose has been working as a paralegal and a model, working for print advertising and QVC. She said she is thrilled to be representing Washington, D.C., where she now lives, in the pageant.

'I'm really looking forward to really being able to share my message with America. It's the most iconic swimsuit pageant in the world, and a year from now my body won't be the same body as it is then. I want to showcase that this is what my body looks like now. But if I were to win this, if I lose my breasts, it doesn't make me less of a Miss America.'



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Indonesian fashion designers turn eyes to the wider world

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian fashion designers paired clean, urban styles with traditional batiks and designs inspired by ancient temples at the sixth annual Jakarta Fashion Week.

Local designers in Asia's fourth largest economy looked to the past and their heritage to gain a foothold in the international fashion market, a hope expressed in the week's theme 'Indonesia Today, The World Tomorrow.'

'This collection sums up 40 years of my work,' said Josephine Komara, who is also known as Obin, a noted batik artisan who showcased eclectic designs with radiant silks.

Although Obin has shops in Singapore and Japan, she is most successful in her own country. There are other success stories like hers but Indonesia lacks a brand with global recognition, unlike its Southeast Asian neighbors such as the Malaysian Vincci and Singapore's Charles & Keith.

But the London-based Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE) hopes to change this, propelling young Indonesian designers to the international stage through a mentoring program. Experts say one of the biggest problems is inexperience and a short history of aiming at international markets.

'By going international, it means they have to be ready for what the market needs,' said Toby Meadows, a CFE consultant. 'It might be overwhelming for them because creating winter wear might never have crossed their minds. But if you have a brand, the buyers expect you to have a Fall/Winter collection as well.'

The fundamentals for international recognition are already there. Designers Yosafat Dwi Kuniawan and Jeffrey Tan offered high fashion and urban cut pret a porter collections, while Barli Asmara and Albert Yanuar went for glamourous dresses with a costume-like touch.

Dian Pelangi, in a nod to local fashion, showed contemporary designs incorporating the hijab that many Indonesian women use to cover their heads.

All are among eight local designers and labels in CFE's mentoring program, which they hope will propel them onto the international scene.

None of the designers have dealt with international buyers, although Barli and Yosafat have showed their collections in fashion weeks overseas. Most are still struggling with branding and business plans over creativity and design ideas.

'I went for a showcase in China Fashion Week in 2009, but there wasn't any actual trading,' said Yosafat, 23, whose designs are inspired by the ancient Javanese Borobudur temple.

'I simply don't know how to sell and deliver and I've made some big mistakes in my business.'

The CFE mentoring program, which is backed by the Indonesian and British governments, includes three years of training in branding, pricing, production and marketing. It also helps connect young designers with prospective buyers and to decide which market suits them best.

'I made some dresses for overseas clients in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore,' said Albert Yanuar, whose designs are inspired by the shapes of traditional Wayang shadow puppets. 'My dresses seem to fit into Asian markets such as China, Korea, Hong Kong or Singapore.'

One success story is Ardistia, who started her label when she was based in New York and later expanded to the Indonesian market with her clean, urban look. Her designs have been shown in department stores in the United States, Canada and France.

Given the growing wealth and middle classes of Asia, Meadows encourages Indonesian designers to broaden their outlook and not just target the most established, traditional fashion markets.

'People often aim for New York and London, while purchasing power is big in Asia,' he said. 'So why not also target that, and not just focus on the U.S. and the European market? It would be silly to overlook Asia while it's so near and feasible.'

(Reporting by Andjarsari Paramaditha; editing by Elaine Lies and Patricia Reaney)



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Lagerfeld says Ghesquiere with Arnault "not bad idea"

PARIS (Reuters) - Star designer Karl Lagerfeld said the departure of Nicolas Ghesquiere from Balenciaga as artistic director to create his own brand with backing from LVMH's Bernard Arnault would 'not be a bad idea' as the group owned many old labels.

'Perhaps Nicolas wants to have his own label, which is not a bad idea,' Lagerfeld told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

'And it would not be a bad idea if somebody such as Bernard Arnault would invest in a new label because there are so many old labels (within the LVMH group),' Lagerfeld said about the chief executive of the world's biggest luxury group.

PPR, the French group which owns Balenciaga, shocked the fashion world by announcing this week the departure of Ghesquiere, who had been with the brand since 1997 and was the main architect of its revival.

The International Herald Tribune reported this week that one option for Ghesquiere was to create his own brand with the backing of Arnault, who controls LVMH, the world's biggest luxury group, which owns many fashion brands including Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Celine.

Founded by Cristobal Balenciaga in 1919, his eponymous brand thrived until the late 1960s and then lay dormant until Ghesquiere took over as designer. The brand started to expand worldwide after PPR acquired it in 2001.

Balenciaga did not explain Ghesquiere's departure clearly when it made the announcement on Monday but it suggested the designer was longing for a new creative adventure.

Lagerfeld, who runs his own brand on top of working as artistic director for LVMH's Fendi and for privately owned Chanel, said he could not think about the succession.

'We (my team and I) only think in terms of one collection after the next collection,' he said. 'In fashion, I am very much against projection in the far away future.'

Lagerfeld was speaking at the opening of an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris of his photos of celebrities themed around Chanel's 'little black jacket,' who were styled by Carine Roitfeld, former editor of the French Vogue.

The celebrities include artist Yoko Ono, John Lennon's widow, film maker Sofia Coppola and actresses Kirsten Dunst and Milla Jojovich.

'I am happy I can do both fashion and photography because there is a link between the two but it is a link which I refuse to analyze,' Lagerfeld said.

PAVLOVSKY

Also present at the exhibition's opening was Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel's fashion division, who like Lagerfeld would not be drawn too long on the subject of the designer's succession.

'Karl is in great shape, I work every day with him and I can assure you that he is doing very well,' Pavlovsky said, adding that relations between Chanel and him had always been excellent.

'Of course one day there will be an after-Karl but Karl will have made Chanel so strong, with such strong codes that Chanel will find solutions,' Pavlovsky said.

The executive said Chanel, owned by the Wertheimer family, was doing well overall and expected 2012 to be another 'good year' in spite of the global downturn which has affected many of its rivals including LVMH, Burberry and Gucci owner PPR.

However, he said the Chinese market was becoming more mature with growth levels in big cities such as Shanghai or Beijing becoming similar to that of European capitals or New York where Chanel has been for decades.

'We are no longer in the 20-30 percent growth levels we had seen (in previous years in China),' he said. 'It can be more than 10 percent,' he said, referring to growth levels in big European cities.

Pavlovsky said Chanel planned to finish the year with 10 boutiques in China and 182 globally.

(Reporting by Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)



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Former Fashion Couple in Legal Showdown

Former husband and wife designers Chris and Tory Burch are now on opposite sides of a nasty battle of the brands after Chris Burch started a competing line called C Wonder earlier this year.

The former couple (they divorced in 2006), created the high-end Tory Burch brand in 2004, and soon their signature metallic logo became one of the most recognizable in fashion.

'The idea was to mix outdoor English country and a little bit of American sportswear,' Tory Burch said of the brand.

Chris Burch started a competing line called C Wonder earlier this year, which according to the brand's website, was 'created to deliver brightness to every corner of life.' Andrew Rossman, an attorney representing Chris Burch, told 'Good Morning America' that the Tory Burch brand did not own the market.

'I don't believe that the Tory Burch company has a monopoly on ballet flats or cardigan sweaters or bright colors,' Rossman said.

Tory and Chris Burch are now involved in a messy set of lawsuits and countersuits. He is suing her for breach of contract, while she says he stole her trade secrets to produce a low-end rip-off.

Industry insiders said it's not just the new C Wonder store's decor that was at issue, but the products Chris Burch is selling. Rossman said that the two brands have differ on price point.

'I don't believe Tory Burch customers who are looking at spending $400 or more on a sweater are going to be looking at C Wonder, and vice versa,' he said.

Vanity Fair contributing editor Vanessa Grigoriadis spoke with Chris Burch for the magazine's December issue. She told 'Good Morning America' today that while the ex-spouses may be battling each other, their dispute won't hurt either of their fans.

'I think Tory is going to continue to expand her business and continue to be America's golden girl, and I think Chris is going to continue to open new brands and expand C Wonder,' Grigoriadis told 'GMA.' 'I think C Wonder has a real chance.'

Tory Burch declined a request for comment by ABC News, but Chris Burch said through his attorney that he hoped the former couple's clothing brands could co-exist peacefully.

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